ã€ŠEIDOLON: Whispers of Eternityã€‹


 Book I - Chapter 01 - Memories of the Past, Echoes of the Present

    Winter going into spring was always a beautiful time in the northern territories. Forests of mountains, trees growing from rocky outcrops and half-melted beds of snow, the footprints of animals as they venture forth from their months-long hibernations. The sky was clear, the air crisp, and one young boy found himself looking up at it through a clearing in a pine grove. Babbling through the grove was a creek, gently falling against a path of rocks as it made its way down the mountain. The boy ¨C roughly 10 years old, and wearing thread-bare rags that had once been proper winter clothing ¨C picked up a wet stick as he approached the creek. Snow crunched under his boots as he lifted the stick high, admiring his prize, and with a few calculated smacks of the stick against the riverbed, delighted in the breaking of frosted crystal from the rocks. For a moment, he watched the loosened ice float away¡­until he realized he wasn¡¯t the only one there.

    Blue eyes watched in perfect stillness; there was a fox not too far away, its own black eyes looking straight back at him. The boy carefully put the stick down, trying not to make a sound. The sight of the fox was unusual; this close to a community meant the creek was a frequent destination for the local human population, and no fox in their right mind had any interest in that. Still, this one seemed indifferent to the child, and turned away to lap at the water for a little while longer. The boy made it three paces closer before the fox¡¯s ears suddenly went up, and it looked around in an unbidden panic.

    Then the cause for alarm became evident; three lightning-quick streaks of light darted across the sky. The fox was gone before the boy looked for it again, but the sound of nearby destruction left him with no recourse, and he started running up the footpath back the way he¡¯d come. His hood fell away from the jostling, revealing short blonde hair, but he had no time to stop and put it back. Ears quickly started to get a pink tint from the cold as he ran, ¡°Mom!? Mom!¡± He called out; a nearby explosive blast sent him sprawling for cover, hands over his head. Pebbles and dirt rained on him, but the boy got up again and carried on, flitting through the trees just off the path instead.

    As he arrived at the clearing of a small village ¨C more like a campsite that had been used for years, with a few tents interspersed between some longer-lived log cabins ¨C he saw what carnage had already been wrought. Two of the cabins were already destroyed and smoldering, people were running for their lives; death was coming from the sky.

    ¡°Gabe!?¡± A woman¡¯s voice called-out, and the boy lifted his head, ¡°Gabriel, what are you doing out in the open!?¡±

    ¡°I heard the attack from the creek! What¡¯s going on?¡±

    The woman had hair as golden as his own, and she carefully weaved through ruined tents and campfires to get to where her son was hiding behind a wood-pile. She hugged him tightly as she arrived, ¡°It must be those newcomers¡­ They drew the Fafnir straight to us¡­! We have to get away before they find us, too!¡±

    With renewed focus, they turned, but the pair couldn¡¯t even begin their retreat into the woods; they were stopped in their tracks by yet another explosion. The woman blocked as much as she could from her son, and took a graze to the forehead, blood trickling down across her brow. She hissed a breath, and touched her fingers to it, but there was no time to worry or complain about the sting; whatever was going on, they were being herded back into the open. But even that was cut-off in quick succession, as one of those ¡®so-called¡¯ Fafnir descended directly into the middle of the encampment. It bore the physique of a large man, with gilded, aerodynamic armor covering every inch of him; from his back were two arm-like projections, with solid-light panels that made it look like he had massive wings. The crowning difference between him and the following two Fafnir that descended nearby, was the elaborate ornamentation above and behind him, extending out from the wing-panels.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s the Captain¡­!¡± The woman whispered, holding her son¡¯s head close in front of herself as she tried to pull him closer to a make-shift shelter; a small wooden shed with an open door, ¡°Why is the Captain on this mission!? He¡¯s never come out for these culls before¡­¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡± Gabriel complained fearfully, ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t, either¡­¡± She answered, and pulled the boy into the ground, hoping to avoid being seen.

    The Fafnir Captain scanned the area, then indicated to his subordinates to take a direction each. If they were speaking to one another, it was on a closed communication system, and could not be heard outside their helmets. The Captain stepped forward and went up the main steps of the community¡¯s largest cabin; what happened behind those doors could only be imagined. The two other Fafnir ¨C lacking the elaborate sigils above their own wings, but each sporting their own unique colors and wing-styles to differentiate each other at a glance ¨C stalked the rest of the campsite. Each hidden survivor that was found was butchered on sight; the Fafnir possessed weaponry embedded in the armor of their forearms, shooting a single pulse of raw energy that killed instantly.

    Gabriel clenched his eyes shut, but he could feel a subtle tingle in them beginning, ¡°Mom¡­mom, it¡¯s coming out¡­¡±

    ¡°Shh!¡± She pushed the boy¡¯s head down into the dead leaves and snow, ¡°You have to pretend to be dead already¡­maybe they¡¯ll leave us be¡­!¡±

    He could feel his heart pounding in his chest; the tingle in his eyes was getting worse. He pulled his hands up under his face to press his fingers against his eyelids, like that could do anything at all to offer relief. The crunch of footsteps was getting closer; two more people were slaughtered nearby¡­and then they stopped.

    The Fafnir soldier had found them.

    Gabriel felt his breath catch in his throat, and his body seemed paralyzed. His mother wouldn¡¯t even chance to breathe while the Fafnir was standing there. The wait seemed to go on forever ¨C why was that Knight just standing there? The sudden jerking of his mother¡¯s body wasn¡¯t normal¡­nor was the unusual subtle blasting-sound that preceded it. The Fafnir Knight still hadn¡¯t moved; it¡¯s as if it was waiting for something. Gabriel felt the warmth of liquid drip down against the back of his head, and his mother¡¯s frame seemed to relax. She exhaled a rattled, wet breath, then went still, and slumped slightly further off Gabriel¡¯s left side, until she fell completely still. Gabriel didn¡¯t know what else to do; his mother was dead beside him, and his ears were ringing.

    Armored feet shifted slightly as the Fafnir took aim a second time¡­then stopped and recoiled slightly. Unheard by the catatonic child, the Knight spoke to his team, ¡°Captain, you¡¯re going to want to see this¡­¡±

    The tingling had ceased; blue eyes were replaced with tendrils of golden light. Gabriel reached a trembling hand towards his mother¡¯s gaping, wide, lifeless eyes. It was only then that he saw the gore that had become the back of her head and neck; the miasma from his eyes flared even more in his duress. Tears fell down his cheeks though, and he bent down over the body, heedless of the blood that pooled underneath. He turned his left ear towards the woman¡¯s face, ¡°Breathe¡­please¡­breathe¡­¡± He begged quietly, hopeless as it was. Crimson stained that whole side of his face, and hair dragged through, leaving little trails of red on the woman¡¯s skin. Gabriel jerked upward again though when he heard ¨C and felt ¨C the sudden thud of the Fafnir Captain landing nearby.

    ¡°What is this?¡± The man asked, unheard by the stunned child.

    ¡°Sir¡­he¡¯s got the Limitless eyes. But he¡¯s¡­ He couldn¡¯t be more than 10 years old.¡± The first soldier explained, gesturing at the boy, ¡°This is unheard of. We have to call Lord Rylen.¡±

    There was a moment of hesitation, but then the Captain seemed to agree; the solid-light wings behind him abruptly shut off, dissolving into a shimmer of dust, and every glowing vein of light running through his armor faded. The man pulled his helmet off ¨C pale blonde hair and light green eyes were revealed to those terrified sights ¨C and he held his hand up to his left ear, ¡°Lord Rylen, this is Captain Rydell¡­we have a situation. Yessir. I¡¯ve made my nanotech available for you.¡±

    The sound of crystalline, shifting sands could be heard, as the ¡®nanotech¡¯ quickly reassembled; what manifested from it was the image of a whole new man; garbed in white and trimmed with grey, skin a dark lavender color, and pointed ears beside. Piercing orange eyes looked on with interest before a cascade of molten-silver hair, although the figure was turned side-faced to the boy, as though the interior of the camp was the most likely place of interest, ¡°What am I looking at, Captain?¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Sir!¡± The Fafnir saluted with his free hand, then nudged his head to the figure¡¯s other side, ¡°This boy. He can¡¯t have more than a decade under him but he already has the affliction.¡±

    Rylen ¨C as he was known ¨C turned with a wide gaze, and beheld the image of the boy with those characteristic tendrils of golden-white light flaring from his eyes. Gabriel recoiled at the sight of that peculiar dark elf, more so when the man knelt down to one knee, and stared at him like a lab specimen, ¡°Fascinating. It¡¯s been some 370 years since I saw this happen.¡±

    ¡°What should we do with him, sir?¡±

    Rylen stood back up again, pondering for a moment; there was another sound of violence in the distance, and the second Fafnir gestured over a crest of trees. Rylen just nodded, then looked to the Captain, ¡°Carry on the mission as you are. I¡¯m going to call Xanarken here.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡± He answered, and replaced his helmet, then took off into the air again without the grand visual spectacle of his solid-light wings.

    ¡°Xanarken, would you mind swapping-out with me to handle something?¡± Rylen said, seemingly to himself as he took a step back, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve just been notified that the target has been located, so I have to go deal with that. Just replace my mantle with yours and I¡¯ll catch up with you later. ¡­Oh, you¡¯ll know exactly what it is when you see it.¡±

    Gabriel listened in terrorized confusion, but just as Rylen¡¯s voice went silent, and those orange eyes descended on him again, they were suddenly replaced by a whole new man. Purple skin was replaced by a normal fleshy white tone, and molten silver hair shortened to a neat, dark-purple look. A clean face was replaced with a black goatee, and light-colored clothes were changed to dark greys and blacks. It was Xanarken who now stood in those footprints, and he looked down with violet irises to the sad sight before him.

    Xanarken looked away and around the scene he found himself in; he could see the image of that second Fafnir Knight disappearing beyond the tree-line, leaving nothing but carnage behind. Brows furrowed, ¡°Damn¡­ Rylen¡¯s really gotten into it eyeballs-deep this time.¡± He turned back to the child though, and bent down to get onto his knees in an effort to look less threatening. He reached his hand out, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for what happened here. I¡­know my brother gets a bit zealous when it comes to this area, but he went too far here today.¡± He started, though Gabriel wouldn¡¯t reciprocate, ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep your Limitless on, son. I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Th-they¡­killed my m-mom¡­¡± The boy finally spoke, his voice scratchy from fear and despair, miasma flickering like candle-flame from those terrified eyes, ¡°I d-don¡¯t¡­know what we did wrong¡­ Why did¡­they come¡­? Why did they k-kill my mom!?¡±

    ¡°There was someone here¡­¡± Xanarken started, keeping his gentle hand extended, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say, but his Limitless ability made it possible for him to assume another person¡¯s image. He was a very bad man, and hurt a lot of people out in Kitez and Sargon. It was just¡­bad luck that we tracked him here, to where you live. The only way we could be sure to find him was to¡­do this¡­¡±

    ¡°My m-mom never¡­did anything wrong¡­ She d-didn¡¯t even¡­have the affliction h-herself¡­¡±

    ¡°Most people don¡¯t. It¡¯s a very rare gift; one that some people use to do evil things. Do you know what you can do, son?¡±

    Gabriel stared quietly for a moment, but that soft-spoken figure had a strange calming effect on him. The light in his eyes faded back to normal; his left eye, however, was now red, ¡°I¡­I can¡­cut through anything¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s really amazing. ¡­Why don¡¯t you come up from there? It¡¯s dangerous to stay here.¡± Xanarken suggested, and inched closer, offering his hand nearer, ¡°I can protect you.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­leave my mom¡­¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard. But we can¡¯t leave you here by yourself. I¡¯d just¡­rather you come on your own.¡± The man said, and extended his fingers a bit more, ¡°Please¡­¡±

    Gabriel looked at those fingers, then to his mother¡¯s body, and to the fingers again. Reluctantly, and with a trembling arm, he reached, and touched his palm around those fingertips; they were cold, and felt like plastic, ¡°¡­You¡­don¡¯t feel right¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an Eidolon, son. Do you know what an Eidolon is?¡± Xanarken pressed is thumb to those fingers reassuringly, and slowly stood back up again, but stayed bent over his knees so he wouldn¡¯t be too intimidating at his full height.

    ¡°N-no¡­¡±

    ¡°An Eidolon is someone who creates their body from the nanotech that floats in the air like dust.¡± He gestured around the area, though mostly towards the woods, ¡°Not that there¡¯s any nanotech here, mind you¡­ I believe the good Captain sacrificed his own to give myself and Lord Rylen a supply to manifest from. Rylen and I are leaders in the Luminary Council. There¡¯s four of us. We¡¯ve been helping people live here for a very long time.¡±

    ¡°The¡­L-Luminary¡­Council¡­? It¡¯s¡­supposed to be evil¡­!¡± Gabriel sucked in a scared breath and pulled his hand back, ¡°That other one i-is¡­definitely evil¡­!¡±

    ¡°Rylen Vor¡¯antiss is many things, but he¡¯s not evil. He¡¯s known as the Eidolon of the First and Sixth Wings of the Council. And I¡¯m Xanarken Tellan, Eidolon of the Fourth Wing. What¡¯s your name, son?¡±

    The boy shied slightly, and reached up to rub his eyes with bloodied hands, ¡°I¡¯m¡­G-Gabriel¡­Lugios¡­¡±

    ¡°Hello, Gabriel Lugios. I¡¯d like to take you somewhere safe. Will you come with me?¡±

    Bicolored eyes blinked in sadness, and Gabriel looked one more time to the body beside him, ¡°What about¡­my mom¡­? We¡¯re just¡­leaving her here?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to be making a lot of new friends in a big hurry, Gabriel. We¡¯ll make sure that your mom is treated with dignity, and I¡¯ll make sure you can say goodbye¡­but we should go. I¡¯m going to call for a ship to come here to collect you, and I¡¯ll wait with you until it arrives, okay? You¡¯re not going to have to live like this anymore.¡±

    Hesitantly, but with a bit more coaxing, Gabriel reached again to take that hand, and Xanarken smiled.

    ¡°Easy does it,¡± The Eidolon reassured, then finally stood up fully, and looked around again. Thin lines of light danced across his eyes as he envisioned an interface before him, and with a few selections in the HUD¡¯s menus, he connected to a nearby SkyFortress, ¡°This is Xanarken; I need a retrieval on my location. No, the mission is still ongoing, this is separate. I have a boy and an adult woman¡¯s body to bring back to the Aegis. ¡­Yes, I will be waiting here.¡± He turned to the child clinging to his fingers, ¡°Okay, now we just stay here.¡±

    -22 Years Later-

    ¡°You honestly cannot be serious,¡± Gabriel complained, sitting in the pilot¡¯s seat of a small skiff. Hair had been allowed to grow long, but that red tint to its tips never faded, nor did the heterochromia. His gaze looked on impatiently at the image of his Eidolon on-screen, ¡°How in the actual, literal Hell did Captain Tarrock ¡®I can¡¯t stand that guy¡¯ Gallifey get pulled into this?¡±

    Xanarken took a deep breath, fingertips together, and he tilted his hands towards the screen as he finally spoke, ¡°I know you and him don¡¯t get along, but apparently the Empress called an Inquisition on her kid, and since you were dealing with him before already, it¡¯s only practical that you continue to do so.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s an Inquisition. Why don¡¯t you just ask Rylen to deal with it? It¡¯s First Wing stuff. This is out of our jurisdiction anyway.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already tried that. Rylen¡¯s busy with something and told me to deal with it¡­so that¡¯s why you¡¯re dealing with it.¡±

    Gabriel smacked his head back against the head-rest, ¡°What a drag¡­ You can¡¯t just tell them to let the kid go?¡±

    A woman¡¯s voice chimed in from the side, ¡°Sir, when an Inquisition is happening, the whole SkyFortress goes on lockdown. Lord Xanarken can¡¯t reach them, nor form a mantle on-board, until the lockdown is lifted.¡±

    ¡°And thus, why you¡¯re going yourself,¡± Xanarken added, only to vanish from the screen entirely, and reform his mantle aboard the skiff ¡®in-person,¡¯ ¡°It¡¯ll be good experience for you and Dame Ren.¡±

    Feeling the weight of an elbow coming to rest above his head, Gabriel looked up, and spied the Eidolon looking back down on him from behind the seat. Eyes narrowed in annoyance, ¡°Fine. But just so it¡¯s on the record, everyone here knows Captain Gallifey is one of my biggest haters, and if shit hits the ceiling, it¡¯ll be because of him.¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t hate you, Gabe. He just¡­¡±

    ¡°Loathes and detests the fact that I was born in - and taken from - the Exclusion Zone, and views me as nothing but a villain waiting for an opportunity?¡±

    Xanarken shrugged helplessly and smiled, ¡°Some people just have wrong opinions and you can¡¯t do much about it.¡±

    Listening but anxious, Ren busied herself with locating the aforementioned Captain¡¯s SkyFortress. From experience, she already knew it was the Bulwark, so there was no need for guesswork.

    Gabriel crossed his arms, ¡°Guess we¡¯ll just have to deal with the punches as they come. If there¡¯s no way to get hold of the ship ahead of time, then it¡¯s going to be a surprise for everyone.¡±

    ¡°Make sure you take Ren.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s physically already present on my skiff.¡±

    ¡°I mean on the mission, not just to the mission.¡± Xanarken sarcastically clarified, ¡°She¡¯s skilled in ways that you may find particularly helpful.¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡± Gabriel mumbled, and began activating the ship¡¯s piloting interface.

    The Eidolon cast his eyes towards the largely-quiet cadet, ¡°He still hasn¡¯t read your file, has he?¡±

    Ren made a face and shook her head with an inhale, ¡°Sorry, sir¡­I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    Xanarken turned and abruptly knocked on the ¡®mediator¡¯s¡¯ head, ¡°Read her file.¡±

    ¡°Let me get started on this mission, dad!¡± The blonde protested, flailing his hands up as the Eidolon¡¯s mantle dissolved all around him. He sputtered and doubled-down, ¡°I hate it when he gets on me like that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being particularly cranky today, sir.¡± Ren noted carefully, ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s just get this over-with. I¡¯m sure the Princeling is causing those people a whole bunch of grief as it is.¡±

 Book I - Chapter 02 - The Afflicted Prince

    The skiff ¨C small enough for two people and some storage ¨C was red, the designated color of the Fourth Wing. Its Eidolon ¨C Xanarken Tellan ¨C had led it since the early days, some 350 years prior. With immortal and unageing mantles, made in their likeness with nanotechnology ¨C machines so small they accumulated in the air without notice ¨C the four were the foundational pillars of the Luminary Council.

    Originally six wings, the First ¨C headed by Rylen Vor¡¯antiss ¨C was responsible for military research and development; it had also, in part, taken over the duties of the Second Wing ¨C the Limitless and those who were afflicted with it - whose leader had been missing for centuries and was presumed dead. The Third Wing, led by a largely enigmatic man who rarely got directly involved with anything ¨C Arbelos Germain ¨C maintained the nanotechnology used by both the Council and its allies, colloquially referred to as the World Cloud. The Fourth Wing was primarily responsible for mediations within the world¡¯s allied nations, political negotiations, education, and community outreach; they were the friendly face of the Luminary Council, and the Wing most-likely to be encountered by the average person. The Fifth Wing, headed by the free-spirited Etienne Cisneros, was a behind-the-scenes operation that mostly dealt with terraforming, atmospheric integrity, flora, fauna, agriculture, cultivation, medicine, and other bio-sciences. Finally, the Sixth Wing ¨C also headed by Rylen ¨C was tasked with the planet¡¯s defense forces, and was the closest thing any named-entity on the world stage had to a standing army. Altogether, beneath their chosen label as the Luminary Council, the Eidolon were backed by a technological marvel referred to as the Seraphim System; hence, the six wings.

    The world itself ¨C Hadira ¨C was a rocky planet roughly 1.5 times the size of Earth, had been terraformed and colonized some 350 years prior, in an event mostly remembered with trepidation and suspicion. The calamity that brought the colony fleet down in the first place had, as many believed, been deliberately sabotaged by the would-have-been Eidolon of the Second Wing, had he not absconded and abandoned his duties right at the beginning. His name, no longer spoken and almost-nearly forgotten, was only ever mentioned as a footnote in ¡®basic histories¡¯ lessons, never to be repeated.

    The Eidolon themselves, however, were a source of stability in an ever-changing landscape; they claimed to be the original leaders of the colony fleet¡¯s command structure, but whether that was true, or if they had simply become a sophisticated Artificial Intelligence that used their names, could not be ascertained with any certainty. What could be known for certain though, was that Xanarken and Rylen ¨C who referred to one another as brothers, though they were not related ¨C were the primary guiding hands of the Council, and everything of significance or import went through them.

    Which is to say that, when the Prince and heir of the Empire of Sargon had suddenly become afflicted by the Limitless curse, the Council was the first thing prevailing heads considered reaching out to for help, in spite of the fact that Sargon had a contentious relationship with said Council, and had for some two decades. Its sister nation to the west, Kitez, was even more hostile towards it, and together, they formed a pair of hermit-nations that wanted nothing to do with the larger world alliance; the Hadiran Accord.

    ¡°¡­And that all basically changed the day Prince Iresha lit his dear old uncle on fire,¡± Gabriel explained, piloting his skiff ¨C Maeve ¨C through a torrential rainstorm, taking himself and his mediator mentee, Ren Nibasai, to the site of their next mission. The skiff had no true wind-shield, possessing instead a sophisticated array of display-panels on the inner shell of the hull. Gabriel could see everything around him in varying levels of detail ¨C topographical maps for the altitude, weather assessments, windspeed projections, and a main screen that showed whatever was actually directly ahead of it, with an overlay that showed him the safest route to take to their destination; the SkyFortress called The Bulwark, ¡°Since Sargon and Kitez were usually in lock-step with each other, the day the Sargonian Emperor reached out to us was kind of a kick in the guts to Kitez. They¡¯ve been somewhat at odds with each other ever since.¡±

    ¡°And that was two years ago.¡± Ren noted; she was a handful of years younger than Gabriel, with olive skin, bright green eyes, and long black hair that she preferred to keep up in a clip. As a cadet in the Fourth, her uniform-coat was shorter than his ¨C cutting off at the mid-thigh instead of the ankle ¨C but it still bore the same characteristic red coloring, blocked with dark grey, trimmed in silver, and held close to the body at the waist with a wide belt as her mentor¡¯s.

    ¡°Right.¡± Gabriel nodded, ¡°And Xanarken, genius that he is, decided that he¡¯d throw me at it. To his mind, it was a perfect fit ¨C I was a high-ranking mediator within the Fourth, and I was also afflicted by the Limitless, so I could teach the Prince how to control himself and I could get Sargon into the Luminary fold.¡±

    ¡°Seems to have worked, though,¡± Ren supposed, watching the screens as keenly as Maeve¡¯s pilot, ¡°Sargon may not have actually joined the Hadiran Accord, but they haven¡¯t been so friendly with the Council in decades. Who knew, we just needed a crisis to impact the royal family to get them to buckle?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d think so,¡± The blonde shrugged, ¡°Kitez took particular issue with the fact that I was the one sent to do the job. The Exclusion Zone is completely contained wi-¡°

    ¡°-within Kitez, and they claim the territory as their own.¡± Ren finished, getting a look, though she smiled, ¡°I¡¯m well-acquainted with the concept.¡±

    ¡°And they think I¡¯m supposed to be one of theirs.¡± Gabriel puffed, then went back to the displays, ¡°They consider my existence with the Council the be nothing less than kidnapping and brainwashing, even though Kitez itself doesn¡¯t govern the territory for shit and mostly leaves it feral.¡±

    ¡°Who can blame them? It¡¯s basically considered a massive haunted forest.¡±

    ¡°Mmh¡­¡±

    ¡°Dangerous people who don¡¯t want to be tracked or contacted go there, and use that huge swath of untouched wilderness as cover. And, for whatever reason, those who are afflicted tend to get more powerful for being there,¡± Ren explained, ¡°That¡¯s why they think you were born with the affliction, right?¡±

    ¡°So goes the rumor, anyway.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe it?¡±

    Gabriel shrugged, ¡°All I know is that I¡¯ve had it for as long as I can remember, and it¡¯s never done me a single favor. It¡¯s just followed me around, causing problems, like an albatross around my neck. If not for that, I probably wouldn¡¯t have the reputation that I do, and things would be a lot easier for everyone, especially Xanarken.¡±

    ¡°People distance themselves from things they don¡¯t understand. The expected thing is that, if someone¡¯s going to get the Limitless curse, it¡¯ll happen in young-adulthood. To be born with it is just¡­weird, to say the least.¡±

    Gabriel raised a brow at her, slouching over the middle armrest as he was, ¡°Thanks for that.¡±

    Ren waved her hands back and forth frantically, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that as a judgement of you as a person, sir! In fact, I¡­was always kind of inspired by your origins story. Your rise in the Council to being Lord Xanarken¡¯s second in command, after basically being found in the woods as a young kid, reminded me that anything is possible, no matter who you are or where you come from.¡±

    Gabriel was quiet for a moment after that, with nothing to listen to but the sound of the storm tip-tapping on the ship¡¯s hull. The Bulwark wasn¡¯t much further. With a long, slow blink, the blonde sighed and sat up a bit straighter in his seat, ¡°Prince Iresha developed an affinity to fire while at a family get-together in Trazad, the Sargonian capitol. His eyes suddenly lit up in that characteristic way, and so too did his uncle¡¯s clothes, leaving Prince Aamin badly burned on the left side, and with a permanent squint. The call for someone in the Council to come calm him down and get his affliction under control led to me becoming the bridge between the Sargonian Emperor and the Council. As such, mine was the most common face Prince Iresha saw for a while. He¡¯s probably not going to be too thrilled to see it again, since he didn¡¯t like my methods and resisted everything I said or did to begin with.¡±

    ¡°¡­Because you¡¯re from the Council or the Exclusion Zone?¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s a spoiled brat who doesn¡¯t like being told what to do.¡± He answered simply, ¡°And, I can guarantee it wasn¡¯t the Empress who made the call requesting this Inquisition.¡±

    Ren gave a serious look, ¡°What are you suggesting?¡±

    ¡°Empress Rani is cool-headed and loving. She was the one who pressed for the Council to help her son, and convinced the Emperor to join her in that request. She would never call for Rylen¡¯s special goon-squad to pick up her kid. It was, in all likelihood¡­¡±

    .

    ¡°¡­Prince Aamin, with all due respect, we cannot simply lock up your nephew because you feel aggrieved by him.¡± One of the Inquisitors said with an anonymizing synthesized voice; masked and mysterious, the Inquisitor division was specialized in the study of Limitless afflictions and their effects, and were the closest thing to a Second Wing as was possible without one truly existing. Their masks were eerie, leaving them featureless, with small, button-like circles in place of eyes, but in all the wrong places on their faces. They wore white cowls with pulled-over hoods, capes that resembled robes, and an otherwise-typical Luminary uniform underneath; they were akin to a monastic order, dedicated to their research, and wanted as few distinctions and distractions as possible. They were not, as the burned Prince had been told several times before, to be called upon to babysit an afflicted teenager, ¡°You must withdraw your petition before this gets out of hand.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°His power is uncontrolled! He¡¯s constantly trying to burn things!¡± Aamin protested, gesturing at the holding-cell where his teenaged nephew was being contained, ¡°His hair is starting to turn into flame when he gets going now! He¡¯s too dangerous to be allowed to stay in Sargon! If you people are worth half of what you claim, you¡¯ll take him to Agartha and guarantee his stability before sending him back!¡±

    The pair of Inquisitors, who had been sent in response to the petition, looked at one another, and one gave off an air of obvious annoyance; he spoke to the surrounding First Wing soldiers, ¡°Will someone tell Captain Gallifey to cancel the lock-down? This is a waste of our time.¡±

    ¡°What!? No!¡± Aamin protested; long black hair tumbled like thick porcupine-quills down his back, framing the burn-marred skin around the left side of his face. He wore the pale gold and black colors of the Sargonian imperial family, with a two-tiered set of extended shoulder-plates and a braided cape that dragged behind his ornately-decorated core, ¡°You can¡¯t ignore a request by the Empress herself! This is an outrage!¡±

    Empress Rani was a rather demure woman, typically rather confident, but overshadowed in the presence of her adamant and boisterous brother-in-law. She stood at the front of a brig-like cell by herself, a worried look on her face as she beheld the confines her son was kept in. Within that First Wing detainment bloc, three special rooms were crafted to restrain dangerous Limitless users, and one such was being used for the Prince. He was suspended above the ground in a series of slings, with a sensory-deprivation mask-like headset attached to his face. Designed to deprive chaotic elements from being able to ground themselves and lash-out, the mask covered both eyes and ears, and deprived the wearer of a sense of up and down, and denied them all external stimulus. Prince Iresha¡¯s head bobbled from the dizziness, but that never stopped him from being just as loud as his uncle about his situation. Rani, trapped between the two, had no idea what to do.

    .

    On the Bulwark¡¯s command-deck, Captain Gallifey was forwarded the request to stand down. Sporting medium-length grey-brown hair that curled inward at his ears, and some thick mutton-chops on either side of his face, he was dressed in the regalia of a Luminary Captain of the First Wing; silver pauldrons with the Council¡¯s six-winged crest engraved across the curve, and a long purple cape hanging from the back of them. The request had come at the same time as a particularly specific annoyance from outside, ¡°Cancel the lock-down, and then put the pest on the main-screen. I don¡¯t need him thinking that it happened because he showed up.¡±

    ¡°Yessir,¡± A nearby soldier acknowledged, and began the procedure.

    On the massive, wall-length screen that rounded the entire front-half of the bridge, the image of Gabriel¡¯s face appeared, and the Captain sneered slightly from his seat, ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the illustrious Sir Gabriel Lugios, here to be a pain in my ass, no doubt.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be here either but Xanarken told me-¡°

    ¡°Lord Xanarken; have some manners. He may have raised you but he¡¯s still your Eidolon.¡±

    Gabriel narrowed his eyes, but continued as if he hadn¡¯t been interrupted, ¡°¡­to come pick up a kid you¡¯ve swept-up. Perhaps you know him. About 17 years old, black hair, eyes light up when he¡¯s pissy, kinda royal¡­has a thing about fire, I¡¯m told? Hopefully that sounds familiar, Captain.¡±

    Tarrock Gallifey stared in silence for a moment, but then stood up, and slid his arms behind his back, nested beneath the cape, ¡°You¡¯re in luck, Lugios-¡°

    ¡°Sir Lugios; have some manners. I out-rank you.¡±

    The Captain grit his teeth, ¡°The Inquisition is concluded, and we were going to take the Prince and his entourage back to his father anyway. If you¡¯re here, you can spare us the trouble of going all the way back to Trazad ourselves.¡± He dismissed the hail without another word, and turned to his crew again, ¡°Let him board, but make sure he has an escort to and from the holding cells.¡±

    The rear-deck of the massive, 1,300ft-long research-class SkyFortress flashed its warning-lights, and the hangar-bay doors began to rise. Gabriel just shook his head as he looked on, waiting for enough clearance to get through, ¡°The Inquisition is done, huh? That¡¯s not at all suspicious.¡±

    Ren watched the man, baffled, ¡°How do you get away with talking to - and about - high-ranking officers and leaders so casually, sir?¡±

    He shrugged, ¡°Guess it comes with being raised by an Eidolon. Let¡¯s just get it done. This has already interrupted our other next mission long enough.¡±

    ¡°¡­We have another next mission?¡± Ren echoed in confusion.

    Maeve glided forward, and the sound of the storm rapping on the hull quickly ceased as they entered the sheltered hangar. When it landed, both Knight and trainee hopped out, and were greeted by the escort ordered by the Captain. They saluted the mediator, and gestured for the pair to follow. They made it halfway into the bowels of the ship before alarm-lights started to flash in those halls, and a shudder could be felt in the floor.

    Ren looked to her mentor, ¡°¡­That doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±

    ¡°Yeeahhhh¡­¡± Gabriel agreed warily, ¡°We need to go faster.¡±

    The group hustled after that, and it became obvious that the alarms had been tripped because of their query. The brig was half-on-fire, smoldering from a bomb-like detonation. Two soldiers rushed by, their uniforms scorched, and both of them warned about ¡®the afflicted Prince¡¯ losing control. Gabriel¡¯s eyes widened with worry, but before he could get a word in edgewise, his trainee had already skipped past him.

    There were charred bodies on the ground; at least four, so burnt they could not be identified by looks alone. The cell that the fire had escaped from was blackened, and the figure inside¡­clearly enraged. Ren held a hand out, ¡°Your highness, stand down! We¡¯re not the enemy!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get to decide who the enemy is, Luminary bitch!¡± The teenager barked back, eyes flaring brightly with his afflictive light. His hair and shoulders were licked by flames, and as the fires trailed down his arms, Ren felt a shift in the air¡­and darted forward, directly into the small space.

    ¡°Ren, get out of there!¡± Gabriel yelled after her, only to be blown-back by another belch of flame from within that long, narrow prison. The lapels of his uniform were singed, and he pat his chest down to put out the flames before they could take-hold, ¡°Ren!¡±

    She moved faster than any person had the right to, using the nearby walls to leap past gluts of fire and torrents of heat. She tried twice to simply restrain the prince ¨C whose previous slings had been burnt to a crisp in the initial blast ¨C but both times, he simply created an inferno under her gloved hands and forced her to let go. There was no way she was going to truly hit him though, and instead, decided to leap up and over him - with a foot on the wall for leverage, then the other between his shoulder-blades - landed in front of him, slapped his forehead twice ¨C rather hard ¨C and sent him brow-first towards his own feet. Disoriented, he toppled forward, and Ren quickly grappled him, twisted, flipped him over himself, and put him chest-down on the floor, then sat on his back with his arms pressed to his upper back, ¡°Give it up, now!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a sovereign! You can¡¯t touch or talk to me like this!¡±

    ¡°Iresha, have you gone mental!? You killed four people out here!¡± Gabriel scolded, warily sticking his head around the corner of the cell¡¯s door.

    ¡°Lugios!?¡± The teen barked, and his eyes quickly lost their flare, and went back to their normal brown, ¡°What the Hell are you doing here!?¡±

    ¡°I was trying to take you home, but now I have to identify bodies, too!¡± The mediator answered irritably, ¡°What happened!?¡±

    Ren looked on at the Prince cautiously for a moment, but once she was satisfied his flames wouldn¡¯t immediately return if she let him go, she stood up, and pulled the teen to his feet. As he explained his sorry state, she dusted him off.

    ¡°I was trying to do the training sessions you gave me, so I can get a better handle on this damn curse,¡± Iresha started, ¡°But out of nowhere, I got slapped with that stupid sensory-deprivation helmet,¡± He gestured at the melted mass of plastic and circuitry that had landed on the floor near the wall, ¡°¡­and have no idea what happened or where I went after that. It¡¯s been hours! Where even am I right now?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re on SkyFortress Bulwark. Your mom apparently called for an Inquisition on you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Iresha¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°There¡¯s no way. She would never¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought, too.¡± Gabriel agreed, and stepped into the cell fully. He watched as Ren inspected the young Prince for damage, and crossed his arms lightly, ¡°Your uncle was involved though, and apparently he and your mom were both here for the proceedings.¡±

    ¡°¡­They were¡­?¡± The Prince gaped, ¡°¡­Where are they right now?¡±

    The mediator had his mouth open, but then closed it again and slouched, ¡°You know what? I have no idea. That¡¯s a great question.¡± He turned to the open hall, and the charred quartet of corpses, ¡°¡­Hopefully not nearby.¡±

    Iresha rushed out, and beheld the horror of his outburst. Some parts of the walls were still smoldering, and the smell of burnt flesh permeated the air. He held his arm up to his nose with worry and disgust, ¡°¡­How could this¡­have happened¡­?¡±

    ¡°You need to take your lessons to heart, your highness.¡± A synthesized voice answered; Iresha looked up and saw one ¨C then both ¨C of the Inquisitors who had come for him, ¡°Never use your affliction in anger, and be sure you know what you¡¯re using it on before you do.¡± The pair stepped fully into that open space, and saluted to the mediator before continuing, ¡°This was avoidable.¡±

    Gabriel felt a pit in his stomach, ¡°Do you two know who the victims are?¡±

    The second Inquisitor stepped around the first, and moved towards the middle of the room, then started pointing in a clockwise manner, ¡°Dame Violet Shire, Sir Kendrick Admund, Sir Kashi Sheridan, and¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Iresha interrupted, as the Inquisitor pointed at the last blackened body. All eyes went up to the Prince, but there was a part of him who already knew who the last victim was; the distinctive melted outline of the Empress¡¯ imperial armor gave that away. There was a heavy weight in his stomach that pulled him down, until he collapsed to his knees, ¡°¡­I¡­didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°¡­Where¡¯s Prince Aamin?¡±

    .

    Imperial armor was little-more than kindling against explosive flame, and much of it had been cast aside, scattered in the floating fortress¡¯ corridors. Aamin banged against the walls in pain and frustration as he clawed for a way to one of the ship¡¯s many docking capsules; small escape-pod-like attachments that could be used to easily leave from - or ascend into - the ship. He collided roughly with the last wall, charred skin weeping, and he desperately felt-around for the button that would open the double-layer doors to let him through. When it finally did, he tumbled through, and slammed his fist onto the ¡®down¡¯ button.

    The two curved, rotating plastic doors closed again, and the pod started to move. Through the panel, Aamin could see the hazy outline of trees, and heard the torrent of rain. The mist from it made the curved door wet and splotchy, but it opened all the same, a few feet above the uneven rocky terrain. With frantic anguish, he tried to jump out, but immediately fell on the slippery ground as he landed. He gasped for breath as he stared up at the darkened shadow of the SkyFortress¡­and the growing glow from its rear engines as it prepared to set a new course.

    ¡°You¡­little shit¡­ You little¡­fucking shit¡­ You burned me again¡­!¡± He screamed out in anger; thunder cracked in answer, and lightning flashed across the sky soon after. Aamin¡¯s narrowed eyes clenched shut, but he finally rolled over and pushed himself up, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­stay in Sargon anymore¡­ This place¡­has gone mad¡­¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 03 â€“ The Fires of the Storm

    With the Fourth Wing¡¯s ¡®High Negotiator¡¯ on board, the somber flight back to Trazad felt like a post-mortem, and not even for the Empress. With time enough to do a little more investigating though, once the Prince was safely given a room to stay in, it was incumbent upon Gabriel to figure out what idiocy had led to the moment at hand.

    ¡°I want you to look at the petition,¡± he instructed his trainee, ¡°See if you can figure out how Aamin managed to convince the Empress to submit it, and then come here with him.¡±

    Ren looked at the nanotech data-nodule floating above the senior mediator¡¯s palm, and reached her own above it; the nodule glowed, then dissipated through her fingers, signaling that she now had access to whatever information was contained on it, ¡°Will do. What about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to see how Iresha went from being suspended in the air with an SD-helm on, to being able to blow up half of the detainment bloc. He shouldn¡¯t have been able to.¡± He answered, ¡°We¡¯ll meet back somewhere in the middle and compare notes.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    Gabriel watched as the younger woman stepped away, hands gesturing subtly as she accessed the data on her personal HUD. To Ren¡¯s eyes, she could see a digital overlay ahead of herself, and with the slightest finger-flick, she could zip through anything from the World Cloud¡¯s common web-based networks, to her own private archives - and in this case, the digital folder she¡¯d been given to look through. He turned back the other way once she was far enough, and followed one of the SkyFortress¡¯ security managers to their surveillance room.

    The first thing he was shown, just to get it out of the way, was the way Prince Aamin had scuttled out and gotten off-ship.

    ¡°We have what¡¯s left of the armor he discarded, if you wanted to give it back to the Emperor for some reason,¡± the soldier said.

    ¡°Thanks. Let¡¯s see that footage from the cells next.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    The overhead displays changed, and new images manifested, showing the doors to those three special rooms, and the one with its door open, and an easy line-of-sight to where Prince Aamin was making his case. From another view, the younger Prince Iresha, suspended from the ceiling as part of his ¡®sensory-deprivation experience.¡¯ Finally, a third view, from the other end of the main hall, showing the entrance that the Empress was about to walk through.

    What Gabriel heard sounded like the desperate, pitiful pleading of a jealous man who¡¯d been cut from the line of succession by the existence of a first son. On the other hand, there was a hint of actual terror in the man¡¯s voice. He didn¡¯t say anything as the footage continued to play though. Empress Rani stood in front of the doorway, and both Gabriel and his attendant felt a nervous chill go down the back of their necks, since they knew what was coming. The how of it though was the question on everyone¡¯s minds; that would come up soon enough.

    Aamin had continued to push for the pair of Inquisitors to do more than they were willing, and as soon as they stepped out of the corridor to leave the brig, another soldier came in to replace them. With a fresh set of ears to hear his complaints, Aamin went right for him. Rani stepped back though as this new soldier said he was going to release the teen, and Aamin started struggling with him to prevent it, pleading and arguing that it was the wrong move. Rani tried to split the two up, but the soldier was more than capable of prying off the clammy fingers of a pampered royal himself, and went in through the open cell-door. Within, Iresha had no way of knowing what was going on or where he was. Gabriel put his left arm around himself, perched his right elbow on it, and set a finger to his lip; this was it. As soon as the soldier touched the teen, and the smallest bit of the SD-helmet was pulled out of place¡­the Prince would have been flooded with sensation. A second later, the inferno blasted out from him, and the cameras - inside the cell and immediately outside of it - were incinerated and went offline. The only thing left was the camera on the far end of the hall, showing Aamin flailing against the conflagration that had flash-friend his left side a second time. Somehow, he¡¯d managed to get just close-enough to the open cell-door that when the fire burst out, half of him was covered. Rani took the glut straight-on, as did the soldier who had gone into the room. The other two bodies were the guards who had been posted near the exit. Iresha had taken a few seconds to acclimate himself to his surroundings, but before he could do anything about them, Ren appeared and put him on the ground.

    Gabriel huffed a laugh to himself, and shook his head, ¡°She didn¡¯t even hesitate. I wonder where she learned moves like that?¡±

    The security manager gaped at him and tilted his head in confusion, ¡°¡­You really don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she was fun to spar against in bootcamp,¡± Gabriel dismissed, ¡°Who was it that went into the Prince¡¯s cell?¡±

    ¡°That was Sir Kashi Sheridan.¡±

    ¡°Do you know if he was trained in the use of SD-helmets?¡±

    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    The mediator took a step back from the screen, and moved his arms out so he could set his hands on his hips, ¡°It looks like he just yanked the thing off. You¡¯re not supposed to do that. Those helmets are disorienting in totality; to pry it off all of a sudden would cause a big shock to the system. There¡¯s a dial on the left ear-cup where you¡¯re supposed to gradually add sensation back into the wearer¡¯s awareness. By the look of what Sir Kashi did, he just released the seal, and got blown-up for it.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°Whether it was simple negligence or not, I suppose that Knight will take with him into oblivion,¡± Gabriel continued, ¡°Maybe he was intimidated by the Inquisitors being there, and was too-quick to follow their directive to give the whole thing up. How old was he?¡±

    ¡°¡­I think he was 20, sir. He was a new face on board.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll bet that¡¯s what it was, then. Got spooked by the spooks.¡± Gabriel turned on a heel and started heading for the exit, ¡°Thanks for the footage. Make sure to archive a copy of it separately so the Sargonians can get theirs.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    The mediator left the room with a contemplative affect, and completely didn¡¯t notice ¨C or perhaps expected, and didn¡¯t care ¨C when the manager shivered and had to reset himself after the encounter. Gabriel tapped his chin as he watched the pattern in the carpet go by under him, and before he knew it, he was in a conference room, and Ren was on the other side of a long table, ¡°Anything?¡±

    Green eyes lifted, and she nodded. With a wide, upward sweeping gesture, the images she could see on her personal HUD expanded to be visible to her mentor as well, floating in the air above the desk, ¡°Prince Aamin had submitted four previous petitions for the Inquisitors to come grab his nephew, but all of them were denied; he¡¯s not the boy¡¯s guardian and has no authority to release him. However, Empress Rani only submitted one ¨C after all those others ¨C and was approved immediately. From the look of it, and the fact that the wording is the exact same, Prince Aamin somehow pressured the Empress to submit the request on his behalf. It was sent directly to the First Wing, bypassing all of the Fourth Wing checks that were required.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d they manage that trick?¡± Gabriel wondered, leaning onto the table with his fingertips down to hold him up, getting closer to the floating panel with the different petitions on display, ¡°Anyone in their right mind, especially the paper-pushers in the First, would know better than to forward this to the Inquisitor Division out of hand. Yeah, look¡­there isn¡¯t even a Fourth Wing approval on it.¡±

    ¡°I noticed. But to answer your question¡­it¡¯s because Empress Rani sent it directly to Captain Gallifey.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes widened, and he pushed back slightly to stare at his trainee over his shoulder, ¡°Th¡­ That- Argh! That¡¯s how they did it!¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°Gallifey has the authority to call the Inquisitors for any reason, and he knew perfectly well that the Sargonians were my project.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Ren¡¯s eyes crinkled slightly, ¡°¡­You don¡¯t actually think he did this because he should¡¯ve gone through you¡­do you? Who could have even known that would be an option?¡±

    That time, Gabriel paused and blinked, ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve worked with Captain Gallifey before. He¡¯s fairly by-the-books, most of the time.¡±

    ¡°¡­Most of the time.¡± The blonde echoed dryly, only to feel his train of thought get derailed, and he pointed a finger at her, ¡°Wait, say that again?¡±

    ¡°Most of the time?¡±

    ¡°No, the part before that!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve worked with Captain Gallifey before?¡±

    ¡°Yes! That! Explain!¡±

    Ren stared in perplexed silence, then gestured in disbelief at the man, ¡°¡­You don¡¯t actually think this is my first post, do you?¡±

    ¡°What? No. ¡­You have a file, according to some. That means you had to be in the Council somewhere before now.¡± Gabriel crossed his arms defensively, and looked away.

    Ren just shook her head at him, ¡°You really should read it¡­ It would probably go a long way towards getting this whole thing rolling. You know¡­with my training.¡±

    ¡°I will, I will!¡± He grumbled and threw his hands up, ¡°But not this second!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been partnered for four months, and you¡¯ve had full access for three of them¡­¡±

    ¡°I know¡­I just-¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She sighed, disappointed, ¡°You probably have your reasons¡­sir. Anyway¡­¡± She looked back up at the display, ¡°My point was¡­the Captain here isn¡¯t the sort to just skirt the process because he doesn¡¯t like someone who¡¯s part of it. It¡¯s no different than how he answered your hail, even though he didn¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°Then what?¡±

    Ren considered her words carefully, ¡°¡­If what I suggest turns out to be true, then you have to agree to let me fly us to wherever our next mission takes us, and you have to read my file on the way.¡±

    Gabriel narrowed his eyes in thought, but then held his fist out, ¡°Fine, deal.¡±

    The dark-haired cadet smirked and bumped it with her own, then went back to her idea, ¡°Sargon may be your pet project, but the people involved are still the Imperial Royal Family. If Captain Gallifey was sent a request directly by the Empress, I imagine he¡¯d feel like he was hard-pressed to acquiesce to her without going through the normal channels, because she¡¯s a special case.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­that certainly is an excuse, isn¡¯t it.¡± He percolated on the notion, ¡°¡­It¡¯s definitely something he¡¯d say. Guess we¡¯ll find out when we get back.¡±

    .

    The storm had let-up by the time the Bulwark docked in Trazad, near enough to the palace for a royal skiff to pick up the Prince directly. It wasn¡¯t quite that simple, though; the Emperor himself ¨C Iresha the Elder - had come along with it, and he had some choice words for the gathered, ¡°Whose idiotic idea was this anyway!? I was led to believe that the Luminary Council was an enlightened organization, filled with people who have brains in their heads.¡±

    Gabriel drew in a quick, sharp breath, and steeled himself, then stepped forward with a passable bow, ¡°Your Majesty, this was all a big mi-¡°

    The older man, still possessing some of his youth¡¯s black hair, though most of it had turned to salt-and-pepper, stepped closer to the mediator and swung his arm out dismissively, ¡°If you say this was a misunderstanding, I will send you back to your master with your tail between your legs, boy!¡±

    Gabriel kept his mouth open for a second longer, but then shut it again and shrugged, ¡°As you like.¡±

    Ren felt her breath catch in her throat, How does he keep getting away with it!?

    ¡°Who!?¡± The Emperor barked again, looking around the hangar, past every one of his personal guards in attendance, and the First Wing Knights who had come to greet the vessel.

    ¡°The person you¡¯re probably looking for will be arriving shortly,¡± Gabriel noted, and took a careful step back, then gestured with one hand towards a doorway not too far to his right, ¡°I¡¯m sure he can tell you everything about why he carried out this mission.¡± He then took his place next to his trainee, and clasped his hands loosely behind his back. He wiggled one finger back there though, and Ren ¨C daring to look at him ¨C could see the little lights traveling across Gabriel¡¯s eyes; he was calling someone.

    As if on cue, the door swished open, and through it poured not only Captain Gallifey, but around 10 upper-rank soldiers of the ship, ¡°Your Majesty!¡± The Captain said in a rushed tone, ¡°We did not know you were coming yourself. I deeply apologize for the delay.¡±

    ¡°Where. Is. My. Family?¡±

    In the midst of the hustling group, the young Prince finally made himself known, pushing through and rushing for his father, but not without a rude gesture at the First Wing crew as he went. He then flung himself at his father, and held for a moment as the older man felt the relief flow through him. There was something about the way, not the fact, that his son was clinging to him though, and the Emperor felt a pang of concern.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your mother and uncle?¡±

    The Prince was tight-lipped, then.

    Anxious eyes lifted to the resident mediator ¡°Alright, Lugios...what happened?¡±

    Gabriel looked up, ¡°I can only tell you how it ended, your Majesty. The Captain would be the one to tell you how it started.¡±

    The Emperor turned and gawked expectantly at the purple-caped commander, ¡°Well?¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Tarrock started nervously, ¡°A few days ago, I-¡°

    ¡°Wait!¡± Came a familiar voice.

    All eyes looked up, then over, as the mantle of the Fourth Eidolon quickly manifested nearby, and Xanarken started stepping closer before it was even completely formed, ¡°Eidolon of the Fourth on deck!¡± One of the officers announced, and the Luminary soldiers ¨C sans Gabriel, who stayed exactly as he was ¨C made their loud in-place single-foot stomps and stood at attention.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware of what happened,¡± Xanarken started, pausing before the Emperor and offered a bow, ¡°I think this would be best addressed with all concerned parties present.¡±

    ¡°Who else has to be here?¡±

    ¡°Me, no doubt.¡± Another disembodied voice spoke.

    The officer announced a second time, as that new mantle took shape after the last, ¡°Eidolon of the First and Sixth, on deck!¡±

    Another stomp and salute; again, though, Gabriel stayed as he was ¨C Ren smacked his arm for it, but he refused to budge.

    Those self-same orange eyes of Rylen Vor¡¯antiss looked around the area, and he paused to offer his greeting bow to the Emperor as he went by, but his focus was on the Captain. Once he was near enough to speak in a hushed voice, he asked pointedly, ¡°Care to tell me just what the Hell you were doing with the Emperor¡¯s kid?¡±

    Gabriel could only smile as he watched the older man sweat; Ren felt a little sorry for him.

    Captain Gallifey answered in an equally-quiet tone, ¡°Lord Rylen, the petition came directly from the Empress, I-¡°

    Ren was the one smiling then; they were close enough to hear. She nudged her mentor with an elbow, ¡°Gottem.¡±

    Gabriel turned his head and half-rolled his eyes, ¡°Mmmh¡­¡±

    Rylen turned back around again, and spoke on his Captain¡¯s behalf, ¡°Your Majesty, it would appear that the Captain was requested directly by Empress Rani to attend to her interests. He had every reason to believe it would be in bad form to deny her on account of¡­¡± He cast a glance over at the mediator, ¡°¡­bureaucracy.¡± He moved over towards Xanarken and stood beside him, hands clasped behind his back, ¡°He requested the services of my Inquisitor division on her behalf, knowing full well that they would not act in any way against the Prince. It was¡­something of a controlled show.¡±

    Xanarken made a face, and mumbled quietly to himself, ¡°Eloquent.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying your officer acted in full knowledge that it was a charade?¡± The Emperor questioned stiffly, ¡°You couldn¡¯t have just told her no?¡±

    ¡°The same petition had already been denied previously,¡± Captain Gallifey explained on his own behalf, then, ¡°But we deigned to take it more seriously when it came directly to me, from Her Highness herself. We explained the situation fully to her when she and the Princes came aboard, and she seemed to completely understand¡­she had no questions about it whatsoever, and was completely resigned to the decision, in fact. It was¡­Prince Aamin who pushed for the Inquisition to continue.¡±

    ¡°Then where in the world are they now?¡±

    Iresha could feel himself starting to sweat, but he refused to speak.

    ¡°I can take over from here, Captain,¡± Gabriel said, and stepped forward again, ¡°There was an accident in the detention bloc where the Prince was being held. As you know, Limitless users who have become dangerous to the public will be fitted with a sensory-deprivation helmet ¨C for their safety - to disorient them and prevent damage. There¡¯s a protocol that must be followed when removing it, however, and unfortunately, that was not done. The Prince was so swiftly assaulted with the sounds and sights of his situation that his affliction was set-off, and¡­¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    Iresha looked up, still clinging, but with tears in his eyes now, terrified, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to, dad¡­I didn¡¯t know she was there¡­ I swear¡­!¡±

    The Emperor stood in stunned silence for several seconds. When he finally got his wits about him again, he blinked hard, shook his head, and swallowed a pained breath, ¡°¡­They¡¯re both¡­? Where is my brother¡­?¡±

    ¡°Prince Aamin abandoned ship shortly after the incident.¡± Gabriel explained, his words spoken in a more somber tone then; the entire deck was quiet, ¡°The Captain sent search party out for him, but in the storm, he managed to get away. With the severity of his new injuries though, we don¡¯t have much hope that he¡¯ll survive the night.¡±

    Emperor Iresha nodded grimly, and soon thereafter, turned towards the Captain of his personal guard, ¡°Send out another search. Maybe we¡¯ll have better luck now that the storm has ended.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± She saluted, and turned away to start sending out the orders.

    ¡°¡­And my wife. Where is she?¡± The Emperor turned to the Eidolon, ¡°Tell me there¡¯s something left of her for me to bury.¡±

    Xanarken and Rylen looked at one another, but the Fourth was the one to nod, ¡°There is, Your Majesty. We will make arrangements to transfer her to your people. You have the condolences of the entire Luminary Council. Anything you need¡­just ask.¡±

 Book I - Chapter 04 - A Cadet, a Void Scar, and a Fafnir Knight Walk into a Barâ€¦

    Maeve disembarked from the Bulwark just after sundown, and its only destination was a nearby hotel.  Landing it on the roof of the tall structure, the two ducked into the upper-level lobby, checked-in, got their actual physical keys, and started making their way down to their assigned rooms.

    Ren paused in front of her own door though, not quite ready to open it, and turned to her mentor, ¡°¡­Sir, if I can ask¡­:

    Gabriel paused and glanced back over his shoulder, then turned to look at her more evenly, ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°The way you talk to the Eidolon has always been a bit of an enigma to me, but today¡­it just seemed so brazen.  Don¡¯t you¡­see anything wrong with it?¡±

    He stared quizzically, but then offered a weak laugh, and scratched his chin, ¡°I guess it would come across as off-putting to people who aren¡¯t used to it¡­  But, I think Xanarken would probably check my temperature if I called him by any honorifics, and Rylen¡­well¡­  Him and Xanarken go back to the beginning, and view each other as perfect equals ¨C the yin to the other¡¯s yang, if you will.  If I don¡¯t call one by their lordly title, then surely I can¡¯t spare it for the other.¡±

    ¡°I know all that, but still¡­  At least, in such a formal setting, maybe it would be a good idea to fall in line a little bit?  Uhm¡­sir.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡±

    Ren hesitated, not knowing really how to respond to that, so she just bobbed her head and cast the man one last side-eye before clicking the key into her door and pushed it open, ¡°Goodnight.¡±

    ¡°Night.¡±

    The door clicked shut, and Gabriel was left in the hall on his own.  He flipped the key around in his hand a few times, but then moved on, and went into the room next door.  Once inside, he tossed the key onto a door-side shelf, and snapped his fingers ¨C in an instant, the grey-and-red uniform jacket dissolved into dust and disappeared, leaving him with just the form-fitting dark-grey long-sleeve shirt, the pants, boots, and belt.  He pulled the tie from his long hair, drawing the full length of it over his shoulder, and fiddled idly with the blood-red tips as he fell back across the top of the large bed.

    She¡¯s lasted longer than most, he thought to himself, staring at the ceiling, I wonder if she¡¯s stuck with me or something.  Refusing to regard the Eidolon with their titles was usually enough to get trainees to request a transfer, since they all thought they¡¯d get in trouble by proxy of me¡­  But, she doesn¡¯t seem to have that on her mind at all.  ¡­Hmph, I¡¯ve never actually been scolded by anyone before like that either.  Good for her, I guess.

    He sat up again though, and lifted himself back towards the center of the bed.  With a toe behind each heel, he nudged his boots off, and sat cross-legged on the pillow-top as he brought up his nanotech HUD.  With a few ¡®clicks,¡¯ he located the dreaded file, and tapped to open it.  The initial parts of Ren¡¯s profile were things he already knew; her current status as a mediator trainee in the Fourth, that he was her mentor, that her home-skiff was Maeve, and things of that nature.  However, when he went to the next page, and saw ¡®Previous assignment¡¯ at the top, the first thing he saw was the profile photo of her wearing the purple variant of the Luminary soldier¡¯s uniform, and the first words he read were ¡®Sixth Wing.¡¯  With that, he immediately closed it, dismissed the HUD overlay, and got up again, ¡°Welp, that¡¯s enough reading for now.  Time for a shower, and then a very late night catching-up on all my shows.¡±

    .

    He was a sprawled, catatonic mess the next morning, when the sound of a knock on his door forced his eyes open to the haze of consciousness.  The towel from his showed was still half-wrapped around his hair, and the whole mess of it tumbled out at weird angles as he sat up.

    ¡°Sir Gabriel!  It¡¯s time to go, are you up!?¡± Ren¡¯s voice called from the hall, and she knocked again, ¡°Sir Gabriel!¡±

    One eye blinked at a time, and he looked at the clock on the nightstand, ¡°I think I slept for 45 minutes¡­¡± He said quietly, and fell back again to close his eyes, ¡°Just as¡­planned¡­¡±  When the knock came again, it was louder, and startled him out of his torpor.

    ¡°Sir Gabriel!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m up, I¡¯m up¡­!¡± He called back, and finally stretched, then hobbled off the side of the bed with a loose-fitting bathrobe clinging to one shoulder.  He cracked the door open and stared, circles under his eyes, ¡°Just¡­go get yourself breakfast or something.  I¡¯ll catch up.¡±

    Ren stared at him, mystified, and her face went red for the split-second she could see that half-naked torso, ¡°O-okay!  Sure!¡±  She didn¡¯t need anymore convincing after that, and all-but trotted away, trying not to look as flustered as she actually was.

    Gabriel snorted a quiet laugh to himself and then closed the door again.  When he was somewhat lucid again, he found himself on the rooftop with a foot on the step to get into his skiff.  For a moment, his sleepless mind couldn¡¯t tell where, when, or why he was there, but when he saw Ren quietly clapping her gloved hands together in the pilot¡¯s seat, he remembered, and pulled himself the rest of the way in.

    ¡°So, where¡¯s the next mission?¡± She asked eagerly, ¡°You never did give me the details.¡±

    ¡°In Kitez,¡± he answered simply, and slumped into the passenger seat on Ren¡¯s right, ¡°Thattaway.¡± He pointed roughly west-ish.

    Ren¡¯s left eye twitched, ¡°Ki-what?¡±

    ¡°Kitez.¡±

    ¡°I heard what you said!  What are we gonna do in Kitez!?¡±  She balked, ¡°...Sir!¡±

    ¡°Apparently this mission is actually more for you than for us; I¡¯m just kind of along for the ride, in case you need help or something.¡± Gabriel explained.  He lifted his hands up to within a few inches of his face, and flicked his index fingers forward to pass the sights on his personal HUD to Maeve¡¯s main-screen.  Thereupon, the face of a blonde-haired, green-eyed teenager, ¡°That¡¯s Knight-cadet Setharion something-something.  He had a mission from Rylen in Kitez ¨C and it¡¯s a big deal from what I¡¯m told - but what the details are on it, even I¡¯m not allowed to know until we get there.¡±

    Ren could only stare with a look of horror on her face, ¡°¡­Wh¡­  You¡¯re joking.  This can¡¯t be right.  This has nothing to do with the Fourth.  Ryl-¡­er, Lord Rylen should be sending someone in the First to get him, not us.¡±

    Gabriel snickered to himself as he raised his left hand, palm up, and turned-on Maeve¡¯s flight-systems in-so-doing.  He then leaned back in his seat and draped his right arm over his eyes, ¡°That¡¯s the spirit.  Wake me up when we get to the drop point.  It¡¯s listed on the thing somewhere.¡±

    Ren felt her heart sink into her stomach, but she gripped the flight-stick anyway.  With a few small adjustments to the way everything was set-up around her, including pulling said flight-stick around to be directly in front of herself instead of somewhat to the right side as Gabriel preferred it, she pulled back on it, and Maeve lifted off the ground.  She sighed quietly to herself, and looked one more time at that profile-photo on the display before she confirmed the spot they were expected to go to, and closed the brief.

    .

    Still in Trazad, the Bulwark oversaw the transfer of Empress Rani¡¯s remains to the Sargonians late in the night, and was now parked there.  It would not be allowed to leave again until after a memorial ceremony had taken place¡­which could take days.

    Aboard, in a large conference-room, with the iconography of the First Wing emblazoned on the far wall, Rylen manifested his mantle in front of a desk at the head of the space.  In the middle of the room, was a 20ft long, 6ft wide, oval-shaped black-glass-top conference table, with 15 different seats set around it, evenly spaced apart.  The floor beneath that table was brushed-chrome, and extended another 12in from the back of the seats, creating something of an island that distinguished it from the rest of the area.  Under other circumstances, the whole room would look very different, but in that moment¡­it was just the private meeting-space for two Eidolon.Stolen story; please report.

    Xanarken manifested nearby soon after, ¡°They¡¯re on they¡¯re way as we speak.¡±

    ¡°Perfect.¡±

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not doing this on the misguided belief that you can tempt Dame Ren back into your good graces.¡± Xanarken wondered suspiciously, ¡°She¡¯s holding-up pretty well with Gabe.¡±

    ¡°Would that I could,¡± Rylen answered, his vampiric-like fangs more obvious than normal as he gave the man an innocent smile, ¡°I merely want to reunite two long-lost friends.¡±

    ¡°Seth is going to chew her a new one when they get to him.¡± The Fourth noted, ¡°And Gabe¡¯s probably going to have some choice words, too.¡±

    ¡°How he feels about it isn¡¯t my concern.  He¡¯s had three months to read the Dame¡¯s file, so if this is a surprise to him, it¡¯s his own fault.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­I¡¯ve tried¡­  She¡¯s tried.¡±

    Rylen shook his head and reached over to pet the taller Eidolon¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll all be fine.  The Aegis is on standby at the border, and Captain Rydell doesn¡¯t have a hair-trigger.  He has a far more contemplative demeanor than his father, so he knows better than to start an international incident if anyone in the Conclave gets involved for some reason.¡±

    ¡°And thus, the true reason why you don¡¯t just send someone else,¡± Xanarken crossed his arms, ¡°I dare say you actually learned from the last time.¡±

    Rylen shrugged his shoulders up, held them there a moment, then released again, ¡°It was hard not to glean a lesson from back then.  Former-Captain Lequerion Rydell did kind of stick his foot in it.¡±

    ¡°He attacked one of Kitez¡¯s top generals, and it was the entire reason Kitez threw us ¨C and the World Cloud ¨C out.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been 22 years, and there¡¯s new leadership in Kitez.  After everything else they were mad about back then ¨C up to and including taking Gabriel out of there like we did - slicing a general¡¯s ear wasn¡¯t that big of a deal.¡±

    ¡°Drawing blood at a parlay is always a big deal.¡±

    Rylen turned on a heel to face his brother, ¡°That saying you like so much¡­speak softly and carry a big stick.  You¡¯re the ¡®speaking,¡¯ and I¡¯m the ¡®stick.¡¯  Consequences be damned, I still stand by Captain Rydell on that one.¡±

    Xanarken drew in a long breath, and shook his head as he exhaled ¨C not that his mantle actually did any breathing, but the gesture meant the same either way, ¡°At any rate, with Gabe and Dame Ren leaving Trazad right now, they should arrive on-site with Seth by mid-afternoon.  With any luck, the recent insanity with Prince Iresha hasn¡¯t ruffled any feathers in Kitez, and this will just be a simple grab-and-go mission like it was supposed to be beforehand.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.  Seth¡¯s in good hands.¡±

    .

    With Gabriel out-cold, Ren grudgingly piloted Maeve due-west, and leered at him past her shoulder, ¡°You knew full and bloody well that we won¡¯t have any access to the World Cloud once we cross the border, so you stayed up all damn night just to avoid reading my file, didn¡¯t you?  ¡­You¡¯re a sore loser, Gabriel Lugios.¡±

    The drop-site was just ahead, and Maeve landed¡­though not without a carefully-planned rough jostle at the very last second, which gave Gabriel quite the startle back to consciousness.

    Ren smiled innocently, ¡°Hope you had a nice nap, sir.  We¡¯re here.¡±

    The side-door opened, and Ren unbuckled so she could hop out first.  By the time Gabriel got his act together and followed, it was all he could do to avoid looking out of his depth, as he beheld the crowd of Sixth Wing soldiers all showing a rather unexpected amount of respect towards his trainee.  Salutes were crisp, and a path was cut from Maeve to the open door of a nearby small-town motel.  Gabriel scuttled-up to Ren¡¯s side, and asked in a quiet voice, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Ren could only give an uneasy smile, ¡°¡­My reputation precedes me, it seems.¡±

    ¡°What reputation?¡±

    She stared at him, unblinking, but then turned around to start walking, an annoyed grumble set under her voice.  Gabriel reluctantly followed, and as before, by the time he¡¯d caught up, soldiers were at attention before the woman.

    ¡°Dame Ren Nibasai, welcome!¡± The officer in charge said; not quite a Captain, but rather, First Lieutenant; she bore a similar set of cape-laden pauldrons as an actual Captain, but they truncated at the ends of her shoulders, rather than extending a foot beyond each.

    Ren could only offer a well-meant-but-half-assed salute in return, but then gestured both hands in a downward motion, ¡°Please, you don¡¯t have to do all that.  I was demoted all the way down the chain when I left.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll never stop being where you came from, Commander.¡± The officer countered, but then gestured for her HUD to display for both new-arrivals to see.

    Gabriel grimaced, and whispered ¨C mostly to himself, ¡°Commander?¡±

    As before, Seth¡¯s visage displayed for all to see, but this time, a map was included, showing their current location a few miles out from the Sargon-Kitez border, and then zoomed out to show mostly Kitez.  The Exclusion Zone was a prominent feature of the north-eastern quarter of the hermit-nation, but was well-encapsulated on all sides, with a waterside border on its northern face where it went into a large bay.  Just south-east of the Exclusion Zone though, was a blotch of land that bordered it, and a pin was set into it.  The officer explained, ¡°This is land owned and managed by former-Magistrate Gavin Mallerd.  About a month ago, a Void Scar opened on his property, and in his generosity, sent a secret missive to Lord Rylen¡¯s Myrmidon division to notify them.  Long story short, Knight-cadet Setharion Rydell was commissioned to investigate.¡±

    ¡°Rydell¡­why does that sound so familiar?¡± Gabriel wondered to himself.

    ¡°His time in Kitez has expired, however,¡± The officer continued, ¡°And Lord Rylen has requested your assistance in bringing him home.¡±

    Ren sucked in a breath, and set her hands on her hips as she looked on at the map, ¡°¡­Figures.  Alright, well, sounds simple enough.  Nanotech goes offline, we walk in, we nab him, and walk out again?¡±

    ¡°In a manner of speaking.  Tensions in Kitez have been high these past two years, since Prince Iresha became afflicted.  Your nanotech will not be the only thing going down for this mission.  You¡¯ll be going undercover.¡± The officer explained, and stepped aside in that small motel room towards a closet, and opened the door, ¡°You have your choice of attire.  You¡¯ll have full use of the room to prepare.  In 20 minutes, you¡¯re departing for the Kitezan border.  A vehicular escort will take you to Judge Mallerd¡¯s homestead, drop you off, you¡¯ll make contact with cadet Setharion, spend the night there while he takes-down his equipment, and then come back in one of the vehicles the Judge has been provided with for this purpose.  Any questions?¡±

    Ren hesitated, but then lifted her head, ¡°How¡¯s he been?¡±

    ¡°He misses you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, everyone else out; Dame Ren and Sir Gabriel will come out when ready.¡±

    The three soldiers who were there with them saluted and stepped out, and the officer pulled the door closed behind her.  Ren could feel the stare from her mentor boring into the back of her head, but instead of facing it, she stepped off and went into the walk-in closet, looking for something acceptable to swap into.

    ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡± Gabriel asked dryly, ¡°You¡¯re just gonna go about your business like this didn¡¯t just confused the Hell out of me?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s to be confused about?  You were here for the whole brief.¡± She shot back, and pulled some black leggings with a half-skirt, grey sweater, and knee-high boots from the closet, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything more or less than you did.  ¡­Sir.¡±

    He just gestured at the whole room, ¡°Then why did everyone act like they¡¯re familiar with you?  And that you¡¯re familiar with our query?¡±

    She looked at him with a quirked brow, ¡°I¡¯m gonna let you stew on those questions while I go change.  Find something to wear while you ruminate on the obvious answer.¡±

    Gabriel just watched in disbelief as she came out, made a U-turn into the bathroom, and closed the door behind herself.  In annoyed frustration, he swung his arm out in front of himself and snapped his fingers to dissolve the uniform-jacket, and roughly stepped into that same closet, ¡°I hate not knowing stuff.¡±

    A short while later, Gabriel found his way back out of the room, now wearing a black suit with a red dress-shirt and black tie, and he busied himself with braiding his hair while they all waited for Ren to come out as well.  When she finally did, it was as if all hands were on deck again, and everyone was attentive to her movements.  A vehicle as already waiting for them, and the First Lieutenant who had briefed them went to open the door.

    Ren approached first, resolutely consigned to her fate now, and paused for that last task; she loaded her overlay, and shut-down her nanotech access.  A moment later, a small red dot flashed on each of her irises, and the officer confirmed it, ¡°Thank you, Commander.  Safe travels.¡±  She looked then to Gabriel, who grumbled and did the exact same thing before following his trainee in, ¡°Thank you as well, sir.¡±

    The door was closed, seatbelts were drawn, and within seconds, the vehicle was moving.  Gabriel could be nothing less than a sourpuss the entire half-hour ride to the Kitezan border.  The check-point was far-more popular than either Knight had expected, but it was their driver who explained, ¡°Folks with ties to both Kitez and Sargon have been spending the last two years trying to figure out which side of the border they wanted to be on.  Apparently, the trouble with Prince Iresha yesterday has helped many of them finally make that call.¡±

    ¡°Why would that suddenly matter?  He didn¡¯t just become afflicted then.¡± Ren wondered, looking between the two front seats.

    ¡°Because the prevailing worry is that the Emperor is going to send his son to the College at Agartha as a result of it.  That¡¯s a red-line for the Duchy.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°The minute that boy goes to Agartha, the Kitezans feel he¡¯ll become a pawn for the Luminary Council.  He¡¯d be raised-up with our values and sentiments, and when he goes back home - and eventually becomes the Emperor himself - he¡¯ll be more sympathetic to our views.  Maybe even be the one to get Sargon into the Accord finally.¡± The driver continued, and inched the vehicle forward as those ahead pulled through, ¡°One can only hope¡­¡±

    ¡°Another worry for another day.  As long as they haven¡¯t shut the border down yet, our window of opportunity for getting Seth back is still open.¡±

    The driver smiled, ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

 Book I - Chapter 05 - You Never Stop Being Where You Came From

    Getting through the check-point was easy; the vehicle was Kitezan in make, their fake IDs were flawless, a special-made contact lens for Gabriel¡¯s solitary red eye covered that Limitless-given ¡®tell,¡¯ and with his ponytail braided and a hat placed, the red streaks in his hair were covered as well; it was the stone-cold shoulder that was unbearable.

    Ren could hardly stand it; Gabriel had been sulking in silence the entire trip so far.  Not knowing what else to do, she lifted her hands up and quickly slapped them down on her knees, ¡°What do you want me to say?¡±

    The mediator was busying his hands with the removal of that false-color contact lens, and after he dropped it in, he daintily screwed the cap back onto the little liquid-containing vial it had originally come from.  Now revealed again, the red eye was the one that turned to look at her, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.  It¡¯s in the file, it¡¯s in the file, the secret to world peace and immortality is in the damn file.¡±

    Ren glowered, ¡°It¡¯s not my fault you decided to neglect the most basic thing about being a mentor.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t even allowed to look at the file for the first whole month you were assigned to me.  By the time I was, it seemed irrelevant.¡± He countered, a hand on his chest defensively, ¡°So if it¡¯s not irrelevant, then why don¡¯t you just tell me?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Both eyes were open then, ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± She repeated, and sat back in her seat with her arms crossed, ¡°If you don¡¯t have enough respect for me to read a simple dossier, then I¡¯m not going to coddle you by telling you instead.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a respect thing-¡°

    ¡°Yes!  Yes, it is, Gabriel Lugios!¡± She harped, ¡°Are you that upset that I might¡¯ve been someone before you turned up?  You¡¯re so damn worried about how you think everyone hates you because of where you came from, that you¡¯ve become your own self-fulfilling prophecy.  You¡¯re cranky most of the time, and turn people away from you who might otherwise actually like you somehow.  I know you¡¯ve chased away every trainee you¡¯ve ever had; I also thought, when I heard I was going to be next, that Lord Rylen was trying to punish me for my transfer somehow with it.  And after everything I¡¯ve been through, and as hard as I¡¯ve tried, you still just see me as the latest cadet who you¡¯re trying to wash-out.¡±  She lambasted him in the most serious tone she¡¯d presented thus far, and there wasn¡¯t ¡®sir¡¯ to be heard in any of it, ¡°But I can¡¯t go back to where I used to be.  I¡¯m stuck with you until I get through the program, or my situation gets much worse than just dealing with your shitty attitude.  I told you before that I admired you, and I was trying to make the most of this second chance in the Council¡­  Well, that¡¯s just egg on my face, it seems.¡±  She crossed her arms and turned away, staring intently through the window at the passing countryside, ¡°Lord Rylen was right to think of this as a punishment.  ¡­Never meet your heroes.¡±

    Gabriel looked on in a complete daze.  He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and it stopped every word he might have otherwise found the wit to say.  For once, he was at a loss, and he could only sit there in humbled silence.

    Three hours later, the vehicle finally pulled off the main road and onto a private drive-way.  Since the vehicle hovered, it made hardly any sound on the way in, barely giving off a quiet hiss as a formality so no one would walk out in front of it unawares.  The drive-way was a half-mile long, flanked by trees, and barely hid the sight of the mountain-range on the eastern horizon that marked the Sargonian border.  To the north-west, however, was another, smaller and closer mountain range; that one, however, was the southern-most edge of the Exclusion Zone.  Decorative trees eventually gave way to the home that would be their destination.

    Sprawling and rustic, it was a wide, two-floor mansion, with pillars of stacked stone holding up the second floor; the first floor, behind the pillars and wall-length glass, was easy to miss under the glory of the main house.  The property itself seemed to be set into a recess in the hills, with more stacked-stones around the perimeter to act like a decorative wall.  The vehicle came to rest in an alcove with two other similar cars, and Ren couldn¡¯t wait to get out.

    Boots tapped-down on the cobblestone landing, and Ren immediately started walking.  She slowed her pace only long enough to tap her knuckles on the driver¡¯s window and give a wave, ¡°Thanks for the ride.¡±

    ¡°Be safe, Commander.¡±

    She pressed her palm to the glass in farewell, and started moving with purpose.  The front door was a short walk away, but she was too bitter about the earlier rant she¡¯d thrown at her mentor to wait for him.  She could hear him get out, since she also heard the car-door close behind him, and the vehicle started to pull away as planned.  Ren rapped on the ornate glassy inlay, and took a step back.  Gabriel had made it as far as the patio before the door opened, and a tall, elderly man with long, wavy-curly white-grey hair answered.

    ¡°Dame Ren, I presume?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Judge.  And that¡¯s Gabriel in the back.¡± She answered, thumbing behind herself; the pointed lack of an honorific was noticed, ¡°We¡¯re here to let Seth know it¡¯s time to come home.¡±

    ¡°A few days sooner than expected, but I suppose it can¡¯t be helped.¡± The former Magistrate nodded, and gestured for the duo to come inside, ¡°Let me show you where you¡¯ll be staying tonight, and then I¡¯ll take you to Seth.  Are you hungry or thirsty?¡±

    Ren followed inside, and Gabriel sluggishly pulled-up the back.

    Just as soon as they¡¯d arrive, it felt like they were in another car, as Judge Mallerd drove them halfway across his property to a very particular location.  He parked a good distance away from it though; something about the destination had caused the grass to die in long, slithering tendrils from its epicenter.  Gabriel already had a bad feeling about it, but he seemed to be the only one, so he didn¡¯t say anything.  Grass crunched underfoot as they exited, and there was no doubt about it; they were in the presence of a Void Scar.

    Hovering about 2ft off the ground, the scar itself was roughly 8ft tall, 3-4ft wide, and warbled like the reflection of the moon on night-time waters.  No matter what direction one looked at it from, it always appeared to be open towards them, yawning and contracting in constant flux.  It gave off a subtle sound, too, like crackling wood combined with the distant whistle of ghostly birds.  At a distance, there were data panels floating in the air, taking constant real-time measurements of the scar, and further out, equipment tables¡­and a lot of burned, melted, and otherwise-vaporized sample-gathering tools.

    Ren looked around cautiously, and she gave the scar a wide berth, but she had a goal in mind and wasn¡¯t about to get distracted.  On the far end of the field, with his back to her, was the 17-year-old Knight-cadet of the First Wing; Setharion Rydell.  There wasn¡¯t a drop of obvious Luminary paraphernalia on him, with one exception; his glasses.  Cadets, and those who opted for them, were issued special glasses that would enable them to access the World Cloud.  In Seth¡¯s case, given the lack of a World Cloud in Kitez, he used a limited personal supply that had been brought with him in a series of spherical cannisters, which lay open and empty under one of the nearby tables.  At age 18, if desired, one could trade the glasses for a pair of permanently-interfacing nodule-like implants, which would be embedded under the skin superficial to the obliquus capitis superior muscles; one on each side of the base of the skull.  The size of a dried haricot bean, the nodules could be set and then forgotten about, linking directly into the user¡¯s neural pathways to give unparalleled, accurate control of their visual overlays.

    Ren rubbed the side of her neck nervously, but she supposed Seth could tell someone was watching him, and he suddenly turned around; long-coat and scarf whipped in the wind dramatically.  Those pale green eyes and upward-spikey pale-blonde hair were characteristic of the Rydells for the last several generations, and it did not skip Seth at all.  Those eyes were wide at the sight of her, and Ren could only swallow her pride - and a nervous lump in her throat.

    ¡°¡­Miss Ren¡­?¡± His voice was inaudible from the distance between them, and he knew it.  He quickly abandoned his work and followed a safe path around the Void Scar, walking at first, but then jogging, until he finally hit a sprint at the end to close the distance, ¡°Miss Ren!¡±

    ¡°Hey, Seth.¡±

    He all-but launched at her, only to stop dead in his tracks at the last second, and just stared at her.  Mystified at first, then disbelieving, then¡­angry, ¡°You ghosted me!¡±

    She lifted her arms to clasp them around herself, ¡°Sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Four months!  You left four months ago!  Not one word!  Do you know how worried I was about you!?  I tried to call you so many times, but it was like you got a new number or something!  I had to find out what happened to you through peasant means!¡±

    Ren quirked a brow, ¡°What are peasant means?¡±

    ¡°You know my brother knows more than anyone about what¡¯s going on in the Council.  He should have been able to tell me where you went, but he was tight-lipped!  He was in such a sorry state after you left that it was like he wouldn¡¯t tell me!¡± Seth complained, ¡°Every time I brought it up, he¡¯d ask me not to!  So¡­peasant means had to be used!  I had to look you up myself!¡±

    She laughed quietly, ¡°Oh no.¡±

    Seth just stopped there though, and pulled his glasses off so he could rub his eyes on the back of one sleeve.  He drew in a long breath, but before he could continue, Ren had already closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms over his thin shoulders, ¡°I thought we were friends¡­¡±

    Ren felt those words like a kick to the chest, ¡°We are, Seth¡­but¡­things got so complicated in such a hurry¡­¡±

    ¡°What happened?  Why did you leave?¡± He looked up as he hugged her tightly back, ¡°Furion would never tell me¡­  No one would¡­¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    She pet the teen¡¯s head, and pushed his bangs out of his eyes, ¡°Just a little old fashioned insubordination, I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    ¡°Heh?¡±

    Nearly all the way back at the car, Gabriel stayed behind with the Judge, watching the pair reunite from a distance too far to hear anything they said.  Gavin stepped up with a horse¡¯s-head cane in-hand, ¡°So you¡¯re the famous Sir Gabriel Lugios, hm?¡±

    ¡°Depends.  What kind of famous is he out here?¡± He asked stiffly.

    ¡°Kitez-born and bred, but spirited away to become an Eidolon¡¯s boy.  No one knew you existed until you were gone.  Isn¡¯t that strange.¡±

    ¡°Not really, considering where I got plucked from.¡± He nudged his head towards the forested hill-country in the distance, ¡°I didn¡¯t even really know there was an outside world until that day.  I¡¯d heard stories, obviously¡­but, nothing ever did justice to the sight of a real SkyFortress, or the ghosts who made their bodies from dust-sized machines.  There was also the small matter of being terrorized by winged death.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­you must mean the Fafnir Knights.¡± The Judge surmised, ¡°The ones who attacked your¡­community?  Village?¡±

    ¡°Rancid hovel.¡± Gabriel corrected, ¡°By comparison to everything else I¡¯ve seen since then.¡±

    ¡°Then how do you get along with Dame Ren so well?¡±

    He turned to gape at the older man, ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°¡­You know she¡¯s a Fafnir Knight, right?  One of the youngest Wing Commanders in history; gives the Captain himself a run for his money, and that¡¯s on a bad day.¡±

    Those bicolored eyes looked at Ren again, but in a new way, and Gabriel wasn¡¯t sure what to think about her anymore, ¡°¡­The Fafnir massacred everyone I ever knew that day, including my mom, as she tried to protect me from the same fate.¡±

    ¡°¡­You really didn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Well, I know she¡¯s not a Fafnir now¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­She isn¡¯t?  But¡­when?¡±

    Gabriel couldn¡¯t help but lower down until he sat on the dead grass, still bewildered, ¡°Dunno.  She got stuck with me about four months back.  I have a bad habit of not wanting to know anything about the people I have to train.  Makes it easier to let them go when they leave.  ¡­Now, I wish I knew less.¡±

    ¡°After more than twenty years, I¡¯d be shocked if any of the same soldiers were still active Fafnir now,¡± Judge Mallerd shrugged, ¡°Now I worry about saying anything in regards to Seth.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­let¡¯s not.  I don¡¯t want to hate him before I¡¯ve met him.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have a rough day regardless, I¡¯m afraid.  He¡¯s not even the only one here.¡±

    Gabriel looked up, leering from beneath the brim of his hat, ¡°Come again?¡±

    Gavin nudged his head over at one of the only trees in the nearby grassy plains, and as Gabriel looked, he noticed a single leg dangling ¨C and slowly waving back and forth - from behind one of the heavy branches, just-barely in that leafy canopy, ¡°That¡¯s Sir Issak Noardin, though he prefers to go by Ianori.  He¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Also a Fafnir Knight.¡± He grumbled, and crossed his arms, ¡°He wasn¡¯t in the brief.¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯s here unofficially, as a favor to Seth¡¯s older brother.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t even begin to understand what the Hell is going on right now.¡± Gabriel slouched against his crossed knees.

    Ren busied herself with helping to straighten-out Seth¡¯a coat and scarf again, and followed him over towards the base of that large tree.  Seth slapped his hands against the bark and looked up high into the boughs, ¡°Mr. Ianori!  You won¡¯t believe who Lord Rylen sent to come get us!¡±

    The man above snorted as he was startled out of a nap, ¡°Huh?  Wha?¡±

    ¡°Down below!¡±

    Sitting up, and with a carefully-balanced stretch, was a well-built man in his late-20s, with dark brown hair; shaved on the sides and fluffed backward on the top, with a sleek line was razored down to the skin just above his ears.  He wore the same dressed-down kind of ¡®ultra normal-mode¡¯ costume the others did, but after a satisfying yawn, he hopped down the 15ft from branch to ground, combat-boots hitting the dirt with a heavy thud.  When he stood upright again, he looked straight at that unexpected face, and as if on instinct, immediately saluted, ¡°Commander!¡±

    Ren shook her head, ¡°You know as well as I do that I¡¯m not.  Not anymore.¡±

    The salute faded, leaving just a man with a surprised-happy look on his face, ¡°I knew you hadn¡¯t abandoned us for good.  It¡¯s great to see you.¡±  Ianori reached both arms forward, and Ren gladly accepted the greeting hug.  Standing in the embrace of someone as tall as one would envision a fighting soldier would be, Ren¡¯s slim 5¡¯5¡± frame looked as diminutive as ever.  With a fond back-and-forth shake, Ianori eventually let her go, and held both her shoulders in his hands, ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe it¡¯s been so long.  Are you here to tell me to stop vying for your position?¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that why you¡¯re here?  Sucking up to Furio-¡­er¡­I mean, the Captain¡­so you can gun for a promotion?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re closer to the truth than you think.¡± He answered with a wry smile, ¡°And yet far from it.  The Captain¡¯s refused to accept applicants for the spot so far.  He only told me he¡¯d consider it if I came to watch-over his kid-brother.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ve been here with him all month?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± Ianori nodded, and ruffled the teen¡¯s head, ¡°When we heard that a Void Scar had opened out here, a thousand wild horses couldn¡¯t have kept this kid away.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!¡± Seth defended, ¡°This is the first one that¡¯s stayed open long enough for anyone to even get here to study it.  I¡¯ll probably never see another one like it.¡±

    Ren turned her sights to the warbling void-gate, ¡°Tell me about it.  This thing is practically a myth¡­and yet, there it is.¡±

    Seth clapped his hands excitedly, and skipped forward to get in front of the two Knights, ¡°Let me present, for your viewing pleasure¡­the source of the catastrophe that brought down the colony fleet 350 years ago¡­  The Void Scar!¡± He waved his hands at it for dramatic effect, then held a finger up studiously, ¡°As you know, humanity is not native to Hadira.  We came here some centuries ago and terraformed it to our needs.  But our arrival was not without consequence¡­  Dozens of ships appeared in these very skies, and were met with immediate catastrophe.  These void scars, void rifts, or void gates ¨C as they are all known - opened up en masse around that original space-faring caravan, wreaking havoc on navigation systems and pilots alike, as they all tried to find a way to safely land.  Many didn¡¯t make it.  Those that did, were scattered across the surface of this world, cut-off from one another for years.  We all know the basic tale of how each of those orphaned seed-ships were the origin of Hadira¡¯s fledgling nations¡­with each nation repurposing the name of their own ship to be the name of their colony.  Sol-System Colony Fortress Kitez¡­SSCF Sargon¡­SSCF Mayrain, et cetera.¡±

    Ianori nudged Ren with an elbow, ¡°I wonder how many people know that¡¯s the case these days.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡±

    Seth continued, ¡°But anyway though¡­my point was that, something about the warp-maneuver used by that original fleet created a chain-reaction that opened up tens ¨C maybe even hundreds ¨C of these rifts.  No one¡¯s sure how or why they ended up closing afterwards, but the prevailing theory is that they just kind of evaporated on their own after a while.¡±

    ¡°That would explain why these feral rifts have such a short half-life, and expire before anyone can typically get to them.¡± Ren noted, and stepped up beside her young friend, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t explain exactly what it is.  Is it¡­a black hole of some kind?  Nothing¡¯s being sucked into it¡­it¡¯s just there.¡±

    ¡°Nearest I can ascertain is that it¡¯s another dimension.¡± Seth answered, making a point to hold both his hands up malevolently and wiggle his fingers, as though he was telling a scary story, ¡°Black holes are different, because they¡¯re gravity wells.  Things get sucked in, but they¡¯re being crushed down infinitely into a single point, not being spat-out somewhere else.  After all, we¡¯ve never found an ejection-site for the back-end of a worm-hole, so there¡¯s no reason to believe they had one.  These things though¡­they¡¯re gateways to somewhere.  Notice how it¡¯s always open towards you no matter what direction you look at it from?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°It looks the same to everyone else at the same time, no matter how many people there are or angles it¡¯s being looked at.  And, you can put stuff into it¡­¡± Seth explained, and hopped over towards one of the nearby tables, and the disfigured instruments he had set out on top of them.  He lifted one up, and pointed at the contorted tip, where one could assume a sample-collection reservoir once existed, ¡°It looks melted, but there was never any heat-factor applied to it.  It¡¯s just¡­as if the known laws of physics don¡¯t apply on the other side.  Materials stop behaving the way we expect them to ¨C they get destabilized and chaotic ¨C but they still come out whole.  The weight is the same as prior to going in, the composition is maintained¡­there¡¯s no residue or anything on them, so it didn¡¯t bring anything back with it¡­  It just¡­went in, changed somehow, and came back in this new shape.  But¡­¡±  He put the long metal rod down again, and lifted up a tree-branch instead, ¡°¡­when something organic goes in, it comes out with this weird, almost chitinous covering on it.¡±  He flicked at a leaf with said substance stuck to it, ¡°I can¡¯t figure out what it is though.  It¡¯s nothing I¡¯ve ever seen before.  The organic material itself is changed, too, like it was being repurposed somehow, or¡­I dunno, assimilated?  Into something that dimension recognizes.¡±

    Ren quirked a brow, ¡°You sure you want to be touching it with your bare fingers?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing dangerous about it, so far as I¡¯ve gleaned.  This branch, and the weird stuff growing on it, is still recognized by my instruments as a ¡®carbon-based organic material,¡¯ just like the original.  It¡¯s like if you offered a Rubix-cube to someone on the other side of a door, they turned the faces on it, and gave it back.  It¡¯s still the same thing as before, it¡¯s just¡­changed.¡±  Seth shrugged though, and put the branch back on the table as well, ¡°What I was really hoping for was to have an afflicted person come out here and help me¡­  There¡¯s something between that rift and the Limitless that¡¯s connected¡­I just know it.¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Ren wondered, casting a knowing look at her mentor way off in the distance.

    ¡°Because the warp-capabilities of the original colony fleet weren¡¯t an advanced technology that we lost in the crash-landing.  ¡­They were the featured-ability of one specific Limitless-afflicted guy ¨C Caeros - who guided the fleet, and brought it here.¡±

    The two Fafnir glanced at one another, then back at the proverbial mad-scientist in front of them, but Ren spoke again, ¡°That¡¯s not taught in basic histories¡­  Caeros sabotaged the fleet; that¡¯s why it crashed.¡±

    Seth waved his hands back and forth, ¡°Not so.  They say that history is written by the victors, not the victims¡­but in this case, the victims were the only ones left to tell the tale, so their bias leaked through in the retelling.  Caeros¡¯ mistake was fleeing the scene of the crime, so his side couldn¡¯t be told.¡±

    ¡°And how do you know this?¡±

    ¡°Because Lord Rylen told me himself.¡± He answered proudly, and leaned in closer, ¡°Caeros¡¯ full name is Caeros Vor¡¯antiss¡­he was Lord Rylen¡¯s son.¡±

    Both sets of eyes went wide, ¡°¡­Yikes.¡±

    ¡°The rifts didn¡¯t just open randomly because the fleet showed up.  Hadira isn¡¯t more-or-less prone to them than anywhere else.  The trick was that, in using his power to bring the aforementioned fleet here, it¡¯s like he tore open a hole in reality, and all these smaller gates opened up as a result.  Lord Rylen said that, from what he saw, the main void gate opened for them to pass through ¨C absorbing the fleet inside it, with the intent of releasing it at its destination ¨C but then bits of it started breaking off, like embers from one of those fireworks sparklers.¡±

    Ren looked dubiously at the rift, and narrowed her eyes, ¡°¡­Guess that explains why they sent him, too.¡±

    ¡°Sent who, too?¡± Seth asked, looking around.  He squinted through the afternoon sunlight at the two figures standing a distance away.  He recognized the former Magistrate, but the second was a mystery.

    ¡°Hang on.¡±

    Seth watched her go - walking with purpose - and turned to step closer to Ianori.  For a moment, he felt clueless, but then the realization hit him, ¡°O-oh my god, they sent Gabriel Lugios!?  I thought that was Miss Ren¡¯s driver!  Why would they send him here!?¡±

    Ianori could only shrug, ¡°I mean, they¡¯re supposed to be partnered or something¡­guess the bosses didn¡¯t wanna split them up?¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s the High Negotiator!  He¡¯s second only to Lord Xanarken himself!  He¡¯s¡­he¡¯s too important to send here!¡±

    ¡°Not to mention controversial¡­¡± The Fafnir could only rub the stubble on his chin, ¡°Maybe the Commander¡¯s just making the best of the situation and it wasn¡¯t intended?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t just sent Gabriel Lugios into Kitez to pick someone up.¡±

    Ianori shrugged his shoulders up with a smirk, ¡°Guess we¡¯re going to find out.¡±

 Book I - Chapter 06 - The Indiscriminate Voice of the Void Sees All, Hears Allâ€¦Calls To Allâ€¦

    To see Ren coming towards him ¨C now as a known (even if former) Fafnir Knight Wing-Commander, rather than just a wee mediator trainee ¨C was quite the shift.  Gabriel felt compelled to rise up from his seat in the grass, and dusted himself off, as she got within speaking-distance.

    ¡°Are you done?¡± She asked pointedly.

    ¡°Done what?¡± Judge Mallerd wondered, ¡°We weren¡¯t doing anything important.¡±

    ¡°She means me.¡± The mediator corrected, ¡°And the answer is no.¡±

    ¡°Well then you can mope while you¡¯re helping.  You said that¡¯s what you were here to do, if needed.¡± She explained, and turned again to go the other way, though this time towards the rift.

    Gabriel drew in a sharp breath, ¡°That thing makes me uneasy.¡±

    ¡°It makes everyone uneasy,¡± Gavin replied with a skeptical smile, ¡°It¡¯s like it¡¯s watching us.  ¡­Well, go on then¡­the sooner you help, the sooner Seth can pack things in.¡±

    ¡°Silver linings.¡± Gabriel agreed, and squished his hat down a little firmer on his head as he started walking forward.

    The closer he got, the more unnerved the man became.  He bent his path around the thing so he could keep as much distance as he could without looking too-obviously bothered; the others were at least willing to meet him half-way, even if their eventual meeting was far less than what he expected.

    Seth was practically bouncing where he stood, itching to speak but worried he wasn¡¯t allowed.  When Ren saw it, she half-rolled her eyes, and gestured from her mentor to the cadet, ¡°Gabriel, this is Seth.  Seth, Gabriel.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s such an honor to meet you.¡± The teen spoke so fast, the words nearly blended together into a single thing.  He hopped forward another step closer, and thrust his hand out, ¡°Mr. Sir Gabriel Lugios, sir!¡±

    Gabe could only look for a moment in stunned confusion, No one¡¯s ever been this excited to meet me.  What¡¯s with this kid?  His sights glanced up slightly to get a better look at Ianori behind the cadet, but he looked away before it became too awkward that he hadn¡¯t reached back, and took Seth¡¯s hand to give it one shake, ¡°Pleasure.  ¡­So, what am I supposed to help with, exactly?¡±

    Seth¡¯s eyes practically sparkled, and he stepped around to get a bit closer to the rift, ¡°Oh!  I was telling Miss Ren about my theories about these void gates¡­and I¡¯m certain there¡¯s a connection between them and the Limitless affliction, like what you have.  I was hoping an afflicted person could help me run some tests¡­  If you¡¯re willing, I mean!  You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to!  I know you probably have a timetable to follow!¡±

    Gabriel watched the teen with interest, but then turned his sights towards the gate, and shrugged, ¡°¡­I mean, what could it hurt to take a few more minutes.¡±

    The teen couldn¡¯t contain his excitement, and quickly hustled to put his glasses back on.  With a few gestures, he summoned his data-panels closer to himself, and loaded up a few new windows on them.  One window was recording video of the scene, and Seth locked the sights of it onto Gabriel, so it would follow anywhere he went and capture everything he did or said.

    Ren stepped off to join Ianori at the peripheries, and was content to just watch for a little while.  With arms crossed, she shifted her weight to one foot, ¡°So, what do you think?  What a specimen, right?¡± She asked, somewhat dryly.

    Ianori puffed, ¡°You sound so impressed.  Did the reality not match the dream?¡±

    She sighed, ¡°In the beginning, I just thought he was kind of cocky¡­  No big deal; he¡¯s a high-ranking guy with a somewhat-infamous history, so he¡¯s probably got a big head about it.  Nothing I can¡¯t deal with.¡±

    ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°¡­But he never quit.¡± She answered, and lifted one hand towards the ¡®High Mediator¡¯ ahead of them, ¡°The times where he acted kind of normal were so few and far between, I wondered if he even knew he was capable.  He talks to the Eidolon on a first-name basis, for crying out loud!  My ears are still ringing from the first time I heard it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that does sound a little sus.  Everyone always gives them the respect of their titles; it¡¯s almost like their names don¡¯t make sense without them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly it!¡± Ren twisted and pointed at the man, ¡°You get it!¡±

    Ianori gave her a skeptical look, and hesitated to speak again for a moment.  But, he shook his head, and turned to face her directly, ¡°How are you really doing, Commander?¡± He asked suddenly, catching her off-guard, ¡°The circumstances of your sudden withdrawal from the Fafnir are still making our heads spin.  One day you were there ¨C the life of the party, so to speak ¨C and the next, you were just gone.  There¡¯s a gaping hole in the team that nothing will fill.  Every day goes by and we all still feel like you¡¯re just going to show up again, like you were just on extended leave¡­but then you never do, and we have to remember that you¡¯re really gone all over again.¡±

    Ren lowered her head, ¡°¡­I¡¯m¡­sorry.¡±

    Memories of that day flowed through her like a blazing wind, scorching and unrelenting, but only in scattered fragments.  She remembered the bodies ¨C too many of them ¨C but the thing that really stuck out was the debriefing between her Eidolon ¨C who she remembered clearly ¨C and her Captain ¨C who seemed like a stranger - after the fact.  The sound of the recording of what she said played overhead in that lonely room, as the footage of her last mission played before them.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do this!¡± She¡¯s cried out, ¡°They¡¯re just kids!  Stupid, stupid kids!  They don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not our place to be judge and jury, Dame Ren.¡± The Captain¡¯s voice answered through their comm.-system, ¡°We are merely the executioners.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m coming back to the Aegis¡­  Lord Rylen can take another look at this; it¡¯s not right, what he¡¯s asking us to do out here¡­  What-¡­wait, no, what are you doing!?¡±  She struggled against movements that weren¡¯t her own, ¡°FURION, STOP IT!  LET ME¡­GO!!¡±

    Ren shook her head to get the images and sounds out of her mind, but the memory of her pleading screams continued ¨C ignored ¨C until the deed was done, and she pinched the bridge of her nose, ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about it¡­¡±

    Ianori didn¡¯t need to be told twice, ¡°Sorry¡­¡± He supposed he could ask about other things instead then, ¡°So what about him, then?¡± He nudged his head out towards the senior mediator, ¡°His first experience with the Fafnir wasn¡¯t the greatest.  Finding out you were one must¡¯ve made him do a bit of a double-take.¡±

    ¡°¡­He actually doesn¡¯t know.¡± Ren explained, with a disbelieving tone in her voice, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it was Lord Rylen¡¯s idea or Lord Xanarken¡¯s, but Gabriel wasn¡¯t even allowed access my file for the first month after I was partnered with him.  Maybe it was their idea of smoothing things over¡­to let him get to know me as a person first, before he found out what I was, but¡­in the end, he just never read it at all.¡±

    ¡°Poor form.¡±

    ¡°On that, we are of the same mind.¡±

    ¡°You could tell him.¡±

    ¡°And risk screwing up this otherwise beautiful relationship?¡± Her voice was dripping with sarcasm, ¡°Perish the thought.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, did he pick a fight with you?¡±

    ¡°No, he just¡­doesn¡¯t do anything at all.¡±

    Ianori could feel the unhappiness in her voice, and dared to broach the possibility, ¡°You could always ask to come back.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°What?  No way.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious.¡± He pressed, and put a hand on her nearest shoulder for emphasis, ¡°Everyone¡¯s been treating this transfer like it was some joke.  That you¡¯d blow off whatever steam you had about that last mission and then come back.  Even the Captain believes it¡­that¡¯s why he won¡¯t let anyone touch your post¡­¡±

    She looked away again, this time at the ground, and the weird patterns of dead grass that ran across it, ¡°¡­He needs to let me go.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯re going to have to do something to get what you need from that guy,¡± Ianori gestured out at Gabriel, ¡°Because it sounds to me like you put all your hopes in him, and he¡¯s profoundly let you down.¡±

    Ren had nothing to say to that; that truth hurt more when it was spoken out loud by someone outside her own head.

    ¡°¡­The Fafnir Knights are more than just a combat unit.  We¡¯re a family.  We all want to be there for you, to support you, and offer the soft landing when you come crashing back.  But we can¡¯t¡­if you choose to stay away.¡±

    With a sigh, Ren put her own hand to the back of the one still gently clasping her shoulder, and softly nudged it off, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be fine.  I¡­just need to figure out how to get on a level with him.¡± She said, and turned to take a step away.  With nothing more to say on the matter, Ren went to check on Seth instead, and looked over his shoulder to the data panels he was watching, ¡°Any new insights?¡±

    ¡°For the moment, I¡¯m just confirming a baseline.  Seems like his perception of the rift is the same as ours.¡± He answered, but then switched his data-sets over and labeled it ¡®Limitless active.¡¯  He looked over and around the panel, ¡°Mr. Gabriel, if you would, activate your affliction and tell me if anything changes.¡±

    Gabriel hesitated for a moment, ¡°¡­Hold on.¡± He started, and both figures watched him quizzically, ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you hear it?¡±

    ¡°Hear what?¡± They both asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t hear it whispering?¡± He turned to look back at them over his shoulder¡­his eyes already alite with that Limitless golden glow, ¡°It¡¯s getting louder.¡±

    Seth looked to Ren, then back again, ¡°It sounds the same as it always has, sir.  What¡¯s it whispering?  Did it start before or after you switched it on?¡±

    ¡°Switched it on?¡± He echoed, ¡°I didn¡¯t-  ¡­Oh, I feel it now.¡± Gabriel shook his head and hard-blinked a few times, then grabbed the end of his braid as he felt it starting to rise up behind him, ¡°For the record, I didn¡¯t do that myself¡­¡±  When he looked back at the rift though, there was something new that he saw; beyond it, high in the sky¡­a gargantuan vortex of shimmering light.  Gold coalesced with blue and purple, sparkling against the sky, directly above the north-western horizon, and the Exclusion Zone beneath it, ¡°Seth¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yessir?¡±

    ¡°What the Hell is that?¡± Gabriel pointed at the proverbial slow-moving cyclone.

    ¡°¡­A cloud?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t see it¡­  You can¡¯t hear it¡­¡± He grumbled in nervous frustration, and felt his eyes drawn back towards the scar.  The whispers were getting louder ¨C pleading, insistent¡­begging ¨C and he could feel it calling him closer.  It was like a crowd of people all murmuring to one another, voices indiscernible, distilled to the sound of hisses and gasps.

    Then it all went quiet.

    Gabriel felt himself on the edge of oblivion; everything felt black, and all he could see were the tendrils of light that floated out of his own eyes like auroras.  Before he knew it, he was in a world of hurt, and he went from being on his feet to being thrown onto the hard, rocky ground.  An indescribably-loud roar filled the area ¨C burring down into his very core ¨C ripping, tearing, and gnashing at him like it was trying to eat him alive.

    Ren had yanked Seth all the way back to the tree, but Ianori had rushed forward instead, leaping to the mediator¡¯s aid before the worst could happen.  The rift seemed to be overflowing ¨C vomiting its own essence out like tongues of molten steel.  It splashed to the ground with a grotesque belch, and to discerning eyes, those vines of solid-fog started to reach out.  Smaller off-shoots sprung forward like fingers ¨C probing and seeking, then turning, sensing the preternatural power that lingered behind those unwillingly-glowing eyes.  The whispers became like urgent screams ¨C insistent, demanding ¨C and the mass made clear what it wanted.  Gabriel tried to reorient himself, but his proximity to the rift disoriented him¡­and having been shoved out of the way by a line-backer¡¯s tackle didn¡¯t help either.

    Ianori grounded himself and took one good look at the heaping, oozing pile of ichor, and turned to grab Gabriel and make a break for it¡­but suddenly found himself unable to do so.  Somehow, the mass had snapped forward and latched to his left ankle; those fingers groped relentlessly, and pulled itself further up his leg with unnatural speed.  It was like it knew it had something in its grasp, and lost control of its previously-patient ¡®seeking¡¯ behavior.

    The screams were now loud enough to be heard even by the non-gifted.  Seth¡¯s eyes drifted from the horror of the entire scene, to the way his data-panels were warping and shifting chaotically in the presence of the ¡®creature.¡¯  The nanotech dissolved in places and reformed in others, rippling like sand on a Chladni plate.  Not wanting to lose everything he¡¯d gained, Seth pried himself out of Ren¡¯s grip and ran for the containment-spheres under one of the nearby tables.  Ren quickly chased after him; she didn¡¯t have to guess why he¡¯d taken off, and put herself between him and the twisting gateway.  The panels dissolved entirely, and the disintegrated dust-cloud quickly coalesced and went into the pod.  When the light on top turned green, Seth looked to his friend, ¡°We have to get out of here!¡±

    ¡°Run for the car!  I¡¯m gonna get the others!¡±

    Seth knew better than to argue, and he grabbed the sphere and made a break for it.  Judge Mallerd had taken cover behind the vehicle, and lifted his head as soon as he heard Seth come around to pull him out of his fear, ¡°Mr. Gavin, we have to go!  Start the car!¡±

    ¡°R-right¡­!¡±

    Ren weaved and dodged as she made her way across that scorched ground; her first priority was getting her mentor further away, since he couldn¡¯t get away on his own.  Tendrils of that freakish miasma flapped around aimlessly as they sought-for and stuck to the trapped Fafnir¡¯s frame, ¡°Hold on, Ianori!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­fine¡­¡± He struggled; he snapped his arm to the right and freed it, only for that sentient liquid to snatch it back again with ferocity.

    Ren made it to where Gabriel had landed, and grabbed his shoulder with both hands to shake him to lucidity, ¡°You have to get up and run!  Get to the car!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­calling¡­ I have¡­to¡­¡±

    It was no use; Ren quickly pulled the man¡¯s arm over her shoulder and hoisted him up like he was no heavier than a child.  Two quick leaps and she had put enough distance between them and the rift to make a run for it.  The car was on and turning ahead of her, and Seth pushed the side-door open just as she arrived.  He ducked just in time for Ren to shove Gabriel into the middle row of seats, then took off again.

    Ianori was struggling with his last gasp; the mass had smothered every part of him except his forearms and right leg.  It pulled on him, hard, and just as Ren was within arm¡¯s reach¡­he was gone.  The gate had completely swallowed him.  There was nothing left but a small, basketball-sized swarm of wispy fog where the rift had spawned.

    Ren could feel the air get colder around it, and with a grunt she jumped back again to put some space, ¡°Ianori!!¡± She yelled out, ¡°IANORI!!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­gone¡­?¡± Seth gasped, looking out through that still-open door.  He looked back to Gabriel as the man groaned with awareness; eyes were still glowing with that eerie light, and Seth noticed the way the end of that braided hair was trying to float up from behind where Gabriel had pinned the rest of it down.

    Gabriel shook his head though, and the glow faded away; he sat forward and pulled a hand over his face, ¡°My head is killing me¡­¡±  The hovering length of braid collapsed to the car-seat.

    ¡°Ianorriiiii!!¡± Ren¡¯s voice called out again.  She could feel a frantic tingle go down her spine, ¡°Shit¡­shit, shit¡­!  What the Hell was that?  What did it do to him!?¡±

    The orb grumbled and croaked, flashing slightly in its core like bottled lightning.  Then¡­it cracked.  The rift tore open all over again, shooting a bolt into the sky with a whistling scream, and spewed-forth a massive glob of unrecognizable flesh.  It oozed out of that gaping maw, leaving it to fall to the rocks and dead grass with a squishy, wet thud.

    Ren looked at it with horror and trepidation; the void gate closed-in on itself immediately after, and vanished with the most pitiful fizzling gasp.  What it left behind was anything-but.  She approached cautiously and crouched down beside it, starting to recognize the dimension and direction of limbs, ¡°¡­Ianori¡­!¡±

    Seth turned to the Magistrate, ¡°Sir, we have to get over there!¡±

    Reckless fingers ripped at the mess before her, but Ren had no time to think.  The ¡®skin¡¯ of it peeled away like thick spiderwebs, and soon-enough, she found what looked like the clothes of her former comrade.  That all changed when she got to where she knew the bare skin of his hands should¡¯ve been, and in its place was a discolored, bruise-like oily residue.  Uncovering further, Ren found that same oily detritus creeping up Ianori¡¯s neck, until it spread like veins under the surface of that now-pale-white skin.  Hair that had once been dark was now a shock of white, and sticky tendrils of that greasy-looking liquid combed through it, rising up from the back of the catatonic man¡¯s neck and head as it made its way further up.

    Gavin crept forward with their vehicle, but was wary of getting too much closer than he already was.  Seth craned his neck to see what was going on past Ren¡¯s back.  Gabriel fell forward against the side of the seat, and grabbed at the open door-panel so he wouldn¡¯t fall out, ¡°Ren¡­I think we gotta go¡­!¡±

    With a start, Ianori started coughing and gasping, and when he finally had enough air in his lungs to speak, only one word ¨C one sound ¨C came out of him.

    ¡°¡­Scyr¡­exian¡­¡±

    Ren echoed it in a hushed voice as she brushed the wet hair from her friend¡¯s darkened, closed eyes, ¡°Sai-re-shi-an¡­?  What does that mean¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­Scyrexian¡­?¡± Gabriel said as well, and his tone changed, ¡°That¡¯s what the gate was whispering before it blew¡­¡±

    Gavin looked around through the various windows of the vehicle, ¡°We can¡¯t stay here.  That thing sent a signal visible to everyone within a hundred miles of this place¡­  I have no doubt someone is going to come inquiring about it, sooner rather than later.¡±

    ¡°We have to get him in the car and take him back with us!¡± Ren barked, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving him here like this!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not leaving anyone behind¡­¡± Gabriel retorted, and slid a foot out to press it firmly to the ground.  Ren was already up though, and had Ianori in her arms.  With wide eyes, Gabriel simply shimmied back inside the car to make room, ¡°¡­Ah¡­yeah, let¡¯s get him in and get going.¡±

 Book I - Chapter 07 - When An Immovable Object Encounters An Unstoppable Forceâ€¦

    To say that the local Magistrate¡¯s office was a beehive of activity would be an understatement.  Despite the late hour, there were still dozens of people in the lobby, waiting for their petitions to be heard.  However, as soon as 5 o¡¯clock appeared on the overhead digital display, things started shutting down in haste.

    ¡°The office of the honorable Magistrate Regulus Laurier is now closed.  If you have a ticket already, keep it and come again tomorrow morning.  We thank you for your patience and participation.¡± An overhead voice spoke, and a bell rang to finalize it.

    Disappointed petitioners started to disperse through the front door, and exhausted staffers closed-up their many stalls.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how many people are wanting to immigrate all of a sudden¡­¡± One of them said to another, ¡°Everyone¡¯s really freaked out by what¡¯s going on in Sargon.¡±

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯d really let an afflicted guy become Emperor¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m less worried about the afflicted part of it than I am about the Luminaries sticking their fingers into things¡­  Nothing screams ¡®conspiracy for world domination¡¯ like the A.I.s of a bunch of greedy dead guys carrying on the mission because they don¡¯t realize they¡¯re dead.¡±

    ¡°You think the Eidolon are A.I.s?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you?  No one can live that long, not without being put into stasis¡­and I¡¯d hardly call that living¡­¡±

    Chatter continued as doors were locked and the building emptied¡­all except for one lonely office in the back.  Within it, and through a door with the Magistrate¡¯s name engraved into a brushed brass plate, was that very Magistrate.  He was an older man, but not too far past his prime, with pale ochre skin, and salt-and-pepper spikey short hair.  Pale blue eyes looked at a thin, book-sized transparent plate, framed at the upper and lower edges with a pen-sized golden bar, making it look like an unfurled scroll.  Upon that plate were the holographic images of what had been seen by local authorities around 15 minutes earlier.

    The image of the distant sky, streaked with a lightning-like blast of energy that came from the ground, which exploded outward as if it had hit the underside of an invisible dome before fading again.  Regulus flicked the screen¡¯s bottom right edge, and the hologram flipped over on the glass, revealing a real-time map of the area with areas of interest flagged for easy identification.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s one of the old guard,¡± he said quietly, recognizing the name ¡®Gavin Mallerd¡¯ where he was listed as the property owner, ¡°And it¡¯s not far from here at all.¡±  Regulus leaned back into his big leather reclining-chair, the thin screen held between his finger and thumb.  His other thumb tapped against his chin, elbow on the arm-rest¡­and made a decision.  With a click to the top right of the screen, the holographic lights disappeared, and the flat glass-like surface suddenly became flexible and rolled-up like a scroll.  Up-rose a special golden cylinder from the surface of the judge¡¯s desk, and in slid the consolidated screen.  The cylinder descended again, and with a click, and a subsequent pat of one palm against the lid, the message was gone, and Regulus stood up again, ¡°I suppose I can spare an evening for that delightful old man.  This strange phenomenon happened far too close to the Restricted Area for comfort anyway¡­¡±

    He shut the light off as he left, and took an elevator down in the bowels of the building.  What started as an underground parking garage became a hangar, and through a large steel roller-door was a huge, dark room.  Regulus lifted his hand up to the control panel on the far right side, and flicked for the lights to come on.  What he beheld within the familiar sight of a long-time and dependable friend.

    .

    Returning back to Gavin¡¯s homestead took less time than it did to get from there to the rift, and that urgency hadn¡¯t lifted when they arrived.  The oily residue on Ianori¡¯s skin had thickened, turning into something like a rubbery, candle-wax shell that fit as snugly as a glove.  He struggled against it, but it was largely a mental battle; he was delirious and mumbling, unresponsive to external stimuli, and didn¡¯t seem to be aware of what was around him.

    Ren combed her fingers through that eerily white hair, ¡°Ianori¡­  Hang on¡­¡±

    Seth could only hug his arms around the nanotech containment sphere he held on his lap, on the edge of tears for the stress.  He could feel the vehicle coming to a stop though, and looked up as Gavin bailed entirely, nearly stumbling for his haste.

    ¡°Take it and go!¡± The judge yelled, gesturing to the east, ¡°Never mind anything else!  You have to get back to Sargon immediately!¡±

    Gabriel didn¡¯t need to hear those words repeated, and he quickly hopped out of the middle row and into the driver¡¯s seat.  The vehicle was never shut off, so it was an easy thing to get moving again.  He pulled the door shut and adjusted the seat, then rolled the window down, ¡°Thanks for your help¡­and for the info.¡±

    ¡°GO!¡± Gavin slapped at the side of the car like it was the back-end of a horse, and Gabriel got a move on.  Gavin watched with nervous eyes as the car got back onto the drive-way, heading through and eventually disappearing behind the long rows of curated trees.  He turned his attention back to the sky though, and shifted towards the west, ¡°¡­You don¡¯t want to be anywhere near this place when he gets here¡­¡±

    .

    The city of Stoneface Bluffs was on the smaller side of things, but it was big enough for the purposes of the local Magistrate, and served as the base of operations to the district.  As such, it had its own small aerodrome, and taking off from it was the uniquely and easily-identifiable visage of the local flagship.  Shaped like a spinning-top, it was bulbous and round at the top, but tapered to a thinner point underneath.  Around its base were three tiers of concentric rings, one higher and wider than the one beneath it, acting as the main propulsion system.  Each ring glowed slightly on the inside, and as the ship began its careful ascent, the rings extended down below the ship, as if ¡®pushing¡¯ it up from the ground.  It turned around, and faced towards the east, revealing a massive, front-facing cyclopean light; the rings that surrounded it coiled and rotated, acting like its iris.

    On the command-deck, Regulus made his presence known, and he looked to the ship¡¯s captain, ¡°I take it you received the missive?¡±

    ¡°Yessir, we have a course plotted.¡±

    ¡°How soon can we be there?¡±

    ¡°Thirty minutes.¡±

    ¡°Make it 15.¡± The Magistrate explained, and reached up to press his fingers to the edges of a long split in his left ear, ¡°¡­I have an itch about this one.¡±

    ¡°Yessir!¡±

    .

    Seth could feel the nervous sweat slip down the back of his neck as the vehicle went coursing along that causeway, heading back towards the Sargonian border ¨C and in the distinctly opposite direction of a myriad number of cars they were passing - with a speed that made him almost as worried as the goings-on in the vehicle itself.  He hugged the containment sphere a bit tighter, only to twitch and look up sharply as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°¡­Seth, I need you to reassign that nanotech supply to me.¡± Ren said quietly, ¡°I know it¡¯s a big ask¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s all my data¡­  I¡­I can¡¯t just¡­  ¡­Why¡­?¡±

    She threaded her fingers through the dark hair at the back of her head, and pressed in for several seconds where she felt the two nodules embedded beneath her skin, ¡°Because Judge Mallerd was really adamant about sending us on our way in a big hurry.  And for a man who was as high in the ranks of the Kitezan Duchy as he was back in the day, and as cozy as he¡¯s been with the Council all this time¡­I have every reason to believe he¡¯s got good reason for it.¡±  A blue flashing light appeared on her irises as her access-nodes came back online, ¡°We may well have need to defend ourselves before the night is out.¡±

    ¡°Please, no¡­  Everything I¡¯ve collected for the last month is in here¡­¡± Seth pleaded, in spite of Ren¡¯s business-serious expression, and the sight of Ianori¡¯s corrupted frame right in front of him, ¡°Please, Miss Ren¡­no¡­¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°If nothing happens, I¡¯ll just give it back, no harm, no foul.  But that data won¡¯t mean anything to you if we¡¯re all dead.¡± Ren countered, ¡°I need you to hand it over.¡±

    He could only choke back his tears as he clenched his eyes shut and hugged the sphere even tighter, but after a few more seconds of agonizing despair, he tapped the side-arm of his glasses.  His overlay became visible in those lenses once more, and with a few clicks and gestures, found Ren¡¯s name on the local network and granted her access.

    With no time to spare, Ren loaded-up her own interface, and started moving emergency protocols over onto the new mini-cloud.  The transfer-status bar appeared ¨C to her eyes ¨C over the sphere, and she reached over to pat the teen¡¯s head, ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, this will just be temporary.  If we¡¯re not¡­hopefully it¡¯ll be enough to buy us enough time.¡±

    Seth¡¯s tearful eyes looked on at her skeptically, but he nodded, ¡°¡­R-right¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Gabriel suddenly asked, looking back at the trio through the rear-view mirror.

    ¡°Help is coming, but we¡¯ll be doing it a favor if we can meet it half-way.¡±

    He was surprised, ¡°¡­How does anyone already know we¡¯re in trouble?  We¡¯re completely cut-off out here.¡±

    ¡°Lucky for you, the answer to that question isn¡¯t in my file for you to have already known about,¡± She explained, and saw the transfer complete.  New windows opened to her sights, and she immediately activated the first protocol.  The nanotech orb opened, and that dust-like substance swarmed out, up, and all around her, ¡°Knight-Cadet Setharion Rydell is the younger brother of the Captain of the Fafnir Knights, and he would never let Seth come into Kitez without at least four layers of safeguards.  Two were formally with the Luminary Council ¨C the Aegis is parked on the border, and the fact that Council has sanctioned the activities here means they¡¯re keenly interested in the outcome.  The other two, are in the car with us.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Ianori was supposed to keep an eye on things¡­¡± Seth added dubiously, but then reached up to grab his now-useless glasses, ¡°And these¡­are a gift from Lord Rylen himself.  None of Lord Rylen¡¯s toys ever leave his hands without some way of being able to track them.¡±

    The nanotech finally coalesced into something tangible and recognizable, rippling across Ren¡¯s petite frame like water, then ice to follow, and finally, the metallic-looking temporary armor she had directed it to create.  Completed, it took the shape of a rudimentary version of the Fafnir power-suit, sans the capability of flight.  Ren inspected herself and flexed her fingers, ¡°¡­Sorry you had to find out this way.  Seth may be the Captain¡¯s little brother, but¡­before I transferred to the Fourth, I was the man¡¯s right hand.¡±

    Gabriel stared through that mirror for a few more seconds; the sight of that armor was enough to send a chill down his spine, and he swallowed a nervous breath, ¡°¡­I know.¡±

    Ren balked, and leaned to grab the shoulder of the front passenger seat, ¡°Wait, what?¡±

    ¡°When the old man I were on our own, and you came up to ask if I was done moping.¡± He answered, ¡°He¡¯d just accidentally told me who everyone was, including you.¡±

    There was an awkward pause, but Ren drew in a breath, ¡°I hope we¡¯ve gotten to know each other well enough that you¡¯re not upset at me.  It was never my intent to hide this from you.¡±

    ¡°No¡­not yours.¡± He answered, ¡°Just Rylen¡¯s.  He¡¯s probably going to think it¡¯s pretty funny when he founds out how I learned the truth.¡±  There was another lingering pause, and Gabriel gripped the steering-wheel a little tighter, ¡°¡­There¡¯s a few hours yet before we get to the border, even at this pace.  Maybe now would be a good time to let me know if there are any other helpful secrets that I should be aware of.¡±

    ¡°Nope, that¡¯s the big one.¡± She answered with a relieved sigh, ¡°Glad that¡¯s out in the open though.  Now I can stop pretending to be a Luminary baby.¡±

    ¡°Are you about to turn into a whole other person?¡± Gabriel wondered carefully, ¡°Was the face you put on before a lie, too?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± She twisted in her seat, and put a hand onto Ianori¡¯s chest, checking briefly to be sure the man was still breathing in his catatonic state.  That done, she turned all the way around and moved herself into the back seat with Seth, and perched her elbows onto the head-rest to start her watchful vigil on their rear, ¡°But I do take issue with it being characterized that way.  I never lied to you.¡±  She took a moment to cast a glance back at the man over her armor-plated shoulder, ¡°What about you?  Are you hiding anything by omission?¡±

    ¡°Tsh¡­  Only that I¡¯m useless in a fight.¡± He said, making fun at his own expense.

    Seth was the one to take issue then, ¡°You¡¯re a Limitless user though¡­  You should be able to do something that might help in a pinch¡­¡±

    Gabriel shrugged helplessly, ¡°Once upon a time, maybe¡­but what you saw earlier was the first time my affliction had activated in many years.  I¡­don¡¯t know how to use it anymore.¡±

    ¡°But you were put in charge of helping the Prince learn how to use his¡­¡± Seth pointed out, ¡°How could you do that if you don¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean like that; turning it on and off is like instinct.  You just¡­know, after a while.  It¡¯s the actual ability I supposedly have.  Being in the Fourth meant I never had to think about fighting, so after the formalities of going through boot like everyone else when I came of age, it never really came up.¡± The mediator confessed, embarrassed.  He pulled his left hand off the wheel and set his elbow on the window-panel, so he could rest his cheek against his knuckles, and sighed, ¡°Honestly, if I could¡¯ve gotten rid of my affliction entirely, I would¡¯ve gladly done it a long time ago.  Maybe people wouldn¡¯t have been so wary of me.  It wasn¡¯t enough that I was a kid from the Exclusion Zone, but a Limitless one, too?  I might as well have had a huge flashing ¡®shit on me¡¯ sign hanging above my head.  ¡­It¡¯s¡­not something I¡¯m proud of, and every damn day that goes by, when people see the red in my hair and this one red eye, it just¡­reminds them ¨C and me, by proxy ¨C that I''m an ¡®other¡¯.¡±

    Both (conscious) passengers went quiet, and glanced at one another.  Ren couldn¡¯t help but smile though, after a fashion, ¡°Well¡­that was certainly the realest you¡¯ve been since we met.  I dare say, I¡¯m proud of you.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s face went red, and he gripped the wheel with both hands again, ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have unloaded like that.¡±

    ¡°No, I think it was good for you.  Do it again.¡± Ren teased, and turned her eyes back out through the rear windows, ¡°What else have you been dying to tell people all these years?¡±

    He hesitated, but the nervous flutter in his chest told him to try anyway, ¡°¡­I¡­  I¡¯m¡­afraid of heights.¡±

    ¡°Wha?¡± Ren balked, but tried to keep focus on her post, ¡°How the Hell are you afraid of heights when you fly Maeve around all the time?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a reason it doesn¡¯t have real windshield, that you can see through.¡± He answered warily, his heart racing from the compounded embarrassment, ¡°I don¡¯t get palpitations when the view is on a screen.¡±

    That just made her choke on a stifled laugh, and she shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s incredible.¡± She hummed an amused sigh then, ¡°You know, it kind of feels like we got off on the wrong foot before.  Maybe we should pretend like we¡¯re meeting for the first time again.  ¡­Hi, I¡¯m Ren, formerly Wing Commander-One of the Sixth Wing¡¯s Fafnir division.  Nice to meet you, sir.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­you don¡¯t have to do the ¡®sir¡¯ stuff.¡± He answered, ¡°Gabriel is fine.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been doing it all afternoon anyway¡­¡± He huffed a laugh of his own, ¡°After we¡¯re done in Kitez, going back to those formalities will feel weird.  I¡­think I¡¯d like it better if we dropped it.  And you, kid¡­¡±

    Seth flinched where he sat, having spent the last several exchanges just turning his eyes between each speaker, ¡°Y-yessir!  Mr. Gabriel, sir!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do the ¡®mister,¡¯ either.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll never quit that,¡± Ren noted with a smirk, ¡°I¡¯ve known him since he was 9 years old, and nothing I¡¯ve done has ever gotten him to stop the ¡®miss Ren¡¯ stuff.  You¡¯re just gonna have to get used to that one.¡±

    ¡°I guess one of the two isn¡¯t all bad,¡± Gabriel surmised, and went back to focusing on the road, feeling much more relaxed than before, in spite of the circumstances.

    .

    The Magistrate¡¯s ship hovered ominously over Gavin¡¯s homestead, and from a de-boarding capsule that lowered from the base of the point, that self-same Magistrate stepped out, his grey uniform covered by a long, white, formal cloak.  Gavin stood out on the front patio, trying not to look nervous, but every hair on the back of his neck was on end to see the man who now approached him.

    ¡°Well, now¡­¡± Regulus began dryly, ¡°If it isn¡¯t the Honorable Gavin Mallerd.  A man of the Conclave from the days before the Council was banned from Kitez.¡±

    ¡°¡­General Regulus Lauriel, the proverbial warrior-monk who gave up his rank as a combat leader to go into politics and research instead.¡± Gavin answered, hands clasped over the horse¡¯s-head cane in front of him, ¡°Though I suppose ¡®gave up¡¯ is an incorrect description, since you were offered the option of doing that or being dismissed from your post outright.¡±  He narrowed his eyes a little bit, ¡°Taunting the Fafnir Captain to the point of violence during a time of negotiations was not the most brilliant move, I must say.¡±

    ¡°So says the Luminary sympathizer who was shamed into retiring outright.  Invaders and absconders aren¡¯t entitled to my kindness or civility.¡± Regulus countered, ¡°Let¡¯s get straight to the point though.  I received reports that there was a strange phenomenon witnessed on your property.  This close to the Restricted Zone, I¡¯ve taken interest.¡±

    ¡°Oh?  What kind of phenomenon?  Please, enlighten me.¡±

    Regulus paused on that thought, and looked around a little bit from where he stood.  From that vantage, the audio-piece that wrapped around and into his right ear was visible, and those pale blue eyes looked straight at the car parked nearby, ¡°Is that new?  I thought yours was a different color.¡±

    Gavin felt a suspicious chill go down his back like a rush of cold water, ¡°A man can¡¯t change cars when he likes?¡±

    There was another strange pause, but this time, Regulus withdrew his right arm from his cloak to reach up to the earpiece.  He touched a fingertip to it ¨C listening to something ¨C and then lowered it again.  He cast a few glances around the area one more time¡­and then lobbed a single pulse of pure energy straight through Gavin¡¯s chest.  The former Magistrate didn¡¯t even have time to look surprised before his lifeless body crumpled to the ground, and Regulus turned where he stood, cloak expanding widely around him; he held his finger to the earpiece again, ¡°Luminary equipment was confirmed on-site.  Mallerd¡¯s personal vehicle is missing.  It¡¯s been one hour since the phenomenon here was witnessed.  If they started their escape towards the Sargonian border immediately, then they¡¯re probably about a quarter of the way there now.  We¡¯re hunting Luminaries tonight.¡±

 Book I - Chapter 08 - The Point Of The Hunt Isnâ€™t Always To Killâ€¦Sometimes Itâ€™s To Have Fun

    Ianori could feel himself slipping between consciousness and oblivion.  His ears were ringing ¨C sounds around him were hollow and distant, as though he¡¯d hit his head ¨C but the most overwhelming sensation was that of the oily, writhing, slippery feeling coursing over and through his whole body.  In a word¡­it was as if something was flossing his very existence.  Body, mind, memories, spirit¡­all of it was laid bare before something infinite.

    And the whispers¡­  The whispers were without end¡­and in spite of them, Ianori never felt so alone.

    Though everything he could ¡®see¡¯ was black forever, there was definitely the sense that there was something there.  His very being felt like a drop of oil in a vast, abyssal ocean; present, but disparate from the whole, never capable of mixing.

    He thought he could speak, but his mouth wouldn¡¯t move, and in that dread, terrible moment¡­he realized he no longer had one.  He didn¡¯t even have a body anymore.  Yet somehow, he still felt like he was himself, and capable of reaching into the vast darkness that spread out before him in every direction.  The idea of extending his arm and hand came to mind, and he was sure he could feel that slippery expanse moving across his skin like fog across a morning lake.

    But then¡­excruciating pain coursed through him; fire and ice in his veins spread out from his heart and leaked through every inch of his core and limbs, up his neck, and finally, burst out of his eyes.

    Seth was the first to recoil at the sight of it; it was like expanding-foam had exploded forth from the Fafnir¡¯s very eye-sockets, except it was moving - billowing, even ¨C until it started spreading out and up, beside the man¡¯s temples.  The way it undulated was eerie; it wasn¡¯t exactly gaseous, but it didn¡¯t feel right to say it was liquid either.  It was just¡­a thick, soupy, blistering mist.  Dark in color, like coagulated blood, it oozed out of the place Ianori¡¯s eyes once sat, and ¡®boiled¡¯ its way up until the wispy tips of it dissipated to nothing again.  In a way, it reminded Seth of how the Limitless-eyes looked when they were activated, except¡­wrong.  Terribly wrong.

    ¡°M-Miss Ren¡­!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± She craned her head back to look over her shoulder-armor again, but spotted the problem without needing explanation, ¡°Ah shit!¡±

    Gabriel couldn¡¯t help but look back, but as soon as he did, the entire vehicle jerked from his unintended yank on the wheel in his shock.  It sent everyone tumbling, until he could get the car back under control ¨C and back onto the road.  No one had time for the apologies that followed, so he just grit his teeth and tried to keep his eyes on the road while the back-row¡¯s free hands tried to figure out what was going on.

    Ren squeezed herself through the two head-rests of the middle row, grabbed Ianori¡¯s arm ¨C the man had been thrown so hard by the sudden movement of the car that he¡¯d been flung into the footwell behind the driver¡¯s and front-passenger seats ¨C and heaved him back up onto the cushioned bench.  Seth had scrambled into the back row by then, not wanting to be near whatever it was that was infecting his friend.  Ren just gripped the man¡¯s face to turn it this way and that, ¡°What the Hell is this stuff coming out of his eyes¡­?¡± She asked worriedly, brow furrowed¡­then her eyes widened in shock.

    ¡°R..Re-en¡­h¡­he¡­lp¡­¡±

    ¡°Ianori!  Hang on!¡± She answered.

    Seth ducked-down and covered his head, ¡°Furion, please hurry¡­!¡±

    The distraction was the best possible cover ¨C and the worst possible moment ¨C for an ominous weight of malevolence to slide in over the fleeing vehicle.  It hovered above the roof, matching the car¡¯s speed perfectly; a hulking behemoth of metal and ferocity.  With a main body shaped like a thick hornet, it sported two massive arms from the ¡®shoulders¡¯ of its thorax, and two smaller ones underneath.  The ¡®head¡¯ was flat and elongated, reflecting the light of oncoming traffic on its black, glassy face.  Under its belly was an ¡®eye¡¯ similar to that which adorned the front of the district¡¯s flagship; this one, however, was an anti-gravity drive, keeping it elevated without the pesky need for disruptive thrusters.

    Something about the potential of that ¡®presence¡¯ sent a shiver down Gabriel¡¯s spine, and it pulled him back from the shock of Ianori¡¯s sudden comment.  He checked the mirrors and looked around, but nothing looked out of the ordinary; at that speed, there was no way for him to catch a glimpse of the people in the cars going the other direction.  If he could, he¡¯d have seen the shocked and impressed faces that watched the ¡®weapon¡¯ keeping pace just out of sight.

    Its pilot, however, was ready to reveal himself, and as soon as he was notified that the vehicle¡¯s digital stereo had been hijacked, he let his presence be known, ¡°This is Magistrate Regulus Laurier.  I am communicating to you via one-way audio interface; if you have anything to say for yourselves, save it for later, because I can¡¯t hear you.  You are driving a vehicle that doesn¡¯t belong to you, and are taking it in a direction that is, in a word, suspicious.  You have ten seconds to figure out how you want your stolen transport to stop moving.  Choose wisely.¡±

    To say that the trio were a bit surprised would be an understatement.  Gabriel white-knuckled the wheel, ¡°What do we do?¡±

    Ren took no chances, and immediately went for the side-door, ¡°You¡¯re gonna hear two bangs on the roof.  When you do, hit the brakes.¡± She ordered, and pulled the panel back.  Wind rushed in like a cyclone, and Ren whipped herself out and up with supernatural dexterity.  The door slammed shut behind her, and as she said, two bangs sounded; she crouched down on a knee, and slammed both hands ¨C palms down and forward ¨C into the metal near the rear window.  To her relief, Gabriel actually listened to her, and the car¡¯s back-end suddenly lifted as the entire thing veered to an audible halt.  The mechanized behemoth she¡¯d found flying above their car went flying out in front by a good distance before finally twisting to turn and look back, but just as it did¡­Ren launched right at it.  The car she¡¯d vaulted from banged-down so hard that the undercarriage smacked against the road with a crunch, only to bounce back up to its normal hovering-height with a bobble.

    ¡°What the fuck was that!?¡± Gabriel barked in surprise, catching the barest glimpse of the former Fafnir as she literally landed on the mecha¡¯s faceplate and yanked it back around its own neck like a calf at a rodeo.

    ¡°Explanations later, fleeing now, Mr. Gabriel!¡± Seth countered, ¡°She can handle herself!  Just drive!¡±

    The mediator grit his teeth and whipped the wheel around far to the right, and hit the accelerator again.  The car went off-road in a wide arc as he steered it around the Magistrate¡¯s mech-fighter and bounced back up to the road on its other side.

    By that point, the strain of the head-yank had forced the Magistrate to collide with two different vehicles that had stopped to try and avoid that very thing happening.  Within, Regulus¡¯ neuroptics let him ¡®see¡¯ the area around him in the shape of a dome of interlinked hexagons, giving him a panoramic view of his surroundings.  The twist was still forceful enough to make him drift, though.  He shook his head and swung the left big arm around to swat the Fafnir away; Ren just braced and let it hit her.  The arm bounced, came back again, and this time flew through empty air. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Both the mech and the Knight spun ¡®round as they each backed off; Ren landed down the road, opposite the direction the vehicle with her cohorts fled in.  Regulus twisted where his mech hovered and gave the woman a good look, ¡°You¡¯re looking awfully naked down there, with neither blades nor wings.  How do you intend to fight when two of your primary means are unavailable?¡± His voice boomed loudly from the mecha¡¯s face-plate.

    Ren just lifted her fists up, ¡°I¡¯m more than enough as I am.  Come try me.¡±

    ¡°I think not, little one.¡± He answered, much to her chagrin, ¡°That was a good show, though.  Very creative.¡±  The mech turned again and immediately lifted off, venturing high into the air and well-beyond where Ren was able to go in just a temporary suit.

    ¡°Wh-¡­hey!  Get back here!¡± She complained, and immediately started to give chase.  Fafnir were intended to fly though, not run, and while her pace was impressive anyway, it wasn¡¯t enough to catch up to a flight-capable war-machine.  She did, however, have a number of crash-stalled vehicles nearby, and she quickly made for one that was just up ahead.  Without a thought, she tore the driver¡¯s-side door clean off, ripped out the seat-belt strapped across the driver, and yanked him out after.  The other two passengers looked on in terror, and she gave them only two options as she climbed in, ¡°Get out or you¡¯re coming with me!¡±

    They bailed as she gunned it and spun the vehicle around on its axis to start heading in the other direction.

    Seth had an elbow on the back of the seat as he watched out the rear windshield, and saw the undeniable image of that Kitezan Magistrate¡¯s weapon coming after them again; the subtle blue-white glow underneath of it where the gravity-drive was propelling it was brighter then as it picked up speed, ¡°Mr. Gabriel, it¡¯s catching up!¡±

    ¡°Let me know when it¡¯s about to get onto us!  We¡¯re gonna do Ren¡¯s trick again!¡± He answered hastily, ¡°¡­With any luck, it¡¯s enough to let Ren catch up again.  There¡¯s no way he¡¯s beaten her already.¡±

    Those terrified green eyes trembled, but kept watch as asked, and just as that massive blue-and-black hornet was within 20ft, he yelled, ¡°NOW!¡±

    Brakes were hit a second time, and the mecha went careening forward, slamming into the concrete of the road where the car would¡¯ve been if it hadn¡¯t stopped.  Regulus gripped hard with those smaller arms on the bottom of the mech¡¯s chest, and used them to pivot himself around.  For a mercy, there weren¡¯t anymore cars coming from the east, and no one else was at risk of getting hurt.

    ¡°The number of times you can do that is finite, Luminary.¡± Regulus taunted, and lifted those clawed metal hands from the ragged pavement, ¡°Your next move should be surrender.¡±

    ¡°¡­I can talk us out of this,¡± Gabriel muttered to himself, only to find Seth panic from the back seat.

    ¡°We absolutely cannot talk to that guy!¡±

    ¡°¡­Eh?  Why not?  Talking is kind of my thing.¡±

    ¡°Because as soon as he sees me, he¡¯s going to kill all of us just for the fun of it!¡±

    ¡°Why you?¡±

    Seth looked a trifle-more than rattled, sweat beading on his skin, ¡°¡­Because Magistrate Regulus Laurier is the former general that my father attacked at the parlay 22 years ago!  He¡¯s going to recognize me!  I look just like him, give or take some years and facial-hair!¡±

    Gabriel gawked, and just as he turned in his seat to glare at the teen directly, his eyes went wide and turned forward again¡­just as the commandeered car zoomed past them¡­and immediately crashed into the mech¡¯s head.  Ren herself tapped-down not too far away, having bailed right before the moment of impact.

    She chanced a look at the duo in the first car, ¡°Are you two okay!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± He answered, but then jerked forward in alarm, ¡°Look out!¡±

    Regulus tore through the exploded wreckage, but instead of just casting the burning heap aside, he flung it straight at the escape-vehicle.  The two collided with one another, and Ren couldn¡¯t even breathe before the Magistrate came for her personally.  Both larger arms came down on her hard, and Ren¡¯s feet dug into the already-torn-up road.  It pushed back until she felt she¡¯d gotten enough purchase to brace, and then deflect.  Regulus crushed into the roadway as she let go and dove forward to roll away.  She had mere seconds, and she rushed for the side of Gavin¡¯s wrecked ¨C and flipped - car.

    The front had been completely caved-in, and Gabriel ¨C crumbled into the bottom of the front seat at a cruel angle - was as unconscious as Ianori, who himself was squashed between the front and middle rows of seats.  Seth had escaped the immediate impact, but that didn¡¯t stop him from getting hurt when the whole car had tumbled onto its left side.  Glass from the window had shattered on the road, and he¡¯d sustained a number of cuts to his head and face.

    ¡°Se-¡° She was already hit, as Regulus literally spun from the prior landing with the left big arm stretched wide to swing in an arc.  It hit her directly, and sent her flying into the off-road ravine.

    Satisfied that the escape-vehicle would no longer be escaping, the Magistrate turned his attention to the Fafnir, and watched her struggle to get up again, ¡°You¡¯re not going to win this fight.  Your best option is to give up and be taken into custody.  You¡¯re worth more to me as a hostage than a corpse.¡±

    Ren spat the grass and debris from her mouth, and pushed up with a painful grunt.  She clasped at her left side; the impact had broken a rib or two, she was sure.  Still, she lifted her hands into a fighting stance, ¡°You know I can¡¯t¡­do that.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t your life worth more to you than that?¡± Regulus was mystified, ¡°Surely you¡¯re not ready to throw it away just to delay what¡¯s going to happen anyway by a mere minute.¡±

    There was some tragic logic to it, but Ren hesitated anyway.  Her eyes scanned the eastern horizon; where was their help?  Furion, I swear¡­you may be the last person I want to see right now, but¡­for Seth¡¯s sake¡­you need you get your ass out here! She thought frantically.  She clenched her fists a little harder, but then relaxed her stance and held her hands up, ¡°¡­Fine¡­¡±

    The eerie face of the mecha looked on blankly for a moment, then the whole head tilted slightly like a confused dog.  The machination hovered forward a few feet, barely grazing the edge of the grass at the side of the road.  Both larger arms on top were poised and ready; in the ¡®palms¡¯ of their metal hands, two orbs of light glowed.  The smaller ones curled up close to that metallic chest like the retracted claws of a raptor.

    There was tense hesitation on both sides.  A light breeze blew through that late-afternoon air.  Smoke from the wreckage of the two vehicles billowed darkly into the sky.  One newly-arrived spectator slowed their vehicle a hundred feet down the concourse; of course, the driver stepped out with their phone to get some souvenir photos.

    A rush of flame belched-forth from the commandeered car as the interior caught fire, and that single sound made Regulus twitch.  Ren launched forward again, only to be grabbed by both of those spring-loaded smaller arms.  They gripped tight and slammed her down, hard, into the ground.  She exhaled a choked breath, and her head wobbled from the dizzying speed and weight of the double-impact.  Her head was spinning and her ears rang¡­and a blinding pain shot up from her left arm.  The mech¡¯s larger right arm had swung down with such force that crushed straight through her armor ¨C and every bone within 10 inches of her elbow ¨C and only stopped for the resistance posed by the ground itself.

    Then the left arm came up as well, and aimed to do the same thing again to Ren¡¯s right.

    Ren could feel herself fading; hitting her unprotected head on the hard dirt was enough to take her out of the fight, but the blood she was losing now didn¡¯t help.  She could hardly process the sight of that next attack coming¡­nor understand what it meant when there was a flash of light, and the arm that swung down was suddenly only half of it what it had been a moment before.  The ¡®forearm¡¯ of the extremity fell roughly to the gravel with a loud clang, useless.

    Regulus¡¯ whole mech shifted slightly from the abrupt change in its weight distribution, and the face of the thing turned to get a good look at the mechanical amputation it had just suffered.  It lifted its remaining limb up above itself again, blood trickling down from its hand.  Words didn¡¯t need to be spoken for Regulus to express confusion and surprise about that turn of events, but he cast his gaze towards the burning vehicles¡­and the sight of a formerly-unconscious blonde who had managed to stand inside the wreckage.

    Those bicolored eyes flared brightly with golden light, tails of it wavering gently out to each side. Behind him, the man¡¯s braid came unraveled as his Limitless effect came into full form, lifting his hair up to float above and behind him as if he had been suspended under water.  The hand he held out was bleeding from the injuries of the crash, and it trembled slightly for all kinds of reasons, but when the war-machine turned fully around to face him, that hand lifted up¡­as did the other, and he spoke a few quiet words, ¡°¡­Don¡¯t¡­hurt her anymore¡­  We¡­surren¡­der¡­¡±

 Book I - Chapter 09 - Nothing Is â€˜Too Farâ€™ When Lives Are On The Line

    Gabriel had no idea how long it had been when he came to again; all he knew was that his back was killing him, and he was hunched over, sitting on the floor somewhere, and his wrists were shackled to his ankles.  What was really bizarre though was realizing his head was pinned between someone¡¯s legs, right before he felt a sharp pain at the base of his skull.  Callous and uncaring, the knife prodded and sliced until it hit the little metal nanotech-nodule embedded in his skin.  Gabriel yelled and struggled as he felt that knife dig and twist, but fell still as he heard the distinct tink of that small bean-sized implant hit the cold, metal floor¡­only to happen again on the other side.  Another tink, and Gabriel was roughly released, back hitting the nearby wall before he slumped to his side.

    From that vantage, and with his vision clearing, Gabriel spotted the body of his partner nearby, no longer clad in that nanotech power-armor.  He couldn¡¯t see, however, that her own implants had already been extracted; at least, not until their assailant stepped out into the open, and moved around to pick up the nodules from where they¡¯d fallen to the floor around the both of them.  One at a time, they were lifted by deft, blood-covered fingers, and dropped into a small vial ¨C one for each pair.  A cap was twisted onto their tops, and Gabriel looked up to see the image of a man he didn¡¯t know.

    That medium-grey uniform, ochre skin, light-blue eyes, and salt-and-pepper hair were no clue.  But when the man spoke¡­he knew.

    ¡°M-Magistrate¡­Regulus¡­¡±

    ¡°And you must be Gabriel Lugios.¡± The older man answered, and crouched down onto a knee beside the downed mediator, holding the vial ¨C and the knife he¡¯d used - in his fingers, ¡°The boy who survived a Fafnir Massacre, only to spend every day of the rest of his so-called life seeing his own mother¡¯s blood in his reflection every morning.  Isn¡¯t that right, Lugios?  Your eye and those red streaks in your hair¡­all permanent reminders of the day she was murdered in front of you.  Limitless tells, etched into the memory of your very soul, for everyone around you to see and know you by.¡±

    ¡°You people¡­talk too much about me¡­  It¡¯s¡­weird¡­¡± Gabriel struggled to say; the pain in the back of his head was shocking, and he could feel the warm trickle of blood moving down his skin.

    Regulus watched him for a moment longer, but then rose back up to his full height, and jingle-jangled the nanotech nodules in the vial, admiring his catch, ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to have a set of these to study.  No one who has them is ever willing to give them up, though.  So, for that, I suppose I should thank you.  Now I have two pairs.¡±

    Gabriel sneered at the judge, ¡°Haven¡¯t you caused her¡­enough problems?¡±

    ¡°What do I care about the problems you Luminaries deal with?¡± Regulus shrugged, and reached up to scratch at the loose flap of his slashed ear, ¡°I¡¯m only disappointed by the fact that the youngest one of your party didn¡¯t have any.¡±

    ¡°You¡­know damn well that only adults¡­can get them¡­!  You were just¡­torturing him!¡± The mediator snarled, and tried to hoist himself back up to a seated position, though he only made it as far as propping himself up onto an elbow before he felt too dizzy and collapsed again with a grunt, ¡°¡­What kind of¡­twisted freak are you¡­?  He¡¯s¡­just a kid¡­¡±

    ¡°There were three mistakes you made today, Lugios.¡± Regulus explained as he headed back towards the barely-open cell door, ¡°The first was thinking I care about who any of you are, or how old any of you are; you¡¯re all Luminaries to me.  The second, though not in any particular order, was coming to Kitez under the expectation that you could just leave again; the Sargonian border is explicitly my district.  The third, was being in the company of a Fafnir and a Rydell; two kinds of people I hate more than anything in this world.¡±  He put his hand on the doorframe and pushed the panel open to make enough room to walk through, ¡°Your ultimate fate is up to the Duchy.  Take what comfort you can from that.¡±

    The door clanged shut again, and locked with a heavy click as the Magistrate took his leave.  Gabriel grunted in pain as he cringed there on the floor, and looked on towards Ren¡¯s still frame, past the ends of his feet and hands where they were stuck so close together.  He stared hatefully at the closed door, and muttered quietly under his breath, ¡°And your mistakes¡­were having a tragic lack of¡­imagination about what I can do¡­and not having access to¡­SD-helmets¡­¡±

    His eyes immediately flared with golden light, and that blood-sticky hair started to hover above him again, lifting up like wet seaweed.  He focused carefully on the shackles holding him in place, and as he saw lines of purple manifest around the segment that kept hands and feet together, he yanked hard, and found them split apart.  The pain in his back, from the strain of having been bent over that way for probably a few hours, was enough to make him gasp, and he spread himself out to stretch and catch his breath.  He could feel the vibration of the floating fortress beneath him; between that and the coolness of the metal floor, the pain soothed a little, and he went back to finish his task; he cut the anchors between each ankle and wrist, and freed all four of his limbs.  He clambered over to his side as he let his Limitless effects fade ¨C his hair flopped back down to normal beside him - and he rolled further again to get onto his hands and knees, though he kept low to the floor for the dizziness to fade.  As his head swam, he crawled over towards his partner.

    ¡°Ren¡­Ren please¡­be alive¡­¡± He whispered, and reached a hand out to clasp over her waist.  Fingers groped for purchase, and he was able to pull her closer, dragging her prone form across the ground until she was near enough that he could see her clearly.  To his surprise, the ragged, mangled stump above where her elbow used to be wasn¡¯t bleeding right then, and he realized, Her armor program must¡¯ve included an injury fail-safe¡­she¡¯s got nanotech plugging-up those severed blood vessels; nanotech that won¡¯t easily come away just because she doesn¡¯t control it anymore.  He sighed a breath of relief, and confirmed she still had a heartbeat, placing his fingers against the side of her neck and pressing deep to find her carotid.  It was thready ¨C weak ¨C but present.

    ¡°Mr. Gabriel¡­?¡± Came a quiet voice; the mediator lifted his head.

    ¡°Seth?¡±

    ¡°Oh thank goodness, you¡¯re still awake¡­¡± The teen answered, ¡°I¡¯m in the cell next to you¡­but I...I¡¯m afraid I fainted while the Magistrate was digging around¡­¡±

    Gabriel could tell the young cadet had been crying; his voice was tense and hoarse, ¡°There¡¯s no shame in it¡­  The scalp and face are really vascular, so they bleed a lot when cut¡­  We¡¯re all probably down a pint or two from this crap¡­¡±  He curled his right arm around the Fafnir¡¯s stomach and pulled her back, until he could sit against the wall dividing him from Seth¡¯s.  He pulled her up to lean against his front, and lifted his left knee up, propping her shredded limb against it.  Fingers went for the dark tie around his neck, and he pulled it free.

    ¡°Is Miss Ren there with you¡­?¡± Seth asked, sitting back against the wall from his own side, ¡°The way the judge talked¡­it sounded like¡­she was¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s here, and alive.¡± Gabriel answered, and tightly tied the length of cloth around the downed woman¡¯s mid-bicep, ¡°I think the nanotech you gave her spared her from the worst of the blood-loss.  I¡¯m not¡­taking any chances though, so I¡¯m putting on a tourniquet.  ¡­Where the Hell is your brother?¡±

    Seth was startled to hear the question, ¡°S-Sorry, I¡­I don¡¯t know¡­  When the Magistrate took us from the car, my glasses got left behind¡­  Without them, the Fafnir have no easy way of being able to find us¡­¡±

    ¡°Shit¡­¡±

    .

    The crash-site had become a swarm of activity; yellow and red alert-lights flashed from several different vehicles ¨C police cars from the nearby town.  Traffic was backed up for half a mile, and people were honking in frustration.  One car at a time was allowed to go off-road to get around the site of the chaos, protecting the first responders. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    All that came to a screeching halt through, when, in the black of that night-time expanse of fields, a line of explosions boomed from forces unseen.  Every officer in the area had their sights set on it, and they didn¡¯t notice the descent ¨C and then ascent ¨C of a figure in the midst of the wreckage.

    Quiet swooshes of air gathered into the sky; against the dark of the night sky, they were impossible to see, but four figures found each other, and one held up the glasses that had been lost in the attack.

    ¡°Damn¡­¡± One of them said; a woman¡¯s voice, ¡°Captain, how do we find them now?¡±

    The hand that held those spectacles lifted them to press solemnly against the front of a draconic-looking helmet.  It held there for a moment before lowering again, and the man¡¯s voice spoke, ¡°¡­Lord Rylen, this is Captain Rydell.  We¡¯ve found the glasses, but Seth nor his escort are here.  We¡¯ll need to access the contingency after all.¡±

    There was a moment of quiet in the group; the third figure, quiet thus far, looked far below at the site of the crash.  It wasn¡¯t difficult to read the scorch marks and scars in the ground; there had been a battle there, ¡°Damnit, Ianori¡­what did you get yourself into?¡±  He looked to his lady-warrior companion, ¡°Wasn¡¯t Ren supposed to be out here, too?  How did this happen with both of them on point?¡±

    She could only shrug and lower her gaze, ¡°We know Seth left in a hurry, based on the location-pings from his glasses.  Maybe there wasn¡¯t enough nanotech on-hand to support the both of them.¡±

    The fourth warrior chimed in as well; another male voice, ¡°What the Hell could they have encountered out here to create that mess, though?¡±

    The Captain lifted his head, ¡°An old enemy.  I¡¯ve got the location.  Let¡¯s move out.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    .

    The flagship¡¯s cold-storage room was on one of the lower decks.  Within, four mortuary chambers were aligned together on one wall, and one was pulled out with a body on top; Ianori¡¯s.  With several more hours of time to ¡®pupate,¡¯ that oily, bruise-like residue on the man¡¯s skin had grown and expanded, becoming more like a chitinous covering over most of his body, just like the leaf Seth had shown before.  The substance had done more than that, though; the chitin was broken in places ¨C more specifically, in the areas where a body might expect to bend in order to move ¨C and the ichor that had traveled up behind his neck had pooled at the crown of his head¡­and started to create an array of horn-like projections.  Pale, corpse-like white skin was threaded with faint, dark veins, mostly at the level of the neck ¨C where the chitin surrendered to flesh ¨C and around the eyes.

    A field-medic looked the whole body over, holding up a scalpel, but realizing¡­there was no good place to use the instrument.  He turned away to a mayo-stand with several other tools upon it, and set the blade down in favor of an oscillating bone-saw.  When he turned around again though, bone-saw in hand¡­the corpse on the table had sat up.

    The tool was dropped, and the mayo-stand knocked over as the medic backed away in horrified surprise, ¡°Wh-what the Hell!?¡±

    Ianori looked at his transfigured hands; he turned them over once or twice, flexed his fingers, then beheld the rest of his ¡®new¡¯ body.  The ichor of coagulated blood-mist bubbled forth from his eyes again, and without a word, he twisted around on that cold metal slab, letting his legs drop off the edge to hang a few inches above the ground.  With a quick shove, he stepped down, and stood upright.

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re s-s-s-s-supp-pp-osed to be d-dead¡­!  Ho-how are you¡­!?¡± The medic cried out in fear.

    Those cold, miasma-spitting eyes turned towards the man.  With unnatural speed, his hand came up to clasp around the medic¡¯s throat, and pulled him forward, ¡°You don¡¯t have the sight.¡± Ianori said tepidly, and immediately cast the clinician aside, smashing his body against the wall with a bloody, crunchy splat, ¡°Useless.¡±

    Another figure ¨C a younger man ¨C stood in the doorway to the next room, staring in confusion and disgust.  He dropped a clear plastic tablet in his stupor, his whole body trembling, but in a moment of lucidity¡­he swung his arm around and smashed the glass on a fire-alarm, setting off the entire flagship¡¯s lights and sirens.

    Gabriel and Seth both looked up at the same time, and thought the same thing, ¡°¡­Did the Fafnir finally get here?¡±

    Regulus looked up as well, from the desk he sat in where he was cataloguing his prizes.  With hands now-clean, he stood up and grabbed the long white cloak from behind the door to the office, and stepped out quietly as he threw it over his shoulders.

    That lone remaining medical staffer fled the morgue in a panic, and every soldier who saw him run looked back the way he came in confusion¡­but only for a moment.  Ianori ¨C or what used to be Ianori ¨C stepped out calmly and quietly.  With those black-blood bubbling tendrils wisping from his eyes, the horns rising from his skull, the pale, veiny white skin of his face, and that nigh-black bio-similar scaling, he looked every inch the image of a demon.

    One soldier managed the constitution to stay and question him, ¡°Wh-what are you¡­!?  Who are you!?¡±

    He paused where he stood in that hall, lights flashing from the alarms on the walls, ¡°This body once called itself¡­Ianori.  And I am¡­Scyrexian.  So...perhaps, for now¡­Scyrexianori?¡± He had the temerity to smile, creepy as it was, ¡°And I am looking for someone with the sight.  This body is¡­inadequate.¡±

    Gun-like weapons were drawn by those terror-stricken guards, ¡°What¡¯s¡­the sight¡­?¡±

    Scyrexianori took several quick steps forward; too quick for the guards¡¯ liking, and they started shooting.  The pulses of energy that poured forth from their weapons struck their targets, but the impacts did little more than nudge the entity aside slightly as he continued to walk forward.  Semi-transparent liquid oozed out of the strikes that had gone through the weaker parts of that armor, and filled in the holes without bleeding.  Standing practically within the group now though, those bubbling eyes looked around and realized ¨C with disappointment ¨C that there was nothing of value in any of them, ¡°¡­It¡¯s something all of you yet lack.  ¡­Worthless.¡±

    The groans and splatter of those now-flayed bodies filled the hall, until only the sound of the alarm could be heard.  Blood pooled around Scyrexianori¡¯s feet, and he stepped forward, looking for the next potential target.

    ¡°¡­There was that one¡­  I could feel him¡­¡± The entity said to himself, ¡°¡­Where did he go¡­?¡±

    Gabriel struggled to stand, one hand against the wall as the other held Ren close to his chest.  When he turned, he could see the smear of blood where his jacket had left the imprint of his back, saturated as it was from where his head was still bleeding.  He grit his teeth, ¡°Seth¡­I need you to go towards the door in your cell.¡±

    ¡°O-okay¡­?¡± The teen whimpered, but did as told, huddling in a corner between the door and the wall.  He watched in confusion as cones of purple light ¨C muted and short like a blowtorch-flame ¨C manifested from the wall where he once sat.  The little projection moved across the wall in four long lines, until a big rectangular shape had been carved straight through it.

    With a kick, Gabriel forced the thin metal plate through, and it landed in the middle of the cell with an incredible bang.  He looked through the now-gaping hole, and turned to Seth, ¡°Come through to this side¡­  If it¡¯s the cavalry here to help us, it¡¯ll take them less time to get us out if we¡¯re all together.¡±

    Seth was amazed, taking off the edge of his pain and fear, and he came through the hole.  He marveled at the sight of it, and traced his fingers across the cut edges, ¡°¡­I¡­thought you didn¡¯t know what your power could do anymore?  This¡­is incredible¡­¡±

    Gabriel moved back towards the opposite wall, and put his hand against it to steady himself; the blood loss from the ¡®surgery¡¯ had left him feeling light-headed, and he had a terrible migraine.  With a barely-controlled thud, he smacked his shoulder against it, and slid back down to sit on the floor near to where Ren had once been left.  He had enough strength to pull her legs around to the side as he lowered down, and set her sideways against his chest then, ¡°I¡­think I¡¯m gonna drop¡­  M-more than this, I mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gabriel!¡±

    Darkness crept in around the peripheries of his vision, and his ears started to ring in that high-pitched way that preceded unconsciousness.  Seth¡¯s voice, calling out his name, faded into a distant, hollow sound, and then washed away.

    A mile out still, the group of stealthy flying soldiers spotted the flagship; not only that, but the external pulsing flash of its warning lights.

    ¡°¡­Did they spot us?¡± The woman asked warily, ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­¡±

    ¡°Doubtful,¡± The Captain answered, ¡°I¡¯m going up to declare us to the bridge directly.  You three get inside by any means necessary and find our query.  If you do before I get them to surrender, notify me immediately.  I don¡¯t care how we get them back.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    ¡°Time to lock and load,¡± One of the other men said gleefully, and with a gesture, each Fafnir Knight came out of stealth-mode and burst fully into their glory; colored solid-light wings unfurled ¨C uniquely shaped to each warrior - and lines of energy throughout their armor came alive.

    Furion¡¯s armor stayed stealthed for a little while longer, and he broke away from the trio as he went up towards the top-level of the ship, seeking the ¡®eye¡¯ at the front.  When he beheld it, he stared straight into it, and revealed himself in an explosive display; white armor, trimmed in gold and black, with four massive wings ¨C transparent and faintly-glowing white, giving them an insect-like appearance, with feather-features at the tips.  As he rose up, he already had some certain choice words ready in his throat¡­but when he beheld the long line of windows above the ¡®eye¡¯ that he knew were the bridge, he choked on them instead.

    Those windows were impossible to see through, with all the blood and gore that had been splattered across the inside.

 Book I - Chapter 10 - Command Your Fear, Control Your Emotions, And Complete The Mission

    Furion hovered closer to those windows; it was eerie beyond measure how the ship continued to gently glide through those Kitezan skies with no one at the helm.  He pressed his hands against that thick, weathered glass, and tried to find anywhere at all that he could see inside through.  It took a moment, but there, on the far left side of the row, he finally spied within.

    It was as near to what Furion could imagine a blender for human bodies would look like.  Parts ¨C and piece of parts ¨C were scattered all over the deck.  The ship¡¯s commander - lower body still in his seat ¨C was, quite literally, sitting beside himself.

    And then he saw movement; feet turning to walk away in the dark, just out of sight of the ethereal haze that his solid-light wings created.  Furion¡¯s eyes went wide behind his helmet¡¯s protective mask.  He quickly pushed away from the hull and lifted a hand to his left ear, ¡°Guys, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re going to find in there, but it¡¯s not looking good so far.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re already in the hangar, sir.¡± One of the men answered; behind them, the bay doors had been torn apart to give them access.  The Magistrate¡¯s docked war-machine ¨C with its missing left forearm and the blood still sticky on its right ¨C loomed ominously at the head of the room.  All of them looked at those darkened streaks on the metal with dubious worry.

    ¡°Donivan, take point.  Ravan and Corbin, watch his back.¡± Furion continued, ¡°Something ¨C or someone - has literally ripped apart the command crew; the ship is getting by on auto-pilot, near as I can tell.  Stay on full alert and be cautious, but find Seth and the others now.  No sight-seeing.  I¡¯m going in through to top; I¡¯ll meet you there.¡±

    ¡°Yessir!¡± All three answered.

    Donivan Parker ¨C also known by his rank; Wing Commander Two ¨C withdrew his blades; stored like gun-holsters on his hips, and with a click, they expanded into laser-edged Falchions.  They hummed quietly, and he took one last long floating-jump to cross the breadth of the launch-deck and get to the nearest entrance into the vessel proper.  Ravan and Corbin followed closely after with their own weapons drawn ¨C Ravan with closely-held kukris and Corbin with a katana and wakizashi - and all three turned off the aesthetics of their wings as they passed through.

    High above, Furion also drew his blades - shaped like broadswords ¨C and drew in a sharp breath.  With a quick advance, and a wide slash from both weapons, he crashed straight-through the glass.  The bridge became a storm of shards and cold winds, and Furion finally got his first good look around the space.  There were at least seven victims ¨C or at least, heads ¨C around the deck; flight staff, navigation, the commander, communications, and perhaps the first mate.  Wings were shut-down and Furion made for the exit, chasing after the bloody footprints left on the floor.

    Of the 60-or-so staff on that flagship, a quarter of them had already fallen.  With no communications officer sending out orders, those who remained were confused and corralled.  Several tried to use the elevator to get down to the hangar and its escape-pods, but every click was met with an error-noise, and the chamber¡¯s auto-announcer repeated the same message, ¡°Unable to comply.  Hangar has decompressed.  Unable to comply.  Hangar has decompressed.¡±

    ¡°What the Hell is going on!?¡± Was the question on everyone¡¯s minds.

    ¡°There¡¯s another set of escape-pods on the weather deck,¡± One of them said, and clicked for the level below the bridge.  To their relief, the elevator accepted the request, and the doors slid closed.

    They would soon wish it hadn¡¯t.

    Several floors up, others were fleeing for their lives already, scrambling down stairwells when the elevators wouldn¡¯t come up fast enough.  Panic was setting in.  Rumors were starting to spread from those who had escaped the onslaught to those who were ignorant of it.

    ¡°There¡¯s a devil on the upper decks!  It killed the entire bridge crew!¡±

    ¡°No, that can¡¯t be right!  It¡¯s the Fafnir!  I saw them breaking into the hangar!  There must be more coming in through the top!¡±

    ¡°This wasn¡¯t a bloody Fafnir!¡±

    ¡°Where is the Magistrate!?¡±

    The elevator made a tragically futile stop at every floor on its ascent, and each time, those who were trapped outside frantically tried to get inside.  Half of them had no idea what was going on still, and could only assume the need to evacuate because of the fire-alarms themselves.  Those who remained oblivious took one look within that cramped carriage and abandoned it for the stairs.  Things got even more confusing when those from higher up were going the opposite direction.

    Finally, however, the elevator arrived on that requested floor, and unlike every other opening, the parting of those doors was met with¡­emptiness.  A dark hall lead out to a darker main deck, with only the occasional red pulse illuminating the way from the emergency lights.  Those who were pressed right up against the open gateway were suddenly hesitant to get out, but were unceremoniously shoved by those cramped further inside who were desperate for space and air.

    At the far end of the corridor, where the stairwell from the bridge-level emptied out onto the weather-deck, the sinister shape of a man appeared ¨C alone, and in no hurry like everyone else had been.  The red haze from the rotating hall-lights illuminated the figure in slow passes, and as that pale white face - and its unnaturally oozing eyes ¨C came into better view¡­the claustrophobic group started to panic.  The ones who¡¯d been shoved out desperately clambered to get back in, and those who were still inside it hit the close-door button like it wouldn¡¯t work without 20 reminders.  Error messages flooded the space as the door repeatedly tried to slide across but couldn¡¯t for the fighting of bodies trying to get in as others shoved them back out.

    Scyrexianori continued that haunting advance, and reached his right arm and hand forward, fingers extended; seeking.  Those who had given up trying to get onto the carriage fled into the opposite halls, trying to find some other way out.  Those stuck inside were regretting their choices.  Scyrexianori clawed at them like fish in a waterless barrel, until only one remained, and he grabbed that one by the throat, lifting him up against the rear wall until his feet dangled, ¡°I¡¯m looking for one of the men who was brought here with me.  He has the sight.  Where is he?¡±

    The soldier coughed and gasped, grabbing at that unnaturally powerful arm, ¡°Br-brig¡­  Down b-below¡­¡±

    ¡°What floor?¡±

    ¡°S-sub-basement¡­¡± The terrified man choked, and pulled for a breath, ¡°Sub-basement 2A¡­above¡­the hangar¡­¡±

    Scyrexianori dropped him, and for a mercy, gave the guard a chance to scramble out from underfoot - and leave the elevator - as those now-clawed fingers scanned the panel for the right level.  With the button clicked, the doors shuddered in their attempt to start closing.  Those coagulated eyes looked up just in time to see the Captain of the Fafnir Knights come into view at the end of the hall, having followed him down those same stairs.  The door was closing now though, and Scyrexianori turned to face the figure¡­and brought a finger up to his lips, ¡°Shh.¡±

    Furion gaped, but no matter how fast he was, it wasn¡¯t enough to get to that elevator before the panels shut in his face, ¡°¡­What the Hell was that?  Was it¡­Ianori?¡±  He took a few steps back and looked at the floor-indicator above the doorframe, seeing each lower number illuminate as it went down.  A nervous flutter went through his chest, and he reached up to the left side of his helmet again, ¡°Heads up, I think a bogey is coming straight for you.¡±

    ¡°A bogey?¡± Ravan answered, and looked to her fellows in confusion.

    ¡°It might be Ianori, but he¡¯s¡­changed.  Dramatically.  He looks possessed, and I think he¡¯s the reason everyone I¡¯ve encountered so far looks like they¡¯ve been put through a food processor.¡± Furion answered, ¡°He¡¯s coming down the elevator.¡±

    A loud bang suddenly could be heard from the end of an adjacent hall.  Their Captain¡¯s last words described something unheard of, but they couldn¡¯t even stop to imagine his meaning before another bang sounded, and another.  Immediately thinking that it might be Ianori himself, they rushed to the source of the sound.  Corbin passed in front of the mouth of a stairwell, and Ravan stayed behind the former corner; Donivan went out front, the blade in his right hand staying where it was as the left was sheathed and put back on his hip.  The stairs went up five steps before making the first half of a U-turn where it would normally continue up to the next level, but was barred by a locked emergency door.

    Bang¡­bang bang¡­ Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    The hollow echo of that metallic clanging reverberated through the corridor.  Corbin and Ravan both put a blade away and readied the pulsar-rifles on the back of their forearms instead.  Donivan looked back at them briefly, nodded, and reached his free hand towards the ¡®manual release¡¯ button on the right side of the doorway.

    BANG!!

    He tapped the pulsing red button, and it flashed green, releasing the door and revealing¡­a rather irate Magistrate.

    ¡°Fafnir!?¡± He barked in a rage.

    One laser-edged blade was at his throat, and Donivan glowered from behind his face-plate, ¡°You¡¯ll want to think very had about the next words that come out of your mouth, Laurier.¡±

    The judge just sneered behind a stiff smirk, hands out to the side; he could feel the tingle of the plasma against his skin, ¡°Well now¡­if it isn¡¯t one of the King¡¯s Men.  How is the old man doing these days anyway?¡±

    ¡°Happily retired and living the good life.¡± He answered, ¡°Where are our people?¡±

    Ravan and Corbin had both come out from behind their corners with their weaponized vambraces at the ready, and they listened carefully.  Ravan¡¯s left hand was free, and she reached up to send the message, ¡°Captain, we found the Magistrate.  You¡¯ll never guess who it is.¡±

    Furion paused where he stood, staring down the empty shaft where the elevator had once descended; he¡¯d ripped his way through the door to get in, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.  Make him take you to Seth.¡± He ordered, and took a step out into that vertical space.  The metallic arm-like appendages sticking out the back of his shoulders ¨C where the solid-light wings would manifest from ¨C glowed lightly at their junction-line, and allowed him to softly hover downward.

    Corbin tilted his head slightly towards his cohort, and smiled warily, ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to actually activate anything to speak to the team, right?  Touching the side of your helmet is so old-school.¡±

    ¡°Ssht.  I like doing it¡­and so does the Captain.¡± She puffed, and stepped out into the open, now speaking on the external channel so the Magistrate could hear her, ¡°The Rydells send their regards.  Where¡¯s this ship¡¯s detainment bloc?¡±

    Regulus just chuffed a mocking breath, ¡°What would be the point of telling you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take your ear clean off and finish what Captain Lequerion started if you don¡¯t.¡± Donivan threatened, and turned the blade over to lift its edge underneath the man¡¯s jawline, ¡°I somehow doubt he¡¯d mind a souvenir as grim as this.  He might even think it funny.¡±

    He just grit his teeth defiantly.

    Furion found the top of the elevator sooner than he expected; the labels on the inner walls of the shaft told him it had stopped on a floor above the hangar for some reason.  He touched his toes down to the top of the carriage and listened for anything going on inside it; hearing nothing, he jumped up slightly¡­and came down again with such force that it jettisoned the elevator out of its stop-locks and sent it careening down to the last floor below it with a violent crash.  In so doing, he revealed the open doorway to Sub-basement 2A, and quickly hovered down towards it, stepping gingerly back to the ground as he regained his bearings.

    The trio of Fafnir on the lower level looked around warily as they heard, and felt, the impact.  Even Seth stumbled slightly for how close the collision was to the holding cells.  Regulus stared onward intensely, daring the Knight to do literally anything to him¡­and called the man¡¯s bluff.

    Donivan scoffed in frustration, ¡°Corbin, detain him.  Ravan, with me.¡±

    ¡°Yessir!¡±

    Corbin caught the Magistrate as the Wing Commander¡¯s shove sent him stumbling forward, and the two Fafnir went up through the other half of the stairwell¡¯s U-turn to the next floor.  At the top of the ascent, they were greeted with the most convenient of walls; it boasted a sign, explaining what was on what floor, and where they were standing for context.  Ravan scanned it quickly, and pointed down the left corridor.

    ¡°So, where¡¯s the rest of your crew anyway?¡± Corbin wondered, the wakizashi pressed against the judge¡¯s throat, ¡°Alarms are going off, and you seem to be the only one trying to come down this way.¡±

    Regulus was as silent as the grave though, and reveled in the Fafnir¡¯s frustration.

    Those bloody footprints had started to fade, as most of the blood had already been left on the floor on the way down.  But, what few specks were left created a clear path; the entity was heading for the brig.  Furion picked up his pace; he passed the morgue on his left, and finally, the detainment room, further down and on the right.  His worry had gotten the better of him, and he didn¡¯t bother to check the corner before he barged in; what he found deepened his concern.

    Scyrexianori stood in front of the first cell; fingers pawing at the frame in an effort to find a way through.  Those bubbling, empty eyes looked his way in surprise, but then, familiarity, ¡°Ah¡­Captain.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ianori¡­?¡± The man asked skeptically, ¡°Seth?¡± He asked louder.

    ¡°Furion!¡± He answered quickly, and ran up to pound on the inside of the metal door, ¡°Get us out of here!  Miss Ren and Mr. Gabriel need help!¡±

    It occurred to the Fafnir that his kid brother had no idea what was stalking outside the room, ¡°¡­Hang on a minute.  We¡¯ve got company.¡±

    Ravan and Donivan finally caught up, seeing their Captain at the end of the long hall where they¡¯d arrived from the other direction.  They took two steps closer before stopping, as they witnessed their commanding officer shoved back from the doorway with such speed that he bounced off the wall behind himself and collapsed to his knees in surprise, ¡°CAPTAIN!!¡±

    Scyrexianori just sneered down at the man, hands still ahead of himself from the battering-ram he¡¯d turned them into.  He grabbed the blade-hilt that Furion had dropped from the impact, and looked at the curious edge, then at the sealed metal door.  With a quick stab, the blade¡¯s tip touched to the cold steel, and was shimmied into the thin gap between panel and frame.  It fizzled and sparked, resisting the press as Scyrexianori shoved it cruelly through.

    Seth backed up with a start as he saw the light come through, ¡°¡­Furion¡­?¡±  The edge had nearly grazed him for how recklessly it had been thrust.

    ¡°GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!¡± Donivan¡¯s voice yelled; Seth was certain the command was for him, and he ducked all the way to the back corner where Gabriel and Ren still lay prone and unconscious from their injuries.  The conundrum was the sound of a brawl taking place beyond his sights.  The loud banging continued for what felt like forever¡­but then finally ended with the sound of the second cell-door being pried open.

    Seth beheld, in horror, as the image of a man who was once his friend, was shoved so hard into the room next-door that he collapsed to the floor and slid with a clang to the back wall.  The fact that he could see it though ¨C through the hole Gabriel had made before ¨C was enough to put him into a panic, especially when he heard that telltale sound of the door¡¯s panel confirming it had locked, and Scyrexianori lifted his head.  Those coagulated, bloated tendrils of oily-bloody ink flared, and veins of red fire coursed through them; Scyrexianori looked directly at him¡­and started moving towards the gap menacingly.  Seth screamed and rushed for the door again, banging loudly, ¡°GET US OUT OF HERE GET US OUT FURION THE ROOMS ARE CONNECTED GET US OUT!!¡±

    All three Fafnir were shocked, and Furion went for the door¡¯s control panel.  It was an easy enough thing to figure out how to get the lock to release, but getting it to open when his plasma-blade had been used to try and get through it by force was another thing entirely.  With his brother¡¯s panic increasing with every passing second, Furion yanked the blade out, threw it aside, snatched Ravan¡¯s kukri right out of her hand, jammed it into the space his sword had once occupied, and used it to safely release the lock without the chance of stabbing his brother in the process.  When the door finally gave and Furion could pull it open, Donivan was in first, and hit the terrifying entity hard enough to make that horned head bounce off the floor with a nauseating crack.  That seemed to be enough to end things for the moment, and Furion went in as well, crouching down as his brother came rushing at him with arms extended.  Seth clung to that white and gold armor like he¡¯d never seen anything with such appreciation before, and Furion hugged him back.  Ravan recovered their discarded weaponry while she kept an eye out.

    It didn¡¯t escape Furion¡¯s notice that Seth¡¯s clothing was saturated with blood, nor that said blood came from Seth¡¯s own flesh.  Past the teen¡¯s shoulder though, he spotted the slumped-over bodies of their two other targets; his heart sank.  He pulled back and looked up at the blonde, ¡°Let¡¯s get the Hell out of here.  Ravan!¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡± She came in, and Donivan went closer to the door to make sure it stayed open.

    ¡°Take Seth and get out of here.  Donivan, grab Sir Gabriel.¡± Furion ordered, and let his brother go to be hefted-up by the Knight.  He lurched forward to carefully grab Ren in his own arms, and lifted her out of the way so the Wing Commander could grab the final body.

    ¡°What about Ianori?¡± Donivan wondered, looking at the downed figure hanging halfway between the rooms.

    Furion looked down briefly, but when he saw that Scyrexianori was starting to recover, he shook his head, ¡°We can¡¯t risk taking him back in whatever the fuck state that is.  We¡¯ll seal the room and negotiate for his release later.  Move out!¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡± He affirmed, and immediately went to a knee to grab the unconscious mediator.  As he carefully stepped out after his Captain, he turned to shove the door closed again with a foot.  Furion leaned slightly back so Ren would tilt against his shoulder, and used a free arm to blast the gap in the door a few times, effectively welding it shut.

    That all done, the last two Fafnir dipped.

    Ravan followed their original path down through the corridor and the U-turn stairwell.  As she found and passed Corin, she barked at him to abandon his post with the Magistrate and make a break for it.  Corbin followed after her immediately, leaving the defiant judge to collapse against the wall from the shove.  Donivan and Furion followed after her ¨C and Furion caught a fleeting glimpse of the man in that microsecond it took to pass him by.  Out through the last exit, Donivan guided his commander towards the hole that they¡¯d torn through the docking-bay door, and in a flash¡­all four were finally outside, with wings bursting back into sight as they took off high into the night sky.

    Gabriel could feel himself starting to come-to, but his head swam too thickly to do anything but see directly above.  He couldn¡¯t even feel how cold the air was, nor the sting of that altitude.  He somehow knew he was high up, but his mind was too clouded and sedate from the blood-loss to process it, and he just closed his eyes again, and slipped back into oblivion.

    That couldn¡¯t just be the end of it though.  Regulus clambered for the ladder to get up into his mecha, and as quickly as he could get himself linked to his neuroptics, he commanded the metal behemoth to ram through the retractable hangar door.  The Fafnir were already a good distance away, but Regulus took aim with that one remaining big arm, the ¡®palm¡¯ lighting-up quickly.  He shot off an array of energy-pulses, each one trailing the fleeing Knights like a missile¡­but each was futile in its pursuit.  There was too much distance¡­and all Regulus could do was sneer at their escape.

    He now had other problems to deal with¡­and most of them, he wasn¡¯t even aware of yet.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 11 â€“ To Get Ahead, You Must Slow Down; If You Rush, You Will Be Lost

    For the second time in as many days, Gabriel found himself waking up with no idea how much time had passed.  This time, for a mercy, his head wasn¡¯t stuck between a strange man¡¯s legs¡­he was comfortably in a bed, in a dimly lit room, and was surrounded by the pleasant, familiar hum of a Luminary SkyFortress.  He heard the gentle tap of a book being set down nearby, then saw the shadow of a well-known outline.

    ¡°¡­Watching over me while I sleep, huh, Xanarken?¡± He mused tiredly; his head still hurt, but at least it was relegated to just the back of it, where he could only presume he¡¯d had some kind of reconstructive surgery in the interim.

    ¡°I guess I can¡¯t help myself.  You had me really worried.¡± The Eidolon answered, and moved closer to sit on the edge of the bed.  He reached over and pet that blonde-haired head, ¡°After everything settled down, Seth couldn¡¯t stop gushing about how cool he thinks you are.  Apparently, you left quite the impression.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s Ren?  Did she¡­  Did she make it?¡± Gabriel deflected.

    ¡°She¡¯s doing fine.¡± Xanarken answered, and turned where he sat so he could more-easily see his mediator, ¡°Seth is heartbroken that all his data is gone, but he¡¯d gladly trade it all over again to help save her life.  And your tie helped, a little bit.¡± He huffed a quiet chuckle.

    ¡°So, I was right¡­  That¡¯s a relief.¡± Gabriel leaned back into his pillows, but after a deep breath, he wiggled to rise up onto his elbows, and then sat back against the head of the bed, ¡°What about the Fafnir guy that was in Kitez with him?¡±

    ¡°Sir Issak?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t he go by something else?¡±

    ¡°Ah, right...Ianori, I believe.¡± The Eidolon recalled, ¡°Captain Rydell made the decision to leave him behind.  There¡¯s¡­something peculiar that happened to him, and it was decided that bringing him back to the Aegis ¨C and, moreover, the process of doing so ¨C was too dangerous.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s gaze turned down in contemplation; the memory of the void scar tearing open the sky, and the sight of Ianori¡¯s body being hurled out as if in a spider¡¯s cocoon, was suddenly fresh in his mind¡­and so was the vortex he saw beyond it, ¡°There was so much going on out there in such a big hurry, it¡¯s hard to remember all the details¡­  One moment, Seth is asking to borrow my affliction to do some research, and the next, all Hell had broken loose.¡±

    ¡°I believe it.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could easily describe what it was that I saw.  The Exclusion Zone was right there¡­  Getting so close to the scar made my affliction activate on its own, and it was like a whole other world was being revealed to me.  There was this enormous cyclone of energy writhing and twisting around in the sky above the Zone¡­  It¡¯s like I could literally see the reason for why that place is so screwed up.¡± Gabriel explained, ¡°¡­What¡¯s really out there?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± The Eidolon shrugged, ¡°This world still holds many secrets.  We¡¯ve only been here 350 years¡­we¡¯ll be uncovering its mysteries for many centuries more.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°How are you feeling right now?  You want to take a walk?¡±

    He looked up, and nodded, ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The medical ward of the Aegis was a spectacle of modern technology; not entirely unexpected for the home-base of the Luminary Council¡¯s most prestigious and elite warriors, but still impressive.  Wearing his standard-issue patient costume, Gabriel followed beside his Eidolon, feeling the odd sensation of the ¡®grippy¡¯ texture under the bottoms of his slippers as they made their way down the long, brightly-lit hall.  Xanarken led him straight out of the medical ward though and into an adjacent section; the stasis-hold room.

    Within, there were 15 total cryo-pods, capable of sustaining the lives of every Fafnir ¨C and their Captain ¨C should they all somehow go down at the same time.  They were lined-up in two rows of seven, with the final pod perpendicular to ¨C and between ¨C the feet of the last set, up against the wall.  Gabriel assumed that would be the one for Captain Rydell if it came to that, but Xanarken guided him right up to it, and within, he saw the hibernating visage of his trainee.

    That shattered left arm had already been debrided and prepared, and looked now as though it had been purposefully and deliberately amputated, with clean-cut edges that followed the contour of the major muscles there.  The whole unfortunate stump was capped with a negative-pressure dressing, keeping it ¨C for lack of better terms ¨C vacuum-sealed until her coming surgery.

    ¡°Without going into too much gruesome detail, the reconstructive surgeons here are just waiting for the last bits of her new arm to be finalized, then they¡¯ll get right to the transplant.  Once that¡¯s done, they¡¯ll wake her up, and with any luck, she¡¯ll come to.¡±

    Gabriel set his hands onto the glossy surface of the pod; it was cool to the touch, and fogged around his warm skin, leaving the imprint of his palms and fingers when he lifted them back again.  He let out a sigh, ¡°¡­She fought so hard.  I had no idea she had that kind of strength in her.¡±

    ¡°Fafnir Knights aren¡¯t just specially-trained fighters with super-suits.  They¡¯re¡­enhanced, through gene editing, to make them stronger, faster, more durable¡­and every other thing you can think of that would make them perfect spec-ops combat soldiers.¡± The Eidolon explained, ¡°They would be formidable even without their armor.¡±

    ¡°How does the nanotech suit compare to the real one?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s roughly 30% of the full potential.  A lot of the oomph comes from its flight capabilities and plasma-based bladed weaponry.  The nanotech version simply doesn¡¯t have the ability to replicate that.  It¡¯s basically the equivalent of a powered-down armor.¡±

    Gabriel turned to look at Xanarken with a stunned expression, then back to Ren, ¡°¡­She did all that with only 30% of the armor¡¯s potential?  Sheesh¡­  She¡¯s really strong¡­¡±

    ¡°What exactly happened?  Gabe¡­¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Seth tell you everything?¡±

    ¡°He speaks with the experience of a 17-year-old First Wing cadet.  I need the report of a Knight-Mediator of the Fourth Wing.  What happened?¡±

    Gabriel went quiet as he thought back on it all, and crossed his arms as he considered his words, ¡°¡­Then you basically know the details of the void scar situation itself.  After all that, the former Magistrate we were going to stay with told us to flee in his car, since we were all already in it.¡± He looked up, drew a breath, and then went back to Ren¡¯s pod, and put his fingertips on the edge of it, ¡°We got a good distance away, but Ren still felt like we were in trouble.  Rightly so, I guess.  She had Seth transfer his personal nanotech supply over to her, and used it to make that temporary armor.  I¡­can¡¯t remember the other Magistrate¡¯s name ¨C Regulus something-something ¨C but he had this crazy-looking four-armed mecha that he used to catch up with us.  It was so quiet, I had no idea it was right on top of us until Ren got up on top of the car and told me to hit the brakes, and the whole damn thing went flying out from overhead and went up the highway.  Regulus tried to get us to stop and surrender without a fuss, but Ren wouldn¡¯t have it.  She launched at him with a speed and ferocity I didn¡¯t know the human body could produce.¡±

    Xanarken huffed a laugh, ¡°Rylen is quite proud of them.¡±

    ¡°I can see why¡­¡± Gabriel looked at the Eidolon, and directly into those vivid purple-blue eyes, ¡°She took that whole thing on by herself so the rest of us could get away.  We were trying so hard to put-off the inevitable, giving the Fafnir time to find us¡­but, in the end, the Magistrate overpowered her, and he caught us¡­  All I could do was pitifully agree to our surrender¡­¡±

    ¡°You all came out of there alive, so you did your job.¡±

    ¡°Ianori didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s alive¡­after a fashion.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmph.¡±

    Xanarken reached a hand up to set on the mediator¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Gabe, against a man like Regulus, coming out alive was probably the best-case scenario.  People say he was ousted from his position as Kitez¡¯s top general back when the kerfuffle with the former Fafnir Captain happened, but the truth is¡­he wanted to move into the Conclave of Magistrates, because he knew he could be given authority over the entire Kitez-Sargon border.  As angry as Kitez was about everything back then, he was ¨C in his mind ¨C right to seek that post, because now¡­he has supporters that all feel the same way he does.¡±

    ¡°You mean the Duchess.¡±

    ¡°And half the current Conclave.¡±

    ¡°So, then what do we do to get Ianori back?¡± Gabriel wondered, and turned around to lean against the pod, arms crossed, ¡°Regulus has a singular hatred for the Fafnir.  He¡¯ll be hard-pressed to give a captive one back to us.¡±

    ¡°It kind of depends on how Captain Rydell¡¯s report goes over.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Let me show you.¡± He suggested, and lifted his hands to manifest a data-nodule; it coalesced over the Eidolon¡¯s palm the same way it had over Gabriel¡¯s own when he gave restricted information to Ren during their previous mission.  Gabe held his hand out to receive it, only to pull back again reluctantly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; you¡¯ve got your beans back.  There was no point waiting.  You¡¯re online and everything¡¯s already been transferred to the new I.D.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± He stammered, and reached out again.  To his relief, the data moved over as expected, and Xanarken spread both of his hands out in an arc.  From the gesture, a video-panel opened between them, flashing ¡®Sensitive Data ¨C Do Not Share Without Authorization¡¯ on the top left.  Thereupon, Gabriel witnessed the last few minutes of the rescue mission from Captain Rydell¡¯s perspective; pertinently, the conflict that took place between the three present Fafnir¡­and their former ally.

    Eyes went wide in confusion and horror, ¡°What the¡­Hell happened to him?  What even is that?¡±

    ¡°Seth told us about how inorganic material became twisted when he put it into the void scar, but organic material came out changed.  This¡­appears to be what happens when a living person goes in, rather than just a tree branch.¡± Xanarken answered, watching as well, ¡°From what those three said about the way it fought¡­it had the strength and skill of a Fafnir, but there was something wrong about it.  A kind of uncanny valley situation, like something else was wearing Ianori¡¯s skin, and used his skills, but¡­oddly.¡±

    ¡°He was catatonic from the moment he came flying out of the rift,¡± Gabe elaborated, ¡°When I got too near to it, I could hear it whispering, like hundreds of people all speaking in a hushed tone at once.  Lots of hissing-sounds.  Ianori was making those same sounds, if he spoke at all¡­but one word seemed prescient; Scyrexian.¡±  He looked away from the panel; the Fafnir had triple-teamed the transfigured man and shoved him into the second cell, and he thought that was essentially the end of it, ¡°Towards the end of our escape-attempt, that creepy ooze was coming out of his eyes, and he asked Ren to help him¡­but after that, all the shit with the Magistrate happened, and I didn¡¯t see Ianori again.  Being in the void gate changed him.  I¡­feel like something might have come back with him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re thinking as well.¡±

    ¡°What do we do¡­?¡± He wondered, seeing the last parts of the clip unfold; Furion had grabbed Ren, and was following Donivan down to the launch-bay for their final departure.  He puffed an annoyed breath as he spied the visage of the Magistrate for a split-second before the footage ended, and the video-panel closed, ¡°How do we get him back?  How do we even help that?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gabriel?¡± A familiar voice sounded; both men looked towards the door, and spotted Seth there ¨C wearing the simple grey uniform of a Knight-Cadet with the white coat of the First Wing¡¯s scholar division, and had a pair of glasses again, ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Gabe pushed off the pod and turned towards the approaching teen, ¡°Yeah, I¡­  Ah, never mind¡­how are you holding up?¡±

    Seth didn¡¯t shy away from formalities ¨C or the presence of the Eidolon ¨C and threw his arms around Gabriel¡¯s torso.  Arms went up in surprise, and Gabe looked at the Fourth, only for Xanarken to smile and do nothing to save him.  Seth squeezed tight for several seconds before finally letting go, and looked up, ¡°I¡­I¡¯m doing okay.  Nightmares, mostly, but I¡¯m getting help for that.  What about you?  From what I was told, Magistrate Regulus really did a number on you.¡±

    ¡°Compared to you?  After you were so worried about him finding out you¡¯re a Rydell?¡±

    Seth nodded, but took a step back, ¡°Well, I did faint¡­probably a couple times¡­  I don¡¯t think he had any fun with me, so he didn¡¯t bother for long.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­  I guess that makes sense.¡± Gabe pulled his arms around himself again, ¡°I¡¯ve only been up for a half hour or so.  Haven¡¯t had much time to find things to complain about yet.  Xanarken was bringing me up to sp-¡°

    ¡°OH MY GOSH I¡¯M SO SORRY, LORD XANARKEN SIR!¡± Seth suddenly blurted, and was bowing frantically towards the Eidolon.

    Gabriel mentally staggered, ¡°¡­eed?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not going to scold you for ignoring me.¡± Xanarken mused, and pet the teen¡¯s head, ¡°I¡¯m much more relaxed than my brother.¡±

    Those green eyes lifted, practically sparkling, ¡°Are you really brothers!?  For real-real!?¡±

    The Eidolon chuckled, ¡°Not by blood, but¡­in every other way, yes.¡±

    ¡°Seth, you really shouldn¡¯t be asking the Eidolon such personal questions; it¡¯s inappropriate.¡± Furion¡¯s voice was suddenly added to the mix, and the Captain ¨C in his full normal regalia, with the wide silver pauldrons and cape of his rank, and the dark blue colors of the Sixth - approached with a polite head-bob towards each of the men, ¡°Lord Xanarken.  Sir Gabriel.¡±  He then clasped his brother¡¯s shoulders in his hands and pulled the teen back a few paces, ¡°Sorry about that.  He¡¯s excitable.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Xanarken shrugged with a wry smile, ¡°Right?¡±  He turned to his second.

    ¡°I don¡¯t either.  It¡¯s kind of refreshing.¡± Gabriel agreed, then hesitated to go on.  He couldn¡¯t help but look at the two brothers ¨C Seth was barely Ren¡¯s height at 5¡¯5¡±, but Furion was almost a foot taller, towering over the teen.  They looked nearly the same otherwise; those jade-green eyes, the pale blonde hair and light complexion, though Furion kept his bangs even longer than Gabriel himself did, and kept a long skinny ponytail out the back, under the rest of that short, upward-spiking do.  Gabriel shook his head lightly to regain his train of thought, and looked at Seth again, ¡°¡­As I was saying, Xanarken was getting me caught-up on what happened.  I just¡­saw the footage of the rescue.  I never thought the words would be coming from my mouth, given my unfortunate first encounter with the Fafnir Knights all those years ago, but¡­  Thank you, Captain Rydell.  You and your Fafnir saved us, and for that, I¡¯m grateful.¡±

    Furion was surprised ¨C the mediator was nothing like who he thought the man would be ¨C but nodded, ¡°¡­Yessir.¡±

    Gabriel turned back towards the pod, ¡°I had only just found out who Ren really was a few minutes before she was forced to reveal it anyway.  She¡­made me reconsider what I thought about the Fafnir.¡±

    The way Gabe had his hands on the edge of the pod made a tense pit grow in Furion¡¯s chest, and he stepped around his brother to go onto the pod¡¯s opposite side, ¡°¡­She was always one of the best.  She earned every accolade that came with the rank of Wing Commander One, and deserved every ounce of respect it gave her.  I¡¯m surprised she waited until the 11<sup>th</sup> hour to tell you.  ¡­Sir.¡±

    Gabe was confused by the subtle tension, but dismissed it as post-trauma-brain hypersensitivity, ¡°Well, that was mostly my fault¡­  I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have a good history with getting to know my trainees very well.  I¡¯ll have to change that when she wakes up and comes back to things.¡±  He looked at Ren¡¯s face again, ¡°I suppose I owe her that much after she put her life on the line to give us time.¡±

    Xanarken stepped up beside his mediator then, and tapped the back of the man¡¯s shoulder with the front of his own as he leaned in, ¡°We still have much more to get caught-up on, Gabe.  Let¡¯s not hover over the poor woman.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­yeah, sure.¡±  He turned towards the two Rydells, ¡°Thanks again.  Excuse us.¡±

    ¡°Sir.¡±

    ¡°¡­Mr. Gabriel¡­!¡± Seth blurted as the pair got to the door.  Gabe looked back, and the teen took a step closer, ¡°Would it be okay if I¡­sent you a friend request?  You don¡¯t have to accept it if you don¡¯t want to, of course!¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s alright, go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Really, sir!?¡± Seth was practically gushing; tears welled in his eyes from the happiness.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget what I said about the formalities.¡± Gabe waved as he turned, and followed Xanarken out, ¡°See you later.¡±

    The young blonde squirmed where he stood, and immediately pulled up his overlay to do just that.  Once the request had been sent, he gestured both hands downward to hide the HUD and looked back at his older brother, ¡°Whew, I¡¯m so relieved¡­  I¡¯ve been working up the courage to ask him that this whole time¡­¡±

    Furion quirked a brow, ¡°You¡¯re not just trying to hook him into your research again, are you?  I think he¡¯s a bit out of your league to have on speed-dial.¡±

    Seth¡¯s face went red, but he waved his hands back and forth adamantly, ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not it at all!  I actually like him!  You know, as a person!¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­  You¡¯d be one of the few.¡± The Captain turned towards the cryo-pod, and used his gloved fingers to rub away the foggy fingerprints that the mediator had left on the lid, ¡°Still can¡¯t believe this situation¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s not to believe¡­?¡± Seth asked, and joined his brother in looking on solemnly at his friend, ¡°She went toe-to-toe with a giant war-robot.  I¡¯m more surprised that she lived.¡±

    Furion¡¯s eyes drifted towards the door again, but then came back, ¡°Sir Gabriel doesn¡¯t have a great reputation for being¡­personable, to say the least.¡± He explained, ¡°You¡¯d do yourself a favor by not getting too close.  He probably doesn¡¯t share your enthusiasm for friendship.¡±

    Seth could feel himself deflating where he stood, ¡°That¡¯s so mean¡­!  You¡¯ve barely ever even been in the same room as him before, but you have such cruel things to say!¡±

    ¡°We live in different worlds.¡± Furion finished, ¡°Just be careful.  There¡¯s a reason he was chosen as Ren¡¯s safety-net when she left.¡±

    .

    The eyes of every soldier and support-staffer in the Aegis¡¯ mess hall was wide and stunned as the Eidolon of the Fourth Wing went through the lines like any other grunt, but, the man was following his proverbial son around, and had to hover.  He did, however, find the gawping to be a bit funny, ¡°I¡¯m probably ruining everyone¡¯s day by being here.¡±

    ¡°Ruining?¡± Gabriel echoed as he grabbed an assortment of snacks from the options on offer, and set them each on a plastic tray, ¡°You probably made their day.  How often do folks in the lower ranks get to stare at an Eidolon up close?¡±

    ¡°I am quite disruptive, though.  Everyone feels like they have to stop what they¡¯re doing to salute as I go by.¡±

    ¡°You did decide to follow me instead of just letting me meet you back in my room.¡± The blonde retorted, ¡°Dare I wonder if you don¡¯t sometimes enjoy mingling among the commoners with me.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I could be less conspicuous.¡± Xanarken mused, and began to dissolve his mantle right there in the grub-line.

    Gabriel balked, ¡°What, no, where are you going!?  You can¡¯t just leave me here like this!¡±  He complained, watching that nanotech dust fade into the air.  The Eidolon¡¯s voice lingered as he laughed, only for a new mantle to manifest; this time, however, it was shaped like a cat ¨C a big, grey and white Himalayan - and it sat gingerly on the mediator¡¯s shoulder.  Gabriel sighed loudly, and leaned his head to squish against the odd-feeling fake-fluff, ¡°This doesn¡¯t help at all.  No one is going to believe that I just have a random-ass cat aboard a SkyFortress, never mind that I can keep balanced on my damn shoulder.¡±

    Xanarken rubbed his fuzzy body against the man¡¯s head, as any cat-like creature might do when being affectionate, ¡°I¡¯m enjoying myself.  Don¡¯t ruin it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so annoying sometimes.¡±

    Purr purr purr¡­

    And¡­another cat appeared, manifesting on Gabriel¡¯s other shoulder; this one was a Russian blue, with bright orange eyes.

    Gabriel groaned, ¡°Jeezus, not you too.¡±

    Purr purr purr¡­  The new cat licked a paw and wiped its ear patiently.

    ¡°I¡¯m being ganged-up on.  I need an adult.¡±

    The looks he got from those who¡¯d seen the whole thing happen made it clear that no such adult would be coming.

    Every step back to his room ¨C with a plastic tray of food in his hands, fuzzy slippers on his feet, and a pair of felines perched on top of him ¨C was torture.  It was even worse when the door finally closed behind him and both Eidolon started laughing at his expense, and even fist-bumped at one another as they reformed in their usual affect.  Gabriel just set the tray down on the small table opposite his bed, and roughly sat down, ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­have a good laugh.  Not like anyone was going to try and make small-talk with me anyway.¡±

    ¡°That is entirely your fault, Gabe.¡± Xanarken pointed out, and moved to retake the cushy seat he¡¯d been in with his book earlier.

    Rylen, of course, leaned against the back-rest of it, and crossed his arms with an amused look on his face, ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s never not funny when we do that.¡±

    ¡°How does anyone take either of you seriously when you pull pranks like that?¡± Gabriel pointed a fork at them as he unwrapped it from the cloth napkin-roll.

    ¡°What, am I not allowed to join in the teasing of my proverbial nephew?¡± Rylen looked sarcastically hurt, and pressed a hand to his chest.

    ¡°No one believes you¡¯re my uncle for a second when you look like a weird vampiric dark elf, Rylen.¡±

    The First Eidolon stared for a moment, then snapped his fingers, and his dark visage transformed into a peachy-pale variant of himself, lacking the pointy ears and teeth, and with simple grey hair instead of that molten silver, ¡°Better?¡±

    Gabriel looked up at him and immediately wretched, heaving off the side of his chair to catch his breath, then looked back again, ¡°No, absolutely not, go back.  That¡¯s horrifying.¡±

    Rylen shrugged up his shoulders with a puff of a laugh, and retook his normal image, ¡°Suit yourself.  I am only trying to be accommodating.¡±

    Gabe could only mutter a few curses under his breath as he went back to look at the food he¡¯d brought back.

    ¡°Anyway¡­it¡¯s good to see you awake again,¡± The First Eidolon continued, ¡°Xanarken told me you woke up and that he showed you how the mission ended.  I am deathly curious though¡­¡±  He spread his hands out and loaded the same video-panel that had been shown before, but he wound-back the footage to far earlier in the mission.  There was a moment ¨C from Donivan¡¯s point of view ¨C where the Magistrate¡¯s mecha was visible, and Rylen zoomed-in on the amputated metal arm, ¡°Explain.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Gabriel stared, a mouthful in his cheek.

    ¡°Dame Ren didn¡¯t have access to any of her former arsenal while using that temporary armor.  How, then, pray tell, did any of you come into possession of a weapon that could cut clean-through solid metal?  Moreover¡­¡±  He fast-forwarded through Donivan¡¯s recording until near the end, after the fight with Scyrexianori, and to the moment he had burst into the trio¡¯s cell to punch the entity into unconsciousness through a rather unusual hole in the wall, ¡°That.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Gabriel asked again; Xanarken looked worried, ¡°So I used my affliction to try and help?  What¡¯s the big deal?¡±

    Rylen dissolved the panel, and crossed his arms, only to gesture at the mediator with one hand before wedging it back between arm and ribs, ¡°You were never able to get a good handle on your abilities even when you had J¡¯ard around trying to help you focus.  You know as well as the rest of us how dangerous it is.  In your efforts to save Dame Ren, you could¡¯ve just as easily killed her yourself.¡±

    The blonde went quiet; his appetite was already lost, and he set the fork down, all that food now wasted, ¡°I couldn¡¯t just sit back and do nothing¡­¡±

    Xanarken nudged his brother with an elbow lightly, ¡°Rylen, you don¡¯t have to come down on him like a brick¡­  He just woke up.  This could¡¯ve waited.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve used it in years¡­  Give me a break¡­¡± Gabriel protested, ¡°And it¡¯ll probably be another several years before it happens again¡­  I can¡¯t just keep it stamped-down forever.  It comes out now and then when things get crazy, whether I like it or not.¡±

    ¡°All the more reason not to use it on purpose when you feel the urge.¡± Rylen countered, and stared at that despondent look on Gabe¡¯s face, ¡°Look, I know you meant well, and in the end, you did do some good¡­  But as someone who was born with this condition, the potential for it to get out of control is just¡­  It¡¯s too high.  It¡¯s too much of a risk.  You were already out there helping with a feral void gate¡­we don¡¯t need you accidentally opening a bunch of your own.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve literally never been able to-¡°

    ¡°Rylen, seriously-¡° Xanarken interrupted, ¡°He¡¯s not Caeros.  It¡¯s not the same thing.  He doesn¡¯t even have the ability to open gateways¡­it¡¯s just, separating things.  In this case¡­it was an arm from the body of a mecha, or a section of a wall.¡±

    Gabriel had fallen quiet.

    Rylen could feel a shiver go down his spine, ¡°I hate it when I hear that name.  It always gives me the creeps.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not responsible for what happened that day.¡± Xanarken continued, his voice calmer again, ¡°You¡¯ve been carrying around that guilt for over three centuries.  It¡¯s done, and in the past.  Just¡­let it go.¡±

    The First stayed silent for a few seconds, but then sucked in a breath and pushed off the arm-rest, ¡°You know as well as I do that I can¡¯t.  I was the one who pushed Caeros to use his power to take us off-world, and it¡¯s my fault we ended up here, stranded, with no idea where we are.¡±

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been all bad.  We¡¯ve adapted, and overcome¡­we¡¯re doing well here, in spite of the circumstances of our arrival.¡± Xanarken countered, ¡°Besides¡­if not for what happened back then, we¡¯d have been dead a long time ago, and we wouldn¡¯t have been able to witness the civilization that¡¯s grown from our efforts.  Take the good with the bad¡­and try not to make Gabe take on the burden of your guilty conscience because you¡¯re worried he¡¯ll create a second calamity.¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­¡± Rylen grumbled, and turned those orange eyes to the sullen mediator, ¡°Tomorrow, the Duchy¡¯s flagship will be arriving on the border.  Xanarken is taking point on the talks.  You should be there to observe and offer counsel about what happened, in case the Kitezans try to twist the truth.  Whatever happens, and no matter how well or badly it goes, I¡¯ve no doubt that our contentious relationship with Kitez will change forever afterwards.  Hopefully, it won¡¯t be a complete disaster.  ¡­Until then.¡±

    The Eidolon dissolved his mantle without another moment¡¯s hesitation, leaving Xanarken alone with his chosen son, ¡°¡­So much for being able to take my time easing into that topic.¡± He looked over at that dour expression, ¡°Try not to be offended by him.  He¡¯s just¡­paranoid about such things.¡±

    ¡°I wish I understood better why he¡¯s so scared.  You¡¯ve told me what you remember, but it just¡­always sounded like it was an accident.  That the disaster, and the fleet crashing afterwards, were unintended.  I can¡¯t get rid of this curse that I have¡­  Why can¡¯t someone just help me learn how to control it better?  You said Caeros was basically inventing the wheel as he developed his skills.  It doesn¡¯t have to be that way with me¡­¡± Gabriel lamented, ¡°I don¡¯t want to have to keep pushing people away because of him¡­¡±

    Xanarken sighed as he pushed up from the cushy chair, and stepped closer to pat Gabriel¡¯s shoulder, ¡°¡­You would¡¯ve just¡­had to have been there.¡±

 Book I - Chapter 12 â€“ Every System Has Its Order, And Knows Its Own Limits

    With the mood ruined for the rest of the night, Gabriel took his time poring over the reports from the mission¡­and, for a change, the profiles of those who had manufactured them.

    <table width="630">

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td width="166">

    Rank

    </td>

    <td width="116">

    Name/Age/Sex

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    Ethnicity

    </td>

    <td width="268">

    Status

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="166">

    Knight-Captain

    </td>

    <td width="116">

    Furion Rydell

    (38/M)

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    Caucasian

    </td>

    <td width="268">

    Fafnir (19 years)

    Wing Commander One (9 years)

    Captain (10 years [LCSF Aegis])

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="166">

    Knight-Fafnir

    (Wing Commander)

    </td>

    <td width="116">

    Donivan Parker

    (52/M)

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    Hispanic

    </td>

    <td width="268">

    Fafnir (24 years)

    Wing Commander Two (15 years)

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="166">

    Knight-Fafnir

    </td>

    <td width="116">

    Ravan Damien

    (35/F)

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    Asian

    </td>

    <td width="268">

    Fafnir (15 years)

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="166">

    Knight-Fafnir

    </td>

    <td width="116">

    Corbin D¡¯Shay

    (37/M)

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    Black

    </td>

    <td width="268">

    Fafnir (14 years)

    </td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    Then, of course, were the names of those who were considered ¡®victims¡¯ or ¡®targets¡¯ of the mission.

    <table width="630">

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td width="166">

    Rank

    </td>

    <td width="116">

    Name/Age/Sex

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    Ethnicity

    </td>

    <td width="268">

    Status

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="166">

    Knight-Mediator

    </td>

    <td width="116">

    Gabriel Lugios

    (32/M)

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    Caucasian

    </td>

    <td width="268">

    Mediator (12 years)

    High Negotiator (4 years)

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="166">

    Knight-Fafnir

    </td>

    <td width="116">

    Issak Noardin

    (29/M)

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    Middle

    Eastern

    </td>

    <td width="268">

    Fafnir (8 years)

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="166">

    Knight-Mediator

    (Trainee)

    </td>

    <td width="116">

    Ren Nibasai

    (28/F)

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    Middle

    Eastern

    </td>

    <td width="268">

    No status

    Formerly: Knight-Fafnir (9 years)

    Wing Commander One (7 years)

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="166">

    Knight-Cadet

    </td>

    <td width="116">

    Setharion Rydell

    (17/M)

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    Caucasian

    </td>

    <td width="268">

    No status

    </td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    It hadn¡¯t escaped the mediator¡¯s notice that Ren and Furion had both entered into the division straight out of boot-camp, and had become Wing Commanders within two years of arriving, although Furion had already been Captain for a minute when Ren signed-on.  He rubbed his chin curiously, ¡°Captains are typically responsible for scouting talent for special agencies.  I guess Captain Rydell would¡¯ve been the one to find and recruit her.  And this Wing Commander guy was there when shit went south with Kitez 22 years ago¡­¡±

    It took well into the early hours of the morning to sift through and assess what each Fafnir Knight had seen on that ship, but it was the Captain¡¯s perspective that was the most concerning.  Every inch of corridor that the lower-ranks had seen looked normal, just¡­devoid of personnel, likely having vacated after the alarms were signaled.  The Captain, however, was stuck with the unenviable task of wading through the things that had likely set-off the alarm in the first place, as it had already been triggered before the Fafnir arrived on scene.

    ¡°Whatever got into Ianori in that rift¡­¡± Gabriel said to himself, pausing on a moment where Furion had a clear view of the man¡¯s new face, ¡°¡­It¡¯s evil.¡±

    Rap tap tap¡­

    He lifted his head; someone had knocked on his door.  He checked his HUD for the time; it was 02:41am, ¡°Who on Hadira would be up this late at my door?  Xanarken would never bother knocking¡­he hardly warns me as it is.¡± He wondered as he got up and walked over.  When he clicked the side-panel to see the image of who was there, he was only half-surprised that it was¡­  ¡°Seth..?¡±

    The teen looked worried but sheepish, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Gabriel¡­I¡­couldn¡¯t sleep.  I thought maybe¡­you wouldn¡¯t be able to either.¡±

    Gabriel shook his head, but then stepped out of the way and gestured in.  He watched Seth pass in front of him and then let the door slide shut again, ¡°Nightmares still?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He answered, and turned around as he backed into one of the two chairs at the small table, ¡°Every time I close my eyes, I can see Mr. Ianori¡­trying to come through that wall at us¡­¡±  He could see that same moment right then in his mind¡¯s eye, and shuddered, ¡°¡­I know you weren¡¯t awake for it, but¡­I didn¡¯t know who else to go to.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m curious why you didn¡¯t go look for your brother.¡±

    ¡°Furion is burning the midnight-oil with the Eidolon,¡± Seth answered, ¡°Preparing for tomorrow¡­  Er¡­later today?¡±

    ¡°I take your meaning.¡± Gabriel went back to sit on the bed, one leg dangling off the side as the other curled-up under him, and he crossed his arms, ¡°How¡¯s the back of your head?  I know you said it wasn¡¯t as bad as mine, but you still bled-out.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­I have some stitches, but I¡¯m okay.¡± The teen explained, lifting his right hand to touch at the one side, feeling the thickness of those fibers where they were different from his hair, ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Getting there.  Doesn¡¯t hurt if left alone, but¡­hard to sleep.  Can¡¯t get comfortable.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Xanarken gave me the final report from the rescue mission, and I saw everything I missed¡­  More than that, honestly¡­  More than I would¡¯ve wanted.¡± Gabriel continued, ¡°Trying to explain what happened is going to take a lot of work.  The words ¡®we have no idea¡¯ will be doing a lot of heavy-lifting tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°What happened to Mr. Ianori?¡± Seth asked, his brow furrowed with despair, ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to process what I saw at the end, when my brother and the others finally got to us¡­  They had to fight through him to get the door open.  Whatever it was, it was enough that ¨C for the first time in¡­well, ever, as far as I¡¯m aware ¨C a Fafnir was left behind on purpose.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea.  Whatever yanked him into the void gate seems to have come back with him.¡± Gabriel shrugged helplessly, ¡°That word he kept muttering¡­Scyrexian¡­  That must be what it is, or what it calls itself, or something to that effect.  That¡¯s what I heard the gate whispering before it went nuts, too.¡±

    ¡°Scyrexian¡­¡± Seth repeated, and went quiet in thought.  He shook his head though, ¡°I¡­I¡¯ve been wanting to ask you.  About what you experienced by the scar, when you said your Limitless activated without you.  ¡­I¡­think I¡¯m past the point of ever possibly getting the affliction myself, so I¡¯m perpetually stuck on the wrong side of a wall that I need to get through to understand this stuff.  But you could¡­¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want it.¡± The mediator countered, ¡°It¡¯s not worth it.¡±

    ¡°But-¡°

    ¡°Trust me.¡±

    Seth deflated, ¡°That¡¯s so unfair¡­  For as long as I can remember, I¡¯ve been fascinated by it ¨C and the void scars.  Ever since that first time I heard about the way the colony fleet came down, and Caeros¡¯ involvement...I¡¯ve known there was something to it.  I¡¯ve been given so much more than I could¡¯ve ever asked for in my pursuit of learning more, but¡­not having the affliction myself is a massive handicap.  You saw and heard things I couldn¡¯t pick up on a single sensor.  You can¡¯t fathom how frustrating that is to know¡­¡±

    Gabriel slouched slightly, ¡°¡­Sorry, it¡¯s¡­¡± He shook his head and looked away, ¡°It¡¯s a sensitive issue for me.¡±

    ¡°Is there more to it?  ¡­Than the obvious?¡± The teen wondered, ¡°¡­Sorry, if that¡¯s asking too much¡­¡±

    The mediator considered those words for a moment.  The conversation with the Eidolon a few hours earlier was still fresh, and the way Rylen had gone off his curated rails at the end still made Gabriel¡¯s heart race anxiously.  He pressed his fingers to his chest, and spread them out against the shirt a few times to soothe it, ¡°¡­When I was really young, I couldn¡¯t control it at all.  My eyes would light up whenever I got too excited or scared, and¡­the number of times I accidentally split something in half was enough to drive my mother and I away from the village we¡¯d started in.  When the Fafnir found us, we were transients, passing through this camp, where people went when they had no where else to go.  Xanarken told me that a dangerous Limitless-user was tracked to there, but he had the ability to mask who he was, so he kept getting away.  He¡¯d apparently caused so much damage ¨C and each time, fled back to the Exclusion Zone ¨C that they were at their wits end.  Everyone was a target until he was taken out.  Everyone except me, I guess¡­since this guy couldn¡¯t change his height.  But¡­my mother¡­¡±

    Seth lowered his gaze quietly.

    ¡°I hated the Council for a long time after.  Xanarken had to ask for help with me because of it, and this guy named J¡¯ard came in¡­  To this day, I¡¯m not even sure if he was afflicted himself, or if he was just a really thorough and physical child-psychologist, but he put me through the ringer¡­¡±

    ¡°J¡¯ard¡­¡± Seth echoed, ¡°That¡­sounds familiar for some reas-¡­ Oh!  I know!¡±

    ¡°You know?¡±

    ¡°J¡¯ard Qiste!  He¡¯s a First Winger!¡± The teen lit-up, glad to finally know something helpful, ¡°He used to be one of Lord Rylen¡¯s Inquisitors ¨C learning about the Limitless and how to counteract it; they¡¯re the ones who developed the sensory-deprivation helmets ¨C but he felt his calling somewhere else.  He became a tracker, of a sort, finding people with the affliction who were trying to hide it, to make sure they were on the registry.  He was unpopularly effective; became known as a home-wrecker.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay?¡±

    ¡°He claimed that his purpose in life was ¡®helping people find their way,¡¯ but those who didn¡¯t appreciate his methods countered it by saying he helped people ¡®find their way onto the lists.¡¯¡± Seth continued, and looked up as he crossed his arms, and tapped one elbow with a finger, ¡°His methods were rather popular with Lord Rylen though.  I don¡¯t even know how many afflicted people he tracked down in the end, but¡­because he was so good at it, he also developed a knack for being able to talk panicked afflicted down from their shock of being found.  Like being able to calm a raging mustang, he just¡­found a way to work between the cracks of peoples¡¯ psyches, and reasoned them into submission.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Gabriel made a face and grumbled slightly, ¡°¡­Yeah, that sounds like what he did to me.  Xanarken basically left me with the guy for a whole year before coming back.  By then, I was a completely different kid, and Xanarken took me under his own wing from then on.¡±

    Seth smiled, ¡°People still speculate wildly on why he did that.¡±

    The mediator guffawed, ¡°I still speculate wildly on why he did that.¡±

    The teen huffed a laugh, ¡°The whims of the Eidolon are an enigma.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve never told anyone that story,¡± Gabriel noted quietly, and Seth buttoned-up again as well, ¡°Granted, I think you¡¯re the first person to ever just talk to me.  In every other case, it¡¯s always business¡­¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, pathetic as that sounds.  I don¡¯t make or keep friends easily.  For a guy whose job it is to make nice with folks, I tend to keep them at arm¡¯s length.¡± He hefted his dangling leg up onto the bed and cross the two together there, ¡°What I am and where I¡¯m from makes people dubious of me.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re pretty cool.¡± Seth pointed at himself.

    Gabriel just huffed, ¡°Trauma-bonding at its best.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious!  I mean, granted¡­you were in a bad mood when we first met, and Miss Ren asked you to help me by doing something you didn¡¯t want to do¡­and then we got chased by a blood-crazed Magistrate, and we were in prison together for a bit¡­but¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, trauma-bonding.¡±

    ¡°Augh¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, I guess it¡¯s fine.¡± Gabriel followed, and drew those green eyes back onto himself, ¡°Maybe something better can come out of it.¡±

    ¡°¡­You mean it?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± He shrugged, ¡°Come over here.  I¡¯ll give you something you want.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Gabriel lowered his face briefly, and reached behind himself to pull the tie out of his hair.  When he lifted his eyes again¡­that golden-white light started to pour out of them.

    Seth was immediately on his feet and all-but jumped onto the foot of the bed, staring in shock, ¡°I-I don¡¯t have my glasses!  You can¡¯t do this to me when I¡¯m not ready!¡±

    That glow intensified, growing from a simple mist emitted from brightly-illuminated irises, to the coalescing tails of light that extended out to the side, then up, fading away at the tapered ends, ¡°Just a taste of things to come.  Consider it a thanks, for keeping me grounded in that cell.  I dunno if I would¡¯ve managed half as well if I only had Ren¡¯s unconscious body to keep me company.¡±  Behind him, his loosened hair hovered upwards, floating and coalescing slowly, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time I tried to learn more about it myself.  We can do it together.¡±

    Seth was amazed, looking at every visible effect of that affliction.  He even sat up on his knees and poked at that floating length of hair, ¡°It¡­it¡¯s like oil, in this state¡­¡± He threaded his fingers through it like a comb, though when he sat back down, he realized his fingers were now wet, and he saw red on them, ¡°¡­What¡¯s¡­this?¡±

    Gabriel gave a gentle sigh, ¡°The only part of my affliction that I can¡¯t consciously get rid of.  It¡¯s¡­a tell, from the moment my mom died.  When the Fafnir killed her, her blood got into my eye and hair¡­and it¡¯s just¡­stayed that way, ever since, like a shadow that walks beside me.¡±

    ¡°Sheesh¡­¡± The teen turned his hand over, observing the red smears on his skin, ¡°¡­All this time, I thought you did it with nanotech as a fashion statement.  I should¡¯ve immediately realized that wasn¡¯t the case when I saw you in Kitez, and you still had it.¡±

    ¡°I guess I could do the opposite though¡­and use nanotech to hide it.¡± The mediator commented, ¡°At this point, I feel like it would be disrespectful to my mom¡¯s memory if I did, though.  I see the red as a reminder of how far I¡¯ve come, and to never forget where I started.¡±

    Seth rubbed his fingertips together, ¡°¡­It¡¯s drying-out¡­and tacky, like real blood would be.  I¡­wonder what it would look like under a microscope.¡±

    ¡°Prince Iresha has a similar thing happen with his affliction; his hair sometimes turns to fire when he really gets going.¡± Gabriel noted, and closed his eyes to shake the effect away; the glowing tails warbling from his eyes dissipated, and his hair went down to fall behind his back; completely dry, in its normal state, it was as if the tips of his hair had been dyed long ago, ¡°There¡¯ll be time enough to figure all that out later.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so cool.  I¡¯m so jealous.¡±

    ¡°Take that excitement back to bed, kid, and get some sleep.  I need to do the same.  I have to work tomorrow.¡±

    .

    Just as Rylen had stated, the Kitezans had arrived the following day, roughly around noon.  With the border between Sargon and Kitez being through the middle of a mountain-range, ships were made to zig-zag on their way through¡­and those on the western half were careful to keep a certain distance.

    ¡°Eidolon of the First, Sixth, and Fourth, on deck!¡±

    The bridge-crew stood and showed their respect, then went back to their stations.  Rylen led the way to the middle of the command level, with Xanarken close behind; Captain Rydell stood nearby, behind and to his Eidolon¡¯s left.  Gabriel was the last to arrive, and stood behind and to the right of his own Eidolon. Tensions were high as the Aegis¡¯ main-screen showed the arrival of more and more ships, flanking the Duchy¡¯s primary.  Several of those ships were the same shape and image as the Magistrate¡¯s vessel, and everyone who saw them knew that half the Conclave had arrived.

    Gabriel sucked in a deep breath, ¡°All this because of a rescue¡­¡±

    ¡°If only it was so simple,¡± Xanarken spoke quietly in answer.

    Within a few minutes ¨C and after the entire Kitezan fleet could be seen ¨C the Duchy¡¯s flagship flashed its forward lights, indicating they were ready to proceed.  Xanarken nodded to the communications chief, and the forward screen shifted to a new display.  Upon it was the visage of a woman; wild, fire-red hair cascaded behind an antlered crown, which came down on either side to frame her decorated face.  Small metallic chimes hung from the rear-facing brow tine on each side, jingling softly with any subtle movement.  Her skin was painted white, and a reddish-magenta hue went around her eyes; she looked every bit as fierce as she did regal.

    ¡°Funny that we should meet on such an auspicious occasion, Eidolon.¡± The Duchess started, ¡°Such a shame that we can¡¯t meet in person, as we once would.¡±  Her eyes went conspicuously towards Furion, ¡°You have with you a lineage known for its¡­outbursts.¡±

    Gabriel side-eyed the Captain, looking for a reaction, but Furion was resolute and barely blinked.

    ¡°Duchess Far¡¯nah.  We haven¡¯t had the pleasure of meeting.¡± Xanarken answered, and stepped forward on that elevated deck, ¡°Will your husband be joining us?¡±

    ¡°My beloved has deferred the negotiations to me.  He lacks the¡­political constitution necessary to be under such pressure.  A gentle soul, he is.¡± She answered.

    In the background, off the screen, Duke Mardu felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of his neck.  He looked rather plain by comparison to his wife; a simple man with boring brown hair, not even styled into anything, and with a face full of stubble.  Beside him, however, was a man who looked quite a bit more interesting; long black hair cut at mid-back in a straight line, slicked back and away from his face¡­half of which was covered by a chrome-metal mask.  It obscured his right eye, most of his cheek ¨C nearly down to the jawline ¨C the side of his nose, and went up to round-out above the hairline of his brow.  On the other side, past the alcove where Far¡¯nah was being depicted, was Magistrate Regulus.  On both sides were a number of other Magistrates of the Conclave; many wore their long white cowls, but some went without.

    Ahead of the Duchess was a screen of their own, with the image of the Aegis¡¯ deck on display, and primarily, Xanarken himself, out in front and center.  The Eidolon just set his hands, relaxed, behind his back, ¡°Very well.  Let¡¯s get on with it then.  I¡¯ll even let you go first.¡±

    ¡°How gracious, considering you¡¯ve invaded our country.¡± She retorted, ¡°Again.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps we should go first then.  We were, after all, invited.¡± Xanarken countered, ¡°Approximately one month ago, retired Magistrate Gavin Mallerd sent a request through the First Wing for an agent of the Inquisition to investigate a spontaneous void rift, which had opened on his property sometime before.  Not wanting to compromise the identities of those anonymous soldiers, Lord Rylen sent Setharion Rydell instead, with a single Fafnir Knight ¨C without armor ¨C to accompany him.  For the duration of that month, he worked quietly and peacefully, without any interaction with anyone outside of the Honorable Gavin Mallerd¡¯s homestead.  Without the ability to communicate with Seth or Sir Ianori, a mediator and his trainee were later sent to bring them home.  At that time, Magistrate Regulus Laurier took it upon himself to track, trap, imprison, and torture them, and then evaded us in our effort to get them back.  We were eventually able to bring most of them home¡­but you retain one Fafnir Knight who was regrettably left behind.  And now we¡¯re here, ready to negotiate in good faith for his safe return¡­and you have chosen to bring an armada.¡±

    ¡°After your Fafnir Knights massacred nearly everyone aboard the Magistrate¡¯s ship, we would be fools not to.¡± Far¡¯nah parried, ¡°We now find ourselves seated outside the Fafnir¡¯s home fortress; what¡¯s to say they won¡¯t simply come and try to do the same to us again?¡±

    ¡°My Knights caused no such damage aboard that ship,¡± Rylen chimed-in, ¡°In fact, the only encounter they even had was with the Magistrate himself, and we have the footage to prove he was alive and unharmed when they left.  Whatever casualties you want to lay at their feet, had already been casualties before they arrived.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?  Then who¡¯s this?¡± The Duchess waved at the screen, and upon it displayed the image of Scyrexianori; security footage from his initial attack on the first person he saw upon awakening, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this is the Fafnir Knight you also ended up leaving behind.  The one you now want back.¡±

    Rylen gestured defiantly, ¡°Whatever that is, it isn¡¯t one of mine.¡±

    Xanarken held his arm out to calm his brother¡¯s temper, ¡°It¡¯s Sir Ianori¡¯s body, but you can clearly see from your own sources that he was extremely dead.  Enough-so that one of your surgeons was going to do an autopsy on him.¡±

    ¡°Believed dead isn¡¯t the same as confirmed dead.  All I see, from our own sources, is a man rising up and committing murder.¡± The Duchess scoffed.

    Gabriel stepped closer and whispered to the Fourth, ¡°Are we really going to have to bear responsibility for what Scyrexian did while using Ianori¡¯s body?¡±

    ¡°I think so. Blaming an unknown force that Sir Ianori encountered in an extra dimensional rift will sound more insane than the suggestion that he rose from the dead.¡± He answered, then turned back to the main-screen, ¡°And where is he now, then?¡±

    ¡°Confirmed dead.¡±

    Furion grit his teeth, ¡°That¡¯s not the state we left him in.¡±

    ¡°We know for a fact that Sir Ianori was locked in the brig when the Fafnir Knights evacuated.  He was quite alive at that time.  Are you admitting that you murdered him?¡± Xanarken pressed, ¡°This will be a very different conversation in that case.¡±

    ¡°How do we kill someone whom you said was already dead?¡±

    ¡°Where is Sir Ianori?  Return his body and we may yet part without hostilities.¡± Xanarken warned, ¡°As it stands, Seth and Sir Ianori were guests within your borders.¡±

    ¡°The two who followed were not.  Moreover, for late former Magistrate Mallerd had no authority to send that invitation.  So, all four were within our borders illegally, and given the nature of your¡­organization¡­is tantamount to an invasion.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Late Magistrate?¡¯¡± Gabriel echoed, and sneered slightly, ¡°Regulus killed him.  After we left.  That¡¯s the only way.¡±

    ¡°It seems we¡¯re at an impasse,¡± The Duchess pulled back their attention, ¡°We have something you want¡­and every way of proving that your man slaughtered an entire crew in cold blood, repeating the sins of the past.  Imagine what the Hadiran Accord would think if we reached out and showed them what you¡¯ve done?¡±

    ¡°If you joined them this wouldn¡¯t even be an issue,¡± The Fourth replied, ¡°These constant petty squabbles between us only occur because Kitez won¡¯t fall in line with the others.¡±

    ¡°Fall in line?¡± Far¡¯nah balked, then laughed, and leaned forward in her seat, hands white-knuckling the arm-rests, ¡°Your Lordship, Kitez is a sovereign nation.  We don¡¯t owe you our obeisance.  You show no respect for our borders nor our laws.  You incur into our territories without regard for the damage you do.  You should be on your knees, begging us for leniency.¡±

    Rylen scoffed, and stepped closer to his fellow, ¡°This is going nowhere.  We could just deploy the Fafnir and finish them.  Kitez can be ours within the day, and we¡¯ll be done with this stupidity once and for all.¡±

    Xanarken just shook his head, ¡°The Accord would never accept such a hostile take-over.  We risk fracturing it apart by being violent.¡±  He turned back to the Duchess, ¡°Name your price for Sir Ianori¡¯s return.¡±

    Far¡¯nah sat back in her throne again, ¡°¡­Recognition.  Formal and irrefutable recognition.  The way you recognize the Empire of Sargon.¡±

    Rylen visibly rolled his eyes, ¡°Kitez is nothing but a rogue colony.¡± He argued loudly, ¡°One that¡¯s gotten a really big head, and too big for its britches.¡±

    ¡°So, you admit it then!¡± The Duchess rose to her feet then, the chimes on her crown singing, ¡°You don¡¯t recognize the validity of any nation on the face of this world.  You¡¯re just paying lip-service where it benefits you to keep everyone under your thumb!¡±

    Xanarken¡¯s expression tensed; the more Rylen ran his mouth, the fewer options he had.  But, there was some truth in what the First Eidolon said, and the Fourth retook command of the talk, ¡°It¡¯s not lip-service, Duchess.  It¡¯s peace.  It¡¯s equity.  These colonies can call themselves whatever they want as long as they all play nice and stay in their lanes.¡±

    ¡°¡­Tsh, under the thumb of the Luminary Council.¡± She scowled.

    ¡°Under a thumb or with a boot on your neck.  The choice is yours.¡±

    ¡°Kitez will never bow to you.¡±

    Xanarken had finally lost his patience, ¡°This child¡­¡±

    Understanding what that tone meant, Rylen couldn¡¯t help but smirk, and looked back out at the screen; there was about to be a spectacle, and he was in the first row.

    ¡°Under the authority vested to me as the Eidolon of the Fourth Wing of the Luminary Council, I, Xanarken Tellan, hereby disable the World Cloud border-barrier protocol with Colony-territory: Kitez.¡± Xanarken announced loudly, much to the chagrin and surprise of everyone on the Kitezan side.

    Furion sat back in his Captain¡¯s seat, ¡°I need all shields up, and all weapons at the ready.  This is all hands on deck.  Ship-wide alert.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    Lights flickered on Xanarken¡¯s eyes, and to his sights, he could envision the gaping hole in the coverage of the World Cloud.  He zoomed-in on the spot the Aegis was parked, and raised a finger out in front of himself.  As he moved his arm forward, his finger dragged the perimeter forward¡­creating an inward bulge in the restrictive edge of the World Cloud¡¯s permissible existence.  With a flicker, the invisible wall that contained the nanotechnology of the Council was broken, and the shimmer of all those microscopic particles flooded forward.

    The Kitezan fleet was visibly alarmed, but there was nothing they could do.  Within a few seconds, their entire position was reconstituted within the World Cloud¡¯s boundary, and every inch of them was surrounded by that imperceivable dust.

    Far¡¯nah could feel her heart pounding; the entire Conclave looked anxious and afraid.  Even Regulus wasn¡¯t sure what to do.  The lights in the room darkened, and from those new shadows, the visage of Xanarken himself manifested.  He stepped forward with an eerie, smooth grace, and brought a blade to Far¡¯nah¡¯s throat.

    He looked past her shoulder, to the throne behind her, and held perfectly still, ¡°The only reason Kitez still exists is because the Luminary Council allows it.  I could kill every single person in your fleet, right here, and right now.  Two clicks, and the World Cloud suddenly doesn¡¯t have the programming to avoid being breathed in¡­and you know what can happen to a person when the lungs suddenly fill-up with debris.¡±

    Far¡¯nah¡¯s eyes ¨C and whole body ¨C trembled.  She could feel the edge of the knife against her skin; even made of nanomachines, it had a razor-sharp blade.

    ¡°If Sir Ianori is truly dead this time, then you can keep his body.  That will be my gift to you¡­as an apology for the incursion into your ¡®territory.¡¯¡± Xanarken continued quietly, ¡°But you will withdraw without another word.  You will take your fleet back to Oceanside, and disperse however you want across that antiquated Hellscape you claim to call a country¡­and this will not¡­happen¡­again.  Do we understand one another?¡±

    She hesitated, but then timidly nodded; sweat beaded under her crown¡¯s jeweled fore-band, and slipped down the side of her face, taking a trail of red hue down her cheek and neck.

    ¡°Then give the order.¡±

    The Duchess ¨C and every terrified set of eyes watching helplessly from every angle ¨C raised her right hand for their attention, ¡°W-we¡­we¡¯re leaving.  All ships, turn around immediately.  Return to the capitol.  B-by order of the Duchy.¡±

    The command was disseminated throughout the armada, and ¨C one by one ¨C the ships started to turn around.  At the last, the Duchy¡¯s flagship finally did the same, and once Xanarken was sure that it had arrived at the new perimeter of the World Cloud, he let his blade dissolve and took a step back, ¡°It was a pleasure meeting you, Duchess Far¡¯nah.¡±  He looked towards her husband, ¡°Duke Mardu.  Magistrates.¡± He looked directly at that here-to-fore quiet masked figure, ¡°Latheroux.¡±

    The border barrier passed through the ship, and Xanarken¡¯s mantle exploded into nothingness.  He remanifested aboard the bridge of the Aegis beside his brother, and let out a sigh, ¡°I¡¯m restoring the barrier to its prior position.  Aegis crew, stand down.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yessir.¡± Furion acknowledged.

    Rylen snorted a laugh as the main-screen changed over from the negotiations window to just the sight of the fleet retreating, ¡°What¡¯d you say to her?  I love it when you get this way.¡±

    ¡°¡­I merely reminded her of her place.¡±

    Gabriel got a shiver down his spine to hear it, ¡°¡­Jeeze¡­¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 13 â€“ Not Every Defeat Is A Loss; Sometimes Itâ€™s A Calculated Retreat

    The sight of the retreating Kitezan fleet was something to behold as it was, from the bridge of the Aegis, but from the ground, it was confusing.  Squinting eyes looked up into the noon-day sky, and saw the shimmer of the World Cloud get pushed back to its former position in real-time.  With his heart pounding ¨C and half his body bandaged - former-Prince Aamin watched in horror as the armada left mere minutes after arriving.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for it, your Majesty,¡± Someone said from a distance, ¡°They¡¯re gone.¡±

    ¡°Why are we even moping about it?¡± Another voice asked; there were two men off in the distance, each one shaking their heads, ¡°It was a fluke that we were even in the area for this.  There was no chance they were going to see you down here.¡±

    ¡°I have to get into Kitez¡­¡± Aamin muttered to himself pitifully.

    ¡°We¡¯ll just keep going for the border check-point,¡± The first man said, and hiked his backpack up a bit higher onto his shoulders, ¡°Announce yourself to them as planned and they¡¯ll send a Magistrate to hear your bid for asylum.¡±

    ¡°We could just walk in.  It¡¯s not like anyone could stop us going through the rest of the mountains.¡±

    ¡°It would take us days to cross; it¡¯ll take us one day to get to the nearest checkpoint.  We¡¯re going north.¡±

    .

    ¡°I WANT EVERY MAGISTRATE IN THIS ROOM IN AN HOUR.¡± Far¡¯nah yelled, bursting into the Duchy¡¯s capitol throne room.  Regulus was already with her, having never parted from her side since the border conflict, but others were further down the hall, contemplating their next move.  Far¡¯nah flipped around on a heel, and looked at them all urgently, ¡°WELL!?  EVERY.  MAGISTRATE.¡±

    ¡°Dear, they¡¯ve just been on a 3-day crisis-tour.  They¡¯re exhausted.¡± Duke Mardu said, his hands went gently forward to caress her arms soothingly, ¡°Let them have the day.  The danger is over¡­¡±

    ¡°They can¡¯t keep getting away with this!¡± She protested, and lifted her own hands to cup her palms around her husband¡¯s face, ¡°They¡¯ve already taken your childhood friend from you¡­  They can¡¯t be allowed to take anymore¡­¡±

    ¡°Iresha is a man with his own problems,¡± Mardu countered, and pet the back of those hands, kissing one palm affectionately, ¡°When his son manifested the affliction, it was a death-sentence for his Empire.  With no one in Sargon qualified or capable of helping the young Prince¡­it was only a matter of time before he was forced to call in the Eidolon.¡±

    ¡°But what about our empire?¡± Far¡¯nah wondered, ¡°We don¡¯t even have a son.  Or a daughter.  When we¡¯re gone, there¡¯s no telling what will happen to Kitez¡­¡±

    ¡°Antagonizing the Eidolon into attacking us will only hasten that tragic future.¡±

    That just made her shake with anger, ¡°They¡¯re a cancer, Mardu¡­  We¡¯re the only place they haven¡¯t metastasized into¡­¡±

    ¡°Just get some rest for now.  In an hour, the Conclave will be gathered, and we can discuss what to do next.  We have enough to talk about with all the people coming from Sargon who are seeking refugee status here¡­  Let¡¯s tend to their needs before we feed our own egos.¡±

    Far¡¯nah felt a pain in her chest, and pulled away.  She looked at the man with a sense of being betrayed, ¡°¡­When did you become so soft?  It¡¯s a tragedy that the Duchy¡¯s line will end with¡­with this¡­¡±

    Mardu could only look on helplessly as his wife stormed off, and slammed yet another door behind herself as she fled into an antechamber to the throne-room.  Three Magistrates all crowded around the man in somber silence, Regulus included, though one stepped forward and in front of the others, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her.  She heeds my counsel.¡±

    One of the youngest Magistrates of the New Conclave, Judge Oberoi had risen quickly, making a name for himself with a keen eye for truth and lies.  Side-swept pale brown hair went past his shoulders, over white-cloaked shoulders, and grey-blue eyes looked up at that closed door.  He gently tapped his delicate fingers on the enameled wood, ¡°My Lady, it¡¯s me.¡±  He waited for a little while, then knocked again, ¡°My Lady¡­¡±

    ¡°Come in¡­¡±

    He smiled and clicked the door open, and disappeared within.

    Regulus grumbled quietly at the sight, but turned to leave, ¡°I¡¯ll be back for the meeting.  Your Grace.¡± He bowed his head towards the Duke, and stepped away.  With the other Magistrates also vacating for the time being, Mardu was all-but left alone in that huge room.

    Passing Regulus on his way out, the masked enigma came in, ¡°Your Grace¡­are you okay?  You said you¡¯d wanted to speak to the Eidolon, but at the last moment, you froze.¡±

    Mardu nodded in shame, ¡°¡­What do you do when your own wife scares you?¡± He asked, ¡°Latheroux¡­  I¡¯m a boat adrift in a sea of anti-Luminary sentiment¡­  I fear that if I speak my mind, I¡¯ll be cast down, and out¡­  Far¡¯nah hasn¡¯t listened to me in years.  The Conclave has largely taken her side.  I¡¯m the only one left who still believes we can come to a mutually-beneficial path forward with the Council¡­  We¡­we can do like Sargon, and let them in without them dominating our leadership.  Emperor Iresha still-¡°

    ¡°Your Grace, the Emperor is about to find himself in a very unfortunate situation.¡± Latheroux answered, ¡°His son¡¯s affliction has put his back to the wall.  It¡¯s only a matter of time before the Eidolon broach the idea of sending the Prince to the College at Agartha, where he can be better trained in the control over his curse.  However, we both know that by sending him there, he will become indoctrinated to the Council¡¯s side.  Before long, he will become Emperor of Sargon after his father, and Sargon will be lost entirely.  Kitez is the only place left that stands on its own two feet.  ¡­You still have time to decide a succession, if you aren¡¯t able to produce an heir.¡±

    Mardu could only nod.

    Within the antechamber, Judge Oberoi followed behind the Duchess quietly, and she draped herself across a long reclining couch, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what to do with him.¡± She lamented, and brought her hands up to cover her eyes, ¡°When my parents, the former Duchy, were still in power¡­I thought taking a meek and mild husband would please them.  That it would assuage their worries that a man would step into the court they gave to me, and try to take control for himself.  Sadly, he neither seeks command, nor supports me in mine.  He just¡­languishes, with no opinions whatsoever.¡±

    Judge Oberoi stepped closer, and moved his cloak aside so he could sit at the end of that same couch, ¡°Your Grace, most nations are ruled by a single sovereign¡­or President, or Prime Minister, as the case may be.  The Emperor now has no spouse at all.  You need not stress over doing this alone.¡±

    ¡°I want to see the Luminary Council burn to ash¡­¡± She said grimly, and lowered her hands to her sides.  She then pushed up to an elbow, then sat fully up, with the sound of those chimes clinking softly around her.  She reached forward and pressed a palm to that pale skin, ¡°¡­You¡¯re so young, Honorable Judge Oberoi.  In another life, you¡­might¡¯ve been my son.  Alas, I can only settle for you as my tragic confidant¡­¡±

    ¡°In private company, you can call me Tallus, my Lady.¡± He answered, and reached up to softly pull her fingers from his cheek.  He kissed those soft knuckles, and held there for a moment¡­only for his eyes to open, glowing with an eerie light.  He lowered the woman¡¯s hand to his chin, and smiled, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to fear.¡±

    She didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by the sight; it was as if she couldn¡¯t see it at all, ¡°You¡¯re just going to talk me down from my ambitions again, aren¡¯t you?  Tallus¡­¡±

    That soft smile widened slightly, and the luminous projections drifted forward, until the golden-white glimmer went into the Duchess¡¯ own eyes.  She seemed to breathe it in ¨C like an intoxicating smoke ¨C and seemed sedate for it.  Tallus strengthened that connection though, ¡°We can¡¯t goad the Eidolon into a fight.  There¡¯s far too much at risk if they take any excuse to come here by force.  You must show restraint.  The lion that stalks beyond the bars ¨C but never enters - is as safe as one that isn¡¯t there at all.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll¡­try¡­¡±

    .

    Four days later¡­

    The slow, rhythmic sound of a bedside monitor was the first thing Ren became aware of when lucidity returned to her.  She slowly opened her eyes ¨C the room was hazy ¨C and she turned her head on the pillow below.  To the right, there was a big circular window, showing the midday countryside from high up in the sky; high enough that clouds passed by within arm¡¯s reach.  She turned again, to the left, and the first thing she saw was the elevated angle of her arm.  There was a blue, gel-like wrap around it, from armpit to wrist, but where she could see her hand sticking out the end, it didn¡¯t seem right.  She couldn¡¯t feel it. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    ¡°Ren?¡±

    ¡°H-huh¡­uhh¡­¡±

    Gabriel was the first to rise from the small table in the corner, near the door; Seth was the next.  The two came to either side of the bedside, and each looked down on that hazy face, ¡°Ren, take it slow¡­¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­where¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re on the Aegis, Miss Ren.  They got us out.¡± Seth explained, and cupped both of his hands around her forearm and thumb on the right side, careful of the IV lines and where they connected to the back of her hand, ¡°We¡¯re safe.¡±

    Ren¡¯s eyes closed again with a mixture of relief and anxiety, but she turned her attention to her mentor on the left side, ¡°What¡­happened¡­?¡±

    He smiled, ¡°You¡¯re on the good drugs, Ren.  Don¡¯t think about it yet.  We can talk about it when you¡¯re out of bed.¡±

    ¡°I¡­can¡¯t¡­  I can¡¯t feel my hand¡­¡± She mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s¡­so cold¡­¡±

    Gabriel took a step back towards the corner and grabbed one of the pair of chairs, swung it around to bedside and set it backwards before him, then sat.  With his left elbow on the mattress, he threaded his fingers through her grip, and cupped the right over the back of it, ¡°Now?¡±

    She all-but hissed from the surprise, ¡°Wh-why¡­does it look like that?  That¡¯s¡­not my hand¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you remember fighting that Magistrate?¡±

    ¡°Mhm¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, unfortunately¡­you lost that one.  He got your left arm for the trouble.  The one I¡¯m holding onto now is¡­from the selective cloning program.  They basically grew a new one for you over the last few days.  You had surgery to attach it yesterday.¡± Gabriel explained, and rubbed his thumb back and forth softly over her own, ¡°It¡¯ll be a while before it¡¯s semi-functional, but¡­it¡¯s good to know that you¡¯re getting some sensation out of it already.  That¡¯s a good sign.¡±

    ¡°The others are going to be thrilled to know you¡¯re finally awake,¡± Seth commented, and gave that un-mangled arm a happy squeeze, ¡°Everyone¡¯s been so worried.¡±

    ¡°Who¡­came for us¡­?¡±

    ¡°My brother, Miss Ravan, Mr. Corbin, and Commander Donivan.¡± The teen answered easily, ¡°But we¡­I mean, they¡­had to leave Mr. Ianori behind.¡±

    ¡°What?  No¡­!¡± She actually tried to push up onto her elbow to hear it, but Gabriel was quickly up and leaned forward to brace her shoulder, nearly knocking the chair out from under himself in so doing.

    ¡°Easy, Ren¡­you¡¯re not gonna have a good time if you try to get up too fast.¡± He warned, and pulled his hand back again to grab the thin metal crest of the chair to set it right again, ¡°Seth, you wanna get the doc?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Ren countered, and Seth stopped at the corner of the bed, gaping back in confusion, ¡°¡­No¡­¡± She said again.

    ¡°Miss Ren?¡±

    ¡°Just¡­someone¡­get me up.¡±

    Gabriel shook his head, ¡°Probably not a good idea.¡±

    She just glowered at him, ¡°UP.  NOW.¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± He quickly changed his tune and was back on his feet to do exactly that.  Using a length of the bedsheet to fashion a sling ¨C with the rest of it hanging over her shoulder to cover her exposed back through the hospital gown ¨C Ren hobbled her way through the door.  Gabriel stayed under her right arm, bent over though it made him given how much taller he was.  Once they were out in the hall though, Gabriel gave up on that posture and stood up straight, letting the woman¡¯s arm go down behind and around his back instead, ¡°Hook your thumb into my belt or something.  I¡¯ll steady you this way instead.¡±  He kept his right hand over hers, and set his left behind her to clasp around her ribs, ¡°Easy¡­¡±

    ¡°Where do you want to go, exactly¡­?¡± Seth wondered skeptically.

    ¡°Anywhere else¡­¡± She answered, struggling against gravity to stay on her feet.  Her head swam a little, but she refused to give in, ¡°I can¡¯t stand the beeping¡­¡±

    Ren¡¯s escape-attempt hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed, and medical staff was already putting out alerts to those who might want to have certain updates.  The trio didn¡¯t make it a hundred feet down the long hall before Fafnir Knights started showing up.

    ¡°Ren¡­?¡± That was Ravan¡¯s voice ¨C dark olive skin with bright brown eyes, black hair, and a red streak through it on the left side - and Seth waved at her excitedly, ¡°Shit, what are you doing out of bed?¡±

    ¡°I¡­I gotta get outta here¡­¡± The Fourth trainee answered warily, ¡°Before¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Ren!¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    ¡°Ugh?¡± Gabriel repeated, ¡°What¡¯s ¡®ugh¡¯?¡±

    That would be Captain Rydell, who ¨C along with Donivan and one other ¨C came out of the same nearby elevator just down the hall from them.  Furion came rushing around them and went out in front, eyes darting every which way at the sight of her ¨C and the man who dared to hold onto her.  All three Fafnir side-eyed their commander knowingly, but said nothing, except Ravan.

    She stepped out between them with her hands up in front of the frigid man carefully, ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a perfectly reasonable explanation for this-¡°

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Ren groaned and her head dipped; everything went tits-up after that.

    Gabriel was quick to steady her descent, but as soon as he had her head against his shoulder, he hefted her legs up over his right arm, and looked at the gathered, ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to be in a room with all the monitors.  Can she go somewhere else?  Does she still have her own quarters on this ship?¡±

    Furion practically short-circuited from the sight of it, and all of Ravan¡¯s efforts to stall him seemed for nought; he went straight through her and stepped directly up to the mediator, eyes dark, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?  Sir.¡±  He nearly choked on the word.

    ¡°What?¡± Gabriel answered back nonchalantly, ¡°She insisted on getting up.  I dunno if you¡¯ve ever been on the receiving end of an order from her, but I just was, and I¡¯m not gonna argue back.  So, I helped her up¡­then I started to feel her going down, and now we¡¯re here.  ¡­Does she still have a room or not?¡±

    Donivan could all-but feel his Captain¡¯s blood-pressure rising, and moved to diffuse the situation; he was a well-built older man with silver running over both ears, a complexion on the russet side, and thin, dark brown eyes.  He stepped forward on Furion¡¯s left, ¡°I can show you, sir.  Come on this way.¡±

    Gabriel stepped around as well and followed the eldest Fafnir towards the elevator they¡¯d all just come from, leaving Furion, Ravan and their third ¨C Jense Dmitry, a man a bit younger than his Captain, with slicked-back sandy-brown hair, and blue eyes ¨C to stand in confusion in the corridor.  The two of them looked to Furion though, and he could only bristle in silent rage.

    ¡°¡­They¡¯ve been through a lot, sir¡­I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Ravan attempted, ¡°What was he going to do otherwise, let her collapse?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re insinuating, Dame.¡± Furion said stiffly, ¡°I¡¯m glad he caught her.  It was the right thing to do.  ¡­Back to your posts.¡±

    Jense and Ravan watched him go in the other direction, and Jense spoke out the corner of his mouth, ¡°It¡¯s like he still thinks no one knows.¡±

    ¡°Worst kept secret on the ship, honestly.¡± She agreed, ¡°But what does he mean by ¡®posts¡¯?  We don¡¯t have ¡®posts.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Training simulators, then?  I was gonna go play some racket-ball, myself.  Wanna come?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah.  Sure.  ¡­Why are we still whispering?¡±

    .

    Donivan opened the door to those 4-months-vacant quarters, but Seth was the first one to venture inside.  There was a certain smell about the place, for having been closed-off as long as it had, but it looked like it had been abandoned in a hurry.  Fafnir-Knight rooms were like small apartments, equipped with their own bedroom, living-space, kitchen, bathroom, and all the other essentials of living onboard a SkyFortress for months at a time.

    When Gabriel finally walked in, he was surprised at the space, ¡°¡­So this was your home away from home before.¡±

    ¡°This must¡¯ve been how she left it the morning of that last mission,¡± Donivan surmised, ¡°There¡¯s still a cup in the sink from her last coffee.  ¡­And she never did bother making her bed.¡±

    ¡°No one¡¯s been in here for all that time?¡± The mediator wondered, looking around to acclimate himself, and soon followed Seth into the bedroom, ¡°At all?¡±

    ¡°I guess we were worried that if we did, someone would make us clean it out.¡± The Wing Commander answered.  He watched quietly as Seth pushed all the blankets aside, and Gabriel set the former Fafnir into her own bed.  Blankets were pulled back overtop of her, and Gabriel set a hand on the woman¡¯s head briefly before moving with Seth to leave the room again, and shut off the light as he went.  Donivan made his way to the small kitchenette and put the singular coffee cup into the dishwasher, then grabbed for the nearest microfiber towel to wipe the counters and sink down.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an ear out for her if you want to go back to whatever you were doing, Commander.¡± Gabriel answered, ¡°Thanks for showing the way.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you sure you want to stay here?¡± The older man asked skeptically, ¡°The Captain may want¡­to¡­¡±

    ¡°If Captain Rydell wants to visit, far be it from me to stop him, but I won¡¯t leave her alone in this condition.  Anyone else who wants to stay can, too.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right.¡± Donivan nodded, and gave a salute before taking his leave, ¡°Sir.¡±

    ¡°Miss Ren will probably be starving when she wakes up again!¡± Seth chimed in, and followed behind the Wing Commander, ¡°I¡¯ll go get some stuff and bring it back!¡±

    ¡°Good idea.¡± Gabriel agreed, and watched quietly as the pair left the room.  Left alone then, all he could do was take a slower look around.  He knew, from years of being in the Council himself, that Knights¡¯ quarters didn¡¯t leave a lot of room to be personal or creative; furniture was bolted-down to prevent it from moving in case of turbulence or a crash; floorplans were largely the same between SkyFortresses, only varying for the rank of the soldier or officer who lived in each space.  As a Fafnir, they were considered above the level of every other soldier in the Council¡¯s militarized forces, except Captain, for which they had their own anyway.

    A throw-blanket was left hanging halfway off the couch, and Gabriel went over to pick it up, fold it over an arm, and then set it on the cushions.  He straightened out a few pillows, then sat down, and for lack of knowing what else to do, reached for the front left corner of the coffee table, and tapped an embedded touch-activated power button.  The television ahead of him came to life, and displayed that it was waiting for a connection.  He pulled up his overlay and offered his own.  Just as he was about to settle into the idea that he was going to have time to loaf around, he saw the flash of a light in the other room, then heard the sound of the shower coming on, ¡°¡­Ren?¡± He called curiously.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She answered back, though her voice was obviously tired, ¡°¡­I just¡­need to get the smell of it all off me.  I¡¯ll come out soon.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay, but¡­holler if you¡¯re gonna go down?  Or something?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    It didn¡¯t sound overtly confident, but Gabriel was willing to accept it¡­for now.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 14 â€“ Memories Can Be Viewed Through Rose-Tinted Glassesâ€¦Or Black

    He could only sit still for two minutes before anxiety made him stand, and Gabriel went through the door of the bedroom to stand by the bathroom, and knocked, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m gonna sit out here until you¡¯re done...¡±

    There wasn¡¯t an answer.

    ¡°Ren?¡±

    Still nothing.

    He sucked in a breath, held it for a moment, and then pushed slightly on the partly-open door, ¡°I¡¯m coming in; last chance to say something¡­¡±

    She couldn¡¯t anyway.  He spotted her through the frosted-glass shower door, sitting against it with her head bent down.

    ¡°Ren!¡± There wasn¡¯t time to worry about modesty; he quickly rushed over and pulled the door open, catching her and going to a knee before she could fall out and onto the floor.  Dubious of the gel-sleeved arm pressed between her and himself, he did his best to prop her back up again and gently pat her face, ¡°Ren?  Are you there?¡±

    She managed a slow blink, and her eyes turned towards him, but it took her a moment longer before she had her wits again, and she forced herself to sit upright with her own strength, ¡°Sorry, I¡­didn¡¯t even feel it coming¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing too much.  You¡¯ve been awake for less than an hour and you¡¯ve already tried to make a break for it.  Why do I get the distinct feeling that you¡¯re running from something?¡± He asked cautiously.

    There was hesitation in her reply, and in the end, she deflected it entirely, ¡°¡­Where¡­did I lose my arm?  Where did it break, I mean?¡±

    He blinked at that, but sighed and shook his head lightly before he pulled back a bit ¨C out of the spray that had gotten all over his pants ¨C and softly set a finger to a spot about two inches above her elbow, ¡°This is where the stump ended¡­but from what I saw once we were here, the docs took it a bit further up, and cut the skin into sectional flaps.¡±  He drew a rough outline of the vertical zig-zag that went half the rest of the way to the deltoid, ¡°I got to see how the selective cloning folks crafted your replacement.  It¡¯s¡­really incredible, actually.  They basically 3D printed it from harvested cells, starting with the bones, and-¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna be sick-¡° She interrupted, and dipped to her right side, slapping her hand on the wet shower-tile to catch herself.  She hadn¡¯t eaten real food in days though, so all she could do was spit-up bile, ¡°How miserable¡­¡±

    ¡°You could do worse.¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s an awkward imposition, but¡­could you help me finish?  I just¡­want to wash my hair¡­but every time I lift up my good arm, I get light-headed¡­¡±

    He was surprised at the request, ¡°¡­You really want me to?  Last time we spoke, you were on my case about being a sourpuss.¡±

    She set the back of her head to the frosted-glass behind herself, and managed a wry smile as she closed her eyes to the oncoming water, ¡°I recall saying I was also proud of you for being honest, and we got reacquainted.¡±  She opened one green eye to her left, ¡°Or did I make that up from wishful thinking?¡±

    Gabriel swallowed a nervous lump in his throat, but he shook his head, ¡°No, that definitely happened¡­  You¡¯ll be happy to know that I¡¯ve even made one whole friend over these last several days.¡±

    ¡°Big progress¡­¡± She smiled and closed that eye again, and drudged-up the strength to lean forward and wrap her right arm around her upturned knees.  Water cascaded over her then, saturating her dark, thick hair, and after a moment¡­that water gave away the last bits of bloody residue from where her ¡®beans¡¯ had been so callously extracted.  She was confused by the sight of that red run-off, ¡°¡­What¡¯s¡­that?¡±

    ¡°Your arm wasn¡¯t the only thing you lost.¡± He answered, and reached through the spray to find a bottle of shampoo on a hanging shower-caddy.  He set it down beside himself as he continued to explain, and pulled off the long, grey, fingerless-gloves of his uniform, ¡°The Magistrate you fought seems to be a bit of a sadist, and he¡­took all our nano-nodules out, too.  Everything¡¯s been put back since then, and you can access the World Cloud again anytime you want, but¡­the nurse-assistants could only do so much with dry shampoo while you were bedridden.  This would be the last of the evidence that anything happened.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± She mumbled, and made sure to close her eyes completely as she felt the cold squish of shampoo-gel on top of her head.  She¡¯d seen Gabriel roll back his sleeves, and simply resigned to let him do what he had to, lathering the shampoo until every inch of her hair was covered in white foam.  The gentle jostle of that work was a small comfort, and the warmth of the water soothed her frayed nerves, ¡°¡­You¡¯ve¡­met the Captain, then¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I wasn¡¯t really aware of it until after we were already back, and Xanarken had taken me to come see you.  The Captain and Seth showed up together with the same idea.¡±  Gabriel answered, and stood up briefly so he could reach for the hand-held shower-head, and clicked the switch so water would rush through it instead of the overhead one.  Once he was sure any cold water left behind from the last four months had sprayed out, he took it to Ren¡¯s hair, and rinsed thoroughly, ¡°They¡¯re the spitting image of each other, give or take a few years.  Heh, the Captain¡¯s old enough to be Seth¡¯s own father.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­  Furio-¡­er¡­the Captain has been a Fafnir longer than Seth¡¯s been alive.¡±

    ¡°First-name basis with a superior officer, eh?  Scandalous.¡± He teased.

    Ren buried her face against her knees, ¡°It¡­was nothing.¡±

    That was an obvious lie, but Gabriel wasn¡¯t ready to push her on it, so he just made a mental note and shelved it for the time being.  He switched the spray-head back around and went looking for the conditioner next.  The bottle was nearly empty - and he had to shake it just-so to dislodge that old paste from the bottom and get it to the nib - then squeezed several times to get what he could out of it, and went back to that massaging movement, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know if now¡¯s the right time to say so, but¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­that I wasn¡¯t more helpful back there.¡±

    She turned her face towards him, but couldn¡¯t open her eyes for risk of the run-off, ¡°¡­You¡¯re¡­sorry?  Why?¡±  She asked skeptically.  The spray switched-over again, and he washed out the conditioner, leaving that dark hair smooth and silky, ¡°¡­Gabriel.¡±

    ¡°So much of my work requires me to be unapologetic in everything I say or do.  It all has to be calculated, deliberate¡­intended, no matter the outcome.¡± He attempted to explain, ¡°So¡­¡¯sorry¡¯ isn¡¯t a word that comes out of me often.  ¡­But I¡¯ve had a lot of time to think over these past several days, and no excuse to avoid reading your file anymore¡­so, I did, and¡­I¡¯m sorry.  ¡­For¡­how I treated you these past four months.¡±

    The water cut-off, and Ren rubbed the left-overs from her face.  She did her best to squeeze the rest from her hair with her one good arm, and waited for Gabriel to return with a towel or two.  A big one went over her back and shoulders, and the other carefully collected her head.  Gabriel clearly had experience managing long wet hair and knew how to wrap it up to keep the towel in place ¨C pulling the furthest two corners of the towel back around to tie around the front of her head like a turban - then offered what assistance he could to get her back to her feet again.  It was an awkward shuffle to get her back to her bed, but he managed, and with some guidance, found a big t-shirt and some sweatpants for her to put on.  Ren couldn¡¯t help but shake her head and huff a laugh as he helped get one foot into each pant-leg, ¡°You have nothing¡­to be sorry for.¡± She tried to explain, and hooked her right arm over his shoulder as he stood up.  He lifted her with him so he could get the waistband up around her hips.  From that angle, there was a moment where they were rather closely face-to-face, ¡°¡­You¡¯re a good guy, Gabriel.  When you¡­let yourself be.¡±

    His face went red, and quickly put some ¡®professional¡¯ distance, ¡°Thanks.¡±  It was easier to get out to the living-room at that point.  Gabriel guided her over to her couch, and helped guide her down to sit, minding her left arm in particular, ¡°Seth should be back soon with something for you to eat.¡±

    ¡°What are you running from?¡± She suddenly asked, which threw him off, ¡°Gabriel Lugios.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why do you ask?  That¡¯s a weird question.¡±

    ¡°Because¡­for a guy whose job it is to talk a lot, you¡¯re suspiciously mum about yourself.¡± She explained meekly, and reached a hand around to curl her fingers around the gel-sleeve, feeling for whatever might lurk beneath it, out of sight.

    He hesitated to speak again, and sat on the couch at the opposite end to her.  He set his elbows onto his damp knees, and tapped his fingertips together as he thought, ¡°¡­I¡­feel like I could¡¯ve done more to help, if I hadn¡¯t spent my whole life running from what I am.¡± He answered vaguely, ¡°Rylen has so thoroughly convinced me that my affliction is too dangerous to be allowed to breathe, that I¡¯ve become ashamed of it, and avoid acknowledging it as much as I can.  But I can¡¯t help this nagging feeling that if¡­I was more adept with its use, I could¡¯ve done more to stop Regulus before he hurt you as badly as he did.  But then, I find myself in this weird situation where I remember¡­I¡¯m on the Aegis!  In the company of a caste of elite warriors whose entire business ¨C and reason for existing ¨C is for the elimination of dangerous Limitless users¡­and in that moment, I¡¯m right back where I started; face-down in the snow, with my mom using her body to protect me from a Fafnir who has a weapon trained on us.¡±

    Ren¡¯s brow furrowed with every word, and she looked aside, ¡°¡­I¡­feel really stupid suddenly.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not stupid¡­¡±

    ¡°All this time, I thought that by joining the Fafnir, I was doing the world a favor, hunting down the beastly creatures whose diabolical abuse of their power were what caused that mission to deploy to begin with¡­¡± Ren shook her head, and curled her right arm up over the back of the couch, resting her fingers against her chin and lip, ¡°The circumstances that¡­led to us getting partnered¡­  It¡¯s all starting to feel like a joke at both our expense.¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s turn the joke around then.¡± Gabriel suggested, drawing those evergreen eyes back his way, ¡°Everyone¡¯s expecting this partnership to fail.  That I¡¯ll do everything I can do drive you away, like I¡¯ve done with everyone else.  What if we actually make it work?¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°¡­You mean it?¡±

    ¡°Sure.  I owe those two jackass Eidolon a payback anyway.¡±

    Ren¡¯s eye twitched, ¡°¡­Those two what.¡±

    .

    Regulus¡¯ district flagship was slated for decommissioning after the slaughter that took-place on its decks, and the Magistrate oversaw the service that recognized the deaths of many of his staff.  He was still in those funeral blacks when he made his way back to Stoneface Bluffs, borrowing the use of a much smaller skiff in place of the former.  He was taken past his home-office though, and flown far past the city¡¯s northern edge, towards an old-growth forest¡­where a research and development facility was based.

    Further west than the late Gavin Mallerd¡¯s homestead, the forest was situated at the southernmost tip of the Exclusion Zone, which expanded far to the north, through the mountains, and all the way to the open waters of the bay that capped it.  A hangar near a waterfall opened wide, and the small skiff went within its dark confines.  Regulus disembarked directly into the presence of his mech, stored in a corner, with a number of technicians working to restore it.  The severed arm had been retrieved from the causeway, and repairs were taking place to both ends of the clean break.  With nought to do there for the time being, the Magistrate continued on and into the belly of the facility.

    Waiting for him on the next floor up were a pair of lab-rats ¨C working there were technicians, researchers, scientists, and the like ¨C and three others whom he didn¡¯t recognize.  Regulus went right up to his people though, ¡°How¡¯s it doing?¡±

    The first to speak was an elder ¨C tall, thin, and balding for the most part, save a few wisps of hair around the sides and back of his head.  He stepped forward with a large FlexiGlas tablet in his hands, pressed casually to his chest; he didn¡¯t need to look at it to know what to say, ¡°The transport was uneventful.  Whatever the Fafnir did to it was enough to render it into a passive state, but¡­it does appear to be recovering.¡±

    ¡°Even after getting clobbered in the head as hard as it did?¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡± The older man nodded, twisting slightly into a nod for emphasis, ¡°The things this creature is doing to acclimate are quite remarkable, and it shows no signs of slowing down¡­  As it restores itself from the damage it sustained, it¡¯s continuing to evolve further.  It even appears to be growing a pair of rudimentary wings.¡±

    ¡°Set a time.  I want to hear about all of it.¡±

    Another body-moving nod was given, and the thin-man stepped back into the gaggle.

    Regulus turned his attention to a mousy young woman in the middle of the group, all-but lost in the forest of taller figures, ¡°Kourin, I have something for you.¡±

    Her hair was practically white, with subtle lavender streaks, which she held back in a thick ponytail, wrapped by a braid that arose from behind each ear.  She stepped through to the front, and adjusted the frameless-glasses sitting on her nose, ¡°Yessir?¡±

    The Magistrate withdrew two glass vials from the inside pocket of his long black coat, and put one into each of her expecting hands, ¡°These came from two Knights of the Luminary Council.  We¡¯ve been waiting a long time for this opportunity; do whatever you can to reverse-engineer them.  After what happened at the border, we urgently need a way to safeguard against the World Cloud.¡±

    She gripped her fingers around them, and jangled the nodules around carefully, then nodded, ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°And that wraps-up what I needed from the people I was expecting to see.  What are the rest of you here for?¡± Regulus wondered as he turned his eyes to the remaining three figures; none of them wore the characteristic research jackets that Kourin or the thin-man had.  They looked more¡­governmental.

    ¡°Your Honor, we come from the border office at Soothton.  We bring with us an urgent petition from¡­¡± A worried-looking older woman started, then looked to her cohorts for a moment of support before continuing, ¡°It¡¯s Prince Aamin.¡±

    ¡°Aamin?  He¡¯s alive?¡± Regulus was surprised, ¡°What does he want?¡±

    ¡°Safe-passage to Oceanside.¡± She answered, ¡°And political asylum.  We¡¯re all here because we have¡­concerns¡­about that.¡±

    The Magistrate nodded, and turned away in thought for a moment, ¡°With the way things are in Sargon¡­I can both understand and empathize with the Prince¡¯s plight.¡±  He turned to the envoys again, ¡°I¡¯m confused why you¡¯re here instead of at the main office in town though.  As you can see, this is hardly the place for political talks.¡±

    ¡°We went there originally, but we were directed to come here.  They¡­said you were taking an extended leave from your ministerial duties after what happened on your ship.  To focus on another project.¡± The older woman answered.

    The second of the three envoys spoke after her; a darkly man with long, slick black hair, ¡°We don¡¯t believe that your substitutes are well-suited to this task.  Prince Aamin cannot simply be processed through the machinery of the immigration system.  This is sensitive.¡±

    ¡°And what do you have to say?¡± Regulus turned his eyes to the last of the trio.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver the report on his physical and mental health.¡± He answered, and offered over a closed FlexiGlas scroll, ¡°I believe his current¡­mania, should be taken into consideration when you decide how you want to proceed with him.  He stated that he attempted to call an Inquisition onto his nephew, but in the ensuing disaster, his sister was burned to death, and he himself barely escaped.  The upper left half of him was ¨C for lack of a better description ¨C baked.  He was given first-aid by some sympathizers in Sargon, but he will need more specialized care if we accept him into the country.  Treating his condition alone could be a diplomatic incident.  I recommend we send him back to the Emperor.  He could be a liability to us.¡±

    ¡°¡­Agreed.  And yet¡­¡± Regulus flipped the scroll end-over-end in his hand a few times before grasping it, ¡°This could also be an opportunity.¡±

    .

    With a few days of recovery under her, Ren felt compelled to don her Fourth uniform once again.  Unlike a recovering active Fafnir, she had no pressing need to focus on the physical side of things; her mind worked as well as any other¡¯s, and she was bored.  With that grey and red jacket manifesting around the material layers of the costume, she looked at herself in a full-length mirror in her room.  Her lips pursed as she made a face at herself ¨C her long hair was down to her lower back in that condition, and with only one working arm, she couldn¡¯t put it up.  She went back to her bed to grab her sling ¨C put it on ¨C and found a brush, her clip, and a hair-tie, then left.

    She may not be interested in training at the moment, but she did know where some of her closest friends would be hanging out, since it was incumbent upon them to do so.  She sought for one particular Knight though, and it felt like she found every single person on the team before finding her.

    ¡°R-Ren!  What are you doing at this end of the ship¡­?¡± Ravan wondered quickly, and came rushing over to her at the side of a boxing ring.  She pulled off the foam helmet and gloves, and wiped her brow on her forearm, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be with Lugios or something?¡±

    ¡°I need help that I don¡¯t want to bother him with,¡± Ren answered, and held up her hair-things, ¡°You know how I like it.¡±

    Ravan blinked at her, but turned towards Corbin ¨C a lithe black man with a short-cut beard around his jaw, and long, grey-dappled dreadlocks pulled back behind his head ¨C and gave a shrug, ¡°I¡¯m being summoned.  Sorry!¡±

    Corbin shrugged and shook his head as he laughed and trotted over to lean over the ropes at rink-side ¨C Ravan had already slipped through them to get back to the ground, ¡°You must be feeling pretty good now if you¡¯re braving the dangers of this place to find someone.¡±

    Ren looked up with a wary smile, ¡°I think the Captain¡¯s avoiding everything right now.  Ever since he caught us in the hall, I haven¡¯t heard word or whisper of him.  All the better for both of us, probably, cuz I don¡¯t know if I could stop myself from clobbering him if I saw him now.¡±

    Corbin shook his head, ¡°Careful what you say, lady-friend.  You¡¯re in the Fourth now.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon then, Ren, I¡¯ll get cleaned up and back to ultra-normal mode, then I¡¯ll help you with your hair.  Don¡¯t wanna get all my sweat on you already.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that.¡± Ren laughed.

    While Ravan showered, dried, dressed, and made her way back, Ren went through a newsfeed of current events on the World Cloud.  One article that made her stop was the one describing the announcement of a week of mourning in Sargon, in the aftermath of the Empress¡¯ death.  Not mentioned was Prince Aamin¡¯s fate; she knew he had escaped the Bulwark, but supposed no one found him afterwards.

    They probably think he¡¯s dead, but don¡¯t want to say anything without a body to confirm, she thought.  She glanced up though when she spotted a shadow coming up on her right side.

    In her regular Sixth Wing uniform, Ravan was decked with the usual design of dark grey trimmed in silver, but the blocked-in colored section ¨C a strip down the back that wrapped halfway around the front of the chest, and went down to the bottom of those long coat-tails ¨C was blue.  Ravan kept a towel around her shoulders to keep the uniform dry, and rubbed the end of her wet hair in it, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get used to you wearing red.  It¡¯s¡­weird.¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡± Ren sighed and smiled, but offered up her instruments, and turned to put her back to the Knight where she sat on that locker-room bench, ¡°It¡¯s weird enough for me being here again¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been scarce since you woke up,¡± Ravan commented, and threw a leg over the back of the bench before she sat as well.  She took hold of the offered brush and got to work, ¡°Was starting to think you were avoiding us.¡±

    ¡°I did just get a factory-reset on my left arm,¡± Ren countered, ¡°I¡¯ve been doing therapy.¡±

    ¡°Mhm, 24 hours a day?  For three days straight?¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine¡­  I¡¯ve slightly been avoiding.¡±

    ¡°Care to explain?¡±

    Ren went quiet for a moment, ¡°¡­You know full well why.¡±

    ¡°I feel like if you gave him a chance to talk to you, you wouldn¡¯t hate him as much as you did when you left.¡± Ravan pointed out, ¡°And to this day, no one knows what happened between you two that made it turn out that way.  Insubordination only describes so much when we all knew-¡°

    ¡°You can¡¯t say it out loud like that.¡± Ren turned and looked over her right shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that you know.¡±

    ¡°You two weren¡¯t exactly the subtle sort,¡± Ravan raised her brows, ¡°I honestly think the Captain himself is the only one still in denial about how widespread that info was.  At least, on the team, I mean.¡±

    Ren could only sigh and lower her head; Ravan went back to her task.  She felt most of her hair get twisted-up and clipped loosely, then felt the deft tugs of fingers on a thinner segment over where she¡¯d recently had her stitches removed, ¡°¡­I came down now because I knew he wouldn¡¯t be there.¡± She started again, ¡°When he feels hard-done-by, he tends to want to work-out alone, late at night.  When I hadn¡¯t seen him lurking about since I woke up, I knew¡­¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re just going to spend the next little while avoiding one another?¡± Ravan wondered, finishing the first of a few braids she had a mind to thread, and went to pull-free the next length of black hair, ¡°It¡¯s been four and a half months¡­  Surely you¡¯ve both cooled down since then.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that I¡¯m allowed to talk about what actually happened on that last mission, now that I¡¯ve been demoted to a rank that doesn¡¯t even have permission to know about it in the first place.¡± Ren sighed, and reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose, ¡°But it¡¯s still fresh for me.  It¡¯s refreshed since being on board.  I¡­  I mean, as soon as Lord Rylen gives us permission to deboard, we¡¯ll be on our way.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really just gonna leave again¡­?¡± Ravan wondered carefully, finishing the second braid, and adjusted the clip so she could do the same again on the other side, ¡°Seth told us about how you guys reunited in Kitez.  He was absolutely devastated by your leaving.  It was like¡­you¡¯d died or something.  You just stopped talking to everyone.  It hurt all of us¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Ren answered sullenly, ¡°I couldn¡¯t face you guys after the trouble I¡¯d gotten myself into.  I considered it a miracle that the worst punishment I ended up facing was being demoted and transferred.  I was facing a Court Martial. I lost everything¡­and I didn¡¯t want to drag all of you down with me.  Misery spreads¡­¡±

    Ravan finished the last braid, and pulled the clip back out.  She stood up to get a better vantage as she tied the whole ponytail together at the base of the woman¡¯s head, lifted it up, put the clip back in, and let all that Persian black hair fall into place.  With a few adjustments to the braids so they¡¯d be even on each side, Ravan was satisfied with her work, and put her hands down on Ren¡¯s shoulders, ¡°¡­We were sisters.  I could understand not wanting to talk to Seth because of his proximity to his brother, but¡­me, too?¡±

    Ren reached back to make a tiny adjustment to the placement of the clip, so it settled better against her scalp, and lifted her left leg back over the bench to see her friend better.  She set her hand against the woman¡¯s knee as Ravan sat again, ¡°I promise, I won¡¯t fall out of touch again.  I¡¯ll be better this time.¡±

    Hazel eyes looked on suspiciously, but Ravan eventually relented, and nodded, leaning in to hug her friend, ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to it¡­¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 15 â€“ Nothing Is Ever What It Seems

    Denied.  User credentials invalid.

    Ren made a face as she looked at the access screen on her HUD; she knew the attempt was likely futile, but she had to try.  Ahead of her on the weather-deck, she watched Seth getting to do his first formal Limitless investigation on his very first willing test-subject; High Negotiator of the Fourth Wing, Gabriel Lugios.  She turned her eyes to her overlay again, and tried putting in her old password one more time¡­only to get the same message.

    Denied.  User credentials invalid.

    They really did cut me out, she thought grimly, and her brows crinkled in disappointment.  She waved her hand to hide the entire overlay under her sights, and pushed to sit up a bit higher on the long couch she¡¯d been slouching on.  She looked at the squeeze-ball in the loose grip of her new hand, and sighed, Practically speaking, I can only hold this thing up because my fingers naturally curl that direction¡­  It¡¯s gonna be a long road to get this thing functional.

    Seth handed Gabriel an empty ceramic cup, ¡°Can you split this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± He answered; eyes had been alight for a little while already, and his hair floated up as it typically did.  He focused on the cup, and the little lines of purple light manifested through the vertical center, with the finger-loop on the right side where he held it.  With a fizzle, the cup was now two halves, and he handed them back.

    Seth immediately took the two pieces and inspected the break line, then set the two halves together, ¡°¡­Wow¡­it¡¯s really a perfect split.¡±

    Gabriel just stared like that was the most obvious thing anyone could¡¯ve said, and glanced over at Ren with a shrug, ¡°I mean¡­it¡¯s what it do.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean¡­look how well the pieces fit back together.  You can¡¯t even see the seam-line anymore.  If I didn¡¯t know they were two pieces, I¡¯d think I could fill it with liquid.¡± Seth explained, ¡°Normally when something is cut, there¡¯s an amount of material that¡¯s lost where the break happens.  Like when you cut through wood, and all the saw-dust comes out from the friction.  But this?  This is incredible¡­  I¡¯d have to look at it with instrumentation but, to my primitive ape-eyes, it looks¡­as if the very molecules that make-up the edges were just nudged apart from one another, with nothing missing between them.¡±

    ¡°Neat.¡±

    ¡°Dame Ren?¡±

    The voice was like a dagger through the air; Gabriel¡¯s afflictive light vanished quickly, and his hair dropped behind his back.  Seth looked up normally.  Ren could feel her heart in her throat.  She turned her head slightly first, then her whole upper body¡­and spotted Furion there in the middle of the atrium.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Seth said cheerfully, and held up the two halves of the cup, ¡°Look at what Mr. Gabriel¡¯s Limitless thing can do!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡± Furion answered, and turned side-face, gesturing back the way he¡¯d come, ¡°Dame Ren.  A moment.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes went from the Captain to his trainee, and she gave him a pleading look, but he could only shrug; he had no excuse that could get her out of it.  They were clearly not doing anything important.  With a long sigh, Ren stood up, and reluctantly shuffled her way around the length of that long sectional to follow after her former commander.

    Her heart pounded strongly enough that she thought it could be seen through her jacket, and she set her good hand over it in an attempt to calm it down.  Before she knew it though, that awkward silent procession had ended in the Captain¡¯s office, and that familiar space made her breath catch in her throat.  She finally managed to speak though, ¡°¡­What¡¯s all this about?  What do you want all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Your credentials were noted as trying to access sensitive Sixth Wing files; more specifically, Fafnir files.¡± He answered calmly, and stood beside his desk, ¡°As an official with an interest in who is accessing that data, I was alerted to the attempt.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Attempt¡¯ being the operative word.  I couldn¡¯t get in.  Can I go?  Captain Rydell, sir.¡±

    Furion hesitated to answer for a moment, but then shook his head, and dropped the whole fa?ade, ¡°Ren, I¡­  What are you trying to do?  What are you looking for all of a sudden?¡±

    She narrowed her eyes at him, ¡°Why do you care?¡±

    ¡°Because if you need the access, I can give it to you.¡± He explained, ¡°I just need to know what you¡¯re looking up.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want your help,¡± She said bitterly, and turned to start going towards the door again, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    She paused with her hand only an inch above the door-panel.

    Furion took a careful step closer, ¡°¡­Why are you still so angry, after all this time?  I thought-¡°

    ¡°You thought nothing.¡± She barked, and turned on a heel to point at him, ¡°After what you did to me ¨C after what you made me do ¨C how can you even ask that question?¡±

    The stunned look on his face was unexpected, ¡°¡­You still don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Know what.¡±

    He turned his gaze away, ¡°I thought you¡¯d realize¡­after¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about!?¡±

    Furion clenched his eyes and shook his head, but then gestured upwards with both hands, and put his HUD on display for Ren to see.  He turned it and shoved the images above his desk, and made them bigger and easier to see.

    Ren just glowered at him, ¡°Whatever you want me to see, I¡¯m not going to be able to.  It¡¯ll just be a blank canvas to my rank.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fixing that, too.¡± He answered simply; and as he spoke, he was already doing so.  He found Ren¡¯s dossier in the Council¡¯s personnel database, and reactivated her Fafnir rank, ¡°There¡­  You¡¯re one of us again.¡±

    ¡°What-¡° She balked as her uniform regained its blue hue, and the coat-tails elongated to her heels.

    ¡°That last mission isn¡¯t what you think it was.¡± He continued, and sifted through the mission date-logs, going back until he found that infamous date.  There were two entries; one from Ren¡¯s armor and one from the ship¡¯s log.  The important one was Ren¡¯s, and he loaded the video of her perspective to the display.  The first thing it showed was her last few seconds in the Aegis¡¯ launch-bay before she took off into the skies, and since that was irrelevant, he fast-forwarded through it until she¡¯d arrived at the actual mission site.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see this again,¡± Ren commented, ¡°I already remember it too vividly.¡±

    Furion gestured back at her to wait again, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.  What you saw wasn¡¯t right.  Just¡­give me five minutes.  I¡¯ll explain everything.  Please don¡¯t make me issue that request as an order¡­¡±

    She rolled her eyes, but stood, ¡°Fine.¡±

    Furion took a step back and watched the footage unfold as he knew it to be.  The first-person view from Ren¡¯s armor gave a clear image; there was a warehouse, and it was already sunset, giving the area a red haze and deep shadows.

    ¡°Wing optics going off.¡± Ren¡¯s voice spoke, and the subtle glow on the door from behind her ceased.  Her armored hand went forward on the panel, and she pushed it in.  Dark-vision manifested, and the warehouse¡¯s interior was easy to see.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s looking really good so far.  Targets are still where they were prior.  You can proceed.¡± It was Furion¡¯s voice that time.

    Ren¡¯s sights showed how she¡¯d hovered up a series of metal ladders, and took to the upper level.  There was a door at the end of a dark corridor, illuminated for the occupancy, but put-to.  She crept closer, quietly, until she was right outside.  Voices could be heard; whoever was behind the door was speaking quietly.

    Hearing them already made Ren upset, ¡°That¡¯s not what happened.  You¡¯ve distorted the audio.¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s been altered.  This is the raw footage from the mission, logged and archived as it always is.¡± Furion corrected, despite Ren¡¯s angry expression, ¡°Just watch.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going in on three¡­two¡­¡± Ren¡¯s voice sounded, and the footage showed her right arm up with the vambrace-pistol at the ready.  With a breath, she took a step back, kicked the door in, held her arm up¡­and stalled, ¡°What¡­what is this?¡±

    ¡°STOP IT.¡± Ren yelled, stepping angrily forward as Furion paused the feed, ¡°That¡¯s not what was there.  Those are grown-ass men.  You sent me in there to kill children.  This footage has been doctored.¡±

    ¡°I promise you, it hasn¡¯t been.¡± Furion countered, ¡°This is what I saw the entire time.  When you started talking about kids, it made no sense.  Then all their eyes lit up and it was like you had no idea.  You just froze, and backed out of the room, arguing that Lord Rylen should take another look and try again.  I had no choice.  They were going to kill you.¡± He pleaded for reason to be given a chance, gesturing at the paused video.  A few clicks forward in the timeline and, as he¡¯d described, all four rough-looking men got up from their meeting table and activated their afflictive eyes.  He clicked to play normally again, and showed ¡®Ren¡¯ using that energy weapon on all four in quick succession, even as she was screaming for him to stop and resisting every forced movement.  He stopped the video then, and they were left in quiet, ¡°¡­In emergency situations, when a Fafnir has been rendered unconscious or compromised, the Captain can commandeer their armor in an effort to get them to safety or...to¡­complete the mission.  It¡¯s part of a fail-safe system that makes certain our weaponry will never be used wrongly.  The Fafnir¡­are too powerful to be allowed full, unfettered autonomy in the field.  In this case, as we found out later¡­there was a fifth target.  One we were all blind to.¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡­do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It was a trap, Ren.¡± He answered, ¡°They knew we were coming for them.  The fifth man ¨C one it took us two months to find after this ¨C used his power to put a sort of¡­glamour on them.  To you, he made them look like kids¡­but to me?  Watching remotely, on a digital video feed?  I saw exactly what it was.  As soon as your words about the mission didn¡¯t match what was happening, I knew you were in trouble¡­and I activated the fail-safe.  I took them out as planned, and then brought you back.¡±

    Ren was dumbstruck; she could hardly blink for the shock of it, ¡°¡­There¡¯s¡­no way¡­  I¡­I know what I¡­saw¡­  What I felt¡­¡±

    ¡°I know how real it felt to you, Ren¡­¡± Furion continued, ¡°You were so angry at me for what I did, but nothing I ¨C or even Lord Rylen ¨C said to you made any difference.  You just¡­you wouldn¡¯t listen to anyone.  The glamour was so absolute that it¡¯s like it changed your perception of what we were saying, and what you saw, even after you were back here¡­¡±  He dared to step closer, cautiously and slowly, ¡°We knew that you couldn¡¯t go back out there, so we¡­were forced to put you into detainment.  I was certain that once we got the guy who cast the glamour, you¡¯d finally be released¡­but when we did, and you didn¡¯t reach out¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Who¡­how?¡±

    ¡°The fifth man?¡± Furion echoed, ¡°His name was Tobias Greenwich.  He was a nobody before, just a thief, but¡­he spent a few years in the Exclusion Zone, and came back¡­far more powerful than we could handle at the time.  He started selling his glamours to the non-afflicted, and in the end, the only reason we actually got him was because he got arrogant about how powerful he¡¯d suddenly become.  Given what happened with you, Lord Rylen approved a remote-viewing mission later, and I effectively piloted Donivan¡¯s armor from here, since he couldn¡¯t trust what he saw with his own eyes.  Two prior stealth missions failed because the glamour turned out to be an aura, and impacted anyone who got too close¡­it didn¡¯t matter how quick or surgical we were.  So¡­we blinded Donivan¡¯s feed from start to finish that last time, so he¡¯d never have to witness whatever glamour was being used to try and stop him.¡±

    Ren looked down; she felt frozen.  Furion inched closer.

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t just keep you locked-away while we figured out how to stop this guy though,¡± He continued, ¡°So Lord Rylen came up with the idea of transferring you out to a non-combat position.  Lord Xanarken had a mediator with a bad history with the Fafnir and a penchant for driving partners away, and they agreed to put you with him on the belief that, once we got Tobias, the glamour would fall from your eyes and you¡¯d realize what you saw was false.  But you never came back.¡±

    ¡°¡­You all threatened me with a Court Martial!¡±

    ¡°You were never under threat of a Court Martial!¡± Furion pleaded, ¡°You just heard what you feared to hear!  Your whole life¡¯s ambition was to become a Fafnir, and the whole reason that dream started was because of a kid who¡¯d gotten targeted with a Fafnir¡¯s aim¡­  In retrospect, it makes perfect sense why you¡¯d think what you did.  That glamour worked so well because it fed on the fears of the people who walked into it.  Why do you think your room was left alone?  Why do you think I never let anyone take your position?  You¡¯re still Wing Commander.  The rank-change in the system was just a formality until the mission was over¡­!¡±

    Ren could feel her whole body shaking slightly.

    ¡°¡­The proof that it¡¯s over is in the fact that you could see the mission footage for what it really was, instead of seeing what you remembered while that glamour was active.  We tried to show it to you before; to convince you it was a ruse, but you¡­still saw those kids.¡± Furion went on; he was within arm¡¯s reach then.  He drew a careful breath, and took one more step closer, and dared to reach for her right shoulder, ¡°Nothing really worked out the way we thought it would¡­  You were too clever by half to fall for whatever Sir Gabriel threw at you that drove everyone else away.  The mission to go get Seth back?  ¡­That was Lord Rylen trying to reach you in a way that he thought might finally work, since you hadn¡¯t listened to anyone else.¡±

    ¡°¡­We all nearly died on that mission¡­¡±

    ¡°That whole thing went so incredibly wrong¡­  You should know that we¡¯d never put anyone ¨C especially a cadet ¨C in danger, if we had any reason to believe it would go south like that.  I sent Ianori to keep an eye on him, and even that felt like overkill; I had to agree to let him try out for your spot just to get him to go, knowing he¡¯d never get it.  Everything until those last moments went exactly as we expected it would, and from what I¡¯m understanding, it would¡¯ve continued that way if not for the void scar¡¯s behavior.¡± He explained, and when she didn¡¯t react to the feel of his touch, he stood straighter and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, ¡°¡­These last four months have been Hell without you¡­knowing how upset you were with me, and knowing there was nothing I could say or do that would convince you¡­  Please, Ren¡­  We put everything we had into getting Tobias so you¡¯d be free.  It¡¯s time to come home¡­¡±

    Tall as he was, when Ren turned her head, she could hear his heartbeat, ear against his chest.  The pain in her own was overwhelming though, ¡°¡­It¡­was all a lie¡­  None¡­  None of it was real, not a shred of it¡­¡±

    ¡°None of it¡­¡± He repeated.

    Her vision started to warble as tears filled her eyes.  Confusion swam in her head, conflicting with every emotion she¡¯d wrestled with over the last four months.  But that hug¡­it was so familiar, so warm¡­  Her left arm was pinned between them in her sling, but her right¡­she lifted it and wrapped it around the man¡¯s waist.  She could feel the relief melt through his whole body when she did it, and he hugged a little tighter, which just made her cry.

    Not that Furion was immune from that kind of thing; a few tears fell from his eyes as well.  When Ren felt them fall to her shoulder, she even looked up at him, those intense green eyes looking all the brighter for his newfound ¨C refound ¨C ease.  In a moment he¡¯d been hoping for, for four months, three weeks, and five days¡­he leaned in and gave his apology kiss.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 16 â€“ Even The Best Laid Plansâ€¦

    The Captain¡¯s quarters were nearly double the size of any other soldier¡¯s, and a good deal more luxurious.  But, the primary thing Ren noticed in the dark of that early-morning wake-up, was the feeling of those familiar sheets, in that familiar King-size bed, and the heat of a familiar naked body in front of her.  The room was still dark ¨C she¡¯d awoken on her own, much to her chagrin ¨C but she held close to that broad back she¡¯d been the big-spoon to for most of the night.

    She wanted to go back to sleep again.  She turned slightly, and lifted her right hand to slide against the warmth of the slumbering man¡¯s side, wedging it a bit further under his prone arm so she could feel his chest, and buried her face between his shoulder and the pillow.  She was sure she spent 30 minutes that way before giving up.

    Her guilty conscience wouldn¡¯t let her rest.

    Carefully, she peeled herself off the Captain¡¯s frame, making sure not to wake him as she twisted off the side of the bed.  She used her overlay to brighten the room just-enough to her sights to find the material pieces of her uniform, put everything back on again, and quietly left through the door attached to his office.  Once the door had quietly hissed to a close behind her, she drew in a long breath, and reactivated her Fourth uniform jacket.

    I¡¯m sorry, Furion¡­  Tonight was¡­lovely, but¡­I¡¯m¡­not ready yet.  I have unfinished business.

    It was 03:28am, and nearly no one was awake.  The ship¡¯s overnight skeleton-crew was located elsewhere, and that meant Ren had a clear path back to her own room.  Once inside, she threw herself onto her couch, kicked her boots off, pulled the throw-blanket over her crossed legs, and pulled up that same login screen as she¡¯d attempted the day before.  Just before clicking to submit her information though, she hesitated¡­and reset her uniform to the blues of the Sixth, ¡°Don¡¯t need him being woken up to my trying this again with the wrong permissions¡­¡±  That done, access was granted as it always had been, and she went digging into the way-back archives.  Years back, 10, 20¡­22¡­

    She didn¡¯t know the exact date of that ill-fated mission into the Exclusion Zone, but she did know that Captain Lequerion Rydell was one of the people who¡¯d been a participant, so she was able to exclude a vast majority of the year¡¯s logs.  The Captain rarely went out on grunt-missions himself, but this was a special case.  Once she¡¯d found it, she could see the crew that had been on-site.

    In a way, it was a relief to realize it was Wing Team One that had been there; Donivan had been part of Wing Team Two for as long as he had been a Fafnir, which was why he was Wing Commander Two in the present day.  On the other hand, it meant that it was her own squad ¨C even if it was her predecessors ¨C who¡¯d been responsible for the attack.  The Commander immediately prior to Furion¡¯s own promotion had been the one to lead it, and it was only a three-year gap before Furion became a Fafnir at all.

    Ren leaned back against the couch-cushions, and looked up at the ceiling.  For a while, she was just grateful for that distinction; it meant no one on the current Fafnir team was involved in the massacre that upended her mentor¡¯s life.  But, the video-logs for those who had been were right there, and she wrestled with whether or not she wanted to witness it.  She knew the former Captain had been there at the critical moment; only the Captain has a one-way line directly to the Eidolon, and she knew that both the First and the Fourth had been pulled to that location that day.  She hovered a finger over the archived footage of Captain Lequerion¡¯s perspective.

    ¡­I feel like I owe it to Gabe to know who did all this to him, she thought, and with a quick breath, she clicked it.  On her overlay, she witnessed the entire mission from start to finish.  It took two hours.  They tore through three different encampments before they finally found their man¡­and Gabriel had been found in the second.  It was surreal to see that Limitless glow from the eyes of a child so young, but there it was¡­proof beyond dispute.  No wonder they called Lord Rylen on him¡­  He¡¯s the definition of what he worries about, and why the Fafnir exist at all.  But¡­Gabe was just a kid¡­  I guess Lord Rylen has the same problem with pedicide as I do.  Glad he¡¯s got some scruples¡­

    She lowered down to her right side, and gestured with her fingers to the app that controlled the room¡¯s brightness.  Lowering them down to near-darkness, she closed her eyes, and used what remained of the morning to get a little more sleep.

    Then the distinctive, soft bing-bong from her door sounded, and she woke up again, hair messy and sticking in every direction.  With a palpitation, she realized she¡¯d left her clip in Furion¡¯s room, and for an instant, she forgot her left arm was in a state; she tried to use that hand to re-brighten the room, but felt a resistance¡­and had to pause.  With a grumble, she pushed herself back up to sit normally, used her working hand to gesture at her HUD, and finally went over to the door.  The only thing that stopped her then was the fact that she had to look down a little bit to activate the side-panel to get a preview of who she was about to see, and out the corner of her eye, she saw she still had her blues on.  She quickly shook her head, restored her reds, ran her fingers through her hair, and skipped the preview.

    ¡°Ah!  Oh.  You¡¯re actually here.¡± Gabriel¡¯s voice was surprised to see her, ¡°That¡¯s great; you weren¡¯t answering my messages.¡±

    She blinked at him in a haze, ¡°You sent messages?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± He stared awkwardly, ¡°When you never came back from that little meeting with the Captain, I tried to check on you.¡±

    ¡°Wha?¡± Ren was still confused, ¡°Hang on.¡±  She turned slightly and saw on her overlay that her DND status was still active.  Once she disabled it, she saw the notifications, ¡°Oh.  Sorry.  My do not disturb goes on around 20:00 hours and I only get messages from the folks I¡¯ve put on the push-through list.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not on the list?¡± He teased cautiously.

    ¡°You¡¯ve never messaged me before.  I guess it didn¡¯t occur to me to add you to it.¡±

    He could feel his left eye twitch slightly, ¡°¡­Right.¡±  That awkward feeling only increased when Ren stepped into his bubble and hugged him, ¡°Oh.  Uhm.  Yes.  Hi¡­hello.  Good morning.¡±

    ¡°I have something for you.  Come inside for a minute.¡± She suggested, and stepped back to clear the way.

    Skeptical, Gabriel went within, and the door hissed close behind them, ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­?¡±

    ¡°The reason Fu-¡­er¡­Captain Rydell came for me yesterday-¡°

    ¡°You can drop the pretenses.  I get it; first-name basis.¡±

    She made a face at him, ¡°I don¡¯t want you thinking I¡¯m a hypocrite.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±

    Her brows crinkled, and she shook her head, ¡°¡­He came because he got-wind of my attempts to access the Fafnir archives.  He¡­gave me everything back.  My status, my rank¡­everything¡­¡±

    A weird pit grew in the mediator¡¯s stomach, but he managed a nod, ¡°¡­I see¡­¡±

    Ren clicked her fingers and the red on her uniform changed once-more to royal blue; the tails of her coat extended down.  They stood now as equals, not mentor and student, and she cast a worried look at him, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­know how much longer I¡¯m going to be allowed to work with you.  It won¡¯t go beyond Lord Rylen¡¯s notice that my clearance levels have gone up, and I have no doubt whatsoever that Furion will spill the beans about it pretty-much-immediately¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Right¡­¡± He looked clearly disappointed.

    ¡°But before I get to all that¡­the thing I have for you.¡± She diverted, and with her one good hand, manufactured a data-node to hover above her palm.  She offered it to him, ¡°¡­I¡­don¡¯t do this because I want you to think about having a ¡®get revenge on the Fafnir who ruined your life¡¯ arc.  They were just doing their job, finishing a mission, and getting a really bad guy out of the way.  You were an unfortunate consequence of that, and I¡¯m sure if you talked to him about it, this man would have regrets about what happened that day.¡± She nudged her palm up for emphasis, ¡°If you want to know who it was ¨C to see his face ¨C I found out who actually pulled the trigger on your mom.¡±

    Gabriel stared at that glimmering orb of data; the temptation was real, but after a few moments of consideration, he took a step back, ¡°¡­No¡­¡±

    Ren stayed put, wordless.

    ¡°I may still have some feelings about what happened back then, but...I¡¯ve mostly put it behind me.  I¡­don¡¯t want to go back to being that angry kid that Xanarken sent away.¡± He explained, and stepped forward only to close Ren¡¯s fingers so the nodule would go away, ¡°But¡­thank you, Ren.  I do appreciate it.¡±

    Those green eyes watched carefully, but Ren understood, and nodded, ¡°You can always change your mind later.¡±

    Gabriel held there for a moment longer, but eventually let the woman¡¯s hand go, and crossed his arms, ¡°¡­I guess the state of things means that, to get access to that information I just rejected, you got yourself suckered back into the Fafnir.  So, in a sad way, ultimately, it was still me who sent you away in the end.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°Gabe¡­¡± She stepped forward and put a hand on his arm, ¡°It¡­turns out that¡¯s all a bit more complicated than that.  Furion didn¡¯t exactly hold up that information like a carrot on a stick, or propose some ultimatum; forcing me accept this uniform back in exchange for the access.  He said he would¡¯ve given it to me either way, he just wanted to know what I was looking for.

    ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°He begged me for five minutes of my time, and showed me that¡­everything I thought I knew for these last several months¡­was a lie.¡± She explained, and rubbed her thumb there soothingly, though it still hurt to have to retell the story, ¡°Apparently, on my last mission, I walked into a Limitless trap, and nothing I saw was real.  I got myself all worked-up about a mirage.  The transfer out, being partnered with you¡­it was¡­all just Furion and Lord Rylen finding some way to placate me until they figured out how to fix things, so I wouldn¡¯t have to rot in a cell that whole time instead.¡±

    ¡°¡­So that was the joke.¡±

    ¡°Seems so¡­¡±

    ¡°And the Captain¡¯s the only one who knows so far that you¡¯ve been restored.¡±

    ¡°¡­For now, yeah.¡± She nodded, ¡°When he wakes up though, it¡¯s anyone¡¯s guess.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    ¡°So¡­in the meantime, you wanna get something to eat?  As far as the official record goes, I¡¯m still with you.¡± She suggested, and gestured to change her uniform-colors back to red again, and set the length to her knees as before, ¡°I¡¯ve more-or-less been up for a few hours already.  I¡¯m starving.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, sure.¡±

    .

    When Furion finally awoke, he wasn¡¯t entirely surprised that Ren was already gone.  Still, he was disappointed anyway, and reached up to rub his face with both hands, ¡°Back to this same routine already¡­  Sneaking out before the night-crew switches out for the morning¡­  Sorry to do this to you again, Ren¡­¡±

    He got himself ready for the day and waded out into his office, yawning as he crossed the threshold of private quarters to public space.  He barely had a chance to sit down and put in a request for coffee before his Eidolon manifested in front of him, and he immediately bolted up again to salute, ¡°Lord Rylen, sir!¡±

    ¡°At ease, Captain.¡± Rylen waved a hand dismissively, and walked up to the front of the desk, a bit of a spring in his step, ¡°I saw that you worked your magic.  Great job!¡±

    ¡°My¡­what?¡±

    ¡°Dame Ren!¡± He answered easily, ¡°I may or may not have been checking her dossier once or twice a day to see if there were any changes since she was brought aboard the Aegis¡­  Lo and behold, it was updated late last night!  So, how did it go?  What did you say?¡±

    Furion shook his head to clear the mental whiplash, ¡°¡­Sir, I just¡­showed her what happened.  I had to restore her rank so she could see the footage on my display.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± The dark-elf-looking Eidolon seemed confused and had a disappointed edge in his voice, ¡°So she¡¯s not back?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, she definitely is, sir.  We just need to get Lord Xanarken to release her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s easy, then.¡± Rylen was all-smiles again, and put out a request for his brother to come.  When it went unanswered, however, he grumbled, ¡°It must be too early, still.  He¡¯s asleep.¡±  He waved his hands, ¡°I¡¯ll get back to this when he¡¯s up.  You¡¯ve done the Fafnir a great service, Captain.  It¡¯s good to have the whole team back together again.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sir, about that.¡± Furion interjected, and the First hesitated to dissolve his mantle, ¡°What about Sir Ianori?  Is he dead or is he¡­just gone?  Do we need to arrange a memorial service for him?  Alert his next of kin¡­?¡±

    Rylen hesitated, and put a finger on his chin for a moment, ¡°¡­Hold off on all that for now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a week, sir.¡±

    ¡°Mhm?¡±

    Furion balked internally, but on the outside, he just looked on, and lowered his eyes, ¡°Yessir.¡±

    .

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re kidding me.¡± Ren whispered, a tray with breakfast balancing on her good hand.  She looked inside Gabriel¡¯s temporary room ¨C the same one he¡¯d awoken in after the incident ¨C and spotted the Himalayan snoozing on his bed, ¡°That¡¯s Lord Xanarken?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.  When I called them ¡®jackass Eidolon,¡¯ it¡¯s cuz him and Rylen sometimes prank me by showing up as cats, and it¡¯s really embarrassing.¡± Gabriel answered.

    The duo moved inside quietly and closed the door, careful to avoid waking up the feline.  Ren could hardly keep a straight face; the whole thing was extremely entertaining, ¡°What kind of cat does Lord Rylen turn into?¡±

    ¡°This grey short-haired thing.  You can tell it¡¯s them though because they keep their same eyes with either mantle.¡± He set his own tray down, and moved to crouch at the side of the bed, eyeballing the creature just over the edge of the blankets.  Ren followed-suit on the other side.  Gabriel¡¯s eyes got a mischievous look to them, ¡°I¡¯m gonna wake him up.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!  This is adorable!¡±

    The XanarCat just stretched in that moment, elongated those fuzzy legs, and spread its toe-beans widely before rolling slightly onto its back, one paw carefully set over its eyes.

    Ren squealed quietly with delight.

    That¡¯s when Gabriel pounced; he stood up fully, grabbed the cat with both hands around its fluffy chest, and hoisted it up, with those salad-tongs it claimed as arms sticking straight out ahead of itself, ¡°Xanarken.¡±  No response, so Gabriel swayed the creature from side to side, turning its lower half into a pendulum, ¡°Xaaaanakareeeeeeen.¡±

    Ren smacked her forehead, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re doing this to him.  He was so peaceful.¡±

    One purple eye opened, closed again, then both opened halfway, and the voice of the Eidolon spoke from that unmoving mouth, ¡°Why are you like this?¡±

    ¡°We have a problem.  You were right there.  You have the answer to the problem.¡± The mediator answered, and allowed the fuzzbucket to hop back down to the bed-spread.

    That¡¯s when Xanarken finally noticed Ren there, and he lifted his head, that dark triangular nose wiggling slightly as if the cat was actually sniffing at her.  Its vivid purple eyes gave away the truth of its identity ¨C if the fact that it spoke already wasn¡¯t enough ¨C but Ren still couldn¡¯t help herself, and took that glance as an invitation to pet it.  To her delight, the XanarCat actually leaned into the scritches, and rubbed up against her where she was closest to the edge of the bed.

    Gabriel just crossed his arms, ¡°You¡¯re enjoying that way too much.¡±

    They both gawked at him though, neither sure which one of them he was referring to, and continued with the pets right after.

    The mediator just waved his hands at them and went to sit down before his breakfast got cold(er.)

    ¡°This is the second greatest day of my entire life.¡± Ren cooed, and actually got up onto the foot of the bed to sit cross-legged with the Himalayan.  When the XanarCat got into her lap to lay down though, that topped the charts, ¡°BEST DAY EVER.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I should make her High Negotiator.  She appreciates me.¡± Xanarken taunted, paws making biscuits against the blanket in front of Ren¡¯s crossed ankles.

    ¡°That¡¯s kind of what we came to talk to you about,¡± Gabriel noted as he unpacked and uncovered his fare.

    Xanarken lifted his head, ¡°¡­You want her to take your job?¡±

    ¡°What?  No.  But¡­she wants to finish the program.¡±

    ¡°¡­That was the intent?¡±

    ¡°Change of plans.¡± Ren explained, even as she rubbed her fingers between the cat¡¯s ears, ¡°Last night, I found out the truth about my last mission.  Captain Rydell has taken my understanding of those circumstances to mean that I want to go back to the Fafnir right away.  But¡­Gabe and I have made some breakthroughs lately, and I¡­want to finish-out my training with him first.¡±

    The XanarCat listened contentedly, but when Ren got to the end of that statement, his eyes went wide.  His whole body fluffed-up like he had gotten startled, and in a quick shift, dissolved his cat-mantle and reformed a few feet away as his normal self¡­with an absolutely flabbergasted look on his face.  He wasn¡¯t sure who to look at, and just repeatedly changed directions before finally settling on the blonde, ¡°First name basis?  She¡¯s using a nickname on you, even?¡±  He lifted a hand to his brow, and threaded his fingers through his hair, ¡°What sorcery is this?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s seen me naked, too.¡± She taunted.

    Gabriel¡¯s face went bright red, ¡°Don¡¯t make it weird.¡± He gawked at his Eidolon, ¡°She collapsed in her shower the other night!  I had no other options.  Also,¡± He pointed a fork around the Eidolon, at his trainee, ¡°You are suddenly getting extremely comfortable around the Eidolon of the Fourth.¡±

    ¡°He just sat in my lap and I rubbed his head.  How can I call him sir again so soon after?¡±

    Xanarken thumbed at her, ¡°She¡¯s got a point, you know.¡±

    ¡°Are you gonna eat this stuff or not?¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine¡­¡± She chuckled and pushed off the edge of the bed to go sit down properly.

    In passing the Eidolon on her way, Xanarken followed her with his confused gaze, and backed-up against the end of the bed, sitting on the footboard, ¡°I¡­am equal parts curious and confused.  What happened?  Why are you two so chummy suddenly?¡±

    ¡°She scolded me in Kitez for being a hard-ass for the last four months and, for a change, I actually listened.¡± Gabriel answered, explaining it in its most distilled form, ¡°Having her put her life on the line to save Seth and I also helped.¡±

    ¡°I actually really like him, too.  Well, now, anyway.¡± Ren added, ¡°It¡¯s crazy how much more personable he is when he¡¯s not trying to act emotionally constipated.¡± Xanarken snorted a laugh but Gabriel just stared at her with an offended look on his face, ¡°Since we¡¯re on the same page though, I feel like it would be a waste if I just left and went back.  So¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­If you have any power at all over whether she stays or goes, we¡¯re asking you to stop the transfer until she graduates.¡± Gabriel finished.

    Xanarken stared at them for a good long while, a thousand things going through his head at once.  But, in the end, he smacked his hands down onto his thighs as he stood back up again, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do what I can.  I can¡¯t make any guarantees, but¡­I¡¯ve stalled him for two months already, what¡¯s a few more.¡±

    Gabriel nearly choked, ¡°Say what!?  Two months!?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The Eidolon asked nonchalantly, ¡°She told you what happened, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Well, after the Fafnir got the guy who put the glamour on her in the first place, Rylen started looking to get his toy back.  But, because she¡¯s in the Fourth now, he couldn¡¯t just snatch her out of my hands.  I thought she was a good influence on you, so I made him back down for a while.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t stop the Captain from snatching her himself.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Ren flipped her colors again, ¡°Part of me finding out what happened included restoring my rank so I could see the footage.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah.  That changes things.¡±

    ¡°Explain?¡± Gabriel mumbled.

    ¡°As Eidolon, we have an agreement between one another that we won¡¯t step on each other¡¯s toes when it comes to what we each do with our own Wings.  We mind our own business.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡°So that was the only thing stopping Rylen from doing exactly what the good Captain just did.  Captain Rydell was under no such understanding, and he just voided the agreement.  She¡¯s a member of both Wings now, and if Rylen wants to pull her for something, he need only say so.  I have to work with him on it¡­I can¡¯t just say no anymore.¡±

    Gabriel put his fork down, ¡°¡­So that¡¯s what it was.  Rylen was playing the long-game.  He knew that this whole mission into Kitez would put Ren into swiping-distance of the Fafnir, and counted on that contact making her pine for the old days.  It was just to his benefit that it led us all to being stuck on the Aegis in the end.¡±

    ¡°I told him ahead of your deployment that he shouldn¡¯t count on it.¡± Xanarken sighed, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad you two are getting along and want to finish the program.  Nothing wrong with expanding that skillset.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±

    The Eidolon gave a little wave before dissolving his mantle, and left the two on their own to finish eating.  Gabriel lifted a fist, and Ren bumped it with her own; mission accomplished.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 17 â€“ Satisfaction And Disappointment Must Come In Equal Measure

    ¡°No?¡± Rylen was stunned, ¡°What do you mean, no?¡±

    Furion was surprised as well.

    The Fourth Eidolon wouldn¡¯t budge though, ¡°I told you two months ago that I wanted to keep her with Gabe until she went through the whole program. It¡¯s a six-month mentorship. He¡¯s finally on-board and they¡¯re actually getting on well now. I¡¯m not just saying no because I was asked to say no, either; I¡¯m asking you to let her stay for his sake, too. As a favor to me.¡±

    ¡°You were asked to say no.¡± Rylen echoed in disbelief, ¡°¡­Is that why you wouldn¡¯t answer my call this morning?¡±

    ¡°You called this morning?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Yes, I did! From this very spot!¡± He gestured at the floor of Furion¡¯s office, ¡°The Captain watched me do it!¡±

    ¡°Oh. It must¡¯ve been when I was sleeping. Gabe was the one who woke me up, and he did so specifically to pose that request. Him and Ren kind-of double-teamed me.¡±

    Furion¡¯s eyes widened a bit, She was in on this? He lowered his gaze a bit to look away, I thought she was ready to come back¡­ The way we spent the night¡­  When he looked up again, Xanarken had already taken his leave, and Rylen was left alone there looking sour.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s certainly putting a damper on things.¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    Rylen turned in annoyance, ¡°If he won¡¯t release her, we can¡¯t announce that she¡¯s coming back yet. In fact, until he does, we can¡¯t say anything about it. I can borrow her for missions if I want, but given the whole ship is about to go on leave, there¡¯s nothing to borrow her for.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re about to go on leave, sir?¡± Furion was doubly-surprised, ¡°It wasn¡¯t scheduled for another month. We have that other mission coming up in two days that we were getting ready for¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m rearranging the schedule.¡± The Eidolon stated simply, ¡°Your leave and Dame Ren¡¯s recovery will happen at the same time. Then, with any luck, she¡¯ll have had enough rest-and-recovery time that I won¡¯t be seen as a monster for asking to use her in the field for that mission. That said¡­¡±

    Furion felt a whirl in his stomach; there were opportunities now. He could hardly wait to get dismissed.

    ¡°¡­Three days ago, Xanarken finally had some success with the Emperor of Sargon. Apparently, that little kerfuffle on the border with Kitez got back to him and he was sufficiently spooked about the direction Kitez is taking itself in. He¡¯s agreed to send his son to the College at Agartha. The transfer will happen in four weeks. Since all these pieces are conveniently falling into place right now, the Aegis will dock in Trazad for that scheduled leave, you¡¯ll get your two weeks off, we¡¯ll all be crossing into the south for the new mission, and when we¡¯re back, you¡¯ll be escorting the Prince to Agartha.¡±

    ¡°¡­The Emperor is worried about the direction Kitez is going in?¡± Furion repeated, ¡°Sending his son to Agartha will be sending a really strong message about what side of this argument Sargon is on.¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Rylen clapped his fingers together excitedly, ¡°One step closer to bringing Sargon into the Hadiran Accord. Then we¡¯ll be down to just one reluctant hold-out. It¡¯s taken 300 years to correct course¡­but we¡¯ll finally be on the verge of achieving what we set out to do when we left Earth¡­ A single united world; no more childish colonial squabbling, no more primitive territorial disputes or saber-rattling political disagreements¡­ Just Hadira.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll refrain from congratulating you too early, but¡­I¡¯ll thank you for moving up our leave, sir. It¡¯s much appreciated.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and one more thing¡­¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°If your brother is mentally recovered from what happened in Kitez, he¡¯s welcome to come with us.¡± The Eidolon explained, a certain gleam in his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s not a feral void scar, but¡­it¡¯s a bit closer to the truth. I¡¯ll leave it to you if you want to offer him the opportunity though.¡±

    ¡°Yessir. Thank you for your discretion.¡±

    .

    Seth, meanwhile, was looking over the slides from his last sample-gathering foray with his test subject, and marveled at the results, ¡°¡­It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s really blood cells. But¡­how? The dry un-activated ones are just coming up as red hair, like it grew out of his head that way.¡±

    The weather-deck was something of an unofficial meeting space for when the Fafnir had nothing better to do. Though Seth was physically present there, he was so engrossed with his research results that he hardly noticed anyone else around him. Ren looked over at him as she and Gabriel came on-deck, and shook her head, ¡°Nose-deep in his books. Typical.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s always been that way?¡± Gabriel wondered, coming through just behind her.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± She answered, ¡°One thing about the Fafnir that¡¯s different from other units, is that¡­the ladies who get accepted have to undergo ablations, so missions don¡¯t run the risk of being interrupted by unfortunately-timed cycles or¡­well, you know, such things. The menfolk, however, don¡¯t have that problem, so they are left alone. The Rydell family has been running this ship for generations, and in large part, it¡¯s considered to be because Rydell men are passing on artificially-enhanced genetics. To that end, they¡¯re breeding out nigh-legendary warriors and scholars left and right¡­ I don¡¯t wanna take away from Seth¡¯s clear genius, but¡­there¡¯s likely a reason he has it, beyond just luck of the draw. His and Furion¡¯s father was a once-a-generation kind of Knight.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Yeah, I saw that the Captain got into the unit pretty much straight out of boot.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°¡­So did you, though.¡±

    She turned her head quickly at him, ¡°¡­Wow, you really did read the file.¡±

    Gabriel just puffed and crossed his arms, ¡°Not the point I was trying to make but, yes, I read it.¡±

    She huffed a quiet laugh, ¡°I get it. To answer your question; yes, I did get recruited straight out of boot-camp. Thank you for noticing.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t hear you bragging about the Nibasai lineage though.¡±

    ¡°I was the lucky one. But, I¡¯ll have you know¡­I got in as early as I did because I beat Furion up when we first met.¡± She said, and started walking towards some of the gathered, leaving her mentor a bit baffled.

    He blinked a few times, ¡°Wait, what? Whoa, whoa, whoa¡­Ren, you can¡¯t leave me hanging on that!¡± He skipped to catch up to her, ¡°You have to elaborate. I have so many questions.¡±

    Ren snorted a laugh, ¡°Put a pin in it. Right now, I¡¯m going to train you how to be social.¡± She pat her palm against his chest reassuringly and stepped away again, right into the middle of a group of ¨C what looked like ¨C literally every Fafnir on the Aegis, ¡°Well now, isn¡¯t this a proverbial den of thieves.¡± She commented, getting their attention, ¡°I thought I¡¯d see one or two of you up here, but¡­everyone?¡±

    ¡°Ren!¡± Was the consensus-response to her being there, and the group shifted from their own circle to suddenly absorb her into it. Everyone had something to say, and she couldn¡¯t respond to everyone at the same time, but she did revel in the attention.

    Gabriel just stared in awe, ¡°¡­They sucked her in like a white-blood-cell finding a pathogen¡­¡± He tried to stand on his toes and see around some of their heads, ¡°¡­She¡¯s literally the shortest person in there. I can¡¯t even see her now.¡±

    ¡°Gaaaaaabe!¡± Her voice rang out though, and to his surprise, the group between them parted, revealing her in their midst. Everyone around was at least a head taller than she was, which made it even more strange to know that she could probably take every one of them. She lifted her hand towards him though to beckon him in, ¡°Everyone? This is my mentor, Gabriel Lugios. Don¡¯t let his reputation deceive you¡­he¡¯s actually a really nice person.¡±

    Gabriel could feel the blood drain from his face, and he felt sweaty all over with all those eyes on him, ¡°Uh¡­hi.¡± He raised a hand.

    ¡°Now, my understanding is that he¡¯s only really met a handful of you since we were brought aboard, but no one¡¯s actually introduced themselves.¡± Ren went on, and as the gathered moved forward to absorb the mediator into their midst just like they¡¯d done with Ren before him, she started listing people off in a clockwise circle, ¡°Jense Dmitry, Bianca Felipe, Corbin D¡¯Shay, Annashi Dessaw, Michael Remmy, Sammy Einhardt¡­¡± She turned around to point at those behind her, ¡°Ravan Damien, Gareth Fitzroy, Michelle Napple, Donivan Parker, Xandra Cephyr, and last but not least¡­Alexander Rogers. Not present currently of course is the Captain, whom you already know.¡±

    To Gabriel¡¯s great assistance, as soon as he knew he was going to get singled-out, he had opened an app within his HUD that he had regularly used when meeting dignitaries and other important groups of people. Every time Ren named someone and pointed at them, his overlay singled that person out and labeled them, making it far easier to look impressive with his supposedly-mystifying recall later. Once the introductions were done though, he immediately realized the kind of microscope he was suddenly under, ¡°¡­Welp¡­¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Does he hate us?¡± Was the first question asked once the circle had been completed; it had been Xandra.

    ¡°Eh? No.¡± Ren answered on his behalf.

    ¡°Then how come he hasn¡¯t talked to any of us this whole time?¡±

    ¡°He-¡°

    ¡°No, Ren, it¡¯s fine.¡± Gabriel interrupted, ¡°You don¡¯t have to make excuses for me.¡±

    Ren shrugged and stepped aside to let him have the floor.

    ¡°I¡¯ve, admittedly, been focusing on what I know rather than delving into what I don¡¯t.¡± He explained, ¡°This is your home. Ren¡¯s home. Since she was hurt, my singular focus has been on her recovery. I¡¯ve¡­also been commandeered by a certain cadet who isn¡¯t paying attention to anything happening around him.¡± He said louder, looking past the crowd to see if Seth heard him. The teen did, but all he did was wave before going back to his data. Gabriel sighed, but the group at least laughed, ¡°He¡¯s ravenous.¡±

    ¡°Welcome to the club, he does the same thing to all of us.¡± Jense said, and suddenly, the whole room seemed more relaxed.

    ¡°So why is everyone up here at once anyway?¡± Ren wondered, ¡°What¡¯s the occasion?¡±

    ¡°The Captain told us to come up here.¡± Donivan answered, ¡°He should be down here any minute. You sure you want to be here for that?¡±

    Ren stared for a moment ¨C that relaxed aura shifted to tension ¨C but when she shrugged, it moved to confusion instead, ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. We talked last night.¡± Everyone sighed with relief.

    And just as well that they did, because mere seconds later, the man himself arrived, ¡°Captain on deck!¡±

    The Fafnir moved out into two rows ¨C presumably into each of their Wing Groups ¨C and saluted. Ren was awkwardly left in the middle of it like a dog that got caught-up in a marathon. Gabriel found himself with the Captain directly behind him, and he flinched when he realized, then finally stepped out of the way. Of course, being who he was, under the now-formal conditions of the situation, Furion couldn¡¯t get to his own soldiers before saluting the No. 2 of the Fourth Wing. With that all done, Ren stepped up through the middle of them and gave Furion something of a knowing look before she veered off around Donivan to join her mentor off to the side. Furion¡¯s eyes followed her for a moment, but he was there for a purpose, so he had to get right to it.

    ¡°Thanks everyone for coming up on such short notice; I won¡¯t keep you long.¡± He started, ¡°As you all know, the Aegis has been undergoing preparations for a mission in the southern hemisphere. We were supposed to leave in two days¡¯ time. Things have changed.¡±

    No reactions just yet.

    ¡°¡­Our shore leave has been moved up, and the mission moved out.¡±

    That made people twitch a little.

    ¡°I know many of you had plans with family and friends already arranged for next month, and I do apologize for this. However, Lord Xanarken had made inroads with the Emperor of Sargon, and Lord Rylen has given the Aegis¡¯ crew the distinct honor of participating in the result of that.¡±

    Gabriel was the one making a face then, ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s he been doing without me?¡±

    ¡°In four weeks, Prince Iresha the Younger will be getting on a Sargonian flagship to be taken to the College at Agartha. As such, the new timeline of our deployment is as such: starting tomorrow, when we arrive in Trazad, we will begin our two weeks of shore leave. Immediately after that, we¡¯ll be launching from Trazad onto our previously-scheduled mission into the south. Upon completion of that assignment, we¡¯ll be returning to Trazad to escort the Imperial flagship to Agartha. Questions?¡±

    Corbin spoke for all of them, ¡°¡­You called us up here to tell us something that you¡¯re just going to send as a ship-wide message to everyone else? Did you want to see the disappointment in our eyes personally?¡±

    Furion could feel his cheek twitch slightly, ¡°Nothing nearly so ghoulish. Unfortunately, I had something else I was going to tell you that was team-only, but¡­that¡¯s been put on the back-burner for now.¡±

    Gabriel and Ren both knew exactly what that meant, and stayed quiet. Ren stepped in a bit closer and brushed her shoulder against his arm, acknowledging that very thing in her own way, linking them together in their knowing silence.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Anything else?¡±

    Crickets.

    ¡°Dismissed.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡± They all saluted again, and dispersed.

    Ravan, Jense, and Corbin all stuck together though, and Ravan made her way towards her semi-exiled friend, ¡°Ren, if we¡¯re all being kicked off the ship tomorrow, you should come hang out with us.¡±

    She was surprised the woman would speak so loudly about solo-time in front of her partner, but when she looked back to find the blonde, he¡¯d already walked away and seemed to be focused on something. Her brow crinkled, but she turned back to her friends, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d be nice actually.¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s his deal?¡± Corbin wondered, ¡°He just wandered away and started talking to himself.¡±

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s not talking to himself.¡± Ren defended, and turned back to look at where Gabriel had gone-off to again, ¡°¡­He¡¯s talking to Lord Xanarken.¡± She turned back again, ¡°So, what are you guys planning?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a really great restaurant in the city that I¡¯ve been dying to go back to,¡° Jense explained, ¡°It was the first thing I thought of when the Captain told us where we¡¯d be docking.¡±

    ¡°He literally never shuts up about it,¡± Ravan laughed; Corbin nodded enthusiastically in agreement, ¡°To get some relief, we promised to go with him if we ever got the chance. You should come suffer with us.¡±

    Jense guffawed, ¡°You guys make it sound like I¡¯m going to torture you. It¡¯s a restaurant.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s with you.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s so mean.¡± He complained, and grabbed the two with an arm over each head, pulling them both down to be more on a level with their short friend, ¡°You see what they do to me when you¡¯re not here? I get picked-on maliciously.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve survived so far.¡± Ren laughed. By then, however, it was becoming painfully obvious that someone else was waiting for her, ¡°I think I¡¯m missing an appointment right now though. I¡¯ll catch you guys later.¡±

    Ravan wiggled to look over Jense¡¯s arm where he maintained his head-lock on her, and spotted their Captain waiting patiently off to the side. She turned back and pulled a hand up to cover her mouth, ¡°Ohoho.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, get.¡± Ren shooed them all off, waving her good arm after them as they went. At that same time though, Gabriel was coming back to her as well, ¡°What happened? What¡¯d he say?¡±

    ¡°The Emperor sprung it on him.¡± He answered, ¡°He couldn¡¯t go into much detail while I¡¯m here. Wants me somewhere more private.¡±

    ¡°Do you need to go?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s Prince-related stuff, so¡­yeah. You can come if you want, but I¡¯m not gonna make you do work-things while you¡¯re on recovery.¡±

    ¡°¡­I mean, I¡¯m in-uniform, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Ehhh¡­ This is an in-progress project. A lot of the finer details will probably be lost in the mess of not knowing what was said before. Let¡¯s put a pin in this one. We¡¯d be better-off starting something else fresh.¡±

    Ren scoffed, ¡°Revenge for me leaving you hanging earlier? Rude.¡±

    He laughed though, ¡°Your story is far more juicy than mine. I can assure you, there¡¯s nothing about this that will entertain you half so much as that would entertain me.¡± He looked past her shoulder to the still-waiting Captain, ¡°I think you have more important things to deal with right now though. I won¡¯t make him wait any longer.¡±

    ¡°So willing to split my time already?¡±

    ¡°I suppose I should expect to get used to it. He¡¯s already swallowed his pride to disappoint the crowd when he could¡¯ve just blurted out what he wanted to say. I¡¯ll give the man his moment.¡± He gave her good shoulder a gentle squeeze, ¡°Cya later.¡±

    ¡°Cya later, Gabe.¡± She answered, and returned the gesture as he turned to go. Now that everyone else had scattered, Ren finally turned on her heel to treat with the final contender, and bowed her head slightly as she made her way over to him, ¡°¡­I feel like I probably owe you an explanation.¡±

    ¡°Owe me?¡± Furion echoed, ¡°¡­Nah. I¡¯d like one, but¡­in the end, Fourth Wing business is none of mine. Lord Xanarken¡¯s word on the matter is all I¡¯m entitled to.¡±

    ¡°You could always ask me, though.¡± She teased, and stepped into the cover of the Captain¡¯s wide cape. Though he had his hands clasped loosely behind his own back as they walked, his uniform¡¯s pauldrons made his real-estate footprint rather large, and she all-but vanished within it if anyone were to spy the man from behind, ¡°I¡¯d tell you.¡±

    ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯ll bite. Why¡¯d you do it?¡± He glanced down at her, ¡°After last night, I was pretty-much convinced you were ready to abandon the diverted path and come back to the one you¡¯d carved for yourself. The one we¡¯ve been carving together for the last¡­what, eight years?¡±

    ¡°Has it really been that long?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡± He answered, ¡°It would¡¯ve been all nine but you played hard to get.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I was a good new recruit and didn¡¯t want to do the wrong thing.¡± Ren puffed, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it enough that I put you on the ground with my butt the first time we met? You could wait a year for me to get used to being here before you put the moves on me.¡±

    Furion nearly tripped over his own feet to hear it, ¡°Why would you phrase it that way?¡±

    ¡°Was any of it untrue?¡± She laughed.

    ¡°¡­Technically, no.¡±

    Ren beamed proudly, ¡°Well, there you go.¡±

    ¡°Anyway¡­ My point is that¡­is this mediator thing really that important? It was never on your radar before, but now you actually want to go through the whole thing?¡± Furion wondered, as they walked together along the weather-deck¡¯s massive 20ft floor-to-ceiling windows; they could see the entire upper hull of the Aegis from there, and the bridge above it, ¡°What are you going to use mediation skills on in our line of work?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not about the mediation, to be honest.¡± She answered, ¡°It¡¯s about him.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Ren nodded, and made a point to tunnel her way under his cape, and around his back, to get onto his left side. Once there, she reached up with her good arm to hook her fingers around his elbow, ¡°Around half an hour after we first met-up with Seth, everything went to shit. Ianori went down right away, Seth was terrified, and Gabriel¡­? Well, he stepped up. He had just learned what I used to be, and instead of holding it against me and making our escape difficult, he listened to me. He followed my directions in the heat of the moment without question or need for explanation. Now¡­I¡¯m not saying that it made a difference to our fate in the end, but it impressed me. I saw something in him that I hadn¡¯t in the entire four months we¡¯d been together to that point. I want to foster that¡­make him better for it. Even if nothing he teaches me will matter once I¡¯m back here, giving him the room and opportunity to be a teacher will help him be a better mediator.¡±

    Furion guffawed, ¡°¡­You have a crush on him, don¡¯t you?¡±

    She puffed a laugh, ¡°Maybe a little bit. He is, after all, a foundational reason why I ever got into the Fafnir to begin with. Now that I¡¯ve finally cracked the ice with him a bit¡­I¡¯m starting to see the person I always hoped he¡¯d be. You¡¯ve waited this long for me to come back¡­what¡¯s a little while longer? Let me fangirl a little. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right?¡±

    Furion could only shake his head and sigh, ¡°The insane amount of jealousy I have right now is indescribable. We finally got back on the same page last night after all this time where you actually hated me. I¡­don¡¯t want to let you go already.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re going on leave for two weeks.¡± Ren noted, and gave him a bit of a sultry look, ¡°That¡¯s a lot of nights where we could be getting caught up on lost time. Let¡¯s make the most of it. When Gabe and I inevitably shove-off again, it¡¯ll just be a countdown to when I¡¯m back permanently. Maybe by then I¡¯ll even be able to use both hands again.¡±

    That made the Captain smirk, but he shook his head anyway, ¡°I¡¯ve really missed you. Your smile, your eyes, your cutting sarcasm¡­ These next two weeks couldn¡¯t have come at a better time.¡± He said quietly, and looked around over his shoulders briefly before he nudged Ren out in front of himself, putting her back towards the windows. With hardly anyone paying attention, and Seth still lost in the mire of his own research, Furion lifted one gloved hand to his lips and bit down on the tip of one finger to pull the glove away. He cupped his palm to her cheek, and the warmth of feeling her lean into it sent a tingle through the whole of him. He dared the public spectacle, grabbed the glove with his free hand, and leaned down to steal a kiss. He could feel her grinning, and stole another before he stood up straight again, ¡°Can I come by later tonight?¡±

    ¡°Please do. Then you can be the one sneaking out before dawn.¡±

    ¡°All things in balance.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 18 â€“ A Single Thread Can Split Into May Frayed Ends

    The basement-levels of the Kitezan R&D facility were as ominous as they were dark; when the lights cracked on, they didn¡¯t help make it feel any more welcoming.  Entirely lacking the stylistic attention of the upper levels, it was damp, the walls were unpolished concrete-stone, pipes were visible, and there was a room.  One, specific, strange room.  Once through two different levels of security-doors, in the middle, one would find a space that was built like a prison-cube, with thick glass walls, a thicker metal skeleton, and a single door that wouldn¡¯t budge for anything except the proper access.

    Kourin pushed her rimless glasses up her nose a little, and ¨C with the thin man - escorted Magistrate Regulus around to the viewing-hall; hidden behind one-way glass, he could see a rather intimidating and monstrous figure sitting inside, still as water.

    ¡°It can¡¯t hear through these walls?¡± He wondered, ¡°You¡¯re certain.¡±

    ¡°If it can, it hasn¡¯t responded to anything, no matter how jarring or loud.¡± She answered, and nudged her face in the direction of a communications button on the right vertical edge of the cell, ¡°It¡¯s quite the chatterbox though when you talk to it.¡±

    Regulus¡¯ eyes examined every inch of the entity; what had originally been brought in as a dead Fafnir with a thin purple shell of resin-like armor covering its body, bloodless white skin, and the beginnings of rudimentary horns, had now grown to include a much-more refined-looking exterior, multiple ridged and twisting horns, and ¨C most confusing of all ¨C wings. Bat-like and folded neatly behind its back, though only sporting a maximum-potential wingspan of 6ft by that point, they had only continued to grow since first sprouting like little horns from the corpse¡¯s shoulder-blades.

    The Magistrate crossed his arms anxiously, ¡°Someone mind explaining why it¡¯s taking that shape, of all things?¡±

    ¡°He was once a Fafnir Knight, sir.¡± Kourin answered, ¡°It appears to be manufacturing an exterior that resembles their armor. It might be a reflex based on the Knight¡¯s memory and identity. The way it fought against its former allies makes us believe that, while the man himself is quite dead, the creature using his body is tapping into his knowledge and experience to make sense of its surroundings. This is further demonstrated by how the entity referred to Captain Rydell as¡­well, Captain, only to then attack him without hesitation.¡±

    ¡°So, this thing has turned a Fafnir Knight into a combat-muppet.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s our guess, yessir.¡±

    ¡°Do we know anything else? You said it liked talking. What¡¯s it said?¡±

    The thin man loaded up some information on his FlexiGlas scroll, and turned it around to show the judge. Upon its screen was the face of a member of the flagship¡¯s crew, ¡°To start¡­this man encountered the entity while trying to get to the escape-pods. It spoke to him, after massacring every other soldier who¡¯d met it along the way, and asked if he knew where the other prisoners were located.¡±

    ¡°To help them get out?¡±

    ¡°No sir, it was looking for the man with ¡®the sight.¡¯ It had been mumbling to itself about that issue while tearing through the ship. It apparently got frustrated enough with its lack of success to ask someone.¡±

    Regulus rubbed a finger against his chin, ¡°Lugios¡­ It wanted someone who was afflicted.¡±

    ¡°Considering they were right down the hall from one another to start with, it¡¯s clear that ¨C at least in the state it began in then - its senses are limited to that of a normal human.¡± Kourin added, ¡°It went all the way up to the bridge, killed the flight-crew, and then went all the way back down in search of this person with ¡®the sight.¡¯ We just¡­have no idea what it would¡¯ve done had it reached him.¡±

    ¡°¡­It tore through my crew like a glass tornado and somehow, in spite of all that carnage, I managed to miss it entirely.¡± Regulus shook his head in disbelief, ¡°What blind, stupid na?vet¨¦ I possessed to think that the Fafnir were my only concern that entire time.¡±

    Kourin and her fellow were quiet.

    Regulus looked around the edges of that front glass-wall, and reached to open the intercom into the cell, ¡°What do you want? Why did you kill everyone?¡±

    Scyrexianori slowly lifted its head, an eerie, subtle smile on its lips, ¡°I didn¡¯t kill everyone. I let that one man go.¡±

    Baffled, Regulus clicked the button a second time, ¡°Why though?¡±

    ¡°We had an understanding, and he gave me what I wanted, so I gave him what he wanted; to escape with his life.¡±

    ¡°What are you?¡± Regulus asked warily, ¡°Where did you even come from?¡±

    Scyrexianori lifted its head a bit further; the aura of bloody mist trailing from his eyes was relatively calm compared to the week before, ¡°I have found myself in the unfortunate situation where I am trapped inside a dead, blind body.¡± It explained simply, ¡°I seek someone with the sight to liberate me.¡±

    ¡°And how did you get trapped, exactly¡­?¡±

    ¡°The void rift, as you call it. This unfortunate man fell inside. In my effort to expel him, part of me came back with him. I¡¯m trying to return.¡± It answered¡­and started to rise. The pair of researchers outside took a few steps back, but Regulus held his ground. Those fledgling wings cracked like knuckles as they expanded and folded back in again, and with a grand slap of one hand against the glass, the miasma trickling from its eyes gushed out with ferocity enough to send a shockwave out¡­

    ¡­and knocked Kourin straight back into the rear wall with a shriek, eyes flaring with golden-white light. Her glasses shattered from the impact of falling from her nose, and she cringed, clasping at her face from the sting, ¡°Damn it, what the Hell was that¡­!?¡±

    The Magistrate took a step back to check on her, a hand on her shoulder, ¡°What just happened? What did it do to you?¡±

    ¡°It¡­felt like it was flexing¡­?¡± She answered warily, and as she shook her head, the tails of light faded, and her eyes went back to normal, ¡°¡­What a weird sensation¡­ It¡¯s like¡­it pushed my soul back, and it yanked my body with it.¡±

    Regulus rose back up to his feet and looked at the smirking entity on the other side of the glass ¨C it had, conveniently, subdued its own optic inflection by then, ¡°I don¡¯t want you down here again until we understand more about what this thing wants and intends to do. Just focus on the implants I gave you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Y-yessir¡­¡±

    .

    Seth had completely worn himself out with his nonstop delving. When Gabriel found him, he was passed-out cold on the couch he¡¯d parked on earlier in the day. With no sight of Ren, there was only one person left to bother, and the responsibility of being the botheree fell to the Rydell teen.

    ¡°Hey.¡± It started with a poke. Poke poke poke. ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Mrphmr¡­¡±

    ¡°Seth.¡±

    One eye blearily opened; the hazy image of the mediator came in and out of focus, ¡°¡­Mr¡­Gabriel?¡±

    ¡°I have an important mission for you.¡±

    ¡°Hwehh..?¡±

    Gabriel hopped over the back of the couch to get in front of it, and sat beside the teen, ¡°I just got done talking with the boss-man. There¡¯s a lot of big, really important moving parts in Sargon right now. But I need you for a very special job.¡±

    Seth looked at him skeptically, and adjusted his glasses as he sat up again, ¡°¡­Why do I feel like this is gonna be a big ask?¡±

    ¡°I agreed to yours. You owe me.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­fine. What is it?¡±

    ¡°Prince Iresha is going to the College at Agartha in a month. You also happen to be a student there, and it¡¯s my understanding that Rylen effectively plucked you from a classroom to send you to Kitez.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah¡­?¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Gabriel leaned against the pillows and curled his arm back around to press his knuckles to his cheek, looking rather casual, ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for five weeks, and that makes you at least one week late back to campus.¡±

    Seth¡¯s brow crinkled, and he pulled the glasses off his face to rub his eyes, ¡°Lord Rylen made an arrangement with the College to let me do my classes remotely while I was gone. He put in for an extension given¡­well, how it went.¡±

    ¡°Not where I was going, but cool.¡± Gabriel waved his other hand at the teen, ¡°What I mean is that, given present circumstances, you¡¯re going to be dropped-off in Trazad tomorrow when the Aegis docks. That means you¡¯re conveniently going to be in the general vicinity of said Prince. I need you to become his best friend.¡±

    That made Seth reach forward to put the palm of his hand against the mediator¡¯s forehead, ¡°Are you okay? Sick? You sound insane.¡±

    Gabriel blew twice against the limb to push him back again, ¡°I¡¯m entirely within my head. I¡¯m being serious. He¡¯s royalty in Sargon; you¡¯re royalty within the Council. He¡¯s a Limitless user; you¡¯re in the market for such things. He¡¯s going to need a support system as he leaves the nest for the first time, and you both happen to be going to same direction at roughly the same time. It¡¯s perfect!¡±

    ¡°¡­I guess, but¡­?¡±

    ¡°But what?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be kind of rude to expect him to be a guinnea-pig? He¡¯s a Prince¡­¡±

    Gabriel laughed and flicked the teen¡¯s brow, ¡°That¡¯s why you become besties first, ya goof. You don¡¯t just walk up like yes, greetings, your royalest of highnesses, I¡¯m Seth; present yourself for examination.¡± He put on a rather dramatic and dazzling display for emphasis, including a sarcastic seated curtsey at the end.

    Seth just grumbled and rubbed the sting away, ¡°This is gonna take a lot of work¡­ Befriending a guy on request isn¡¯t easy. What if we don¡¯t get along?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s actually a lot easier than you¡¯d think, especially when both parties are introduced to one another with the expectation that becoming acquainted is the intent. He¡¯ll be getting coached by his father, no doubt, to be on his best behavior and learn how to court favor from critical potential allies. You could be that critical potential ally. Introduce him to the way we do things, make him feel welcome, et cetera.¡±

    ¡°I dunno¡­¡±

    ¡°Seth, it¡¯s a political partnership, not an arranged marriage.¡± Gabriel puffed, ¡°You two are close to the same age. You¡¯re bound to have better luck than I did. You¡¯re just there to guide him during downtime, not beat him into submission. Be someone he can relate to, and answer any of his questions.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine.¡±

    Gabriel beamed, and as he pushed to stand up, he turned to ruffle the teen¡¯s hair with both hands, ¡°And that¡¯s how negotiations are done.¡± He said with an immature tone in his voice.

    Seth swatted him away, ¡°Feels like the back-end of a quid pro quo.¡±

    ¡°Eyyy you¡¯re learning!¡± The mediator laughed, ¡°Tell you what¡­ When we get to Trazad tomorrow, and the flood-gates are opened to let us out, I¡¯ll treat you to something nice. You wanted to spend some more time with Ren anyway, so it works out.¡±

    ¡°¡­I get to pick, then?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, naturally. Whatever you want.¡±

    Seth crossed his arms, ¡°You have to agree that it¡¯s not just resetting the quid ahead of another pro quo. This is purely voluntary on your part and comes with no strings.¡±

    ¡°No strings. Negotiator¡¯s honor.¡±

    .

    ¡°I can¡¯t decide between the BajaBlue and the RoseFire.¡± Ren grumbled, swiping left and then right and then left again as a nanotech augment on her hair-color swapped the black for a lava-lamp-effect of colors. On the one hand, was a dark blue veined with glowing green and seafoam, but on the other, it was a deep scarlet base with glowing orange, yellow, and pink; each had matching make-up to go with it. She pulled the wide neck of her T-shirt up a bit higher over one shoulder as she turned around, and faced towards where Furion was lounging back on her couch, a hot drink in his hand, ¡°Thoughts?¡±

    ¡°Are you going to a rave or dinner?¡± He mused into the sweet smell of coffee, whiskey, and sweetfoam.

    ¡°Aw c¡¯mon, I haven¡¯t gotten to have fun out in like¡­six months.¡± Ren whined piteously, ¡°But if I¡¯m being dragged into the quagmire of listening to Jense detail the pros and cons of every item on that menu, I¡¯m gonna look good while doing it.¡±

    ¡°You already look good though.¡± Furion retorted, and set his drink down as the woman sauntered closer with nought but that baggy T-shirt and a pair of boy-shorts clinging to her slim frame. He held a hand out and guided her closer, and she set her fingers onto his, until she lowered down to sit straddled over the middle of his lap, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You got oddly quiet over a hairdo.¡±

    Ren lowered her hand down to idly play with the strings hanging off the front of the man¡¯s grey shirt. After a moment, she waved that hand up dismissively and her vibrant new colors vanished, leaving her looking rather sadly normal again, ¡°¡­I¡¯m just¡­trying to distract from my handicap. I didn¡¯t know how frustrating it would be to be one-handed. The best microsurgeons in the world, and six hours of therapy every morning can¡¯t change how fast I heal¡­¡±

    Furion gave a sympathetic look, ¡°You¡¯ve been doing this for less than a week. You can¡¯t rush it.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡± She sighed, and after a moment of consideration, reached over to pull the sling over her head, and let her offending arm hang prone into their laps. Fingers reached around to rub into the gel-sleeve that had covered the entire thing, ¡°I still don¡¯t know what it looks like under here either.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to?¡±

    ¡°Would it be weird to say yes?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯d actually let me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m right here with you. I can help you put it back. It was only above the elbow anyway.¡± He explained, and moved his hands from her waist, into the cushions underneath himself, so he could push to sit a bit higher. He pulled his right leg off the top of the table to put that foot on the floor, and gave a reassuring gentle pinch to her chin before he started to work at the sleeve.

    It was cool to the touch, and on the inside aspect, had a number of flat, circular pads, creating a low-level electrical field to help stimulate fusion of the reimplanted bone. The skin itself hardly looked marred, but for the subtle lines dividing her original arm from the paler new addition.

    Furion traced his fingertips gently along that divide, ¡°Hardly any swelling. These sleeves work wonders.¡±

    Ren sucked in a tense breath, and moved her own hand over his, and pressed the man¡¯s palm to that wounded arm, ¡°¡­Could I ever be useful again if I came back¡­? Lord Rylen and you have both gotten my hopes up, but it could take months to get my strength back, and probably longer to get all the sensation¡­ I can¡¯t be good at much with a bum left arm.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡± He answered easily, but he could see and feel her doubts. A thought occurred to him, ¡°¡­I know how much you hate to think about the fail-safe protocol, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But?¡± She asked dubiously.

    ¡°It works both ways. The system that lets a Captain take control of someone else¡¯s armor is the same system that gives each Knight enhanced strength and stamina. Even a powered-down suit still synchronizes with its wearer to give the-¡°

    ¡°¡­The 30% enhancement¡­¡± She finished, her brows crinkled as she considered it, ¡°¡­I thought it just worked by putting a boost behind each movement, not that it¡­¡±

    Furion shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s so much more than that. It¡¯s a perfectly-tuned exoskeleton. Your thoughts become commands for the armor, as if it was an extension of your own body. If you want to move your left hand like you used to¡­you can. Temporarily, anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tease me like this¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not a tease. ¡­Let¡¯s go flying.¡±

    .

    The Aegis had two hangars; one for the usual needs of a flying fortress, but the other was a private launch-pad for the Fafnir themselves. Within, the walls were lined with docking-capsules, each one containing the power-armor of each individual Knight. Furion went around to the singular capsule at the head of the room, and in response to the presence of his nanotech ID, his own pod hissed, smoked, and its door rose up. Within was his own armor, facing the back of the pod, and opened at the back like an onion. From ankle to elbow, it was splayed and ready in its normal standing position. Before stepping into it though, Furion went with Ren to the next-nearest capsule; the docking-station for Wing Commander One. It still had her rank and name emblazoned on the door, and she dared to approach it, seeing that dormant light go green as it sensed her presence and began the opening protocol. It hissed, clicked, and smoke poured out from the broken seams¡­and moved out of the way, revealing that scarlet beast within.

    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see it again¡­ But here it is¡­¡± She commented quietly, tears forming in her eyes as she reached a hand forward.

    ¡°If you¡¯re ready, just step inside.¡± Furion encouraged, standing-by beside her, a hand resting on the open door.

    Ren practically bounced on the balls of her feet with excitement, and quickly nudged her sneakers off, ¡°Quick, quick, stick my hair down the back of my T-shirt!¡± She insisted eagerly, moving the rest over her ears as he laughed and did as she asked. The need for a proper flight-suit was irrelevant for such an impromptu departure, and she stepped bare-footed into those well-known boots. Furion slipped in behind her just long enough to gently glide her left arm into the open gauntlet, and pet her back as he stepped out again and let the armor close around her. It clicked and folded itself around her ¨C and the helmet came down over her head - and with speed, it connected, and she stepped back.

    Primarily a deep, scarlet red, the armor was trimmed in gold and based on a field of black. Ren turned around and took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and let herself feel everything coming alive all around her. The wing-arms on her back flexed and stretched, and she looked down to her left side¡­and moved her arm.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s like I¡¯m not even hurt.¡± She commented breathlessly, turning her hand over several times and flexing every one of her fingers individually, making a fist, extending them, flapping the wrist, all as if it was all normal inside.

    Furion reached forward to take that hand and wrist into his palms, ¡°Careful, love. You¡¯re not recovered in there just yet. You can still do damage. Just take it easy and move slow.¡±

    ¡°Go get yours on! I can¡¯t stand it!¡± She laughed, and shooed him off with both arms.

    He was back with her merely seconds later, and kicked his feet out as he adjusted where it sat on him, ¡°Stay within the shield¡¯s boundaries and no one will be alerted that we¡¯ve left the ship. Shall we?¡±

    ¡°Wing optics engage.¡±

    Furion¡¯s bright white double-set flashed on, and Ren could see the subtle volcanic hue of her own dancing on the deck-floor, like lights shining through the surface of water. She didn¡¯t even give the man a chance to look her over properly before she took off, toes treading millimeters above the metal of the hangar as she blasted her way towards the exit. At the last second, she flipped over backwards and waved gleefully with both hands as she went careening off the edge and into the night sky, plummeting at breakneck speeds.

    ¡°R-Ren! The shield!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care! I need this! Let them all come if they want!¡±

    Furion shook his head but laughed anyway, and followed after her, tapping a toe down on the ledge as he stepped-off to join in the dive. To hear her whooping and hollering with such excitement was a dream, but he knew they had five minutes ¨C tops ¨C before everyone else would be blitzing off the ship after them. He knew the words ¡®Wing Commander One has departed¡¯ would be flashing on the monitors of the bridge, and every Fafnir aboard would get a stand-by alert, followed promptly by ¡®Captain has departed.¡¯ Ren leveled-out her dive until she was parallel with the waters of a massive fjord. Mist flew behind her as a wake rippled out, and she reached down to touch her fingers to the surface.

    This was bliss. This¡­was Heaven.

 Book I - Chapter 19 â€“ The Return To Oneâ€™s Roots Can Mean The Withering Of Branches

    The view from the top of a moving SkyFortress was always breathtaking, especially to one who thought she¡¯d never have the privilege of seeing it ever again. Ren reached up to unhook her helmet and pulled it away; long black hair spilled out almost immediately, caught-up in the whipping wind of that cold, high altitude. As Furion finally convinced the rest of the Fafnir Flock to disperse and go back to the hangar, she drew in a long, steady breath, and closed her eyes.

    ¡°It almost feels like you never left, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Furion wondered quietly as he pulled his own helmet off; long blonde bangs and that skinny ponytail came free quickly like hers had.

    Ren opened her eyes, looking at one of the sky¡¯s two moons, ¡°¡­I always felt like I could think more clearly up here. The air is so cold, and the wind so sharp¡­it¡¯s hard to think about anything else. A minute of empty-brain really puts things into perspective.¡± She answered, and turned slightly, those massive red wings tucked-in neatly behind her, ¡°There¡¯s something that¡¯s¡­been bothering me since you showed me the footage of my last mission.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    She had a rather sorry, guilty look on her face, and she shook her head, ¡°The way I threw eight years of us away in two minutes¡­¡± She started, and pulled her helmet in front of herself to hold it with both hands. She looked into that visor, and at the reflection of her own face thereupon, ¡°¡­How stupid it sounded that I ¨C someone whose job was defined by neutralizing dangerous Limitless threats ¨C would be so easily fooled by something that should¡¯ve made me stop and wonder. ¡­That Lord Rylen would send us to kill children¡­that you would press me through the mission like it didn¡¯t matter to you, either. Not just by your orders, or your refusal to listen to me¡­but by your take-over of my armor to force me to finish the mission anyway. To truly believe - for four months - that I really had their blood on my hands, and that you made me go through with that, despite my begging you to stop.¡±

    Furion listened carefully, but dared not interrupt. He kept half an eye out for any lingering streaks of light in the night-sky that might interrupt.

    ¡°Seeing the footage of what really happened, hearing the words that were really said¡­ Knowing now that two more missions went ahead to try and stop that guy before you thought to pilot Donivan remotely¡­and wondering what they saw? How could I have been the only one to not see through it?¡± Ren wondered, frustrated with herself, ¡°I held it against you so deeply that it made my stomach hurt to think of your face¡­ But¡­how could I have done that? I know you¡­ I know what it looks like to watch your split personalities; Furion and Captain Rydell are different in such obvious ways, but I never had any reason to believe that either of them would to do to me what I thought you¡¯d done that day.¡±

    ¡°Personal feelings between teammates - and in particular, Captain and subordinate - are never supposed to be part of the equation. We flout those rules by being together anyway...and that day, we paid the price for it.¡± Furion noted, and stepped closer to thread his armored fingers through her bangs, to brush them against her cheek, "Hearing you fighting against the fail-safe, yelling at me to stop¡­it gutted me.  I was trying to save your life, and you thought I was forcing you to commit atrocities.  I''ve never heard that kind of rage and fear in your voice before, and it''s haunted me every day since.  There were a lot of times where I went over the footage on my own, trying to figure out if there could''ve been some other way...but I''ve realized, and accepted, that it was a lost cause no matter what.  We didn''t know what you were walking into.  We couldn''t have been any better prepared than we were.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you think I gave us away with how strongly I reacted?¡±

    ¡°If you did, it didn¡¯t matter to Lord Rylen at all, given he¡¯s been so keen to get you back this whole time.¡± Furion shrugged, ¡°I think we were all sympathetic to your situation, given how devastated you were by what you thought you saw. You don¡¯t know how hard it was though. If you hadn¡¯t given us away, I was certain I was going to in the aftermath. Those were a lot of late, painful nights¡­¡±

    Ren stepped closer and leaned into his side, one arm threading behind his back, ¡°¡­I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I don¡¯t know how you could ever forgive me for how I treated you¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to forgive. I never blamed you.¡± He answered, and leaned down to kiss the top of her head, then turned to press his cheek there instead, ¡°You¡¯re the best thing that¡¯s ever happened to me, and the most important thing in my life. I wasn¡¯t going to give up on you. It was just a matter of time and grit, and now, it¡¯s in the past. While you¡¯re finishing-up your ¡®I can fix him¡¯ project, I¡¯ll be here, waiting for you to come home.¡±

    ¡°Man, I¡¯m getting all emotional again,¡± Ren puffed, trying not to cry all over. With her helmet snugly-held under her left arm, she pulled out in front of the man, and craned her head back to see his face. She slid her right hand up though, and cupped her palm to that pale face, ¡°Much as I thought I hated you, I¡­never stopped loving you. I missed you, I missed us¡­I even missed all those early mornings when one of us had to bail early to keep up appearances, much as I used to complain about them.¡±

    ¡°No one will be watching for the next two weeks.¡±

    ¡°And no one¡¯s watching now.¡± She teased, and stepped up onto her tippy-toes to meet those lips.

    .

    ¡°Prince Aamin wants refuge¡­?¡± Duchess Far¡¯nah was stumped to hear the words, ¡°I thought he died?¡±

    ¡°No, your Grace,¡± Regulus shook his head, ¡°He fled the Bulwark after the incident, and had apparently been hiding in the wilderness near the border ever since. There were some locals who helped him ¨C patched him up and guided him to the nearest check-point ¨C but once they arrived, they left him there. ¡­From the report I was given, he¡¯s needing additional care. How shall we proceed?¡±

    The throne room of the Duchy was a large space, floored and pillared in marble, with water flowing gently through elaborate channels. In the middle was a large, U-shaped stone table, with a larger stone pergola above it, laden with vines and a series of bright, sun-like lamps directly above that. It was a peaceful space, intended to illicit calm and careful thinking in the Conclave whenever the Magistrates all met together.

    Far¡¯nah sat back in her throne, to the right of her ¡®meek and mild¡¯ husband, and considered it, ¡°Bringing Iresha¡¯s dear brother here would be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, having a royal Sargonian hostage could tip the scales back in our favor. On the other, the Emperor may have no love left for Aamin, after the man¡¯s machinations led directly to the death of his wife.¡± She leaned from one side of her seat to the other, and in her husband¡¯s direction, ¡°Mardu? Thoughts?¡±

    Regulus sneered lightly, but stayed quiet.

    The Duke seemed almost surprised by the request for his input, ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know. Iresha and I haven¡¯t spoken in some time. I¡­don¡¯t know his mindset these days. If his son didn¡¯t have the affliction, maybe, but¡­we can¡¯t provide a viable alternative for him to remove the need for the Council.¡± He answered stiffly, fingers pinching timidly at the folds of clothing in his lap, ¡°¡­But¡­¡±

    ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°¡­I know he loved Rani dearly, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯s reeling from her death. If he knew we had the man who caused it, he¡­might be willing to do us a favor for his return.¡±

    ¡°How much is justice worth to your old friend?¡±

    ¡°¡­Please don¡¯t ask me to answer that¡­¡± Mardu lowered his head.

    Far¡¯nah¡¯s face was written with disappointment, and she sighed as she turned to towards the Magistrate, ¡°I agree to allow him entry. However, for the time being, I don¡¯t want it to be public knowledge. If he needs care, then he shall have it¡­no sense leaving him under the baking sun to rot when he could be useful later on. Where is he now?¡±

    ¡°He presented to the check-point at Soothton, your Grace. It¡¯s in the foothills below the border-mountains.¡± Regulus answered, ¡°He¡¯s in confinement there for the moment, but-¡°

    ¡°If the Emperor doesn¡¯t know his brother is alive still, there¡¯s a chance he may discover the truth of it before long. It would be too public to simply accept him through the normal way¡­¡± Far¡¯nah put a finger to her chin in thought, ¡°Is there a way to get him through unnoticed?¡±

    The Magistrate looked up slightly, ¡°¡­I think so, your Grace. Soothton was originally built on a fragmented section of a crashed colony ship. It would be dangerous for the exiled Prince to traverse its depths, but¡­for the sake of secrecy and spectacle, I could go there personally to refuse him entry, and quietly direct him to where the ruins open on the Sargonian side.¡±

    The Duchess stood up from her throne and came down the few steps that held it up, ¡°Could a burned man make it through? Do we even know the ruin is open and clear from one side to the other?¡±

    Regulus nodded, ¡°It¡¯s in my district. It¡¯s been a source of trouble for many years. It¡¯s absolutely labyrinthine below the surface, and it¡¯s been difficult to seal. These days, it¡¯s become fodder for thrill-seekers and explorers who continue to find paths through. I know the Kitezan half fairly well, but¡­the Prince would need to find his own way through from Sargon¡¯s. Given a day or two, I could meet him in the middle, and bring him through the rest of the way myself.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°He can¡¯t be brought to Oceanside.¡± Far¡¯nah added, ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°I have somewhere to keep him until you¡¯ve considered his request further.¡±

    ¡°Very good. Patch him up and keep me updated.¡± The Duchess set a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder as she passed, and took her leave through the front doors. When they opened to let her through, she found the masked face of Latheroux there waiting. She gave him something of a smarmy, objectionable look, but scoffed quietly and went by, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what he sees in you.¡± She mumbled, and carried on.

    As Latheroux lifted his head out of the polite bow he¡¯d given, he turned slightly to watch the woman go, then quietly made his way into the throne room where Regulus was just-then starting to leave as well. They passed one another on the far sides of the meeting table, and neither looked across. Latheroux came up towards the throne-platform then, and gave another polite bow, this time to the Duke, who had yet to leave his seat, ¡°Your Grace.¡±

    ¡°¡­Can you believe she asked me to reveal my own friend¡¯s weaknesses?¡± Mardu shook his head in disbelief, ¡°Iresha and I have known each other since we were kids, and things were far less complicated. What a mess we¡¯ve both inherited¡­¡±

    ¡°I have concerning news from Sargon, your Grace.¡± Latheroux continued, ¡°Concerning the heir.¡±

    ¡°How much worse could it possibly get?¡±

    ¡°My sources tell me that the Emperor has agreed to send the young Prince to Agartha after all.¡± The masked man answered, and lifted his head, that strange, white-eye on the mask peering ahead blankly, ¡°The clock is ticking, now¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­What can we do?¡± Mardu asked, and stood up to join the man on the base-level, ¡°I¡¯d offer my support, of course, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You have to find the courage to assert your authority as half the Duchy.¡± Latheroux replied, a hint of urgency in his voice, ¡°I know you have misgivings about doing so because you were brought into this family from beyond it, but you are still here, and you have power.¡± He stepped a bit closer to the Duke, the plain man¡¯s reflection warping on that chrome mask¡¯s surface, ¡°You are all that stands between Kitez and utter oblivion.¡±

    Mardu shook his head dismissively, and stepped away to follow his wife out of the room, only to pause near the pergola¡¯s side, ¡°Everyone is always so extreme around here. She would never actually start a war with the Council. That ridiculous show on the border was just that¡­a show. She knows as well as anyone that Kitez stands no chance against the Council and all of its allies. She would have to be plotting the world¡¯s least-believable suicide to believe that all-out war was her actual goal.¡±

    ¡°¡­Things have only gotten progressively worse since Sargon called the Council into their lives.¡± Latheroux warned, ¡°You know as well as I do that her compulsion to provoking the Eidolon has only grown. Her na?ve belief that Lord Xanarken would perpetually hold Lord Rylen in check is making her too bold. Sooner rather than later, she¡¯s going to say something that gives them both the excuse to stop being so unreasonably polite. They only need one acceptable excuse to present to the Hadiran Accord¡­and then no one will come to Kitez¡¯s defense.¡±

    The Duke hesitated, and clenched his eyes shut helplessly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do. I want the Council to be part of Kitez¡­ I want us to join the Accord. But it¡¯s not my call. It¡¯s not my birthright. I¡­I have to defer to Far¡¯nah.¡± He said with finality, and left the throne room in a fog of hopelessness.

    Left utterly alone in that large space, Latheroux could do nothing but listen quietly to the soft flow of water. He waited a moment, but then¡­tapped his heel down twice on that polished marble floor. The door to the antechamber opened, and Magistrate Oberoi stepped through, and approached with a knowing smile. Latheroux waited for the man to get close enough to speak in a hushed tone, ¡°¡­What did Regulus have to say? Why was this meeting kept so close to the chest?¡±

    Tallus stood side-face to the man¡¯s back, ¡°Prince Aamin has resurfaced. He¡¯s requesting refugee status from the border-town of Soothton. The Honorable Judge Regulus Laurier has a mind to help secret him into Kitez. Apparently, there¡¯s a system of pathways that cut through the foothills, connecting Sargon and Kitez underground. It¡¯s a ruined piece of the fleet.¡±

    Latheroux didn¡¯t budge, but he drew in a breath of acknowledgement, ¡°Mardu is getting beyond my control¡­ He yearns for the Hadiran Accord, and is starting to sound like he¡¯d be willing to let Far¡¯nah go to war to get in, and for the life of me, I can¡¯t fathom where Far¡¯nah herself gets the nerve to believe that¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a fanatic. She¡¯s resisting me. I can¡¯t hold onto her for much longer.¡±

    ¡°And if Prince Aamin is brought here, that could provoke certain feelings from the Emperor that we can do nothing to curtail from here. He would do himself what the Eidolon can¡¯t.¡±

    Tallus nodded and took a step around, putting them shoulder to shoulder, ¡°Kitez is slipping away. Protecting it is becoming precarious to our situation.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s not lost yet. Do something about Mardu. I¡¯ll deal with Aamin.¡±

    ¡°Cleverly-placed intel with your contact in Sargon? What are you going to do this time? Bait Rylen directly?¡± Tallus mused, and stepped around to leave.

    Latheroux watched the Magistrate carefully, ¡°No sense getting my own hands dirty if I can use the Council against itself instead.¡±

    Tallus waved as he disappeared beyond the pergola, ¡°It¡¯s always a pleasure reminding you who¡¯s really in charge here, Latheroux. Praise to the Duchess.¡±

    That unmasked eye flinched, but he smiled subtly to himself as he watched the man pass by the guards stationed at the doors. They both looked at Tallus with reverence, then back at himself with suspicion. He huffed quietly to himself, and stepped away to a different door at the side of the room.

    .

    It was just about noon when the Aegis finally arrived in Trazad, and it carefully descended until it was parked at the edge of the cliff overlooking the lake. With the Imperial palace at the crest of that cliff, it was a daunting sight to the population for a SkyFortress to be parked right next to it, making it look small, but given that the city wasn¡¯t designed with SkyFortress docking in mind, it was the only place that could accept a vessel of that size. And thus, with the lower half of the Aegis hidden beneath the edge of that cliff, it set itself to idle, and accepted the connecting-bridges that the Council had set-up for just that purpose.

    Most of the 4,000 members of the ship¡¯s crew vacated as quickly as they could, abandoning their nanotech uniform-jackets for more casual-wear as they filtered out into the city to start their shore-leave. One who was not yet among them was Ren, who was adamant about finishing that day¡¯s therapy session before doing anything else.

    In the medical wing, in the PT department, she had her left arm up on a table. The gel-sleeve had been completely removed, and the therapist working on the arm set the woman¡¯s elbow down. She took Ren¡¯s new hand into her own, held firm, and nodded, ¡°Go ahead when ready.¡±

    To the side, Gabriel and Seth were both anxiously waiting to see what would happen. Seth was practically on the edge of his seat.

    Ren closed her eyes, drew in a long, careful breath, and focused. It was her last trial of the day, and she was adamant about trying that one movement. When she thought she could hear screaming, she opened her eyes. The therapist¡¯s arm had been backed-down to the table-top, and Seth could hardly breathe for how impressed and surprised he was.

    ¡°Miss Ren how did you do that?! It hasn¡¯t even been a whole week yet!¡±

    She quickly breathed in a sigh of relief and made the effort to lift her arm back up the way it had come, and to her satisfaction, was able to do so, ¡°I knew it would help¡­¡±

    ¡°Knew what would help?¡± Gabriel wondered.

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s been so focused on making sure I start to use my hand that my full arm movement hasn¡¯t been checked. I might¡¯ve gone flying last night¡­and I might¡¯ve gotten a renewed sense of motion from it.¡± She smiled, ¡°When I saw that I could clench my fist today ¨C even if only loosely ¨C I knew the rest of my arm could probably do more than just flex.¡±

    Seth sat back fully in his chair with a huff, and a wry worried smile, ¡°I knew you couldn¡¯t stay away for long¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that dangerous¡­?¡± Gabriel was the only one worried about the obvious, ¡°You¡¯re still on pain meds and all that¡­¡±

    ¡°Furion was with me the whole time,¡± She answered, and extended her arm to allow for a much-shorter gel-sleeve to be put around it. Just the upper arm and elbow then, leaving her entire forearm free to breathe, ¡°Although I didn¡¯t let him keep training-wheels on me the whole time.¡±

    Seth glowered, both brows up, ¡°You flew off without him right away, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    She just smirked and laughed, ¡°Maybe. Briefly.¡± She could see that scolding look on his face, and once the sleeve was set, she stood up, ¡°It was fine, Seth. Relax. We made it back in one piece, none the worse for wear.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not even worried about that. If anyone is going to be able to walk-off a traumatic arm amputation like it was nothing worse than stubbing your toe, it¡¯s you.¡± Seth pointed out, as he and Gabriel both rose to stand as well, ¡°But if you show that you¡¯re able to fly well already, maybe Lord Rylen will try to use you for something too soon¡­¡±

    Ren reached her recovering arm forward and rested it over Seth¡¯s shoulder, drawing him in to playfully muss-up his hair with the good hand, ¡°I appreciate the concern, but I am on recovery. It was just a joy-ride. Lord Rylen can¡¯t just yank me up by my roots like he enjoys doing to you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that where he might be able to hear you¡­¡±

    ¡°So, Seth, where are we going?¡± Gabriel then asked, ¡°You¡¯ve had this whole time to think about it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an easy date,¡± The teen answered, and pulled his long-coat a bit higher onto his shoulders, ¡°But I did save my appetite, so! We¡¯re going to this famous little caf¨¦ about 10 minutes from here.¡±

    Bicolored eyes looked over the Ren, ¡°You gonna change out of your reds at some point?¡±

    ¡°Heh?¡± Ren gawked, ¡°I mean, yeah, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve already agreed to go out with Ravan, Jense, and Corbin, so¡­¡± She answered warily, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you two had made plans.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± The pair replied, looking at one another in confusion for a moment, but then Seth shrugged his arms up, ¡°Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. We¡¯ll just catch up with you later.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you both came to hang-out for the end of the session?¡±

    They both nodded.

    ¡°And you both assumed I¡¯d be leaving with you after?¡±

    More nodding.

    She stared, ¡°¡­Well, that was kinda dumb. Assuming makes¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­an ass of u and me.¡± Gabriel finished, ¡°I know, but I had it on good authority that you might be free, so¡­¡±

    ¡°From working maybe, but this is my first break in four months. I haven¡¯t seen any of my friends in that whole time, either¡­so¡­¡± Ren explained, and nervously scratched the side of her jaw with one finger, ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°No, no¡­it¡¯s fine¡­makes total sense.¡±

    The awkward silence could be felt like a frigid wind.

    Ren pointed towards the door, then waved as she backed-up towards it, ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna go¡­change, and stuff. You know, to get ready. For the thing I planned to do. You two have a good time, okay? No sense veering off-course on account of me.¡± The door slid open behind her; she twirled to get through it and started walking off with urgency, giving one last wave and a guilty smile as she vanished beyond the walls.

    Gabriel stood there, baffled, but then reached up to rub the center of his chest, ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m offended or hurt.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Seth agreed.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 20 â€“ Chip Away The Ice Until The Flame Is Set Free

    For a ¡®simple date,¡¯ Seth sure did order a lot of food.  Gabriel just stared at the spread with crossed arms and a disbelieving look on his face, and watched as the teen sampled every little thing with zeal.  His own simple cup of coffee and a lunch croissant looked pitiful by comparison.

    ¡°You¡¯re really missing out, Mr. Gabriel,¡± Seth commented, inspecting a pecan tart before taking a bite, ¡°This place is famous for a reason.  Why paint yourself into a corner with just that?¡± He gestured at the solitary drink and morsel, ¡°Try some of this stuff!¡±

    ¡°¡­Guess my mind is somewhat elsewhere.¡± He answered, ¡°You go ahead and enjoy yourself.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?  You¡¯re not still upset that Miss Ren isn¡¯t with us, are you?¡±

    ¡°¡­And if I am?¡±

    ¡°Cut her some slack.  She¡¯s a week out from the worst injury she¡¯s ever gotten, and is back aboard the Aegis after being estranged from everyone she¡¯s known for just-about the last ten years.¡± Seth puffed, and wiped his mouth off with a cloth napkin before he reached for a glass of apple juice, ¡°For as long as she¡¯s allowed to be on recovery, I¡¯d say to let her do whatever she wants.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m saying she can¡¯t or shouldn¡¯t,¡± Gabriel retorted, ¡°Maybe I¡¯m being selfish.¡±

    Seth gave him a dry, sarcastic look, ¡°You¡¯ve had her all to yourself since the transfer.  No one could talk to her while she was gone.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know she had people who missed her,¡± The mediator replied, and sat back against the booth to slouch a little, arm extended against the edge of the table to keep one finger around the loop of the cup, ¡°She never said a word about having been from somewhere else.  As far as I knew, she really was just a new recruit, and it was just my turn again to take on a trainee.¡±

    ¡°Every trainee has a dossier.  You could¡¯ve just read it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just the thing¡­  I normally didn¡¯t.  I was never that curious about the people who¡¯d had the misfortune of being assigned to me.  It obviously didn¡¯t take long for me to realize she knew more and had experience that fresh faces normally wouldn¡¯t, but when I went to check on how that might be, her file was actually locked-up.  Even to me.  Only the Eidolon could¡¯ve had the authority to restrict files like that.¡±

    Seth nibbled on pumpkin pie next, ¡°¡­And you didn¡¯t ask them?  Not even Lord Xanarken?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Gabriel shook his head shamefully, ¡°He just told me to focus on her as a person, not as a profile.  I thought nothing of it, and carried on without the extra info like it no longer mattered.  By the time it was unsealed, I lacked the interest to follow-up on it.  I only learned the truth a few minutes after we met you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yikes.¡± The teen visibly winced, ¡°Spend your formative years and whole adult life having a thing against the Fafnir and then suddenly you¡¯re swimming in them.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, to say the least.¡± He grumbled slightly, ¡°The trouble was realizing that it didn¡¯t even bother me that much when I found out.  It was one thing to have the Fafnir right in front of me all of a sudden¡­but it was Ren.  She went from being a mediator trainee ¨C the lowest rank for new people - to suddenly being a Sixth Wing veteran, and a Fafnir Knight, and a Wing Commander¡­?  By all accounts, the only thing separating us now is the Captain¡¯s rank.  I had to rethink the way I viewed her in a big hurry.  There was suddenly this vast reservoir of experience and history hiding behind what I thought was a puddle-deep exterior.  Part of me still has trouble adjusting¡­but another part of me¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah¡­?¡±

    Gabriel hesitated to continue, staring at those Rydell-green eyes, ¡°¡­What¡¯s the relationship between her and your brother, exactly?¡±

    Seth snorted in surprise, ¡°What kind of question is that?  He¡¯s her Captain.  She¡¯s his Lieutenant.  They¡¯re colleagues.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean¡­well, obviously, yes, but¡­they¡¯re on a first-name basis.  None of the other Fafnir would dare to refer to him as Furion so casually.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right, but¡­Miss Ren is a bit special.¡±

    Gabriel quirked a brow, ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to get to the bottom of.  Special how?¡±

    Seth took another sip of his drink, ¡°In the Sixth, Miss Ren is practically a legend.¡± He started, thinking on how best to describe the woman, ¡°Just looking at her, you¡¯d never think she was a threat.  She¡¯s barely taller than I am, and doesn¡¯t even weigh as much.  She¡¯s¡­unassuming.¡±

    ¡°Uhuh?¡±

    ¡°But if you ever watched her fly ¨C watched her fight ¨C you¡¯d suddenly view her rather differently.  When I think of Miss Ren¡¯s abilities¡­it¡¯s like thinking of the difference between a Fafnir trainee and a full Knight.  If not for my brother, she would be Captain.  I hate to say it, but¡­she¡¯s even more skilled than he is.  It¡¯s practically supernatural.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯ve seen her move.¡± Gabriel surmised.

    Seth nodded, ¡°Every now and then, the Fafnir Knights put on promotional displays to curry interest and awe in our allies, and inspire the next generation of recruits.  For just such purposes, the Fafnir have these special nanotech weapons that they use to spar against each other.  The blades will bounce off one another, but will pass through their armor like a wave of ash.¡±  He set his elbows onto the table, and his chin into the palms of his hands, ¡°¡­Watching Miss Ren and Furion go at one another was just¡­surreal.  He may have power behind his swings, but she¡¯s so fast and tactical¡­¡±

    Gabriel watched that awe-struck description with quiet consideration.

    The teen went on, ¡°She was nicknamed The Oncoming Storm ¨C in the same way thunder precedes lightning, Miss Ren¡¯s sonic-booms would be the only precursor someone got to the blitz they were about to experience.  They¡¯ve had a few really close matches¡­  I think my brother¡¯s only beaten her one time though, and that was probably a fluke.  She just overwhelms him.  And that¡¯s not even to say she¡¯s just faster than him and wears him down little by little ¨C she¡¯s really strong, too.  She utterly obliterates anyone who stands in front of her.¡±

    ¡°How come she isn¡¯t Captain, then?¡±

    Seth shrugged, ¡°My brother earned the spot fair and square.  He hasn¡¯t done anything to deserve being removed from the position.  He¡¯s ten years older than she is though, so I guess we all just thought it was a matter of time before he eventually left and she took over from him.  She¡¯s always had an eye to be the first non-Rydell in a while to hold that position.  What you saw her do against the Magistrate on our way out of Kitez was just¡­  Ah, if she had her actual armor and her weapons¡­he would¡¯ve been dust.  With just the training-suit she was at a real disadvantage.¡±

    ¡°Still doesn¡¯t explain why they¡¯re so comfortable with one another.  ¡­You sure there isn¡¯t something more?¡±

    To say the teen guffawed would be an understatement, ¡°That¡¯s crazy, Mr. Gabriel.  My brother¡¯s too serious for anything like that.  He wouldn¡¯t risk his position for something personal, and I think Miss Ren probably feels the same.  They just have a really good working relationship, and my brother respects her a lot.¡±

    .

    Ren had a bare leg straight in the air, propped up against one broad pale shoulder.  She panted to catch her breath as she looked on with an amused grin, and tilted that leg against one certain blonde-haired head, ¡°That was fun¡­¡±

    Furion slid a hand from thigh to knee, and turned towards the limb to kiss a few times at that olive skin, ¡°Aren¡¯t you expected somewhere?¡± He wondered, and as he reached that bend, he pulled the leg off his shoulder to pull it back around his waist, and leaned in overtop of his partner, hands buried in the sheets, ¡°You¡¯re going to be late.¡±

    With considerable effort, Ren made a point to raise her left arm ¨C unaided ¨C to match the right where she¡¯d reached up to clasp her fingers around the nape of his neck, ¡°I¡¯m not expected for another half hour.¡±

    Gently, Furion pulled his right hand back, and slid his fingers deftly up the length of that unhoned flesh.  When he could pull those fingers free, he turned towards and kissed them, then her palm, wrist, and every few inches down into her shoulder, neck, and under her jaw.  She just laughed quietly against the tickle, and he wedged both arms under her back, lifting her up slightly towards himself.  With an awed look in his eyes, he just beheld her for a moment, then leaned down to touch the tip of his nose to hers, ¡°How long do you want me to wait before I send out your rescue call?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that.  I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll survive.¡± She mused, playing with his ponytail between her fingers behind his head, ¡°When will you be released from this terrible responsibility though?¡±

    ¡°Once the hand-off crew has arrived and they¡¯ve all signed-on,¡± He answered simply, and got a ¡®that¡¯s not what I asked¡¯ look in return.  He puffed a quiet laugh and rephrased, ¡°Roughly around 21:00.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be sure to have escaped by then.¡±

    Giving plenty of time between their two departures, Ren left first, clad once more in her reds as she made her way down to her own room on the floor below.  With the progress she¡¯d made, it was far easier to get herself redressed than it had been on that first night.  It still wasn¡¯t a perfect process, but she was feeling a lot better about it.  Jeans were pulled on, a loose black T-shirt slipped overhead, and a cute little black leather jacket threaded over both arms.  She hesitated to leave immediately after though, looking at herself in the mirror as she reconsidered doing something fun with her hair.  In the end, BajaBlue and RoseFire were admittedly too much, but ElecTrix was rather subdued ¨C giving a yellow streak to just the tips ¨C and with that done, she finally reached for a black cap to top the whole aesthetic.

    As she got into the elevator to head to the departure deck, she got a message on her HUD that the other three were waiting on the southern dock, and she quickly veered to the left to head that way as she got out.  She found them exactly where she expected them to be; even after knowing the group for a number of years, it was always strange to see them out of uniform and in ¨C what might as well have been ¨C costume, by comparison.

    So many thoughts could¡¯ve been voiced, but the trio had conspired, and the first thing out of Ravan¡¯s mouth was representative of them all, ¡°¡­So, Commander, are you ready?¡±

    Ren balked, and shook her head, ¡°No, no-no, don¡¯t start with that.  It was a joyride.  It¡¯s not my fault that the Captain never delisted me.¡±

    The trio looked at one another with skeptical grins, and Corbin reached a well-dressed arm across the much-shorter woman¡¯s shoulders, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Commander, you can sit back on your laurels.  It was just an extended leave.  Everyone deserves a few months off after nine years of dedicated service.¡±

    All Ren could do was pull the lip of her cap down as her face went red, and the group led her over to where their ride was waiting.

    .

    ¡°To Ianori¡­¡± They all said, and raised their glasses above the center of their table.

    Ren took her sip and set the wine down, though she kept her fingertips on the flute¡¯s stem as she thought back on it all.  Those last few moments she¡¯d had her eyes on the man in that escape vehicle, and those last words he¡¯d spoken, ¡°¡­He asked me to help him, before we were stopped.  I hope there¡¯s still time for me to do something.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think the Kitezans have him somewhere?¡± Jense wondered, reaching for a chunk of hot bread in the communal basket, and broke it in half, ¡°The Captain¡¯s been sitting on the death notice for a week.  The only reason it hasn¡¯t been sent out is because Lord Rylen is stalling.¡±

    ¡°¡­He must believe that Ianori¡¯s still out there, too.¡± Ren surmised, ¡°Or at least doubts the idea of his death enough to want to wait.  No body, no confirmation.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s working on a rescue mission?¡± Ravan wondered, taking the other half of the small steaming loaf, and grabbed for a knife to slather it with foamed butter, ¡°Maybe he knows where Ianori¡¯s being held.  It¡¯s just such a shitty situation that he can¡¯t even tell us yet.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone knows.¡± Ren shook her head, and reached for one of the other little loaves.  She pulled it back to grasp in her new hand, and grit her teeth as she used all her strength to clasp her fingers enough to twist the bread apart.  Corbin reached over to pet her forearm reassuringly in affirmation, and she offered him the other half, ¡°The Captain told me what he saw when you two and Commander Parker came after us.¡± She looked to both sides, where Ravan and Corbin sat on their own parts of their square table, ¡°How the whole ship was just¡­  How the entire crew had been torn apart.  He¡¯s glad that none of you ever came up the way he went down, so you didn¡¯t have to see what he did.¡±

    ¡°The debriefing was plenty,¡± Corbin agreed, ¡°We¡¯ve all been on plenty of gruesome calls, but I¡¯ve never seen anything like that.  I¡¯ll bet the Captain set his docking-pod¡¯s cleaning cycle two or three times before he let it sit.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t blame him¡­¡± Ren nodded, but then looked around the table again, ¡°Look, I¡­I know it¡¯s weird that I left.  And Seth told me that no one would explain to him why I left.  Ianori made it sound like there was only a hint of an explanation given to the rest of you.  Ravan knows I refused orders, but¡­is that really all?¡±

    The trio considered their words, and Corbin spoke first, ¡°The only one who knows for sure what happened ¨C other than the Captain, that is ¨C is Commander Parker himself.  Cap wouldn¡¯t let anyone else run interference, and the mission was completed with just them.¡±

    ¡°So both times¡­he had to¡­¡±

    ¡°Both times?¡± Ravan echoed curiously, ¡°What happened?  Are you allowed to tell us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been told I can¡¯t, so¡­technically?¡± She answered, and drew in a breath, ¡°I walked into a Limitless trap that made me believe something else was going on.  I fought against Captain Rydell¡¯s orders because I thought he was asking me to do something that he knew I wouldn¡¯t.  Then he took over my movements¡­he piloted my armor remotely, making me a puppet to what I thought was a terrible crime.  I think I clobbered him when I got back?  I¡¯m not even sure what¡¯s real about the aftermath now.¡±

    ¡°No, you definitely clobbered him,¡± Jense confirmed, ¡°He had a shiner for a while.¡±

    ¡°Aw man¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.  What else?¡±

    Ren sighed, and nibbled on a bit of that warm bread, ¡°From what I¡¯ve learned since, the Captain sent two more missions to find the guy who was responsible for the Limitless trap.  I¡¯m not sure how he was found, or¡­what the Commander saw when he went, but¡­it was the third mission where they decided to send him in blind, and the Captain would fight on his behalf.  The illusions only worked on whoever was there in-person.¡±

    ¡°That explains so much,¡± Corbin cupped a hand over his mouth, eyes looking back and forth in recollection, ¡°¡­Why Commander Parker was so banged-up after that one mission.  It must¡¯ve been that third one.¡±

    ¡°Banged-up?¡± Ren echoed.

    ¡°If Cap was playing at puppet-master, Commander Parker was nothing but cream-filling.  He was absolutely torn-up by whatever the Captain used his armor to do; combat movements on a body that isn¡¯t expecting it and can¡¯t roll with the punches.  It¡¯s a damn shame our armor doesn¡¯t come on unless we¡¯re in it.  I¡¯m sure they both would¡¯ve been happier if the Captain could¡¯ve sent his own armor on that last foray.¡±

    Ren could only nod, ¡°¡­Yeah, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right on that.¡±

    ¡°In any case, Commander, we¡¯re glad you¡¯re back in the saddle.¡± Corbin added, and reached again for his wine; Ravan and Jense both followed suit, ¡°Here¡¯s to your recovery and the restoration of the team.¡±

    ¡°Wait, no, that¡¯s not what¡¯s happening right now-¡°

    -Clink-

    ¡°Ah jeeze¡­¡±

    .

    ¡°Wow, I get a whole room to myself?¡± Seth was amazed as Gabriel pushed the door in on the hotel room, ¡°And Lord Xanarken was the one who arranged it?  Personally!?¡±

    The mediator laughed, ¡°No, no, not personally, but he did give the directive for someone in the Fourth to do so on his behalf.  If you¡¯re going to be moonlighting with us to befriend the Princeling, we¡¯re going to take care of you.¡±

    ¡°This is way nicer than a cabin on the Aegis¡­¡± The teen stepped in and looked around happily, ¡°Thanks so much, Mr. Gabriel!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it, then.  I¡¯m two doors down.  Ren¡¯s is the one between us.¡± He pointed to his left, ¡°I¡¯ll call her and let her know where we are.  If nothing else comes up tonight, then tomorrow morning we¡¯ll head up to the palace and you can meet your mission objective.¡±

    ¡°Whew, okay¡­right, okay, night!¡±

    ¡°Night.¡± Gabriel waved and pulled the door closed, then made his way down the hall.  As he clicked through his own door, he already had an outgoing call request to his trainee.  It went unanswered until he was all the way in, and as far as sitting back on the bed.

    ¡°Oh, hey!¡± She said, apparently out of breath for some reason, ¡°What¡¯s up, Gabe?¡±

    ¡°I was just calling to tell you where Xanarken has us boarding, and see how your night-out went.¡±

    ¡°Hang on, I¡¯ll switch over to video.¡± She puffed, and soon enough, her image was up on Gabriel¡¯s overlay.  She turned around so the cliffside was visible over the lake, and the bright glinting lights of the palace at the apex ¨C not to mention, the Aegis parked right beside it, ¡°Incredible view, right!?¡±

    ¡°Yep, that sure is a SkyFortress,¡± He answered, ¡°How come you¡¯re out of breath?  I thought you went to dinner.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, I also did that, and it was good!¡± She laughed, ¡°After that, I left.  Now I¡¯m, well, running around town!  This place is pretty neat when you can just kick back and explore it a little.¡±

    ¡°On your own?¡±

    Ren gave a coy look, ¡°Are you worried about me, Gabriel Lugios?¡±

    He turned his head up and away, cheeks pink, ¡°¡­I¡¯m just saying¡­  You may be formidable, but people might still bother you.  You are, how do they describe it¡­¡± He lifted his hand and held his palms a few inches apart, and looked at them from a few different angles, ¡°¡­small.¡±

    That just made her laugh, ¡°I appreciate the apt description, but¡­I¡¯m fine.  I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±

    He quirked a brow, ¡°I haven¡¯t even told you where we¡¯re staying yet.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s cuz it¡¯s where you¡¯re staying.  I¡¯m staying somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Oof, that¡¯s a face.¡± She commented, seeing the man¡¯s reaction in 4k on her overlay, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what.  Once you guys are done at the palace tomorrow, I¡¯ll make a point to come by.  After all, you did say there wasn¡¯t much point jumping into all that Imperial Sargonian stuff since I wasn¡¯t there two years ago when it started.¡±

    ¡°¡­I did say that¡­  But, that was before Seth joined the mission.¡±

    She turned her head quizzically, ¡°Why is Seth on the mission?¡± She asked, only to give a strange gesture, like someone nearby was trying to get her attention and she¡¯d dismissed their efforts.

    ¡°He is a conveniently teenager-shaped creature of the Luminary Council that also happens to be going to the College at Agartha.¡± Gabriel started, only to cross his arms as the disappointment sank in, ¡°I thought I¡¯d acquaint the two and see if Seth can¡¯t help be a bridge between the Council and the Imperials.  Someone the Prince¡¯s age who he could relate to.¡±

    Ren looked off-screen briefly, but then glanced back awkwardly, ¡°¡­I¡¯m¡­curious¡­why you¡¯re conscripting the Captain¡¯s younger brother for a Fourth Wing mission?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a favor.  I don¡¯t know any other teenagers.  I mean, he¡¯s fine with it.  It gives him access to another Limitless user when I¡¯m not around.¡±

    ¡°So¡­he can study the Prince¡¯s affliction from a¡­First Wing perspective?¡±

    ¡°Something like that, I guess.  Yeah.¡± The mediator nodded, catching-on to the woman¡¯s odd behavior, ¡°Are you okay?  You seem distracted.¡±

    ¡°Oh, nope, everything¡¯s fine!  This was just a lot to learn all of a sudden.  Anyway, see you tomorrow afternoon!  Night!¡±

    ¡°Cya.¡± He answered; the overlay image closed.  With nothing but his thoughts to bother him then, he fell back against the bed and stared at the ceiling, ¡°¡­Yeah¡­¡±

    Ren quickly rushed forward the few steps she¡¯d taken back, and threaded her fingers through her partner¡¯s, ¡°You gonna be okay?¡±

    Furion grumbled, ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate him taking liberties with my brother.  Seth is not a Fourth Wing cadet for him to do with what he wants.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know¡­but Gabe¡¯s not entirely wrong in his thought process.  He¡¯s not going to be around all the time, once Seth goes back to school.  It makes perfect sense to swap-out with another Limitless user, and this one was just¡­really convenient.¡± She reassured, and rubbed her thumb back and forth on those tense digits.

    ¡°¡­Still.  If he was anyone else¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let it ruin your night.  This is far less dangerous than the mission you were thinking of giving to Seth yourself.¡±

    ¡°¡­Maybe.¡± Furion shook his head, ¡°But at least we would¡¯ve all been there with him to keep him safe.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to keep Seth safe from Prince Iresha,¡± Ren teased, ¡°As long as he doesn¡¯t tie the guy up, suspend him from a ceiling, and put a weird helmet on him, anyway.  But, what are the odds of that happening twice, right?¡±

    ¡°You have a way with words.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 21 â€“ Never Accept Anything At Face Value; There Is Always More To It Than You Think

    Ren had done her best to keep Furion¡¯s mind off his brother¡¯s situation, but she knew she hadn¡¯t been entirely successful when the night ended with a few fragments of clothing still on.  She awoke the next morning pressed once-again to the man¡¯s back though, with nothing but her T-shirt and underpants still clinging to her thin frame.  Her right arm was threaded under Furion¡¯s neck, and the other over the other side, fingers loosely woven together where they met at the ends of her reach.  She hugged closer to the back of the man¡¯s head, and snoozed for a few more minutes.  He lifted his head slightly to reposition, but that just opened up the left side of his neck¡­and opportunity presented itself.

    -Nip-

    The earlobe was hers, and as she breathed a quiet chuckle, the feel of it roused the Knight-Captain.  He mumbled and turned, but she just refocused her attention to new spot just under his ear, and nibbled a little more.

    ¡°Mmm¡­morning¡­¡± Furion whispered, and turned slightly more onto his back as he tilted his head away.

    She took every advantage, and walked her kisses from neck to cheek to nose to lips, and smiled against them, ¡°I¡¯m starving.  Apparently, there¡¯s a famous caf¨¦ that Seth went to yesterday¡­¡±

    ¡°Sounds promising.¡±

    And it was.  Maple-cinnamon coffee and crumble cake were just what the tummy needed, and on the morning patio with the sun rising over the city, it was a sight to behold as well.  Ren took a big swig of that coffee, and pulled back the mug with a blot of whipped cream on her nose.

    Furion couldn¡¯t help but reach over to wipe it away on his thumb, but he didn¡¯t let it go to waste, and took a taste for himself, ¡°Mmh¡­they even flavored the whip.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good, right?¡± She asked as she set the cup down.  Furion had her left hand in his own, and gently rubbed his thumb back and forth over her fingers.  She managed to respond with a gentle squeeze, and he looked down at it.

    ¡°How¡¯s it feeling now?¡±

    ¡°Still as if I¡¯m wearing a thick glove,¡± She answered, ¡°But it¡¯s getting better every day.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have it all back soon, I¡¯m sure of it.  You¡¯ve advanced by leaps and bounds since wearing your armor.  It¡¯s like you reminded yourself how to move, and it woke something up in this new limb.¡± He said, and lifted that hand to kiss her knuckles.

    And in the gap between them, a cat suddenly appeared.

    ¡°Oh, who¡¯s this?¡± The Captain wondered, and reached back around with his free hand to see if the creature was as friendly as it was fearless.  That dark nose sniffle-snuffled at his skin, and rubbed its head forward, inviting him to scritch its head.

    The entire time, it had its face turned away from Ren, but there was something about it that made her skeptical.  A tingle of a memory ¨C a phrase - entered her mind, ¡®This grey short-haired thing.¡¯  Suddenly, that face turned her way, and bright orange eyes looked directly at her.  She felt her soul leave her body, ¡®You can tell it¡¯s them though because they keep their same eyes with either mantle.¡¯

    And she screamed.

    And fell backwards out of her chair.

    ¡°Ren!?¡± Furion was up quickly and rushed to her side, but the cat just stayed on their table, and pawed its way over to the edge of it before sitting down to watch.  The Captain was on a knee at her side, and quickly went to help gather her back up to sit, ¡°Are you okay?  What the Hell was that for?  Did it bite you?¡±

    She could only point at the feline, ¡°Th-th-th¡­that¡¯s¡­that¡¯s Lord Rylen!¡± She whispered frantically, ¡°I¡¯m certain of it!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± He balked, only to look at the animal a second time.  Given it hadn¡¯t moved, and was looking on at them rather resolutely, and it did so with eyes that were unnaturally bright and wrongly-colored for a Russian Blue, Furion could only believe her words.  He wouldn¡¯t be the first to salute a cat though.

    ¡°Good morning, Captain.  Commander.¡±

    Both of them were up and saluting then, ¡°Sir!¡±

    Ren dared ask the obvious, ¡°H-How did you find us on our day off, sir!?  N-Neither of us are even using the World Cloud right now!¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you though?¡± The cat tilted its head, and Ren was suddenly rather aware that she still had the ElecTrix effect on her hair.  She deflated entirely.

    Several eyes were staring in their direction, confused about what was going on.

    The cat was undaunted though, ¡°Dame, I need you up aboard the Aegis as soon as you¡¯re able to get there.  In my meeting room.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    The grey-coated creature stepped off the table then and started to wander off, and as the two Knights watched it go¡­it dissolved into dust.  Their hearts were in their throats, and they each had a sense about what that directive was going to lead to.  Ren swallowed hard, ¡°¡­I¡¯m in really big trouble, aren¡¯t I¡­?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t be the only one if that¡¯s the case.¡±

    .

    Her heart pounded the entire way back to the ship.  Furion wouldn¡¯t let her go alone though and followed her all the way there, right up until he was stuck outside the doors to the Sixth Eidolon¡¯s private meeting room.  Aboard each ship, Rylen was provided with a similar space, so no matter where he was, he could have somewhere to call his own space, and within, he was already waiting¡­as his normal self, leaning against his desk, arms crossed.

    Ren felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe.  She felt her partner¡¯s hand on her back as she stepped forward, but she didn¡¯t dare look back at him, even for a last moment of reassurance.  She approached cautiously, but once she was far enough in, the door closed behind her with a hiss, and she offered whatever formality she could with another salute despite her dressed-down attire, ¡°¡­Sir.¡±

    Those self-same bright orange eyes examined her carefully, but when Rylen lifted his gaze and seemed almost pleased to see her, it suddenly became a very strange experience.  The Eidolon gestured for her to sit down at one of the many chairs lining an oval-shaped cut in the floor, ¡°Have a seat.  This is off the books, so there¡¯s no sense to stand on ceremony.¡±

    Ren dared to reach for the nearest spot, and turned the chair around so she could sit facing her superior.

    ¡°How¡¯s the recovery going?¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°Your arm.  I¡¯m ashamed to admit I haven¡¯t come to see you sooner about it, but I didn¡¯t want to overwhelm you.  As it stands, you already had enough to deal with, waking up aboard the Aegis of all things.¡± He explained ¨C rather casually, ¡°I¡¯ve been kept apprised of your progress, but still¡­hearing it directly from you would always be preferred.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh, um¡­it¡¯s been going well, sir.¡± She stammered, and looked at the pale image of her new palm, ¡°I have some decent range of motion now, but¡­it¡¯s still pretty weak.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get that back soon enough.  I saw that you went flying yesterday night.  How¡¯d it go?¡±

    ¡°It was¡­nice, sir.¡± She answered ¨C the confusion of not having been asked about the situation she¡¯d been found in was slowly killing her, ¡°Can I ask why I¡¯m here¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, let¡¯s dispense with this distraction and get right to the point.¡± Rylen clapped his hands and turned around.  He raised his arm, and above his desk formed the image of Magistrate Regulus, ¡°I believe you know this man.  Not by his face, however¡­but rather, by his signature weapon.¡± The image was swiped aside, and in its place was a rotating depiction of that blue, four-armed monstrosity of a war-machine, ¡°If you had a chance for a do-over, would you take it?¡±

    ¡°In my full gear?  In a heartbeat, sir.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s lovely to hear.¡± He clapped his hands again and turned back around, ¡°What if I told you¡­that I know where you can find him, and that he¡¯s going to be alone for a period of time?¡±

    ¡°¡­Sir?¡±

    Behind him, the visuals of a map appeared, and zoomed in on the mountains that divided Sargon from Kitez.  It moved a bit further north though, towards where the border-town of Soothton appeared, ¡°I came into possession of credible information that Magistrate Regulus is in this area.  I don¡¯t have a direct set of eyes that far into the mountains, but¡­my sources tell me they¡¯ve witnessed him there in person as recently as last night.  He¡¯s moved on to a little-known area north-east of the town that I know to be the site of an old colony shipwreck.  Or, part of one, anyway.  There are still so many ships we¡¯ve never found¡­but that section was from the SSCF Connington.  It had been long-buried by rock-slides and rain by the time we knew about it, and there was never anything worth salvaging from it¡­so it¡¯s just been there, rotting beneath the mountains.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­suggesting I go there to confront him?  It¡¯s still so far inside Kitez though¡­¡±

    ¡°Those colony ships were 3,500ft long, nearly three times the length of a SkyFortress.  What crashed out there is enough to hide a passage from Kitez all the way into Sargon.¡± He waved his hand in front of the map and it showed a rough outline of where the Council knew the chunk of ship was buried, ¡°We don¡¯t have it mapped, but we do know that people have gone through and back.  Adventurers and such.  I think they call themselves cavers?¡±  He snapped his fingers then and the image completely vanished, taking the map with it and leaving nothing but the normal empty air above the desk.  The Eidolon approached, hands loosely held behind his back, ¡°Those ruins are dangerous.  Anything could happen down there, underground¡­in the dark.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Ren¡¯s heart thumped for all kinds of different reasons in that moment, and she rose back up to stand, ¡°Sir¡­I¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you want a chance to get back at him?  This offer won¡¯t last long.¡±

    ¡°Are you sanctioning a foray to murder a Kitezan Magistrate?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m suggesting no such thing.  But, sometimes Fafnir Knights explore dangerous places, and if an accident were to happen in the vicinity of a centuries-old buried relic, and it happened to kill a Kitezan Magistrate at the same time¡­who am I to blink twice at the happy coincidence?¡± The Eidolon had a sinister glint in his eyes, ¡°So?¡±  He expanded his hand in a circular motion, and beneath that little black jacket, Ren¡¯s blues manifested, ¡°What do you say?  Commander.¡±

    She hesitated to answer.  Her eyes went down, looking at nothing in particular as a thousand considerations went through her mind all at once.  The temptation was particularly strong, however¡­but she found herself with one other pressing inquiry, ¡°Sir¡­before I say anything, may I ask a question?¡±

    ¡°Certainly.¡±

    ¡°You¡­stumbled onto a sight between myself and the Captain that I was certain was going to see me removed from my post just now.  Yet, you¡¯re offering me a chance to seek personal justice against a man who chased, fought, and maimed me, before capturing and torturing three people who are very important to me.  ¡­Why¡­?¡± She blurted.

    ¡°Oh, the thing with you and Captain Ryell?  I¡¯ve known about that.¡±

    ¡°¡­Heh?¡±

    ¡°For roughly five years?  Something like that.  You two are not subtle.¡±

    ¡°¡­But it¡¯s¡­against regulations¡­  Either one of us could¡¯ve been stripped of our wings over it¡­¡±

    ¡°I appreciate you noticing that, Dame, however, the both of you are far too useful and skilled to cast aside simply for sharing affection for one another.  In fact, one might suggest you work even better together that way.  So, to my mind, as long as that continued, I would not make a fuss over it,¡± Rylen shrugged, ¡°And you two have apparently been going steady for quite a while longer than that; the entire team has been stronger for your partnership.  Practically a married couple, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±

    Her face flushed, but she lowered her gaze anyway, ¡°¡­Sir¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you want to become Captain one day, Dame?¡±

    That got her attention right back, ¡°Yessir.¡±

    ¡°Then just keep doing a good job.  This mission is as much for your sake as it is for advancing my own ideologies in Kitez.  If you don¡¯t want to think about it in terms of it being a personal venture¡­you can call it an order from me.¡± He explained, ¡°But, I think you¡¯re the perfect person to carry it out, in this case.  I can send Captain Rydell if you feel you¡¯re not ready, though.  I¡¯m sure he¡¯d take great pleasure in flaying that man¡¯s hide from his body on your behalf.¡±

    Those words certainly changed the paradigm.  Ren felt her heartbeat in her ears, and she opened her mouth to answer, but¡­she didn¡¯t have a chance to respond before their ¡®talk¡¯ was interrupted by the Voice of the Fourth, ¡°Rylen, what in the literal Hell are you doing?¡±

    ¡°What?  I¡¯m just having a conversation with the Dame here.¡± Rylen gestured at Ren as Xanarken came stomping closer, ¡°We¡¯re getting caught-up on her recovery.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s had her profile set to her Fourth Wing designation since this morning.  Being in Trazad ¨C on recovery-leave, mind you ¨C there would be no reason to suddenly switch to the Sixth all of a sudden.  Color me surprised when I noticed that switch, and the conspicuous location where it happened.¡±

    Rylen glowered dryly, eyes narrowed slightly, ¡°How in the world did you even notice it that fast?¡±

    ¡°Gabriel and Seth are in the Sargonian Palace right now¡­without her.  I was trying to figure out where she was, since I was under the impression that she wanted to finish the mentorship program.¡± Xanarken explained.

    Ren just watched them going at each other, heart racing in her chest as she tried to figure out who she actually answered to then.

    ¡°According to some fairly high-ranking sources, Dame Ren is on recovery-leave.¡± Rylen shot back, and Xanarken threw his hands up in frustration, ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m just getting caught up with her.  She is, after all, half my responsibility again.¡±

    ¡°You would have no reason to make her come all the way up here just to check on her,¡± Xanarken pointed out, ¡°What is this really about?¡±  He looked to Ren, ¡°¡­What¡¯s he trying to drag you into while you¡¯re still healing?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer that.¡± Rylen advised.

    Ren was petrified; two Eidolon were giving her conflicting directives and she couldn¡¯t claim that either of them had any priority over her anymore.  Still, she trusted Xanarken, and she heaved a breath, ¡°He¡¯s not trying to rope me into anything, sir¡­he¡¯s just¡­offering me an opportunity.¡±

    ¡°¡­An opportunity?¡± Xanarken echoed, and Rylen was the one to toss his hands up in frustration then, ¡°Explain.¡±

    .

    Furion¡¯s heartbeat was in his throat the entire time that door was closed, and he just about coughed it up when that panel finally hissed and slid aside.  Out came Ren, and before he could whisper a peep, she snatched him by the hand and started walking in a hurry, ¡°Wait¡­Ren, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you why, but I need to suit-up.  Now.¡±

    ¡°Can you at least tell me if we¡¯re in trouble?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not.  He¡¯s known for a long time.¡±

    Furion made a face, ¡°¡­That¡¯s both reassuring and mortifying at the same time.¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡± She answered, and tapped the elevator ¡®up¡¯ button.  It wasn¡¯t just any regular elevator though; it was the Fafnir Launch-bay chute, and was one of many on the ship that gave the Knights a fast-track to the dock where their armor was stored.  It only took a few seconds for their ride to arrive, and they both quickly went in.  As the chamber began to move with speed, they both leaned into the inertia, and Ren sucked in a readying breath, ¡°¡­I¡¯m going on a mission.¡±

    ¡°In your condition?¡±

    ¡°I have to do this.  I¡¯ve gotten the blessings of both Lord Rylen and Lord Xanarken.  I may never get this chance again.¡± She explained, and the inertia faded, leaving the two to lurch slightly with the stop.  The door open, and Ren stepped out; she immediately started to shrug out of her little black coat.

    It was only then that Furion actually realized she had been wearing the uniform-jacket of the Sixth underneath, ¡°I know you can¡¯t tell me what you¡¯re going to do, but can I at least escort you part of the way?  I can be on stand-by in case you run into trouble.¡±

    That was an easy thing to agree to, and she stepped closer to put a hand on his chest and stood up on her toes to kiss his cheek, ¡°I¡¯d like that.  I have one stop to make along the way before I deploy, per Lord Xanarken¡¯s conditions for his consent.¡±

    ¡°Understood.  Let¡¯s go.¡±

    .

    Gabriel stood back with the Emperor as the awkward meeting of teenagers carried on.  To his surprise, it was actually the Prince who¡¯d been the more open of the duo, and Seth ¨C despite his previously extroverted demeanor ¨C was more reserved.  The older man beside him noticed the same thing.

    ¡°I thought my son would be rather mum about all these changes,¡± The elder noted, arms crossed as he watched, ¡°Maybe the whole reason he was difficult was because he was alone.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be good for him to go be with others his own age then.  I¡¯m glad Seth was open to the idea of coming here.¡± The mediator agreed, ¡°Seth probably needs more people around him his own age, too, anyway.¡±

    ¡°And you say he¡¯s some kind of¡­Limitless¡­prodigy¡­researcher sort of thing?¡±

    ¡°Something of the sort.¡±

    ¡°Psst.¡±

    Gabriel looked around in confusion, but when he heard the sound again, he realized where it was coming from, and spotted his Eidolon peeking through a barely-open door to a nearby hall.  He gave a ¡®what are you doing¡¯ sort of look, but when Xanarken responded with a ¡®come out here¡¯ kind of head-nudge, the mediator sighed, ¡°Excuse me, your majesty.¡± He gave a polite bob of his head, and stepped away.  With the door closed behind him then, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just message me to step out?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a situation,¡± The Eidolon deflected, ¡°Maeve is already in the city and ready.  I had it brought back here after you and Ren went into Kitez.  You¡¯re gonna need it.¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?¡±

    .

    ¡°¡­He¡¯s taking a lot longer to signal than I thought he would.¡± Ren grumbled, as she and Furion circled around in the sky like vultures, ¡°So much for my sense of urgency.¡±

    ¡°Did he tell you what he was making you wait for?¡±

    ¡°He had to get something ready.¡±

    ¡°¡­A weapon maybe?¡±

    ¡°A weapon?  From the Fourth?¡± Ren huffed a laugh, ¡°Could you imagine?¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.  That was dumb.¡± Furion chuckled quietly, ¡°So¡­if Lord Rylen already knows about us, does that mean we don¡¯t have to hide it anymore?¡±

    ¡°You know, he didn¡¯t actually mention.¡± She grimaced, ¡°I didn¡¯t think to ask.  Seemed the wrong time.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Xanarken¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in her helmet, ¡°I¡¯ll ping my location on your HUD.¡±

    ¡°Yessir,¡± She answered, then turned to where Furion was flying nearby, ¡°That was him.  We¡¯re on.  ¡­And¡­I¡¯ve got it.  Follow me.¡±  She banked to the right, and Furion followed suit with a roll.  They dove until they could practically see the whites in the eyes of the people walking on the roads below, and veered between buildings and street lights until the opening to a skiff-harbor came into view.  Ren whiffed passed a tree as it bordered a clearing, and the sound of the branches rustling drew up two faces to watch her arrival.  Ren¡¯s brows crinkled behind her visor as she beheld not only the Eidolon she¡¯d expected, but the mediator she hadn¡¯t, and a skiff she didn¡¯t realize was in the city already.  She glided down to the launch-pad and tiptoed gracefully to a stop, ¡°¡­I¡­wasn¡¯t expecting you here, Gabe.¡±  She said skeptically as she pulled her helmet off.  Unlike when she was up on top of the Aegis, her hair was now kept neatly in place by the skullcap of her flight-suit.  That didn¡¯t last long, as she pulled the whole headpiece away, and her hair came tumbling loose anyway.

    ¡°This is what I was preparing,¡± Xanarken said simply, and gestured to his second, ¡°He¡¯s going with you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Heh?¡±

    Furion suddenly came crashing down nearby to her, leaving unfortunate cracks in the concrete with his landing.  He, however, left his helmet on, and instead of simply tucking his wings away ¨C or getting rid of the optics entirely, now that he was on the ground ¨C he spread them wide and high, in a slightly intimidating display.

    Ren swatted her hand back at him dismissively and whisper-barked to settle down, ¡°Not in front of Lord Xanarken.¡±

    ¡°This would be the perfect place to bring it up though.¡±

    ¡°Not right now!¡±

    Furion gruffly whipped his wings inward, and finally set them to idle-mode behind his back as he crossed his arms and turned his head away slightly.

    Ren made a face at him, but then stepped off and over towards the duo, ¡°So¡­what¡¯s¡­going on with this, exactly?  I thought this was a solo mission.  What am I going to do with¡­uh¡­a mediator?¡±

    ¡°Damn, I¡¯m right here.¡± Gabriel puffed.

    She just went in closer and reached out with both hands to pat his arms, ¡°You know I don¡¯t mean that in a bad way!  There¡¯s just¡­you know, a time and a place for talking.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let the idea of him fool you, Dame.¡± Xanarken added, looking rather serious, ¡°There are two kinds of negotiations; the first is talking, the second is the big stick.  We are now entering ¡®big stick¡¯ territory.¡±

    She just looked on at the Eidolon with a flat, disparate smile, ¡°Lord Xanarken, sir, he¡¯s not a combat negotiator.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have him fighting in mind,¡± The Eidolon answered, and stepped closer to her.  He set a hand on her shoulder and leaned in close to an ear, ¡°Just let him say a few words before you go in for the kill.  You may draw satisfaction from winning the fight, but he¡¯ll rest easier knowing he got off his chest what he would¡¯ve wanted to say if he had the chance before.  He knows not to get in your way once he¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°Sir, with all due respect¡­if this place is as tight as Lord Rylen says, having a second person there may compromise the mission.  I can¡¯t guarantee a kill if I can¡¯t guarantee Gabe¡¯s safety first, and you know I¡¯ll prioritize his life over my own wants.¡±

    Xanarken gave her a deadly-grim look, ¡°If you don¡¯t get the kill, we¡¯ll have bigger problems on our hands than Gabe being scuffed-up.  This is an assassination.  Regulus won¡¯t stay quiet about it if you fail.  Just let Gabe say his piece and finish it; in this mission, failure is not an option.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yessir.¡±

    ¡°Now,¡± The Eidolon let her go again and leaned back up to his normal height, and looked on at the Captain, ¡°What¡¯s his major malfunction all of a sudden?¡±

    Gabriel could somehow tell those green eyes were staring daggers at him through that visor.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 22 â€“ â€˜All Roads May Lead To Romeâ€™ But There Are Many Twists And Bends Along The Way

    The Kitezan side of the ¡®Connington Fragment¡¯ was as dilapidated as one could expect for a ship that had been abandoned ¨C open ¨C to the elements for 350 years.  Large rocks had tumbled in front of the entrance, and grassy patches of dirt covered the top, while venturing off into the distance, one couldn¡¯t even tell it used to be a ship, save for one particular tower-like projection that had managed to escape the creeping moss of the mountains.  Still, Regulus hopped out of his war-machine to inspect a little closer first.

    There was enough of a gap for a body to fit through, but not nearly enough for his mecha.  From a waist-bound satchel he carried behind himself, he withdrew an item that resembled brass-knuckles, but with a switch on top for his thumb, the entire front of it glowed brightly in a wide, flat beam.  He barely fit himself through, but he looked around more easily then, and ventured a short ways inside.

    He approached the end of the initial, slanted, broken segment, and looked out into a proverbial metallic abyss, ¡°¡­At least it hasn¡¯t collapsed since I was here last.¡±

    Water dripped far off somewhere in that black expanse, creating an eerie echo.  What little Regulus could see with just his flashlight appeared to be the mangled section of an engine and whatever part of the ship it had been attached to.  The immediate drop was a collapsed section of multiple floors, where a massive rock had crashed its way through the hull and taken out every hollow deck below it, until finally coming to rest 10ft below the ledge the Magistrate stood on.  From that angle, the hole in the hull didn¡¯t let any light in, but it was big enough for his war-machine to get through.

    There wasn¡¯t much point scouting further though; the only way he was getting through there without climbing gear was in the mecha.

    On the Sargonian side, the pair of Knights weren¡¯t quite there yet.  Ren flew steadily just above and beside Maeve, still wearing a look of conflicted worry on her face.  She shook her head and sighed, but then waved her hand slightly ahead of herself to open a communications link to the skiff, ¡°Are you sure you want to come along for this, Gabe?¡±

    He glanced up at the top of the screen ¨C not quite able to see Ren there, but knowing she was just out of sight ¨C and shrugged, ¡°Xanarken told me what you were being sent to do, and he didn¡¯t want you to go alone.  You¡¯ll still get to do everything you wanted¡­I¡¯ll just be there as a second set of eyes to make sure you come back.¡±

    ¡°¡­I mean no offense, but if that was the case, it probably would¡¯ve been better for Furion to come with me instead.¡± She answered, ¡°Lord Rylen was ready to send him in my place if I didn¡¯t feel up to it, and I don¡¯t think anyone would¡¯ve tipped you off in that case.¡±

    ¡°Probably not.¡±

    The curtness with which he answered that reminded Ren of how the man used to behave, and she grumbled slightly, ¡°What exactly do you want to say to this guy that my fist in his colon won¡¯t say loud and clear already?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s some imagery I didn¡¯t need today,¡± He said quietly, mostly to himself, ¡°¡­He made some assumptions about me as he was tearing the implants out of the back of my head.  I want to counter them, so he dies knowing the truth.¡±

    ¡°Is there no way I can convince you to just tell me what those truths are and I can forward them care-of my aforementioned fist?¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t mean the same coming from someone else.¡± He explained, slouching a bit where he sat with one hand on the steer-stick, ¡°I get the distinct feeling you¡¯d rather I stay behind.¡±

    Ren abruptly landed on the roof of the skiff, and leaned over the roof to look upside-down into the view-field of the screen she knew was below that covered hull, ¡°Yes!  That is a fact!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t get in the way though.¡±

    ¡°Gabe¡­  There are two kinds of people in the Council.  Lovers, and fighters.  You are, by your own admission, not the latter.¡± She argued, ¡°We have no idea what we¡¯re walking into.  This place is a 350-year-old ruin.  It could be a number of things, including a death-trap.  You don¡¯t even have armor on.  At least I can still get out if the place collapses.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s more to it than just your chance at revenge.¡± Gabriel retorted, looking up at that inverted image of the red Fafnir on his roof, ¡°I can¡¯t just stay back where it¡¯s safe.¡±

    Ren groaned and let go again, kicking-off to go back to her side-by-side flying, ¡°I¡¯m not even going to get revenge if I have to cover for you.¡± She muttered quietly to her muted mic.  She unmuted herself again, ¡°¡­Fine, if this is what you really want to do, I won¡¯t lock you into your own skiff.  But I can¡¯t let the Magistrate go once we intercept.  My reputation is on the line.  If I don¡¯t get him, it could cost me my shot at being Captain one day.¡±

    Gabriel could only scoff lightly at that, ¡°What, is Furion just going to resign if you succeed?¡±

    ¡°Huh?  No.  But he won¡¯t be Captain forever either.¡± She replied, ¡°Why are you so testy all of a sudden?  I¡¯m just watching out for you.¡±

    He bit his lips together for a moment, feeling a sting go straight through him, but he shook his head, ¡°What¡¯s the relationship between you and the Captain, exactly?  Seth told me some stuff but I think he doesn¡¯t see the whole picture.¡±

    Ren¡¯s brow pinched, ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject.¡±

    ¡°It is the subject.  You want to know why I¡¯m testy.¡±

    ¡°Are you jealous or something?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just a guy piecing together a puzzle that¡¯s gradually shown its pieces over the last week or so.¡± He answered stiffly, ¡°And what I¡¯m putting together is a bit sus.¡±

    She glowered at the skiff through her visor, ¡°So says the guy who refers to the Eidolon by their first names like he owes them no respect at all.  I told you I didn¡¯t want to be called a hypocrite for having a more-casual relationship with my Captain, the same way you do with your superiors.  You¡¯re holding it against me now, even after saying you didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°That would be an argument if the Eidolon hadn¡¯t literally raised me; they¡¯re the closest thing to family I have these days.  As for thinking you¡¯re a hypocrite; I still don¡¯t.  I just want some honesty.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being a real drag right now¡­¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    Ren snarled quietly, ¡°¡­We have an intimate relationship.  Is that what you want me to say?¡±

    ¡°It would make a lot of sense if it was true.  Is it?¡±

    ¡°I suddenly find myself missing the guy who didn¡¯t care about his trainees.¡± She muttered, arms crossed, wings flapping a few times to get her some altitude.  Gabriel didn¡¯t respond to that comment though, and she took a moment to think.  She drew in a long breath, and exhaled slowly, ¡°¡­Look, the way you see the Eidolon as your family, I view the Fafnir as mine.  I¡¯ve been around all of them for ¨C essentially - the entire time I¡¯ve been a Fafnir Knight, with the only exceptions being Xandra, who¡¯s only been there half that time, and Bianca, who¡¯s barely out of her first year probationary period.  ¡­It¡¯s hard not to get close to them.¡±

    Gabriel listened carefully.  Every word spoken was a crucial detail¡­and so was every word avoided.

    ¡°Furion is¡­very important to me.¡± She continued quietly; the mountains were starting to loom, ¡°If you¡¯re going to hold it against me that we¡¯ve slept together, then¡­fine, that¡¯s your prerogative.  But nine years sharing the same SkyFortress tends to cause the lines of authority to blur now and then.  We all seek comfort and kindness where we can.  Maybe you should do the same once in a while.¡±

    Maeve climbed a little bit as the rugged foothills on the eastern side of the mountain-range started to push the trees higher into the air, putting it nearer to Ren again.  Gabriel waited a little while before finally uttering a single word, ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Another 30 minutes passed before they arrived on-site, at the buried eastern end of that ruined ship.  On the Sargonian side, more of it was visibly the remnant of a man-made structure, with the enormous circular exhaust-system towering over the skiff.  Maeve touched-down around 30ft away, on a flat-ish outcrop of rocks.

    Ren hovered several feet above the forest floor, staring into that black behemoth of metal and ruined technology, wings extended horizontally like a roof over where Gabriel finally arrived, ¡°Hard to believe something this huge was actually airborne once.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Gabriel quietly held his hand up; ambient nanotech of the World Cloud coalesced over his palm, creating a spinning orb that echoed light in short beams.  After a moment, he gestured it forward, and the orb floated into that gaping maw, not exactly illuminating the area, but rather, mapping it.  Anywhere the light touched, a solid structure was coded, and to Gabriel¡¯s eyes, he was starting to see what their path looked like.  He raised his hand up again after that, creating a data-nodule, ¡°Take it.  You¡¯ll be able to see inside.¡±

    ¡°When did you get a cartography algorithm?¡± She asked, floating down far enough to accept the link.

    ¡°Around two hours ago.¡± He answered, and started walking in, ¡°From my dad.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes were covered over with a green haze as he stepped further into that lightless space, and to his sights, his overlay started to show the fruits of that cartography algorithm¡¯s findings¡­as well as the beginnings of a recommended path through, ¡°There¡¯s gonna be choke-points.  I hope you¡¯re not claustrophobic.¡±

    ¡°I hope that was projection.¡± She puffed unseriously, and descended to walk behind him.  She cut-away the wing visuals and watched as her own overlay showed the same thing her mentor saw.  Before he could get too far ahead of her though, she lifted-off with one final boost-assisted hovering jump, and landed in front of their first narrow passageway.  It was a rough and ragged tear through the metal at the back of the ¡®cup¡¯ that formed the exhaust-system, and the entire section had been crushed inward.  She stuck her head through the hole, and looked around, seeing the long drop to where the ground had come up under the hull, ¡°Hope you brought a rope.¡± She mused, and dipped through, hovering in an open space between the throat of the exhaust, and the exterior of the ship.

    Gabriel stuck his head through next to behold the space, ¡°Mmh¡­sadly, no.¡±

    ¡°Good thing you have a flier with you then.¡± She answered, and offered her leg and a hand-hold, ¡°Come along.  I¡¯ll float you down.¡±

    There was a brief gawp of skepticism as he looked at the offered appendage, ¡°¡­Your left arm?¡±

    ¡°My armor is an exoskeleton.  My real arm may be, as I¡¯ve recently heard described, cream filling, but the shell is quite sturdy.  I could hold ten of you before worrying I might drop one.¡± She explained, and nudged her arm forward again.

    In a leap of faith, Gabriel stepped on that offered foot, and grasped the arm; just as Ren said she would, she slowly glided down to a smooth stop.  Once steady on his own feet again, Gabriel looked up and around at the carnage of the engine; the ravaged fuel lines, the ruptured tanks, and further in, the annihilated reactor that powered the whole thing.

    ¡°Amazing that this all predated the Council¡¯s anti-gravity drives,¡± Ren commented, ¡°Now-a-days we just ignore the laws of physics.  Back then, they had to fight against them.  How would something like this have ever gotten off the ground?¡±

    ¡°It was built in orbit.¡± Gabriel answered simply.

    ¡°¡­Oh.  Yeah, I guess that makes sense.¡±

    ¡°This space will take us halfway to the target.  Let¡¯s get on with it.¡±

    Ren hesitated where she stood, ¡°¡­It¡¯s him.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°The mapper.  It just¡­mapped the Magistrate¡¯s mech.¡± She explained, seeing the very image of that four-armed monster being plotted as though it was a part of the architecture.  She felt a rush of adrenaline go through her, and immediately took off.

    ¡°Wha?  Ren!  Wait!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be safer back here!¡± She called back, voice fading into the hollow space of the ruined engine bloc.

    ¡°Ahhhh shit!¡± He grumbled, and started running.  He could see the glow of the Fafnir¡¯s blades coming to life, only to vanish again as Ren ducked through to the next compartment; the engineering decks.

    Centuries of debris, trash, dust, and - to Ren¡¯s surprise ¨C bones, littered the first room she went through.  She didn¡¯t wait long to look around though, and quickly passed by, following the path that most-quickly linked where she was to where she was going.  Her heart pounded ¨C raced ¨C and she felt her grip tighten around the blade-holds.  She took a stance; left blade forward, and right high, pointed straight ahead.

    He¡¯s right ahead¡­  He¡¯s right there!  I¡¯ll strike hard and finish this in the first blow!

    But there was nothing.  The widened hall was empty.  The map showed her directly inside the charted image of that sinister weapon¡­and it just wasn¡¯t there.  She looked back the way she¡¯d come; all she saw to prove anyone had been there was the long streak of her own foot-drags on the ground as she¡¯d come sliding in for the kill.

    She grit her teeth, Not good¡­  Where the Hell did he go?  She stayed quiet, weapons ready, but she felt a tingle down her spine, like someone was watching her.  The map could no longer be counted on; she needed to see in real time, ¡°Wing optics on.¡± She whispered, not having a hand free to use a gesture for the same function.  Those volcanic red wings flashed on ¨C long, finger-like feathers spread out wide - and with their glow, the surrounding 20ft of the corridor were suddenly bathed in a dull warm haze, as if a flare had been dropped at her feet.  Still nothing, though.  Wherever the mecha had gone, it had done so as quietly as a ghost.

    With careful steps, she moved forward; every shadow that moved with her threatened to offer cover.  She could hear her own blood rushing in her head, and her careful breaths.  She knew that no one outside could hear it themselves, but that didn¡¯t stop the anxiety of it anyway.

    A loud bang made her jump, and she darted, kicking off the wall and ceiling to get back the way she¡¯d come from¡­and towards the sound of the noise.  When she realized it was just Gabriel failing to climb the walls unaided, she growled, This was such a stupid idea!  Why would Lord Xanarken risk us both just so Gabriel can get the last word in!?

    The distraction meant she didn¡¯t see the looming image of that flat, elongated head where it followed her, itself sitting in a perpendicular corridor.  She was right in front of it, with the unfortunate fact of her back to it, and didn¡¯t see the grasping claws of the small-arms ready for her.

    Gabriel heard it though.  He could feel it in the metal underfoot, shuddering even as far away as he still was.  With considerable effort, he struggled his way up a mangled ladder, which ¨C so far as he could tell ¨C was originally supposed to face a different direction, and perhaps would¡¯ve only been safe to use in the first place if one had done so in zero-gravity.  More cashing and rumbling; it felt like the whole ship-fragment could be dislodged.

    Regulus might¡¯ve had claws on Ren, but she bucked in that grip like a wild animal, dragging the entire war-machine through those halls and banging it against every hard surface.  Unable to get her blades to cut through those smaller arms, she knew the clock was ticking on when the big ones would come into play, and keeping them out of the way was her primary goal.  And so far, her thrashing was doing just as intended; disorienting the mech¡¯s pilot too much to get habituated and launch a counter-attack.  Still, the moment she stopped, and he had a second to figure out what direction he was facing, both larger top-mounted arms swung around.

    Ren wouldn¡¯t fall for it though.  As soon as she saw that growing glow in those ¡®palms,¡¯ she fortified her stance and pushed forward ¨C hard.  Like a battering-ram, she pummeled the front of the mech¡¯s chest, and with the second thrust, drove both blades up into its ¡®neck.¡¯  Huge red wings flailed, then flapped down with purpose, and she leveraged the entire thing until it went ass-down and head-up¡­and up, and over itself, falling onto its back.  The corridor shook and rang-out, and Ren finally twisted free.  She had seconds; once she had a grip on the floor, she flipped her blades to face forward like a spear, and launched forward again.

    Regulus had only been able to flip halfway back to right-side-up when those plasma-swords impaled through the front of his ship.  They hadn¡¯t been able to get all the way to him though, and he grunted as Ren kept him still, ¡°¡­What¡¯s a Fafnir Knight doing all the way out here?¡± He asked, voice booming through that hall.

    With a grunt, Ren pushed forward again, shoving the whole machine back several feet in the process, ¡°Getting even.¡±

    ¡°Oho!  I recognize that grit¡­could it truly be?¡± The Magistrate answered, and with newfound vigor, flung the big arms forward, and forced Ren to jump back to avoid getting hit.  With the inertia, he was able to right the machine, and loomed over her in a defensive stance, ¡°But how in the world could we have possibly encountered one another under these circumstances?  Could it be that we¡¯re both here for the same reason?¡±

    ¡°I seriously doubt that.¡± She barreled forward again, blades at the ready to swing in a wide arc.

    Regulus was ready though; the smaller arms deflected every blow, redirecting them without ever letting a single strike find their mark.  Soon enough, the larger limbs joined the fray, swinging down like hammer-blows to block her way and push her back.  Those plasma-blades left score-marks in that thick metal, but couldn¡¯t cut through.

    And Ren knew exactly why; she¡¯d left her mentor behind, and now she had no idea where he was.  The corridor was taking more damage than the war-machine was, and neither were making any headway.  Ren backed off a bit and had both swords up, the white edges glowing in contrast to the eerie red hue from her wings, How do I finish this?  I can¡¯t get through his armor when I¡¯m only fighting at 50%¡­  Anything that¡¯s blue is solid metal, and the neck is too far away from the cockpit to reach him inside¡­  If I push too hard, this place will crumble¡­

    ¡°Back down, Judge.¡± Gabriel¡¯s voice suddenly echoed, and that flat elongated head perked up a little to look beyond its Fafnir opponent.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    Ren leapt backward, never letting her guard down, until she was sure she was close enough to the source of the voice that she could look.  What she saw made her eyes go wide.

    Not only did Gabriel have Aamin in his custody¡­but was holding him in thrall with the threat of his Limitless ability.  Eyes glowed eerily bright in that dark hall, and hair lifted, held down only by the tie behind his shoulders.  One hand held tightly to the back of Aamin¡¯s neck as he yanked the Prince out from a dilapidated utility-room, near to where Regulus¡¯ mecha had ambushed Ren earlier on.  The other was flat to the man¡¯s shoulder-blades, ¡°Back off.¡± He warned again, ¡°I know why you¡¯re here.  You won¡¯t be leaving with him.¡±

    ¡°And you will be?¡±

    ¡°That or I kill him.¡±

    Regulus hummed an amused breath to himself, ¡°You won¡¯t do it.  Your slavish need to absorb Sargon into the Hadiran Accord will stop you dead to rights.¡±

    ¡°Gabriel what the Hell are you doing?  How did you even find that guy?¡± Ren whispered, keeping her sights on the mecha barely-seen in that dark hall.

    ¡°He¡¯s the ultimate reason I¡¯m here.  Do whatever you want to the Magistrate¡­but whether Aamin lives or dies is up to me today.¡±

    ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that when you¡¯re here.  You¡¯re too close.¡± She retorted, ¡°This place is too fragile to fight the way I want.¡±

    ¡°What do you need to win?¡±

    ¡°Space.  Solitude.¡±

    ¡°I can only give you one of those.  Stall him for two minutes and I¡¯ll get clear.¡±

    Aamin wouldn¡¯t leave that unchallenged, ¡°He¡¯s going to try to leave!  Don¡¯t let him take me!¡±

    Gabriel bashed the burned Prince up against a wall, ¡°He may be right about me not actually killing you, but no one ever said anything about bringing you back with all your parts.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 23 â€“ If You Know Youâ€™re Going To Ruin Something, And Do It Anyway...

    Ren still couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing.  A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face, and she tightened her grip on the hilts of her blades.  As Gabriel started to step backward though, dragging Aamin with him, she flipped the blade in her left hand around to face the other direction, and took a different stance.

    She had one pressing question though, ¡°Didn¡¯t you have something you wanted to say to him before I take him out?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­right.¡± Gabriel realized, and looked past the burned Prince¡¯s shoulder, and through the large feathers of those solid-light wings, ¡°Hey dipshit!¡±

    Regulus didn¡¯t dignify the call with an answer.

    ¡°When you were trying to tell me what I saw in the mirror every morning, you mentioned that the red was a constant reminder of what happened.  But you were only half right.  Red also happens to be the color of the Fourth¡­so what I saw was foreshadowing.¡±

    That awkward silence spoke quite loudly, but not nearly so much as the response that eventually came.

    ¡°¡­Heh, okay.¡±

    Aamin grunted a laugh, and looked back over his shoulder, cringing against the pain of his burned skin where those fingers dug in, ¡°I don¡¯t think he cares about your childhood quandaries.¡±

    ¡°Stay out of it.¡±

    ¡°Why?  It¡¯s pathetic how badly that went over.¡±

    ¡°Because ¡®shut up,¡¯ that¡¯s why.¡±

    Regulus could only roll his eyes at the spectacle, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this¡­¡± He said to himself, and leaned in.  There were no control-sticks or steering-modules to hold onto; his neuroptics linked directly to the mech¡¯s movement systems.  With a thought, the large right arm swung forward, and Ren had three seconds to figure out what to do about that glowing warm-up in the midst of those claws.

    ¡°GET DOWN.¡±

    Blinding light filled the ravaged corridor, and a horrendous, guttural screech sounded.  The impact was enough to push Ren forward two feet, as she¡¯d flipped around and folded her wings together to form a shield.  She tried to dig-in to stop herself being pushed any further, but the unfortunate existence of two men who weren¡¯t supposed to be there put an extra hurdle on that.  Covering them meant she couldn¡¯t move.  Worst-still, she could smell the burning of metal and dirt all around her.

    The Magistrate pulled one over on her so fast, she could hardly blink.  The beam ceased, a battering-ram replaced it, she went flying forward with a loud clang ¨C bouncing off the walls in the process ¨C and one small metallic arm reached forward from the space Ren had previously been standing in.  Aamin was plucked from the shaken grip of the mediator who¡¯d apprehended him, like less than a grape off a vine.

    Gabriel had been so struck by the sudden barrage that it knocked the Limitless right out of his eyes, and he¡¯d crumpled to the floor with barely a hair¡¯s width between him and the Fafnir that had just been jettisoned by.  He was helpless before the imposing visage of that mechanical ¡®face¡¯ as it loomed over him.  Regulus didn¡¯t even have the temerity to mock him; it was just over.  Aamin was nabbed, and Regulus swung both overhead appendages down so hard that it broke whatever was left of the corridor that hadn¡¯t already been disintegrated by the ricocheted of his earlier attack off of Ren¡¯s wings.  The metal groaned from the stress of its support-struts being destroyed, and soon after, the floor collapsed, taking Gabriel with it in a storm of dust and debris.

    Aamin coughed, then gasped as he spotted Ren through the demolished terrain.  Staring back at them threateningly - where the ship¡¯s ancient bones had ripped apart so thoroughly that it left a gaping, twisted hole between them ¨C she flipped the second blade around as well, and made like she was going to leap through those treacherous gaps to attack yet again.  The Prince turned to his ¡®savior,¡¯ ¡°What are you waiting for!?¡±

    Regulus didn¡¯t budge though; he was hedging his bets, and wanted to watch.  Ren¡¯s head was spinning, and she staggered where she stood.  That was all the Magistrate needed to see to know that he¡¯d won.  He put the mech into reverse, and started backing out.  By the time Ren could see straight, the only thing she could see was the subtle heat-glow coming off the anti-gravity drive on the war-machine¡¯s undercarriage¡­and then it was gone, absorbed by the dark of that unlit hall.

    She grit her teeth and went to the edge of the collapsed section, ¡°Gabe!?¡± She called down, ¡°Are you dead!?¡±

    ¡°¡­N-no¡­¡± He grumbled in answer, buried in the rubble below.

    Ren groaned a loud sigh, sheathed her blades, and forced her way down, pushing panels and scrap out of the way until she¡¯d unburied her ball-and-chain.  Be he injured or not, she looked down at him with an air of disappointment and frustration, ¡°This is why I didn¡¯t want you here¡­¡± She said aloud¡­to a muted mic.

    Gabriel could feel the sentiment though, and avoided her gaze.  She kept it well-hidden behind that visor anyway, but he knew what was behind it.  As she helped push the bigger chunks of hallway off of him, he caught sight of something.  He flinched and backed-up, bumping into the Fafnir, but his eyes narrowed as he realized it wasn¡¯t the Magistrate¡¯s war-machine coming back to finish the job.

    It was a man.  Just a man¡­approaching through the undamaged section of a derelict colony ship that no one else should¡¯ve been in.

    ¡°Unbelievable¡­¡± The figure said, and stepped into the red glow of Ren¡¯s wings.  The half-baroque mask gleamed brightly, with that white eye emitting its own faint glow.  Both Knights stopped in their tracks to stare at him ¡°¡­I practically gift wrapped them for you.¡±

    Ren drew one hilt from her hip again, and extended the blade with a click, ¡°Back off, whoever the Hell you are.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes trembled at the sight of the man though, ¡°¡­I¡­recognize him¡­¡± He whispered, though his thoughts in that moment were decidedly not on the border confrontation; he hadn¡¯t seen that visage in the wings, not with the Duchess being the only one on-screen, ¡°¡­But¡­how?  You¡­disappeared 22 years ago¡­¡±

    Latheroux sneered at the pair, ¡°You don¡¯t deserve that answer.¡± He said flatly¡­and then dissolved into thin air.

    ¡°¡­A mantle!?¡± The pair both said, stunned and confused in equal measure.

    Nearby, but out of sight, a portable nanotech pod clicked open, and a haze of dust filtered inside.  It closed soon after, the green light shut off, and it went dormant.

    .

    It was evening when they finally limped back to Trazad.  Ren wouldn¡¯t follow Maeve back to the skiff-lot though, breaking off to ascend towards the Aegis instead.  Gabriel noted the drift easily enough, but he didn¡¯t call out to her over it; he was eyeballs-deep in it and he knew.  Instead, when he docked Maeve and sat back in his seat, he just looked up at that darkening sky and sighed.

    ¡°¡­I fucked it up, Xanarken.¡± He said aloud, ¡°Pretty badly.¡±

    As expected, the subtle shifting-sand-like sound of the Eidolon¡¯s mantle taking shape was easy to hear in the quiet of the empty ship.  Xanarken looked on with disappointment, ¡°¡­What happened.¡±

    ¡°They both got away.¡± He answered, ¡°It was too tight a space, and Ren couldn¡¯t fight like she wanted¡­  Not there, and definitely not with me around.  I tried to get Aamin out while they were going at it, like you said, but¡­I wager the Magistrate had made contact already, since they were right in the same vicinity.  Regulus fired on all three of us in the end¡­  Guess it didn¡¯t matter to him one way or the other if Aamin made it out alive.¡±

    The Fourth stepped closer and lowered to sit in the second seat, ¡°I see¡­¡±

    Gabriel tilted his head against the head-rest, looking over at the Eidolon with a dead shadow in his eyes, ¡°¡­You never did explain how you knew he was there.  I know how Rylen knew the Magistrate was there, but¡­even he didn¡¯t know about the Prince.¡±

    ¡°Aamin was spotted by the same people who spotted the judge later.  How and why and whether any part of those witness statements gets through the proper channels, I can¡¯t know for sure¡­  When passing information between people by word of mouth, things are bound to get lost or twisted.¡± He answered, ¡°When I realized Rylen didn¡¯t know, I willfully decided to keep that tidbit from him, and thus, from Ren.  I didn¡¯t want her thinking she had to worry about two people getting in her way.¡±

    ¡°¡­Cuz one wasn¡¯t already more than enough.¡±

    ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t care if Aamin came back alive or not.  If you managed to apprehend him, that was fine.  If Ren nipped him before you could, it was just as well.¡± Xanarken shrugged, and sat back with his fingers laced together over his lap, ¡°He was better off dead anyway.  He isn¡¯t missed.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes widened as his brow crinkled, ¡°¡­Do you know how weird it is sometimes when you start talking like Rylen?  Cuz honestly, it¡¯s a little bit scary, since you are always so serious about it.  Rylen just comes across like a chaos-gremlin and it makes him hard to read.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Xanarken was quiet for a moment, looking at the underside of the covered windshield, ¡°Sometimes, politics requires one to get their hands dirty.  Did you have to threaten Aamin to get him to move?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Well, there you go.  You yourself were ready to end his life for the greater good.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a little different if I do it.¡±

    ¡°Why?  You¡¯re my right hand.  Anything you say or do might as well have been said or done by me.¡±

    Gabriel gaped a little, ¡°That¡¯s not fair.  The difference between you and I is a gulf.  No one takes me that seriously.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.  I know how people shiver when I leave the room.  At least, in the Council¡­¡±

    The Fourth tapped his thumb-tips together, ¡°Maybe they shiver because they¡¯re not used to a mere man acting like an Eidolon.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± Gabriel grumbled, ¡°Just like it¡¯s ridiculous who else was in that ruin.¡±

    ¡°¡­Who else?¡± Xanarken tilted his head towards the blonde, ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    The mediator sat forward and loaded-up Maeve¡¯s forward screen again, and copied his overlay onto it.  With a few searches, he brought up the profile of a certain familiar ¨C albeit different ¨C man¡¯s face, ¡°¡­This guy was there.  Somehow.¡±

    Xanarken¡¯s eyes narrowed as he read the name aloud, ¡°Latheroux d¡¯Arras, previously known for his anti-Luminary dissent, he started a riot at the Imperial Palace the day of Rylen¡¯s misbegotten trek into the Exclusion Zone 22 years ago.  In his effort to vilify the Council by saying we would incur into Sargon the same way, and kill innocents, he¡­was thought to have been killed himself in the ensuing violence.  His actions also lead directly to the death of the Empress; Iresha the Elder¡¯s mother.  Ironic.¡±

    ¡°Seems the ¡®thought to have been killed¡¯ can now be put to rest, since we now know where he is.  In Kitez, wearing a mask over the right side of his face like he¡¯s hiding whatever previously-believed-to-be-fatal injury is hidden beneath it.  He even made it sound like he was responsible for the Magistrate and Aamin being in the same place at the same time¡­and for making sure we were there to take them both out.  ¡­And for making sure Ren and I both knew we¡¯d fucked it up by failing to do so.¡± Gabriel continued, ¡°I think he was the source of the rumors.  That town is up in the mountains; it doesn¡¯t have a Sargonian side to spread rumors from.  It¡¯s just a lonely road up through the woods with a check-point guarded by the Kitezans.  He must¡¯ve come into the country to start talking.¡±

    The Eidolon nodded and put a hand around his goatee, smoothing out those nanotech-made hairs, ¡°¡­I see.  Sounds likely.  But why expose himself to you in that ruin?  How¡¯d he even get down there?  If you couldn¡¯t even get out because of the proximity to the fighting¡­¡±

    Gabriel was dangerously quiet on that part, but then shook his head and crossed his arms, ¡°¡­I dunno¡­  If he really orchestrated that whole encounter, maybe he turned up to see it play out.  He¡¯d hardly be the first person to venture in there.¡±

    ¡°I want you to keep that whole sad circumstance to yourself for now.  I¡¯ll tell Dame Ren to do the same.  Harboring Prince Aamin is a gamble for Kitez.  I don¡¯t know that they¡¯ll want to expose that they have him right away.¡±

    ¡°What about everything else?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Gabriel leveled a dubious look, ¡°We sent a Fafnir Knight to kill the Magistrate, and he escaped to tell the tale.¡±

    ¡°Did either of you ever lose access to the World Cloud?  Did your uniform-jacket ever dissolve?  Did her wings disappear unintentionally?¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    Xanarken shrugged, ¡°Then, as I see it, a Magistrate took a weapon of war across the Sargonian border.  It would be even worse for him if it turns out he struck the first blow.  If he says a word about it, the Luminary Council and the entire Hadiran Accord would be obliged to respond.  He won¡¯t say a word.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then what do I do now?¡±

    The Eidolon set his hands onto the arm-rests and pushed himself up, ¡°Enjoy your leave, Gabe.  In two weeks, you¡¯re going on an adventure into the southern hemisphere.¡±

    ¡°Huh?  Why?¡± The mediator was dumbfounded, ¡°We never even colonized down there.  It¡¯s just a wasteland of the original Hadiran landscape.  You don¡¯t need mediators down there.¡±

    ¡°No, but Seth needs a Limitless canary.¡± Xanarken answered, and pet the man¡¯s head, ¡°You¡¯re it, kid.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡± Gabriel swatted the arm out of his way and stood up as well, coming between the two seats with a grip on each head-rest, ¡°You¡¯re sending me on an Aegis mission!?  You can¡¯t do that¡­  After what just happened, I¡¯m the last person they¡¯ll want aboard.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunate, isn¡¯t it?¡± Xanarken looked at the man side-face, ¡°But since you decided to conscript Seth into your own designs for Prince Iresha, you ¨C maybe unintentionally ¨C got on Captain Rydell¡¯s bad side.  After you two left, he approached me with his grievances.  I happened to agree with your mindset about giving the Prince a friend, since it works towards our ultimate interests, and I didn¡¯t want to give that up.  So, I made a deal.¡±

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m not going to like this.¡±

    ¡°The Aegis¡¯ mission in the south is to secure a newfound colony ship.  One that¡¯s largely intact.  We want the warp core.¡±

    Gabriel quirked a brow, ¡°¡­What would you need one of those for?  It¡¯s not like we can warp without a Caeros-level Limitless user.¡±

    ¡°Every SkyFortress in the Council has a warp core inside it.  They¡¯re not just the anchors Caeros used to keep the fleet together; they can be used for far more.  The more of them we have in our possession, the fewer of them are unaccounted for.¡±

    ¡°How many are still missing?¡±

    ¡°Seven.¡± He answered, and snapped his fingers, forcing the red uniform-jacket on Gabriel¡¯s figure to evaporate, ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re officially on leave.  I don¡¯t want to hear word or whisper about the Connington mission ever again.  You don¡¯t talk about it with me, with Ren, with your pillow at night, or anyone or anything else.  Understood?¡±

    Gabriel was stunned by the command, and looked down ¨C the absence of his reds made the power-difference between them rather clear ¨C and he nodded, ¡°¡­Yessir.¡±

    .

    The dual-moons were closer together in that nighttime sky than before, and they were all Ren could focus on as the icy-cold wind bellowed around her.  She sat on top of the Aegis, helmet off and hanging from one hand, black hair snapping all around her like the tails of an atonement whip.  If she had tears, they were blown off her cheeks before she could feel them fall.  She snuffled though, and rubbed her nose on the back of her armored glove.  She heard the well-known tap of boots on the hull behind her, and she turned her head towards her shoulder without looking over it.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be up here if things went well,¡± Furion¡¯s voice sounded in her helmet, and she looked at the hollow dome in her grip where it echoed from.  Ren pulled her hair around and the flight-suit hood up again, then replaced the helm and heard the next question, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, like you said¡­¡±

    The tone in her voice was utterly defeated, and he stepped closer, shutting off his wing-optics as he lowered down to sit beside her.  He slid his arm in behind her back, and pulled her closer to his left side, ¡°Have you had your debrief yet?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­It all just went so horribly wrong.  And I knew that it would before we ever got there.  I¡­I told them, and you heard me, that sending Gabe with me was a bad idea.  That he¡¯d get in the way, even if he wasn¡¯t trying to.  Every move I made had to calculate the risk it posed to him, to the structural integrity of the site, to the outcome of the encounter¡­¡± She explained vaguely, and pulled her right arm free so she could thread it between Furion¡¯s knees.  She held onto the nearest one as she leaned forward against it, ¡°I had to limit the whole thing to just my melee weapons.  It was hopeless.  I couldn¡¯t cut through¡­  I¡­couldn¡¯t reach far enough¡­¡±

    ¡°I saw you two heading west.  There¡¯s only one reason you would need to go west right now.¡± Furion noted, ¡°Lord Rylen somehow set-up a rematch between you and the Magistrate, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°¡­I can neither confirm nor deny that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll presume it then.¡± He continued, ¡°If you were worried about structural integrity, you were stuck fighting in close quarters.  ¡­And if you couldn¡¯t cut through, he was in his mech.¡± He gave her a little reassuring jostle, ¡°I think Lord Rylen underestimated how lethal that man is.  Regulus Laurier rose the ranks of Kitez¡¯s military structure with a famed, cool-headed tactical mind, ruthless effectiveness, and a singular-minded belief that talking was a waste of time.  The Fafnir aren¡¯t the only ones dealing with dangerously powerful Limitless users.  He was their answer to lacking us.¡±

    Ren turned her head slightly, and pressed her visor to the inside of her arm in an effort to look back at the man beside her, ¡°Did Lequerion ever fight him?¡±

    ¡°Yes.  One time.¡± Furion confirmed, ¡°A mission into the Exclusion Zone, earlier on to that final escalation, where the Kitezans had actually launched their own offensive.  They and my father¡¯s unit converged on the same place, and because of the ensuing conflict between them, the target escaped.  Again.  General Laurier never betrayed his calm veneer, but it was clear from the way that he fought that he was ready to take down the entire Wing to make up for it.  My father sent them away though, and faced the man alone.  Neither one of them won.  General Laurier was commanded to withdraw before a victor could be determined.  I remember¡­when I was promoted to Captain after my father¡¯s retirement, the one thing he warned me about as he passed that torch, was to watch out for that man.  Not a Limitless user, not to be careful if the Exclusion Zone ever became a problem for us again¡­but General Regulus Laurier.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wow¡­¡± She answered quietly.

    ¡°I wish I could say I¡¯m surprised you lost against him,¡± He continued, ¡°But even my father couldn¡¯t eke a victory from Laurier¡¯s hide.  It would probably take the both of us to take him out.¡±

    ¡°I had it all planned out¡­¡± Ren said, brow furrowed, ¡°I was going to cut those stupid arms off, and rip open that mech like a can¡­  I was going to make him tell me what he did with Ianori¡­and I was going to make him suffer for what he did to Seth and Gabe.  Then I was going to boil him alive in his own mech with both plasma cannons on full-bore.¡±

    ¡°¡­I know¡­¡±

    She lifted her hands and looked at the weapons mounted on the backs of both forearms, ¡°¡­I never got close enough.  Now I¡¯m just¡­too angry at Gabriel for getting in the way¡­and for throwing my chance at Captain into the wind.  He could¡¯ve refused to go.  I even told him that if Lord Rylen had sent you out there instead, he wouldn¡¯t have been sent along to babysit.  I just don¡¯t understand what any of them were thinking when they made the choice to send him anyway¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it that way, love.¡± Furion reassured, and pulled her right hand closer to tap against the front of his visor, ¡°I¡¯m certain Lord Rylen was just as annoyed by Lord Xanarken¡¯s conditions as anyone.  It was an impossible handicap.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do now.¡± Ren added, and curled her fingers around the man¡¯s hand, ¡°I came up here to clear my head, but it¡¯s still just¡­so full of annoyance, frustration, and undignified blame¡­  If I see Gabe again before I calm down, I may say something unkind.  My whole plan to help him will be derailed if I fracture this relationship over something that wasn¡¯t entirely his idea.¡±

    Furion pondered for a moment, but then tapped a finger against his beloved¡¯s hand, ¡°Give me one second.  I have an idea.¡± He said, and sat up a bit straighter as he sent out a call.  It took a moment, but when the answer came, Ren listened closely to the one side of the conversation she could hear, ¡°Sir, requesting permission to debrief Commander Nibasai on her mission and to depart with our armor for the remainder of our leave.¡±

    Ren¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°¡­Lord Rylen¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yessir.  Understood.  Thank you, sir.  We¡¯ll be back for the mission.¡± He concluded, and pushed to stand up, offering his hands to lift Ren to her feet as well.  His wings burst to life again, and he spread them high and wide, ready, ¡°Let¡¯s go see the old man.  I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be happy to see you, and maybe give you some tips on what to do if you ever get another chance to fight Laurier again.¡±

    Her eyes lit up then, and she jumped at him to hang on in a hug, ¡°Thank you!¡±

    ¡°Alright then, soldier.  Let¡¯s get flying.  I¡¯ll debrief you on the way.¡±

    ¡°You have no idea how much I love you right now.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 24 â€“ Consult And Abide By Experience, Or You Are Doomed To Repeat Mistakes

    The hangar-bay door next to the waterfall opened, and Regulus¡¯ mech flew through to land, with Aamin still in-hand.  It was dawn by then, and though the journey was as gentle as it could¡¯ve possibly been, it was still quite hard on that exiled Prince, and he shivered terribly when that clawed hand let him go.  Medics were already on stand-by though, and he was allowed to lay down on a hovering gurney.  His injuries and presumed-hypothermia were already being evaluated, and the four-armed metallic beast that brought him there floated away quietly to enter into its docking-stall.  Regulus pushed open the hatch above himself and climbed out, jumping down to the floor instead of taking the offered ladder.

    Aamin trembled from the cold, pale as snow, ¡°Y-you¡­could have¡­b-brought me s-s-s-somewhere else¡­f-first¡­¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t yet welcome anywhere else.  Be grateful for what you¡¯ve been given.¡± The Magistrate answered, ¡°This facility has everything you need for your treatment.  Burns, cold, starvation¡­whatever you¡¯ve endured.  We don¡¯t scorn you, but we need to know what kind of a liability you are to us before we reveal our hand.¡±  He turned to the medics and nodded, and they started to pull the Prince away.  Aamin had no energy to respond, and vanished into those underground halls without another word.  Regulus stepped away and lifted a hand to press the curved earpiece on his right side, ¡°I have him.  When appropriate, relay to the Duchess that he¡¯s secured and beginning recovery.  Everyone in the facility understands this is a top-level security situation and they are bound to keep their mouths shut, but make sure to remind them.  I¡¯m going to bed.¡±

    .

    Flying high above the clouds, cones of air deflected around the two Fafnir as they made their way far to the northeast.  Below them had passed the northern half of Sargon, the western coastal edge of neighboring Mayrain, and the southwestern sliver of New Uppsala.  The waters below them were the Bay of Breidablik, and far ahead, coming into sight on the horizon, were the shores of a large, private property with a house on its rocky beach.

    The sun was barely starting to rise that far east of Kitez, but rise it did, and Furion looked over to his beloved, ¡°I¡¯m sure at least my pops is up by now.  He never was a late-sleeper.¡± He explained, ¡°I haven¡¯t called ahead though.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s surprise them.¡±

    ¡°He loves surprises.¡±

    Ren snorted a quiet laugh, ¡°Exactly.  Dropping out of hypersonic now.¡± She mused, and started to slow down.  The cone of air ahead of her faded, and the waters below started to look like actual water rather than a blue streak.  Furion slowed down as well, further ahead, and waited for her to catch up before getting back up to speed again.  They both extended their wings to full-spread as the shoreline passed beneath them, and a half-minute later, they landed quietly at the house¡¯s front door.

    As a beach-front property sitting above some large rocks, the front half of it was suspended on silts, with floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the bay.  The edges of a temperate forest dotted the edges of the main homestead¡¯s borders, with short grass, more rocks, and a road that cut through it from the back.  Ren pulled her helmet off, and her flight-suit skullcap down, and shook her head before running her fingers through her hair to shake it loose; Furion did the same beside her.  Their wing-optics were cut, and the two approached the front door, and gave a simple ¡®let¡¯s not wake up mom¡¯ sort of knock.

    Ren stepped back and they waited.  A full minute later ¨C and nearly thinking she needed to knock again ¨C the door finally opened, and a large man opened the door.

    ¡°Who the Hell is-¡° Lequerion started, only to spot the two Fafnir in their full armor standing in front of him, ¡°¡­Oh no.¡±

    He was a half-inch taller than Furion, which meant he towered over Ren by nearly a foot, and he had to look down at her to see her there.  He was aged, and a bit more wrinkly than Furion, but his hair was identical to that of his sons¡¯ ¨C his bangs were short like Seth¡¯s, but that platinum-blonde color and upward-spikey contour at the back gave him away as definitely being their sire ¨C and those eyes¡­those teal-green eyes.  They were wide in disbelief as he beheld that petite woman on his doorstep, and without a word, he reached both arms over her shoulders to pull her into a worried hug.

    ¡°What are you two doing here?  What happened?¡± He asked in a worried tone, ¡°Furion, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, dad, nothing is wrong.  We¡¯re on leave.¡± The Captain answered, and let himself be pulled into the hug as well, stepping into the man¡¯s left shoulder, ¡°For another ten days.¡±

    Lequerion nodded with relief, ¡°Whew¡­okay, gave me a damned heart attack for a second.  How¡¯d you get away with taking your armor on leave with you, though?  For a split second I actually considered you might be on the run.¡±

    ¡°I just asked.¡±

    He snorted a laugh and shook his head as he let his son go, ¡°¡­Okay, fair enough.  Lord Rylen is full of surprises.¡± He held Ren a little bit longer though, and with both arms around her shoulders and one hand to cradle the back of her head, he rocked her back and forth fondly, ¡°Are you two married yet?  Have we finally gotten the Rydell name on you?¡±

    Ren blushed, but looked up those many inches, ¡°No sir.  Your son is still gainfully employed, so¡­¡±

    ¡°You two are killing us.¡± Lequerion sighed, ¡°I should have guessed though when you appeared at my door in your Fafnir get-up.  Did you get your job back?¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡± She nodded, and reached up with her right hand to push some hair out of her eyes as she pulled out of the hug; Lequerion kept one arm over her shoulders though, resting it on the upward-idling mechanical limbs that gave her wings form, ¡°Just recently, actually.  I¡­I wanted to talk to you about something.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­yes, yes, please¡­¡± The older man gestured to the side of the house, and stepped out, pulling Ren beside him.  A large metal door raised with a gesture, revealing a garage with two vehicles inside, and Lequerion pointed within, ¡°You can dock here, then come inside.  I¡¯ll get something started for us to eat.  You¡¯re probably starving and exhausted if you flew here overnight.  Just keep your voices down; you know your mother and sister like to sleep in.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, dad.¡± Furion said, and stepped around them to join Ren in the garage.

    A few minutes later, the two found their way inside; the house was massive to behold already, but inside made it look even larger.  Warmly-lit by the rising sun, those balcony windows dimmed in a calculated way to prevent anyone in those water-facing rooms from being blinded as it ascended from the horizon.  Open-concept architecture allowed the eyes to see the entirety of the living-room, den, breakfast nook, kitchen, and dining room, and all its couches, tables, wall-mounted pictures, decorative bits and baubles, plants, and one snoozing cat to be easily seen.

    Ren smiled at the familiar sight, but Furion quietly got her attention before she could linger too long.  Lequerion was already in the kitchen assembling the things he intended to craft, and Ren followed her partner down a different hall, and into a guest-room.  They had been there many times before, and the room was well-prepared for the next time they arrived, bearing clothing and shoes for any occasion. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Furion pushed the door closed and stepped up behind his beloved, hands gently on her shoulders where she¡¯d started to peel away her flight-suit, ¡°You don¡¯t have to get straight to business if you¡¯d rather go to sleep.¡±

    ¡°How can I go to bed when your dad is making breakfast for us?¡± She looked back over her right shoulder.

    Furion just slid his arms forward and hugged her from behind, leaning down to kiss her neck, ¡°Eat first, then sleep.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine for now¡­thank you, though.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    When they were done and changed, they came back out, and Lequerion had food ready.  The most comforting and traditional of home-cooked breakfasts was put on the counter for them, and a toaster on the back counter clicked.

    Furion pulled a chair out for his partner and let Ren sit first before joining her, and looked at the over-easy eggs and bacon on offer, ¡°Thanks, dad.¡±

    Toast was being buttered, and Lequerion turned around, ¡°Anytime, kid.  How are you two anyway?  You have to tell me every¡­thing¡­?¡± He suddenly saw the blue-gel band around Ren¡¯s left upper arm, and nearly dropped the toast in his surprise, ¡°¡­What¡­?¡±

    Ren lifted her head, then looked at the band, and sighed, ¡°¡­Sorry, I lost a fight.¡±

    ¡°You lost a fight.¡± He echoed, and came around the island to set the toast onto a smaller plate, then reached forward to set it in front of her, ¡°How in the world did that happen?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s why we came.  It¡­was then-General-now-Magistrate Laurier.¡±

    Those green eyes were still as calm waters, but Lequerion shook his head like he hadn¡¯t heard right, ¡°Come again?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the second time he got me in just over a week,¡± She answered, ¡°He¡­took my arm the first time.¡±

    ¡°In her defense, she only had the nanotech training-suit to work with, and from what we gleaned from Seth¡¯s footage, he¡¯s upgraded his war-machine quite a bit since he was last witnessed using it.¡± Furion explained, ¡°They were at a stalemate the second time they fought, and Ren was only using her blades, too.¡±

    Lequerion put two more slices of bread into the toaster before he came around the kitchen island, and approached on Ren¡¯s left side.  He reached forward to gently hold her limp left arm, and lifted it up, feeling it with a few careful pinches around it.  When he got to her hand, he turned it over a few times, inspecting every finger and wrinkle, before lifting it up to kiss her knuckles, ¡°It¡¯s thin and mushy.¡±

    She just laughed, although she could feel the tears in her eyes starting, and she tried to hide them by looking away.  Her voice was ready to crack though, and she snuffled, ¡°¡­I know¡­¡±

    The older man just pulled her back against his chest again and pet her head, ¡°You¡¯ll recover.  You¡¯re too tough to let this get you down.  It¡¯s just temporary setback.¡±  He said reassuringly.  Furion slid his hand over to give her right knee a gentle squeeze, and Lequerion let go as the toaster popped again.  The younger gestured at their food though, and they both dug in.  Lequerion set that new plate of toast in front of his son, then rinsed his hands off under the kitchen sink¡¯s running water, ¡°So¡­Laurier, huh.  What were you two up to that led you to be in his crosshairs?¡±

    ¡°Not us.  Just her.¡± Furion nudged his head towards the woman, ¡°Lord Rylen sent Seth onto a covert mission into Kitez, and sent Ren over to go get him.  It didn¡¯t go well.  Then he sent her on a mission to try again, but with her full regalia¡­unfortunately, it didn¡¯t go well the second time, either.¡±

    ¡°What about that Lugios kid?  Didn¡¯t you get stuck with him for a bit?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­and he was there both times.¡± Ren nodded, and used her fork to pick at what was left of her breakfast, ¡°He was able to stop the man the first time; by surrendering us into his custody¡­but he got in the way when I tried again yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Damn¡­¡±

    ¡°To say the least.¡± Furion chimed in.

    ¡°If I get a third shot¡­I need a better angle.¡± She continued, ¡°Furion says you fought the man once before.  Any insight?¡±

    Lequerion tossed a hand-drying towel over his shoulder, and crossed his arms in thought, ¡°Honestly, the man fights as well as you.¡± He started, ¡°Just¡­utterly relentless and nonstop, using that adamant refusal to take a breath to overwhelm his enemies.  In melee, that mech of his can learn and adapt to any fighting style; if he can witness a strike coming, the A.I. on board can predict an outcome, and move the arms to counter it.  His offensive moves have to be self-motivated though, which is why the thing has four arms instead of just two.  The big ones are largely A.I.-piloted, but the smaller ones are all him.¡±

    ¡°¡­How do you know that?¡± Ren was surprised.

    ¡°I¡¯ve gone over the footage of my fight with him so many times, trying to figure out how he was able to stay toe-to-toe with me.  No mortal man should¡¯ve been able to.¡± Lequerion answered, ¡°Obviously, things might¡¯ve changed since back then, but¡­most people become masters of their style, and rarely change it, only incorporating new things into it that may be helpful, rather than switching entirely.¡±

    ¡°¡­He was using the big arms offensively against me.¡± She noted, ¡°The smaller ones were deflecting and parrying every blow.  I couldn¡¯t understand how he defended so perfectly.¡±

    ¡°He must¡¯ve learned from our fight, then.¡± Lequerion supposed, and set his hands onto the edge of the sink, ¡°Maybe he swaps A.I. between the two now.  You should study your own footage like I did.  See if you can spot the moment he switches.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.  I will.¡±

    .

    It was two more hours before the rest of the household finally awoke, but by then, Ren had swapped places with the sentiment, and was thus unconscious.  On her left side in the gap between Furion¡¯s right and the back of a bracket-shaped couch, right arm draped over his stomach and head on his chest, she snoozed quietly.  When the first of two sets of footsteps came into the den, it was an older woman with a long, thick braid hanging behind her back, largely gone white by then with a subtle tint of orange streaking through it.  Grey eyes looked to her husband though, ¡°Morning, honey.  What¡¯s for breakfast?  I can smell you¡¯ve been cooking.¡± She greeted tiredly, and yawned against the back of her hand.

    Lequerion ¨C where he was lounging on the mirrored side of the bracket-couch - gently lifted a finger up to his lips in a gesture to be quiet, and nudged his head to the side she¡¯d passed-by.  His attempts to keep the room¡¯s volume to a minimum were dashed though when the excited giggling of a young girl filled the air, and the youngest member of the family skipped around gleefully.

    ¡°Fury fury!  Furion!¡± She cheered, and lunged at the man where he¡¯d had his head back against the pillows in a deep sleep.  He was jarred awake by the smack of a 4-year-old¡¯s hands against his cheeks, and while startled, he quickly realized there was no threat, ¡°Fuuuuuurion!¡± She cackled.

    Lequerion tried to get his daughter to come back in his direction, but she didn¡¯t hear him, too wrapped-up in the happy sight of her much-older brother.

    The older woman came to the rescue though, and lifted the child up from behind the couch to rest her against a hip, ¡°Suzu, you should be more mindful when people are tired.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, mom¡­also, hi.¡± Furion mumbled, eyes bleary, ¡°Sorry to drop in unannounced¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you worry, baby.¡± She reached down to accept the greeting clasp of his left hand, ¡°But why don¡¯t you take her to bed?  If you¡¯re both this tired, you probably traveled here overnight, right?¡±

    ¡°They flew all the way here in their armor; can you believe it?¡± Lequerion explained, still shocked by it himself, ¡°Lord Rylen actually let them do it, too.¡±

    ¡°Oh wow,¡± Her brows went up in surprise, but she set her daughter down to shoo her towards the kitchen before leaning down to kiss the top of her oldest child¡¯s head, ¡°Please take her to bed.  We can catch-up when you¡¯re both rested.¡±

    Furion blinked hard a few times to wake up a little, but eventually nodded, and carefully moved to peel himself from Ren¡¯s slumbering form.  With care, he got up, scooped her into his arms, and walked her around the large couch and coffee-table.  He paused beside his mother before heading down that side-hall though, and bent his head down to touch his brow to hers, ¡°Thanks, mom.¡±

    ¡°Are you married yet?¡±

    He snorted a quiet laugh, ¡°I¡¯m still Captain.¡±

    ¡°She transferred out though, didn¡¯t she?  That means she¡¯s fair-game.¡±

    ¡°That was a temporary formality.  She¡¯s back with us again.  I¡¯ll explain later.¡±

    She made a face at him, but then turned to look at the sleepy Wing Commander passed-out against his shoulder.  She reached over to brush a few strands of hair from her face, and smiled, ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s just as well.  I¡¯d have been quite upset if you did it without us.¡±

    ¡°Lord Rylen knows.¡± Furion noted, and glanced back at his father as well, who was making his way to the kitchen to cook-up round 2, ¡°And apparently, he has for quite some time.  I don¡¯t think we have to hide being ¡®us¡¯ anymore.¡±

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t get too bold.  You still have a team to lead, and so does she.  Now¡­go on and rest easy.  We¡¯ll chat later.  It¡¯s good to have you both home.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 25 â€“ Voices From A Forgotten Past Are Like Faces In The Mist

    He supposed it wasn¡¯t that much of a surprise that Ren didn¡¯t come back the day after the mission, but after four days, it really stung.  Gabriel tempted the idea of reaching out to her, and had a finger on the ¡®contact¡¯ button on his overlay, but he hesitated, If she wanted to talk to me, she would¡¯ve done so already.  With a sigh, he swiped the whole HUD away and cleared his sights. He tried to manifest his uniform-jacket before leaving his hotel room, but got an error message for it, and he rolled his eyes, He¡¯s really gone that far to make me stay away from work.

    With that unfortunate turn of events, Gabriel grabbed some ultra-normal clothing and departed, looking like a civilian.  One foot outside the building and he realized¡­he had no idea what he was doing, or what to do, ¡°¡­I hate being on leave.¡±

    ¡°¡­Lugios?¡±

    The sound of his own name in that voice sent a shiver down his spine, and Gabriel turned his eyes towards it with trepidation.  It was like a sight out of another life; that bald head, that purple cloak, and those dark little eyes that looked friendly at first glance, but hid a dubious ¡®seen too much and done much worse¡¯ glint just below the surface.

    ¡°It really is you.  What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°¡­J¡¯ard¡­¡± He said simply, ¡°I¡¯d ask you the same thing, but I think I already know.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve gotten so much taller since I last saw you.¡± The older man commented, and lifted a duffel-bag a bit higher onto his shoulder as he abandoned his intent to go inside and came the mediator¡¯s way instead, ¡°It¡¯s different seeing that in person than on the broadcasts about you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­been a really long time.¡± Gabriel answered, looking a bit nervous, ¡°I think I was 13 when last I saw you.  Where¡¯ve you been all this time?¡±

    The kindly-looking older man pointed back towards the doors, ¡°You busy?  That¡¯s a long story.  I¡¯d like to put my things away before getting into it.¡±

    Gabriel just looked at himself, extending his coat out where he had his hands in his pockets, ¡°Busy?  Nope.¡±

    ¡°Would you mind waiting in the lobby then?  I¡¯ll finish up real quick and come back down.¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­¡±

    If there was anything to be grateful for that people tended to avoid him, it was that he could sit in a public place and no one would bother him.  Xanarken¡¯s assessment that it¡¯s because he was ¡®a mere man acting like an Eidolon¡¯ seemed so far off-base, it made him scoff into his latt¨¦.  He managed to drain the entire thing at that coffee bar before J¡¯ard finally got back to him, and by then, he was ready to dip.  J¡¯ard had other ideas though, and ordered-up his own drink, forcing him to stick around.

    ¡°So, how¡¯ve you been?  I mean, I know what you¡¯ve been doing for the most part, but¡­it doesn¡¯t seem like your reputation has improved.¡± The older man teased.

    ¡°I¡¯ve sabotaged five different trainees and actually managed to piss off the last one, so¡­the same?¡± He answered grimly, and idly played with the empty ceramic cup in front of him, ¡°I thought we were going to talk about you though.¡±

    ¡°Hmph¡­  The more things change, the more they stay the same.¡± J¡¯ard shook his head, and thanked for barista for his efforts when his own drink was set before him, ¡°I taught you how to keep your affliction suppressed, but it seems I was never able to impart upon you any manners.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not in the best mood.¡±

    ¡°I can tell.¡±

    Gabriel stared daggers at him past a shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m not on the clock.  I¡¯m not obliged to pretend right now.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s fair.¡± J¡¯ard took a sip from that frothy drink, and savored its flavor for a moment, then set the cup down into the matching saucer, ¡°I¡¯ve been out and about in the world, working on Lord Rylen¡¯s behalf to root-out Limitless trouble, and pass along any credible information that your least-favorite band of flying nukes might have to monitor.¡± He started, and glanced back over at the blonde, ¡°My most recent big assignment was actually rather troublesome.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°Mh.  A man by the name of Tobias Greenwich.¡± J¡¯ard began, thumbing the curve of the finger-loop, ¡°Gave Lord Rylen a lot of trouble, actually.  The man started as nothing more than a two-bit petty thief, using his affliction to steal jewelry.  He¡¯d disappeared off the radar for some time, and many thought he¡¯d simply moved on or cleaned-up his life¡­but then these much-bigger heists started happening, and no one could figure out what was going on.  Witness testimony didn¡¯t match what was captured on security feeds; people were seeing things that simply didn¡¯t exist, or couldn¡¯t see what actually was.  But¡­if there¡¯s anything commonly true about people who commit theft, even if the hauls are large, it¡¯s that most people involved are not terribly smart or loyal to one another.  Apprehended suspects all started saying the same name.  Eventually-¡°

    ¡°¡­The Fafnir were called in.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you know the story?¡±

    Gabriel grumbled slightly, ¡°I¡¯m sadly an extenuating circumstance of it.  The partner I pissed off was actually a lost Fafnir who became an unwitting victim of that Limitless effect.  It was potent enough to mess her up pretty bad.  For four months, in all.  But¡­now that he¡¯s gone, the charm¡¯s worn off, and she¡¯s all hunky-dory again.¡±

    J¡¯ard was a little surprised, ¡°¡­You sound oddly upset about that¡­?¡±

    The mediator just crossed his arms and leaned into them on the bar-top, ¡°Xanarken sent me with her on a sensitive mission earlier in the week.  Fafnir strategy and mine don¡¯t compliment each other.  To say I screwed it up would be an understatement¡­and she hasn¡¯t talked to me since.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m told that I¡¯ll be going with the Aegis on yet another mission next week, so I can pirouette into yet another disaster of my own making, at all of their expense this time rather than just hers.¡±

    J¡¯ard coughed into his coffee, and gaped at him, ¡°You¡¯re going with the Aegis?¡±

    ¡°Per the orders of my Lord and God, Xanarken Tellan.¡± Gabriel answered dryly, and waved his right hand around, ¡°They only want me around for my affliction, of all things.  A crew whose whole purpose is eliminating people like me, is now asking me for a favor¡­  Or at least, their Captain is, since I touched something of his that he didn¡¯t appreciate.¡±

    ¡°When I saw that SkyFortress docked beside the palace, I was certain its presence was why I had been called in.  I didn¡¯t think there was a chance in Hell you¡¯d be caught dead around it.  ¡­But you¡¯re actually working with them.  With the Fafnir.¡± The older man summarized, baffled at his own words, ¡°¡­I have so many questions.  I don¡¯t even know where to start.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s there to really say?¡± Gabriel grumbled, and pushed up onto his elbows, staring at the residue at the bottom of his empty cup, ¡°My latest partner was only put with me because they expected it to be a short stay¡­either because the mud would fall off her eyes with the termination of that Tobias guy, or because I¡¯d drive her away like I did with everyone else.  She knows the truth now¡­but at this point, it¡¯s becoming a messy custody battle over who gets to use her at any given time.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°She claims that, while she wants to go back at some point, she also wants to finish-out the program with me, so we both asked Xanarken to stall her transfer.  But, that was before I sabotaged her mission¡­now I wonder if she can even stand to look at me.¡± He continued, looking rather despondent about it.

    J¡¯ard looked the man up and down, ¡°Wait¡­go back.  She wants to finish the program¡­?  With you, specifically?¡±

    ¡°Damn, don¡¯t make it sound like such a bad idea.  I already feel terrible about it all.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Gabriel, listen to the words that have been coming out of your stupid, stupid face-hole for the last two minutes.  You got partnered with a Fafnir Knight, somehow became friendly enough with her to not drive her away ¨C such that ¡®we,¡¯ as in, ¡®you and her,¡¯ not the Royal ¡®we¡¯ ¨C actually asked Lord Xanarken to stop her from being sent back home early.  Don¡¯t you know what that means?¡±

    Gabriel gawked at him stiffly, ¡°I know exactly what that means!  Why do you think I¡¯m so damn cranky about her being mad at me!?¡±

    J¡¯ard waved his hands down for the mediator to lower his voice, looking around at the people who¡¯d turned in their direction, ¡°You need to figure out how to fix this, kid.  She¡¯s your only friend in the world and you¡¯ve stuck your foot in it.¡±

    ¡°Ugghhh¡­¡± He groaned, and slid his hands through his hair until he cupped his whole head between his palms, ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to say to her right now¡­  I thought about calling, but I haven¡¯t seen her in going-on four days.  Then I thought about asking Seth, but¡­well, he¡¯s the thing of Captain Rydell¡¯s that I touched, and I don¡¯t want to make that worse either.¡±

    ¡°What could you possibly need with Setharion Rydell¡­?¡±

    ¡°I had the audacity to suggest he become friends with Prince Iresha, since they¡¯re going to be at the College at Agartha together soon.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s 17 years old.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a cadet.  You had no business asking him to do anything.¡±

    ¡°It was a trade.  He¡¯d do this ¨C for the sake of the entire Council ¨C and I¡¯d continue being his little Limitless specimen.  I¡¯d say he got off with the better deal.  Asking him to be friendly with another kid his age is hardly the end-of-days story you¡¯re making it seem to be.¡±

    J¡¯ard rubbed his head with a sigh, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know that I would¡¯ve been called in if your ideas hadn¡¯t gotten you into trouble somehow.  It¡¯s been a while since I was asked to mentor a Limitless youth.  You must¡¯ve really stepped in it to get called-off the Prince Iresha case.¡±

    ¡°¡­I guess that means you¡¯re going with him to Agartha, too?¡±

    ¡°Indeed.  Per Captain Rydell¡¯s request.¡±

    Gabriel looked on despairingly, ¡°¡­Captain Rydell sure is flexing on me hard right now.¡±

    ¡°I think this is less of a flex than an alternative to putting the pressures of state-craft onto the shoulders of a teenager.  Setharion can still be the Prince¡¯s friend; it just won¡¯t be up to him to bridge the space between the Council and Sargon.¡± J¡¯ard redirected, and reached over to give a few light pats to the mediator¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°And here I was led to believe Xanarken agreed with me.¡±

    ¡°He did.  But only about the part about letting them be friends, per what I was told at my briefing.  Lord Xanarken plays the long-game; what appears to be a slight now may end up working out the same way in the end.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m supposed to be his right hand.  If that was the case, I¡¯d have thought he would tell me that himself.¡± Gabriel said quietly, and slipped off his bar-stool to begin his retreat, ¡°It was¡­an experience, seeing you again, J¡¯ard.  Good luck with Iresha.  He can be testy.¡±

    .

    Six days later¡­

    Furion stepped out of the garage with his full armor back on, helmet in his hands.  When he came out into the broad light of day, he spotted Ren floating a few feet off the ground with Suzu in her arms, flitting around as the little girl screamed with excitement.

    ¡°Higher!¡± The child demanded, only for Ren to laugh and flatly refuse.

    ¡°Your mama and papa would kill me dead if I did,¡± She explained, but then flipped-over mid-hover, and pulled the girl backwards to her chest.  Those little arms and legs extended far, and Ren let her at least feel like she was flying on her own, even if it was only a few inches higher off the ground than she was tall.

    Lequerion looked aside from his seat on the patio, spotting the shadow of his son coming towards them, ¡°Time went by so fast.  It¡¯s hard to believe your leave is already over.¡±

    Furion nodded, ¡°I¡¯m more surprised that neither of us got called back early.  Or called at all.  We actually got to enjoy our time out here for a change.¡±  He turned out towards Ren and his much-younger sister, ¡°Suzu is like a whole other kid every time we get to see her.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be strangers.  I know what your leave schedule looks like,¡± Lequerion teased, but stood up and followed his wife down those few steps to the driveway.  They all watched a moment longer as Ren played with the youngest Rydell, hovering on her back then, with those big red wings ¡®flapping¡¯ like she was doing a backstroke.  Suzu sat on her midsection, giggling up a storm.  Lequerion huffed a quiet laugh and shook his head, ¡°We¡¯re all going to miss you two terribly.  Ren!  Bring it in.¡±

    She perked her head up, and she held the little girl¡¯s waist a bit more securely for it.  When she saw the gesture to come closer, she quickly righted her posture and carried Suzu over her feet firmly on the ground.  Once there though, she hugged her one more time before setting her down, ¡°Time to go bye, Suzu.¡±

    ¡°Aww bye!?¡± She echoed, ¡°But I¡¯ll miss you!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you, too.¡± Ren answered, and crouched down to nose the girl¡¯s forehead, ¡°You be good, okay?¡±

    Furion was the one to go down on a knee next, and the girl rushed to hug him, too.  When all their goodbyes were said and done though, the pair of Fafnir put their helms back into place, and took off into those clear skies.  The double sonic-boom cracked like thunder overhead¡­and they were gone.

    Wings were tucked close to their bodies and streamlined, with those domes of nanotech ahead of them creating a kind of slipstream to make flight easier.  Ren glanced up and over at her partner, ¡°This was a really great idea, seeing your family.  I think I needed it more than recovery-leave.¡±

    ¡°And you got what you wanted from it, hopefully?¡±

    ¡°That awaits to be seen.¡± She answered, ¡°Once we get back to the Aegis, I want to start looking at my archived footage.  I never thought I¡¯d find someone tougher to beat than you, but¡­that guy really got me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get you down.  You were fighting against him and a sophisticated A.I. system.  It was practically two against one.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not down.  Not anymore.¡± Ren countered, and shook her head, looking forward resolutely, ¡°My arm is ten times what it was when we got here.  If that contributed at all to my not being able to cut through that mech¡¯s shell, I won¡¯t let it happen again.  The next time I see him¡­I¡¯ll win.¡±

    Some few hours later, Trazad came into sight, and the Aegis with it over that alcove of a cliffside lake.  It was no surprise to see a number of the ship¡¯s crew already starting to filter back aboard¡­but seeing a pair of Eidolon waiting for them in the docking-bay certainly was.  They touched-down gingerly and pulled their helms off, and looked on curiously.

    ¡°Welcome back.  Sorry to ambush you like this.¡± Rylen began, ¡°You¡¯ve both had your nanotech off since you left, and we didn¡¯t want to interrupt.  But¡­this can¡¯t wait until you¡¯re both officially on duty again.¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡± Furion said warily.

    ¡°Regarding the mission Dame Ren was on prior to your departure.¡± Xanarken chimed in, and looked to the woman, ¡°Have you spoken to anyone about what you saw?¡±

    ¡°Only the Captain, sir.¡± She answered, ¡°And only because Lord Rylen gave consent for him to debrief me.  Has something happened?¡±

    ¡°No, not as yet.¡± The Eidolon shook his head, ¡°But this is your formal notice that the topic is strictly off-limits from here on out.  Captain?  A moment.¡±

    The two Knights exchanged glances, but Furion nodded and followed the Fourth, ¡°Yessir.¡±

    Rylen distracted Ren by following her over to her docking-pod and inquired after her arm, but once they were out of ear-shot, Xanarken got right to the point, and spoke quietly, ¡°What exactly did she tell you?  About the end of the encounter.¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°After the Magistrate left.  What else was there?¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t say there was anything else, sir.¡±

    Xanarken stared closely for a moment, ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°Other than digging Sir Gabriel out of the rubble, yessir.  Her pressing concern was the fact that the Magistrate outclassed her because she was¡­for lack of better terms, handicapped by the need to protect an asset.¡±

    The Fourth nodded, ¡°I see.¡±  He thought for a few seconds, but then lifted his head again, ¡°That¡¯s all very good then.  In unrelated news, I took care of that issue you brought to me before.  Rylen and I worked together on that case, and your brother has been relieved of the pressures that Gabriel had previously put him under.  In his place, Rylen has brought in J¡¯ard Qiste.  Seth is free to remain friends with the boy if he wants to, but he isn¡¯t under any obligation to do so if he chooses not to.  He can embark on the Aegis¡¯ next voyage unburdened by the belief that he¡¯s neglecting any of his duties.¡±

    Furion felt the relief pour through him like hot water, and he bowed his head gratefully, ¡°Thank you, Lord Xanarken.¡±

    The Eidolon nodded and stepped away again, swapping places with his cohort of the First and Sixth.  He stepped closer to Ren¡¯s pod just as she closed the door on the front of it and set it to its wash and sanitize maintenance cycle, ¡°Dame.  A moment of your time as well, if you would.¡±

    ¡°Yessir?¡±

    Those purple eyes drifted to make sure Rylen was speaking to his Captain before he said anything himself.  He spoke quietly, ¡°Did you tell anyone about Prince Aamin or the man who appeared after he and Magistrate Laurier escaped?¡±

    She swallowed a nervous breath, ¡°¡­No sir.¡±

    ¡°Are you certain?  You said the Captain had been given permission to debrief you.¡±

    ¡°He did.  About my mission.¡± She answered, ¡°And my mission decidedly left-out the names of whoever else you believe to have been there.  The Magistrate was my only target.  If you yourself wish to hear about anything else I witnessed, I will tell you and you alone, but as far as I¡¯m concerned, I saw and heard nothing else.  That was Sir Gabriel¡¯s directive.¡±

    ¡°He ordered you to stay quiet about it?¡±

    ¡°Yessir, and since he outranks my Captain, I wasn¡¯t obliged to disclose anything, even in the debrief.¡±

    ¡°Good.  And for what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry for crippling your effectiveness.  I thought Gabe would be more¡­careful, than he turned out to be.¡±

    Ren¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°¡­He had his own mission to carry-out.  The fact that they both escaped was my fault.¡±

    Xanarken had no rebuttal to that, and the lack of a parry left Ren feeling like she had a hot coal in her stomach.  Still, the Eidolon had a little more to say, ¡°Rylen has requested that you accompany the Aegis on its next mission.  Since I have nothing more pressing for you to do, I¡¯ve agreed.  You¡¯ll be attending to Seth while he investigates the next target.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yessir.¡±

    ¡°Gabriel will also be there.¡± He continued, which made Ren¡¯s eye twitch slightly, ¡°To act as the advanced warning in case things are about to go south.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is there another void rift?  Is that what the Aegis is after down there?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly.  I¡¯ll have more details to present when this ship sets sail.  I expect you¡¯ll both be in attendance at the brief I give to the Fafnir.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re coming, too?¡± She was surprised at that, ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°I am.  I¡¯m always there when the wreckage of an intact colony ship is unearthed.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 26 â€“ To Know The Truth Comes With A Heavy Price

    The pair of Eidolon finally took their leave ¨C satisfied with what each of them had laid the ambush for ¨C and the two Knights who¡¯d been left behind could only wait in quiet confusion at the whole thing.  Once Furion had put his armor into the docking-pod though, Ren could only ask one thing.

    ¡°That was weird, right?¡±

    ¡°Super weird.¡± He agreed easily, and reached his right hand out for hers.

    Her head was still swimming from the interaction, but she took the offer ¨C left hand much more sure of itself now - and followed into the elevator.  Just as the door closed, and she leaned against the back wall, she sucked in a breath and loaded her overlay, ¡°¡­Have you checked your messages yet?¡±

    ¡°I did when we came out of hypersonic.  Seth¡¯s already here.  I told him to meet us down at your room.¡±

    ¡°My room?¡±

    He gave a bit of a coy look, ¡°If Lord Rylen isn¡¯t bothered by us being together, then why make you stay there?  Just move up to the Captain¡¯s cabin and stay with me.  It¡¯ll be your room one day anyway, right?¡±

    Ren balked a little, ¡°¡­Seth¡­doesn¡¯t know about us though.  This¡¯ll be a shock to the system.¡±

    ¡°You really think he doesn¡¯t?¡±

    The elevator doors opened again a few floors lower into the ship, and the duo stepped out.  Ren clasped her thumb a little firmer around his, ¡°According to Gabe, anyway.  He was making inquiries apparently.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s nosey.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a mediator.  Information is his currency.¡± She defended, ¡°Figuring out who people are to each other is base-level politicking.  I went from scorning you to spending all my time with you.  I¡¯m sure the whiplash was confusing.¡±

    The handful of people who¡¯d returned early, and were walking the halls of the upper barracks, turned in surprise to see that pair going by hand-in-hand.  None dared say a word about it though; some even heaved with relief that they were finally out with it.  The look they got from Seth, however, when he spotted them from where he¡¯d been camping at Ren¡¯s door for the last 30 minutes, was¡­something.

    ¡°What.  What is this.¡± He gestured at them.

    Ren waved, ¡°Hey.  This is my boyfriend.  You might know him.¡±

    ¡°Furion!¡± He puffed, ¡°How long!?¡±

    ¡°Eight years.¡±

    ¡°Eight years.¡± Seth loudly echoed, only to quickly pull his hands over his mouth and look around in embarrassed worry.  His face was red, but he quickly stomped up to them with a finger pointed at his brother¡¯s nose, and whispered adamantly, ¡°Eight years!  You¡¯ve hidden this from me for eight years.¡±

    ¡°Well, not just you, but¡­yeah.¡±

    ¡°To be fair, we did go to great lengths to hide it¡­from everyone.¡± Ren added, but since Seth was the same height as her, he could get his own face directly into hers.

    ¡°But it¡¯s me!¡± He whined, and grabbed her shoulders to shake her back and forth, ¡°Why!?  Now I just feel dumb and blind!  I already have a complex about not being able to see what¡¯s right in front of me, because I¡¯m not afflicted!  But you did this to me on purpose!  At least when Mr. Gabriel told me he could see more than I could, it was a surprise to both of us!¡±

    Ren let go of her partner¡¯s hand and reached both arms over the perturbed teen¡¯s shoulders, ¡°The only people we ever told were your parents.  The only ones who figured it out were Ravan and Corbin.  Most of the rest of the team suspected but didn¡¯t ask.¡±

    ¡°But why are you out about it now?  What changed¡­?¡± Seth asked; he was clearly upset about the deception.

    ¡°We found out Lord Rylen knew.¡± She explained, ¡°And he insinuated he wouldn¡¯t do anything about it as long as we continued being effective.  So¡­there¡¯s no point hiding it anymore.¡±

    ¡°Is that why my brother asked me to meet you guys here?¡±

    ¡°Not entirely,¡± Furion teased, and stepped off to open the door, ¡°We need more arms to carry her stuff.¡±

    Seth balked at him, but when he looked back at Ren, she just had a sneaky smile on her face.  He threw both arms up then, ¡°Lies and deceptions!  And now abuse!  I¡¯m being abused.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not being abused.¡± She huffed, and turned the teen around by his shoulders to nudge him inside, ¡°Big ol¡¯ drama baby¡­¡±

    .

    The Aegis loomed heavily overhead, even in spite of only the upper half of it being visible from the connecting bridges.  Gabriel stared at it dubiously, but then looked around to see how many people might be watching him board; he might¡¯ve had his braided hair tucked to the inside of the long-coat he had on, but he couldn¡¯t hide his bangs with anything more than a popped collar, and he knew he¡¯d stick out like a sore thumb.  He swallowed what little pride he had left and went through those open doors

    His overlay made it easy to find his way to the meager quarters that had been assigned to him, but when he found it, it was¡­significantly less than he was expecting.  The door slid open, and he beheld before him the smallest single-person room that the ship had; it was barely a bed, a desk, and a side-door that he prayed was a bathroom to himself.  It wasn¡¯t.  It was a shallow closet.  He slouched in the doorway and collapsed to his knees, ¡°I¡¯m being punished.  This is punishment.  This isn¡¯t even a Knight¡¯s room¡­it¡¯s just a crewman¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gaaaabrieeeelllll!¡±

    That voice was like a siren¡¯s call, and he lurched backwards to see down the hall, ¡°Seth?¡±

    The teen came rushing as quickly as he could, but slowed down as he got nearer, ¡°What are you doing down here?  This isn¡¯t even where your room was last time.¡±

    ¡°How did you even know to find me here then?¡±

    ¡°I set alert on the ship¡¯s manifest to tell me when you got here.  When it popped, it also told me your room assignment.  I¡­came to make sure you got here okay.¡±

    The mediator just blinked at him a few times, then grumbled to himself and pushed back up to his feet.  He dusted himself off and threw his carry-bag onto the cot-like bed within, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    Seth¡¯s brow furrowed, and he stepped around to look past the man and into the walk-in-closet-sized space, ¡°¡­I can¡¯t let you stay here.¡±

    ¡°Sure you can.  This is what¡¯s been given to me.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean¡­  You¡¯re the second-highest ranking person in the Fourth Wing.  This has to be an oversight.  Um¡­¡± He considered what to do, but then shook his head, ¡°Just grab your bag and come with me.¡±

    ¡°Heh?¡± Gabriel stared, perplexed, but the teen nudged his head towards the elevators, and he huffed a sigh and grabbed his bag again.  The elevator took them up four stories, and Gabriel looked down at the teen skeptically, ¡°You know, I could¡¯ve sworn no one was going to be interested to see me.  I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re here at all, considering.¡±

    ¡°Considering what?¡± Those eyes looked on quizzically, ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    Gabriel had no idea how to answer to that, so he feigned, ¡°¡­No.  You¡¯re probably right.  Just an oversight.¡±

    ¡°My brother always gives me one of the unused officer¡¯s quarters when I¡¯m on board.  You can stay with me until we can get you a room more appropriate for your station.¡± Seth explained, and led the way down a wider corridor than the one he¡¯d found Gabriel in.  The door in was at the end, and when the door opened to reveal the interior, Seth presented it with a gesture, ¡°Home away from home.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Gabriel stuck his head in to get a first impression, ¡°It¡¯s near as big as Ren¡¯s room.  It¡¯s a whole small apartment.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Fafnir Knights are higher-up on the totem pole, so they get nicer digs.  Command on the Aegis is a bit different from other SkyFortresses.  Just like how you¡¯re ranked higher than a Captain in a unique Negotiator slot of the Fourth, the Fafnir are ranked higher than the regular officers, but below Captain.¡± Seth explained, and gestured the mediator to come in so he could close the door, ¡°The Fafnir are on the floor above us, and my brother¡¯s up above that, next door to his office.  There are roughly 250 officers aboard, and another 3,800 crew for everything the ship needs to do.  The Aegis is the Council¡¯s most combat-oriented vessel; it has the most guns of any ship, and of course, the Fafnir, and all need a lot of support.¡± He explained as Gabriel wandered around the space to explore, ¡°We¡¯ll be joined by the First Wing research vessels Fibonacci and Lucas.¡±

    That got Gabriel¡¯s attention, ¡°Those are Inquisition ships¡­Fibonacci specifically is a Myrmidon vessel.  Their whole order is made-up of afflicted.  Why did Xanarken need to send me when you¡¯re going to have access to all of them?¡±

    Seth shrugged, ¡°Probably because they can¡¯t take off their helmets, so no one can see if their eyes are lighting up.  The First does a lot of really dangerous work, and - especially since the development of the SD helmets - have become rather unpopular in certain circles.  Lord Rylen protects them by making sure no one knows who they are.  But, they¡¯re the ones who developed ¨C and continue to make improvements to ¨C our SkyFortress fleet, so they¡¯re coming with us on this mission.  The Myrmidon Corps is here because of-¡°

    ¡°¡­The warp core.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you know about it already?¡±

    ¡°Xanarken mentioned it briefly, the last time I talked to him¡­two weeks ago.¡± He mumbled, ¡°Anyway, thanks for the assist.  Where should I set-up camp?¡±

    .

    Ren¡¯s legs trembled slightly; pulses of intense sensation coursed through her.  Her knees came up and pinched together slightly as she tried to hold herself up, balled-up hands pressed to the front of the chest below her.  Sweat beaded on her hazel skin, but she managed a laugh anyway; larger hands slid up and down her thighs, and she lowered down until she could slump down into the blankets.  Not wanting to deny her partner though, she turned onto her side and pressed her back to his front, and relaxed into his movements until he, too, felt the same intensity.

    She felt the man¡¯s face press into her hair, and she reached one hand up to caress his cheek and ear, ¡°It¡¯s different¡­now that we know neither of us has to leave after¡­¡± She said between breaths.

    Furion drank in her scent for a moment longer, but then he wedged an arm under her waist ¨C and the other over it ¨C to pull her into a hug, ¡°Definitely¡­¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re okay with me being up here now?¡± She wondered, turning to look back over a shoulder at him as he nestled his chin into the crook of her neck, ¡°Like¡­full-time?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, absolutely.¡± Furion answered easily, ¡°It¡¯s a big change, but I welcome it.¡±  He drew in another breath, exhaled, and pushed up onto his elbow in an effort to sit up.  Forearms perched on his upturned knees, and he glanced down at the woman still in the sheets.  With breath caught, he was able to speak more normally again, ¡°Lord Rylen told me you were going to be coming with us on the mission.  It¡¯ll be good to have you back with us like before.  Your team will be relieved to see you at your post.¡±

    Ren rolled onto her back, and lifted her arms up above her head.  One knee lifted under the blankets, and she rocked it slowly back and forth, ¡°¡­Kind of feels like I¡¯m not going back to the Fourth at all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because the Fourth is coming with us.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­that¡¯s what Lord Xanarken said.¡± She affirmed, ¡°Do you already know the details of what¡¯s going to happen?  What we¡¯re going for?  I was told it was an intact colony ship.¡±

    Furion nodded.

    With hands on a podium, in a briefing room large enough for all of the Fafnir, some of the higher-level officers of the Aegis¡¯ crew, Inquisitors, Myrmidon, a Knight-cadet of the First, two Eidolon, and one uncomfortable mediator, Furion looked out at the crowd.  Multiple rows of theater-style seats went to the back wall, and nearly every one of them had a butt in them.  The room dimmed, and Furion looked back at a digital display above the stage he stood on.

    ¡°Th Aegis ¨C accompanying First Wing vessels Fibonacci and Lucas ¨C are on our way south, headed past the equator and into the lower hemisphere.  It¡¯s a voyage that will take us until tomorrow afternoon, but we¡¯re going¡­here.¡± He pointed at a cross-hair on a 3D projection of Hadira; the entire globe rotated and zoomed in on the location, ¡°About five weeks ago, a satellite scanning the area located a colony-class vessel wedged at the bottom of a canyon.  Against all odds, from what we¡¯ve been able to gather of it since, the ship is more-or-less in one piece.  There¡¯s one engine that was shorn-off the side and is lodged in a crevasse about a klick east.  We¡¯re not interested in it though.  As many of you may know, each SkyFortress in the Council¡¯s fleet is equipped with the warp core of one of these colony-class ships.  It augments our weapons, enhances our shields, and gives a boost to the engines that enable us to keep these things in the air.¡±

    The map shifted to show a schematic-level view of the colony ship, and zoomed-in on the center-rear, where a large chamber was located, containing a sphere.

    ¡°Getting this core means someone¡¯s getting a new ship.  But not just that; it brings one more core into the possession of the Council, rather than any nefarious parties which may use it against us.  Given that the fleet was in the care of the Eidolon before the events that brought the colony-fleet to Hadira, and had thus been entrusted with that care to endure even after, it makes logical sense that these warp cores rightfully belong to the Luminary Council that they founded.  But there¡¯s one particular detail about these cores that isn¡¯t widely known, and may not even be known by Sargon or Kitez, who are in possession of three altogether that we know of.¡±

    The imagery zoomed in on the core again, but instead of showing a schematic, it showed¡­a photo.

    ¡°This is the secret of the warp cores.  They weren¡¯t entirely mechanical designs.  They were chambers¡­for the Warp Magi whose job it was to channel to Limitless energy of the Progenitor Warp Talent known as Caeros.¡±

    Ren¡¯s eyes turned towards her Eidolon.

    ¡®Caeros¡¯ full name is Caeros Vor¡¯antiss¡­he was Lord Rylen¡¯s son.¡¯  The words echoed in her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s been 78 years since we found one of these cores, so none in this room save the Eidolon know what that moment was like.¡± Furion continued, displaying the individual faces of the three afflicted pioneers who¡¯d been tasked with sitting inside that spherical capsule, ¡°That ship is going to be littered with the victims of that accident.  These three, however, are of utmost importance.  From the reports created in the chaos of the fleet¡¯s crash-landing, void gates opened inside each of these cores, as well as outside and all around those ships.  As such¡­while the Fafnir were originally going to be there to provide extra muscle in the recovery effort, we are now also going to be providing security to the Inquisitors.  The report we got from Knight-Cadet Setharion Rydell ¨C from his mission into Kitez ¨C has given us all reason to reconsider the safety of being around these cores.  To that end, we also have afflicted mediator Gabriel Lugios here to act as a warning system; if things flare-up, so will his eyes, and we¡¯ll back off.  Moving on¡­¡±

    Gabriel snorted quietly to himself and slouched a little further in his seat, far off to the right side of the front row ¨C and finally back in his reds, Yeah, an oversight indeed¡­

    ¡°Now, we have no reason to believe that any of these void gates are still open anywhere.  In every core that¡¯s been recovered so far, the hatches were opened and bodies recovered without incident.  But, there¡¯s no reason to not be especially cautious.¡± Furion went on, ¡°This particular vessel is one of the most intact we¡¯ve found that didn¡¯t reconnect with the main fleet after the crash.  We know it¡¯s dormant, and there¡¯s no evidence that any attempt at colonization took place, so we¡¯re expecting a rather large tomb.  I expect everyone on this mission to treat this site with the reverence and respect it deserves.  These people were our family.  They could¡¯ve been our ancestors, under better circumstances.  They didn¡¯t deserve what happened to them.  ¡­Questions?¡±

    Crickets.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll turn it over to Lord Xanarken.¡± Furion finished, and stepped aside to wait in the wings.

    The Fourth Eidolon stepped up, ¡°The information I¡¯m about to give to you is for the ears in this room only.  ¡­We believe this warp core is active.¡±

    Concerned murmurs rose throughout that space.

    ¡°When Cadet Setharion was working on the feral void gate in Kitez, there was an incident preceding his departure that gave us pause.  The gate not-only reached out at him and those others nearby¡­it also swallowed-whole Fafnir Knight Issak ¡®Ianori¡¯ Noardin.  When it spat him back out, however¡­he was changed.  Something came back with him.  Immediately before the gate evaporated though, it sent a burst of energy directly into the sky that could be seen from miles around¡­and was spotted by our orbital satellites.¡± He explained, and showed a short clip of that happening from the satellite¡¯s perspective¡­but then created a split-screen where the same clip was shown a second time, alongside a similar circumstance where the colony ship could be seen lighting-up from the inside, at the exact same time.

    Seth grabbed-hold of Ren¡¯s right arm, and she pet his knee reassuringly.

    Rylen stepped up beside his brother then, since authority over the Aegis was his to wield, ¡°All Fafnir Knights will be on stand-by while the Inquisitor Corps attempts to open the core.  Wing Team One, led by Commander Ren Nibasai, will be protecting Gabriel Lugios.  Wing Team Two, led by Commander Donivan Parker, will be protecting the Inquisitors.  If all goes as it has, like so many times before, those three Warp Magi will be extracted from the core, the core will be secured and removed, the bodies of those innocents who perished will be collected for proper burial in the north, and the ship will be demolished.¡±

    Seth couldn¡¯t help but raise his hand.

    Rylen looked his way, ¡°Yes, Cadet?¡±

    ¡°Sir¡­  Were there any other locations on Hadira where the activity-phenomenon was noted?¡±

    ¡°We simply have no way of knowing.  Even now, we lack the instrumentation necessary to detect this kind of thing.  We only saw it in these cases because we were already monitoring the areas.  Our best and only source of advanced notice that anything is happening¡­is in the eyes of the afflicted.¡± Those orange irises case their gaze over towards Gabriel, and he tried to make himself look as small as possible, ¡°Since you were unfortunate enough to lose all of your data in your attempt to escape Kitez, this is the next-best possible way for you to gain some of it back.  To that end, I hope this means there¡¯s still a void scar inside that core¡­although in all likelihood, it vanished at the same time yours did.  If you have any insight about what to look for though, my Myrmidon are at your disposal.  I highly encourage collaboration.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 27 â€“ Instinct Is A Wonderful Thingâ€¦Most Of The Timeâ€¦

    With the briefing over and the dismissal order given, the lights came back on.  Ren ¨C with her blues on - set a hand on the arm-rests of her seat and pushed up ¨C albeit slowly.  Seth realized quickly that she was struggling on the one side, but just as he was about to step in and help, Ren shooed him away.

    ¡°I can do it¡­I just need a second¡­¡± She insisted, even as her left shoulder and elbow trembled with every inch.

    Being in the front row, the only person ahead of her who was watching was her Captain.  When she finally made it up to her feet though, and she heard the cheering and applause from behind her, too, her face went red and she spun around.

    Ravan lunged at her from over the row, and threw her arms over her shoulders, dragging her back into a hug, ¡°That was amazing!  How¡¯d you manage to get so strong in such a short amount of time!?¡±

    Ren just smiled behind her pink cheeks, ¡°Th-thanks¡­¡±

    One by one, more Knights from her team started to make their way out from the second and third rows.  Michelle, Alexander, Gareth, and Xandra, all came around to formally reunite with their Wing Commander, each one insisting on their own hugs, having to pry Ravan off of the woman, even as she hissed like a cat to keep Ren to herself.

    Ren laughed and pet her friend¡¯s arm, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±

    Ravan finally withdrew her arms, and clambered her way over the back of the seats to get in front.  Once every had gotten their hugs though, she slithered around Ren¡¯s thin frame again and pet her head affectionately, ¡°You were gone for two weeks without a word.  I¡¯m of a mind to not believe you.  But it¡¯s okay.  I forgive you.  You¡¯re here now.  Shhh¡­you¡¯re here now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being so weird,¡± Ren shook her head and smiled.  As the room emptied though, she caught a fleeting glimpse of Gabriel leaving, and saw the red of the uniform-jacket sway out of sight beyond the doorframe.  That just made her heart sink, and she looked away with a guilty conscience, I really need to talk to him at some point¡­  I just¡­don¡¯t know how to start that conversation.

    ¡°It¡¯s so good to see everyone back together again.¡± Rylen¡¯s voice cut through the fog like high-beams, ¡°Wing Team One was looking rather depleted there for a bit.¡±

    The six split apart with haste and all saluted, ¡°Sir!¡±

    ¡°At ease, no more of that for now,¡± He waved his hand at them, and they all took a more casual stance, ¡°Still¡­it¡¯s one man shy of a full team.¡±

    That made everyone go a little quiet.

    Rylen turned slightly as he sensed Furion coming down from the stage, ¡°Captain, we should talk later about filling-out the last spot.¡±

    ¡°Yessir¡­¡±

    ¡°Until then.¡± The Eidolon started walking off, his mantle dissolving into its own footsteps until he was completely gone.

    Ren looked disappointd, ¡°I know the Eidolon think Ianori¡¯s dead, but¡­are we really going to base that on what Kitez told us at that border exchange?¡±  She looked up at her Captain, ¡°You and the others said you locked him in a cell.¡±

    ¡°¡­What we locked-up wasn¡¯t him.¡± Furion shook his head.

    ¡°But he could still be in there somewhere.¡±

    Seth deflated where he stood, eyes on the floor as he wrapped his arms around himself.

    ¡°I wish we knew one way or another.¡± He answered, and reached to find her right hand.  He kissed her knuckles through her glove, ¡°Maybe one day we¡¯ll know.  I have to get to the bridge now though.  Once we¡¯re on cruise control, I¡¯ll come find you.¡±

    ¡°Okay...¡±

    All five of the remaining Fafnir stood behind Ren with incredulous looks on their breathless faces, watching their Captain leave ¨C with his brother hot on his heels.  Ravan and Xandra were clinging to one another, each one caught in a gasp.  All eyes went to their Commander, and she just took a single step forward before she spun around on a heel to face them.

    ¡°What?¡± She asked sweetly.

    The amount of excited yelling that suddenly poured out of that room was enough to get everyone in the hall to look at it in surprise¡­including Gabriel and Xanarken, who had been waiting for Seth.  Once the Captain had said his farewells to his brother, the teen came bounding up to the two Fourth Wingers, who¡¯d been loitering like lost birds.

    ¡°What was that all about?¡± The mediator wondered.

    Seth looked back at the door, then back at the questioner, and shrugged, ¡°They¡¯re like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­What about you?¡± Gabriel asked skeptically, ¡°Why are you like that?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You look like you just got bad news.  I was in the room as long as you were though.  It was just a brief.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­  I¡­was reminded about Mr. Ianori just now.¡± He answered, and lifted a hand to hold the opposite arm, ¡°Lord Rylen just told my brother that they should talk later about filling that empty slot.  If that¡¯s the case, then¡­he must¡¯ve concluded that Mr. Ianori wasn¡¯t going to be coming home, and there wasn¡¯t any hope of recovering him, regardless of the state he was in when we last saw him.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°I was asking Furion if that meant he¡¯d have to send out the death notices.  ¡­I feel a lot of guilt for how that mission went.¡±

    ¡°What happened wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± Gabriel reassured.

    Xanarken bent down slightly to look at the teen, ¡°Surviving a terrible situation when someone else didn¡¯t can be as bad as any other feeling of guilt.¡±

    Those green eyes lifted, ¡°¡­So you think he¡¯s really gone, too?  Sir¡­¡±

    ¡°I think what we saw what pretty telling.  What arose in his place was¡­something else entirely.¡±

    ¡°Scyrexian¡­¡±

    None of them were allowed to linger on the thought though, as the last gaggle of Fafnir Knights finally made their way out of the briefing room.  The epicenter of all the noise and laughter though was, not unexpectedly, their reinstated Wing Commander, whom they ferried out and towards a nearby elevator-bay.

    Gabriel lifted his head as they passed, and for the briefest of moments ¨C before the door opened and the celebratory pack pushed Ren through ¨C their eyes met.  He lifted his head, but then she was gone, and all he was left with was a sick pit in his stomach.  He pushed off the wall he¡¯d been leaning against and started to leave down the other way.

    ¡°Gabe?  Where are you going all of a sudden?¡± Xanarken wondered, ¡°I thought you wanted to ask me something.¡±

    ¡°It can wait.¡± He answered with a dismissive wave, ¡°It¡¯s waited two weeks already.  What¡¯s a little while longer.  It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going anywhere.¡±

    .

    He couldn¡¯t stand to go back to Seth¡¯s room.  He had no where else on the Aegis to go to, though, except that walk-in-closet-sized room he¡¯d been assigned.  And so, there he languished, staring at the ceiling on a mattress barely worthy of the description, with a thousand things going through his head¡­and yet, nothing at all.

    Frustrations were starting to get unbearable though, and he threw his arms forward to hoist himself up to sit normally.  He turned and put his feet on the cold floor, fingers gripped to the scratchy blanket under him.  Eyes narrowed¡­and he made up his mind.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    The elevator beeped and opened on the bridge level, and Gabriel stepped out.  There were only two directions to go; left, towards the bridge itself, and right, towards the Captain¡¯s office, his quarters, and the private meeting room that Rylen had set aside for himself on all of his SkyFortresses.  He went to the right, heart pounding in his chest.  His feet took him to the entrance of that office, but his hands stayed at his sides.

    Seth¡¯s earlier words echoed in his head, and he had every reason to believe that the good Captain wasn¡¯t alone.  He drew in a long breath, and pulled up his HUD, Unethical and highly discouraged, but¡­  He found an app called [Listen In] and loaded it, Desperate men don¡¯t make smart choices.

    A ring of light briefly circled around his right ear, and he set his back against the inner wall of the deep door-frame.  True to his suspicion, there were voices speaking on the other side of the closed panel, and he recognized the second immediately.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m aware of that,¡± Rylen countered, conversation already underway, ¡°But she had every tool at her disposal, and the Magistrate still got away without a scratch.¡±

    ¡°She could¡¯ve killed Lord Xanarken¡¯s second in command if she cut loose.¡± Furion defended, ¡°That has to count for something.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it does, but I saw the footage of her POV.  She ditched Gabriel halfway through the exhaust system.  She had plenty of time and opportunity to take out that Magistrate before Gabriel got close enough to be a hinderance.¡± Rylen countered, pacing back and forth across the head of the room.  He looked out onto the passing countryside, ¡°She hesitated.  Whether to get a word in, or to be recognized first¡­doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°If you saw the same footage I did while debriefing her, then you know half the encounter was scrambled.¡± Furion replied with a sigh, ¡°We don¡¯t know what happened after Gabriel made himself known to them.  Ren said he had his Limitless engaged at that point.  Maybe it impacted her sensors when she got too close.  It would explain why everything worked normally again once he shut it off afterwards.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s brow crinkled, The POV footage was corrupted¡­?  But my affliction hasn¡¯t bothered anyone¡¯s data so far¡­  Seth¡¯s practically catalogued me at this point; not one peep about my Limitless frying his processes.

    ¡°I think we can both take her reporting afterwards for what it was; she admitted she went on defense after she backed-up to his location.¡± Rylen shook his head, ¡°I had such high hopes¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, sir¡­don¡¯t take her out of consideration over this one mission.¡±

    ¡°This mission could cost us in Kitez, Captain, and she gave both Xanarken and I assurances that she would win.  If that Magistrate opens his mouth about the attempt¡­¡± Rylen had his left hand on his hip and the right over his mouth, ¡°¡­The upheaval it could cause in the Accord¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been two weeks though, and not a word.  I think they have reasons of their own to keep it under wraps.  I-¡±  Furion paused; the light on his door came on, implying someone was within knocking-distance of the metal.  He lifted his hand up in a ¡®hold on¡¯ gesture at his Eidolon, and nudged his head at the passageway.  Rylen took his meaning and buttoned-up, and Furion turned that same hand over to gesture at his visual overlay; it showed none-other than the mediator outside, waiting.  Furion¡¯s expression changed dramatically, ¡°I thank you for considering my words on Dame Ren¡¯s behalf.¡±

    The Eidolon nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll talk again tomorrow, after Xanarken and I swap over to the Cloud you¡¯re bringing across the equator.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    Rylen¡¯s mantle dissolved to dust, and Furion was left alone in the room.  He looked up briefly, then took a stance with his hands clasped loosely behind his back, ¡°Open door.¡±

    The panel hissed across, startling the mediator and making the app send a jarring screech directly into his ear.  The feedback was enough to make him wince loudly, and he waved his hand across it to close it.  He shook his head and realized Furion was staring straight at him.

    ¡°You were listening.¡± The Captain said flatly, ¡°That was rude, and probably a crime.  Sir.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Gabriel answered dubiously, and slowly stepped into that large office, ¡°I was just waiting.  Figuring out how I wanted to set things straight with you.¡±

    Even without his Captain¡¯s regalia, Furion was already an intimidating figure.  At 6¡¯4¡± he was 4¡± taller than the mediator who¡¯d just stepped in front of him, and every bit the image of the elite warrior that the Fafnir Knights had cultivated for over two centuries.  Still, he was technically in a subordinate position compared to the Negotiator of the Fourth, and he kept his stance, ¡°Set things straight.¡± He echoed carefully.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been uniquely disrespectful,¡± Gabriel answered, staring back just as intensely, his bicolored red and blue eyes the complete opposite of Furion¡¯s teal green, ¡°Reporting my work to my Eidolon as though I was out of line with a simple request to Seth, then condemning me to a lodging space far below what my rank in the Council is entitled to.  I could accept the black-eye you¡¯d given me for asking a favor from your brother, but¡­to swing at the other when Xanarken had already addressed the matter ¨C personally ¨C is a slight I can¡¯t turn the other cheek to.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.  Sir.¡± The Captain answered, ¡°I don¡¯t personally assign living spaces to anyone aboard this vessel.  It¡¯s¡­a task far below my rank.¡± He lowered his face slightly, giving his expression a bit of a sinister undertone.

    ¡°You and I both know full and bloody well that no one on this ship other than you would even conceive to put an Eidolon¡¯s lieutenant into a room intended for the foremen of the lower decks.  I imagine you would¡¯ve thrown me directly into the communal bunks if you could have.  And, who knows?  Maybe you tried.¡± Gabriel accused, and took a judging step forward, finger point at the taller man, ¡°Why not just come clean about it?  Quit standing on ceremony.  You¡¯ve punished me plenty already.  At least be a man and tell it to my face.  I don¡¯t need any more misunderstandings if I¡¯m going to be asked to put my life on the line for Seth¡¯s experiments.¡±

    ¡°You want honesty?¡± The Captain asked daringly, and lifted his head back up.  It was him taking the step forward then, followed by another, until he was clearly closing the distance, ¡°The honest truth is I didn¡¯t have anything to do with your bunk options.  That was either Lord Rylen or Lord Xanarken¡­and after you so royally fucked up the first solo-mission Ren got after her return to the Fafnir¡­it¡¯s better than you deserved.¡±

    It was more than he expected, too; Gabriel was a bit surprised to hear the idea.

    Furion was close enough to make Gabriel take a step back, and his gaze was full of anger, ¡°Four¡­months.  Four months I had to endure knowing she was stuck with you.  After two she should have come home, but Lord Xanarken thought she was having a good influence on you, and resisted Lord Rylen¡¯ attempts to transfer her back.¡± He was uncomfortably close then, and bent down to look into those bicolored eyes directly, ¡°And now she thinks she¡¯s having a good influence on you; views you like a broken toy that she can put back together.  I acquiesced to the will of the Eidolon, and kept my silence¡­I bent to the wishes of my Lieutenant, despite my reluctance to split her time.  But then¡­you had the audacity to put her at risk by insisting you go along with her on that mission into the Connington Fragment.  Your actions, your choices¡­have torn such an incredible rip through Ren¡¯s reputation that Lord Rylen is reconsidering whether she deserves to be considered for Captainship one day.  It¡¯ll take years for her to recover what you pissed into the wind.¡±

    Gabriel sneered, ¡°You don¡¯t know what the stakes of that mission were.¡± He growled quietly, knowing he was one step away from feeling the wall against his back, ¡°You don¡¯t have a damn clue what happened, either.¡±

    ¡°Enlighten me then, Gabriel Lugios.  Being ignorant doesn¡¯t make me a fool.¡±

    Something about the way Furion had spoken those last few words triggered a visceral reaction in Gabriel that he didn¡¯t know was possible.  He felt the stinging pain in the knuckles of his right hand before he realized he¡¯d even struck the man, and the subsequent jarring ricochet of pain through a wrist that hadn¡¯t hit anything in a decade.  He shook his forearm and hissed a breath, but then finally realized Furion¡¯s eyes were practically white from the surprise and anger.  Fists clenched and Gabriel lifted both hands up defensively, ¡°¡­I take enough shit from a population that treats my authority like a joke Xanarken keeps telling.  Saluting me to my face and then shitting in my footprints when I turn my back.  I¡¯m not taking shit from you too over a decision Xanarken made for me.¡±

    Furion had managed to right himself by then, but didn¡¯t dignify the strike with a soothing rub.  His jaw was going to hurt either way; weak throw or not, he¡¯d still gotten sucker-punched by a grown man.

    The mediator continued, not noticing the subtle golden glint flickering in his eyes, ¡°There¡¯s more to that mission than you know.  Stuff that¡¯s been scrubbed from your archives¡­stuff I had to order Ren to never repeat or acknowledge, even to you¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut it down, Lugios.¡± Furion warned, seeing the sparks grow into those full tails of afflicted light.

    ¡°No.¡±

    The reaction was immediate and forceful.  In a blink, the horizontal plane was suddenly vertical.  The wall had rushed up behind and knocked the breath straight out of him.  So had the floor.  Having a knee on his neck hadn¡¯t helped, and that voice boomed again.

    ¡°SHUT IT DOWN.  NOW.¡±

    He could see the subtle warbling light reflecting off the Captain¡¯s eyes, and Gabriel realized.  His expression sunk ¨C he could feel his whole body go limp ¨C and that glow quickly faded.

    Furion pulled his knee off and crouched slightly, ¡°You are, quite frankly, the single-most self-destructive person I¡¯ve ever met.  Whatever misguided affection Ren has for you, I can¡¯t understand, but as long as you hold even the tiniest modicum of authority over her¡­you had better never hurt her.  Neither of the Eidolon will be able to save you from me if she¡¯s ever harmed while under your care.  Now get out.¡±

    Gabriel coughed to catch his breath, and pushed up onto an elbow as the Captain backed up to give him space.  Furion hadn¡¯t gone far though, and watched him very carefully.  With effort, the mediator clambered up to his feet and hobbled towards the door, clearing his throat as it slid open.  Not one more word was said, and the High Negotiator of the Fourth Wing could only limp back to the closet his own Eidolon ¨C he was convinced - had arranged for him to stay in.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 28 â€“ A Friend Who Savors Your Personal Dramas is a Friend Indeed

    Despite the colossal distraction that a live music performance ought to give ¨C the band itself, flashing lights, bass that could rattle one¡¯s teeth, and all the voices clamoring for audio real-estate in an effort to be heard over it all ¨C Ren found herself uniquely unable to be distracted.  After all, she already was, and there wasn¡¯t room for more amidst the swirl of a guilty conscience.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you look like such a space cadet in years.¡± Ravan commented, lips on the edge of a wine glass filled with ros¨¦.

    Ren blinked to regain her grounding, ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Ah, there she is.¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± She sighed, and leaned back against the circular booth they¡¯d set-up in, the sight of dozens more Aegis crewmen having a good time all around them in one last hurrah as the SkyFortress shoved off, ¡°I guess I¡¯m in the middle of a certain kind of disagreement with Gabriel, and I feel a little bad about it now.¡±

    ¡°A disagreement?¡±

    ¡°We were sent on a joint mission with wildly different goals, and in the end¡­we both failed.¡± Ren answered vaguely, and reached forward to pick up her own drink, only to hold it under her nose without taking a sip at all, ¡°For the last two weeks, I¡¯ve been upset at him for what I saw as him getting in my way.  But after spotting him earlier¡­I wonder if I didn¡¯t heap the fault onto him unfairly.¡±

    ¡°That bad, huh?¡±

    Ren stared at the trickle of bubbles rising from the bottom of the flute, ¡°¡­I think so, yeah.  I just don¡¯t know what to say to him about it.  After Furion and I left-¡°

    Ravan¡¯s coy giggling at that name-drop was like an owl¡¯s hooting chirp.

    ¡°After the Captain and I left,¡± Ren corrected with a nudge of a knee against the woman¡¯s thigh, ¡°I put the whole thing on the backburner and focused on other things.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you did.¡± Ravan snickered, only to get swatted across the shoulder, and she burst out laughing, ¡°You can¡¯t take this from me!  It took years to get you to confirm that you and him were a thing!  Now he¡¯s just kissing your hand in front of everyone!?  Lord Rylen¡¯s mantle-dust was right there.  And Lord Xanarken was just outside!¡±

    ¡°I know, I know¡­¡± Ren shook her head with a guarded smile, ¡°Lord Rylen has apparently known for ages, and he kinda doesn¡¯t care¡­at least for now¡­¡±

    ¡°Where did you go?¡± Ravan asked, sliding an arm over her friend¡¯s shoulders to get closer to one ear, ¡°You have to tell me everything.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­I can¡¯t tell you everything, but I can tell you one thing.¡±

    ¡°Oh my lord please do.¡±

    Ren smirked, ¡°Papa Rydell is a good cook.¡±

    Ravan squealed so hard it made her fall backward against the booth seat, and nearly tumbled out onto the floor, only managing to stay put by virtue of still having her wine in-hand.  She eventually tired herself out and pulled herself back up to sit, ¡°You have no idea how much I envy you.¡±

    ¡°You should¡¯ve seen the look on his face when we showed up at their house with our armor.  He thought we were fugitives.¡± Ren added, and finally took a sip from her drink, ¡°And he¡¯s a smidge taller than Furion, too¡­so when he opened the door, he looked right over the top of my head, like I wasn¡¯t even there.  When he finally noticed me, I felt like I was a little kid asking for uppies.¡±

    ¡°Gods, could you imagine¡­asking for uppies from Captain Lequerion Rydell.  The man, the myth, the legend¡­¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have to imagine. Furion has a kid-sister who¡¯s only four. There were a lot of uppies asked from everyone.¡±

    Ravan gasped, ¡°How does the Captain have a sister that young? He¡¯s old enough to be the girl¡¯s father himself¡­by a lot.¡±

    Ren nodded as she leaned in closer, ¡°Her name¡¯s Suzushion, but we just call her Suzu. She¡¯s adorable, but yeah, talk about popping one out late. Furion was already old enough to be Seth¡¯s dad, now this¡­¡±

    ¡°Do want any of your own, one day?¡±

    She hesitated to answer at first, but Ren shook her head, ¡°Not if I want to be Captain first. But it¡¯s fun living out the idea vicariously through Furion¡¯s siblings. Such is the privilege of being a man, I suppose. They can have all that stuff because it¡¯s not them having to do the heavy lifting.¡±

    ¡°Too true¡­¡± Ravan sighed into her glass, ¡°Oh well. ¡­Now that you¡¯ve publicly spilled the beans though, so to speak, you can finally answer that burning question of mine that you adamantly refused to all those years.¡±

    ¡°Which one? You had so many.¡± Ren puffed, ¡°I had to protect his honor.¡±

    ¡°Is he good?¡±

    Ren snorted a laugh, and stalled her answer with another sip of that pink wine, ¡°He¡¯s different from you, if that explains things well enough.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­I¡¯m still with him after all this time. It¡¯s not just for his dashing good looks.¡± She mused, and drained the last of her drink in two final gulps. With an exhale, she set the flute down, and twisted in her seat to directly face her friend, nose-to-nose, ¡°He¡¯s going to be busy for a while. You wanna have some fun? For old time¡¯s sake?¡±

    ¡°Has he truly never discouraged you from what you do?¡± Ravan wondered, a finger hooked to the V-split at the front of Ren¡¯s uniform-jacket.

    ¡°With you? No. He probably thinks it¡¯s hot. He barely blinked when I told him I had a small thing for Gabe.¡± Ren teased, and leaned in a bit closer to speak the words to Ravan¡¯s cheek, ¡°When Gabe isn¡¯t being a massive sourpuss, anyway.¡±

    ¡°You are a walking scandal waiting to happen.¡±

    ¡°And still waiting¡­and waiting¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah! Yes, a thousand times yes. I don¡¯t know how you survived a four-month drought from all this.¡± Ravan scooted out of the booth, and Ren followed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been making up for lost time. Let¡¯s go quickly. The ros¨¦ is starting to hit me.¡± Ren offered - or requested; she wasn¡¯t sure anymore - a steadying elbow, and Ravan accepted as they went out through the room¡¯s double-doors.

    ¡°Maybe we should invite Sir Gabriel and show him how to lighten up.¡±

    ¡°Perish the thought. He¡¯d probably explode from the embarrassment.¡±

    That just made the both of them laugh, and Ren was finally able to stop swimming in her troubles.

    A few hours later, and without a word or whisper from Furion, Ren got dressed again and took her leave, and went to go find the man herself.  Checking the time, she realized that they would be crossing the equator soon, and on a different screen, a count-down to when the World Cloud would cease to be accessible.  Only 47 minutes left.  The elevator to the upper decks opened, and she made her way to the right.  The door to the Captain¡¯s office was the first one she passed, but she went by it, and bit her lip excitedly as she wondered if the door to the man¡¯s quarters would open without his say-so now.

    Sure enough, once she¡¯d stepped close enough, the door hissed and slid aside, and she giggled quietly to herself before she strode within.  The grin faded quickly though when she spotted the man she¡¯d been looking for, sitting in one of the lounge chairs in his small, personal library-nook, but with his back to the door, ¡°¡­Furion?¡± She asked quietly, though he didn¡¯t react.  Given his posture, it wasn¡¯t the most concerning thing, ¡°¡­Probably passed out¡­¡± She said quietly to herself, and approached on his left side.

    Ahead of him, he¡¯d had a leg propped-up on an ottoman, but on the drink-stand on his right was an empty finger of whiskey.  Standing right over the man though, Ren finally spotted the melted bag of ice he¡¯d propped between the left pauldron of his uniform and his cheek.  Her brow furrowed, and she leaned down over the arm-rest to run her fingers through his hair.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    It didn¡¯t take much to rouse him, and his eyes opened, then the rest of him went up with a start, ¡°Ren!¡±  The ice-pack fell from his shoulder and into his lap, ¡°Ah damnit¡­¡±

    ¡°What happened?  Why are you icing your face?  I figured you¡¯d be working late but¡­this is unexpected.¡±

    He grabbed the wet melted bag and tossed it onto the drink-stand, then pushed himself up a bit higher in his seat, ¡°Have we left the World Cloud yet?¡±

    ¡°Wow, you must be tired.  You still have your uniform-jacket on and you¡¯re asking that.¡±

    He just made a face her.

    ¡°Not for another 45 minutes.¡± She smiled, but slid her hand forward to brush the man¡¯s long bangs out of the way, and cupped her palm and thumb against that slightly-swollen jaw, ¡°¡­It¡¯s red¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll worry about blending it out later.¡± He slouched again, but that time he pointed the first two fingers of his right hand out and waved them down twice, making his uniform jacket, pauldrons, and cloak fade, and gave his back more room, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not nothing if you have to wear make-up.¡± She knelt beside that lounging chair and curled her fingers around the arm-rest, ¡°Someone did this do you.¡±

    Furion slid his hand under one of hers.  With both hands, he cupped hers, and looked at her straight in the eyes, ¡°I promise, it¡¯s nothing.  Whatever you think it is, it doesn¡¯t deserve the energy it takes to worry.  In 45 minutes, we¡¯ll be swapping to the Aegis¡¯ stock of nanotech, and by morning, you won¡¯t even know this blemish is there.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not even gonna tell me how it got there first?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± He leaned forward to nose her brow, but then stood up, and grabbed the empty glass, ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing.  You want something to drink?  I think I could go for one more.¡±

    .

    Two nanotech pods idled in Rylen¡¯s traveling office, and the following day, roughly around 13:30, Furion went in to activate them.  The light came on and flashed green on the first one, then the other, and the Captain took a step back.

    Rylen manifested first ¨C practically having been waiting for the moment ¨C and clapped is hands together once, ¡°Are we there already?  I can¡¯t wait!¡±

    Furion saluted, ¡°We¡¯re within range to deploy, sir.¡± He answered, then stood more casually¡­and gave a conspicuous head-tilt, ¡°¡­Special occasion?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Rylen¡¯s hands fell to his sides in confusion, but then he realized his outfit was different.  He gaped down at himself, ¡°Oh¡­wow, I haven¡¯t worn this in decades.  Feels so retro.¡± He commented.  His normal attire of white touched by lavender was replaced by black trimmed in silver.  His molten-silver hair, formerly styled in a high ponytail, was now tied low behind his neck, and he couldn¡¯t help but laugh at himself, ¡°I was told once that this outfit was doing too much.  Oh well, too late to update it now.  Xanarken should be here in a minute.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    The Eidolon stepped by with a bit of a spring in his step, and headed for the door, ¡°I¡¯ve completely cleared my schedule for the next three days for this.  I can¡¯t wait.¡±

    Passing on Furion¡¯s left, and not noticing a thing, the Captain knew his ¡®make-up¡¯ blending had done exactly as hoped, and the fist-shaped blemish on his jaw was invisible even to a man who¡¯d spent the last 300+ years living in a nanotech body.  Xanarken formed shortly thereafter, but he actually took a moment to look himself over, and was pleased to find he looked exactly the same as he normally did.  The look on Furion¡¯s face said plenty.

    ¡°My brother didn¡¯t come prepared, did he?¡±

    The Captain huffed a laugh, ¡°No sir.¡± He answered.  Xanarken nodded and started heading for the same door, but just as he¡¯d passed, Furion turned his head towards him, ¡°Can I ask you something, sir?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± The Eidolon paused to glance back.

    ¡°Apparently Sir Gabriel was put into a foreman¡¯s room, on the lower decks.  I can only assume it was yours or Lord Rylen¡¯s idea¡­and he appears to have gotten a rather strong message from it.  Do I have your consent to move him somewhere else?  ¡­To keep the peace.¡±

    Xanarken stared for a moment, but then snorted a laugh, ¡°I swear, Rylen can be so petty¡­  Yes, that¡¯s fine.  Thank you, Captain.¡± He shook his head again as he left the room, and whispered to himself curiously, ¡°Is that what Gabe wanted to ask me about yesterday?  ¡­Nah, he said it had waited 2 weeks already¡­it must be something else.¡±

    Furion nodded in acknowledgement, and followed the Eidolon out; as they walked, he pulled up the ship¡¯s manifest and reassigned the wayward mediator to a room on the upper decks.  At the far end of the hall, the wide doors to the bridge were already open where Rylen had gone through, and once the pair arrived to join him, they all beheld the eerie sight of that dead colony-ship stuck in the canyon it had crashed into.  Evidence of its passing was carved into those sloping rocky walls; the river below it had been blasted off-coarse and followed a new path, sending part of it coursing through the ship¡¯s hull and out the front end in a weird, faucet-like waterfall.

    Rylen¡¯s eyes lit-up to see it, even from the distance they still had between them, ¡°The SSCF Sterling Rose.  Long lost but found again at last¡­¡±

    ¡°Etienne would¡¯ve been interested in helping salvage this one.¡± Xanarken noted, ¡°Since it was one of the terraforming ships she lost.¡±

    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have wanted to see all the death we¡¯re about to witness.¡± Rylen countered, ¡°We can let her know about it once the recovery effort is finished.¡±

    ¡°She is the Eidolon of the Fifth.  Her whole business is death¡­and the adamant need to stave it off.¡±

    ¡°Still.  These were her people, and there¡¯s nothing she could do but mourn for them after all this time.  I imagine it would¡¯ve felt different.¡± The First said, eyes forward, ¡°And given how it doesn¡¯t look like this vessel accomplished anything it was sent here to do¡­I can¡¯t fathom the kind of devastation we¡¯re going to find when we get on board.¡±

    ¡°And here you¡¯ve been so excited to get into it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprisingly adept at compartmentalizing things.¡± Rylen glanced back over his shoulder at the Fourth, ¡°Let me be enthusiastic for the good this mission will do.  I¡¯ll have plenty of time for somber reflection later.¡±

    Furion stepped closer to the front of the circular command-pad, ¡°Both Wing Teams are on stand-by.  If you¡¯re both ready, I¡¯ll send them out for preliminary scouting.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead, Captain.  Let¡¯s see what there is to see.¡±

    ¡°Commanders Nibasai and Parker, your feeds will be broadcasted on the bridge.  Let¡¯s get started.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    All 13 Fafnir filtered out, five following Ren and six after Donivan.  It took all of them to set up a perimeter around the massive vessel, and beyond them, forming a triangle around it with the Aegis, the two Inquisition ships positioned themselves as well.  Once everyone was where they needed to be, the Lucas and Fibonacci turned to face inward¡­and an eerie blue light came on at their bows.  The Fafnir all lifted their arms, and pointed their forearm-mounted plasma weapons away from themselves, at an angle towards the hull of the massive colony ship.  The same blue light manifested at the muzzles of those vambraces, and ¨C instead of a devastating blast ¨C a flare-like pulse shot out.  Those flares doubled the points of the perimeter, and then quadrupled, as more of them were sent into the air.  The blue lights hovered until all were in place, and all at once, sent thread-like projections out in each direction, connecting them in a net around the vessel.  Within those threads, ripple-like panels of energy went out, and the next moment, transformed into a dome.

    ¡°Hemisphere deployed.  Ready for biologics detection sequence.¡± Ren announced.

    The Inquisition ships¡¯ blue-lights started to pulse, not unlike a heartbeat, and iridescent color flowed over the dome and back again.  The sound it made echoed out like thumping, deep under water, and could be felt by each Fafnir where they idled for it to complete.

    .

    The appearance of the Kitezan royal flagship over Stoneface Bluffs was a sight to behold, flanked by two smaller escort ships as it moved towards the nearby docking port.  When it landed, a conspicuous convoy of vehicles departed to head a little ways further north.  When it arrived at the R&D facility it was bound for, Magistrate Regulus Laurier alone was there to greet them.

    Both the Duke and the Duchess exited that main vehicle then ¨C security detail surrounding them, keeping a careful vigil of their surroundings - and Far¡¯nah looked around curiously, ¡°It¡¯s a nice little place you¡¯ve got here.¡±

    ¡°I can assure you, your Grace, it¡¯s anything but small.¡± He answered, and gestured back towards its only obvious ground-floor entrance, ¡°Shall we?¡±

    The top-most sections of the facility looked rather more like a business office than a lab site, and seeing that royal procession go through was a little strange for those who worked there.  Elevators soon took them out of sight again though, and employees were just dumbstruck, looking at one another in confusion.

    One of those offices, however, was Kourin¡¯s.  She looked over ¨C with newly-repaired glasses ¨C distracted from her careful micro-dissection of one of the nanotech implants she¡¯d been entrusted with.  Once the guest-group was out of sight ¨C heading into an elevator ¨C she reached under her desk for a somewhat-hefty supply-box, and lifted it up on top.

    To the Duke and Duchess¡¯ eyes, the business office imagery gave way to something more akin to a hospital ward on the lower level.  At least, on the outset.  Mardu¡¯s eyes scanned the windowed walls, able to see into each alcove and room, where technicians in bulky clean-suits were working, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever considered that a Magistrate would be overseeing something like this.  Seems like a departure from the duties one would expect them to carry out.¡±

    ¡°Fear not, your Grace, this isn¡¯t entirely mine.¡± Regulus answered, ¡°I simply take advantage of what it does.  This facility has been instrumental in the design, construction, and maintenance of my Sovereign Shadow for many years.  The rest is owned and operated by various hospitals and data-labs in the region.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that what you call it?¡± Far¡¯nah wondered skeptically.

    ¡°Pardon, your Grace?¡±

    ¡°¡­Sovereign Shadow?¡±

    ¡°Oh.  Yes, that¡¯s right.  Not many know it.  Just as well, though.¡± The Magistrate answered, ¡°The Prince is kept up ahead, where he¡¯s been getting treatment.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s he responded?¡±

    ¡°Fairly well.  He¡¯s¡­more comfortable now than he was when he arrived.¡± He explained, and they came to the far end of a long, lonely hall.  He set his hand onto a scanner and a light on the door clicked over, then reached for the handle, only to pause and glance back at them, ¡°Be warned, he¡¯s been broiled on the same side twice.  Field-dressings did more to save his life, and keep him from dehydrating through his wounds, than it did to preserve his looks.  He¡¯s not pleasant to look at.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Regulus waited for a skeptical a moment, but then pushed the door open.  What awaited inside was a startling sight; Aamin was propped-up on his bed, left side exposed to the air, with all the debrided burns exposed, covered only by a layer of special clear jelly.  While it made inspecting his injuries easier for those trained to assess them, it also made him a bit of a bloody spectacle, especially where his left eye ¨C as well as the cheek and lips below it - had been lost to the flame.

    Far¡¯nah took one look at him, and immediately looked away, a hand over her mouth in shock.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 29 â€“ Open The Doors And Let Loose The Demons Of Memory

    The scan was done, and the hemisphere fizzled and faded until it was completely gone from sight. The Fafnir glanced over at the Aegis, waiting for the order. A moment later, their Captain¡¯s voice spoke in their helms, ¡°All clear.¡±

    Wing Team One headed for the bow, while Wing Team Two went for the stern. In a well-choreographed plot, they all entered at critical points ¨C some via actual doorways, others through rips in the hull. Nothing at first glance looked particularly ominous, beyond the fact of it being a crashed ship. Given it was this crew of Fafnir¡¯s first foray into such a vessel, however, it was still new and peculiar.

    Ren touched-down inside a port-side rip in the thick hull, and tucked her wings in tensely. This ship was never meant as anything except a storage hauler. There are no passenger quarters, no cleaning, cooking, or entertainment facilities¡­ It¡¯s just one massive inventory transport, she thought as she passed by a number of enormous store-rooms. She stuck her head into each one at a time, keeping a plasma-blade at the ready in her right hand, and looked around at the ruination that met her.

    There was evidence of fires, that close to the exterior, and the giant slash that had been torn through the metal as it careened through the rock. But the storage racks were still largely where they¡¯d been installed all those centuries ago, and for the most part, were still sealed. The section Ren found herself in was, from the look of it, for ¡®immediate use¡¯ supplies, such as clothing and footwear. Massive 10¡¯x10¡¯x cube bins with clear Plexiglas faces revealed the sight of vacuum-packed pants and shirts, coats, sweaters, and the shattered remains of where the less-lucky sections had been torn up, and scattered their contents all over the place. Her mission wasn¡¯t to explore the personal effects of the colonists who never got to use them, however, and she continued to make her way deeper into the vessel.

    Her Wing Team saw similar things from their own paths; material supplies for construction, raw textiles, and the nigh-endless bins of plastic pellets, concrete-mix, and ¨C eventually ¨C metals, that could be used to 3D-print anything that was needed. The actual 3D-printers themselves were on the lower decks, with much of the heavier equipment that had been brought to begin colonizing; trucks, haulers, rovers, and assorted construction vehicles like backhoes, fork-lifts, excavators, cranes, loaders¡­all manner of things. Ravan was quite impressed with how much of the heavy-equipment had actually stayed bolted to their moorings; she hovered carefully through the rows, seeing only two machinations that had gone flying around like cannon-balls.

    Donivan¡¯s team bore witness to the more purpose-driven sections of the vessel, encountering atmosphere and oxygen generators, seed-vaults, and ¨C much to Corbin¡¯s chagrin ¨C the confines of the animal holding facilities. It was the first glimpse of how the colony fleet transported adult, living entities ¨C vacuum-packed biological envelopes for larger individuals, multipacks for the smaller ones that could be sealed together into something like a chicken-blister-pack ¨C and the systems that were used to hibernate, and oxygenate them, while they slept.

    ¡°This fleet was originally put together under the belief that it would take 92 years to arrive at our destination; Proxima Centauri Tau. It was the nearest star-system to Sol, and just over four light-years from Earth.¡± Rylen explained, as if narrating what both Ren and Donivan were showing them as they made their way into the belly of the beast, ¡°Technology had some so far in such a big hurry¡­ With the invention of the first car in 1885, we went from the horse-and-buggy to the moon in less than 100 years. A century after that, we had colonies on Luna and Mars. Another after that, and we set our sights on goals much-farther afield. A voyage that would have once taken 70,000 years was suddenly reduced to a single lifetime¡­and then Caeros appeared.¡±

    Hearing the name cut an awkward silence through the entire bridge-crew. Xanarken was the only one who hadn¡¯t reacted to hearing it.

    ¡°With his Limitless ability, the very real possibility of getting there in an afternoon was on the horizon.¡± Rylen continued cautiously, ¡°Perhaps, in our hubris, we rushed things a bit towards the end¡­ Everything he¡¯d shown us he was capable of¡­the initial missions to send probes and launch satellites, let them gather information for a year and then go back and retrieve the data¡­ It just kept being miraculous. Moving to another world became something the entire Earth looked forward to seeing¡­because everyone would know what happened within weeks, rather than generations. It was no longer a voyage of permanent goodbyes¡­it was just a trip, and people could expect to go back home if they wanted.¡±

    The Fafnir weren¡¯t in on the narration, as their focus was on the mission. They knew that the colony ship was designed to carry 75,000 human souls aboard, and it wouldn¡¯t be much farther before they start to arrive at those facilities.

    ¡°And so, we planned. We recruited. We loaded. And then¡­we launched¡­and almost immediately, everything around us became a nightmare straight out of an Eldritch horror-story.¡± Rylen carried on, seeing those haunting familiar corridors leading closer and closer to the dubious sights he knew were coming, ¡°All those hopes, those dreams¡­ All those brilliant minds, the talent, and skill¡­ We had everything. From the best-educated scientists and engineers to the humblest pioneers, we all went¡­¡±

    Wing Team Two was the first to encounter the human storage, and footage from Donivan¡¯s perspective displayed morbidly on the bridge¡¯s main screen. The three-high ¨C and a dozen-deep - stacks of cryo-pods went on as far as the eye could see, past the internal ribs of the ship, and on even further. Donivan hovered up within the hall-space, looking into the pods one at a time, seeing the mummified faces and desiccated skeletons of the people who had once had so much to look forward to.

    ¡°None of those lost souls had any idea what happened to them.¡± Rylen explained, his voice quieter, ¡°They all willingly entered into those preservation chambers. They were all tucked in, given their goodnights, and blissfully fell asleep to their favorite music. Their pods were towed inside, lifted, and suspended for the short voyage¡­the best way to transport a vast number of people and supplies without needing to provide living facilities along the way. So far as they were concerned, they were only supposed to be out for a few weeks ¨C or days - at most. Long enough for the fleet to get to P.C.Tau, land, and for the advance crew to confirm the best place to set-up shop. We would wake people up in shifts, so there would be time to build shelters and amenities, with each subsequent wave making things ready for the one the arise after them. We had plenty of topographical and environmental information, and we knew where we were going to disperse; Tau was a miracle-planet, hidden from view for so long because of its tilted orbit, discovered only because Caeros was able to bring us there in the flesh to scout it. It was damn-near perfect. It was¡­so much like Earth, it was hard to believe. ¡­And no one ever got to see it.¡±

    ¡°I remember well the confusion people had when the crash was over, and we started to take stock of our situation.¡± Xanarken commented, ¡°This planet was so alike to Tau that we hardly realized the difference at first. Then we looked up into the sky and saw only two moons ¨C Tau had four ¨C and real concern started to set-in. We didn¡¯t have data on this planet. We didn¡¯t know what kind of world it was¡­if it was already inhabited, what kind of flora or fauna might be here¡­what pathogens might be lying in wait. People were scared. Something about the calamity had cut our communications to the rest of the fleet. We were alone.¡±

    ¡°Indeed¡­ It took months to get situated and start sending search parties to seek out the other ships. We found Etienne¡¯s vessel, the SSCF Mayrain, first, largely because of how successful she¡¯d been at terraforming and utilizing the landscape around the ship. By far, her colony fared the best out of all of us in those first few years. Finally able to do more than scrape-by, we had the headspace to wonder where the Hell we were.¡± Rylen sighed quietly, the guilt of his involvement weighing heavily all over again, ¡°And Caeros couldn¡¯t - or, perhaps, wouldn¡¯t - figure out where he¡¯d brought us. With no hope of ever seeing or hearing from home again, and our fleet shattered, we made do, and carried on the mission on this world we named Hadira.¡±

    Ren arrived into the corridor as well then, but her view of it was quite a bit different from what the others saw. Perhaps the bow of the ship had suffered a far-more catastrophic consequence of the impact than the stern; pods were thrown about like kicked-over LEGO blocks, crushed and smashed into one another¡­bodies hanging out, torn apart.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    The crew on the bridge could only gasp in horror at the sight of it.

    Rylen¡¯s expression contorted, brow furrowed, ¡°¡­What a disaster.¡±

    ¡°¡­It looks like many of them tried to get out.¡± Furion noted warily, ¡°¡­What pain they must have endured.¡±

    ¡°They felt nothing, Captain. I can assure you of that.¡± Rylen countered, ¡°The process we used to put the passengers to sleep was the full first half of the cryo-hibernation process, lacking only the cold-storage aspect. The chemicals that knocked them out would not simply wear off if the power went out or the pods were opened prematurely. They had to be reversed on purpose, else the passengers would stay asleep for a full week. Three days without water is fatal. ¡­They died slowly, this is true, but without knowing it was happening.¡±

    It didn¡¯t make Furion feel much better about what he saw. The way so many of those pods had been tossed and cracked open made it look like those bodies had tried to escape, and had been aware of where they fell. He blinked hard a few times and shook his head, I¡¯m just seeing what I fear to see. It¡¯s not the truth. Lord Rylen has no need to pad what happened with comfortable lies on our account. Not in our line of business.

    Ren had to fly over the mess, going hundreds of feet through those narrow corridors before the destruction seemed to ebb, and the pods were maintained on their holsters again. She saw the signs that pointed the way towards the engineering deck, ¡°I¡¯m getting close to the warp core. We should see it momentarily.¡±

    Roughly half an hour later, the SSCF Sterling Rose was secured, and the Fibonacci approached more closely. Both it and the Aegis sent the first few skiffs of technologists and analysts to board. They had 13 paths to choose from at that point, and that made it easy to figure out which direction to go; Ren¡¯s was not among them.

    Furion had suited-up by then and gave a personal escort to the skiff that his brother ¨C and, incidentally, his ¡®canary¡¯ ¨C were using. They followed the path mapped by Jense, who¡¯d been able to get through the majority of the ship through the loading-dock near the stern. It went nearly all the way to the engineering decks, and the skiffs landed on a stable part of that metal flooring. Jense and Corbin both came back to meet them, and provided the next part of the escort through the bowels of that massive ship.

    ¡°This place is really creepy¡­¡± Seth commented as he stepped out the back of the little vessel. His brother¡¯s imposing form offered plenty of comfort though, and he stepped up beside him, ¡°You¡¯re sure there¡¯s no bodies along the way from this direction¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all clear. The only thing you¡¯re going to see is dust and debris. No once-living thing will be seen.¡± Furion affirmed, and gestured forward to where the other two Knights were waiting. Neither of them had their weapons drawn, which gave a calmer air to the place; no one was expecting anything to pop out of the walls and shadows.

    Gabriel looked up and into those metal corridors, seeing the remains of that Earthian architecture. With 350 years of dust, abandonment, and exposure, it was rather grey, but hints of its original scant colors could be seen here and there. Wall-markings that had been painted in yellow or blue, safety perimeters on the ground, and the odd lighting fixture that had been out since the crash. It gave him the creeps as well, but in present company, he was less than interested in expressing as such.

    On the next skiff, the Eidolon disembarked, and Rylen looked up at those same walls with reverence. He looked back at his brother, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we manually walked to a distant location.¡±

    Xanarken was a bit distracted by the atmosphere though, ¡°This place is remarkably intact for having been out here this long. If not for the stillness and quiet, you¡¯d think this place would be filled with life¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a particular kind of haunting, to be sure.¡± The First agreed, and turned to follow Seth and the Fafnir further within.

    Behind them followed the first Myrmidon crew, donning the same mysterious, face-less masks and cloaks as their Inquisitor cohorts, but with a few more technological attachments and equipment to drag along. Seth felt uneasy in their presence, and skipped forward to put a little more distance.

    Furion put a hand on his shoulder, ¡°I can take you back if you¡¯d rather not go in. Creepy as it all is, there¡¯s never been any trouble during these recovery efforts, and we¡¯ve found nothing untoward so far.¡±

    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m fine. I promise.¡± The teen answered, ¡°Maybe a bit out of place, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re one of the most gifted rising-stars in the First Wing, Cadet Setharion.¡± Rylen chimed-in, making the young blonde twitch from the surprise of those unexpected words, ¡°I want to give you every opportunity to gather information, in lieu of what you lost in Kitez.¡±

    ¡°Y-yessir¡­thank you.¡±

    Xanarken slowed his pace slightly until Gabriel was forced to catch up, then started walking alongside him, ¡°You¡¯ve been awfully quiet these past few days. I think I can count on one hand the number of sentences I¡¯ve heard.¡±

    The Eidolon was on the blue-eye side, and it turned to stare at him, ¡°You ghosted me for two weeks, but I¡¯m the one who¡¯s been quiet. Make it make sense.¡±

    The Fourth grimaced slightly, ¡°I suppose that is true.¡±

    Gabriel squinted an eye at him, ¡°¡­That¡¯s it? I suppose?¡±

    ¡°What else do you want me to say?¡±

    ¡°I dunno¡­sorry?¡± He grumbled, ¡°I¡¯ve been drawing the short stick with everyone except Seth lately. My back is killing me; I don¡¯t know how people sleep on those prison mats. I-¡°

    ¡°Ah¡­you didn¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Know what?¡±

    Xanarken nudged his head towards the four-winged Fafnir, walking around 30ft ahead of them, ¡°The Captain brought it to my attention that you had been erroneously put into a room on the lower deck.¡±

    ¡°Erroneously? I thought that was on purpose!¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmph, he wasn¡¯t kidding about you getting a message from the assignment.¡± The Eidolon stroked his goatee thoughtfully, ¡°If the message was from anyone, it was from Rylen. Probably punishment for what happened in the Connington Fragment.¡±

    Gabriel stared incredulously ¨C first at Xanarken, then at Rylen, then back again - and gestured both hands at the Fourth, ¡°I KNOW THAT!¡±

    Everyone stopped and stared back at the duo, but Xanarken shrugged, and waved them all forward again dismissively, ¡°I told the Captain he could put you somewhere else. I would¡¯ve thought you¡¯d noticed by now, or had been alerted or¡­well, something to that effect.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m practically a pariah on the Aegis. The only place I don¡¯t get the cold shoulder is in my room.¡±

    Another shrug, ¡°You¡¯re getting it from Ren? And Seth?¡±

    Garbriel just smacked his forehead with both hands, and pulled his lower eyelids down in frustration as those hands lowered on his face, ¡°¡­I¡¯m gonna throw myself out the back of this thing and let the waters carry me away¡­it would be less cruel¡­¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think leaving you to your own devices during your leave was going to be this much trouble.¡± Xanarken shook his head, and looked up as the hall¡¯s end came into sight, ¡°You¡¯re terrible at taking time off.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ya think?¡±

    .

    With the distraction going on in the higher levels, Kourin descended far into lower ones, carrying that box from her desk in her arms. Though Regulus had told her not to go down to that sub-basement until more was known¡­that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t go there if she wanted. She put in her access codes, looked directly into the lens of a camera that she knew was there, and easily passed through the now-open door.

    The room had a number of storage racks for mechanical parts in the back section, with the containment box built on a make-shift platform, making it evident that ¡®containing hostile extra-dimensional parasites that like to talk a lot¡¯ was not, in fact, the originally-intended use for the space. The walls built around it were hastily-constructed, looking more like a theater-set from the outside, and the cube actually doing the containment was purpose-built as a secure blast-chamber. The evidence of it was set in the warning-signs, declaring the potential for hazards and shrapnel in the unlikely case that the chamber¡¯s strength failed.

    Kourin looked up at the cameras that had been set onto that set, and moved around them, closer to the wall, until she was near one of the supply-racks where the lights were conveniently off. She set the box down on the floor in the dark shadow of one of those shelving-units, and uncovered¡­a nanotech pod. She set a finger onto the top to turn it on, and stood upright to wait.

    It took a minute, and she checked her watch as she began to wonder if anything would happen, but finally, the mantle of Latheroux manifested there in that basement with her. He looked around quietly, scanning the area for any signs of life beyond their own, and glanced down at the small woman, ¡°You¡¯ve done well, Kourin.¡±

    ¡°Make it quick. They¡¯re up with the Prince right now. The Magistrate probably won¡¯t bring them down here, but I can¡¯t guarantee any of my colleagues won¡¯t wander through for their own purposes.¡± She warned, and gestured towards the ¡®staging¡¯ area.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get to it.¡± He answered, and started to walk forward.

    Kourin pulled her glasses off and put them into the front left pocket of her lab-coat, and allowed that telltale light to glimmer from her eyes. Just as Latheroux was about to step into full view of the cameras, she gestured her hand down towards him, and his image faded from all sight. She waved her other hand down in front of her face and torso, and vanished as well.

    Invisible footsteps tapped on the steps that led onto the platform, and around the overlapping walls until Latheroux stepped into full view of that blasting box¡­and its matured contents, ¡°¡­So this is what you¡¯ve become.¡± He commented quietly, ¡°When I saw the footage from the Honorable Judge Laurier¡¯s ship, I was horrified.¡±

    ¡°He can¡¯t hear you unless you click the intercom button.¡± Kourin noted cautiously, and stepped around the man; though they were both imperceptible, she could see through her own cloaking technique, and beheld that dark-haired mantle as clear as day.

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to talk to him yet.¡± Latheroux answered, ¡°Sometimes the idle chatter is just for atmosphere. Interesting things are afoot.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 30 â€“ â€˜Hell In A Handbasket?â€™ More Like â€˜Satan In A Sphereâ€™

    No single ship in the colony fleet had ever been designed with any kind of style in mind, since there was never any need to provide creature-comfort to the unconscious cargo. That said, most of the place was built with largely raw, unpainted metal, and that made the large atrium that housed the warp core look rather dark and intimidating. The Fafnir had dropped flares around the perimeter of the room, giving it as much illumination as was humanly possible, but it did nothing to alleviate the depth of those shadows, or the way the flickering light made said shadows dance and writhe on the walls.

    Seth whined pitifully from behind Furion¡¯s back, sheltering under those faintly-glowing wings, ¡°This place has to be haunted. It has to be. There¡¯s no way something like this is entirely dead.¡±

    Furion snorted a quiet laugh behind his visor, but he dared not pry his brother from his hiding place, ¡°Maybe focus on what the Myrmidon are doing? Once upon a time, the Second Wing was supposed to be responsible for things like this. The incorporation and unity of Limitless power and technology. What they¡¯re doing ought to be your jam.¡±

    ¡°Their masks freak me out.¡± Seth whispered.

    ¡°Then what are you going to do here?¡± The Captain wondered, arms crossed, though he twisted slightly to look at the teen cringing behind him, ¡°The whole point was to give you a first-row seat to the cracking of the core.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± The teen answered, and tried to step out. The sight of the Myrmidon bent around the control console ¨C and the terrifying way the fluttering lights bounced off of them ¨C made them look like ghouls, and he immediately turned around with a squeak.

    Gabriel glanced over, and felt bad, but there wasn¡¯t much for it. He turned his eyes instead to the sight of the Fafnir waiting for the core to open. Though he couldn¡¯t see their faces through their visors, there was an obvious air of tension around the room. By all accounts, Rylen was the only one excited about what was going on, as the Eidolon watched with an anticipatory smile. Xanarken seemed entirely indifferent to the concept; perhaps he¡¯d seen it all too many times. After all, there were some 15 SkyFortresses in the Council¡¯s fleet, and there must have been a certain expectation with what would be happening.

    A temporary power-source would be used to unlock the core, the sealed door would be opened, three bodies would be removed, and the painstaking process of disassembling the sphere into more manageable pieces would begin. After three centuries, the sight of bodies probably didn¡¯t bother the Fourth anymore, or he¡¯d programmed himself to look stoic about it in spite of how he truly felt. Whatever the case, once they¡¯d arrived in that atrium, the Eidolon had simply crossed his arms and watched quietly, unmoving.

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes kept wandering over to Ren, but she seemed distracted by their surroundings, completely focused on her task. He couldn¡¯t tell if ¨C despite being assigned to protect him directly ¨C she was avoiding him, or she thought she could do her job from anywhere in the room. When the control panel was suddenly snapped shut, and the loud bang it made caused everyone nearby to jump, all focus was on the Myrmidon, and the unnerving digitized voice they spoke with to hide their true sound.

    ¡°We¡¯re ready. The power supply is connected.¡±

    Rylen nodded, ¡°Begin.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    The portable generator was turned on, and within seconds, the console lit-up as well.

    ¡°Get in there, sport.¡± Rylen added, looking directly at Gabriel, ¡°Time to earn your keep.¡±

    The mediator gawked for a moment, but shook his head and stepped forward; it was time to play his only role. Seth peeked around Furion¡¯s crossed arms to watch him go, and his heart pounded in his chest. Wing Team Two idled closer to the mechanical sphere, all-but hovering over their Inquisitor charges. Wing Team One moved in closer to himself, and Ren began to walk over as well, restoring the solid-light panels of each of her massive red wings as she did so. They extended to their fullest span at first, then folded in behind her.

    Gabriel couldn¡¯t help but think back on the moment she¡¯d shielded him with them while they were under siege by the Warrior-Magistrate. He shook the memory away and blinked hard, pinching the bridge of his nose as he paused in place.

    ¡°Closer.¡± Rylen commanded.

    The mediator looked over at him, and took another wary step towards the sphere.

    ¡°Closer.¡±

    ¡°¡­Any closer and I¡¯ll have to buy it a drink.¡± Gabriel growled. It was a mild relief to hear at least some of the Fafnir chortle a laugh under their breath. He looked back up at the ominously large metallic orb, iron-clad and suspended on a short pedestal in the recessed floor, ¡°I was 15 feet away from the void gate in Kitez when my eyes lit-up. I¡¯m sure this is plenty close.¡±

    To Gabriel¡¯s chagrin ¨C after spending the last day and a half aboard the Fafnir¡¯s home-ship without getting anywhere near any of them ¨C he was suddenly surrounded rather closely on all sides. Ren had taken-point a few paces behind him, and both Ravan and Michelle had gotten to his sides. Between the three of them, they¡¯d practically created a solid-light corral around him, spreading their wings out to shield him from any direction.

    Then, to his shock and surprise, he felt a hand against his back, ¡°¡­Easy.¡±

    ¡°¡­You say that like it¡¯s possible.¡± He answered stiffly.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk later.¡±

    That didn¡¯t make him feel better at all.

    ¡°We¡¯re opening the warp core now.¡± The Myrmidon at the control-panel said, voice crackling in that monotone way.

    Hearts went into everyone¡¯s throats. Rylen took an eager step closer. Xanarken stayed as he was, arms crossed, eyes intently ahead. Ren was the only one who had her finger on the proverbial trigger, keeping one hand on the hilt of a plasma-blade.

    The core hissed, and locks clicked. Everyone twitched to hear it¡­and all eyes went straight to Gabriel.

    .

    ¡°¡­I¡­I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Aamin commented, his one remaining eye looking at the hazy image of the Duchy. He recoiled into himself, and lifted an arm to cover what he knew quite-well was the horror of his visage, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to see me this way.¡±

    Far¡¯nah swallowed a nervous lump, and steeled herself before she turned to approach on the man¡¯s right side ¨C the one that didn¡¯t look like it had been irradiated and melted, ¡°My dear friend, you¡¯ve been through some harsh things recently.¡±

    ¡°¡­Too many¡­¡± He lowered his gaze, staring at the reddened, exposed sight of his left arm, ¡°I thought it was over when the Inquisitors finally agreed to take Iresha away, but¡­it was all a trick. They played me for a fool.¡±

    ¡°Sargon is a lost cause, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Far¡¯nah said, and pulled the good hand into her own and onto her lap to stroke it softly, ¡°You did everything you could. Your nephew¡¯s predicament sealed their fate. It¡¯s just us against the world, now.¡±

    ¡°Take me to Oceanside¡­I beg of you¡­¡± Aamin pleaded, ¡°Regulus has done everything he can for me here. I know I¡¯m just a secret project though. No one knows I¡¯m here. No one outside this room even has reason to believe I¡¯m still alive.¡±

    ¡°There are those who will always doubt.¡± Far¡¯nah noted, the chimes on her antlered crown jingling quietly, ¡°Without your body, they can never know for sure. For that reason, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t bring you to Oceanside yet.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Aamin looked utterly deflated, ¡°¡­How much longer do I have to wait to restart my life?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be much longer.¡± She answered, thumb going slowly back and forth against the back of his hand, ¡°The young Prince is on the eve of being sent to Agartha; your brother has apparently felt the pressure to agree to that, and¡­well, after what happened to Rani, he no longer had the will to resist. The Eidolon are taking advantage of his pain.¡±

    ¡°¡­He¡¯s sending away his wife¡¯s murderer, more like.¡± Aamin stiffly corrected, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to look at his face either.¡±

    ¡°In either case, once the Prince has left, the pressure will be on for Iresha to join the Hadiran Accord. Everything we¡¯ve worked for all these years¡­the prosperity, the independence, and all of our pride¡­will be split apart. There are pieces in play on this grand chess-board that I seek to move, to ensure Kitez remains self-sufficient in this world. We will be the last vestige of a land uncorrupted by the Eidolon.¡± Far¡¯nah explained.¡±

    Aamin nodded sadly, ¡°¡­The home I loved is gone¡­ The people and places I knew, erased¡­ All because of that fucking kid¡­¡± He shook his head angrily, but then looked squarely at the Duchess, ¡°When is the Younger supposed to leave?¡±

    ¡°In a few weeks, from what we¡¯ve learned. Shortly before the Dawn of Ages celebration. Mardu¡¯s shadow retains ties to Sargon and occasionally gives us pertinent information.¡± She explained, and nudged her head back towards her quiet husband, waiting by the door with the Magistrate, ¡°I suppose it¡¯s one reason to keep him around, if for any.¡±

    ¡°¡­His shadow? You mean¡­that dissident?¡± Aamin asked skeptically, ¡°The one who started the riot at the palace?¡±

    ¡°The very same. You can understand my trepidation over keeping that one around.¡± Far¡¯nah affirmed, and reached forward to push a few strands of that long, stiff black hair over the man¡¯s right ear, ¡°He¡¯s kept a low profile though, thankfully, and he stays inside the Duchy¡¯s main residence. And, I suppose, as long as he maintains his belief that the Council should stay out of Sargon, then the fact that his riot got away from him can be¡­overlooked.¡±

    ¡°I¡­see¡­¡± Aamin lowered his gaze in understanding, ¡°¡­Can I have the honor of being one of your pieces?¡±

    She smiled, ¡°There is room yet for a trump-card on the board. For now, rest, recover, and regain your strength. You are far from ready to leave this place.¡±

    .

    In the sub-levels, far below the make-shift medical ward, Latheroux turned his eye towards the Limitless-user beside him, ¡°Before I engage with it, what¡¯s your report on the situation? What¡¯s this thing that¡¯s taken Sir Ianori?¡±

    Kourin narrowed her eyes slightly, ¡°You promised me an update from Oceanside first. I¡¯m adrift in this place¡­completely out of the loop. You and Tallus have been carrying on without me all this time. I made it possible for you to come here¡­now you owe me.¡±

    ¡°My apologies for that, Kourin.¡± Latheroux reached out to stroke that pale hair, and slid a finger under her chin, ¡°Your assessment is fair. ¡­Oceanside is faltering, in essence.¡±

    Her expression changed, ¡°They¡¯re slipping? But¡­how? Between you and Tallus, this should¡¯ve been a cake-walk¡­¡±

    ¡°Far¡¯nah is resisting Tallus¡¯ influence.¡± The masked man answered, and turned again to look at Scyrexianori ¨C dormant, or napping, he wasn¡¯t sure which, ¡°She so-desperately wants to attack the Council head-on that she¡¯s breaking through his charm. Every time he revisits the domination he once had over her, she re-convinces herself of her noble path. Mardu refuses to grow a spine and take responsibility for his half of the Duchy, even with Tallus and I pulling his strings. They¡¯re both¡­fanatical about the positions they¡¯ve taken. Tallus worries his control will eventually lose effectiveness altogether. We are desperate for a solution.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that why you wanted to see this thing?¡± She wondered cautiously, ¡°You were so keen on the destruction it caused¡­¡±

    ¡°Not entirely. That was after I had already decided to find this Knight.¡± Latheroux shook his head, ¡°This creature came straight out of a void gate.¡±

    That got Kourin¡¯s interest, ¡°A void gate¡­!? No one told me there was a void gate active!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because the late Magistrate Gavin Mallerd found it first, and summoned the First here to study it. There was nothing I could do¡­and no point in getting your hopes up. But¡­this¡­¡± He gestured at Scyrexian, ¡°This changes everything.¡±

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡± He answered, and reached the invisible hand at his side towards the intercom, ¡°Are you there? Sir Ianori.¡±

    With weeks to forge itself, Scyrexian had turned the former Fafnir into a weapon. Those pitiful stick-like bat-wings were now fully formed, and so large, their full extent could not be measured in the confines of the blasting box. The resin-like plating over his core and limbs was hardened and solid, with golden, jewel-like swellings across its chest, arms, and down its legs. Traces of that red-black miasma misted from those closed eyes, and at the sound of the voice, cracked open slightly, allowing a glut of it to escape, ¡°¡­I am here. But I am not Ianori. I am¡­more.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating¡­ It¡¯s just like you said.¡± Latheroux looked to Kourin, then back to the glass and re-clicked the comm-button, ¡°You go by Scyrexianori now, isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°That is correct. What do you want?¡±

    ¡°The devastation you caused on the Magistrate¡¯s ship. Was that random or calculated?¡±

    ¡°Nothing is random. Even chaos is structured, if you know how to read it.¡± Scyrexianori answered vaguely, ¡°I seek the one with the sight. Those other things were in my way. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°You let that one soldier go. I¡¯m told you explained it away as being a trade. Is that roughly correct?¡±

    ¡°All actions and intentions in balance. Favors for favors. I want to go back to where I¡¯m supposed to be¡­the information that soldier gave me led me to the tool I sought after. For that, I spared him. It¡¯s what he wanted, after all.¡±

    Latheroux pulled his hand back in consideration, a finger tapping his lip for a moment. He reached to click the button again, ¡°So if I scratch your back, you¡¯ll scratch mine.¡±

    ¡°If what you can offer me will get me to the man with the sight¡­I am amenable to negotiation.¡± Scyreixanori answered, and pushed up from that seat it had been in. Those massive wings flexed a little, the membranes between its many fingers stretching and retracting again with each movement. Scyrexianori approached the glass ¨C from its perspective, the glass was black - and put its hands upon it¡­then seemed to look through it, ¡°I can¡¯t see you from this side, but I can sense that you¡¯re there¡­¡±

    Kourin took several steps backward, and the masked man lifted his finger, ¡°¡­The last time it got close like that, it blasted a surge of force that sent me flying. I don¡¯t want it to do it again. Don¡¯t taunt it.¡±

    Latheorux let his finger hover, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± He clicked again, ¡°You can sense the affliction, even from inside, when you don¡¯t know what¡¯s outside.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s faint. Not¡­adequate. But¡­enough.¡± It answered, moving around eerily, trying to sniff the power, ¡°I could reach out, and use it to escape this place.¡±

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you, then?¡±

    ¡°¡­Something else has come up. I¡¯ve been waiting. Developing this body slowly. It¡¯s nearly ready to be of some use. I was soundly defeated by this host¡¯s former colleagues. If I am to find the sight-bearer, I need more strength.¡±

    Kourin moved up one step, ¡°It means Gabriel Lugios. For some reason, his affliction seems particularly tasty to it. He¡¯s the one that was born afflicted, right? That must be the difference between him and I.¡±

    ¡°Is that true? You want Gabriel?¡±

    Scyrexianori tilted its head slightly, then pulled back from the glass, ¡°I believe that¡¯s correct. That¡¯s what this host¡¯s memories confirm. Gabriel Lugios¡­¡± It said, burning the name into its own consciousness, ¡°He has a power deeper and more powerful than even he is aware of, like a child wading into the ocean, but only so far as to get his toes wet. If I can get him to remove me from this body¡­I can use his power to open another gateway. So long as he is alive at the time.¡±

    Latheroux¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°Would he live through that?¡±

    ¡°What comes to me will leave the same way. The man you call Ianori all-but died when he fell through the rift. When I am able to get out of his body¡­he will surely complete that process. He does continue to cling by a very thin thread, however.¡±

    That one unmasked eye widened, ¡°You said something else had come up. What is that?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­have been discovered elsewhere.¡± It answered, as if distracted suddenly, ¡°They come.¡±

    .

    The warp core¡¯s single doorway slid out of the sphere¡¯s surface like a dislodged puzzle-piece. Everyone¡¯s attention was laser-focused. Finally¡­the seal was broken, and a visible shock-wave rippled out from under it. Half the Fafnir jumped to avoid it; the other half could do nothing but let it pass through them - harmlessly. Xanarken and Rylen, on the other hand, both saw the lower half of their mantles shatter into nanotech clumps. As they came back together again though, their eyes went to Ren, as she called out Gabriel¡¯s name.

    The shockwave had knocked him out cold where he stood, eyes coalescing with a snaking trail of light. He fell to his knees, held up only by Ren¡¯s quick reach forward.  Around him, the trio of Myrmidon collapsed as well.

    ¡°Gabe! What happened!? Wake up!¡±

    ¡°Everyone back up, now!¡± Furion yelled, grabbing Seth in a quick twist and took off for the nearby open hall.

    The Fafnir around him descended on their targets like a flock of crows, grabbing the three Myrmidon as they formed a defensive line for them to be taken behind. Rylen moved his mantle back as well, deforming and reforming 50ft away. Xanarken, however, held his ground, completely unmoved by the sights before him. Ren threaded her arms around Gabriel¡¯s torso and flapped those wings to lift off, and joined the others in that wide hall.

    The sphere seemed calm again though. The inside was exposed; dark and foreboding in that flickering flare-light. Like a maggot revealed by a cut in the flesh of a fruit, however¡­a figure flopped out, landing with a crispy thud against the metal floor beneath the doorway. The mummified remains of one of the trio of Warp Magi lay there, broken and withered by 350 years of being lost and forgotten. Its face, a husk of its living self, retained the expression of terror from its last living moments.

    But that wasn¡¯t the important part.

    There were three Warp Magi. That was one.

    The other two reached their hands forward from the dark, grasping at the edges of that now-open doorway¡­and bellowed the most ungodly groan-like shriek as their chitin-fused faces revealed themselves to the light.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 31 â€“ Look Into The Void, And It Looks Back; Reach Into The Void, And It Pulls Back

    ¡°Bianca!  Take Seth back to the skiffs!  Annashi, Sammy, Michael!  Take the Myrmidon!¡± Donivan yelled, both blades extending from his unsheathed hilts.  A flurry of wings moved and were gone, and Seth could only yell as his brother stepped out in front of those who remained, soon after to disappear entirely from his sights as he was carried away.

    ¡°Ren, take Gabriel out of here!¡± Furion ordered, his own blades flashing into being as he looked back at her over a shoulder, ¡°Go!¡±

    She grit her teeth, ¡°Sir!¡± She acknowledged, and did as bid, the red light of her wings trailing into the barely-lit hall they¡¯d all arrived in.

    ¡°What the Hell is Xanarken doing!?¡± Rylen yelled in confusion, gaping at the Fourth where he still had yet to move

    Those eyes finally widened though, brow furrowed as hair whipped around, ¡°¡­It¡¯s¡­are those¡­?¡± Xanarken uttered, ¡°¡­All this time¡­?¡±

    Rylen fluttered his mantle to reform by his brother, ¡°Have you been daydreaming!?  I know this is boring to you but you can¡¯t just AFK in the middle like tha-¡°

    The twisted Magi-twins had moved forward with alarming speed, one of their disfigured hands stabbing through the First with a singular rage.  It moaned despairingly, and yanked its arm back again just in time to lift all four up in defense against Furion¡¯s onslaught.

    Xanarken grabbed his brother¡¯s shattered mantle and pulled away with it, looking on at the fused entity in horror, ¡°¡­What the Hell did it do!?  Rylen!?¡± He turned to gape in confusion at that dark face, seeing alarms from the Eidolon System flashing on his overlay, ¡°RYLEN!!¡±

    Orange eyes fluttered slightly, ¡°¡­What¡­?¡±

    ¡°You got hit!¡± The Fourth answered as he continued to drag the man away.

    Rylen flailed to get free and stand on his own, looking at himself, ¡°¡­It¡­it went right through me.  I felt it.  I felt it.¡±

    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time!¡± Xanarken shoved the First away, narrowly avoiding the onslaught from the fused Magi as it ignored the Fafnir.  Coordinated as their moves were, the entity seemed not to care, using two of its four arms to shove them away with its disturbing reach; the other two reached for Rylen again, ¡°Drop out of here!  We¡¯re nothing but a distraction!¡±

    That got through to the First, and with a snarl, he dissipated before the next stabbing thrust could pierce his mantle a second time.

    Furion swung his right arm out towards the corridor, ¡°Wing Team Two, retreat!  Wing Team One, with me!¡±

    Ravan hesitated, but when the other four flashed by her, she turned on a heel and took off after them.  That left only Donivan, Jense, and Corbin to support their Captain.  Ravan twisted over backwards to catch the last glimpse of her teammates before they disappeared beyond her line of sight, ¡°Damnit¡­!¡±

    Rylen was the first to reform, catching up to where Ren and the others had brought their charges, and in annoyance, shut off the alarm from the Eidolon System.  Gabriel was still unconscious, eyes wide open with their wisps of light, ¡°What the Hell happened?¡±

    ¡°Your guess is as good as mine, sir.¡± She answered, ¡°He just reeled backward like he¡¯d been kicked in the forehead, and dropped. That pulse¡­it was like an EMP for afflicted¡­¡±  She looked over at the Myrmidon, who themselves were afflicted, ¡°¡­They haven¡¯t moved either.¡±

    Seth was all-but in tears, on the edge of a panic attack, ¡°Where¡¯s Furion!?  Why wasn¡¯t he right behind us!?¡±

    ¡°Everyone needs to get on board and back to the Aegis.¡± Rylen ordered, ¡°Ren!  Where¡¯s Xanarken!?  He vanished before I even thought to!¡±

    ¡°Seth, just get on the skiff!  Lord Rylen, he hasn¡¯t reformed here.¡± She answered, and hefted Gabriel¡¯s prone body in her arms, ¡°Maybe he went back to the Aegis right away?¡±

    The First grumbled with an exasperated sigh, ¡°Unbelievable¡­but not entirely without reason.¡±

    Seth was already half-through the side-door when the Fafnir brought all three Inquisitors in after him, and Annashi called back, ¡°Commander, lifting off in 15 seconds!¡±

    Ren looked back into the hazily-lit corridor.  She quickly hover-jumped to drop Gabriel off with the others, ¡°Get going.  I¡¯m going back!¡±

    ¡°Commander!¡±

    ¡°Just go!¡± Rylen ordered, and went to join the passengers; he had to stick an arm out to catch Seth so he wouldn¡¯t run by in turn.

    ¡°Miss Ren!¡±

    ¡°Focus on the task at hand, cadet.  We need to secure the casualties!¡±

    Red wings vanished into the dark, and the others could do nothing for her.  It was as if everything went into slow motion then; four Fafnir came into her sights, easy to spot in the dark by the glow of their wings.  The Magi-twins spotted her in the midst of them all.  In what probably took three total seconds, Ren lifted her right arm, and volleyed four pulses from her vambrace-cannon; they all hit their mark.  In response, explosive gluts of smoke filled the room on impact ¨C like dropping bread-dough into a pile of loose black flour ¨C and enshrouded the entire atrium in imperceptible smog.  Somewhere within that cloud, the twins split apart, ripping the seams of resin armor that linked them together, and one leapt forward.  It emerged from the fumes like a wraith, its guttural scream the only thing that told Ren it was coming before she saw claws within inches of her visor.  That, she was able to dodge; she rolled in mid-air, her armor leaving scratches and sparks in her wake where she slid along the metallic wall.  The entire door to the warp core, however, struck her directly, knocking her backward with a clang that made every Fafnir nearby shiver.  She, and the heavy iron-clad panel, crashed into the floor, until Ren skidded to a stop against a wall, and the door hit her a second time as it came down on top of her, pinning her into the wedge.

    In those same three seconds, Annashi had taken the controls and closed the skiff¡¯s doors, as the other Fafnir of Wing Team Two filtered outside to fly alongside.  It barely had enough time to turn around in the hangar before a blur of purple and red flung itself into the open space, and a massive tendril of oily ferocity grabbed one curved wing and dragged the whole skiff down.  Lights on those wings brightened in resistance, and struggled to get free, but was trapped against its strength.  Anchoring it to the ground was the split-off twin, wailing in a fury; one tendril grasped the skiff, and another forced itself between the metal panels of the floor, ignoring the existence of the rivets and solders that once held them together.

    Ravan had her daggers out and ready, and she flung herself at the source of the tether, slicing at it madly, but found her blades too short to penetrate far enough to reach the Magi embedded within ¨C she noticed quickly that said Magi was only one of the two, and worried for what had happened to the second.  She could see it, like a shadow under the water, but anywhere her plasma-knives struck, the miasma fizzled and boiled, but nothing more.  With nothing else, she turned her forearms in, and without hesitation, lobbed a volley of blasts into it from her vambraces at point-blank range, not yet knowing the polluted reaction the energy-pulses would have on contact with that miasma.

    She quickly learned, and for her efforts, Ravan took a battering-ram straight to the chest, and it thundered against her with such force that the impact sent her flying.  The last thing she saw before a big cut to black, was the sight of the rest of Wing Team Two closing-in to try their own hand at fighting the creature.

    In the corridor, Ren regained her bearings and grabbed the edge of the warp core¡¯s dislodged door.  With a heave, she pushed the panel off, and it rattled heavily against the floor as it came to rest.  She quickly got back up to her feet with a boost from her wings.  In one direction ¨C the one she¡¯d meant to go ¨C the remaining Magi was keeping four veteran Fafnir Knights occupied.  Down the other, was the entire rest of the team, the fleeing skiff they were meant to protect, and its weakened passengers.  Her ears were ringing, but as soon as she found balance enough to stand without the hover to assist, she heard ¨C and felt ¨C a terrible crash.  The entire warp core had been sent flying towards her; ripped from its pedestal, it hit the mouth of the corridor so hard that it became entwined with it, and was stuck in place, simultaneously sparing her from a likely doom, and blocking her way forward.  She ran up the twisted sphere of metal anyway, and banged against its impossibly heavy exterior, ¡°FURION!¡±

    ¡°Protect the others!¡± He immediately ordered, ¡°You have noncombatants and novices on your side!  They¡¯re your first priority!¡±Stolen novel; please report.

    There was sense in that, and by the sound of him, he wasn¡¯t (yet) hurt for that latest turn of events.  She buckled-down and took off, retreating back the way she¡¯d come, ¡°Yessir!¡±

    Within the core¡¯s atrium, the four Fafnir were at an impasse; the split twin was untouchable, even by those longer, heavier blade-types.  Worse still, there was a tentacle of miasma had had spawned ¨C one for each of them ¨C to defend against them.  All they could do for a moment was encircle it, weapons drawn and pointed at it, with the smoke Ren¡¯s earlier blaster-shot billowing around them, only-then beginning to clear.

    ¡°This thing appears to be fighting with a strategy¡­¡± Donivan commented on their private comms, ¡°It¡¯s doing just like Ianori did in Kitez.¡±

    ¡°But these Magi weren¡¯t fighters in life.¡± Furion countered, ¡°How is it able to push even one of us back, never mind all four?  And how is it so bloody strong?¡±

    ¡°Have we even landed a single hit against it yet?¡± Jense wondered, double-scythes pointed towards the floor on either side.

    Corbin huffed to catch his breath, his katanas poised, ¡°Don¡¯t think so, brother.¡±

    ¡°Shit¡­¡±

    Furion focused his sights on each of those twitching, beastly extensions; as long as none of them moved towards it, the creature seemed content to keep its defensive posture.  That gave the Captain a moment to really look at it, and to see the golden orbs ¨C barely visible beneath the oily, murky surface of that translucent skin ¨C moving like trapped air-bubbles within.

    Ren got back to the hangar in time to see the least-experienced member of the team ¨C Bianca - driven into retreat.  Michael, Sammy, Gareth, and Michelle had all been veteran Fafnir even when Ren first joined, but now they all had 15 years or more under their belts.  Such seasoned skill shouldn¡¯t be so easily knocked away¡­and yet, those four met the same resistance that their Captain and his support-team had.  Xandra ¨C a 4<sup>th</sup> year ¨C had been sent into the same heap as Ravan before her, and that only left Alexander ¨C a 12<sup>th</sup> year - to put himself between the fight, and the struggling ship, in defense of the latter.  Annashi was desperately trying to get the skiff out of harm¡¯s way, but all she could do was throttle it and go nowhere.

    Then¡­the creature spoke.

    In both locations.

    .

    ¡°They¡¯re trying to take him from me¡­¡± Scyrexianori muttered to itself, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­reach¡­¡±

    Latheroux stepped closer to the glass, ¡°Who are you talking about?  Who¡¯s trying to take who from you?¡±

    Scyrexianori¡¯s eyes narrowed, struggling, ¡°So many¡­all at once¡­  I can¡¯t¡­focus¡­¡±

    .

    ¡°Hold!¡± Furion called, and fortified where he stood, both massive swords up in a defensive stance.  The others around him fell-back as well, huffing for breath behind their visors.

    ¡°Captain?¡± Donivan asked.

    ¡°Did it just¡­speak?¡±

    ¡°What do you want, Magi?¡± Furion dared, taking a step closer, though with his blades pointed down and away in an effort to appear slightly-less threatening.

    Donivan turned his visor away, ¡°Ren, this thing is talking to us in here.  See if you can-¡°

    ¡°The one out here is talking, too.¡± She interrupted; she¡¯d landed with the veterans, but stayed a short distance back, and out of their way, ¡°But¡­not to us, I don¡¯t think.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯d it say?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s complained to itself that we¡¯re trying to take someone away from it.¡±

    Donivan looked to the Captain, ¡°Did you hear that?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s linked somehow.¡± Furion acknowledged, ¡°Did their physical fusion go deeper than that¡­?¡±

    The Magi before him seemed to writhe in frustration, ¡°Need¡­the seer¡­  Need¡­to end this quickly¡­¡±

    .

    ¡°End what quickly!?¡± Latheroux asked adamantly, ¡°Who are you dealing with!?  Where!?¡±

    ¡°Them¡­¡± Scyrexianori said in frustration, ¡°He¡¯s¡­fighting me with everything he has¡­  He won¡¯t¡­let me hurt them¡­¡±

    That one eye widened in shock, ¡°¡­You mean Sir Ianori.  You¡¯re fighting the Fafnir, aren¡¯t you?  Right this second¡­¡±

    Kourin was flummoxed, ¡°How is that possible?¡±

    .

    ¡°¡­The¡­Faf¡­nir¡­¡± The Magi in front of Ren croaked.  Each of those four Knights encircling the creature looked at one another, then glanced back at Ren herself¡­and all Hell broke loose all over again.

    Each of the twins launched a Hail Mary; four more tails of oily liquid burst forth from the beneath each of their feet.  They sprung with such speed and ferocity that each one struck its intended target before they had a chance to dodge.  The only one who¡¯d been spared¡­was the only nearby Knight who hadn¡¯t gotten close enough to stand within the soupy haze of smoke.

    Ren quickly launched into the air to avoid whatever corrective action might¡¯ve been taken once the creature realized she hadn¡¯t been snatched; she hovered, eyes darting left and right, trying to read the situation.  The only thing she could see was the singular appendage that was still exposed, and which yet grappled with the wing of the skiff.  The cracks in that wing were making its continued failure to flee dangerous; Annashi had gunned the thrusters so hard that the vessel could crash just from being let go.  That¡¯s when Ren spotted the golden orb ¨C barely visible in the dark and smog ¨C as a bit of it glinted within that oily length.  Several things came to a head at once then, and Ren looked at the skiff, ¡°Annashi!  Get ready for some defensive driving!  Alexander!  Get Xandra and Ravan out of here!¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am!¡±

    ¡°Wha!?¡± Annashi balked, ¡°CommandEWAHHH!!¡±  The skiff lurched violently, banging into the ceiling before she got hold of the controls and managed to steady it.  Only by virtue of Rylen¡¯s focus did the unconscious cargo not go flying; with effort, he and Seth had managed to get all three Myrmidon and their canary ¨C and Seth himself after - into a seat and bolted them down.  That didn¡¯t stop Rylen from being flung though; who needs a seatbelt when you don¡¯t have any breath to get knocked out of you.

    Ren had simply broken the wing off; the skiff would have to limp away, and she gave it a slap on the back end to send it on its way, ¡°Go!¡±

    .

    Scyrexianori¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°¡­No¡­¡±

    .

    There was an opening.  Ren spotted it.  She could only-just-barely see the Magi, gaping up at the fleeing skiff with a look of anguish on its twisted face.  It tried to launch another fibrous ribbon while the skiff stumbled in-air, but Ren was quicker that time.  She put all her energy into the thrust of her wings, and threw herself at the entity with every ounce of strength in her body.  Plasma-blades were held together like a thick spear, and she thrust it forward.

    It was hard to see at first, but she could feel it.  Her blades had found purchase¡­and penetrated.  Wings rose high, and flapped down hard to clear the smoke; she could finally ¨C properly ¨C see her target.  Her charge had impaled both swords through the Magi¡¯s chest, and it gasped a wet grunt.  Black ichor dripped from the corners of its mouth, and it looked at her.  All five exposed protuberances writhed and released, quivering as they withered all around it until resorbing into themselves.

    .

    A queer smile curled at the edges of Scyrexianori¡¯s lips, ¡°¡­That one¡­is feisty¡­¡±

    .

    Ren took issue with the assessment, and with a vocal swing, both of those plasma-edged blades rose vertically.  With a wet shlep, they split through the neck and skull, and that possessed creature fell back dead.  Permanently dead.  Ren wasted no time, ¡°All of you, go help Annashi!  Make sure that skiff gets to the Aegis!  Carry it if you have to!¡±

    Grunts of acknowledgment answered, as the four Fafnir picked themselves up from the pits their armor had pressed into the metal panels they¡¯d been pinned to a moment before.  They watched their prodigious junior fly up and vanish into a third-floor corridor, but steeled themselves and left the other way.

    Ren bounced through those upper halls like a pinball, trying to find an alternate route into the warp core chamber.  It was almost a surprise when she actually did, and she kicked off that last wall to vault over the railings.  Not having the core in the way, she could see everything immediately, and what she saw was¡­unsettling.

    Flashes of that field in Kitez shot through her mind like thundercracks, when she bore witness to Ianori being smothered by those groping fingers from the void scar.  They were there again, smothering four more Knights ¨C her family, her friends.  With a determined rage, she yelled out, and barreled towards the epicenter of the horror.  From that vantage, both blades came together - tips pointing down - and she came down through the top of the second Magi¡¯s cranium with a singular fury.  The impact was so heavy, the Magi couldn¡¯t even bounce before Ren drove those blades through, right to the hilt.

    As before, those appendages withered, and their captives were released.  They¡¯d been pinned to the surrounding walls of that circular chamber, nearly suffocated, and they collapsed.  Ren caught her breath, heart racing, and she refused to let go until the ringing echo of the clang settled and went quiet.  She lifted her head, expecting the four to get up on their own¡­and was confused when none of them did, ¡°¡­Guys?¡±

    They were silent.  Ren¡¯s breath caught in her throat, and heart skipped a beat.  She let go of those blade-grips, leaving the Magi pinned through its skull, and she flung herself to her partner¡¯s side.

    ¡°Furion!?  Furion!¡± She yelled, still getting no response.  The visor of his helmet had been cracked, and she pawed shaking hands around the sides of it and under the jaw, until she found the release to pull it off.  Seeing the man¡¯s blue-tinted face made her seize, ¡°No¡­no no¡­!¡± She quickly moved to pry her own helmet off, though by the time it banged on the metal floor, Furion had started to cough and draw breath on his own again, much to her relief.  She bent down and pressed her brow to his, ¡°¡­Thank the Eidolon, you¡¯re okay¡­¡±

    ¡°Th-the others¡­¡± He gasped, and managed to lift his hand before dropping it again, ¡°The¡­a-air intake¡­plugged¡­¡±

    Ren set the man down gently but quickly, and left to go release the helms on the other three felled Knights.  When she got to Donivan at the last, she pulled him over towards their Captain, and went back to grab the other two as well.  Altogether, Ren watched them all regain themselves, and with a shuddered breath, collapsed to her knees before them, ¡°¡­I¡­I thought I lost you¡­¡±

    Furion had regained enough strength to lift his arm, and beckoned the woman closer.  She shuffled closer quickly, and got under that arm, hugging him tightly.  Another quick breath, and Furion pressed his cheek to the top of her head, ¡°What¡­happened?  How did you¡­?¡±

    It was all she could do to not burst into tears from the relief.

    ¡°Will anyone answer their damn comms!?¡± Rylen¡¯s voice faintly echoed from Ren¡¯s helmet, ¡°I need a status update!  The Aegis¡¯ forward cannon is trained on that ship and I¡¯ll have to pull the trigger if no one responds!¡±

    Ren frantically pulled back and scrambled for her helmet, sticking it on roughly, ¡°Don¡¯t fire!  Do not fire!¡±

    On that bridge, the entire crew let out a tense breath.  Even the Eidolon went through the motions, ¡°¡­Dame Ren¡­  What the Hell is going on?  Five of you are still in there and you¡¯re the only one to answer!¡±

    She could feel those tears hot on her face, and she bent her head down, ¡°¡­It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s over¡­  The Magi are down.  We need recovery¡­¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 32 â€“ Pieces Move Across A Chess-board, And A Cat is Looming With Paw Raised

    Scyrexianori twitched those big wings and took a step back from the black windows, then sat back on that lonely, solitary seat in the middle of the blasting-room.  Elbows perched on knees, and those eyes closed again.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Latheroux demanded, ¡°Scyrexianori!  What¡¯s happened!?¡±

    If the entity was going to answer at all, it didn¡¯t matter; Kourin grabbed his arm and pulled him back, ¡°Someone¡¯s coming.¡± She warned quietly, incandescent eyes looking over to where she¡¯d heard the main security-door open, ¡°Back up against the wall.¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯re done here.¡± Latheroux said gruffly, and turned towards her as she continued her rearward shuffle.  Hands went to her shoulders, and he leaned down to look at her squarely, ¡°Favors for favors.  That¡¯s what it said.  If it wants Gabriel, then we¡¯ll figure something out to make that happen, in exchange for what we want.¡±

    Kourin was stunned, leaning around him slightly to check if anyone was coming into the staging area with them, then looked back up at that masked face, ¡°You would actually sacrifice him for this¡­?  What can that thing do for us that nothing and no one else could, after all this time that we¡¯ve been trying?¡±

    Latheroux nodded, ¡°Scyrexianori says Gabriel has a power far greater than anything he can conceive of.  It wants him specifically so it can use that power to open a gate and go home.  It¡­it might be strong enough to achieve our end-game, and if it needs Gabriel alive to do it ¨C and Gabriel comes out the other end no worse for wear ¨C then all the better.  If that¡¯s the case, then all this political quibbling here in Kitez won¡¯t be necessary anymore, and we can leave it to rot.¡±

    Footsteps could be felt in the make-shift floor of that wooden stage, and Kourin made a face of concern, daring not speak another word, lest they both be heard.

    Latheroux wasn¡¯t ready to be so careful yet though, and whispered his final words directly into her ear, ¡°Find a way to make a deal with it.  Trade it freedom for its assistance.¡±

    And he was gone, dissolved into the nanotech dust he¡¯d come from.  The sight of it heading back towards the containment-pod was like a grey fog blowing across the floor, straight past the legs of ¨C and completely unnoticed by - the thin man as he came up to the glass.

    Kourin pressed her back into the corner of that little space, all-but holding her breath to keep from making a sound, Damnit¡­leaving me here like this¡­  She turned her sights towards Scyrexianori again, and listened to the thin man¡¯s futile attempts to get it to talk.

    ¡°Who were you speaking to just now?  We saw your mouth moving on the live-feed.¡±

    No answer.

    ¡°Scyrexianori.¡± The man said more firmly, ¡°Respond.¡±

    Still nothing.

    ¡°Tight-lipped, eh?  ¡­I knew we should have installed microphones inside this thing¡­¡± The man grumbled, and went over to the intercom button, ¡°Such hastily-built confinement, and all we can do is document sessions from out here¡­¡±  He held out a finger over a nearby recording device, and hesitated, then pulled the hand back to press it lightly around his chin, ¡°Maybe I should call Kourin back down here.  She got a rise out of it¡­¡±

    Kourin tiptoed along the wall and made her escape ¨C glancing back briefly with annoyance as her name was dropped - and headed back towards the box she¡¯d brought.  She quickly sought for something to grab off the nearby shelves, put it into the box beside the re-hidden containment-pod, and dropped her cloaking-effect.  Hidden in the shadow of that space, and without any cameras pointing in that direction, she simply lifted the box up again and made her way towards the exit, no-one-the-wiser for what she¡¯d done.

    .

    Rylen sat nearly motionless behind his desk, orange eyes staring daggers into some hapless part of the floor ahead of him, past the fingers he¡¯d laced together in front of his face.  When he saw the alert on his overlay that Xanarken was incoming, he simply lifted the direction his eyes gazed, and waited for the man¡¯s mantle to form.

    A few seconds later, he did, and Xanarken walked closer as his body took shape, ¡°Have things finally calmed down?¡±

    ¡°Where have you been?¡±

    Xanarken paused, and quirked his head slightly, ¡°I went to check on your stasis-pod, back in Agartha.  I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t.¡±

    Rylen sat back and averted his eyes, ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t want to hear it from Etienne right now.¡±

    ¡°Fair, but-¡°

    ¡°Is my body okay?¡±

    The Fourth breathed a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s fine.  Etienne says that, whatever happened when the Magi struck your mantle, it created a kind of feedback that made your real self have a seizure.  Not a big one, and it doesn¡¯t appear to have left any lasting damage, but¡­you might have a headache for a minute.¡±

    The First nodded, ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    Xanarken¡®s brow furrowed, and stepped around the desk.  One hand went to his brother¡¯s shoulder, the other held to the front of the man¡¯s desk, ¡°Sorry I interrupted you earlier, when you were trying to say what it did.  We have the luxury of time, now.  So¡­please, tell me.¡±

    Rylen hesitated, and shook his head, ¡°¡­It reached through my chest, and felt as though it had taken-hold of my heart, squeezing until my mantle and mind broke.¡± He began cautiously, his voice giving away the very real fact that he ¨C the Eidolon of two different Wings ¨C was rattled, ¡°¡­I needed you, and you left me.¡±  He shrugged his shoulder out from under the Fourth¡¯s palm.

    Purple eyes lifted, and Xanarken stood upright again, ¡°There was nothing I could do here.  I left Gabriel behind, too, lest you forget.  I thought the most useful thing I could do was make sure you could continue to function.  This is your operation, your fortress, your Fafnir¡­Gabe and I are just here as guests.¡±

    ¡°¡­Even so¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The Fourth said again, ¡°You know that everything I do is in service to you and this Council.  I would never just leave you hanging like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine¡­¡± Rylen finally relented, and his posture relaxed a little, ¡°You should know that Gabriel and the Myrmidon all woke up, if you didn¡¯t already.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t.  Are they all okay?¡±

    ¡°That depends on the definition you¡¯re using.¡± The First answered vaguely, ¡°¡­Since they all did so screaming.¡±

    .

    Xanarken manifested on the officers¡¯ deck, outside the room that Furion had assigned to the mediator after their little chat.  He reached a hand towards the door-buzzer button on the side-panel, and took a step back to wait.  Even an Eidolon couldn¡¯t just appear in someone¡¯s private chambers.  For half a moment, he started to wonder if Gabriel was even there, and took another step back to look around ¨C as if that would even do anything.  Soon, however, the panel shifted aside, and a rather ragged-looking blonde ¨C with the entirety of a large downy blanket wrapped around him - stood there in the middle of it.

    ¡°Gabe¡­  Rylen told me you were up.¡±

    The red eye twitched slightly, but Gabriel took a step back and wordlessly gestured for the Eidolon to come in.  The door hissed as it closed again, and Gabriel stepped over to the ¡®nest¡¯ he¡¯d made for himself on the corner-couch.

    ¡°He¡­also told me that it wasn¡¯t a pleasant awakening.¡± Xanarken added, trying to get the man to say something in answer.

    Gabriel sat back, and pulled his bare feet up onto the edge of the rectangular table, arms wrapped around his knees with the blanket around all of it, ¡°¡­I¡¯ve¡­never experiences that kind of darkness before¡­¡± He said quietly, and he lifted his right hand again briefly to see that it was still trembling, ¡°Endless, and all-consuming¡­¡±

    Xanarken stepped around the arm-rest and sat beside his mediator, an arm over those shoulders, ¡°Gabe¡­¡±

    ¡°There was something in that place¡­¡± He continued dubiously, ¡°It was¡­pawing at my mind, like it was trying to reach inside me¡­  I thought it would pull me apart, as though my soul was only held together by threads, sewn around the outside.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°I looked over some of the footage before I came down,¡± The Eidolon said, and rubbed his hand back and forth in an effort to soothe, ¡°It¡­said your name.¡±

    ¡°Great¡­¡±

    ¡°It had a full-on conversation with itself, but to be honest, the way it paused and then continued, it¡¯s like it was somehow talking to someone.  One thing that¡¯s for certain, though¡­is that the both of them were speaking in tandem.  It spoke the exact same words at the exact same pace as its twin, even though they had split-up and were quite a distance away from one another.¡±

    ¡°That can only mean there¡¯s a third one somewhere.¡± Gabriel surmised, ¡°Or a fourth, or¡­who knows how many others.  One of them was talking to someone.¡±

    ¡°That was my thought as well.¡±

    There was a tense silence as they both thought of the same name, and Gabriel looked down at his covered knees, ¡°Ianori.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, probably.¡±

    ¡°So, he¡¯s not dead.  Or, at least¡­not disposed of.  Do you think it¡¯s them?  Talking to him, somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Magistrate Regulus was the last one to see Sir Ianori.  In all likelihood, if anyone knows that man¡¯s fate, it¡¯s him.¡± Xanarken answered, and pulled his hand back to rest his elbows over his knees, fingertips together as he looked over his shoulder, ¡°When Rylen and I talked about sending Ren into the Connington Fragment¡­one thing she was adamant about doing was asking the Magistrate what he¡¯d done with her friend.  I don¡¯t think she ever got to.¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Gabriel shook his head, and buried his face against the blankets, ¡°¡­I screwed that up for her, too¡­¡±

    Xanarken¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°¡­It is what it is.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been entirely forthcoming about what happened in there.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± The Eidolon answered, ¡°I¡¯m the one who fried the archive.  Rylen¡¯s been convinced that it was your affliction that caused the errors.¡±

    Gabriel was stunned, and lifted his head again, ¡°¡­Why didn¡¯t you call me on it?¡±

    ¡°I guess I was curious about why you¡¯d decided to omit it.¡± He answered, ¡°A Kitezan civilian, using a mantle like one of ours¡­  Even I¡¯m still trying to wrap my head around it.  Given the effort it takes for us to use them, I can¡¯t even fathom how a regular guy was able to do it.¡±

    Bicolored eyes drifted, looking ahead at nothing in particular, ¡°¡­Nanotech is only supposed to be useful for visual augments, data transfers, and communications.  If that Latheroux guy was even capable of knowing where the Magistrate and Aamin were going to be to start the rumor that brought us there¡­he¡¯s somehow got that mantle inside Kitez, close to the court.¡±

    ¡°Or he¡¯s got friends that are.  You were all well-within the Sargonian side of the place.  He could well have just been using the World Cloud.¡±

    ¡°We both know that¡¯s not true.¡±

    ¡°Which part?¡±

    ¡°About him using the World Cloud to make his mantle.¡± Gabriel explained, ¡°You would¡¯ve been able to figure who it was in that case.¡±

    Xanarken huffed a laugh, ¡°Not so.¡±

    ¡°How come?¡±

    ¡°Because tracking someone by their use of the World Cloud implies that the person using it is physically present doing so.¡± The Fourth answered, ¡°Like when Rylen tracked Ren down, to summon her to the Aegis for that mission.  She had used the Cloud to turn her hair funny colors.  The Eidolon can¡¯t be tracked that way¡­and neither can he.¡±

    ¡°But you could at least see that someone was using it there besides us, right¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°Then he¡¯s got his own supply somehow, too.¡± Gabriel sighed, ¡°It just gets better and better¡­  The Council is the only purveyor of nanotech on Hadira.  If he¡¯s got a private source, he¡¯s somehow gotten it from us.  The only Wings that have access to portable pods are the First and Sixth, like¡­when¡­¡±

    ¡°Like when what?¡±

    ¡°¡­Seth.  He had three pods when we found him.  He only brought one back, and gave its entire supply to Ren for her armor.¡± He answered, ¡°¡­Maybe it all stemmed from that?  Latheroux or his proxies found the pods before the Magistrate could seize them?¡±

    Xanarken pressed his folded hands to his chin and nose, ¡°¡­Doesn¡¯t bode well either way.  Half the reason we get away with using mantles at all is because of the protocols we have not to abuse them, the least of which being that we only manifest spontaneously in public places.  Imagine him being able to appear anywhere, at any time¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying not to.¡±

    ¡°I have to think about this.¡± Xanarken shook his head, and pushed up to stand again, ¡°Keep it to yourself until further notice.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.  I know.¡±

    ¡°And be sure to thank the Captain at some point for fixing up your situation.  If he hadn¡¯t mentioned it when he brought Rylen and I over, you¡¯d still be in the other room.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes flinched at the mention, and his right hand ¨C bruised from where he¡¯d walloped the man ¨C hurt all over again.  He rubbed those knuckles secretly beneath the thick folds of the blanket, ¡°Only if you give Rylen shit on my behalf for putting me down there.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I think I know just the way.¡±

    .

    ¡°¡­Excuse you?¡± Rylen gawked awkwardly, ¡°You¡¯re going to have to say that again, cuz I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s way too early for jokes.¡±

    ¡°You heard me.¡± Xanarken crossed his arms, looking over the railing of the Fibonacci¡¯s hangar as the first of several transport-skiffs started to arrive.  The image of the SSCF Sterling Rose loomed in the background, ¡°I think it would be a good idea, after what happened.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re nuts.  You¡¯re certifiably nuts.¡± Rylen countered, ¡°Did Gabriel set you up for this?  To ingratiate himself to me somehow as a person of higher importance than he is?¡±

    Xanarken shrugged, ¡°It wasn¡¯t his idea, but it did come out of a conversation we had last night about how you¡¯d meddled with his room assignment aboard the Aegis.¡±

    The dark Eidolon grumbled slightly, ¡°¡­He deserved it.¡±

    ¡°Sending him with Ren on that mission was my idea though, and you¡¯d never think to put me into a room like that.¡±

    Rylen gawked over his shoulder, ¡°Of course not, I¡¯d never think of putting you into any room.  You don¡¯t use rooms.¡±

    ¡°Beside the point.  You¡¯d never disrespect a fellow Eidolon like that.¡±

    ¡°He can¡¯t be an Eidolon.  I forbid it.¡±

    ¡°Not an Eidolon.¡± Xanarken corrected, ¡°¡­Just, a backup to one, in case what happened to you yesterday isn¡¯t a one-time thing.¡±  He turned side-face to the First and grabbed the railing with both hands, then gestured to the transport-skiff as it unloaded the first of two very important bits of cargo, ¡°Given you¡¯re so adamant about bringing them back with us, when we don¡¯t even know if they¡¯re definitely finished.  We all saw the footage of Ianori rising from the dead.  They could be no different, given the time to recover.¡±

    Rylen gestured both hands at the sight, ¡°They¡¯re super-dead, Xanarken!  Ren shot right back to the top of the list of potential next-Captains with her moves yesterday!¡±  A third recycled stasis pod from the colony ship was deboarded from the skiff, containing the mummified body of the last Warp Magi.  Rylen pinched the bridge of his nose, ¡°I can¡¯t just leave the bodies there anyway.  It¡¯s protocol.¡±

    ¡°Protocol be damned, you don¡¯t know what they became, or what they¡¯re capable of.  If they do recover from the would-be-fatal injuries Ren dealt them, there¡¯s no telling what damage they could do.  Aren¡¯t you the least bit worried about how that thing literally reached into your soul and made you flinch?¡±

    The First grumbled, ¡°Of course I¡¯m worried.  I didn¡¯t sleep because of it.¡±

    ¡°Then having contingencies in place ought to have been foremost on your mind.¡± Xanarken explained, ¡°Imagine if the Captain hadn¡¯t leapt-in right away.  Imagine 5-10 more seconds of whatever it was doing to you¡­  You could¡¯ve had a grand mal, been put into a coma, or even killed.  Then we¡¯d have three Wings without an Eidolon to lead them.¡±

    ¡°And your answer is to formalize a successor-role.¡± Rylen scoffed, ¡°I can¡¯t even process the idea.  It¡¯s absolutely rat-fucking insane.¡±

    ¡°¡­Language?¡±

    The First massaged his fingers against his brow in frustration, then swatted his brother beside him with the left, ¡°The definition of Eidolon is Ghost.  We are Eidolon because we are unmovable, impervious¡­immortal.  The unfathomable suggestion that a mere man such as Gabriel Lugios becoming one of us just blows my mind.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s practically learned everything there is about how to lead the Fourth if something ever happened to me.¡± Xanarken pointed out, ¡°Grew up following in my foot-steps, watching everything I¡¯ve said and done.¡±

    ¡°And yet no one trusts him half as much as they trust you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s not officially my successor; no one has to think of him as anything other than a mediator with a fancy title.  If nothing ever happens that demands my stepping down, then he grows old and dies like everyone else, and I persevere as the Fourth in perpetuity.¡± He said simply, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with being cautious.  You should consider finding someone to take under your wing, like I did.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in mentoring an heir that won¡¯t ever be needed.¡± The First refuted.  There was a long pause then, as the two of them watched the stasis-pods containing the Warp Magi disappear beneath them, through a corridor on the lower floor.  Looking down on top of them from that vantage, and seeing those twisted faces through the glass, made Rylen shake his head, ¡°We¡¯ve become akin to gods on this world, with this unexpected longevity.  The tragedy that sowed the soil of the Luminary Council¡­  The blood that was spilled¡­  The secrets we¡¯ve kept.  ¡­People out there think we¡¯re not even real anymore; that we¡¯re nothing more than artificial intelligences, loosely based on the men and women we used to be.  Or that we uploaded our consciousnesses somehow, into a massive computer, and that the algorithms of our lived histories guide these mantles like puppets into the future, long after our physical deaths.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s only what people think outside the Council.  Namely¡­in Kitez.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still a popular sentiment in Sargon, too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because-¡°

    ¡°I know, I know¡­you don¡¯t have to keep reminding me that they were sister-nations.¡± Rylen grumbled, ¡°¡­Honestly, it¡¯s so tiresome that these places continue to hold themselves up with such grandiose delusions of self-importance.¡±

    ¡°Every nation back on Earth started out exactly the same way.  Why do you hold it against these colonies for doing the same thing?¡±

    ¡°Hmph.  I really am no different than old King George.¡± Rylen scoffed at himself, ¡°My colony across the sea, whose independence I refuse to recognize because it seems like such a childish idea.  They don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing without me, I tell myself.¡±

    ¡°You could always just¡­you know, let them grow up like you would with a child.  It¡¯s no fault of theirs that we stumbled into immortality.  If not for us, these places really would be individual countries.¡±

    ¡°And they¡¯d probably have gone to war and destroyed one another by now, just like the Earth we left behind.¡± Rylen turned his gaze towards his brother, ¡°Do you think about it, ever?  What might be left after the better part of four centuries?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.  There¡¯s no point.  We¡¯re never going to know.¡±

    ¡°Well, I do.¡± The First puffed, ¡°We and ours lived in our gleaming cities on a hill¡­  Privileged, sheltered, pampered¡­while most of the rest of that world suffered in a mire of desolation; a desolation of our own making.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re far too contented to heap the guilt of the entire human race upon your shoulders, brother.¡± Xanarken shook his head, ¡°First the Earth, and on to Hadira.  When will you finally be satisfied?¡±

    ¡°When the Hadiran Accord is complete, and all of our wayward children are back with the family.  I¡¯m tired of waiting for Kitez to see things my way.¡± He answered, and looked on grimly, that long silver hair waving in the winds of the open hangar, ¡°I can feel it in my bones, Xanarken¡­  Things are going to happen soon¡­and it¡¯ll give me exactly what I want.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 33 â€“ Confront The Agonies That Bind You

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡± Seth complained stiffly, ¡°At all.  I want that on the record.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s noted.¡± Rylen answered, ¡°Go on.¡±

    The teen groaned pitifully, and reached to grab the creepy helmet on the table before him.  He held it up in his hands, looking on that faceless face, with those button-like eyes just inside and below where the eyes would really be.  On the black of its base, two silver plates cascaded down from the brow to the cheeks, as if a pair of painted hands had come down from above and behind it, and covered those eyes, leaving the palm-prints behind.  He swallowed a knot in his throat, and turned the whole thing around so he could see inside the opening he¡¯d put his cranium through to wear it.

    ¡°It¡¯s like ripping off a bandage.¡± The Eidolon commented, ¡°You won¡¯t even know you¡¯re wearing it once it¡¯s on.¡±

    Seth could feel his heart pounding in his ears, and his hands trembled to pull the mask closer.  At the last, he rejected it, and fumbled at trying to put it back on the table, sending it flying off the back of it instead, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­I can¡¯t¡­¡±

    Rylen looked on, unimpressed, and crossed his arms, ¡°Why not?¡±

    The teen could feel the weight of that question, ¡°¡­S-sir¡­the Inquisition division¡­gives me the major creeps.¡± He explained, just as he¡¯d noted before, ¡°The masks scare me.  They¡¯re¡­not right.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re built to purpose.¡± The First countered, ¡°They give you access to databases and research systems that no one outside the corps can utilize.  They also anonymize you.  They also give you the option of putting something else over the masks, from your perspective.¡±

    ¡°¡­They do¡­?¡±

    Rylen deadpanned, ¡°No.  This is a serious division with serious researchers.¡±

    Seth deflated where he stood, ¡°Permission to leave, sir.¡±

    ¡°¡­Dismissed.¡± He answered with a sigh.  The young blonde bowed his head and turned, all but fleeing the office.  Rylen shook his head, and went to fetch the mask from where it had wound-up behind his desk, ¡°What do I do about this?¡± He asked aloud to the visage, ¡°The image of the Inquisitors is supposed to inspire unease¡­but not to the talent I¡¯m trying to recruit.¡±

    Seth bounced off the door to his brother¡¯s room before he had a chance to tap the panel and request for it to open, and once it did, he rushed inside, smacking his back against the still-closing panel as it shut behind him.  He slid down until he felt the floor under him, and tried to calm his shaking hands, gripping them around his upturned knees.  He practically jumped out of his skin when a call-request lit-up on his glasses, and he grasped one palm to his chest as he realized it was his brother, ¡°F-Furion!  It was awful!¡±

    ¡°It must¡¯ve been if you ran into my room for cover.  What happened?¡± The Captain¡¯s voice answered, a tiny image of him displayed on that glass overlay.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t do it with those stupid masks¡­!¡± Seth answered, ¡°Why¡¯d he have to make them so freakish!?  What point does it serve!?¡±

    ¡°Calm down, take a breath.¡± Furion advised; he stood in the hall just outside the Aegis¡¯ briefing room, ¡°Isn¡¯t Ren up there still?  She didn¡¯t have to come to the mission review.  Maybe you can blow off some of that anxiety with her.¡±

    Seth lifted his head, but as he looked around, it became painfully clear the room was devoid of life beyond his own, ¡°No, Miss Ren isn¡¯t here¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, call her.  I¡¯m stuck here for a while longer.  Half of us are in some kind of trouble over what happened.¡±

    ¡°¡­Trouble?  Why trouble?¡±

    ¡°Because we lost.¡± He answered, rather matter-of-factly, ¡°Ren single-handedly took down two targets that two-thirds of the team fell against.  We have a lot of things to go over.  ¡­I have to get back in there.  I¡¯ll call you later.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­bye¡­¡±

    .

    Ren was two floors down and several compartments away, struggling with a ¡®should I¡¯ or ¡®shouldn¡¯t I¡¯ conundrum.  A handful of officers went by her, curiously looking at her odd behavior, but then one of them made-up Ren¡¯s mind for her, and waved her hand in front of the door-knocker pad on the frame leading into Gabriel¡¯s room.  The gasp Ren gusped was enough to spook her, and she quickly trotted over to the door before the man inside dismissed it as a ding-dong-ditch prank.  The officer who¡¯d triggered it just laughed and waved ¡®you¡¯re welcome.¡¯

    And the door opened¡­a little bit.

    ¡°Oh!  Hi.  Hey.¡± Ren stammered, looking at that tired face.

    Gabriel blinked¡­one eye at a time, ¡°¡­Hi.¡±

    Ren deadpanned at him, ¡°You look like butt.¡±

    ¡°I feel it.¡±

    ¡°This a bad time?¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    ¡°Can I come in anyway?¡±

    He stared quizzically for a moment, but then pulled away from the sliver of the gap, and let it open the rest of the way, ¡°¡­Yeah, sure.¡±

    Blue coat-tails swayed as the reinstated Fafnir stepped through, ¡°I heard you¡¯d been stuck in one of the lower-deck rooms before.¡± She started, trying to break the ice, ¡°You must be relieved to get out of there.  Going from penthouse to hostel must¡¯ve been a culture-shock.¡±

    ¡°Rylen has a strange sense of humor.¡± He explained, the edges of a large quilt-like blanket hanging off of him, ¡°He¡¯s¡­kind of vindictive, though Xanarken tries to dress it up as being simple pettiness.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± She answered, and watched the exhausted mediator shuffle by, one corner of the blanket dragging on the floor behind him.  He went back to the nest he¡¯d made on the corner-couch, and Ren looked around the room, ¡°¡­How are you holding up, after yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Trouble sleeping.¡± He answered, and gracelessly melted back into his spot.  The television was on ¨C and paused ¨C on some show or another, ¡°¡­Nightmares.¡±

    ¡°When you dropped, it was like you¡¯d been shot in the head by some sniper.¡± She said as she came around, ¡°Annashi said your eyes didn¡¯t stop the glowy Limitless thing until roughly the moment the Magi went down.¡±

    ¡°¡­Who?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­one of the¡­other Fafnir.  The one who flew the get-away ship.¡±

    ¡°Oh.  ¡­Right.¡±

    An awkward silence filled the room after that.  Ren wasn¡¯t sure how to get to what she¡¯d meant to discuss.  Gabriel looked so tired, he probably wouldn¡¯t remember having that conversation even if she did start it.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry I fucked up your show.¡± He said in spite of her, face buried in his hands, ¡°To be totally honest¡­I¡¯ve been trying to figure out if there was anything I could¡¯ve done to fix it, but¡­I just keep coming back to how I just¡­shouldn¡¯t have been there in the first place.  The whole point of the mission was to either get Aamin out or make sure he didn¡¯t.  I could¡¯ve just asked you to do me a solid and roast the Magistrate extra-crispy¡­go hog-wild¡­and hoped the little shit got caught-up in the conflagration.  But¡­stupid me¡­  I massively underestimated how strong you were, and thought the better idea was to impose myself, as if I was actually helping keep an eye out for you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Gabe¡­¡± Ren said quietly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve long-prided myself on being successful because I knew stuff.¡± He continued, pinching the tips of his thumbs on either side of the curve of his nose, right between his eyes, index fingers pressed to his brow, ¡°But¡­the Fafnir were always my blind-spot.  I actively avoided knowing anything about them.  I never thought I¡¯d need to know anything, after all.  But that refusal to just¡­grow up, and get over myself, led to a perfect storm of problems.¡±

    ¡°¡­Can I just¡­stop you there¡­¡± She interrupted, and came up behind him, hands on the back of the couch, ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you; these last two weeks, I¡¯ve¡­had a hard time not blaming you for how that mission turned out.  I took off to clear my head, and when I got back, and saw you outside the briefing room¡­I suddenly realized how wrong it was to drop the whole thing on you like I had no role to play.  I held back¡­for a bunch of reasons¡­most of them selfish.  ¡­And, maybe I didn¡¯t think of it that way in the moment¡­or for a while after¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Mhm¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­And I kind of still don¡¯t¡­¡±

    He turned to gawp at her over a shoulder, squinted eyes blinking slowly, ¡°¡­Mhm?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, no, it was totally your fault.¡± She sighed, and crouched down so only her fingers and the top of her head were visible past the couch cushions, ¡°Sorry, Gabe.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine.¡± He turned forward again, and rubbed his face with one palm, trying to wake himself up a bit, ¡°I¡¯ve been nothing but a bump in the road for you this whole time.  There¡¯s no place for a mediator in the Fafnir club.¡±

    Ren rocked forward and planted her knees at the base of the couch, rising up a little to see over the back of it, ¡°You¡¯ve¡­unfortunately been thrown head-first into a world that doesn¡¯t value negotiations.¡± She agreed ¨C or admitted, she wasn¡¯t sure which, ¡°We don¡¯t ask questions around here.  We just¡­make problems go away with brute force.¡±

    ¡°¡­I know.  I¡¯ve¡­dipped my toes in that method lately myself.¡±

    Ren¡¯s brows lifted skeptically, ¡°Taking the Prince hostage for a minute with the threat of glowing eyeball-lights isn¡¯t exactly a brute force thing¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean him.  I¡­meant the Captain.¡±

    ¡°¡­What.¡±

    Gabriel slipped his right arm out from under the thin blanket, and flexed his fingers a bit; his knuckles were a subtle brownish color compared to his usual pale affect, ¡°These past two weeks haven¡¯t been my best, and I guess I let it get to my head when I saw the room I¡¯d been assigned.  I¡­blamed him for it, like he¡¯d done it to me as punishment for the mission failure.¡±

    With a head-shake, Ren pushed herself up to stand, and heaved herself over the couch to join the man on the cushions.  She slouched back and crossed her arms, ¡°I could¡¯ve told you he¡¯d never do something like that, no matter how upset he was about it.  ¡­You¡¯re the one that put the shiner on his jaw, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    He huffed a laugh at his own expense, ¡°He barely budged.  I didn¡¯t even realize I¡¯d swung at him till I thought I¡¯d broken my whole hand for it.  I just¡­stopped thinking.¡±

    ¡°You threw-hands with the Captain of the Fafnir Knights, and walked away.¡± She tilted her head towards him, and leaned slightly in his direction, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should be offended or proud.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be proud of that.  It was a really bad moment.¡± Gabriel shook his head, ¡°What¡¯s worse is that my affliction got away from me in the heat of the moment.¡±

    That made Ren¡¯s whole demeanor change, ¡°¡­Your eyes lit-up in the middle of that tussle?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Gabriel Lugios, you are the luckiest man alive.¡±

    ¡°How do you figure that?  It seems to me like I¡¯m nothing but bad luck.¡±

    ¡°To any other Fafnir, seeing those eyes in a conflict-situation is a green-light to terminate the opponent.  We¡¯re trained from day one to not mess around with that stuff.  We can never be sure what form that power will take, and we never assume to know the fullest extent of it even if we¡¯ve seen it before.  You¡¯re lucky because you did it in front of Furion.  He¡¯s probably the only one who could¡¯ve ignored the instinct¡­especially given you were actively trying to fight him at the time.¡±

    Gabriel wasn¡¯t sure if he was hurt or confused, and he looked at her skeptically, ¡°You¡¯re saying that if it was you, you would¡¯ve put me down?¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay, maybe me and Furion.¡± She amended, ¡°¡­But I know you; that gives me an unfair advantage.¡±

    ¡°Do you, though?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve kept you at arm¡¯s length this whole time.  Did everything I could to make your experience miserable.  I-¡°

    Ren held a finger up to her lips, and he went quiet, ¡°¡­And yet, here I am, trying to reach you.¡±

    He made a face, ¡°You¡¯re back in your blues and have the home-field advantage.  You¡¯re¡­like a whole different person from who you came to me as.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not untrue¡­  I am more comfortable here on the Aegis, especially since clearing the air with Furion¡­  But I don¡¯t intend to just move on from you because I¡¯m home again.¡± She explained, and twisted in her seat, resting her right elbow on the top of the nearest cushion, and curled that arm back to press her knuckles to one cheek, ¡°You¡¯re not the same person I met back then, either.  Who would you be if we went our separate ways now?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t even know anymore.¡±

    Ren lifted her left arm, carefully extending her hand, and made a slow sweeping gesture over herself; her long blue jacket reforged itself into its shorter red variant, ¡°Once the Aegis gets back to Trazad, we can go back to doing stuff that¡¯s more your speed.  Just two mediators, going around solving problems the nice way.¡± She laughed quietly, and leaned into her shoulder.

    That look ¨C the casual aloofness of it, the way her hair cascaded over arm and pillow, that relaxed posture ¨C Gabriel felt his heart skip a few beats.  It was a weird feeling, and for a moment, he actually thought he was in pain, and he turned with a hand on his chest, ¡°¡­Oof¡­got a palpitation or two there¡­¡± He said as he cleared his throat.

    ¡°You¡¯ve worn yourself out so severely, you¡¯ll make yourself sick,¡± Ren commented, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to get a few hours in?  I¡¯ll stick around, and keep the nightmares away.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that...¡±

    ¡°You know I¡¯m good for it.  Just put your show back on and let your worries go.¡±

    Those two-colored eyes stared at her ¨C confused, perplexed, baffled ¨C and he tilted his head slightly, ¡°¡­I¡­don¡¯t know what to do with this information.¡±

    She snorted a laugh, ¡°If you don¡¯t lay down and close your eyes willingly, I will sit on you.¡± She teased, and reached towards the coffee-table with her recovering arm; it didn¡¯t take much to simply tap a limp finger against a touch-screen button.  The volume of the broadcast returned, and Ren flopped back into her spot, ¡°Oh, I know this series.  You¡¯re way behind if this is the furthest you¡¯ve gotten.¡±

    ¡°¡­Y-yeah¡­¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 34 â€“ The Mentee Becomes The Mentor

    The waters off the coast of Oceanside were choppy and rough as the Duchy¡¯s flagship traveled above.  A large storm had come through from further west, and it was all rather nerve-wracking for the mild-hearted Duke Mardu.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dearest,¡± Far¡¯nah tried to reassure, looking out the windows by her own seat, ¡°Where we¡¯re going isn¡¯t floating on the water.¡±

    ¡°Where are we going?  And why in such dismal conditions?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to show you something for some time, but was never really sure when or how to do it.¡± She explained vaguely, ¡°But I feel that the time has come to show you why I¡¯m so confident about our prospects against the Council.  To allay your worries that things are getting tense.¡±

    ¡°And that something is out in the middle of the open ocean?¡±

    ¡°Only 23 miles out.¡± She corrected, ¡°We should be able to see it soon.¡±

    What came into view shortly after, even through the whipping winds and rain, was a standing platform the size of a city block, and had buildings atop as well.  It stood like a small castle, with a wide courtyard for the flagship to land on.  An entourage went out to meet them, bringing with them a mobile shelter, and sallied it up directly against the ship¡¯s rear doors.

    ¡°Welcome, your Grace.¡± A woman at the head of the procession said, and gave a bow with an arm across her chest, ¡°If you like, we can go right away.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s.¡± She nodded, and she ¨C as well as Mardu, and a meager number of Magistrates who¡¯d come with them ¨C stepped out onto the platform.  FlexiGlas walls prevented the gales from coming at them, but the open front let in a thin mist.  With everyone accounted for, they each took a hand-hold into their grips, and held on as the lightly-hovering gondola-like stage began to move forward.  Its three segments slithered forward like a toy-snake, and stopped only when it was centered over an area marked-off by yellow warning-paint.  All around that circular perimeter, warning lights flashed, and it began to descend.  Concrete and steel surrounds changed as the massive elevator-shaft lowered, switching to thick, transparent paneling.  Writhing waters hammered against it as they descended past the surface, and the rush quieted to a low, droning purr, vanishing altogether as the chute entered the black abyss.

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t even begin to wonder what you¡¯re keeping down here.¡± Mardu said warily, nervously watching fish come up from below, and vanish above them, as they continued that long trek down.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see shortly.¡± Far¡¯nah beamed.  She glanced back at the gathered, ¡°You¡¯ll want to be facing this way, though.¡±  Eyes looked to her skeptically, and the FlexiGlas walls receded.  She turned her gaze upward, ¡°Cut the lights.  It¡¯ll be easier to see that way.¡±

    The chute¡¯s illumination shut off as well, and submerged them into near-total darkness.  What they could see ¨C coming up from the depths, some ways out ¨C initially looked like a cliff-side.  A fault-line, perhaps, that had risen to prominence on the sandy ocean floor.  But as it came closer, it started to look¡­smoother than rock.  Spotlights shone on it, and the behemoth sight came better into view as the elevator lowered down past the rim.

    Mardu was the first to realize what it was, ¡°¡­That¡¯s¡­a colony ship.¡±

    ¡°That is the SSCF Tuonela.¡± Far¡¯nah clarified, and turned around to present it to the group; besides Mardu, there were four Magistrates, all diehard supporters and eager to see the project ¨C Tallus was not among them, ¡°And we have been painstakingly refurbishing it for the last 17 years.¡±

    ¡°¡­If it¡¯s been here this whole time, that must have been a massive undertaking.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t quite as bad as you think, dear.¡± She lifted her arms up proudly, ¡°This ship was designed to traverse the endless vacuum of space.  Crashing into the water was the worst it endured.  After all those years¡­it¡¯s perfectly serviceable.¡±

    ¡°But all the way down here?  At the bottom of the ocean?  How did you even¡­?¡± Mardu was mystified, staring up at the face of the ship; even with the spotlights, it was all they could see at that depth, ¡°What about the passengers and cargo?  The crew?¡±

    ¡°¡­They¡¯re all still here.¡± She answered, almost too easily, ¡°Unmoved, untouched.¡±

    Mardu looked on skeptically, ¡°¡­Why?  How?¡±

    ¡°Just come aboard.  You¡¯ll find out everything.¡± She held her hand out towards him, ¡°You won¡¯t be disappointed.  Come¡­and see for yourself why you have nothing to fear.¡±

    The elevator finally came to a stop, and a new tunnel opened before them, heading forward across the sandy bottom, and straight up to the ship.

    .

    With a few hours having passed, and one particular teenager being left dejected by the realization that literally everyone he knew was busy, Ren glanced over at the sleeping figure of her mentor.  Arms were wrapped around one of the couch-cushions, face buried into the underside of it, blanket overtop; it was the first real sleep he¡¯d had in several weeks.  Not wanting to bother him, but also desperately needing a drink, she carefully lifted herself up from the couch, wary not to make too much of a jostle in so doing.

    There wasn¡¯t too much of a difference between her own room and a lower officer¡¯s quarters ¨C at least in the kitchen area ¨C but since it was a borrowed space, there wasn¡¯t much in it beyond the barebones staples.  She tapped her chin with a finger as she beheld a fridge that only had water-bottles in it, ¡°¡­I could request service¡­  Not much point stocking-up if we¡¯re going to land back in Trazad soon.¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you looking for?¡± Gabriel¡¯s voice abruptly asked.

    Ren lifted her head, and shut the fridge, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake.  Was I that loud just now?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± He answered, head popped-up from where he¡¯d wedged it under the pillow, looking around blearily before he finally pushed himself up onto an elbow and rubbed his eyes, ¡°I think I was ready anyway¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re probably famished.  There¡¯s nothing in this place.¡± She commented, and came back around to the main room, ¡°I was just about to order something in when you spoke-up.¡±

    Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose, and shook his head, ¡°I think I¡¯d rather take a walk¡­¡±

    With nowhere in particular to go, but a massive headache to manage, Ren dragged her hapless mentor towards the mess hall; coffee was on order.  She offered the second cup to him, since he kept his distance from the public concourse, and looked on at him skeptically, ¡°¡­You sure you slept?  The bags under your eyes could carry water.¡±

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m in limbo.¡± He answered, and blew through the small hole in the lid before taking a sip, ¡°How do you describe getting the wind knocked out of you, but it¡¯s¡­not just physically disorienting.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re no the only one who took a hit back there, Gabe.  Maybe you should talk to the Myrmidon who were with you?¡± Ren suggested, ¡°They went down and woke up at the same time as you.¡±

    ¡°Pass¡­¡± He grumbled, and turned to start walking without aim.

    Ren made a face at him, but moved to catch up, holding her own cup with both hands, ¡°Why though?  You shared the same experience.  Maybe you can make sense of it if you get another perspective.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not looking for perspective.¡± Gabriel answered, ¡°I don¡¯t think they have it anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s grim.¡± She shook her head, ¡°Well, if you have no particular destination in mind at the moment, then maybe we can go keep Seth company.  He¡¯s been camped outside the briefing room for hours.¡±

    ¡°Why there?¡±

    ¡°Members of the team who fought and fell to the Magi are in a forward-briefing to review what went wrong, and figure out what could have been done better.¡± She answered, and stepped up beside the man with a few fingers gently on one arm, ¡°Which basically means that everyone except Annashi and I is in there.¡±

    ¡°I know why Annashi wouldn¡¯t be, but¡­why not you?  And what do you mean, fell to the Magi?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who finished the fight.¡± She answered, and nudged her head towards the elevators as she started to step forward, ¡°After you dropped, the warp core opened, and we found the three Warp Magi that we expected to find.  One was long-dead, practically mummified¡­the other two were fused together, with the same kind of screwy biological carapace-like armor that Ianori was developing on our way out of Kitez.  We have every reason to believe it¡¯s for the same reason; a rift opened in that engine, and it corrupted two of the bodies inside.  We just¡­have no idea how long ago it happened.¡±

    The elevator opened, and the pair stepped in, with Ren clicking the button for a higher deck.

    ¡°The difference between what it did to Ianori in the span of time between getting spat out of the rift, and the Magistrate catching-up to us¡­and what I later saw of what he did inside the Magistrate¡¯s ship¡­¡± She continued, ¡°Ianori couldn¡¯t do what those Magi did.  The extent of the transformation¡­the abilities it had¡­the things I saw squirming beneath the surface of its skin¡­¡± She shuddered slightly, ¡°Maybe that¡¯s just the difference between two hours and two weeks.  Or the better part of four centuries.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°I see¡­  Xanarken was a bit more sparing with those details.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯d he tell you?¡±

    ¡°When I was out, I felt a presence.  Xanarken said that presence came out of the core¡­said my name¡­spoke aloud as if talking to someone who wasn¡¯t there.¡± He explained, and the elevator opened again on a new floor, ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any sense talking to the Myrmidon.  It didn¡¯t want them.  Whoever it was talking to¡­they wanted me.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any idea why?¡±

    ¡°Not in the least.¡± He said, and spotted their wayward third not much further ahead.

    ¡°And there¡¯s no chance that the presence you felt said anything to you, like it did to us?¡±

    Seth perked up when he spotted the red out the corner of his eye, and quickly came running their way, ¡°Miss Ren!  Mr. Gabriel!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re still not out?¡± Ren was surprised, and let the teen use her as a stopping-block as he collided with her in a hug, ¡°It¡¯s been half a day already.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what the hold-up is¡­  I guess it was serious¡­¡±

    ¡°I mean, it was, but¡­¡± She answered, then pet the teen¡¯s arm and pulled back, ¡°Hang on, I¡¯ll sneak in and figure out what¡¯s going on.¡± She suggested, and tip-toed up to the door.  After a moment of consideration, she looked back at the mediator and pointed to her right, ¡°You should be over here, and just wait.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    She was already through the door before an answer could come, and Gabriel shook his head, and stepped over to where she¡¯d pointed.

    Seth inched closer with every minute that nothing happened, until he was practically up against the door all over again.  Just as he was about to put his ear to the panel, it abruptly slid aside, and the Fafnir who¡¯d been trapped within came flying out with a rather particular haste.  The lights hadn¡¯t even come on yet when half of them had already scattered to the wind, fleeing lest they be called back on second thought.

    Gabriel stepped closer to help lift the teen back upright, ¡°Stand your ground, kid.  When you¡¯re a full Knight, cowering won¡¯t be an option.¡±

    ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t cowering¡­¡± The teen puffed, ¡°¡­Okay maybe a little bit.¡±

    Within, Ren looked rather proud of herself, and Furion ¨C exhausted as he was ¨C was slouched over a podium at the front of the room.  She tilted her head at Seth¡¯s entrance, ¡°Seems they needed saving a second time.¡± She mused, carefully noting that Gabriel was nowhere in sight.

    ¡°I thought it would never end¡­¡± Furion mumbled into his crossed arms, savoring the feeling of the woman¡¯s hands petting through his hair.  He looked up after a moment, spying her there ahead of him, ¡°After all that, we still couldn¡¯t figure out what anyone could¡¯ve done¡­differently¡­?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ren smiled innocently, and crossed her own arms across the front of the podium, putting her nearly nose-to-nose with the Captain, ¡°You got quiet all of a sudden.¡±

    Those teal eyes looked aside to the colors going over her shoulders, then back again, ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you were in red in the dark.¡±

    ¡°I am dual-committed.¡± She reminded, ¡°For a little while longer, anyway.  Now, I believe your brother has been rather patiently waiting for you.¡±

    Seth¡¯s eyes lit up with desperation, and he clasped his hands together in front of his chin, ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging.¡±

    Furion sighed and pushed himself up, stretching his arms forward to shake the stiffness out, ¡°Alright, alright¡­  That meeting with Lord Rylen must¡¯ve really unsettled you if you¡¯re willing to wait that whole time.¡± He stepped out from behind that lonely lectern and reached his right hand behind his partner¡¯s waist to pull her close, and leaned in to set a kiss to the side of her neck, ¡°You coming?¡±

    ¡°Not yet.  I¡¯m working on something.  I just came to save the two of you from yourselves.¡± She answered as she slid her half-empty coffee cup into the Captain¡¯s hands, and gestured towards the door as she started to walk towards it.  Once she was out though, she made a wide turn to the right, and shooed the two Rydells towards the elevators after the rest of the Fafnir, ¡°I¡¯ll catch up later tonight.  You two have fun.  It¡¯s been a long day.¡±

    Furion barely had time to watch her go as she stalled in one spot to wave them off, and Seth demanded his attention right away.  It was only when they were finally at the elevator bay that he was able to look back down the hall and spotted Ren walking the opposite direction with a different man.  Furion sucked in a breath and shook his head, ¡°¡­Sneaky.  What are you up to, Ren?¡±

    She glanced back over her shoulder just as Seth shoved his older brother through the doors.

    ¡°So, all that was just to give Seth someone to talk to?¡± Gabriel wondered, ¡°Had me worried there for a minute.¡±

    Ren nodded, ¡°They¡¯re very close.  Seth was brought into the world in an awkward time where both Furion and their father were Fafnir together, before Furion became Captain himself.  As a result, Seth spent a lot of time on the Aegis between deployments.  To say that he¡¯s like the little brother to everyone on the team would be an understatement¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that how you met him?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± She looked over and smiled, hands loosely held behind her back, ¡°I think he was like¡­10 at the time.  I was still pretty new here at the time, and I actually thought he was Furion¡¯s kid at first, but¡­not so.¡±

    ¡°Is that relief I hear in your voice?¡±

    Ren scoffed teasingly, and put a hand against her chest, ¡°I¡¯m clutching my pearls.¡±

    ¡°Nice dodge.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve picked up a thing or two in my time.¡± She mused, ¡°So when are you going to tell me about yourself?¡±

    ¡°You basically already know the highlights.¡± Gabriel shrugged, ¡°What more is there to say?¡±

    ¡°You think so poorly of yourself.¡± Ren sighed, and nudged the man with an elbow, ¡°It¡¯s no wonder you think everyone else does, too.¡±

    ¡°Am I wrong about that?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a saying about how you should put out into the universe the energy you want to receive from it.  Somewhere along the path you¡¯ve led, someone made you think you were less than, and it seems to me like Lord Xanarken has tried to prop you up, either to prove you wrong or to give you the chance to prove them wrong.¡±  She paused and glanced at him, and rounded a corner towards a different elevator bay.  She clicked the down button and waited, shoulder against the wall, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Gabriel wasn¡¯t sure how to respond, and his brow crinkled in confusion, ¡°¡­You really think that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve only been around you for a little while, but I¡¯ve seen the mask you put on when you face the world, and I¡¯ve seen what you look like when you take it off.  I won¡¯t lie; the masked version of you is a bit of a stiff.  But the real you?  The one that joked about buying the warp core a drink if you had to get any closer?  The one that helped me get out of the bottom of my shower?  That guy¡¯s decent.  I want to see more of him.¡±

    The elevator doors opened, and Ren tilted her head towards it as she stepped inside.  Gabriel followed after her, the words echoing in his head, ¡°It was Captain Gallifey.¡±

    That got her eyes to widen, ¡°¡­How so?¡±

    Seems like half a lifetime ago now; I hardly remember what things were like before that.¡± He started, looking up as he thought on it, ¡°I had just been out of boot for a few months.  Xanarken had set me up with a mediator mentor to get me started, like how you are with me now.  After nearly a decade with the Council, I was starting to feel like I¡¯d found my way, and then he ¨C Captain Gallifey, I mean ¨C tore me down.  There was this big incident with an afflicted girl; she¡¯d probably been¡­a year or two out from the onset, and had a rally poor grasp of how to control it.¡±

    The chamber opened again, and Ren led the way out, listening carefully.

    ¡°Everything she touched would crack and shatter, as if she was the very definition of cold.¡± He continued, not even sure where they were going, ¡°The Inquisitors had gotten her, and had brought her aboard the Bulwark.  They were having a hard time getting the SD Helmet on her, because every time she flailed and smacked it, the thing would just disintegrate.  It happened that my mentor and I were aboard for something else, and we caught wind of what was going on¡­  I saw the fear on that girl like a jacket.  No one was listening to her.  She was terrified and people were trying to submerge her into soundless darkness.  ¡­So I tried to help.  I lit all my shit up and tried to show her how to calm it down.  It was chaos¡­  People were yelling, she could hardly focus, I was yelling, trying to get her attention¡­and then Gallifey came in, firing on all cylinders.  He was such a flighty fucking tool¡­¡± Gabriel clenched his fists at the anger for it all, ¡°He accused us all of screwing around, pulled a gun, and just¡­shot her.¡±

    ¡°¡­How¡¯s he still Captain in that case?¡± Ren wondered, looking back at him with both skepticism and worry.

    ¡°Because he only shot her in the shoulder.  I was the one who killed her.¡±

    Ren had her hand out towards a door-panel, but paused, ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°He scared the Hell out of me when he pulled the gun.  I lost focus on what I was trying to do and¡­she was right there.  I didn¡¯t even realize what I¡¯d done until the Inquisitors stuck the SD Helmet on me instead, and in those few seconds that it takes for it to form the seal, I heard Gallifey railing against me for what I¡¯d done.  He said it was proof of what I really was, and that Xanarken was an idiot for ever thinking I could be trusted.¡±

    ¡°I bet that went over well.¡±

    Gabriel lifted his head, about to answer, but found the words catch in his throat.  He hadn¡¯t even noticed the Aegis disappearing, nor the appearance of whatever this was; a huge, blank room, paneled in square tiles from floor to ceiling, and Ren there in the middle in with her Sixth Wing uniform on, ¡°¡­What is this¡­?  And why are you¡­?¡±

    ¡°In my blues again?¡± She finished, and held up her right hand to present the space, ¡°This is a specialized training room.  I needed my Sixth credentials to get into it.  In any case¡­your story just made it all the more clear that what I brought you here for was necessary.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡±

    Ren bobbed her head, ¡°You¡¯ve got a bit of a complex surrounding your affliction.  You won¡¯t let it out unless pressured to do so, and it still has the capacity to come out when you don¡¯t want it to.  You¡¯ve got enough control over it to turn it on, cut something up, and shut it off again¡­but that seems to be the extent of it.  Do you even know what you¡¯re fully capable of?¡±

    Gabriel stared at her incredulously, ¡°¡­Weren¡¯t you listening?  The moral of the story is that I shouldn¡¯t use my affliction.  At all.¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong.  And where Captain Gallifey made his biggest mistake.¡± She shook her head, ¡°You¡¯ve had 32 years of opportunity to master your Limitless technique and yet you¡¯ve squandered it.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t squander anything.  I was enthusiastically encouraged to not do anything with it.  Not just by Gallifey¡¯s assessment of me¡­but because Rylen doesn¡¯t want me using it, either.¡± He corrected, and crossed his arms defensively, ¡°I¡¯m the only person other than Caeros to have been born with this curse.  He¡¯s¡­probably right about not wanting me to get used to using it, lest I create a calamity like Caeros did.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to transport a fleet of mile-long colony ships across the unknown emptiness of space and time.¡± She pointed out, ¡°I¡¯m asking you to show me what you¡¯ve got.  Just here, in this room.¡±

    He stared awkwardly, eyes darting one way, then the other, then back at Ren, and Gabriel held his coffee-cup a bit higher, ¡°¡­I¡­don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve got.¡±

    ¡°So, we¡¯re on the same page then.  We both know you can cut through stuff.  In my experience fighting Limitless users, that¡¯s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.¡± She explained, and turned around to gesture at the back wall.  Three of the massive 6¡¯x6¡¯ tiles hovered out of place, and came to a stop around her, floating a few feet off the ground.  She turned back to her mentor, ¡°Tell me how it works.  How do you see what it does, and how do you decide when to activate it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Right now?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± She smiled innocently, ¡°Light all your shit up.¡±

    Those eyes stared in confusion and wonder, and he blinked hard like he wasn¡¯t sure he was interpreting the situation right.  With a reticent pause, he shook his head, and reached back for the tie around his ponytail.  He pulled the length of it over his right shoulder, but then hesitated, ¡°Why are you suddenly so interested in this?¡±

    ¡°Cuz you said it got away from you while in a playing at fisticuffs with my Captain.¡± She answered simply, ¡°Not sure if you¡¯ve gleaned it yet, but I¡¯m rather fond of the man.  And since I¡¯m fond of you too, I¡¯d really prefer that neither of you ever end up in a situation where you end up using your gifts against each other in a potentially fatal way.  So¡­let¡¯s go, Gabriel Lugios.¡±

    Another palpitation, and he had to suck in a reassuring breath just to set his mind right.  He finally pulled the hair-tie away though, and stuffed it into the cuff of his long fingerless glove.  With a hard swallow, he closed his eyes¡­and lit it all up.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 35 â€“ Drink Deep Of The Truth Of The World, And Behold Its Wonders

    Seth could hardly breathe for how much he¡¯d eaten, and fell back into the cushions of his brother¡¯s substantive couch. Once he was certain said brother seemed enough at ease, he threw his arms forward to hoist himself back upright again, and stared at the man, both hands perched on his knees, ¡°What in the world took all damn day!?¡± He protested loudly, ¡°I thought it would be maybe two hours. You were in there for seven!¡±

    Furion stopped mid-dressing, one eye staring through the neck-hole of a pared-down regular T-shirt. He blinked, but then pulled the rest of it down over himself and gave a shrug, ¡°The crew is worried. We took the extra time. By the end of it, they were all frustrated that they couldn¡¯t do anything, and that Ren had to save literally everyone all on her own.¡±

    That made the teen eat his words a little, but since he was already full of food, there wasn¡¯t much room left, and the sentiment just came spilling back out again, ¡°I don¡¯t even know what happened. You sent me away like a gnat.¡±

    ¡°A gnat shaped like a cadet who is also shaped like my little brother. Yes, I sent you away, and I¡¯d do it again.¡± Furion countered, and sat across from his younger counterpart as he snagged one of the cherry tomato-halves left on Seth¡¯s plate, ¡°The way it turned out, I shouldn¡¯t have even let you come in the first place.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like anyone could¡¯ve known it would be that way.¡±

    ¡°Lord Rylen probably had an inclination towards knowing.¡± Furion countered, and popped the tomato slice into his mouth, ¡°I guess hindsight is 20/20 though. Looking back on your misadventure into Kitez, and the fact that the Sterling Rose lit-up at the same time your void rift had, I should¡¯ve been the first person to say you couldn¡¯t come.¡±

    ¡°Aw¡­¡±

    ¡°And considering they had Lugios standing around waiting for something to go wrong¡­¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gabriel didn¡¯t want to be there either.¡± Seth argued, and crossed his arms, ¡°Something something not his job something.¡±

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s not wrong¡­¡±

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like him. Why are you suddenly sympathizing?¡±

    Furion leaned way back into the cushy-chair he¡¯d sat in, elbows up on the huge arm-rests, fingers laced together above his lap, ¡°¡­I¡¯m ambivalent towards him. I think I just disliked what he represented before, while Ren was gone.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Because she got assigned to him.¡±

    The Captain nodded lightly.

    ¡°You know, it still peeves me that neither of you two ever told me you were a thing. I was there the entire time! And not one word! Not a peep!¡± Seth threw his arms up into the air in frustration, only then to follow after them and rise to stand, pacing around the large apartment, ¡°Do you know how weird it is to suddenly be exposed to you guys being all super-affectionate?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been around us for the entire time we¡¯ve been together. How did you not notice?¡± The elder parried, the back of his head pivoting on the cushion as he watched Seth prowl around behind him, ¡°You were there the first time I brought her back home.¡±

    ¡°¡­I was twelve when you did that. I didn¡¯t think anything of it.¡±

    ¡°Well, there you have it. The blind eyes of a child simply weren¡¯t open to the possibilities. In any case¡­if you want the formal announcement, then yes, Ren and I are dating. And before you ask ¨C because I know you¡¯re going to - yes, mom and pops bother me about whether I¡¯ve proposed every time I visit.¡±

    ¡°¡­Have you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. One of us would be forced off the team if I did. She knows it as well as I do.¡± He explained, and lifted his arms out in exasperation, ¡°And I¡¯m not ready to give up being Captain yet. Pops was Captain for close to 20 years. I¡¯m only halfway through.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯ll make her wait another decade?¡±

    Furion gave his brother quite the look, ¡°You make it sound like it¡¯s the worst thing to just continue as we have been. Ren loves being a Fafnir, and so do I. She¡¯s not hurting for the fact that we haven¡¯t tied the knot. Besides¡­my whole grand design is to propose to her the same day I announce my retirement. It just¡­may take a minute.¡± He explained. He could feel the eyes of offended scorn on the back of his head, and as he lifted up to turn around in that oversized chair, and set an elbow on the back, he spotted his brother glaring at him, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The clock is tic-¡°

    ¡°By the Eidolon, Seth, she¡¯ll kill your herself if she hears those words come out of your mouth.¡± Furion fussed, ¡°She does not want to hear about it.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because she¡¯s a Wing Commander of the Fafnir Knights! Do you think she busted her ass to get here because she wanted to find a man and drop out?¡± He explained, somewhat loudly, but then just laughed and sank into his seat again as he watched the expression on Seth¡¯s face shift, ¡°Just let her enjoy herself. She¡¯s far too good at what she does to be bogged down by the trappings of a marriage that even she isn¡¯t thinking about right now.¡±

    .

    ¡°Focus, damnit!¡± Ren commanded, standing back by the door as a nanotech amalgamation of a generic humanoid foe stood in the middle of the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying.¡± Gabriel grumbled, ¡°You¡¯re asking me to try to feel something that already isn¡¯t all that solid.¡±

    ¡°Well then try it on me.¡± She countered, and stepped by him to take the construct¡¯s place. She held her right hand out, ¡°Try and grab it.¡±

    With eyes glowing and hair floating, Gabriel just stared at her incredulously, ¡°You¡­are crazy. Why would you want me to try and use my ¡®cut through anything¡¯ affliction to hold your hand?¡±

    ¡°Cuz I don¡¯t think that¡¯s all it can do. Try it. You said that when you came to my defense against the Magistrate, you could feel the mech¡¯s arm before you severed it.¡± She explained, and waggled her hand up and down for emphasis, ¡°So, do everything short of cutting my hand off. See if you can¡¯t just feel it from where you are.¡±

    ¡°I think the theory you¡¯re working with would make more sense if you explained what you believe I¡¯m capable of.¡± Gabriel crossed his arms, ¡°Please, indulge me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still trying to parse it all, but¡­I think that you can connect two different physical locations together. Or distinguish them from one another. The fact that you don¡¯t have to be touching those locations yourself is a big part of that theory.¡± She answered, and started to pace back and forth, ¡°It¡¯s like that Tobias guy that messed with my head. He started out with the ability to just create basic illusions ¨C things he chose to make people see ¨C but in the end, after spending time in the Exclusion Zone, it evolved into a mirage that would show people things they imagined. For example¡­making me think my Captain was betraying my trust. That wasn¡¯t his idea.¡±

    ¡°¡­I thought it was seeing a room full of kids that got you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it certainly didn¡¯t help. But it wasn¡¯t the kids themselves that convinced me the little turd wasn¡¯t coming up with those ideas on his own. The fail-safe protocol that allows a Captain to commandeer someone¡¯s armor wasn¡¯t even well-known on the team at the time. Tobias couldn¡¯t have known it would happen, and yet, in combination, it was a horror of my own making; far worse than any individual piece of that situation taken individually, and well beyond Tobias¡¯ limited imagination.¡± She said, and extended her arm, ¡°Now¡­again; try to take hold of my hand. Just¡­focus. Don¡¯t worry that you¡¯ll get spooked and hurt me by mistake. Nothing and no one can come into this room while it¡¯s in use, without a warning to me first.¡±

    Gabriel sucked in a nervous breath, ¡°¡­I hope you¡¯re right.¡± He said grimly.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t trust yourself, then trust me. I¡¯ll tell you what I¡¯m feeling as you figure it out; something a training dummy can¡¯t do.¡±

    Luminous eyes looked carefully at that right hand where it was propped-out between them, and Gabriel flexed his fingers a little before reaching out for it from his distant spot. There were easily ten paces between them, and her hand was rather dainty, but he could see the faint image of the telltale purple glow starting to manifest around it, ¡°¡­Anything yet?¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Not yet. I can see the light though.¡± She answered, and turned her head around the sight of it, ¡°Oh¡­that¡¯s neat.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s neat?¡±

    ¡°How to describe it¡­¡± Ren squinted her eyes slightly, ¡°It¡¯s like¡­a shimmering void-space? Where your hand would be but isn¡¯t. Wiggle your fingers.¡±

    ¡°¡­This is undignified.¡± Gabriel muttered.

    ¡°Just wiggled your damn fingers!¡± She puffed.

    Gabriel rolled his eyes slightly¡­and wiggled his damn fingers. When Ren started giggling stupidly, he looked back at her, ¡°What was that noise you just made?¡±

    ¡°It tickled.¡± She answered, and turned her hand to try and fit it into place better, ¡°Try to clasp down.¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s probably a bad idea.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing fine. Just try.¡±

    ¡°No it¡¯s cuz-¡°

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s all this?¡±

    Gabriel immediately released his affliction, long hair tumbling all around him, ¡°¡­Private, is what it is.¡±

    ¡°Lord Xanarken, sir!¡± Ren immediately saluted.

    ¡°Why are you in a Fafnir training simulation?¡± The Eidolon looked around, even as his mantle finished forming, ¡°And why does it seem like you had your Limitless going?¡±

    The younger mediator pulled the hair-tie from his glove, and hastily tied his ponytail back again, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just¡­theory-crafting.¡±

    ¡°You know Rylen would prefer that you don¡¯t.¡±

    Gabriel just shrugged, ¡°Sometimes I don¡¯t care what Rylen thinks?¡± He answered dryly, ¡°What do you want, coming here outta the blue like this? Not even knocking first.¡±

    ¡°I knocked.¡±

    ¡°You gave me half a second¡¯s advanced notice.¡± He retorted, ¡°This is supposed to be a guarded area where people can¡¯t just waltz in.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not just any people, and I didn¡¯t just waltz in.¡± Xanarken pointed at himself, ¡°I¡¯m an Eidolon, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to define yourself.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean¡­uh, let me start that again.¡± The Fourth looked back behind himself to where Ren was still saluting, ¡°At ease, Dame. I need to borrow this one.¡±

    ¡°Just say whatever it is that you want to say.¡± Gabriel suggested, even if stiffly.

    ¡°If that¡¯s really what you want.¡± Xanarken turned to face forward again, ¡°You¡¯re getting a promotion.¡±

    ¡°¡­A what?¡± The two Knights said in tandem, and glanced at one another around the Eidolon in confusion. Gabriel stared quizzically at the man, ¡°There¡¯s no where further up for me to go.¡±

    ¡°There is if I say so.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you said when you made me a High Negotiator, and it went over like a lead balloon. No one takes it seriously.¡±

    ¡°Well, they will when you¡¯re Vice Eidolon.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°You sure you wanna do this in public?¡±

    His mind had already gone blank, and Gabriel looked at Ren again, then gestured his hands in a Time-Out motion, ¡°¡­Let¡­me roll this backward for a second. I told you before that I had something I wanted to say, but that could wait¡­now it seems it can¡¯t. I was already concerned about Ren being swiped right out of my hands by Rylen, now it seems like you¡¯re showing her the door yourself. What gives?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­is that what you were worried about?¡± Xanarken tilted his head slightly, ¡°Two weeks ago I would¡¯ve had a different answer for you. Today¡¯s a new day though.¡±

    ¡°What changed?¡±

    That confused the Fourth, and he twisted around towards the Fafnir behind him, ¡°Please come by Gabe so I can see the both of you.¡±

    She hopped out in front quickly, ¡°Sir!¡±

    ¡°Gabriel, tell me honestly¡­have you not gone over the mission review from the Sterling Rose?¡± Xanarken asked, a slight hint of frustration in his voice, ¡°I know you resented being a canary, but still.¡±

    ¡°How much more was there than what I¡¯ve been told?¡± Gabriel retorted, only to get a stumped look in return, ¡°¡­Okay, never mind¡­just assume I know nothing. What is it.¡±

    ¡°That creature in the warp core was able to hurt Rylen.¡±

    Both Knights looked surprised, but Ren glanced aside, remembering ¨C from Furion¡¯s POV footage - how the First¡¯s mantle had been obliterated by the Magi¡¯s strike, ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t realize¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, was able to hurt Rylen?¡± Gabriel followed-up, and took a step closer, ¡°How the Hell does anything touch an Eidolon? You¡¯re not even real.¡±

    ¡°Feedback through his mantle, it seems. His true self had a seizure. It set off an alert throughout the whole system. Etienne¡¯s probably going to chew him a new one when we get back. He¡¯s refusing to reconnect to the World Cloud until we¡¯re across the equator again because of it.¡± The Fourth explained, ¡°And I¡¯ve decided that, since we¡¯ve taken for granted the fact that the Eidolon have thus-far been untouchable¡­the fact that Rylen was extremely touched all of a sudden means we should probably have contingencies in place, in case something like that happens again, and/or happens worse. That¡¯s where you becoming Vice Eidolon of the Fourth comes in. As a back-up to me.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t think right now.¡± Gabriel rubbed his palms against his face, ¡°How is this going to do anything but piss off every Captain in the Council? They already treat my current rank like it¡¯s a bad joke.¡±

    ¡°I went about implementing it poorly. That¡¯s my fault. This time will be different.¡± The Fourth explained, and started walking a slow circle around the duo, ¡°I¡¯m going to call a Conclave of Captains and explain it to them in terms that can¡¯t be questioned. I¡¯m hoping to set an example for Rylen so he decides to find a successor of his own, since he¡¯s refusing so far.¡±

    ¡°¡­Can¡¯t blame him. Setting up a successor-type of rank suggests the Eidolon can be changed out. That¡¯s¡­unthinkable.¡± Gabriel agreed, ¡°¡­It¡¯s weird agreeing with him. Did you know that? I got a chill just now.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, kid. I¡¯m in no way suggesting you actually prepare to take my place ¨C that would be rather hard, all things considered. I just think the right path forward is to have a Plan B, just in case. In fact, it would mean that on a lot of issues, you wouldn¡¯t even need to ask for my blessing on any given decision you want to make.¡±

    ¡°Then I can just say Ren stays with me until she finishes the program, however long that takes.¡±

    Ren stared back and forth between the two.

    ¡°Except that. Ren is a Sixth Wing asset. Even as a Vice Eidolon, you can¡¯t override what one of the others does within their own departments. That¡¯s a gentlemen¡¯s agreement that we¡¯ve always had, and you¡¯ll be expected to honor it.¡± Xanarken countered, ¡°Besides, you wouldn¡¯t be acting in your capacity as a mediator anymore. Mediators have an upper-ranking officer to report to. You no longer would.¡±

    ¡°I hardly did to begin with.¡±

    ¡°As said, you still reported to me before.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think this is a good idea.¡±

    ¡°Your reluctance is noted, but it¡¯s already a done deal. Expect your uniform to change when we get to Trazad. A new look to remind people that you have an actually-superior rank.¡±

    ¡°Xanarken no please, I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t do this.¡± Gabriel protested, stepping closer, but his hand went straight through the mantle, its nanotech cloud dissolving around it like beads in water. He looked up at the Eidolon with an expression like he¡¯d been betrayed, ¡°¡­Please don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s already done. Telling you was just a courtesy.¡± The Fourth explained indifferently, ¡°Be ready to hit the ground running when we get back. Sargon is exclusively your responsibility now. I¡¯ll leave you to it, then; keep whatever you¡¯re doing here private. Rylen will give himself a coronary if he finds out.¡±

    Gabriel could only watch helplessly as the Eidolon¡¯s mantle vanished, collapsing like a column of dust in front of his eyes. He stared, numb, until his legs gave out from under him, and he lowered down slowly to his knees, ¡°¡­This can¡¯t be happening¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s take a break.¡± Ren suggested, her own heart racing from just witnessing the whole interaction. She approached and set a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I think we¡¯ve achieved a lot already.¡±

    ¡°¡­A break¡­?¡± Those eyes looked back up at her, tired all over again, ¡°¡­He just¡­ I feel like I was just sentenced.¡±

    ¡°How much worse could it be than what you already do? A change of uniform and an official announcement from Lord Xanarken would just smooth-out the rough edges of a fact that¡¯s already been true for a long time.¡± Ren attempted, and crouched down beside him, ¡°You¡¯re already regarded as his right hand¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but people still had the ability to dismiss it as an unserious label. Not to mention, the Eidolon System¡­¡± He answered, and shook his head, ¡°Does this mean I¡¯m gonna get stuck in it?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Stuck in what?¡±

    Gabriel drew in a breath, ¡°¡­Tell me what you honestly and truly believe the Eidolon are.¡±

    Ren tilted her head curiously, ¡°I¡­uh¡­ I don¡¯t think I ever really thought too deeply into it. I guess, in my mind¡¯s eye, they were like¡­brains floating in a liquid vat, half-fused with some kind of quantum-computer that blended them directly into the World Cloud, as if it was an extension of their very beings. That the Cloud rose-up directly from their psyches, and in essence, when we connect to it, we¡¯re connecting directly to them. Right up until the minute Lord Xanarken mentioned seizures¡­I never questioned it.¡±

    Gabriel shook his head ¡®no,¡¯ ¡°The Eidolon are the original leadership of the colony fleet that came here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s common knowledge though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¡­it¡¯s still them. They¡¯re still alive, just like they were back then¡­ They still have their real bodies, installed into stasis-pods in perpetuity.¡±

    ¡°Okay?¡±

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m not being articulate enough. Why is this not blowing your mind?¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just too used to how things are. What¡¯s the mind-blowing thing you¡¯re trying to explain? You said they kept their bodies in stasis-pods. Doesn¡¯t that explain all of it?¡±

    ¡°Stasis-pods are all-or-nothing. To keep a body from aging and decaying, they have to be put into cryo-sleep. Literally frozen solid and rendered essentially-dead until awoken later. But the Eidolon are active¡­the stasis-pods aren¡¯t being used to preserve them; it¡¯s just a vector for convenience, keeping them hooked-up to the World Cloud so they can manifest as nanotech-people anywhere they want to be. They¡¯re¡­literally immortal.¡± He tried to rephrase, ¡°The idea of putting in a successorship to that is completely ridiculous. He might as well be suggesting a fetus take-charge of something. I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m nothing compared to that legacy¡­ What has he done¡­¡±

    ¡°So, the Eidolon System isn¡¯t what¡¯s keeping them alive¡­? And what do you mean by ¡®hooked up to the World Cloud¡¯? I thought they were the foundation of the World Cloud?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ The Eidolon System is just a private network attached to it¡­no different from the local matrices used by those containment-pods; the only people who can access them are those who are given invitations to join. The whole thing is¡­built on the bedrock of the Seraphim Engine.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the reason why we call it the Luminary Council¡­and why there are Six Wings in it¡­¡± He said tepidly, fists clenched between his knees, fingers cold against the hard floor, ¡°The progenitor of the whole thing¡­ If it wasn¡¯t bad enough that Rylen¡¯s son was the one who brought us to - and stranded us on - Hadira, then just wait till you find out this next bit¡­ His wife was the one who got sacrificed to make this all work once we were here.¡±

    ¡°¡­His¡­wife?¡± She echoed, and slouched onto her own knees beside the man, ¡°The core of the World Cloud is a person¡­? A sacrificed person? As in¡­unwillingly?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it myself. I don¡¯t even know where it¡¯s located; the chamber, I mean, where the Eidolon keep their pods, and the Seraphim Engine. But Xanarken has described it to me¡­and it¡¯s¡­something¡­¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 36 â€“ â€œStart Where You Are. Use What You Have. Do What You Can.â€

    Xanarken rematerialized near to his brother, and waited a moment for acknowledgement before speaking.  Rylen, however, already knew what the man was going to say, and chose to ignore him for a little while.  Data from the bodies of the Warp Magi was already being compiled and sent to him, and the information displayed for him on a series of flat, hovering panels above his desk.

    ¡°¡­I know you know I¡¯m here, Rylen.¡± Xanarken grumbled, ¡°Every time I tell the system to take me to your location, you get an alert that I¡¯m coming.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing you¡¯d have to say if you¡¯re back already, and I know what it is, so¡­well done?  If there¡¯s nothing else.¡±

    The Fourth stepped closer to that long desk and reached a finger through the displays, nudging them aside to give him a clear view of the First, ¡°Having someone else around to back you up isn¡¯t the worst idea.¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else.¡± Rylen repeated, and stuck a finger onto two of the wayward panels in an attempt to slide them back to where they¡¯d just been, but Xanarken¡¯s hand stayed where it was, and the panels just deflected off of it like an air-hockey disc.  Rylen sighed impatiently, ¡°I¡¯m not interested!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not all.¡±

    ¡°Fine, what else?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m heading back north, and I¡¯m going to disconnect from the local Cloud.  There¡¯s nothing left for me to do here.  If you need the Fourth for anything, just ask Gabriel.¡±

    Those bright eyes stared at the Fourth¡¯s obstructive forearm for a moment longer, and Rylen attempted to nudge it away with a finger, but Xanarken refused.  In frustration, the First sat back roughly in his seat, ¡°If you¡¯re trying to make some point about treating Gabe like he¡¯s one of us, you¡¯re not going to succeed.  He¡¯s not, and I¡¯m not going to.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to go through him from now on if you want anything to do with Sargon.¡±

    ¡°Why are you doing this?  You¡¯re not even the one who took the hit, but you¡¯re acting like an alarmist anyway.¡± The First crossed his arms impatiently, ¡°You¡¯re overreacting.  It was a one-time thing, and it only spooked us because it¡¯s only happened the one time ever.¡±

    ¡°Because the Magi were talking to someone who wasn¡¯t there with us.  There¡¯s someone else out there¡­and Gabe and I both think it was the Kitezans, who still have Sir Ianori¡¯s body in their custody.  He¡¯s still out there.  And you haven¡¯t even asked for help in recovering him.¡± Xanarken explained, both hands set down onto the desk as he leaned in through the panels to loom over his cohort, ¡°I sent the Duchess scrambling like a kicked dog, and you just sat back.  We should¡¯ve pressed for Ianori¡¯s release right away.¡±

    ¡°And in return, they want what neither of us is willing to give them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what negotiations are for.¡± Xanarken argued, ¡°I thought the Fafnir meant more to you than this.  You¡¯ve done nothing but meddle with Dame Ren since she moved over¡­but you won¡¯t ask for my help to get Ianori back?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not that simple.¡± Rylen shook his head, ¡°The official position of the Sixth is that Sir Ianori Noardin is dead.  In the coming days, between docking and leaving with the Prince again, Captain Rydell is going to go notify next of kin.  After what we saw Ianori¡¯s body do on that Magistrate¡¯s ship, it¡¯s evidently clear that whatever he¡¯s become since going to Kitez, it¡¯s not friendly towards it¡­or us.  ¡­And, I know where he is.¡±

    Xanarken¡¯s eyes widened, and he pulled back from the desk.  The panels hovered back to their spots, but Rylen shut them off and stood up, ¡°This whole time?¡±

    The First shook his head, ¡°No.¡± He answered simply, and came around the front to face his brother, ¡°Only since the Connington Fragment debacle.¡±

    ¡°Where is he?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a facility on the northern outskirts of a city called Stoneface Bluffs.  Magistrate Regulus¡¯ home-base.  We traced him back there after he left.¡±

    Xanarken tilted his head slightly, ¡°You did?¡±

    ¡°You think I just let one of my people go into a fight and not track her?¡± Rylen puffed, ¡°Your may have faith in Gabriel, but he¡¯s no fighter, and I wanted to be sure that if things clearly went south, I could send the Captain to back her up.¡±

    ¡°Things did go south though, and the Captain never left Trazad.¡±

    ¡°Dame Ren never cut loose.  Things didn¡¯t go south the way they needed to for me to know to send help.¡±

    ¡°What were you expecting him to do in such a short period of time if you kept him so far away?  It took Gabriel three hours to get to the Fragment.¡±

    ¡°His skiff isn¡¯t capable of hypersonic flight.  The Fafnir are.  Captain Rydell could¡¯ve been there in four minutes.¡±

    Xanarken threw his arms up and turned around in frustration.

    ¡°This is why you¡¯re responsible for the talking and I¡¯m responsible for the destroying.¡± Rylen reminded, ¡°Next time don¡¯t send a mediator to do a warrior¡¯s work.¡±

    ¡°¡­That wasn¡¯t the point.  How do you know Ianori¡¯s being held at the Magistrate¡¯s facility?¡±

    ¡°The Magistrate keeps returning there.  We¡¯ve even seen the Duchy arrive and leave recently.  What reason could they possibly have to go there if not to marvel at the sight of a captured ¨C albeit dead ¨C Fafnir?  It would be the most opportune time to gloat and preen over their so-called victory.¡±

    Stern purple eyes stared in confusion, There¡¯s no way he knows Aamin is there.  There¡¯s just no way.  ¡­Could he be hiding it from me, waiting to see if I slip and reveal it so he can lord it over me?  Those eyes narrowed slightly for a moment, but the Fourth shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m hoping this is where you explain why you haven¡¯t done anything to bring Ianori home; dead or not, ¡®no man left behind¡¯ has always been very important.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re waiting to see what happens.¡± Rylen explained, ¡°When I found out the Magi were talking aloud, and heard their words, my first thought was Ianori as well.  But because of what they were saying, it became clearer than ever that Ianori is gone, and that thing had taken over completely.  Non-combatant Warp Magi ¨C dead ones, mind you! ¨C fought with the experience of a fully-trained Fafnir Knight.  I¡¯m not going to bring that thing home until I¡¯m certain it won¡¯t do to us what it did to the Kitezans.  I couldn¡¯t live with myself if I invited it into our custody and it wiped-out the entire contingent tasked with keeping it secured.  So, for now¡­let them keep his body.  I¡¯ll eventually find out everything they know anyway.¡±

    ¡°You sound so sure of that.¡±

    ¡°You taught me well when you impressed upon me the need to play the long-game.  I always get what I want in the end.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going home.  If you decide to keep moping around here until you get back, then I¡¯ll see you in a couple days.¡± Xanarken grumbled, and dissolved without another word.

    .

    Ren had swapped back to her reds after the complete buzzkill that was the earlier interaction with the Eidolon of the Fourth; not necessarily because she agreed with what had been said, but as a show of solidarity.  Gabriel looked like he¡¯d been kicked in the chest, staring ahead absentmindedly.  The story he¡¯d told after the fact, however, still sat poorly, ¡°¡­I know the Eidolon System didn¡¯t start with the intention of being used the way that it is, but¡­I still can¡¯t help but wonder how it came to be like this.¡±

    The spacious areas of the weather deck made it an easy place to loiter, and the views made for an easy distraction.  Gabriel looked from the late-afternoon skies above to the badlands-like desolation below, then turned to Ren, ¡°It was originally sustained by the warp core of the SSCF Agartha.  How it went from that to the Seraphim Engine is¡­something Xanarken has thus-far refused to explain to me.  I suppose there¡¯s probably no small amount of scandal and/or grief involved with it.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine¡­¡± She said quietly, but then stepped closer, looking around briefly to make sure anyone else nearby was far enough away to be out of earshot, ¡°¡­How come Lord Xanarken talks to you the way he does?  When I first got here ¨C with you, I mean ¨C he talked you like a kindly father-figure.  The longer things go on¡­the more it seems like he¡¯s as much your Eidolon as Lord Rylen is mine.  There¡¯s¡­no warmth there half the time.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°¡­The duality of Xanarken is something I¡¯ve had to learn to deal with.¡± He answered carefully, ¡°The way he can switch from being friendly to bossy is¡­something to behold.  I¡¯m not immune from the whiplash it creates.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of it though?  I could understand if you were anyone else, but¡­you¡¯re you.  Of all the people he shouldn¡¯t have to switch tones with¡­¡±

    Gabriel just shook his head, ¡°He does it when he knows I¡¯m going to refuse him.  Never forget that he¡¯s an Eidolon first¡­  Whatever personality quirks any of them have, they¡¯re both¡­ruthless, when it comes down to it.  One more reason I don¡¯t want to be where Xanarken is putting me.  I don¡¯t have it in me to be like that.  No one would accept it anyway¡­  The day I try to be anything more than aloof around people, they¡¯ll start to resent me.  ¡­More than normal.  Like, wretchedly resentful.¡±

    ¡°We need to talk to Furion.¡±

    ¡°WHAT.¡± He countered loudly; eyes went darting around as he panicked at having potentially been heard.  A few looks went his way, but Ren just waved happily and those faces went back to what they were doing before.  Gabriel smacked his forehead with one palm, ¡°You¡¯d be way better at this than I.¡±

    Ren just waved her hands in a downward motion, ¡°Just chill.  You¡¯re way too worked-up about it.¡±

    He sucked in a quick breath and started listing off excuses on his fingers, ¡°I treated you lousy for four months.¡±

    ¡°I never told him that.¡±

    ¡°I was literally chosen to be your mentor because everyone thought I¡¯d drive you away.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t manage that one.¡±

    ¡°I blamed the Captain for my room situation and then I punched him in the mouth for it.  Not only that, but he¡¯s the one who fixed it for me in the end!  I can¡¯t face him.  Not like this.  It was deviously clever of you to guide him out of that briefing room so that he wouldn¡¯t see me, but now you¡¯re asking me to jump into the dragon¡¯s own mouth.¡±

    Ren crossed her arms, ¡°So just say sorry and thank you and we can get on with the reason I think we should talk to him.¡±

    ¡°Why do we need to talk to him?  He¡¯s not even Fourth Wing.¡± The mediator asked frantically.

    ¡°But he is a Captain.  He¡¯s exactly the person who would know what you should do differently to get people to stop rolling their eyes when you turn your back.¡±

    Gabriel slouched where he stood, ¡°¡­I already knew they did that, but for some reason it really stings when you say it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m calling him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have a stroke.¡±

    ¡°And here we are.¡± She gestured at the doorway to the Captain¡¯s office on the top deck, ¡°You¡¯ve probably had worse meetings than this anyway.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being asked to do way too many things that I really don¡¯t want to do lately.¡±

    ¡°In.¡± Ren pointed through the now-open portal, ¡°It¡¯s for your own good.¡±

    ¡°My own good will make me jump off the back of this ship if you d-¡± He found himself being dragged inside since he wouldn¡¯t walk.  Ren only let him go once he was far enough away for the door to close, and by then, he was practically deposited into the middle of that unfortunately-familiar room.

    ¡°That.¡± Furion¡¯s voice spoke abruptly, ¡°That¡¯s the whole thing.  That right there.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes lifted to the visage of that intimidating figure, whom he was surprised to see wasn¡¯t decked in his full official regalia.  He¡­looked rather casual, leaning against the front of his desk with just the T-shirt and sweatpants he¡¯d changed into earlier, ¡°¡­What where¡­?¡±

    Ren approached her commander, ¡°You think you can fix it?¡±

    ¡°I can only offer insight.  What he does it with it is up to him.¡± He answered, those teal-green eyes leveling at the mediator, ¡°So?¡± He asked, but was only met with awkward silence.

    Ren sighed and went back again, ¡°Gabriel, I¡¯m begging you.  Listen to him.  You two got off on the wrong foot but that doesn¡¯t mean he isn¡¯t right.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know the question you posed to him.¡± He grumbled.

    She looked back over her shoulder, then forward again, ¡°I asked him what the consensus was between the ranking leadership on why they all view you with apparent disdain.  And, if he could make any recommendations for how to fix that.  You completely change your behavior around people you¡¯re supposed to mediate¡­think about why you can¡¯t do that with the Captains.  You can¡¯t even look this one in the eye and admit you made a mistake, and he¡¯s not the kind of person who¡¯s going to hold it against you!¡±

    Furion leaned slightly in Ren¡¯s direction and spoke quietly, ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s ready for this conversation.¡±

    ¡°Maybe not but he doesn¡¯t have much of a choice in the matter.¡± She explained, ¡°Lord Xanarken is raising him up into Council leadership.¡±

    ¡°¡­He¡¯s what?¡±

    ¡°Because of what happened with Lord Rylen.  He thinks he¡¯s a good idea to put in back-up Eidolon, and Gabe¡¯s the first one.  He wants Lord Rylen to find one, too.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s dire.¡± Furion uncrossed his arms and pushed off the edge of his desk, ¡°Not much for it, though.  If that¡¯s what he wants to do¡­¡± He looked directly at the mediator again, ¡°Do we have to start calling you Lord Gabriel then?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡± He answered hastily, hands flapping back and forth rapidly, ¡°I do not want this.¡±

    Both of the two Fafnir stared at him, unsure what more to do in the moment.

    Gabriel sagged helplessly, ¡°¡­Look, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± He finally said, ¡°For thinking wrongly that you were the reason I was assigned below-deck.  I wouldn¡¯t have thought twice about staying in that room if I didn¡¯t think it was payback for messing up Ren¡¯s mission.  And¡­then for hitting you after the fact¡­and for all the rest of it.¡±

    Ren breathed a sigh of relief, but didn¡¯t dare chime in.  Furion looked at her in surprise, but then shook his head with a shrug; he knew it wouldn¡¯t take long for her to figure it out.

    ¡°It was short-sighted of me and¡­not becoming of the mediator title I¡¯m supposed to represent.¡± Gabriel continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know why I got so tilted about it.¡±

    Furion was stunned by the whole thing, though he didn¡¯t show much of that surprise on his face.  He glanced over at Ren, who looked rather pleased with the whole thing.  With a long inhale, he nodded, ¡°Alright¡­well, I appreciate that.  So¡­where to begin then.¡±

    ¡°Is there any particular overarching theme that runs through the entire Captain population?¡± Ren wondered, ¡°If you had to pick one thing¡­¡±

    Furion nodded, ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± He looked to the mediator, ¡°Permission to speak candidly.¡±

    Gabriel just gestured to get on with it.

    ¡°That.¡±

    ¡°That?¡± He answered warily, ¡°What do you mean, that?¡±

    ¡°You treat conversations with officers as if it¡¯s personal.¡± The Captain explained, ¡°You show no deference to rank or status, seniority, or experience.  Maybe you get away with it with Lord Xanarken, but it¡¯s not a trait he should¡¯ve allowed you to develop with others.  You need to show decorum.¡±

    ¡°¡­Decorum¡­?¡±

    ¡°When Lord Xanarken raised you up to High Negotiator, there was no particular announcement about it.  We all just¡­found out that you out-ranked us somehow, even though there was no specific reason for the rank to exist or why it was necessary to create it when he did.¡± Furion continued, ¡°But, abide it we did, since the rules in the Fourth Wing aren¡¯t for Lord Rylen to question or challenge.  If I had to guess¡­it was to cushion the trouble you no-doubt caused by being so casual.¡±

    Ren knew those words were coming, but it still left her a bit stunned, ¡°¡­Brutal.¡± She said quietly, but then stepped closer to the so-called High Negotiator, ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t remember how much I fussed at you over not using honorifics with the Eidolon, but I do remember how you excused it as being because Lord Xanarken was like a father to you.  But¡­that¡¯s him, and this¡­is everyone else.¡± She extended her arms up to gesture at herself and Furion, ¡°And given what he said earlier, I think he recognizes that things went awry with his previous attempt at raising you up.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going to be different this time?¡± Furion wondered, mostly to Ren.

    ¡°Lord Xanarken said he was going to call for a Conclave to tell all the Captains about the promotion.  He¡¯s also going to be forcing a new uniform onto Gabe, to show-off that he has status where no one saw it before.¡± She answered, ¡°The way his uniform-jacket looks now, he¡¯s on a level with us Fafnir, yet he outranks you as our Captain.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Furion curled one arm around himself and set the other hand around his chin, thinking on it all, ¡°It has made it confusing for people to see where he stands at a glance, especially since mediators aren¡¯t really ranked the same way as we are in the First and Sixth.  Every other mediator has a two-thirds jacket, and even at the very top, stands only as tall as a Chief petty officer.¡±  He looked at the Fourth-winger, ¡°What¡¯d Lord Xanarken tell you about why he made the higher rank?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Gabriel stammered, ¡°He said it was so I could help with bigger projects.  Six years ago, Kitez was making a big stink about something¡­  I don¡¯t remember what it was because, in hindsight, it probably had something to do with the Fafnir.  There was a lot of handwringing and hostility, and Rylen made the mistake of trying to do the Fourth¡¯s job out there.  Alone, apparently.  Xanarken was preoccupied with something else at the time, and when he found out, he was a little ticked off.  He tried to manage it alone for a bit, but with the whole Fourth Wing looking to him, it got overwhelming¡­so he created my new rank, and threw me into the thick of things to help relieve the pressure elsewhere.  Around 18 months later, the Sargonian Prince lit-up, and I was switched-over to dealing with him full-time instead.  Sargon as a whole has probably been¡­75% my job since.¡±

    Furion and Ren looked at one another, and the Captain reached to pull her in closer, a hand gently on her shoulder as he spoke quietly, ¡°Six years ago was our last excursion out there in the Exclusion Zone.  It was also your first big mission as Wing Commander.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think what we did was enough to cause Lord Xanarken to make the High Negotiator rank, do you?  How could Kitez have taken up so much of his time?¡±

    ¡°It was enough to freeze our activities for a while.  Remember how sketchy things were?  We had a grand total of two missions for the whole next year after that, otherwise we just spent that whole time running P.R. tours.  I had to convince you it wasn¡¯t normally so boring around here.¡± Furion looked back over his shoulder at the mediator, then to Ren again, ¡°I didn¡¯t even know Lord Rylen was going it alone on the fallout.¡±

    ¡°He probably didn¡¯t want to drag us into it, not after what happened with your dad back in the day.¡± She surmised, then turned around again to look at Gabriel, ¡°Well, seems to me, we¡¯ve been working with one another far longer than any of us realized.  We cause a ruckus and you run interference.¡±

    ¡°¡­Maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°In any case¡­¡± Furion continued, ¡°If I had to make any kind of recommendation¡­it would be two things.¡±

    ¡°Okay?¡±

    ¡°First¡­no matter how high you rise, the officers of the Council are still leaders in their own right, so treat them with the proper respect and don¡¯t be so dismissively casual.  Maybe the Eidolon get away with it, but this is their organization.¡± The Captain started, watching the younger man for any resistance, ¡°And second¡­when you walk into a room, own it.  Don¡¯t slink around like a kid holding onto Lord Xanarken¡¯s apron.  If you want people to respect you, then earn it by setting the example.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s brow crinkled slightly, and he lowered his gaze, ¡°¡­Right¡­¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 37 â€“ Make A Deal With The Devil And Expect To Get Burned

    The room was dark, illuminated only by the faint glow of a few data panels, and the thin lines of light outlining the lids of several stasis-pods.  Large cables crisscrossed the floor, connecting the assembly of four to a larger system at the head of the room.  Xanarken quietly manifested in the midst of them, and turned to look at the one directly to his right; his own.

    One hand set onto the glass face of the capsule, and wiped a clear smear from left to right.  Liquid within shimmered with an iridescent, oily sheen, lightly bubbling along the walls.  The Eidolon leaned closer to get a better look through the haze, and spotted the visage of his own fleshy face; it looked as he did in his mantle, but with dark brown-black hair instead.

    ¡°¡­First time I¡¯ve looked at my own face in quite a while,¡± He said to himself, but then moved over towards the pod on its other side.  The name above it, emblazoned in small font on the screen displaying the user¡¯s basic vital signs, was that of the Fifth Eidolon; Dr. Etienne Cisneros.  As before, Xanarken cleared a window through the accumulated fog on the lid, and looked upon the face of the sole (remaining) female amongst the Council leadership.  Skin a dark hazel color, with freckles on her cheeks, and short chocolate-brown hair, she ¨C like all the others ¨C was connected to the life-sustaining mechanisms of the pod by a number of I.V.s, and an oxygen-line.  The Eidolon System itself was a crown of wires and inter-woven metallic latices around her head.

    ¡°Snooping again, are you?¡±

    Xanarken lifted his head and glanced behind himself; outside of her pod, Etienne could choose to look however she wanted ¨C as Rylen had.

    The humanoid aspects of her Eidolonic mantle mostly looked as she did in life, but there was an ethereal glow to it, and a decidedly insectoid-like style to the whole thing, including large, elongated eyes ¨C two main ones and two smaller above them - tipped with wing-like lashes, bright red and magenta-streaked hair interspersed with small flowers, and ears that rose up to trail along the sides of her head like long, rear-facing antennae.  Massive moth-wings hung behind her back, draped down from the front of her shoulders as if a long cloak, covering three long vulpine tails that wavered behind her legs.  All the way down her thin frame, she wore clothing that looked more like shaped wood, leaves, and feathers¡­and her feet, bare, and shaped in a way to match her tails, never touched the ground.  Her golden, faintly green-streaked skin glowed lightly, leaving a mist-like trail of vapor in her path as she floated away from the rather plain-looking-by-comparison Fourth Eidolon, ¡°Are you going to tell me what happened now?¡± She asked, opening a smattering of panels above Rylen¡¯s pod, ¡°He¡¯s been having mini-seizures ever since the first.  He¡¯s not responding to any of the treatments I¡¯ve given him¡­and he refuses to come here to tell me himself how he¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t want to know anything might be wrong.  If he did, he¡¯d have to acknowledge that my idea has merit.¡± The Fourth explained, heading over to her with his arms crossed in frustration.

    ¡°Idea?¡±

    ¡°Having a back-up.¡± Xanarken glanced down upon the first pod, which had been completely cleaned off since the first assault, and was visible in its entirety.  Within, Rylen¡¯s thin frame floated in that iridescent medium, pale and frail-looking after more than three centuries motionless in that hybrid-stasis, ¡°¡­If he¡¯s been having aftershocks, he¡¯s been hiding them well.¡±

    ¡°He probably made some adjustments to his mantle¡¯s programing so it wouldn¡¯t flinch if it detected any kind of cerebral jolts.¡± Etienne explained, clicking through the panels with speed, those multiple eyes scanning the data easily, ¡°If I could get him out of the pod briefly, I could do a more thorough evaluation, but¡­well, unless he gives consent, I can¡¯t just open it.¡±

    ¡°You could.¡± Xanarken tilted his head over his shoulder at her, ¡°He couldn¡¯t stop you either.¡±  He reached a finger over to the ¡®open lid¡¯ button on the pod¡¯s top, ¡°I could do it for you right now, and take the blame.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± She swatted his hand away, and he laughed, ¡°I¡¯ll just ask him when he gets back.  Once he¡¯s past the equator, the Aegis will be within the World Cloud¡¯s boundaries again, and he won¡¯t be able to hide from me on a private network anymore.¡±

    ¡°As you like.¡± The Fourth smiled, ¡°In any case¡­my idea; I¡¯m creating a new rank in the Council; Vice Eidolon.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡±

    ¡°After what happened to Rylen, I started to wonder what would happen to the Council if we lost anymore Eidolon.¡± He answered, and turned to look out at the other three pods, ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be six wings, but Rylen¡¯s in charge of two of them ¨C after we lost Arianna - and we never even had an Eidolon of the Second.¡±

    ¡°Arianna was never an Eidolon though, so the Sixth didn¡¯t either, without Rylen.¡±

    ¡°She was supposed to be one.¡±

    ¡°So was Caeros, but Rylen doesn¡¯t count him as the Second.¡±

    Xanarken made a face, ¡°¡­As you say.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only fair, since they both died before the Eidolon System was finished.¡± Etienne said, and hovered upward until she could sit her small frame on the Fourth¡¯s left shoulder.  She set a hand onto his right, and looked down on him softly, ¡°You tried your best with him, but there are always going to be some people who just¡­can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°So, Caeros was just a lost cause from the start?¡±

    Etienne looked on sadly, ¡°Looking back on it?  ¡­I think so, yeah.¡±

    ¡°I prefer not to believe that he was born that way, and couldn¡¯t be guided down a different path.¡±

    She pet his hair, and moved off to float overtop of the First¡¯s pod, ¡°And that¡¯s okay.  ¡­So, a back-up to the Eidolon, huh?  What¡¯s that going to entail?¡±

    Xanarken quietly stepped away, and headed for the front of the room; though the pods were all side-by-side in a line together, they wrapped slightly in a semi-circle around a much larger central fixture.  It wasn¡¯t even a stasis-pod like the others¡­it was more like a massive tank, plated at the front with glass, and filled with a clear-blue translucent liquid.  Within, a vertically-suspended figure, bent slightly forward to make room for the massive crystalline spines breaching from her back.  Those spines fused together at their bases, and expanded nearly 30ft to each side, splitting at the tips until they looked eerily like six massive wings.  That pale face, transfixed with the neutral expression of a woman who¡¯d died long ago, was held up by the amethystine cluster of rocky tracks that grew from her eyes, and encircled her head like a crown until it blended with the crystal behind her.  Xanarken put both hands on the glass, ¡°¡­It would¡­give us some breathing room.¡± He started, transfixed, ¡°When Gabriel was old enough to start actually working with me, the relief I felt for knowing I could pawn off some of my duties to him was¡­inexplicable.  I thought that by promoting him to High Negotiator, it would actually take some of the pressure off, and split the duties of the Fourth amongst more hands.  ¡­As much as I used to grief on Rylen for running two Wings alone, the First and Sixth combined don¡¯t do as much as the Fourth does alone.  I practically need a small team to manage everything.¡±

    ¡°Why fuss with this Vice Eidolon label then?  Isn¡¯t High Negotiator enough?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not.  People still demand to go around Gabe and insist on speaking to me instead.  Making him V.E. would make it easier to refuse, since¡­he¡¯ll have roughly 95% of the same power as a full Eidolon.  I think it will do better to make him ready than what¡¯s already been done.¡±

    Etienne crossed her arms, and floated closer, ¡°It sounds to me like you just want to take a step back, and are using what happened to Rylen as an excuse.¡±

    ¡°¡­It is rather convenient.  If I could turn over just Sargon and Kitez to Gabe, it would take half the work off my plate.¡± He agreed, ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this for so long, I don¡¯t even remember what it was like to do my original job anymore.  I was just supposed to be a communications officer¡­not this¡­timeless being that people look to like one of the gods of this world.  And Rylen was never meant to run an army, either.¡±

    ¡°He did his best after Arianna died.  I don¡¯t think he¡¯s done too badly for himself.¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯s ready to put the gun and sword down.¡± Xanarken continued, and pulled his hands back, ¡°He¡¯s determined to get Kitez into the Accord by any means available.  If not for them, there¡¯d be no need for most of the Sixth.  He would much rather turn over half of those SkyFortresses to the First and push into the southern hemisphere.  Expanding, cultivating, developing the land¡­that was always his passion.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Yeah¡­  Every time someone mentions the south in his presence, it¡¯s like a switch gets flipped.¡± The Fifth agreed, and crossed her elbows across Xanarken¡¯s shoulder, ¡°But¡­I know as well as you that we can¡¯t just push into Kitez aggressively.  Sargon is on the cusp, isn¡¯t it?  That must be a huge relief.¡±

    ¡°Until it happens, it¡¯s still just on the cusp.  But that¡¯s why I want to turn it over to Gabe anyway; he¡¯s done extremely well out there, bringing the Emperor closer to the Council.  If not for him, I don¡¯t think we¡¯d have gotten the Prince to transfer to Agartha this soon.¡± Xanarken glanced at her briefly, then took a few steps back to behold the entirety of the massive tank, ¡°If only she could see how far we¡¯ve come¡­¡±

    Etienne lifted her eyes, ¡°Syraph would¡¯ve liked it here.  But¡­I think she would¡¯ve been happy to know that her legacy has continued on, even if it had to be like this.¡±

    ¡°Legacy¡­¡± The Fourth echoed, ¡°Can it still be described that way when it wasn¡¯t on purpose?  Capturing the energy radiating off of her was never part of the plan.¡±

    ¡°No, but senselessly dying and decaying into nothing would¡¯ve been worse, to her.¡± Etienne rephrased, ¡°Sometimes, all you can do is make the best of a bad situation.  The senseless tragedy of that day led to the full development of the Eidolon System and the subsequent World Cloud, and look at all the good we¡¯ve done with it.  Imagine how much longer it would have taken - and more difficult it would¡¯ve been ¨C if we had to physically travel to every place we needed to be.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, I don¡¯t deny it.  The Eidolon System has to be one of our greatest achievements.  If I thought it was even half-appropriate to ask Gabe to hop into it, I would.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think he¡¯d agree?  Even as Vice Eidolon?¡±

    ¡°I think he deserves to live his life as he is.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s followed so closely in your footsteps though that he¡¯s never really bothered with the things he could¡¯ve done as a regular guy.¡± Etienne pointed out, ¡°Getting connected to the Eidolon System would just¡­put a point onto the fact that he lives like an Eidolon already.  He¡¯s kind of handicapped without it.¡±

    ¡°You really think so?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I mean¡­maybe he¡¯s not void-locked like we are, but being immortal was never a requirement for being an Eidolon.  It was just convenient for continuity.  With a mantle, he could go decades without anyone ever realizing he¡¯s getting older.¡±

    ¡°But he would be¡­and he¡¯d eventually die like the old man he¡¯s destined to become.  In good conscience, I couldn¡¯t subject him to a life like we have, devoid of all the things that once made us human.¡± The Fourth shook his head, eyes to the ground sullenly, ¡°Not when he¡¯s hardly had a chance to live as it is.  He¡¯s 32 years old and is only just now starting to form a bond with someone.  Fleeting as it is¡­¡±

    ¡°Fleeting?¡±

    ¡°Nearly five months with Dame Ren have been good for him ¨C they even conspired together to keep her in the Fourth to finish the program after the disaster in Kitez - but¡­Rylen¡¯s taking her back now.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway,¡± He shook his head, and turned where he stood, reaching up to take the Fifth¡¯s small hands into his own, ¡°I don¡¯t want to overwhelm him with the possibilities.  He already hates the idea as it is.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I can talk to him?  He¡¯s always been amenable to me.¡±

    ¡°No¡­  We can revisit the idea in a few years.  For now, let¡¯s just allow him the time to adjust to his new responsibilities.¡±

    .

    Seth lifted his head when he heard the door to the Captain¡¯s office shift open, and watched not just his brother, but Ren as well, come through.  He quickly hopped up and approached, ¡°¡­Miss Ren?  Weren¡¯t you going to-¡±

    She shook her head, ¡°Gabriel wanted to go take a walk on his own.¡± She answered, and gestured at herself, ¡°My jacket went from red to blue in the middle of my suggesting I go with him¡­and now I can¡¯t access my reds at all anymore.  I think Lord Rylen has moved me back to the Sixth permanently.  Gabe¡¯s not taking it well.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°I feel terrible¡­¡± Ren hugged her arms around herself, ¡°Things were finally starting to work out.¡±

    ¡°What about before that?¡±

    Furion reached for his brother¡¯s shoulders and spun him around to walk him back into the room, ¡°You are far too nosey for your own good.¡±

    ¡°Nosey!?  But it¡¯s me!  You owe me!¡±

    ¡°I owe you nothing.¡± The Captain laughed, ¡°That conversation far outranks you.¡±

    Ren tried to smile as she watched the duo go on ahead of her, but then turned back towards the office before the door could slide closed again.  Her brow crinkled slightly, ¡°¡­I should¡¯ve gone with him anyway.  What a terrible moment to leave it on.¡±

    Furion just came back and fluidly slid a free arm around the woman¡¯s small frame ¨C carrying Seth in the other like a wiggly puppy ¨C and nudged her further into the apartment, ¡°Nothing for it now.  Brooding is what he does best; this time he¡¯s probably actually entitled to it.¡±

    And brood he did, straight back to the weather-deck, sitting apart from any wary passers-by as he looked through those massive windows.  The afternoon sky had shifted towards dusk, and Hadira¡¯s dual-moons were vivid on the horizon.

    Those same moons that rose over the Aegis rose over Kitez though, far to the north-west, and the locked-down R&D facility¡¯s lights dimmed as the last staff on-site left for the evening.  Still inside, however, Kourin was at her desk, hidden beneath the cloaking shield of her affliction.  She waited a moment for the silence to overtake the space, and once certain she was the only one left, made her way quietly towards the stairwell to the lower floor.  She put in her access code, waited for the door to open, and slipped through.

    What she saw at the bottom made her pause a moment; boxes of audio equipment, ready to be installed.  She narrowed her eyes at it slightly, ¡°Looks like I¡¯m getting on top of this right in time¡­  Not that knowing it completely justifies being trapped in here all night¡­¡±

    She quickly stepped up onto the platform and wove through the overlapping walls until she found the front of the repurposed blasting-room.  As usual, Scyrexianori was there idling, but with her affliction active, its eyes looked straight up and followed her behind that thick glass.  She wasted no time and immediately clicked a finger down onto the intercom, ¡°You¡¯re watching me, so I take it you¡¯re aware I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± It answered, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting.¡±

    ¡°¡­You have?  What for?¡±

    ¡°That fellow you brought before was eager.  Before I was interrupted¡­I was certain he was going to try to make a deal.¡±

    Kourin steeled herself, ¡°That task has fallen onto me.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡±

    ¡°Explain to me first why Gabriel is so important.  Why any afflicted can¡¯t be suitable.¡±

    Scyrexianori lifted its head, but leaned forward to perch its elbows onto its knees, ¡°To open a gateway, I need a Limitless connection of immense power.  And there is precious little that is more powerful than a Prime Mover.¡±

    Kourin tilted her head in confusion, ¡°A what?¡±

    ¡°How do you describe it now¡­¡± Scyrexianori contemplated, ¡°¡­This host¡¯s memories go back to a moment¡­he says that Gabriel Lugios has always been a Limitless user.  It wasn¡¯t bestowed upon him later in life.¡±

    ¡°Right, he was born with it.  But why describe it as a Prime Mover?¡±

    ¡°The last one with a connection to the void that immense was capable of linking different locations in space-time as though there was no distance between them at all.  He could see where he wanted to be without ever having been there¡­and move to that place.  The rules of your reality broke against him.¡± The entity explained, and lifted one hand to point a clawed finger at her through that one-way glass, ¡°You gave him a name¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Caeros.¡± She whispered, ¡°¡­Did you contact him back then?  Is that why the fleet crashed!?  All those void gates that opened¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡± It answered simply, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember, girl?  You were there.¡±

    Kourin took a step back from the glass, ¡°¡­The Hell¡­?¡±

    ¡°What happened back then was a blight caused by his inexperience and hubris.  But¡­I could sense him.¡± Scyrexianori elaborated, and lowered its arm again, ¡°Gabriel Lugios is similar, but¡­has his own flavor, as one might say.  Now¡­what do you want from me?  What must I do to get to Lugios?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything for that.  My proposition is providing a way for you to get out of this chamber.  You¡¯ve been done with your weird metamorphosis for some time now.  Unless there¡¯s something else that¡¯s come up, since the last mention¡­¡±

    ¡°That something else is still in play.  There was a fragment of my essence that had been trapped nearby, and upon my inexplicable arrival, became active again.¡± The entity noted, and tilted its head; the wide, twisted horns above its crown giving the movement a sinister edge, ¡°If you release me, I can use it to summon Lugios to me.¡±

    ¡°¡­And then you can do whatever you need to do to get him to swap places with your current host¡­and you¡¯ll be strong enough to get what you want.¡± Kourin surmised, and the creature nodded, ¡°Then our proposition is thus¡­  I¡¯ll help you get out, and you come with me for one service.  After that, you can do whatever you want.¡±

    Scyrexianori gave a questioning look, ¡°This body is a weak, blind thing.  My power is limited.  Even a dead afflicted has more raw potential.  I may not be able to complete your task without an afflicted host.  What do you want?¡±

    Kourin grit her teeth, ¡°I need you to release someone who¡¯s stuck in a void-locked state.  Someone whose existence has been secret from the world for more than 300 years, and who deserves to be free.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite a hefty request for something as paltry as letting me out of a box.¡±

    She scoffed, ¡°Well, if you can get out on your own¡­¡±

    Scyrexianori narrowed its eyes, ¡°I could just latch onto you.¡±

    ¡°Yet you don¡¯t.¡±

    That made the entity smirk slightly, ¡°As you are, you would need to allow it¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not touching me.  Not again.  Not for anything.¡±

    ¡°Then how do you plan to let me free?¡± The creature wondered, ¡°I know well enough that you lack the authority to open the door.¡±

    Kourin felt a chill go down her spine, and she sucked in a breath, ¡°I had someone in mind.¡± She explained, ¡°One who is touched by the affliction without possessing it himself.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that would suffice¡­¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled¡­  I¡¯ll let you out, you can go track-down Lugios, swap, and before you leave, you come find me.  Then, once you¡¯re done with my request, you can open that hole and crawl back into your realm.  Is that more balanced?¡±

    ¡°Hmph¡­  You¡¯ll let me take the time to find Lugios; how generous.  From where I sit, it appears that you are rather trapped by that condition.¡± Scyrexianori lifted its head, and crossed its arms, ¡°I require more.¡±

    ¡°What else do you want?¡±

    ¡°¡­How about a little fun.¡± It answered greedily.

    ¡°¡­You want fun?¡± Kourin looked at the beast skeptically, ¡°¡­I¡­don¡¯t even know what that would entail for something like you.¡±

    A sinister smile crossed the beast¡¯s face, ¡°How do you feel about condoning mass murder?¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 38 â€“ The Pieces Are Coming Together Like a Finely Crafted Watch

    The storms over Oceanside pelted the city until the following morning, but once dawn broke, the light of the sun shimmered off the remaining puddles, giving the city an otherworldly glow. Duke Mardu was out in the palatial gardens. An earthy, petrichoric scent filled the air, and thin leather boots tapped quietly as he made his way across paved paths towards an overlook¡­where Latheroux was waiting for him.

    The overlook was capped with a large gazebo, overlooking the distant glittering horizon. The sky was like a watercolor painting; the darkness of night ¨C and the stormfront that it carried south-eastward - was ominous, and it gradually gave way to darker, then lighter blues, and finally the gold and orange surrounding the sun in the low western sky. Mardu crept closer, until he could join the masked man on one of the benches in the middle of the platform, ¡°¡­Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice. I know it¡¯s early¡­¡±

    ¡°You know you can call on me anytime.¡± Latheroux answered, and gave a bow of his head, ¡°Your Grace.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t preface what I¡¯m about to say with pitiable well-wishing or pleading to the potential of my wife¡¯s better nature¡­ I fear that her madness has rooted itself far deeper than I ever realized.¡±

    Latheroux gave a suspicious glance, ¡°You sound rather spooked.¡±

    Mardu pointed out at the rising sun, ¡°Out there¡­she¡¯s developing a weapon, unlike anything I¡¯ve ever seen or heard of. She calls it the Vindicator. To describe it plainly¡­it¡¯s a colony ship, repurposed to bring death and devastation, instead of life and potential.¡±

    ¡°¡­She told you this? Maybe she¡¯s embellishing.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could put this off as simple fear-mongering and exaggeration¡­but she took me there. Myself and four of the Conclave were invited to see it with our own eyes¡­¡± Mardu lowered his arm and shook his head in disbelief, ¡°I could hardly process what I was seeing. It¡¯s¡­massive; more than any one of us could see in those depths. And the crew¡­¡± His hands trembled to think of it, ¡°She¡¯s holding them hostage¡­forcing them to do her bidding under threat of sacrificing the sleeping passengers¡­¡±

    Latheroux¡¯s expression sunk; that one eye went from the Duke to the rising sun, ¡°¡­An entire colony ship¡­with its original cargo? All these years later¡­¡± He managed quietly, and pushed to stand up, ¡°I don¡¯t think the Duchess realizes what will happen if Rylen or Xanarken find out about this.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh, she does. She¡¯s counting on it.¡± Mardu countered, ¡°It¡¯s 75,000 reasons for neither of them to lash-out against her. Once she raises that behemoth from the sea¡­she¡¯s going to make certain the Eidolon know the stakes.¡±

    ¡°Surely she wouldn¡¯t use those innocent lives as a cudgel just to keep the Council out of Kitez. They already rarely incur within these borders¡­and on the rare occasion that they do, it¡¯s by invitation, or by personal necessity that involves no one here.¡± Latheroux said, though by his tone, even he had his doubts about whether it was true, ¡°What could she possibly hope to achieve by adding this fuel to the fire?¡±

    ¡°As I said¡­madness¡­¡± The Duke cupped his face in his hands, ¡°I think she wants to force an acknowledgement out of the Council¡­and if not them, then from the Hadiran Accord. My gut tells me she has designs on Sargon as well¡­if not to liberate them, then to punish them for acquiescing to the Eidolon as they have. We had been allies for so long¡­so many of our people are blended together¡­ We get reports of unrest and unhappiness with how things have turned.¡±

    ¡°The Accord would sooner call her a terrorist than a nation¡¯s leader if she brings a hostage situation to them.¡± Latheroux retorted warily, starting to pace, ¡°And the Conclave supports this?¡±

    ¡°She hasn¡¯t told most of them.¡± Mardu answered, ¡°She¡¯s kept this project secret from all but her most ardent, proven supporters, for more than 15 years¡­even from me¡­ I think this was her last attempt at convincing me to take her side and keep the faith. I¡­I feigned approval¡­but I can¡¯t abide by all this¡­which is why I called for you.¡±

    ¡°What do you want me to do about it? I¡¯m merely a friend of the Duchy. There¡¯s nothing I could do.¡±

    Mardu shook his head, and approached the man cautiously, ¡°I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s anything that can be done about the Vindicator. I need you to plead my case to Iresha.¡±

    ¡°Your¡­what?¡± Latheroux mentally staggered, and took a step back, ¡°What power do you think I have over there? I may have ways of knowing what¡¯s going on, but I decidedly lack a direct line of contact to the Emperor¡­¡±

    ¡°There must be something that can be done¡­ Some way to reach him¡­¡±

    ¡°What would you even have me say if I could?¡±

    ¡°Plead for asylum.¡± Mardu answered easily, ¡°For the both of us.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do anything for your people if you leave!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way she¡¯ll let me walk free when she finds out I lied! And I can¡¯t do anything for my people if I¡¯m dead or imprisoned either!¡± Mardu retorted; they were at a stalemate then. Mardu could feel a nervous sweat beading on the back of his neck, ¡°Aamin is here in Kitez. Regulus captured him a few days ago, and has been holding him in secret until Far¡¯nah can figure out what to do with him. If Iresha finds out his brother is in custody¡­¡±

    ¡°And you plan to be the one to tell him?¡± Latheroux looked on at the Duke incredulously, ¡°¡­What do you think that will achieve? You and Aamin are two men against the lives of tens of thousands.¡±

    ¡°Then what should I do? Sit back and do nothing while Far¡¯nah welcomes the ire of the world?¡± Mardu pleaded, ¡°I have to get to Sargon. Even if Iresha can¡¯t do anything, I¡¯d at least be safe, and then I could reach out to the Eidolon¡­ Maybe they can do something before Far¡¯nah can manufacture tragedy.¡±

    Latheroux looked away, hands on his hips in frustrated contemplation, ¡°¡­It¡¯s absolute madness¡­all of it¡­¡± He said, mostly to himself. After a few moments of pacing, he lifted his head, long black hair swaying in a sea-swept breeze, ¡°¡­Maybe there is a way I can help.¡±

    ¡°Tell me.¡±

    ¡°The Eidolon of the Fourth has notified the Council that he intends to expand leadership. Given his attempt in the past to raise Gabriel Lugios up, I imagine he means to do so again, but in a more¡­legitimate capacity.¡± Latheroux started, ¡°Creating a rank that was inexplicably superior to the Captains rubbed a lot of them the wrong way, but I suspect this planned announcement will create what the High Negotiator state could not. Lugios will be the key to what you want to do. Aside from Xanarken himself, Gabriel is the highest-level mediator in the Council¡­and he¡¯s close with the Emperor.¡±

    ¡°You would involve the Council at this stage? I fear that may reveal things to soon¡­it would throw my plea for sanctuary right out the window. Why not go directly to Iresha?¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want your friend to be in the line of fire, if he isn¡¯t already.¡± Latheroux explained plainly, and stepped closer to put a gentle arm around the Duke¡¯s shoulders. He turned them both to face the rising sun, ¡°Gabriel would be far easier to contact, and it would put all of the Duchess¡¯ misplaced rancor onto the Council instead of the Empire.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    Latheroux set his free hand onto the man¡¯s left shoulder, and pet it reassuringly, ¡°Fear not, old friend. Just continue your ruse for now. I will do what I can to help you¡­however, when the time comes, you must do exactly as I say.¡±

    ¡°You once told me I should strive to be the leader I have the power to be. If saving Kitez from my wife is my first act¡­then so be it. I will not allow her to bring ruin to this place.¡±

    The masked man nodded, ¡°Then I must be off to begin my work. Stay strong, your Grace.¡±

    .

    With the first members of staff finally arriving to start the day, Kourin waited patiently for the doors to open. Her eyes were heavy with fatigue, and the world swam around her, but she shook her head and continued that afflictive cloaking effect. Five people¡­six, seven¡­then finally someone swung the door far enough that she could slip out before it closed or someone else got in the way. Kourin quickly made her way down the winding path that led from the front of the facility to the staff drop-off lot; nearby, the storm-front that had already passed over Oceanside was starting to rumble its thunderhead.

    A half-hour later, she was finally home, and as she passed below the final decorative archway between the public road and the inner halls of the apartment building, she finally released her Limitless, and heaved a breath. She pulled her glasses away, rubbed her puffy eyes as she waited for the elevator to come down, and before she could blink, she was face-down in her bed.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    She wasn¡¯t sure if she fell asleep immediately or if she¡¯s just closed her eyes for a second, but she was awoken by a hand grabbing her shoulder, and she turned over with a start, ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡± She barked, eyes flaring menacingly. They widened in surprise and fizzled to normal as she realized it was Latheroux there, and she calmed her palpitating heart just as the gentle tapping of raindrops began to flit against her nearby window, ¡°What¡­why are you here?¡±

    He gestured over at the second of Seth¡¯s original nanotech containment-pods, ¡°When you summoned me with the other, I was connected to both, and you couldn¡¯t help but bring your work home with you.¡± He explained, and he turned to sit at the foot of her bed.

    Kourin rubbed her face as she flipped over, ¡°¡­I forgot¡­ It¡¯s been such a long time since I messed with nanotech stuff¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it done?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t like the price it¡¯s asked though.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±

    Thunder grumbled overhead, and the soft patter of rain grew into a fast-paced deluge. She sucked in a long breath before pushing to sit as well, and grabbed one of her big pillows to hug over her lap, ¡°Scyrexian isn¡¯t strong enough to wake-up our friend without switching bodies. Apparently, there are rules in place for what it can do under any given conditions¡­¡± She started, and pressed her cheek into the fluff. Pale hair tumbled around it, and she hugged the pillow closer as she tilted her gaze towards the masked man beside her, ¡°Right now - even though appropriating the body of a fully-trained Fafnir Knight - it¡¯s the weakest it could possibly be. It can¡¯t access even a fraction of its own strength in a body that it describes as ¡®blind.¡¯ You know about the Aegis mission this week?¡±

    ¡°I do. It just crossed back into Sargon about two hours ago. There¡¯s already chatter. ¡­Not about the mission, but about the thing I came to talk to you about. In any case, please, continue.¡±

    Kourin blinked slowly in her exhaustion, but she nodded, ¡°Scyrexian is connected to the Magi that the Fafnir encountered out there. One mind, three bodies¡­that¡¯s why it struggled to fight and hold a thought at the same time. Given the resistance that its host, Ianori, posed while it was trying to fight said Fafnir, it gave up, ceding to the strikes delivered by one of the Knights that it lost track of during the brawl.¡±

    ¡°Where is this going, Kourin?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been up all damn night. If I ramble, deal with it.¡± She snarled tiredly, ¡°The point I¡¯m trying to make is that Rylen has taken custody of those Magi, and is bringing them north aboard one of the Inquisition ships that went south with the Aegis. Scyrexian believes it can use them to gain some of its strength back.¡±

    ¡°And that will be enough?¡±

    ¡°No. It explicitly stated it needs Lugios to achieve our ¨C and its own ¨C ends. But since it can¡¯t find Lugios, it intends to lure him instead. So, the deal I made with it¡­is that I¡¯ll set it free, and it¡¯ll enact a plan that will ultimately lead to it acquiring Lugios as a host. Since it already controls the bodies of the Magi, it can use them to pull its essence out of Ianori¡¯s ¡®blind¡¯ carcass¡­¡±

    ¡°So they¡¯re not actually dead, despite what the Fafnir believe.¡±

    She stared quietly, ¡°¡­Right. No, they¡¯re dead ¨C they¡¯ve been dead - but Scyrexian puppets them around. Since the Magi were afflicted in life, they¡¯re still able to do much more for it, deceased though they may be now. Anyway¡­apparently, it¡¯s been frustrated at Ianori¡¯s influence on its actions, and feels like its time is being wasted¡­so it¡¯s already been plotting a way to get back at the Fafnir, and get Lugios for itself, since that fight happened.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°All told, me letting the damn thing out of that stupid box is the only leverage I had in the whole situation. But¡­it¡¯s agreed either way. As long as I¡¯m okay with knowing that it¡¯s going to massacre the Fafnir once it gets to the Magi. One life¡­for all of theirs.¡±

    Latheroux looked on with deep furrows in his brow, ¡°¡­Why would it need to kill all of them? What¡¯s its endgame?¡±

    ¡°It wants to have fun, of all things.¡± She explained, and closed her eyes, ¡°It believes that is can use Lugios¡¯ relationship to one of those Fafnir Knights to draw him there, then use her life as a bargaining chip to force Lugios to invite it in. But¡­before it comes back to me to carry out its side of the agreement, it wants to destroy the Knights, and make Ianori watch. The last thing those eyes would see before dying would be Scyrexian killing everyone he loves.¡±

    ¡°¡­Vicious little creature, isn¡¯t it.¡± Latheroux said, ¡°I¡­¡±

    Kourin opened her eyes again just in time to see the masked man buckle sightly, bent over his knees with his hands clutched around his head. She let go of the pillow long enough to set her hand on the man¡¯s back, ¡°I¡­know you don¡¯t have it in you to allow that to happen. That¡¯s why I made the deal without bringing you into it beforehand. All you need to do is keep it together long enough to let the pieces fall into place¡­then we¡¯ll all be out of here.¡±

    In spite of his agony, Latheroux nodded, ¡°¡­Right¡­ I¡­need to find Tallus, then. Get back to Oceanside¡­¡±

    ¡°Not before you tell me what you came to say.¡± She grumbled, ¡°You scared me half awake by showing up here unannounced. At least make it worth my while, so I can salvage what little is left of my day off.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes¡­right¡­¡± Latheroux rubbed his head, trying to shake to overwhelming pain despite it being useless to soothe a mantle, ¡°I¡­was just approached this morning by the Duke. He wants out. If Tallus was able to help him find his spine, it¡¯s manifesting in a way I didn¡¯t anticipate. He¡­wants sanctuary in Sargon, with the Emperor. He¡¯s asked me to help him get it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great news. If Mardu is in Sargon then Far¡¯nah would be less likely to poke the bear.¡±

    ¡°That would have been my thought as well, if he hadn¡¯t come to that conclusion because of a new weapon Far¡¯nah has been developing. She found an intact colony ship, submerged off the coast¡­fully functional, and repurposed with Kitezan technology. She¡¯s going to use the lives of every person aboard as collateral against the Council.¡±

    Kourin sat fully upright, ¡°¡­The implications of that are extreme. Have you told anyone else yet?¡±

    ¡°No. I came to you as soon as I got everything Mardu could give to me about what he¡¯d seen and been told about it.¡± Latheroux turned, and lifted a knee up onto the edge of the mattress so he could look at the woman directly, ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know what to do about that. The only thing I can do is get Mardu under the Emperor¡¯s protection. Maybe that¡¯ll buy some time¡­ Rylen will go absolutely mad when he finds out what Far¡¯nah has, and what she¡¯s done with it.¡±

    ¡°Mad enough to invade?¡±

    ¡°¡­Potentially. We have to act fast. Our window is closing.¡± Latheroux bent his head down, hands clasped around his upturned calf, ¡°Cut Scyrexianori loose tonight, after the majority of the staff are gone. If we¡¯re going to be killing a lot of people, let¡¯s not do so indiscriminately.¡±

    Kourin stared for a moment, but then gave a single nod, ¡°¡­If everything goes the way we want, we¡¯ll be gone before the end of the week. After all this time, it¡¯s hard to fathom that we¡¯re finally in the last hours. I was starting to think we¡¯d be stuck here forever¡­¡±

    Latheroux reached his right hand forward, and pulled the small woman closer, touching their brows together, ¡°Get some rest. I¡¯ll make sure everything comes together, and get you kids to safety.¡±

    ¡°And you, too. We¡¯re not leaving you behind.¡± Kourin corrected, just as she felt those nanotech lips set a gentle kiss to her brow as well, ¡°It¡¯ll be nice to have you around in the flesh again. You can quit being so grim and serious all the time, and you can finally stop wearing that mask.¡±

    ¡°If everything goes to plan¡­¡± He agreed, and lifted up to stand on his own two feet again, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure Tallus knows things are working-out on this side.¡±

    Kourin watched quietly as the mantle dissolved, and the faint cloud of it was siphoned back inside the containment sphere. With an exhale, she took her pillow down, and kicked her shoes off, ¡°Tonight, then¡­¡±

    Back at Oceanside, Latheroux closed the doors to a small walk-in closet, and made his way through the room he¡¯d been given by the Duke, towards the night-stand beside a large, untouched bed. He grabbed for a FlexiGlas tablet standing idle on that wooden top, and sought for the Magistrate¡¯s name on its contact list. When the image of the list changed over to ¡®Calling¡­¡¯ and then over to show Tallus¡¯ face, Latheroux looked on at it stiffly, ¡°I need to meet with you in person. Please come to my chambers as soon as you¡¯re able.¡±

    Tallus¡¯ groggy morning-face changed over to intrigue, and he smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll be there right away.¡±

    The connection was severed, and Latheroux waited quietly, all-but staring at the face of a clock on the wall as the minutes went by. When he heard the knock though, he went to the door to open it, and Tallus stepped through. The panel clicked shut, and the two faced one another, ¡°We¡¯ve got it; Scyrexianori has agreed to lend us its strength. Kourin will let the beast loose after the site is locked-down for the evening. In a few days, it¡¯ll have what it needs, and so will we.¡±

    ¡°Things are coming together at lightning speed all of a sudden.¡± Tallus commented, ¡°Has anyone been able to apprise Phexides of what¡¯s going on? He¡¯d probably want to know.¡±

    ¡°Once Kourin is in the clear, she¡¯ll be heading that way and let him know on arrival. The Council and Kitez will likely be too busy with one another to notice, and we¡¯ll be long-gone before they ever do.¡±

    ¡°How exciting!¡± Tallus lifted his hands from the white wrapping of his uniform-cloak, and clapped them together lightly, ¡°Truly a marvel that everything we need has come together in such a fortuitous moment. Any longer and we might not be able to stop these cogs from turning, and we¡¯d be caught-up in the middle of the fighting.¡±

    ¡°¡­Indeed.¡±

    The Magistrate paused his cooing, and tilted his head at the masked figure, ¡°Why do you sound so doubtful all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°The price of Scyrexianori¡¯s aid is higher than I can stand.¡± He answered, ¡°I¡­¡± He shook his head in frustration, ¡°While I¡¯m sure that I am dedicated enough to this cause to get through it, I could use a little help of my own. The Aegis will be docking in Trazad later today, and I need to be able reach Gabriel for something unrelated. I will¡­need to be able to slip through the Fafnir without faltering.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ The price is them, I take it.¡± Tallus understood easily, and tilted his head up as his eyes began to manifest that ethereal light, ¡°You¡¯ve been a steady friend to us while toeing the line of your unwavering loyalty to the Council. I swear¡­sometimes, using this power on you feels like giving drugs to a parent. Pleading for another hit after we were sure you no longer had need of it¡­¡±

    ¡°If the Fafnir weren¡¯t going to be there, it wouldn¡¯t be an issue. But¡­keeping this knowledge secret while looking them in the eyes, knowing many ¨C if not all of them ¨C are going to die¡­¡± Latheroux said, only to stagger again where he stood, clutching at his head, ¡°Please¡­it¡¯s too much¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Tallus reached his hands forward to set them firmly on the man¡¯s shoulders, and pushed him back upright, ¡°Just relax¡­be at ease¡­¡± The glow wafted forward like guided smoke, and entered into Latheroux¡¯s solitary visible eye, ¡°You are doing the greatest good you possibly can, with the smallest amount of collateral damage. For me¡­keep what you know to yourself for a little while longer. There will be no more need for secrets once we¡¯re gone.¡±

    Latheroux looked transfixed, entranced¡­and almost sleepy, ¡°¡­Anything¡­for¡­you¡­¡± He spoke in a quiet haze.

    ¡°Now¡­tell me why you need Lugios all of a sudden.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 39 â€“ To Have The Grace To Accept The Things You Cannot Change

    Thunder cracked loudly as the Aegis made its final approach towards Trazad, pelting the side of the SkyFortress with a wall of rain.  The jolt of noise was enough to startle Gabriel awake, and he looked around that specious room nervously.  The floor-to-ceiling windows on his left were nearly as dark as night, with the sun blocked by those heavy storm-clouds, and what could be seen through the haze was too far away to make-out properly.

    Gabriel perched backward against one arm, and lifted the other to rub his eyes, ¡°¡­No way I¡¯m going back to sleep now¡­not that I slept much anyway¡­¡± He said to himself, and dreaded to get up and make himself presentable for the day.  Another rumble of thunder overhead got him moving though, and he did his best not to let his heart burst out of his chest for how nervous he was.

    Yet, there he stood at the doors that led out of his room, and he got an error message for his attempt to load his uniform from the temporary local Cloud.  When he checked the available networks, the one that the Aegis had brought with it was no longer visible, and he was stuck reconnecting to the main World Cloud again.  The dreaded moment came at last, and he waved his hand in a gesture to load the jacket.  He closed his eyes as he heard and felt the sand-like swirl of nanotech coalesce around him¡­and when he opened his eyes, he drew a quick breath, and looked down at himself.

    What was one the simple sleeveless long-coat of the Fourth, colored mostly in red and empaneled in dark grey with that silver trim, was now a fully-black ensemble with red embellishments.  He could hardly see the regular, physical portions of his uniform, covered and hidden as they were by the nanotech regalia.  The jacket was more like a cloak then, though still technically sleeveless, hanging from his shoulders on both the back and the front, parted in the middle of his chest where a clasp held it together.  The ends of it touched the floor, and within it, covering the fabric that was still hidden beneath, was the dark, leather-like folds of an armored jerkin.  Belts crossed over from each hip, holding up yet more layers of flowing material that went down to his ankles.

    Gabriel was baffled by the whole thing; he couldn¡¯t even see the entirety of the outfit and he was already horrified.  He frantically pulled up his contact list and send out a distress-call to Ren, ¡°C¡¯monnnnn pick up pick up¡­!¡±

    ¡°Hello?¡± She asked blearily through a voice-only connection, ¡°What¡¯s with the early call?  Shouldn¡¯t you still be sleeping?¡±

    ¡°He changed it!  My uniform!  It¡¯s ridiculous!  You gotta help me¡­¡± He pleaded, ¡°Or at least bully me into not being mortified.¡±

    She blinked slowly as she stared ahead in the Captain¡¯s darkened room, ¡°¡­Bully you?  Is that what you think I was doing before?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t make me beg.¡±

    Ren just snorted a tired laugh, ¡°Maybe I should anyway¡­¡±

    ¡°Ren!¡±

    ¡°Ahh fine, fine¡­I¡¯ll be there in 20 minutes¡­¡± She answered, and disconnected the call.  She turned back into the warmth of those blankets and pressed up against Furion¡¯s bare back, ¡°I gotta go.¡± She said into his ear, knowing full-well he¡¯d heard every word of what she¡¯d said, ¡°Apparently it¡¯s worse than he thought.¡±

    Furion reached up to thread his fingers through her hair, and tilted his face towards hers, though he couldn¡¯t see a thing in the dark, ¡°Do you want me to come?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to come?¡±

    He questioned the thought for a moment, but then pushed up onto an elbow, ¡°Eh sure¡­why not.  Not every day you witness the panic of a pseudo-Eidolon.¡±

    Ren just swatted him with a laugh, ¡°You¡¯re terrible.¡±

    As promised, 20 minutes later, Ren was at the door, and she waved her hand in front of the digital knocker.  She took a step back and waited, with Furion yawning quietly beside her.

    The door parted a little bit, and that frantic blue eye peeked through, ¡°You brought the Captain¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he was helping already.¡± She answered easily, ¡°Open up.¡±

    Gabriel grumbled slightly, nervous rattling in his ears, but he let the door finish sliding over, and gestured for the duo to enter.  Once they were in and the door closed again, he could only slouch where he stood, ¡°Look at this craziness.  He went too far.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a halo now?¡± Ren commented, pointing at the elaborate faintly-glowing sigils hovering behind his head.

    ¡°I have a what!?¡± Gabriel answered, terror in his voice as he tried to spin around and see, ¡°What do you mean I¡¯ve got a damn halo!?  No one but Nie is this extra, and she¡¯s had 300 years to use as an excuse!  Xanarken is going to make me look like a fool!¡±

    ¡°Nie?¡± Ren echoed.

    ¡°¡­Uh¡­Etienne.  It¡¯s¡­a nickname.¡±

    Ren smacked her forehead, ¡°Do you know the Third Wing on such personal terms, too?¡±

    Gabriel deadpanned, ¡°No.  Lord Arbelos keeps an exceedingly low-profile for an Eidolon. I¡¯m not even sure I¡¯ve ever met him.¡±

    ¡°I think it looks kinda cool.¡± Furion shrugged, ¡°Oh, it even has the Council¡¯s logo embroidered to the back.  Those most be the wing-tips coming up over your shoulders.¡±

    Gabriel just pulled the cloak¡¯s hood over his head and crouched to the floor, ¡°This can¡¯t be happening¡­  I can¡¯t even see any of that¡­¡±

    ¡°Own it, Lugios.  You¡¯re not going to have another chance to make the most of it.¡± Furion countered, and crossed his arms, ¡°Your Eidolon is giving you a lot of responsibility.  You should look like you intend to wield that power like an adult.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right¡­¡± The mediator answered quietly, a hint of a whine in his voice despite the agreement.  He rose back up to his feet and pulled the hood back, ¡°¡­But I still feel like this is too much.  I look like a villain.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you can ask Lord Xanarken to tone it down?¡± Ren suggested, and started pacing forward to get a closer look at the whole thing as she circled around him, ¡°It probably wouldn¡¯t be half as loud if it didn¡¯t have the halo.¡±

    ¡°I think he probably put it there to make me look important¡­¡± Gabriel wondered, stepping off as Ren got behind him, and went into the bathroom.  The light clicked on as he stepped through the door, and in that wide wall-length mirror, he beheld his reflection in shock, ¡°¡­I certainly look more intimidating than I do in just the regular reds.¡±

    ¡°You could do your hair different.¡± Ren added as she came up to lean on the doorframe, ¡°Maybe the braid again like in Kitez?  So, your whole look isn¡¯t hidden under the cloak.

    Gabriel just pulled the ponytail up from where the regalia had formed above it, and dropped it again, partly covering the center of the Council¡¯s logo where the six wings arose and spread behind his back, ¡°I only braided it then cuz I was nervously waiting for you to change.¡±

    ¡°Oh.  Why nervously?¡±

    He glanced back over a shoulder at her, and reached to click off the light before leaving the room again, ¡°Everyone was saluting you and I had no idea why.  I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on anymore.  Knowing now, that you were still ¨C and always were ¨C Wing Commander¡­well, it makes sense now¡­¡±

    ¡°Even I didn¡¯t know I was Wing Commander at the time.  It was just as much a surprise to you as it was to me, how they all acted.¡± She pointed out, and stepped aside to make room for him, ¡°In any case¡­have you found out anything else?  Like when Lord Xanarken is supposed to call the meeting?  Furion¡¯s calendar hasn¡¯t updated with anything yet.  We checked on the way down.¡±

    ¡°Nothing yet¡­¡± Gabriel answered sullenly, ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯s going to wait though.¡±

    ¡°Correction.¡± Furion interrupted, ¡°It¡¯s tonight.  I just got the alert.  Lord Xanarken must¡¯ve just scheduled it.¡±

    ¡°Tonight?¡± The mediator lamented, ¡°¡­Well¡­guess I was right.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°He couldn¡¯t make you wear the new ¡®fit without telling people why right away.¡± Ren agreed, ¡°I¡¯d say I¡¯m happy for you but I¡¯m still a bit bummed about it all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that¡­¡± Gabriel started, and shook his head as he faced the pair, ¡°If I have as much power as Xanarken claims, then¡­I can at least do some things that I want without needing to ask permission ¨C within reason, anyway.  I was able to see the plans Xanarken has for the peacock-parade to take the Prince to Agartha.¡±

    Ren glanced at her Captain, ¡°You probably know those, too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing too special.  But, he did arrange for the Fafnir to fly alongside the Sargonian Imperial flagship.  Make it a big spectacle.¡± Furion looked to Gabriel though, ¡°¡­Why?¡±

    That made the mediator feel a bit bold, and he gave a guarded smirk, ¡°I¡¯m gonna swap you two out.¡±

    ¡°Heh?¡± Ren stammered, ¡°How?  What do you mean?  You can¡¯t just make me Captain and him Wing Commander in my place.¡±

    Gabriel waved his hands back and forth and laughed, ¡°No, no, obviously not¡­I just mean in the formation.  Xanarken had Wing Commander One and Two at the head of the procession, while the Captain stayed on the Aegis.  I¡¯ll put him in your spot, and you can come hang-out on the flagship.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­okay.¡± She said warily.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been my partner for a few months.  Even though things are changing¡­it would mean a lot if you would come do the hand-off with me.  I¡¯m sure Iresha would appreciate it, too, considering you clobbered him.¡± The mediator explained, ¡°Not to apologize, mind you¡­but just to show-off why you were able to.  Kind of a fun reveal, if you will.  How many Limitless users can honestly say they got beaten-up by a Fafnir Knight and lived to tell the tale?¡±

    Furion just glowered in shock at the woman, ¡°You smacked a Prince?¡±

    ¡°In my defense, he¡¯d just roasted four people, and his eyes were still doing the thing¡­smacking him was the least I could¡¯ve done.¡± She answered, shoulders shrugged up a little, ¡°If I had my way, I¡¯d have done it sooner.  Maybe it would¡¯ve saved some of them.¡±

    ¡°Will you accept, then?¡± Gabriel wondered, ¡°Both of you, I mean.  I¡¯d rather not do it if you want to keep to the original plan.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it.¡± Furion said simply.

    ¡°Sounds kinda fun.¡± Ren agreed, ¡°Sure.¡±

    Gabriel looked happy for the first time in a while, ¡°Great.  I¡¯ll amend the outline.  Then I¡¯ll figure out how to get Xanarken to turn off the special-effects on this outfit so people don¡¯t make fun of me for a whole new set of reasons.¡±

    .

    Prince Iresha watched as the behemoth SkyFortress pulled into the bay beside the palace, turning slightly to bring its port-side up against the cliffs.  There was still an unambiguous air of grief hanging over the capitol, but Iresha had done his best to suck-it-up and get on with things.  Nothing he could do would bring his mother back, and further still, would never change the fact that it was him who had ended her life.

    He drew in a breath and turned to head into the main body of the palace, fully restored to the elaborate robes and armor-like decorative plating that the Sargonian royal family was well-known for ¨C albeit, fully in black, with a single pale-gold sash from right shoulder to left hip, to signify mourning.  He found his father in his study, ¡°¡­The Aegis is here.¡± He said quietly, and stepped around the backs of the chairs in the fireplace alcove, and found a seat on his father¡¯s right side, ¡°¡­Hard to believe it¡¯s already time.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s still a few days left.¡± The Emperor corrected, ¡°But I take your meaning.  It¡¯s a big step, for you and Sargon.  But I have faith you¡¯ll do great.¡±

    ¡°Is this what mom really wanted, in the end?¡± Iresha the Younger questioned, ¡°Putting herself in that position, going directly to a Luminary Captain to bring the Inquisition here¡­  Wouldn¡¯t it just have been better to ask me if I¡¯d go to the College willingly?¡±

    ¡°You were unapproachable about the topic, as you may well remember.¡± The Elder reminded, and put the book down that he¡¯d been reading, ¡°You¡¯d convinced yourself that Sir Gabriel had taught you everything you needed to know.¡±

    ¡°¡­She ended up dying for this cause though.¡±

    ¡°She did.  It wasn¡¯t how anyone expected things to go.¡± The older man said quietly, and fell silent for a few moments, ¡°¡­You must never blame yourself for what happened.¡±

    ¡°I try not to, but¡­¡±

    ¡°No ¡®buts.¡¯  The way it turned out is exclusively the fault of my brother.  His fear and anxiety over your development overtook his senses, and he stopped acting rationally.  Your mother did the best she could to redirect the problem he¡¯d posed.  If only we¡¯d known sooner¡­but¡­¡± The Emperor pushed up on the chair¡¯s arm-rests to stand, and went over to the windows, seeing himself as the cliffside bridges were lowered to join-up with the Aegis¡¯ flanking exits, ¡°All we can do now is¡­our very best.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t this mean that Sargon is joining the Accord though?¡± Iresha asked carefully, and joined his father at the glass, seeing the ship through the mist of the passing storm, ¡°We¡¯ve asked so much of the Council, and they¡¯ve done everything and more for us.  Yet, neither the Eidolon nor Lugios have never broached the subject directly.¡±

    ¡°No.  They¡¯ve been rather diplomatic about it.¡± The Emperor agreed, ¡°The Fourth knows the delicate nature of our situation with Kitez.  With the Duke being a distant cousin of ours¡­it would be imprudent to just ask us to make a move that might offend the Duchy.¡±  He turned on a heel and put his hands on his son¡¯s armored shoulders, ¡°There must first be justice meted upon the Sixth for what they¡¯ve done in the Exclusion Zone so many times.  Until and unless Lord Rylen feels genuine remorse for how his actions there have alienated Kitez, Sargon will¡­continue to maintain its distance.¡±

    ¡°So, we¡¯re just using the Council and have no intention of ever giving them what they want.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s intention.  There are caveats, however.¡± The Elder pat one shoulder and pulled his hands back, then turned to make his way towards the doors, which were opened for him by palace guards.  In turn, they quickly followed after the duo as they passed through, ¡°We are not friends doing one another favors, each one vying to equalize the debt to the other.  We are a nation that has taken care of itself for three centuries, and the Council is¡­nothing more than a colorful bird, trying to impress us.  We are free to refuse them if we are not sufficiently impressed.¡±

    ¡°¡­I think I understand.¡±

    ¡°The incident aboard the Bulwark was enough for Lord Xanarken to send Sir Gabriel away for a while.  But he told me that he¡¯s going to be giving full authority to Sir Gabriel as early as tonight.¡± The Emperor continued, heading down the long, winding, circular ramp that took them from the study on the upper levels of the palace, to the ground floor, ¡°That Knight will only be one nanotech-mantle away from being a full Eidolon.  Be sure to afford him the proper courtesy.  No more of this¡­callous disregard for his station.  You can no longer afford to be rebellious with these people.¡±

    Prince Iresha just scoffed under his breath, ¡°¡­As long as he¡¯s just a colorful bird trying to impress us¡­¡±

    The Elder huffed a quiet laugh, ¡°Now you¡¯re getting it.  I was hoping you would.¡±

    Iresha looked on quizzically then, ¡°So I can keep acting rebellious?¡±

    ¡°Maybe tone it down a little bit.  You¡¯re going to be representing the Empire in Agartha.  We shouldn¡¯t try to make them think we¡¯re all rapscallions.¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­fine¡­¡± The Prince sighed in his agreement, though he still thought it was a little funny.

    Within the Aegis, nervous hearts were pounding as they waited for the go-ahead to be given by the bridge.  The doors finally hissed though, and the cold mist from outside poured in through the cracks as the panels shifted aside.  The walkway was completely soaked, and though the rain had largely subsided by then, there was still an obvious light pouring, and puddles on that textured metal rippled with each fallen droplet.

    Gabriel ¨C with his ponytail pulled over his left shoulder in a carefully-woven braid - inhaled a long, careful breath, and stepped forward with a hand up, fingers outstretched towards the grey skies.  With a clockwise rotation of his wrist, he manifested a barrier that would keep the rain off of them as they stepped outside, and he took the first step, flanked by both Wing Commanders, and their Wing Groups behind.  He spotted the Imperial entourage there in the fog waiting for them, and approached dubiously, the elaborate halo of nanotech-manufactured light behind his head making him feel silly.

    Prince Iresha leaned towards his father, ¡°He really is a peacock now, even if a rather disquieting-looking one.¡±

    The Elder snorted a laugh under his breath, but shook his head and cleared his throat, ¡°Don¡¯t say that to his face.¡± He advised, but then stepped closer to the edge of the bridge to offer the Empire¡¯s formal greeting, ¡°Welcome back to Trazad, Sir¡­ah, Lord Gabriel.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s heart launched straight through the top of his head ¨C or, at least, it felt like it ¨C but Furion¡¯s words echoed around in the hollow space that now filled it, and he stood up a bit straighter, ¡°Not until the announcement, Your Majesty.  For now, Sir is still just fine.¡±

    Ren quietly looked over at Donivan, but neither said a word.  There was a knowledge in that silence.  Those green eyes then turned towards the Prince, who was just¡­staring at her, as if he¡¯d never seen a woman in blue before.  She smiled, gave the tiniest little wave, and snickered under her breath as Iresha flinched and looked away again.

    ¡°So, you come at the head of a procession of Sixth Wingers,¡± The Emperor continued, as he turned to gesture at the canopies carried by his minders.  Gabriel stepped forward, and the two Wing Commanders turned on their heels to dismiss the rest of the Fafnir before following after him.  The Elder walked alongside the would-be pseudo-Eidolon, ¡°Quite an unexpected showing for the Fourth.¡±

    ¡°Lord Rylen has given his blessing to offer the Aegis and the Fafnir Knights as a personal escort for Prince Iresha.¡± Gabriel answered, ¡°So¡­they¡¯re here for you, not for me.¡±

    ¡°I heard as much.  If he shows himself, I¡¯ll properly give my thanks¡­but in the event that he doesn¡¯t, be sure to send my regards and appreciation.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Will Captain Rydell not be joining us?¡±

    Gabriel glanced over his shoulder at the slightly-shorter man, ¡°The Captain has to give some unfortunate news to a family that isn¡¯t expecting it.¡± He explained, ¡°He departed from the Aegis about 45 minutes ago.  He should be back by tomorrow, though.¡±

    ¡°Did he go in his flying armor?¡±

    ¡°He did, Your Majesty.  Why?¡±

    ¡°Would it be impertinent to request that he brings it with him when he arrives?¡± The Elder wondered, ¡°I¡¯ve been so curious about what it looks like up close.¡±

    ¡°The Captain¡¯s specifically or the Fafnir armor in general?¡±

    ¡°His specifically.¡± Iresha answered, ¡°I remember when his father wore it at that unfortunate meeting 22 years ago.  It was one of the last times my mother, the late Empress, acted in her capacity.  Before the riots, you see.¡±

    ¡°¡­I think I do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m interested in how his differs from his father¡¯s.  The Fafnir Knights have always represented a¡­certain kind of thing, to the people of Sargon and Kitez.  I would like to see under whose command I¡¯m entrusting my son to for the voyage.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­see what I can do.¡± Gabriel answered awkwardly, and turned his eyes back to Ren on his right flank.  She gave a nod, and they all continued their walk into the palace.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 40 â€“ Keeping Your Distance Doesnâ€™t Mean The Message Isnâ€™t There

    The Eidolon System chamber was a space rarely visited, but when it was, it was also a nerve-wracking event.  With nothing stopping Etienne from tracking him down, Rylen bit the proverbial bullet and manifested at the foot of his pod, looking down with near-contempt at that frail-looking figure within the stasis-fluids.  It was strange, seeing that face, knowing it was his own and yet being so divorced from it as to nearly not accept it.

    ¡°Took you long enough.¡±

    Rylen didn¡¯t need to look to know who it was ¨C he¡¯d seen the alert on his overlay nearly as soon as he¡¯d arrived - and he moved to clasp his hands behind his back, ¡°I look fine.¡±

    Etienne hovered closer, and bent forward to glance at the broody dark-elf, ¡°You can try to hide it from Xanarken all you want, but you won¡¯t have that luck with me.¡±  She floated further into sight, and sat cross-legged above the First¡¯s pod, those three foxy tails swaying like melted wax in a lava-lamp, ¡°I know what the vitals look like when someone is experiencing extremes of emotion.  That attack scared the crap out of you.  I could¡¯ve given you something by now, but you¡¯ve been avoiding me¡­and I can¡¯t do anything for you if you don¡¯t talk to me.¡±

    ¡°This is why I didn¡¯t want to come.¡± He grumbled in annoyance.

    Etienne pointed a finger at him, the tip so close between his eyes that it made those orange irises cross to see it, ¡°Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t make you regret it if you even consider the idea of saying I¡¯m nagging you, Rylen Vor¡¯antiss.  Nagging is what a parent does to their kids, and I am not your mother.  I¡¯m your doctor, and you are one of my noncompliant patients.¡±

    Rylen gave a sigh, ¡°¡­Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    That satisfied the eclectic-looking Fifth Eidolon ¨C for the moment ¨C and she backed off to ¡®sit¡¯ normally.  After a moment, to be sure the First actually meant his words, she uncrossed her legs and hovered backward a bit, so she could face him from the other side of the pod.  She manifested her solid-light panels again, and loaded one in particular with some data-points she¡¯d collected, then turned it around to show the man, ¡°These E.E.G. rhythms are from the first seizure you suffered, during the initial attack.  These other ones are aftershocks.  If you¡¯re not interested in hearing about it, at least let me give you something for the pain.  You must have been dealing with a terrible migraine this whole time, given how frequent the aftershock-seizures have been.  I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re functional.¡±

    The First narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brow, but he looked down and set his hands onto the ridge of the pod¡¯s lid, ¡°¡­I thought it would subside on its own.¡±

    ¡°Your blood pressure has been high.  I can tell you¡¯re still hurting.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine.¡± Rylen agreed, ¡°But nothing serious.  I need to be lucid for Xanarken¡¯s announcement later tonight.¡±

    ¡°Have you slept?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°Then let me give you the full cocktail, and you can get some rest.  If you¡¯re not already seeing sounds and hearing colors, you will soon.  There will be plenty of time for the meds to run their course and you¡¯ll be ready to go for later.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°Of course.  Eight hours to sleep, two after to taper-off¡­then you¡¯re done, and you can do whatever you like.¡±

    He hesitated, looking at his own agonized face, but then pushed off the edge and gave a reticent nod, ¡°Eight hours, and two to taper-off.  If I¡¯m still hazy later¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Etienne answered, and floated off towards a small supply-chute on the far side of the room; if that space had once had a door to let them in, it had been closed-off so long ago, only the shape of it still loomed as a reminder, massive and imposing.  She withdrew a zippered-up bag and came back to the First¡¯s pod, opening it onto the glass, ¡°You want to watch?¡±  She asked curiously, drawing up the medications into a few different syringes.  Rylen said nothing, but those eyes followed every movement.  Etienne shrugged and continued, opening up a compartment on her side of the pod.  Within were several fluid-lines, which emerged inside the vessel, two of which connected an I.V. to each arm.  She grabbed for a small atomizer and spritzed a cleansing mist onto the first Y-port she¡¯d seen, then injected the first of the two medications.  Once done, she closed the panel again, and dissipated her panels, ¡°All done.  In a few minutes, you¡¯ll experience a cut to black, and when you wake up again, it¡¯ll be¡­roughly 15:00.¡±

    Rylen looked on with a worried expression, but nodded, and dissolved his mantle.  Etienne glanced down through the glass, and rubbed a small section over the face-plate to clear away the new condensation.  Within, dark blue eyes fluttered slightly, looking back at her through that oily iridescent liquid, then closed again.

    .

    The nations surrounding Sargon included Mayrain to the northeast ¨C sharing a coastline - and Goethe to the east.  Furion had set out for the latter soon after the unexpected morning pep-talk, and had gotten far ahead of the storm-front as he headed for one of Goethe¡¯s major population centers; K¨­ln.  Near to it, but slightly south, was a smaller town, and his ultimate destination.  The map overlay over his eyes told him exactly where to go, and when he spotted the house ¨C looking so normal and inconspicuous on its completely-normal street, surrounded by other homes and book-ended by large parks ¨C he hovered high above.  He drew in a breath, and loaded his armor¡¯s Angel of Death protocol.  The white turned to black, and those four massive wings reshaped themselves to a single pair.

    It was nearly noon, and he began his descent.  A handful of locals spotted him and stopped what they were doing, dropping their yard tools in some cases, and stared in confusion at the ominous sight.  They knew their neighbor was a Fafnir Knight, but to see one in person ¨C and looking like that ¨C was a worrying sight.  A nervous hand went up to the front door and knocked gently, and the Captain took a few steps back.  He removed his helmet, and from his left hip, he withdrew Ianori¡¯s signature weapon; a double-ended blade.

    Footsteps stomped within as ¨C what sounded like ¨C a child came rampaging for the door.  A voice commented after it, but was indiscernible from outside¡­and then the door opened.  A woman in her mid-20s answered, holding back the excitement of a 4-year-old girl.  Seeing her was like seeing Suzu, and Furion felt a sharp pain through his chest, but he lifted his gaze to the knowing eyes of the woman he¡¯d come to see.

    ¡°Captain¡­?¡± She spoke quietly, her voice caught in her throat.

    Furion kneeled, leaned forward, bent his head down, and spoke, ¡°¡­Mrs. Chelsae Noardin¡­I¡¯m afraid I bring bad news about your husband.¡± He said quietly, and held out the hilt in both hands, deactivating it permanently, ¡°We lost him during a mission to bring others back home.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t blink or breathe.  She could only lower down until she was on her knees, and wrapped her arms around her daughter, ¡°¡­I¡­I knew it¡­¡±

    .

    Though dismissed from the procession, the rest of the Fafnir Knights had not been relieved of their duties.  For the next few days, they would be staying at the Imperial palace, and that meant they had to follow an escort through the building to know where they could go.  In spite of the formality of the guided tour, once they were settled, they all ended up gathering into a single room anyway.

    And they waited¡­until they could hear knocking outside.

    Ravan quickly went over to open the door, and spotted both Wing Commanders outside, ¡°Over here!¡±

    Ren turned around first, ¡°Oh¡­wrong door.¡± She puffed, and came back the other way with Donivan in tow.  Once the door was shut behind them, eyes were on her, and she pulled a bag off of her shoulder, ¡°Courtesy of the new Vice Eidolon of the Fourth.¡± She explained, and revealed a large bottle of sweet-potato sh¨­ch¨±.  Donivan had a separate bag with two tubes of glassware.  With cups handed out, Ren began the solemn pour, ¡°Right about now, the Captain has probably given the news.  It¡¯s been weeks-coming...and I still can¡¯t get out of my head what I saw at the end.¡±  She set the bottle down and held her glass with both hands, the left trembling slightly where the cup sat in her palm, ¡°¡­Part of me really hoped that there was something more to be done, or that if he¡¯d really died, we¡¯d get his body back, so we¡¯d have something to put into the monument¡­  After all, his last words to me¡­were asking me for help¡­¡±

    Everyone lowered their gaze.

    ¡°But Lord Rylen has declared that Ianori is lost.¡± She continued, ¡°One of the only Fafnir to be K.I.A. in decades¡­and we don¡¯t even really know what got him in the end.  So¡­while it¡¯s not our place to question¡­I will never stop wondering what happened.¡±  Ren lifted her glass, ¡°To Ianori.¡±

    ¡°To Ianori.¡±

    Three were all Ren could manage on an empty stomach before her head started to swim, and she took her leave from the wake.  There weren¡¯t a whole lot of places the Luminary crew were allowed to roam within the palace, but she knew that the exterior-facing walls eventually lead to a large ballroom, and through there, she could get outside for some air.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    She wasn¡¯t the only one thinking the same thing though.  For a moment, she wasn¡¯t even sure she was actually seeing what she saw, and she blinked hard a few times to try and clear whatever syrup had gummed-up the gears in her head.  Yet¡­the image didn¡¯t go away.

    Gabriel was out there, braided ponytail lifted-up behind him like a cat¡¯s tail, eyes alight.

    Ren wasn¡¯t sure what he was trying to do, given his sights were set away from the balcony¡¯s railing.  But, given the lack of anyone nearby ¨C other than the nervous-looking guards that stood at their posts by the doors ¨C she began to wonder if he was actually doing anything at all.  Curiosity got the better of her then, and she started to make her way forward, making a point to tap her heel on the stonework a few times to signal her coming.

    His head lifted up, and he glanced around, looking relieved when he realized it was her there instead of literally anyone else, ¡°Aren¡¯t you a sight for sore eyes.¡±

    ¡°Long day?¡± She wondered, and set her elbows onto the banister beside him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t normally think of J¡¯ard Qiste in terms of being helpful, but¡­he came by at just the right moment, so I¡¯m taking a break.¡± He explained, and released the intimidating sight of those golden eyes.

    ¡°J¡¯ard is here?  How come?¡±

    Gabriel tilted his head at her and puffed a laugh, ¡°You first.  I know you didn¡¯t subtly drop the idea that Ianori liked sh¨­ch¨± for no reason.  The Captain is out there notifying next of kin and you guys are all stuck here¡­  It was kind of obvious you were planning a wake.¡±

    That surprised her, and she let out a quiet sigh, then turned her eyes back out onto the distant water, ¡°I¡­I know I have to accept the decision of the Eidolon.  If Lord Rylen says Ianori is dead, then¡­it¡¯s not my place to say he¡¯s wrong.  But given Ianori was still talking to me when I last saw him, and he was up and moving when the others last saw him¡­how can I just believe he¡¯s gone?¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Gabriel answered quietly, and took a similar posture on the banister, fingertips laced together ahead of himself, ¡°It¡¯s like a novel, with an author who keeps bringing people back from the dead.  You can¡¯t take any death seriously until or unless the body is shown, burned, and buried on the page.¡±

    Ren puffed a tipsy laugh, ¡°You think he¡¯s just going to come back to life inconveniently?¡±

    ¡°I think¡­after what you and the others saw aboard the Sterling Rose, I don¡¯t know how to define dead anymore.¡± He answered, ¡°And I keep hearing the words ¡®what we saw on the Magistrate¡¯s ship was not Ianori¡¯ and I can¡¯t help but wonder if there isn¡¯t truth to that.  I remember what I saw at the rift in Kitez, and how those fingers of whatever the Hell that was reached out, clasping and clinging to Ianori¡¯s body until it eventually yanked him right through¡­  I remember the whispers¡­those sinister fucking whispers¡­  Most of all, I remember that vortex above the Exclusion Zone¡­and how it sent a chill through me, like I wasn¡¯t supposed to see it.¡±

    Green eyes narrowed slightly, but Ren slouched and set her cheek against her crossed arms, ¡°I sometimes think Seth is barking up the wrong tree when he complains that he isn¡¯t afflicted, but¡­hearing you talk about it, I can understand why he¡¯d think that way.¡±

    ¡°Is it really so bad?¡±

    Ren huffed a laugh and turned her face into her elbow.  She swayed herself back and forth a few times before she finally pushed up again, and took a good long look at her left arm, ¡°In my world, Limitless means danger.  Do you know why it¡¯s called that way?  Limitless?¡±

    ¡°I envision some guy, hundreds of years ago, trying to think of a cool name for a phenomenon no one understands.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably true, but¡­it¡¯s called that way because of its myriad manifestations, and its nigh-unlimited potential.¡± She noted, and closed her eyes to the afternoon sky, ¡°¡­For some afflicted, their power is barely more than a parlor trick.  Being able to hear really well, or see telescopically ¨C like a bird of prey.  Others have seriously terrifying capabilities¡­being able to turn a body to chunks of mist and gore at a glance.  My job ¨C the Fafnir¡¯s job ¨C is to be a swift and decisive answer to the most terrible power held in the hands of the worst kinds of people.¡±  She reached her right hand across the meager gap between them and set it gently on her former-mentor¡¯s forearm, ¡°You¡¯re one of the first afflicted I¡¯ve met who I didn¡¯t have to think about killing, too.  Maybe it¡¯s just the alcohol talking, but¡­it¡¯s nice, you know?  To see the other side of something that has only meant pain before.¡±

    That made his brow crinkle, and he felt his hand flinch, wanting to return the gesture but resisting, ¡°¡­J¡¯ard is here because of the Bulwark incident.¡± He answered, going back to Ren¡¯s original question finally, ¡°Or, that¡¯s what Xanarken said, anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­It isn¡¯t?¡± Ren wondered; her hand hadn¡¯t moved.

    ¡°It was already on the books that we were going to Kitez to get Seth.¡± He explained, ¡°But since it was supposed to be a secret mission, Xanarken had to come up with some excuse to explain why he was hanging out in Trazad in my place.  It¡¯s still the official story, even though the incident has become a bit of a scandal around the world¡­and J¡¯ard is well-known as a guy who gets to the root of certain kinds of problems.  Prince Iresha resented me, as the first face of the Council he¡¯d been forced to deal with, so¡­Xanarken wondered if bringing in someone else would calm things down.  And, of course, Rylen knew just the guy.¡±

    ¡°J¡¯ard is legendary as being like a bounty hunter for afflicted.  If bringing him here was going to send any kind of message, it would be to intimidate.¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t always his job.¡± Gabriel shrugged, ¡°He¡¯s also been known to mentor the lost now and then.¡±

    ¡°How so¡­?¡±

    ¡°He guides dangerous afflicted kids who struggle with controlling their abilities, who ardently want to do the right thing but ¨C for whatever reason ¨C have a hard time actually doing it.¡± He answered, ¡°¡­I was one such.  Now Iresha is.¡±

    ¡°You were mentored by J¡¯ard Qiste?¡± Ren gaped; her hand pulled away so she could hold herself up in surprise, only then to suddenly lower down again a little in realization, ¡°¡­Well, I guess you would fit the bill.  You don¡¯t sound particularly thrilled with saying so though.¡±

    ¡°J¡¯ard represents change and uncertainty to me.  The only times I ever see him, things happen that I don¡¯t like.¡± Gabriel was the one to lower down then, and set his chin onto his crossed forearms, ¡°It was really weird when Seth showed up earlier and was so enamored by the man¡­looking up to him like a hero.  I knew already that he felt that way, but seeing it in person was still strange.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you talked about it with him?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.  After we got back from Kitez, but before the docs woke you up, Seth came calling, asking after my affliction, and what I¡¯d seen at the scar¡­among other topics.  When I mentioned that J¡¯ard was the guy who Xanarken put in charge of me when I first came here from the Exclusion Zone¡­he got super excited about it.  I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him how much I disliked the guy.¡± Gabriel slouched forward onto his elbows, and set a toe down onto the stone behind him, swaying his foot idly.  He nudged his head out towards the Aegis, ¡°Seth¡¯s giving him and Iresha a guided tour of the ship.  I guess they became friends after all.  Maybe the Captain can forgive me then for meddling.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something that needs to be forgiven, per se.¡± Ren shrugged, and with most of her inhibition dwindled from the sh¨­ch¨±, carelessly reached around to take-hold of the man¡¯s braid.  She scooted a bit closer to give it a bit of slack, but then idly played with the end of it, fascinated by the red coloring, ¡°But I think you¡¯ve said sorry enough lately, and I¡¯m sure he understands that you didn¡¯t mean any harm by asking Seth to help out.  It wasn¡¯t a bad idea¡­I think Furion would just rather have had you ask him first.¡±

    Gabriel stared at her, eyes moving between her face and her fingers, ¡°¡­You having fun there?¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± She stammered and dropped it, and the braid slithered back behind him, ¡°Sorry!  My brain is gone¡­  I¡­start to fiddle when I¡¯m out of it¡­¡±

    He huffed a laugh and pulled the length of it back over his shoulder, and offered it back to her, ¡°It¡¯s fine.  I just can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s fiddling or flirting.¡±

    Her face went red, and she clutched the braid with both hands close to her face, ¡°¡­Yeah, I guess it would be hard to tell¡­  It would probably be a bit¡­uh¡­improper¡­¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­you¡¯re about to be a¡­and I¡¯m just¡­¡±

    Gabriel shook his head and set his chin against his palm, ¡°It¡¯s fine.  I¡¯m just teasing.¡±

    Are you though? She wondered, and sagged a bit where she stood, ¡°It¡¯s different, with Furion and I¡­¡± She attempted to explain, or justify, she wasn¡¯t sure which, ¡°We¡¯re on the same ship, and spend most of our time in close proximity anyway¡­  You and I aren¡¯t even in the same Wing anymore.  I shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± She set the braid¡¯s loose end down onto the banister, ¡°¡­Sorry¡­  I must¡¯ve had too much to drink¡­  I came out here looking for air and ended up pestering you instead.  I didn¡¯t mean to put you on the spot.  Maybe I got too comfortable.¡±

    Eyes looked on quietly at the abandoned length of hair, and they stood there for a little while in awkward silence.

    Ren finally took a breath though, and pointed back towards the glass doors, ¡°I should-¡°

    ¡°You were right.¡± He blurted.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°I can feel it.¡± He explained, and let his eyes light-up again for emphasis.  He pointed out into the gardens below, where it expanded out towards the cliff like a tiered rice-patty.  Around 20ft away, there was a tall potted bush, and Gabriel waved his hand in its direction.  On that windless afternoon, to see it suddenly move as if a gust had blown through it was sobering, and Ren gaped at him.  Gabriel continued to move his hand though, and with each pass, the bush leaned and bowed, ¡°I can¡¯t quite grasp it yet, but¡­I feel the scratches of the leaves and sticks as my hand goes through¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that what you were doing earlier?¡±

    ¡°To pass the time, yeah.¡± He answered, ¡°After the Prince and Seth took off, the Emperor went back inside to¡­well, do whatever it is that Emperors do.  Managing the squabbles of all his different provinces, I guess.  In the meantime, I¡¯ve been trying to get hold of Xanarken about tonight, but he¡¯s not answering my calls.  Guess he¡¯s busy preparing whatever he¡¯s planning on saying.¡±

    ¡°He hasn¡¯t brought you into that conversation?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°I would certainly think so, but maybe he doesn¡¯t plan on having me be part of it.  Knowing him, the meeting might be more of a dressing-down of the Captains than a simple declaration.  I mean, Rylen may be the Eidolon of the Council¡¯s symbolic standing army, but¡­Xanarken¡¯s the one who gets scary when he¡¯s serious.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯d keep trying.¡± She suggested, ¡°There¡¯s only a few hours left.¡±

    ¡°Y-¡° He started, but suddenly found himself cut-off by the near-miss of a hawk flying past his head.  He ducked, eyes flaring brighter for a moment, but when he looked up again, he looked around the terrace adamantly, ¡°Oh no, did I kill it?  Where did that thing even come from?¡±

    Ren was baffled, ¡°No¡­you¡­¡± She pointed straight ahead, ¡°¡­I saw the purple haze around it, but it¡­it¡¯s fine.  Look.¡±

    Gabriel let the light fade quickly, and he narrowed his eyes at the sight.  The bush he¡¯d been messing with earlier was now the perch of a very peculiar-looking bird¡­one that was only half-present, and it¡¯s left leg and wing were¡­still reforming, ¡°Xanarken?¡±

    ¡°He came as a hawk?¡± Ren guffawed, ¡°Why go to all that trouble?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m not Xanarken.¡± It answered stiffly, and stretched out that wing as the nanotech that had been separated from it reorganized and returned, ¡°You¡¯re a difficult man to find, Lugios.¡±

    ¡°¡­That voice¡­¡±

    The sharp-looking creature fluttered slightly, then took off again, landing on different bushes as it went down the length of the garden.  When neither of the two Knights followed, it screeched at them loudly, then continued.

    Gabriel could hardly believe it, and glanced back behind himself as the guards tried to figure out what to do.  He gestured a hand at them, ¡°It¡¯s fine, just a bird¡­probably has a nest around here or something.  We¡¯ll move.¡± He whispered to Ren, ¡°C¡¯mon, I wanna know what this chuckle-fuck is here for.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 42 â€“ A Swing And A Miss, A Hit In The Dark, And An Unexpected Leg-Up

    Gabriel stood nervously in the Emperor¡¯s study, pacing up and down the length of the windowed wall.  It had already been several minutes since he¡¯d put in his request to speak to the man, but there hadn¡¯t been any updated notice yet.  When he saw instead that Seth was trying to reach him, he supposed he probably had enough time.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°MR. GABRIEL YOU¡¯RE GONNA BE AN EIDOLON!?¡± The teen screeched quietly, ¡°How did you even-!?  ¡­What¡¯s with your uniform?¡±  His tone came down three octaves as he stared at the image in confusion.

    The mediator just shrugged, ¡°Part of the package, I guess.  Xanarken all-but jumped me with it the other day.¡± He started, and looked out at the Aegis; the mist had cleared as afternoon dwindled to evening, and the crystal-clear blue sky began to darken.  The sun glowed with yellow, orange, then pink as it approached the horizon, and distant cliffs that surrounded the massive lake looked like black embroidery, reflected into the water, ¡°Feels kinda weird, to be honest.¡±

    ¡°No kidding!  I think Lord Rylen just did the same thing to me¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Lugios.¡±

    ¡°Ah, shit, Seth, I gotta go.  I¡¯ll call you back.¡± Gabriel panicked, and quickly closed the call as the Emperor stepped into the room, ¡°Your Majesty, I-¡°

    ¡°You want a drink?¡± The elder Iresha asked, and gestured over at one of the man-servants stationed at a doorway to an antechamber, ¡°I feel like you probably need it more than I do.¡±

    ¡°Normally I would decline but I think you¡¯re right this time.¡± Gabriel agreed, ¡°I¡¯ll have whatever you¡¯re having.¡±

    Iresha nodded with approval, and the servant took a wordless gesture and got to work.  He then pointed at the two chairs by a sprawling fireplace, ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony.  There will be plenty of time for that later.  What¡¯d you want me for?  Nervous before the announcement?¡±

    ¡°I am, but¡­no, it¡¯s something else entirely.¡± Gabriel answered, and stepped around the back of the nearest chair.  He sat back into it and bent forward to rest his elbows on his knees, ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been trying to figure out in what order to give you this information because I don¡¯t know what would make it better.  This could go sideways really quickly if I¡¯m not careful.¡±

    ¡°Out with it.¡± Iresha commanded, ¡°Just give the headline and parse the rest after.¡±

    ¡°I was approached by a man that you probably hate, with a message in service to a man you¡¯ve loved since you were a kid.¡± Gabriel answered simply, ¡°Where to go from there?¡±

    Iresha¡¯s brow crinkled, ¡°¡­Start with the latter.¡±

    ¡°Duke Mardu wants sanctuary in Sargon.¡±

    That made the Emperor stand up all over again.  He spotted the servant coming around with their drinks though, and stayed quiet until they were set down on the circular table-top between the two chairs.  He then dismissed the servant outright, ¡°Close all the doors.  Everyone out.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±

    Gabriel lifted his head and looked past the chair¡¯s back-rest as the chamber was sealed, but then looked back at Iresha, who finally retook his seat.

    ¡°He hasn¡¯t spoken to me in more than two years.¡± The Emperor commented, a hint of hurt on his voice, ¡°The Duchy has been extremely perturbed by my choices, to say the least.¡±

    ¡°My partner and I faced that wrath directly not too long ago.¡± Gabriel agreed, ¡°I¡¯m surprised they didn¡¯t flay us and hang us from the front of Regulus¡¯ machina.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so it was him.¡± Iresha said grimly, ¡°That¡­bloody fanatic.  He and Far¡¯nah were two peas in a pod, right from the start of her rule.  We all hoped that when Mardu and Far¡¯nah got engaged, it would mean things might settle down, but he¡¯s such a meek and timid creature¡­no one was surprised when things started heating up after her coronation.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been told that he has some rather disquieting news from Kitez, but he¡¯ll only tell you himself, face to face.¡± Gabriel added, and reached around for the short glass nearest to him.  Within was a spherical ice-block, floating in a deep amber liquid, ¡°I couldn¡¯t hazard a guess what he knows though.¡±

    ¡°Maybe if you tell me who brought the message, I can shed some light.¡± Iresha suggested, and drained half his own drink in one swig.

    ¡°Latheroux d¡¯Arras.¡±

    The Emperor coughed and his eyes watered, ¡°Latheroux d¡¯Arras!?  That treasonous-¡°

    Gabriel looked on helplessly, ¡°I wish it was literally anyone else, but¡­yes.¡±

    ¡°What could he possibly have to say that would benefit Mardu!?¡± He snarled, the side of his fist bumping against his chest as the alcohol-sting at the back of his throat gradually faded, ¡°He would¡¯ve been first in line to help Far¡¯nah, yet he¡¯s in-league with a man who wants to flee before the ship teeters in tepid weather?¡±

    ¡°Maybe two decades have tempered him¡­or he saw the error of his ways.¡± Gabriel supposed, meek as the idea was, ¡°His actions directly led to the tragedy of that day.  Surely, a man who once claimed to have loved Sargon saw the flaw in his plan to riot.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t give him sanctuary.¡± Iresha finished his drink, and set the glass down with a loud tap, ¡°Mardu is flighty.  If he won¡¯t give his ill-chosen messenger a shred of information about what this urgent, alarming news is, then I can only dismiss it as more hang-wringing and pearl-clutching from a man who¡¯s scared of his own shadow.¡±

    ¡°You think he¡¯s making a mountain out of a mole-hill?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bad look.¡± He dismissed with a head-shake, ¡°It¡¯s just too much of a risk.  Even with the Council¡¯s support, it would be crazy for me to bring Mardu here, and risk destabilizing my very angry neighbor.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t disagree¡­¡±

    ¡°What was he even thinking?¡± Iresha pushed up to his feet and all-but stomped towards the windows, ¡°The day my son¡¯s eyes lit-up, I had to make a decision about how things were going to work.  I had to choose between my successor ¨C the future of Sargon ¨C and my friendship abroad.  It wasn¡¯t a choice I made lightly, but¡­¡±

    ¡°It was an emergency.¡± Gabriel finished, ¡°I remember how bad it was when we got here.  I know how much worse it could¡¯ve been if things had gone differently.¡±

    ¡°It was no small task to get my son back under control.  The affliction is surprisingly rare in Sargon¡­we had no one to call on when it suddenly manifested on our doorstep.  No one we could trust to get close to the palace, at any rate.  Rani was the one who convinced me we should call on the Council¡¯s resources.¡± Iresha commented, his voice quieter as his thoughts went back to that terrible day.  Flashes of intense flame roared through his mind ¨C screams from both afflicted and assaulted mingled together in a cacophony of rage and confusion.  A quarter of the palace had been ingulfed in flames by the time help had arrived, and the imagery of it ¨C video of that billowing smoke rising off the cliff from the vantage of citizens in the city below ¨C was as memorable as the heat itself.  Iresha shook his head, ¡°The decisive way you literally leapt into the fire and talked him down¡­  Tell me again how you did it.¡±

    Gabriel lifted his head, and the spherical ice in his glass rattled against the sides as it tilted in his grip.  He thought back on the same moment, ¡°There wasn¡¯t even any nanotech in Sargon at the time, and my little skiff normally doesn¡¯t have permission to fly at supersonic speed.  But that day it did, and I landed on that balcony outside the ballroom to get close enough.  The Prince had the wherewithal to at least go outside, and that¡¯s where I found him.  I imagine the fact that my uniform-jacket had disintegrated at the border had some small role in why Iresha actually listened to me in the end, but¡­after getting through all the panic and the fear, it was just a matter of making him think the opposite of what he was doing.  When wet, think dry¡­when loud, think quiet¡­when chaos, think calm, that kind of thing.  With the Prince, I made him think of his fires as a candle, and then¡­with a breath, he could blow it out.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°You took him out over the water after that, as I recall.¡± The Elder noted, and started to come back to his seat.

    ¡°I also remember getting in a lot of trouble over that.¡± Gabriel puffed a laugh, ¡°Something about attempted kidnapping.  Who can even tell anymore, after so long?¡±

    ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t have to take him out so far.¡± The Emperor noted, ¡°But when I found out later that you just wanted him out of sight of the fire, it made a lot of sense.  Let my son literally cool his heels in the lake, and come back when everything¡¯s been put out.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s unlike any other kind of afflicted kid I¡¯ve ever seen or met.¡± The mediator added, ¡°The pressure of being the perfect heir, and watching his father¡¯s legacy go up in literal flames of his own making.  He thought he¡¯d ruined your family.  Knowing the way you came into your throne; he was terrified he¡¯d played his own part in removing you from it.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a changed boy, since then, that¡¯s for sure.¡± Iresha agreed grimly, walking slowly as he made his way towards the mini-bar, ¡°But after what happened on the Bulwark...  The anger and shame he had for his affliction manifesting at all¡­  His power suddenly had victims, and he realized he couldn¡¯t put up a fight against that inferno anymore.¡±

    ¡°¡­Was it his idea to accept the invitation to the College?¡±

    ¡°Ultimately, yes.  Rani was wanting him to go anyway, and we found out in the aftermath that she had thought the Inquisition might spook him into finally accepting.  She thought she could deal with my younger brother at the same time, by pretending to fall in line with his demands, hoping to turn it around towards her own ends.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see¡­¡±

    ¡°When junior found out, he decided to honor her wishes and accept the invitation.¡± Iresha explained, ¡°And so here we are¡­birds of a proverbial feather, trying to figure out what to do with Kitez.  And all I keep doing is everything they never wanted me to do.  Accepting the Council¡¯s help, letting the World Cloud in, keeping the Fourth as long-term council, sending my son away attend one of your schools¡­yet for some reason, when you asked me if I¡¯d allow Mardu to come home?  My first thought was absolutely not.  That would be a bridge too far.¡±

    Gabriel slid his thumbs across the rim of his glass, then finally set it back onto the table beside himself, ¡°What if I told you they had your brother?¡± were words he desperately wanted to say, but the sound wouldn¡¯t come out past his lips.  Instead, he drew in a sharp breath, and pushed up to stand, ¡°There would be some merit to bringing him here, if it came to that.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll give Far¡¯nah the freedom to finally do whatever it is she intends to do, and we could nip it in the bud, once and for all.¡±

    Iresha lifted a brow, ¡°That sounds like something Lord Rylen would want.¡±

    ¡°It is.  Very much so.¡± Gabriel agreed easily, ¡°But maybe, as Xanarken would say, we¡¯ve reached big stick negotiations time.  Far¡¯nah¡¯s been itching for a fight with the Council since the day she ascended to her family¡¯s throne.  If Mardu is here, safe, with you, then at least there would be leadership left behind to pick up the pieces once she¡¯s been ousted.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about overthrowing a government.¡± Iresha said darkly, ¡°Maybe Mardu truly has been the only thing stopping her this whole time.  He could continue to do so.  We should offer him support, not an exit strategy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not overthrowing if she pulls the trigger herself.¡± Gabriel countered, ¡°Latheroux was rather adamant that this information be brought to you today.  Whatever clock is ticking over there ¨C be it alarmist hooey or something truly cataclysmic ¨C we¡¯re likely to find out fairly soon.  I just want to make sure that you know, you have the Council¡¯s full support, whatever it turns out to be.¡±

    The Emperor stared for a moment, unsure if he was grateful or condemning.  His eyes turned away then, ¡°You¡¯ll be a good Eidolon, Lugios.  Thank you for bringing me this information.  You can go now.¡±

    ¡°¡­Your Majesty.¡± He bowed his head and turned.  He waited until he was a good distance away from the study ¨C on a whole other floor, and heading outside ¨C before he dialed Seth back.  The teen didn¡¯t even have a chance to offer a greeting before Gabriel got going, ¡°What the Hell were you talking about!?¡±

    Seth would¡¯ve been bowled-over if he wasn¡¯t already sitting down; he¡¯d found his way to the Aegis¡¯ on-board clinic by then, and was waiting in the lobby, ¡°Lord Rylen!  It was his idea!¡±

    ¡°Obviously!  What¡¯d he tell you!?¡±

    ¡°He wants me to be his prot¨¦g¨¦.  He even mentioned the Second whole Wing being leaderless, like it was on the radar for me to take over eventually.¡± The teen explained fanatically, trying to keep his voice down in case someone nearby could hear him, ¡°I¡­I was too excited by the idea of having an out from the Inquisitor division, that I accepted without thinking it through¡­  But since I¡¯ve had a minute to mull it over, it kinda scares me even more?  But for entirely different reasons.  He just brought it up so suddenly.  I was completely blindsided.¡±

    Gabriel stared at the doors that led to the docking terrace, and deadpanned slightly, ¡°I¡¯ll say.  Did he mention the words Vice Eidolon to you?¡±

    ¡°No¡­  He actually said more like¡­it was a special rank, but not exactly like the High Negotiator spot Lord Xanarken made for you before.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­I see what he¡¯s doing.¡± He said as he started stepping forward again.  As he got close, one of the guards outside turned and reached to pull the door open, and he stepped out onto the long path that followed along the cliff-side.  He gave the ledge a wide berth, and hugged the far right side as he made his way down towards the Aegis¡¯ docking bridges, ¡°A spot of privilege without authority.  He¡¯s making concessions to Xanarken without actually giving him what he wants.  Clever, in its own way¡­¡±

    ¡°People keep saying stuff around me like I¡¯m supposed to know what¡¯s going on already...¡± Seth complained quietly, ¡°But I don¡¯t.  I only know what the public knows, or what I can see with my own eyes, like when Miss Ren said she couldn¡¯t turn her jacket red anymore.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­right, sorry.  Let me come tell you all about it.  If Rylen¡¯s putting a party-hat on you, you ought to know some stuff.  Are you on the Aegis?  Your backdrop looks like it.¡±

    Seth sat up a bit higher, and he nodded, ¡°Y-yeah¡­Lord Rylen wants me to get my implants done soon, so I¡¯m at the clinic trying to convince them I¡¯m not making it up.¡± He explained, looking over at the receptionist, who in turn just shrugged like it was out of her hands, ¡°Maybe I should¡¯ve waited until after the announcement.  No one will talk to me unless my brother confirms, but he¡¯s probably getting ready for the meeting, so¡­I¡¯m stuck here waiting, in case someone answers.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°¡­You will?¡±

    ¡°Sure.  I¡¯ve always found it particularly helpful to have an Eidolon or two in my pocket.¡± Gabriel huffed a quiet laugh, ¡°Mine isn¡¯t answering my calls right now though, and yours won¡¯t take calls from anyone less than a Captain¡¯s rank, so¡­I¡¯m the next best thing.¡±

    .

    The meeting was only an hour away, and Furion made his way to the nearest SkyFortress.  That turned out to be a Sixth Wing ship, the Guardian, Captained by Scarlet Greenseer.  The docking-bay doors opened, and Furion found the imposing older woman there waiting for him with a small entourage of other officers.  He landed and quickly pulled his helmet off, ¡°Captain Greenseer, good to see you.¡±

    ¡°Captain Rydell.¡± She answered ¨C the entourage saluted behind her - and reached forward to offer a greeting handshake to the fully-armored Fafnir.  With a firm grasp, she gave a wry smile, ¡°It¡¯s our pleasure to host you for the night.  You can dock your armor in one of our skiff-bays.¡±

    He made his way off to the side with a grateful nod, and parked close to one of the walls, hoping to keep out of the way.  His armor¡¯s small size could make it easy to overlook by the larger skiffs that came and went.  Peeling out of it after being aloft most of the way was like breaking out of a cocoon, and everything felt like it stuck to his skin.  With a quick gesture though, a fully nanotech replica of his regular uniform manifested over his flight-suit, and he turned back to join his fellow Captain as she gestured into the Guardian proper.

    ¡°Do you know what this meeting is about?¡± Scarlet wondered, keeping pace beside the much-taller man, ¡°This is all rather abrupt.¡±

    ¡°I do, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not at liberty to say.  Whether and how much Lord Xanarken explains is entirely up to him.¡± Furion answered, tugging on the cuffs of his gloves for a better fit, ¡°I can only say it¡¯s to do with Sir Gabriel Lugios.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­of course.  That again.¡± She shook her head, ¡°The Fourth Wing sure does enjoy toying with authority.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not toying this time.¡±

    Scarlet gaped at him, ¡°So the pictures that have come out aren¡¯t grandstanding?¡±

    ¡°No, that was Lord Xanarken¡¯s idea.  Sir Gabriel dislikes it quite a bit.¡±

    She found that somewhat funny, ¡°Captain Rydell, what are you saying?  You¡¯ve spoken to him?¡±

    Furion reached up with one hand to fluff-up his hair a little, feeling it matted behind his head from spending all day under the cap of his flight-suit, ¡°He¡¯s been stuck on my ship for a little while.  Hard not to get to know him a little.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you lose one of your Commanders to him recently?¡±

    He gave an odd glance, ¡°You make it sound like he killed her.  No, nothing so severe¡­  My first Wing Commander was put under his supervision for a few months, but she¡¯s back with us again, hence why he¡¯s been aboard.  Once my ship has escorted Prince Iresha to the capitol, I believe Sir Gabriel will be stepping off.  He¡¯ll¡­have more pressing duties by then, I imagine.¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re all about to find out.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 43 â€“ The Ball Is Rolling, But Which Pin Will Be The First To Fall?

    The deadline had been given, and ¨C once having slept finally ¨C Kourin spent the better part of the day packing a light carry-bag, the nanotech containment-pod, and cleaning-up her apartment.  As the sun began to set, she locked the door one last time, and made her way out onto the street.

    Most of Stoneface Bluffs was developed in service to the research campus, within which her own home-office was built.  But by the end of the night, everything would change.  The last shuttle from the apartments was leaving as she got on, and she looked around at those familiar sights as they passed her by for the last time.  It felt like it was too soon that the shuttle stopped again, and Kourin quickly hopped out, making room for the techies and developers who were wanting to get on to go the other way.

    ¡°Kourin?¡± Someone¡¯s voice asked, ¡°What are you doing here?  Aren¡¯t you supposed to be off?¡±

    She lifted her head to the voice and saw a colleague, but just offered a simple wave and started walking towards an employee-footpath to the front door, ¡°I was just returning this thing.¡± She nudged her head at the obvious soccer-ball-sized sphere in a bag hanging from her left shoulder, ¡°I keep hearing that I shouldn¡¯t take my work home with me, after all.¡±

    ¡°Is that the Luminary pod?  The Magistrate was looking for it earlier today.¡±

    Kourin stopped, ¡°He was?  Why?¡±

    ¡°Something about taking them to Oceanside.  He didn¡¯t seem bothered by only having the one, though, so I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine that you had the other.  He did put you in charge of looking at it, after all.¡±

    She hesitated a moment, but then smiled warily, ¡°Yeah, probably fine.  Have a good night.  I¡¯ll see you when I¡¯m back.¡±

    The colleague turned on her heel and waved as well before reaching for the handle-bar to board the shuttle, ¡°Don¡¯t work too hard!  You¡¯re not getting paid right now!¡±

    ¡°Thanks!  I will anyway!¡± Kourin hastily made her way up the footpath beside the main concourse, and in through the front doors.  The building seemed like a tomb without the rest of the staff there, but as the last of the employees left ¨C and Kourin assured them she¡¯d leave soon as well, and activate the security system on her way out ¨C the doors were closed.  Kourin left the pod on her desk at first, and went to the front doors to make sure at least the inner set was secured.  She looked at the alarm-kiosk on the wall nearby, but passed it entirely, and went back to her cubicle.

    Hands trembled a little bit as she sat down for a moment, and thought through her plan one last time.  Once the sun had set a little further on the horizon though, and the light coming into that first level of the facility dimmed to near-darkness, it was time.  She sucked in a breath, grabbed her things ¨C as well as the bag with the containment-pod ¨C and made her way to the rear stairwell.

    She began to strategically lock and open different doors.  All the way down to the holding-block, where she passed by the interfolding walls that hid her from Scyrexianori¡¯s view.  She knew it could sense her, but she had no business with it anymore.  The deal was done; it needed only to be executed.  Quietly, she made her way over towards the storage shelves, and placed the pod into the spot its companion once occupied, ¡°The next time we see each other, it¡¯ll be in person.  We¡¯ll never need nanotech ever again.¡± She spoke quietly, and set her palm to the face of the pod one last time.

    Then, it was time to go up the stairs, to the pharmaceutical floor.  One of the inventory rooms had been repurposed for Prince Aamin, and that was her ultimate destination.  There was no hesitation; she tapped her finger on the door, and pushed it open.

    ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± Were his first words; he looked far better than he had before, though not completely healed.  Where once was ragged exposed flesh was now a layer of regrown skin, red and dappled, eyelid sunken-in where the orb within once sat.  His accommodations looked less like a hospital and more like a small hotel, and he¡¯d been allowed to dress in garb more-suited to his station ¨C though lacking the traditional pseudo-armor of Sargonian royalty.  He rose-up from the cushy-chair he¡¯d been sitting in, and set aside the FlexiGlas tablet he¡¯d been reading from, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡°The Duchess has called for you to come to Oceanside.¡± Kourin lied, ¡°As you know, it¡¯s a sensitive transfer, so it can¡¯t be done publicly.  We had to wait until the shop closed before we could bring the ship in.  It¡¯s docked in the hangar, waiting for you to board.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t made aware of this.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been made aware now.  If you please¡­¡± Kourin gestured at the door, ¡°Once you¡¯ve arrived, you¡¯ll be assessed for ocular transfer.  The Duchess intends to make you look presentable.¡±

    ¡°I ask again, who are you?¡± Aamin kept his distance.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know my name.  My purpose is to carry out the Duchess¡¯ will.  Now, you can follow me down or I can call for assistance to bring you down.¡± She warned, and started to make her way out through the door again.

    Aamin was intensely suspicious ¨C the very presence of the backpack and carry-bag gave him little confidence ¨C but the gaping door was too tempting, and he made himself follow.  It was his first foray into the building that wasn¡¯t obscured by the pain of his burns or the manic activity of the doctors who¡¯d come to work on him, but Kourin was walking quickly, and it didn¡¯t leave him much time to gander.  There were no alternative paths for him to go anyway, as most of the halls had been closed.  He could feel the nerves writhing like snakes in his guts as he started to head down those long, twisting stairs, but once he arrived at the level where Kourin was waiting for him, he made his suspicions known, ¡°You don¡¯t look like someone who¡¯s here to bring me to Oceanside.  You look like you¡¯re leaving.¡±

    She stared at him; behind her were the walls that obscured the view of the blasting-chamber, and just beside her were several of the perimeter-cameras that watched it at all times.  The pregnant silence was enough to make the Prince a bit skittish, but he was far enough inside the room now that he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape.  She activated her Limitless eyes, gestured to cloak herself¡­and immediately darted for the doors, pulling them shut before he could react.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on!?  What is this!?¡± He pleaded, banging on those heavy steel panels.  Nothing he did would open them though, and he knew he was trapped, ¡°¡­I knew this wasn¡¯t right¡­I knew it¡­  What am I supposed to do now¡­?  Was this a ploy to get me out of the way?  To lock me in a room I¡¯m not supposed to be in so the Magistrate finds me later¡­?¡±

    Kourin hurried the rest of the way down the stairs, and came out into the true hangar.  The Sovereign Shadow¡¯s empty docking-space was imposing, but it was hardly the only vessel capable of transport that the facility had on offer.  Behind a vertically-sliding panel was a row of hovercycles, used by the facility¡¯s couriers, and she grabbed a set of keys from the lockbox inside the small chamber.  Just as she threw a leg over the seat, she heard the eerie sound of a rather powerful crash on the floors above, and felt it in the floor where one foot still stood.  She had no regrets, and with a helmet secured, she started the bike¡¯s power-drive.  The thick wheels on the front and rear of the sleek vehicle split in half and folded down, with the hub-caps starting to glow and spin as they became parallel to the concrete.  The cycle hovered a little, and as Kourin took-hold of the handle-bars, it rose a bit higher.  She leaned into it and it began to move forward; another crash and rumble upstairs.

    She made it over the plunge-pool and into the woods on the far bank before the force of the facility exploding nearly knocked her off.  Taking cover behind a tree, she released her cover and pulled her helmet off, the last wisps of the glow from her eyes fading like smoke into the night.  Red and black billowed behind the forest, and Kourin could see arcs of purple light flashing within the conflagration like streaks of lightning.  Soon, however, it was just the pitch-black smoke from the resulting fires that could be seen, wafting into the sky and beyond sight into the night.

    Kourin was certain she could see the image of a demon emerge from the blaze, massive bat-like wings beating strongly to gain altitude until disappearing entirely under the cover of that darkness¡­heading east.

    .

    The lights beaming onto the SSCF Tuonela on the ocean floor systematically shut off, and a loud, groaning sound echoed through the deep.  Dust swelled and filled the water as the behemoth vessel began to pull free from its natural mooring.  On the bridge ¨C a rather ancient-looking place compared to the technology of Hadira¡¯s present day ¨C four Magistrates supervised the fearful piloting crew.

    Dressed in the same white overalls that they¡¯d boarded the ship with over 350 years ago, the six of them looked nervously at one another, trying not to attract notice.  The Captain looked at the control panels on either side of his chair at the helm of the room, ¡°¡­Ascent going smoothly.  Breaching the surface in 7 minutes.  Lift-engines are nominal.  All systems green.¡±

    One Magistrate leaned towards another and whispered, ¡°Incredible.  The blending of our technologies like this¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d never have gotten this relic off the ocean floor without it.¡± The other answered quietly, ¡°These ships aren¡¯t meant to do anything within an atmosphere except execute a landing.  The tsunami this thing created when it hit the water back then¡­it set Kitez back a hundred years in our attempt to establish a colony here.  All that arable land suddenly contaminated by the ocean¡¯s saltwater, all the work that went into decontaminating it¡­and the Council thinks it can just walk in?  We didn¡¯t put all of our blood, sweat, and tears into this place just to let them swoop in as saviors.  This land is ours.  If they have any sense, seeing this ship will remind them exactly who is control here.¡±

    .

    The material uniform of the Council was exactly the same for every soldier beneath the Eidolon; a dark grey form-fitting top with long-sleeves - light-silver trim that ascended the center of the chest and split at a T where it met the top of the high collar around the neck - matching dark-grey pants, elbow-length gloves with that same silver trim around the pointed cuff, and black boots.  It¡¯s what the nanotech created above that, that distinguished the rank and Wing.  For Captains of the Sixth, that included an ankle-length dark-blue jacket, wide silver pauldrons, and a long decorative dark-blue cape that hung from the back of them.

    Furion was still pulling his long, pale-blonde ponytail through a tie at the back of his head; a skinny thing that looked more like a ribbon than hair.  He reached the elevator-bay as he finished, and when he arrived on the bridge-level, he found his fellow Captain outside of the meeting room waiting for him, ¡°Thanks for allowing the detour.  I feel much better now.¡±

    Scarlet just gave a smirk, ¡°You smell better, too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bet.  Shame about my armor, though¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been saying for years that every SkyFortress should have at least one docking-pod in case a Fafnir visits.¡±

    ¡°Maybe one day¡­¡± He agreed, and the double-doors split to open, each panel moving to the sides.

    Within, the room looked exactly the same as it did aboard the Aegis, with the oval recess in the floor being illuminated.  There were 15 seats around that large table, with a gap at the far end ¨C like the space between the prongs of a horse-shoe ¨C that gave-way to a podium.  Seats that were occupied on other vessels were darkened slightly, and the barely-visible holograms of each of those Captains in attendance manifested in each.  Every Captain had their assigned spot though, and Furion stepped off to the left, finding his place at the prong of the left bend.  Scarlet was close to the southern end, and took her seat; the light above both of them darkened slightly, and they knew their images could now be seen on every ship in the fleet.

    Furion looked around the space; once seated, the holograms around the table brightened considerably, and he could hear the idle chatter taking place between the different gathered.  Beside him ¨C labeled on the table with the names [Herald] and [Captain Shalico Grimes] ¨C was a woman somewhere between himself and Scarlet in age.  She was from the First though, so her colors were purple, and the engravings on her pauldrons showed the stylistic Roman numeral one.

    ¡°Evening, Captain.¡± She said, and pulled a long, thick, salt-and-pepper braid over her right shoulder, and leaned slightly towards him, ¡°Been a while since we crossed paths in person, but it¡¯s good to see you anyway, even if it¡¯s like this.¡±

    ¡°Evening.¡± He answered back, and leaned his elbows against the table, fingers laced together as he looked at his fellow; ahead of him were similar nameplates with [Aegis] and [Captain Furion Rydell], ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be cause soon enough to have a few of us together.¡±

    ¡°Oh, the Dawn of Ages?  Only if we go to the same place.¡± She puffed, ¡°Where do you plan to be?¡±

    ¡°Not entirely sure yet.  Maybe Agartha?¡±

    ¡°Boring, but not a bad choice.¡±

    ¡°You, then?¡±

    ¡°Probably somewhere north of there.  The crew has been begging for leave in an Alpine climate.  Who knew they¡¯d all be so keen for snow-play?¡±

    The final seat on the oval finally dimmed, and the image of [Bulwark] [Captain Tarrock Gallifey] came into view.  With all seats occupied, the lights above them all shone a bit brighter, and all eyes turned towards the podium.  A hush enveloped the space, and everyone waited with baited breath for the meeting to begin.

    Aboard every ship, the mantle of the Eidolon of the Fourth manifested, and to his multitude of eyes, every Captain appeared to be there in person.  If anyone was in the wings, however, he couldn¡¯t see.  Aboard the Aegis, Rylen was there at his desk in the back corner, with both Seth and Gabriel waiting nearby.

    ¡°What happens inside the oval is visible only to those in this room, but those who are inside it can¡¯t see beyond it.  The nanotech wall creates the illusion of a one-way mirror, so to speak.  Makes it easier to focus.¡± Rylen explained, ¡°This is the only place where an Eidolon can manifest in multiple places at once, so there¡¯s a version of Xanarken in the presence of every physical Captain.  We do that so we can interact in a more personable way, since what we see in the room is the same for everyone else.¡±

    ¡°Can they hear us?¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°If we speak louder, Xanarken could ¨C and your brother would¡¯ve been able to if he was here in person - but since we¡¯re keeping our voices down, no.¡± The First answered, ¡°This room is sound-proof.  Not even the clandestine listening-apps used by spies can penetrate these walls.¡±

    Gabriel lightly tugged at the collar of his uniform and looked away, feeling those orange eyes on him like burning spotlights.

    Xanarken¡¯s voice grabbed their attention then, as the Fourth leaned over the lectern with a mildly-unsettled posture, ¡°Thank you, everyone, for making time for this meeting.  I know it was short notice, only being put into your schedules this morning, so I apologize if this is interrupting anything.  I feel that it¡¯s somewhat urgent to bring to your attention an event that took place in recent days, however, and it will change the course of the Council¡¯s leadership from here on out.¡±

    Worried eyes looked around the room, but Furion¡¯s gaze was steadfast.

    ¡°As you all well-know, the Eidolon of the Council are long-lived beings.  Though outside the Hadiran Accord, it¡¯s rampant rumor that we are nothing more than artificial intelligences carrying on the downloaded memories and personalities of men and women who¡¯d died centuries ago, we are, in fact, living beings who are directly interfaced with the World Cloud by means of the Eidolon System.  For nearly as long as we¡¯ve been on this rock, the Eidolon System has been used to make our work easier and more accessible for those who need us.

    ¡°Now, while this has meant that every handshake and physical gesture has been impeded by the presence of nanotech in the place of flesh, it has also rendered unto us a certain sense of security; knowing that no matter who we meet or where we go, we can be secure in the knowledge that we cannot be hurt.  That was, in its original iteration as a scouting program, the entire intent behind the system; making it possible for anyone who used it to be able to go into dangerous places, conduct vital missions, and return completely unharmed.  However¡­this sense of security has been violated.¡±

    Murmurs rose around the room as Captains echoed the words to themselves in confusion.

    Xanarken leaned up from the podium, hands gripped lightly to the raised edges on each side.  He slowly looked to the faces of every Captain in the room, starting from his left ¨C where Dreadnought Captain Hailey Martell sat ¨C all the way around until he met Furion¡¯s knowing gaze on his right, ¡°While on deployment into the southern hemisphere, the Aegis was stationed nearby to the wreckage of a dead colony ship; the SSCF Sterling Rose.  Joining us were the Inquisition ships Fibonacci and Lucas.  Our intent, as it always had been when we discovered those ancient artifacts, was to recover the Warp Core, and add it to our arsenal.  These cores are integral to the shielding systems of every SkyFortress, and to a certain extent, making it possible for the World Cloud to operate at all.

    ¡°Now¡­while the Inquisition¡¯s resources have been frantically attempting to understand what happened ¨C and how ¨C the bottom line is that presence within the Warp Core was able to reach into the mantle of an Eidolon and cause them physical harm.¡±

    Several Captains stood from their seats, and everyone looked shocked, but none dared speak aloud to interrupt the announcement.  They sat again after the initial shock of those words settled in their stomachs.

    ¡°Lady Etienne of the Fifth has been diligent in her efforts to make sure that harm wasn¡¯t lasting, but the fact that they were touched at all has caused me to believe it would be prudent to ensure a leadership structure that could outlast any transient interruption to the Eidolon System.¡± Xanarken continued, and left the lectern to start pacing around the inner ring of the oval, passing behind the seats in succession, ¡°As such, I am brought back around to a rather unfortunate circumstance; that being, all of you.¡±

    Concerned glances went around the room, and Captains started looking nervous.

    Rylen huffed quietly to himself, ¡°Here it comes¡­like a father scolding his belligerent children.¡±

    ¡°Four years ago, I rose Sir Gabriel Lugios into a position of authority within the Fourth.  With few exceptions, that authority has only been acknowledged on a surface-level.  Salutes given and sirs spoken, but actual respect for that authority was tepid at best.¡± The Fourth continued sternly, passing behind ¨C and pausing near to ¨C Captain Gallifey¡¯s seat, ¡°Now, it didn¡¯t truly make a difference at the time, since if the Captains of the First and Sixth even interacted with the Fourth, it was infrequent at best¡­the fact remained that the behavior and attitudes of the Captains filtered down into the lower ranks, and that created an atmosphere that permitted inimical sentiment.¡±  He actually stepped between the chairs then, and set his hands down onto the table ¨C Gallifey on one side, and his unfortunate neighbor, Captain Tonka Landon of the Sixth Wing¡¯s Buckler on the other, ¡°It has never been permitted for the personal feelings of any soldier within the Luminary Council to excuse any resulting disrespect.¡±

    Heads were bent down slightly, but eyes were squarely on the Captain of the Bulwark, whose fiercely antagonistic views towards the alluded soldier had been documented.

    Xanarken cast a very deliberate look at Tarrock before pushing off to start his wandering pace again, ¡°But that brings us back to why I called you here.¡± He started again, hands loosely held behind his back as he came around the bottom of the oval, and into direct sight of Gabriel, Seth and the First, whom he could not see through the veil, but suspected were there, ¡°The impact of the assault on an Eidolon has made me wonder if we would be prepared to lose one.  The Luminary Council is supposed to have Six Wings, and yet here we stand with only four.  Two Wings have never even had a dedicated Eidolon, and Rylen has had to assume leadership of the First and the Sixth.  The Fourth is simply too sprawling and far-reaching to be handled by a single hand; this has become abundantly clear in the last two decades, with hostilities in Sargon, and particularly Kitez, drawing more and more of our energy.  My energy.  I thought that by creating the High Negotiator rank, the officers of the two fleets would support it and show a united front.  That, apparently, was too much to ask without a formal declaration of that intent.  So here is my formal declaration¡­¡±  He was back at the opening in the horse-shoe again, and stepped in between the prongs, ¡°The rank of High Negotiator is abolished.  In its place, Sir Gabriel Lugios is now Lord Gabriel Lugios, Vice Eidolon of the Fourth¡­and you will show proper deference to that authority.¡±

    Gabriel swallowed a nervous breath, and hugged his arms around himself.

    ¡°If an Eidolon is ever struck down in any lasting or permanent way, we will need a Chain of Command to know who to turn to next.  I have chosen Gabriel as my immediate next-in-line; he will solely have dominion over the politics of the Council within the borders of Sargon and Kitez.  His decisions there are my decisions, and if ¨C Heavens portend ¨C I were to suddenly be unable to execute my own duties, it will fall to him to take my place as Eidolon of the Fourth.

    ¡°Tensions with Kitez continue to rise.¡± The Fourth continued grimly, ¡°The Duchess and her puritanical Conclave are presenting more than just bared teeth and thinly-veiled threats.  I staved off the most recent attempt at open rebellion by reminding the Duchess who she¡¯s barking at¡­but I can¡¯t guarantee that will hold for long.  My simultaneous hope with promoting Gabriel to Vice Eidolon is to, one, give the Duchess someone else to gnaw on ¨C and perhaps offer a different perspective on how to deal with her ¨C and two, free myself up to deal with everything else.  The Hadiran Accord is far too important to sideline because of a yappy little dog who doesn¡¯t know her place.

    ¡°Any questions?¡± He asked with finality.

    There was a hesitation, but the Captains started to gather their courage, and Captain Shanti Molinov of of the Sixth Wing¡¯s Warden stood to speak first, ¡°Lord Xanarken¡­I believe I must first address the perception of disrespect you have foisted onto us.¡±

    ¡°I foisted nothing.  I spoke from what I¡¯ve borne witness to with my own eyes and ears.¡± He parried.

    ¡°With all due honesty, sir¡­a prevailing concern amongst the officers is deeper than simply being blindsided with the supposed higher authority of a Fourth Wing mediator.¡± She said firmly, ¡°He¡¯s afflicted.  More than that, though¡­he was born afflicted.  The entire reason the Six Wings of the Luminary Council rest upon the shoulders of four Eidolon is because of the actions of a man who was also born afflicted.¡±

    Xanarken sneered lightly, ¡°You cannot possibly presume to link the lives of Caeros Vor¡¯antiss with that of Gabriel Lugios.  The two are separated by more than three centuries of time, the terraforming of an entire planet, and the cultivation of a whole civilization.  They are nothing alike and have nothing close to the same stressors.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know that the nature of their stressors were what led to the ultimate fate of the colony fleet.¡± Shalico stated, and tapped a finger down onto the oval table, ¡°But there¡¯s a reason why no one in the history of Hadira has ever permitted an afflicted person to assume leadership.¡±

    ¡°And what will you say when the heir apparent of Sargon assumes his throne?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t speak to the leadership of outside parties.  I can only offer insight towards the views of those within this organization.  Soldiers with the affliction are largely corralled into the ranks of the Myrmidon corps, where their power can¡¯t disrupt the day-to-day actions of others.  They are masked not just to stave-off dissident attacks against them, but also to contain the miasma coming out of their eyes when they activate it, so no one has to witness it.¡±

    Gabriel felt a knife in his chest to hear those words.

    Seth looked on with contempt, ¡°That¡¯s not fair¡­  Without afflicted people, we wouldn¡¯t even have the World Cloud¡­¡±

    Rylen set his hands onto the edge of his desk and stood up, though as he passed the side of it, he sat back against it instead of continuing towards the oval.  Arms crossed over his chest, and he watched, waiting to hear what else his chosen officers had to say.

    ¡°Gabriel has been nothing but steadfast in his dedication to the Council since he got here.¡± Xanarken defended, ¡°I won¡¯t have any of you besmirch his honor with your slander against his affliction.  It has never been a part of what he does.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because we all know Lord Rylen has insisted he keep it on the down-low.¡± Shalico answered, and retook her seat defiantly.

    ¡°So is that what this is really about?¡± Xanarken wondered bitterly, looking around the room, ¡°It¡¯s less a petty vendetta against a rank you don¡¯t respect, and more about the fact that that rank is occupied by a user of the Limitless.¡±

    Murmurs answered, but no one stood up to offer a clear answer¡­until Furion did.

    Seth and Gabriel were both on edge when they saw it.

    ¡°I believe I can speak more succinctly than most about the views people have about the affliction.¡± The Captain started, ¡°The very existence of my commission, and the soldiers I lead, are a testament to the threat presented by the Limitless.¡±

    ¡°Furion, no¡­¡± Seth whispered, brows wrankled with worry.

    ¡°¡­But, Lord Gabriel Lugios has been a guest aboard the Aegis for a few weeks now.¡± Furion switched gears, and lifted his head high, ¡°I can attest to his character.  He¡¯s not the kind of threat we Fafnir Knights face in the field.  He¡¯s been walking a gauntlet of 15 ready and eager warriors, all of whom were waiting for the slightest slip-up¡­but nothing ever happened.  In fact, I can offer two examples¡­¡±

    Xanarken crossed his arms, but gestured at the man, ¡°Let¡¯s hear them.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡± Furion nodded, ¡°Firstly, one of my lieutenants was partnered with him for a little more than four months.  She is adamant about his potential, and if she ¨C the most lethal and effective destroyer of Limitless threats that the Fafnir have seen in generations ¨C will vouch for him without hesitation, then I will as well.  Second, when asked by my younger brother, Cadet Setharion Rydell, to aid his cause and then submit to his inquiries with the full use of his affliction, he agreed.  Not only did Lord Gabriel agree to be poked, prodded, and used by the Fafnir for our own ends, he gave Cadet Seth access to the Limitless in a way I would never have allowed with any other afflicted person.  Lord Gabriel may sometimes have ¨C if you¡¯ll permit the use of the word ¨C a shitty attitude sometimes, but I¡¯m certain that if he¡¯s afforded the dignity of his office, and given a chance to do his job without the constant condemnation of people who fear a centuries-old tragedy that he had nothing to do with¡­he could certainly become exactly who the Fourth Wing is asking him to be.  He has the support of the Aegis and the Fafnir Knights.¡±

    The Captains of the Sixth were amused and impressed, giving nods of approval as Furion sat back down again, but those of the First were a bit more skeptical.  They all looked to Captain Gallifey, who had yet to offer a single word.  Just as he attempted to rise though, Xanarken immediately stopped him.

    ¡°No.  Not you.  Sit down.¡±

    And he did.

    Xanarken looked around the room once more, ¡°Let me be clear about one thing,¡± He started again, ¡°What happened aboard the Bulwark all those years ago was unfortunate, but it was not Gabriel¡¯s fault.  He was trying to help someone who was in dire straits, and instead of letting him finish, Captain Gallifey decided to interrupt with prejudice, and his actions led directly to the death of that poor young lady.  You¡¯ll all recall that it was he who lost his commission after that, not Gabriel.¡±

    Whispers of grudging acknowledgement sounded¡­and Rylen finally made his advance.

    From within the oval¡¯s visual barrier, the image of the First¡¯s mantle manifested as if stepping through a wall.  All Captains rose to salute, but Rylen waved his hand out dismissively, and they sat again, ¡°My brother in the Fourth wasn¡¯t incorrect when he stated earlier that an Eidolon had taken a direct hit.  While I appreciate that he never actually stated which of us it was¡­let me volunteer my truth, because it was me.¡±

    There were gasps and rancor all around, but it was Furion then who rose to quiet them all down, ¡°Let him explain.¡±

    ¡°I mostly disagree with Xanarken¡¯s desire to create mini-Eidolon to stand at the ready to replace us.  I view it as nothing more than an admission that the Eidolon are vulnerable, or can simply be swapped-out if one of us isn¡¯t wanted anymore.  I know a goodly number of people who would gladly see me removed from my station if the option was presented.¡± He explained, and stepped into the middle of the oval, ¡°But I also understand that the Fourth is stretched thin at times; managing the interpersonal squabbling of every member-nation in the Hadiran Accord is, without a doubt, a taxing endeavor¡­and adding the drama with Sargon and Kitez to the bag hasn¡¯t helped.  The Fourth and the Sixth have often been in lock-step with one another, each one supporting the other should one of their methods fail.  I support Xanarken¡¯s desire to add more hands to the job¡­so I won¡¯t begrudge him the desire to pawn off some of his duties to someone experienced enough to handle it.  I¡¯ve no doubt Gabriel will do just fine.  To that end¡­I¡¯ve put some thought into what it means to be stretched thin, and how power and duty has been consolidated across the years.

    ¡°By all measure, I¡¯ve assumed command of over half of the Wings, since the Second was always intended to be responsible for the interface of Limitless and technology.  The Inquisitors and their R&D towards the S.D. helmets is one major example of this interface.  The World Cloud is another example, which has been dutifully managed by Arbelos all this time, even if he fails to publicly accept that praise.¡± Rylen said, tracing his fingers across the inner lip of the oval table, ¡°But I can only provide limited oversight on these projects as a man who has no capacity for the topic.  As such¡­I¡¯ve also created a new rank within the Council, with the eventual intent of resurrecting the Second Wing under the guidance of someone who actually knows what to do with it.¡±

    Seth¡¯s eyes were big at the declaration, and he turned worriedly towards Gabriel on his right wordlessly.  He couldn¡¯t stay in the shadows outside the oval for long though, as Rylen stepped back through the prongs to summon him forward, and the teen scurried closer with a cold shiver down his spine.  Rylen then pulled him out in front and set a hand on each of his shoulders; the look on Furion¡¯s face could¡¯ve sent lesser men running.

    ¡°Cadet Setharion Rydell is henceforth to be known as Sir Setharion Rydell.  I grant him all the power and standing of a full Knight of the Luminary Council, and further, have accepted him as a personal prot¨¦g¨¦ within the First.  As Xanarken once did when he brought Gabriel into the Council, Seth will be something of an apprentice.  As he grows into his role and learns what it means to lead, he will eventually be moved into the Second Wing along with the Inquisition division of the First.  I look forward to seeing the full support of the Council and all of its officers to buoy him as he becomes the latest man of the Rydell family to reach such prestigious heights.¡±

    The sound of the Captains¡¯ applause was awkward to Gabriel¡¯s ears; his own promotion had been bludgeoned into existence and there wasn¡¯t any cause for celebration.  Seth¡¯s, however, seemed like the natural progress of an organization wanting to expand, and there seemed no-better choice than the tried and tested lineage of the Council¡¯s proverbial royal family.

    He couldn¡¯t bring himself to clap along with the rest of them.  No one would¡¯ve seen it even if he had though.  He found a good excuse to avoid it anyway though when he heard the subtle pounding of fists against the outside of the nearby door.  With a brow raised, he stepped over, and allowed the panel to open a crack, ¡°What¡¯s going on?  We¡¯re still meeting.¡± He asked, a hint belligerence on his voice.

    ¡°Sir, this is an emergency.¡± The bridge crewman answered hastily, ¡°Lord Rylen needs to see this immediately.¡±

    ¡°What kind of emergency?¡±

    ¡°One of the satellites over Kitez has spotted something inexplicable.  I¡­we don¡¯t even know what it is.  It¡¯s massive.  We think it¡¯s a resurfaced colony ship, by the shape of it.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes narrowed with worry, and he nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll get them to wrap it up.  Whatever it is, pull it up on the bridge¡¯s main screens.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    He closed the door again and reached for the lights, setting a finger onto the base of the slider so the brightness would come on gradually.  Rylen noticed it immediately, since he was the only one other than Seth actually in that room, and he stepped out of the lime-light to figure out what was going on.  Gabriel¡¯s expression was dire though, ¡°We have to cut things short.  You have to get to the bridge.¡±

    ¡°What for?¡±

    ¡°¡­I think Kitez just revealed its hand.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 44 â€“ Big Shoes Call For Big Feet, And Big Hats Call For Big Headsâ€¦And Bigger Egos

    The clapping was still deafening when Rylen stepped out of the oval, and Seth was left there on his own with nothing but the fifteen Captains all around him.  Even Xanarken had moved out of sight by then, and Seth turned his eyes towards his brother, who was still in shock by what he¡¯d heard.  Half a moment later ¨C before Furion could slump back into his seat ¨C Rylen had manifested aboard the Guardian, and stepped just-far-enough into the oval to clasp his arm.

    ¡°I need you back on the Aegis now.¡± He said firmly, leaned close to one shoulder, and the Captain immediately stepped out.

    Scarlet saw him bolt and looked around in confusion, but without a dismissal, she had to stay where she was.  Rylen soon wrapped a hand around her arm from beyond the veil as well, and she leaned through, ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°High alert.¡± He ordered simply, ¡°Go.¡±

    ¡°Yessir!¡±

    Rylen stepped into the light in front of her now-empty seat, ¡°Attention, everyone.¡±

    The room went quiet in a hurry, and all eyes were on the Eidolon.

    ¡°Who else is close to Kitez right now?¡±

    ¡°The Fulcrum stands ready in Mayrain, sir.¡± Captain Asha Odinsdottir declared.

    ¡°The Dreadnought is also available, just north of Agartha, sir.¡± Captain Hailey Martell answered.

    ¡°Both of you, full steam to Trazad immediately.  We¡¯ll get permission on the way.  The rest of you, on stand-by at high alert.  More details to come soon.  Out!¡±

    The table evacuated like a spooked flock of large birds ¨C Rylen included - and Seth was left there alone in the middle of the horseshoe, bewildered by what just happened.  He spotted Gabriel over by the door though, and the newly-made Vice Eidolon nudged his head towards the hall, ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?  Why¡¯d everyone dip like that?¡±

    ¡°Not sure entirely.¡± Gabriel answered, and waited for the teen to come around.  Once they were out in the open though, they hustled down the long length of that corridor towards the bridge, ¡°Here I thought I was going to have a minute to finally pin Xanarken down¡­  He¡¯s already gone though.¡±

    The massive doors to the bridge were already open as they approached, with Rylen there staring at the images on the main screen.  Seth took one look at the peculiar depiction and stated the obvious, ¡°¡­That looks just like the Sterling Rose.  Is it¡­flying?¡±

    ¡°Hovering.  Yes.¡± Rylen answered, then turned grudgingly towards the new ¡®powers that be¡¯ of Sargon, ¡°Make the Emperor agree to let the Fulcrum and the Dreadnought into the country.  I don¡¯t care if you have to drag him out of bed yourself.  Get it done.¡±

    Gabriel gave a bit of a look, but he knew there was no sense in arguing the semantics over whether he took orders or suggestions from the First now.  The job needed to be done either way, and he turned to leave, that long cloak swaying behind him as he went.

    Seth stayed by his mentor¡¯s side, ¡°I don¡¯t understand any of this.  Why is this so dramatic?  Shouldn¡¯t we be excited?  That ship looks like it¡¯s intact.  Who knows what will be found aboard?¡±

    ¡°This footage is coming off the coast of Oceanside.¡± Rylen explained, ¡°That means it¡¯s likely because of the Duchy that it¡¯s out of the water right now.  We don¡¯t know what they¡¯ve done to it, or what they have in store.¡±  He grit his fanged-teeth bitterly as his overlay showed Xanarken refusing to accept his calls, ¡°¡­Too good to deal with this now, huh?  Bastard.¡± He muttered under his breath.

    .

    Furion literally kicked his boots off as he hauled-ass for the Guardian¡¯s hangar; his jacket dissolved away from him, and his armor reacted to his approach by standing up from its kneeling idle position, with the full back of it opening.  Socked feet quickly stepped in, followed by the rest of him, and as the armor closed him securely inside, Furion tucked the long tips of his bangs into the collar of his shirt and wrapped his ponytail loosely around his neck.  That done, he swiped his helmet, and activated his signature quadruple wings.  Wasting no time, he stepped up and took off, spinning through the barely-open gap in the hangar¡¯s doors as he broke out into the open sky, still securing the helm as he went.

    He wasn¡¯t sure yet if there was a need to scramble; he¡¯d been ordered back to the Aegis, not to assemble a fighting squad.  Not wanting to worry his people though, he instead cut-off his ¡®deployed¡¯ status and sent a call out to his younger brother.  Seth took a moment to answer, but when he did, Furion immediately recognized the backdrop of the Aegis¡¯ bridge as the teen was heading away from it, ¡°What the Hell was all that back there?¡±

    ¡°Sorry!¡± The younger Rydell answered, all-but running towards his brother¡¯s quarters, ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to call you but I couldn¡¯t get through!  It all happened today, after you left!¡±

    Sure enough; Furion saw all the ¡®missed call¡¯ messages on his contacts bar, and sighed in annoyance, ¡°If I had been gone for any other reason¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, really¡­  I¡¯m sure Mr. Ianori¡¯s family was glad to finally have closure, even if it was painful.¡± Seth reassured, and looked back towards the bridge for a moment as he ducked in through the door to the large apartment, ¡°I take it that you have a minute now?¡±

    ¡°There might be some distortion as I hit supersonic so just wait a second, otherwise yes.¡± The Captain answered, rising high as K?ln disappeared far below.  Wings tucked in a bit as clouds began to pass beside, and a circular disc of air started to form around his legs.  A moment later, it extended backwards into a cone, and the telltale explosive sound of a sonic boom echoed through the skies, ¡°Okay, go ahead.¡±

    ¡°This is Lord Rylen¡¯s solution to both the problem of my refusal to interact with the Inquisitors, and Lord Xanarken¡¯s insistence that the Eidolon have back-ups.¡± The teen said quickly, ¡°He said that, after the Aegis escorts Prince Iresha to Agartha, you¡¯re all supposed to take me to the R&D facility where the Fibonacci took the Warp Magi bodies.¡±

    As speeds increased, segments of that white and gold armor began to shift slightly as parts of the external plating interlocked with neighboring sections.  The wing-arms themselves flattened and extended forward, creating a more aerodynamic shape around the Captain¡¯s helmet and shoulders, ¡°Right¡­¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever even mention the Second Wing stuff.  Not for years,¡± Seth went on, ¡°I¡¯m supposed to stay with the First for a while yet.  The problem is¡­my only claim to fame is my interest in void research, with the rifts and afflictions.  So, there¡¯s nothing for me to do unless I have something to look at, especially since I lost everything from my time in Kitez¡­  I don¡¯t mean to sound like I¡¯m telling you where to take me, I just-¡°

    ¡°You¡¯re fine, Seth.¡± Furion answered simply, ¡°If Lord Rylen is tasking the Aegis with taking you to that facility when he could¡¯ve just commissioned a skiff, it¡¯s likely because he intends to keep us there for a while, too.  In case the Magi cause more trouble, is my guess.¡±

    ¡°But Miss Ren won¡­¡±

    ¡°Can never be too careful with things we don¡¯t fully understand.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of that kind of stuff¡­¡± Seth diverted, and looked back behind himself to make sure the door had closed.  He stepped further into the apartment, ¡°Why is everyone so freaked-out by that colony ship coming to the surface?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I was only told to come back to the Aegis double-time.  I have no idea what¡¯s going on.  What are you talking about?¡±

    Seth¡¯s eyes lit-up, ¡°Does that mean that I know something you don¡¯t know about!?¡±

    Furoin deadpanned slightly, ¡°It would appear so.  Give me a taste¡­I¡¯ll be there in roughly 20 minutes for the rest.¡±

    .

    Being stuck on the ground ¨C and in the palace ¨C the Fafnir had barely anything to do to keep themselves entertained until their departure.  At least, until Furion returned to cut them loose, and none of them expected that until the following day.  But that meant every one of them was a captive audience¡­and Ren knew just who to bother.

    Thump

    Ravan seized from the surprise, and sat up straight ¨C smothered by a big fuzzy blanket where she lounged on her rather royal couch ¨C but when she heard the thump again, she drained her drink and went to the door¡­dragging her blanket with her.  When she opened it, she had to duck out of the way before Ren could face-plant against the open space where the door had once been.

    ¡°Wheeh!¡± She stumbled in.  An arm went out and caught her before she could go forehead-down into the floor, and she looked back over a shoulder with a weak smile, ¡°Oops.¡±

    ¡°You knock with your knuckles, not your head.¡± Ravan gave her quite the look, ¡°But, hi.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m bored.  Amuse me.¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you out earlier?  I thought you¡¯d take the chance and escape this place.¡± Ravan hoisted her friend and Commander back up to her feet, and pushed the door closed again, ¡°I would¡¯ve.¡±

    ¡°I ended up running into Gabriel and stuck around, then got trapped by the palace curfew.¡± Ren answered, ¡°And since Furion¡¯s out for the night¡­I find myself with a decided lack of people to bother.¡±

    ¡°You still think Lord Gabriel would bust a fuse if we invited him for some fun?¡± Ravan snorted.

    Ren just gasped and quickly dragged her friend to the couch, ¡°He thought I was flirting with him earlier.¡±

    ¡°¡­Were you?¡± Ravan quirked a brow, and poured herself another glass of that ros¨¦ before offering the rest of it over.

    ¡°¡­Maybe.¡± Ren grinned carefully, ¡°I was a little tipsy after the wake.¡±

    ¡°I think we all were.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯m the only one who went to get some air instead of going to bed early.¡± She puffed and took a drink straight from the bottle, ¡°I¡¯ve always been curious about the red in his hair, and he¡¯d braided it after all¡­  I couldn¡¯t help myself.¡±

    ¡°I guess he asked if you were flirting?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯d you tell him?¡±

    ¡°¡­I felt bad, so I just apologized.¡± She lowered her head, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to add to his troubles by being like hey look at me while he¡¯s looking down the barrel of becoming an Eidolon.  That, and¡­I think he suspects me and Furion.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± Ravan shrugged, and pulled a pillow from nearby to wrap her arms around, ¡°You¡¯ve never been shy about the fact that you¡¯re poly.  If you get away with keeping me as a side-piece, why not him, too?¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°I think Gabe would actually mind that.¡± Ren explained, ¡°With us, I feel like there¡¯s a part of Furion that thinks he just has to accept it, cuz it would disturb the peace to make a scene about it.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t think Gabe would be down for being like you.¡± She continued, ¡°I dunno, I¡¯ve obviously never suggested anything to him.  We just barely got out of the phase where he¡¯s trying to make me want to quit.  Funny how nearly dying will change the dynamic.¡±

    ¡°You should just tell him.¡± Ravan shrugged, ¡°The guy¡¯s been a loner for a long time, maybe he¡¯d be interested.  Who knows when the last time he had some action was?¡±

    ¡°Mmmh¡­¡± Ren grumbled and set a lip to the mouth of the wine-bottle, her voice slightly muffled by it as she spoke, ¡°I don¡¯t want to lead him on.  If he knows I¡¯m open to it, but he¡¯s the monogamous type, then it would just feel like a tease.  And he¡¯s gonna be busy with his new job soon anyway¡­it would probably break his heart if he said yeah and then had to go away.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, right.  Might be getting the power of an Eidolon but can¡¯t appear anywhere he wants to like the others do.¡±

    ¡°And even if he could¡­¡± Ren set the ros¨¦ down on the nearby coffee table and sagged backward against the arm of the couch, ¡°¡­What if it feels to the Eidolon like how it feels like to us?  Just¡­hollow and empty.  No wonder he protested so much when Lord Xanarken told him it was happening.¡±

    ¡°I think you should go for it anyway.¡± Ravan suggested, and set down her glass.  She let her pillow fall to the footrest, and slid in overtop of her friend, lying down across her front with her chin on the woman¡¯s chest, ¡°You never know.  Now¡­since the Captain is gone for the night¡­it¡¯s time to remind you what the phrase ¡®if you can¡¯t be with the one you love, love the one you¡¯re with¡¯ means.¡± She teased, and lifted up just high enough to pull the clip from Ren¡¯s hair.  Just as she was about to lower down into a light kiss though, she felt a pair of hands slip under her T-shirt and cup her, ¡°Oh.  You¡¯re eager.¡±

    Ren grinned, ¡°Furion may be my main squeeze,¡± She gave a gentle massage for emphasis, ¡°But, like you said¡­I am poly¡­  I have room for more than just him.¡±

    Ravan just gasped ¨C both for the feeling and the realization, ¡°Could you imagine?  If Gabriel said yes and you got them both?¡±

    ¡°By the Eidolon, Ravan¡­don¡¯t taunt me.  Furion may tolerate my time with you, but I seriously doubt he¡¯d share me with anyone at the same time.¡±

    ¡°You never knooowwww!¡± The older woman laughed.

    .

    ¡°No one is listening to me.  I need to see the Emperor now.¡± Gabriel argued, not even allowed into the antechamber to the man¡¯s study, ¡°This is an emergency!¡±

    ¡°If you can¡¯t declare what the emergency even is, how do we know you¡¯re not just inappropriately demanding his attention?¡± The Captain of the Guard argued, and kept her arms crossed, ¡°He¡¯s not your servant.  He doesn¡¯t come running when you call.¡±

    The Vice Eidolon rubbed his face with one hand in frustration, ¡°¡­Fine.  The Kitezans just lifted a possible super-weapon out of the ocean and it¡¯s pointed straight here.  Is that worthy of his attention?¡±

    She just glowered quietly, ¡°¡­Are you serious right now?¡±

    ¡°Yes!  We just watched them raise it out of the water! Now go get Iresha!¡±

    The Captain put a hand against his chest and pushed him back, ¡°His Majesty will be notified of your request.  If he chooses to respond, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±

    Gabriel finally took a step back, and gave a dry bow ¨C though not without a ¡®Well? Get on with it¡¯ kind of gesture by the way he held out his hands.  As the formidable woman turned away with an eyeroll, he stepped back to pace in the hall a little bit until he got his answer.  She must¡¯ve made him wait 10 minutes before finally coming back, ¡°Well?¡±

    ¡°Make it quick.¡± She answered, ¡°His Majesty has already had his nightcap.  He expects to be in bed in half an hour.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll need two minutes, tops.¡±

    ¡°Come along.¡± The Captain turned and led him through the antechamber, then into the study proper.  Once he was there, she turned to push the doors closed, and stood guard in front of those panels herself.  Gabriel gave her a snide look, but she was steadfast, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.  You have two minutes.¡±

    ¡°Only as long as the clock doesn¡¯t start until he¡¯s in the room.¡±

    Iresha slammed open the doors on the other side of the room, ¡°Super-weapon!?¡± He barked loudly, making his own escort look a bit nervous, ¡°What the Hell is the meaning of that!?¡±

    Gabriel wasted no time; his hands spread out in an arc in front of himself and a panel of light manifested above them, displaying live-feed images of the Kitezan problem, ¡°About 15 minutes ago, we were alerted to activity off the coast of Oceanside.  Our satellites in the area picked up movement of a large vessel that hadn¡¯t been known to arrive from somewhere.  This thing came up out of the water.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a colony ship.  Nearly a mile long, and if the Kitezans were able to get it off the ocean-floor - where we imagine it¡¯s been sitting for the last 350 years - then it¡¯s probably been outfitted with some of their tech as well.¡± He explained, ¡°Those ships do not have lift power of their own.  Only landing power.  They were built in orbit and intended to stay there for every part of its lifecycle except the end.  The whole purpose of it was to become building-material for colonists on arrival.  This capability is not natural to its design.¡±

    ¡°¡­And what do you want me to do about it?¡±

    ¡°Permission to bring two SkyFortresses into Sargon so we can launch a protected diplomatic mission towards Oceanside.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why would it need to be protected?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m the one who would be going, and I am not using a mantle like Xanarken would.¡± He answered, ¡°¡­I¡¯ve officially been given the same authority as the Eidolon of the Fourth.  Sargon and Kitez are my actionable districts.  I can¡¯t sacrifice myself as a martyr by going in there alone with this fleshy body that can, in fact, be shot on sight.¡±

    Iresha stared, pale gold eyes wide, ¡°¡­As the Eidolon?  Actionable districts?  I thought your title was Vice Eidolon.¡±

    Gabriel bowed his head, ¡°I¡¯m an Eidolon of the Fourth now, but Xanarken is still the Eidolon of the Fourth.¡±

    ¡°Fifty seconds, Lugios.¡±

    Bicolored eyes narrowed slightly, and Furion¡¯s words once-again echoed in his head.  He turned towards the Captain of the Guard, ¡°Lord Gabriel would be the correct thing to say now.¡±

    ¡°Forty seconds left to speak to His Majesty, the Emperor of Sargon.¡±

    He huffed an annoyed sigh, but turned back to Iresha, ¡°Please let them come through.  We need to address this urgently, and can¡¯t wait to go around the long-way.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is this what Mardu was trying to warn us about?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡±

    Iresha¡¯s eyes wavered in shock, and he turned away, ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡±

    Gabriel spoke a bit quieter, ¡°Does this mean you¡¯ll consider his request?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± The Emperor whisper-barked, and watched as his Captain took-hold of her holstered weapon and began to approach.  He held his hand out, ¡°Stand down.¡±

    ¡°¡­Your Majesty.¡± She backed off and returned to the door.

    Iresha crossed his arms defiantly, ¡°That colony ship is a big middle-finger to the Council, not to Sargon.  If you think for one second that I¡¯m going to throw myself in front of that bullet, you¡¯re barking up the wrong tree.¡±

    ¡°If Kitez doesn¡¯t know he¡¯s coming here, that bullet will still hit me.¡± Gabriel reminded, ¡°I¡¯m begging you, Your Majesty.  Please consider it.  I can think of a thousand reasons how this mission might go wrong, and if the Duchess fires the first shot, Rylen will end her reign very quickly.  We¡¯ll need a cool head like Mardu¡¯s to pick up the pieces afterwards, and he could use your guidance.¡±

    ¡°So, your aim isn¡¯t to install a puppet to get Kitez into the Accord.¡±

    ¡°Entry into the Hadiran Accord is entirely in my hands, and I¡¯m not going to force anyone in.  If Mardu wants to stay out, then that¡¯s his choice, just like it¡¯s been yours to keep Sargon out thus far.¡± Gabriel answered, ¡°I¡¯ve never pressured you, and I never will.  Form a coalition against it for all I care¡­but do not let Far¡¯nah point that thing at us like this.  I have every reason to believe that being a weapon against the Council is just the tip of that colony-ship-shaped iceberg.  I¡¯ll know more once I get in there.¡±

    Iresha could feel his heart pounding in his temples, and he stepped away to think for a moment.  Ultimately, however, he stuck to his guns, and made his choice known loudly to the whole room, ¡°No.  This is what¡¯s going to happen.  First thing in the morning, before this insanity gets loose, your people will escort my son to Agartha.  He will make it successfully to the College without any interruption.  He will have a personal guard assigned to him and Rylen¡¯s fleet will set-up a defensive blockade that extends from the equator, up the border mountains, and west over the water, protecting both Sargon and Chiron¡¯Thule ¨C and thus, Agartha within it.  These things will be done because I allow it, and you¡¯ll do everything in your power to make sure Duchess Far¡¯nah does not pose a threat to me and mine.  Whatever else you want to do is yours to choose, but I will not be part of it.  I have already given the Council enough.  I will not be involved in any of the rest.  Far¡¯nah¡¯s crosshairs are yours alone to deal with.¡±

    ¡°They have your brother!¡± Gabriel finally blurted, looking rather exasperated.  He saw the mood shift rather quickly, and he pressed further, ¡°They have Aamin¡­  The Duchess has been keeping his presence in Kitez secret, to use as a trump-card against you, no doubt¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­How do you know this¡­?¡±

    ¡°Because I tried to stop him from getting there.¡± He answered grimly, and took a step back, ¡°¡­Ren and I were sent to the border on a tip disseminated by Latheroux.  He orchestrated the entire thing¡­thinking he could give us Magistrate Regulus at the same time, who was sent there to collect the man.  ¡­But we failed.  I got in Ren¡¯s way and she spent more time protecting me than doing what she¡¯d been sent there for, and I¡¯ve been trying to figure out how to deal with that fallout ever since.¡±

    ¡°Aamin¡­is in Kitez¡­¡± Iresha repeated, and gave the Vice Eidolon a rather stern look, ¡°¡­You have some damn nerve bringing that up now.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to.  I hoped I¡¯d never have to.¡± Gabriel shook his head, ¡°But you¡¯re eyeballs deep in this just like I am.  We can either work together to deal with it, or I¡¯m going to do it myself and you¡¯re not going to like it, because I¡¯m just as sick of that uppity bitch as Rylen is.  Her fanaticism led directly to the circumstances that allowed Magistrate Regulus to brutalize Ren, and I will not stand by while Far¡¯nah continues to pretend at leadership when all she¡¯s doing is grandstanding, hoping we take the bait so she can try to turn it against us.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then what do you suggest I do with this?¡±

    ¡°When I go to Oceanside, I¡¯m going to talk to Mardu.  So far as I¡¯m aware, he¡¯s not in any trouble with Far¡¯nah yet.  The Council has no feasible way of extracting him ourselves, but he can extract himself¡­and I¡¯m going to tell him to come here.¡± Gabriel explained, leaving little room to wiggle, ¡°When he arrives, you¡¯re going to give him sanctuary, and you¡¯ll keep him secret and safe until all of this shit with Far¡¯nah is finished.  Either she accepts Council oversight or she steps down.  Duke Mardu will become the sole ruler of Kitez, and you two will get along to the betterment of the entire world.¡±

    ¡°Then it sounds like we¡¯re both about to get what we want.¡±

    Gabriel stared firmly, ¡°¡­Is that a yes?  You¡¯ll take him?¡±

    ¡°Protect my son and I¡¯ll protect the Duke.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± He turned and made his way towards the Captain, and she hastily pushed the door open to let him through.  Before he¡¯d even made it to the stairs, he lifted his head, and spoke to the open hall, ¡°Did you get all that?¡±

    Xanarken and Rylen both formed their mantles to follow him, and Rylen glanced back over his shoulder briefly, one burning-hot orange eye staring back at the Emperor and his guards.  The Fourth set his hand against his son¡¯s back, ¡°A mediator after my own heart.¡±

    Rylen turned back to the duo though, ¡°When were either of you pricks going to tell me about Aamin?¡±

    ¡°Exactly at the moment it was necessary, and no sooner.¡± Gabriel said simply, ¡°Now you know, and we have work to do.¡±

    ¡°And Latheroux?¡±

    The two mediators tilted their heads at him, ¡°What about him?¡±

    ¡°You know he¡¯s been whispering in the Duke¡¯s ear for like two decades, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡± They both stopped in their tracks ¨C they were long-gone from the Emperor¡¯s sight by then, and were halfway down a long curved staircase.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know?¡± Rylen stared quizzically at them, ¡°He ingratiated himself with the Duke within weeks of the riots.  I thought he¡¯d died, but he actually slipped out of Sargon in the ensuing chaos of the Empress¡¯ death.  Mardu took pity on him way back then, and they¡¯ve been cozy ever since.  How the Hell else did you think he got there?  Magic?¡±

    Gabriel and Xanarken stared at one another, then back at Rylen, ¡°When were you going to tell us about Latheroux?¡±

    ¡°¡­Apparently exactly at the moment you needed to know.¡± The First leered, ¡°He¡¯s been a primary driver of the Duchy¡¯s refusal to talk to us.  While Far¡¯nah¡¯s been chomping at the bit to attack, Mardu and Latheroux have been working in tandem to just keep us out instead.  That man and his buddy might be largely unseen and unheard, but they¡¯ve both been massive pains in my ass this whole time.¡±  He cast his gaze at Xanarken, ¡°I could¡¯ve sworn you knew.  How could you not know?  You were dealing with them for damn near the whole 20 years before the Prince burned half the palace down.¡±

    Xanarken sighed heavily, ¡°Duke Mardu was never the one I got to deal with.  It was always Far¡¯nah or her Conclave.¡±

    Rylen rolled his eyes, and started walking again, ¡°Fuck¡¯s sake.¡±  He shook his head, and turned to walk backwards instead, reaching out to poke Gabriel in the forehead several times as he kept pace, ¡°It¡¯s.  Your.  Job.  To.  Know.  Stuff.¡± He said, each word leading to a thump between the Vice Eidolon¡¯s eyes, ¡°I¡¯ve got a fleet to prepare.  Go tell Captain Rydell what¡¯s going on.  He should be here any second.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right.¡±

    Rylen dissolved, and Gabriel was left there in the ballroom with the Fourth.

    Xanarken just huffed a laugh and smacked the man¡¯s back, ¡°What a first night, right?  You¡¯re doing great.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do I take orders from him or is this how he talks to you, too?¡± The younger man wondered, pointing at the space that Rylen had once occupied, ¡°Cuz that felt like marching orders.¡±

    ¡°Just wait till you get to do it back at him.¡±

    Gabriel gasped, stars lighting-up in his big eyes, ¡°I get to boss him around!?  Why didn¡¯t you say so in the training-room!?  I would¡¯ve said yes right away!¡±

    ¡°Come along, young one¡­time to call the Duchess.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 45 â€“ The Right Way Can Mean Wandering Down Many Different Paths

    The Aegis was a welcome sight as Furion came drifting overtop of Trazad, and he dove swiftly to get to the docking bay.  Expecting to find his own people there, though, it was strange when it was the Fourth waiting for him to land.  He touched down and pulled his helmet off, ¡°¡­Lord Xanarken?¡±

    Purple eyes lifted, but the man just took a step back and gestured at¡­

    ¡°Lord Gabriel.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡± He pleaded quietly, ¡°It¡¯s weird, coming from you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not how it works, sir.¡± Furion countered, ¡°In any case, why are you here instead of someone from my crew?  Or even Lord Rylen?¡±

    ¡°Long story short, Kitez has raised a colony ship from the waters off of Oceanside and we have every reason to believe it¡¯s been weaponized.  The Fourth has already gotten through to the Duchy and we¡¯ve gotten confirmation that they¡¯re willing to treat with me.¡±

    ¡°What is the Aegis¡¯ role?¡±

    ¡°Same as before, just on a rushed timetable.¡± Gabriel answered, ¡°The Emperor wants Prince Iresha taken to Agartha with all haste.  First thing in the morning, the Aegis will be escorting him north while the Fulcrum and Dreadnought come west with me.  Rylen is arranging a defensive line along the Kitezan border right now¡­which is why I¡¯m here telling you about it instead of him.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.  And after?¡±

    ¡°After?¡±

    Xanarken stepped closer to Gabriel¡¯s side, ¡°Share your overlay for a second.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure.¡± He lifted his hands, and while the Eidolon could see it, Furion could not, so it just looked as though the man¡¯s hand was pointing at blank panels.

    Xanarken clicked through a few different lists, ¡°I probably should¡¯ve shown you this earlier, but¡­from here, you can see the positions and goals of every ship in the fleet in real time.  You can look up ships by name or proximity to desired locations, or other metrics¡­¡± A finger highlighted the Aegis parked on top of Trazad, and a dossier came up beside it, ¡°Current status¡­pending transfer to Agartha.  Originally scheduled to depart on Friday, it¡¯s now been bumped-up to tomorrow morning.  Once the system detects that you¡¯ve talked to him, it¡¯ll show as Order Given and send the update out to the ship and crew.  You can also force it through if you don¡¯t have time.  Rylen specifically wanted you to tell the Captain though, so it would stay here in pending status until you did.¡±

    ¡°¡­Crazy.  How come Rylen didn¡¯t just look at this when he was asking about who was closest to the border?¡±

    ¡°The Captains keep a closer eye on where they are in proximity to other ships than he does.  It was faster to just ask.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±

    ¡°Click through to the next page though; there¡¯s more.¡±

    Gabriel flicked his hand to the left to switch it over, and saw the next item on the Aegis¡¯ list of tasks.  He read it quickly, the nodded, ¡°Ah, okay¡­yeah, no, this is all still right.¡±  He gestured out with both hands to dismiss the overlay and let it go back to just his own sights, and he looked back to Furion, ¡°Rylen doesn¡¯t want the Aegis anywhere near this one.  The Emperor has also asked for a personal guard to attend to his son for a little while, so¡­chef¡¯s choice on who stays behind when you leave Agartha with Seth.¡±

    The Captain was a bit flummoxed, ¡°A personal guard?¡± He echoed, ¡°You couldn¡¯t possibly mean leaving a Fafnir Knight behind to wander around Agartha with the Prince.  ¡­Sir.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I do.  It was part of the deal we agreed to.¡± Gabriel stepped closer, leaving Xanarken in the back to watch.  He got close enough to speak quieter, just enough for Furion to hear, ¡°It¡¯s just for a little bit.  A few days, maybe¡­until whatever is going on with Kitez right now settles down.¡±

    ¡°The Fafnir are not for use as a personal security detail, sir.¡± Furion insisted, ¡°We kill Limitless threats; we don¡¯t protect them.¡±

    ¡°Then leave him with someone who has a history of being able to do both.¡±

    That got a subtle look of ire, ¡°¡­I just got her back.  You wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Like I said, chef¡¯s choice.  Ren¡¯s already been introduced to the Prince, and she¡¯s proven she can handle him without lasting damage.¡± Gabriel walked a bit further, around the edge of the largest of the Fafnir¡¯s dimly-glowing wings, ¡°But ultimately, you get to pick.  Or you can draft a volunteer.  It¡¯s just for show; making the Emperor feel like we aren¡¯t leaving anything to chance.¡±

    ¡°With all due respect, sir, the Fourth has no jurisdiction over the Sixth.¡± Furion retorted, and side-eyed the Vice Eidolon warily, ¡°It was one thing to ask if a ceremonial adjustment could be made, but it¡¯s another entirely to bargain the duties of my subordinates for your own purposes.¡±

    ¡°Rylen told me to get the Emperor to agree to let the Fulcrum and the Dreadnought into the country.¡± Gabriel answered with a simple shrug, turning back towards the man slightly.  He paused there a moment, then headed past him again to head back towards Xanarken, ¡°And this largely is ceremonial.  Rylen heard the entire conversation and he had no objections.  You¡¯re welcome to confirm with him if you want.¡±

    Furion wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that.  Fourth Wing or not, Gabriel still outranked him, and ultimately, if an Eidolon issued an order, it didn¡¯t really matter what Wing they were giving it to.  His gaze wandered towards Xanarken briefly, but he let out a grudging breath, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, sir.  I¡¯ll let her know.¡±

    ¡°You can go now; that¡¯s all I had to say.  I¡¯m sure Seth will be glad to see you¡¯re back.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡± The Captain was stoney-faced as he acknowledged the order and stepped off; his docking pod opened with a hiss as he approached, and he released the solid-light panels of his wings as he stepped within.  With one grand gesture, his regular regalia reappeared around him, and with each step, the temporary nanotech boots that formed around his feet started to click on that hollow steel floor.  He passed close-by enough to Gabriel for a corner of his cape to brush against the man, and the intimidating wake of his presence left the Vice Eidolon with a pit in his gut.

    Once the Captain was gone though, Gabriel let out a breath he¡¯d been holding since arriving, ¡°¡­The dichotomy of Furion Rydell.  The Captain and the man.¡±

    ¡°Your orders will not always be popular.¡± Xanarken agreed.

    ¡°I know¡­  I just wish it didn¡¯t keep having to be to his detriment.¡± Gabriel answered, ¡°I¡¯ve been nothing but a thorn in his side since Ren got transferred out in the first place.  Every time he sees my face, the first words in his head must be ¡®oh great, it¡¯s him again, what now?¡¯¡±

    ¡°You should think about getting some rest.  It¡¯ll take roughly eight hours to fly from here to Oceanside, and we can¡¯t even start until our escort arrives.¡±

    Gabriel was surprised by that choice of words, ¡°Ours?  You¡¯re going to come?¡±

    ¡°In a sense.¡± The Eidolon nodded, and gestured over towards the elevators, ¡°I¡¯m going to send some tech cannisters with you.  I¡¯ll be with you in an observational role only.  As much as possible, I will stay out of whatever happens.  This is your show now, Gabriel.  I¡¯ve just bought some front-row tickets.¡±

    .

    Everyone was tired the next morning when a first-light wake-up call went out to the Fafnir.  But, up they got, and ready they were made, shuffling out to the docking-bridges that led back aboard the Aegis and outside the purview of their Sargonian hosts.  In the briefing room, they were all surprised to see their Captain there already.

    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you supposed to be aboard the Guardian?¡± Ren wondered sleepily, though she reached a hand towards him as the other braced behind a yawn.

    Furion clasped her fingers lightly, ¡°The Aegis has been on silent-alarm since last night.  Half of our fleet is heading towards the Kitezan border.  The other half is on high-alert and are on standby.  You couldn¡¯t see through the palace, but on the other side of Trazad, the Fulcrum and Dreadnought are arriving.¡±

    The room was paying very close attention, and Furion pulled his hand back to press it behind the woman¡¯s back gently, nudging her forward towards the theater-rows of seats.

    ¡°Morning, everyone.¡± He started, ¡°Sorry for the early wake-up call.  Our plans have once-again been moved-up and we only have two hours to get ready.  Before I get to that, though¡­there are a few other things to address.  Last night, there was a meeting of the Captains, and as you know, there has been a change of rank in the Fourth Wing.  Effective immediately¡­Sir Gabriel Lugios is to be referred to as Lord Gabriel Lugios, and while within the borders of Sargon and Kitez, he is the prevailing authority.  Furthermore, Cadet Setharion Rydell is to be referred to as Sir Setharion Rydell.¡±

    That got people murmuring.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°It was sprung on me, too.¡± The Captain shook his head lightly, ¡°Lord Rylen has decided to take on an apprentice, and Seth is it, so the promotion was obligatory.  That being the case, once we¡¯ve taken Prince Iresha to Agartha, we are immediately shoving off again to take Seth to his new home, roughly three hours southeast of the city, near the Mayrainese border.  We¡¯ll be stationed there for a few weeks ourselves, making sure he settles-in well and that nothing untoward happens with the cargo Lord Rylen brought back from the SSCF Sterling Rose.  Trouble is¡­not everyone will be coming right away.¡±

    Ravan and Ren glanced at one another, then back at the rest of the team.

    ¡°Our new Lord Gabriel made an agreement with the Sargonian Emperor last night, and as part of the deal to let our fleet through, we¡¯re taking Prince Iresha to Agartha this morning, and one unfortunate soul is going to be sticking around with him until such time as we are no longer on high-alert.¡±

    Ren raised her hand, and Furion gestured at her to speak, ¡°Why are we on high-alert?  Shouldn¡¯t we have been scrambled in that case?  We didn¡¯t hear anything.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever wondered what the SSCF Sterling Rose would look like if it was airborne?¡±

    ¡°¡­Terrifying?¡±

    Furion turned and let a single image show on the wall behind him, ¡°This is the SSCF Tuonela, and it¡¯s 23 miles off the western coast of Kitez.  We don¡¯t yet know what¡¯s going on with it, but Captains Martell and Odinsdottir will be escorting the Fourth to Oceanside to find out.  We¡¯ve apparently caused enough of a mess in Kitez to be disincluded from the whole thing, but because of that mess, we¡¯re being used as a symbol instead.  In a way, I suppose giving the Prince of Sargon a Fafnir private-security detail is as close to a divorce as we¡¯ll see between nations.  And that brings me to my last comment before sending you off¡­Dame Ren.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yessir?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who was chosen to stay behind.¡±

    ¡°Heh?¡± She balked, ¡°Why me?¡±

    .

    ¡°Why me?¡± She asked again as she grabbed the handful of items she¡¯d brought across to her unused room in the palace.

    .

    ¡°¡­Like, honestly, why me?¡± She asked her whole Wing Group as they followed her up to the launch-bay.

    .

    ¡°Everyone keeps saying I have to ask you.  So¡­why me?¡± She finally stood in front of the new Vice Eidolon of the Fourth ¨C helmet off and wings held high and proud, ¡°What did I do?¡±

    The Aegis had already undocked and was out over the lake, with the Sargonian Imperial flagship hovering at the front of the cliff, its rear doors open and a long fancy ramp set from the balcony, over the railing, down the gardens, and finally into the vessel

    ¡°You clobbered him.¡± He answered, leaning back slightly with squinted eyes as he beheld the wingspan, ¡°Why are you doing that?¡±

    ¡°Doing what?¡± She questioned, and the claw-like feathery projections curled inward slightly.

    ¡°Do those like¡­respond to emotional appeals or something?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Gabriel deadpanned her, ¡°The wings.  They¡¯ve got a mind of their own?¡±

    Her face went as red as those menacing solid-light panels, and she quickly gestured for them to turn off, leaving her looking rather demure and small again, ¡°Sorry¡­  They¡­react in part to the surface-tension of our backs.  I guess I¡¯m a bit miffed about being singled-out for only-you-know-why.  Please.  Why?  Clobbering him should¡¯ve disqualified me from that, shouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Because I trust you with my life, and so I know I can definitely trust you with his.¡± Gabriel answered simply, and she gave him a questioning look, ¡°You made a point once to tell me that there was a non-zero chance the other Fafnir might¡¯ve put me down for my outburst in your Captain¡¯s office.  You and the Captain have already shown you can handle it if something goes sideways¡­but I can¡¯t put him on this.  He¡¯s like¡­¡± He lifted his hands out and tried to paint a picture of a sizable creature with just his gestures, ¡°¡­A whole-ass Captain or something, I dunno.¡±

    Ren quirked a brow, ¡°¡­Are we still on a first-name basis or do I have to call you Lord now?¡±

    ¡°If you call me Lord I will probably burst into flames.  At least¡­in situations like this, just one-on-one.¡±

    She let out an exhale of relief, ¡°Gabe¡­I appreciate the vote of confidence but this detail honestly sounds like it really sucks.  Protecting the Prince?  In Agartha?  From what?¡±

    ¡°I know, I¡¯m sorry¡­the Emperor insisted on a private guard as a show of support for what he¡¯s going through.  It won¡¯t be for long.¡± He reassured, and set a hand on the outside of one shoulder.  When he glanced up though, he let go again and stepped out, ¡°They¡¯re here.¡±

    Ren turned on a heel and spotted the royal procession coming their way.  They were still inside at that point, coming through the ballroom towards the massive glass doors that led outside, and paused briefly as the Prince and his father said some last words.  They weren¡¯t made to wait long though, and the group came outside, pausing in front of the Vice Eidolon and the Fafnir Knight standing beside him.  The pair gave a polite bow of their heads.

    ¡°It¡¯s not quite the momentous event I had thought it would be,¡± the Elder Iresha commented, ¡°But¡­it is what it is.  On this spot, two years ago, you found and saved my son from the throes of a violent power that had given no warning of its arrival.  Like the Duchess now does in Kitez ¨C raising that behemoth from the deep as a clear show of aggression, without warning ¨C you go again to stop the worst from coming to pass.  The Luminary Council has done much over these last two years to support the Sargonian Empire in its struggle to understand and accept what has happened to the Prince¡­and to put a finer point on our gratitude, I now send him to your people, to learn and grow and become a man with your guidance.¡±

    ¡°And we are honored to have him.¡± Gabriel nodded, then gestured to the fully-armored Knight beside him, ¡°This is Dame Ren Nibasai.  His Royal Highness may remember her from the unfortunate day you two met aboard the Bulwark.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who repeatedly smacked me in the back of the head.¡± He said glibly, ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d have to worry about being put down by the Fafnir that day, but¡­I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t.¡±  He bowed his head down, ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you under better circumstances.¡±

    ¡°The pleasure is mine.¡± She answered in kind, and bowed her head as well, staying in that spot until the Prince stood up straight again first.  That all done, she turned away slightly and whispered to herself, then looked forward again to cast an eye over the gathered.  Gabriel gestured for the young Prince to make his way up the make-shift stairs that lifted over the stony banister.  One at a time, the whole gaggle of them made their way down the ramp towards the flagship; first the Prince himself, J¡¯ard behind, then six total Sargonian soldiers.  They made it halfway to the vessel before one of their flying escorts came into view¡­and landed on the veranda near the Emperor, four massive wings spread wide.

    ¡°Ah¡­so you were able to make it after all.¡± Iresha was at least a little impressed, and Furion stood up to his full height, pulling those wings in a bit so he wouldn¡¯t take up so much space, ¡°Captain Furion Rydell.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember your father having four wings.  Is that just you or is it new?¡±

    ¡°All Fafnir Knight-Captains have the option of four, but it¡¯s not a requirement to use.¡± Furion answered, and stood still as the older man stepped around him, taking a good look at the whole spectacle, ¡°Every Fafnir has the opportunity to put their own style into the way they look.  Given what it takes to qualify for the team, and then being selected, it¡¯s the least that can be permitted.¡±

    ¡°I see.  Well¡­thank you, Captain, for indulging this old man in his curiosity.  I¡¯ll let you get back to your duties.¡± Iresha got back around the front again, and gestured to the sky.

    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Furion bowed his head, then stepped up onto the banister for the leg-up, and rose out over the cliff before disappearing below the edge of the gardens.

    Pale gold eyes watched until the young Prince was beyond sight, and all that was left was for Ren herself to board.  The fact that she hesitated to leave was a message in itself to the Emperor, and he turned on his heel to head back into the palace, ¡°I think I¡¯ll watch them go from my study.  I look forward to your update from Oceanside, Lord Gabriel.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty.¡±

    The last two people on the terrace were Gabriel and Ren themselves, and they waited for the man to head back through the glass doors ¨C and for said doors to close ¨C before saying anything.  Gabriel fidgeted slightly, ¡°¡­Guess I should call Maeve over to come get me.  There¡¯s a¡­uh¡­special envoy¡¯s skiff that I¡¯m supposed to take all the way to Oceanside.  The Emperor wants to distance Sargon from the talks though¡­so he won¡¯t let that ship come here to get me.  Staying in his lane, or some such.¡±

    ¡°I thought we¡¯d have more time.¡± Ren said instead, completely derailing the thought; Gabriel looked at the flagship anyway and shook his head.  Ren thumbed at the circular rim under her helmet, where she held it under her left arm, ¡°At least until Saturday or something¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Hard to believe this is really it.  Feels like we barely just got started and now we have to go our own ways again.¡± She continued somberly, ¡°¡­I¡¯m glad we got a chance to say goodbye though.  On our own, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He said again, ¡°All part of the grand design.¡±

    ¡°You planned this?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately.¡± Gabriel offered a weary smile, ¡°I thought I¡¯d get to go with the ship at first, but¡­when the Emperor and I got talking last night, and he started pushing for things to happen sooner, I realized I probably wouldn¡¯t get to.  So¡­when he said he wanted a personal guard for his kid, my kneejerk reaction was ¡®Ren can do that,¡¯ cuz it would mean you¡¯d get to come here at the last.¡±

    Ren scoffed and offered a cautious laugh, ¡°You orchestrated this whole situation just so you could say goodbye?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­probable.¡± He at least managed a smile, even as he started to feel a pain in his chest, ¡°Selfish as it was, making you deal with babysitting a teenager for a few days while I go abroad.¡±

    ¡°You could probably spare a day or two in Agartha once you¡¯re done, right?¡± Ren wondered, ¡°I mean, if I¡¯m gonna be stuck there till I¡¯m given the all-clear to leave¡­  Unless you have to come straight back here.¡±

    ¡°Maybe the Dawn of Ages party.¡± He supposed, ¡°If you can get away for a da-¡°

    Words caught in his throat from the surprise; Ren had swapped which arm she had her helmet under and slid the other around his back, stepping into him to set her head against his shoulder.  Even if it was only half a hug, it was a hug none the less, and instead of holding his arms up awkwardly like the first time she¡¯d attempted it, he managed to return the gesture with one arm of his own.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss the banter, and watching you squirm while you figure out how to grow into your new role.¡± Ren commented quietly, ¡°But I¡¯m glad I got to be here for the parts I did get to see.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­don¡¯t know that I¡¯d have gotten to this point if not for you.  And the Captain, to a lesser extent.¡± Gabriel admitted, and averted his gaze as he saw Ren turn her face up at him; he could feel the look of skepticism she was giving, ¡°I know, I know¡­  I was a stubborn hard-ass most of the time.  I hate that I wasted so much energy on being needlessly difficult.¡±

    She just huffed a quiet laugh, ¡°You know¡­as much as I kept hearing, before, that I¡¯d been put with you because everyone expected you to drive me back¡­part of me wants to believe Lord Xanarken hoped I¡¯d get through to you instead.¡±

    That got him to finally look at her again, ¡°¡­Yeah, maybe.  I don¡¯t know if I want to give him the credit though.  You¡¯re the one who did all the work.¡±

    Ren was surprised to hear it, and just gaped at the man for a moment.  The sound of the wind coming up the cliff seemed so loud before, but then suddenly went quiet, leaving nothing but the sound of her own heart pounding in her ears.  It wasn¡¯t particularly fast or hard, just¡­there.  Then it seemed to skip, and she closed her eyes¡­and the next thing she knew, she¡¯d kissed him.

    Gabriel was just as surprised as she was; eyes were wide, and the whole world seemed to stop moving.  He wasn¡¯t even really sure it had happened anymore, until she turned slightly, pulled her arm back, and lifted that hand to his cheek instead¡­and did it again, this time holding a little longer, and it was impossible to deny.  It was light, gentle, and unintrusive, but certain and intended.  Even those few seconds felt like an instant, and Ren pulled back again; those bright green eyes looked right into him, and she brushed her thumb against his cheek, just under that right blue eye.

    Neither could figure out what to say after that.  The sound of those wings activating again was like a jolt back to reality, and Ren had to leave¡­

    ¡­and she was gone.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 46 â€“ The Past Is An Unkind Place To Linger, And Its Tragedies Haunt The Future

    ¡°Eidolon on deck!¡±

    The words passed right through him.  Feet moved on autopilot, and when he blinked, he was seated somewhere, in a different part of the ship, and it was moving.

    ¡°Gabriel.¡±

    The name sounded familiar, but he had to hear it again before the haze between his ears faded enough to realize it was his own, ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be daydreaming on the way to a major meeting like this.¡± Xanarken said stiffly, and took a seat opposite him, ¡°Have you looked at any of the materials I sent you yet?¡±

    He pinched the bridge of his nose and blinked hard, ¡°¡­I was looking at it overnight.¡±

    ¡°Instead of sleeping.¡±

    ¡°When you put it like that, it¡¯s as though you forgot that it¡¯s going to be a while before we get to Oceanside.¡± He countered and shrugged, only to sag in his seat a little, ¡°Unlike you, I have to physically go to places.  I¡¯ll just catch a catnap on the way.¡±

    Xanarken made a weird face, and pulled one ankle to rest over the opposite knee, ¡°Have you considered the Eidolon System?¡±

    That was sobering, but Gabriel shook his head, ¡°Not in the way that I think you just insinuated.¡±

    The cabin was empty except for them, and Xanarken laced his fingers together over that upturned leg, ¡°It would make your job a lot easier.¡±

    ¡°In Sargon, maybe, but in Kitez, even you have to hoof-it the old-fashioned way.¡±

    The Fourth just looked on quietly for a moment, then cast his gaze down, ¡°If you get what you want, the border barrier won¡¯t exist around Kitez anymore.¡± He noted, ¡°And you wouldn¡¯t even have to use it full-time if you didn¡¯t want.  I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something Arbelos can do to make it so you just clock into it for a work-day or something and let you leave at will.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve never even shown me the Eidolon System.  I have no concept of what you¡¯re trying to describe.¡±

    Xanarken set his foot back down on the floor and leaned forward, elbows on his knees, ¡°I¡¯ve told you about the room we¡¯re in.  The only thing I haven¡¯t told you is how we go from pods to out here.  The Eidolon System itself is a neural-body interface that looks something like a crown, and acts like the nodes you have at the back of your head.  The kicker is how there¡¯s an additional implant that sits around the cranial fossa, deep within the neck, that not-only catches thought-commands, but prevents the somatic nervous system from sending signals to the body.  In layman¡¯s terms, it paralyzes you from the neck down so you don¡¯t act-out the movements you¡¯re making with your mantle, while diverting those signals into your mantle so you can move around.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s unnerving.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a toggle.  This is very old technology, and we¡¯ve had a long time to refine it.¡±

    Gabriel still seemed hesitant, ¡°I¡¯m not sure I would want to¡­¡±

    ¡°Why not?  Wouldn¡¯t your life be easier if you could just pop-up wherever you needed to be instead of going there?¡±

    Eyes narrowed suspiciously, ¡°You¡¯ve been pushing really hard lately on the idea of having a back-up Eidolon.  If I didn¡¯t have reason to believe otherwise, I¡¯d think you were actively planning to have me take over completely.¡±

    Xanarken looked a bit surprised, but leaned back in his seat again, ¡°My pride as the Eidolon of the Fourth gives me a certain sense of responsibility for the function of my Wing.  I have full faith in your capability, but you lack the mobility that is ¨C by definition ¨C a hallmark characteristic of this caste.  ¡®Eidolon¡¯ is another word for ¡®ghost,¡¯ and is named thus because of the proverbial way the System allows us to walk through walls and appear from thin air.  If you want to be as effective as you can be, you¡¯ll have to consider the use of every tool.¡±

    Gabriel was quiet for a little while, looking out the window contemplatively.  He could see the border mountains starting to rise below, but no matter how hard he focused, he couldn¡¯t shake the queasy feeling he got for being so high up, and he looked away again, eyes closed to regain his bearings.

    The thought of those last few seconds with Ren were all-encompassing and ¨C to his detriment ¨C extremely distracting.

    ¡°What would that process even look like?¡± Gabriel dared to wonder, forcing himself to think of the present moment.

    ¡°We would first summon Arbelos, to do a full-body scan of you so as to create your perfect likeness in mantle form.¡± Xanarken began, feeling a sense of optimism for the curiosity, ¡°Once fully compiled and rendered, you¡¯d be able to change how you look in any way you like.  Skin tone, hair color, height, weight¡­you could do anything, even-¡°

    ¡°¡­Turn into a cat?¡± The younger man chuckled quietly.

    ¡°Yeah, even turn into a cat.¡± Xanarken confirmed.  He could see that dubious air around his heir though, and tried to make light of the moment, ¡°Back when the five of us were still figuring things out¡­¡±

    ¡°Five?¡±

    ¡°Arianna Tyris, the original would¡¯ve-been Eidolon of the Sixth.¡± He clarified, ¡°She was the first to use the System full-time back at the beginning, helping Arbelos and Caeros fine-tune it, and conducted the first major scouting missions beyond the safe-zones we¡¯d made around the crash-site.  It was instrumental in helping us find some of the other ships, since it wasn¡¯t limited by fuel-capacity.  Arianna could go very far afield, safely, and relay back to us whatever it was that she found.  Because of her, we were able to connect with the entire northern and eastern sections of the continent.  We¡­had to put the west and south on hold for a very long time, after Caeros turned on us.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s ears perked up, ¡°¡­Turned on you?  That¡¯s not the story I¡¯ve been told up till now.¡±

    Xanarken gave a solemn nod, and looked at his interwoven fingers contemplatively, ¡°The truth of that terrible day has only ever been spoken-of in hushed tones between the Eidolon alone.  The sentiment against the afflicted had already been deeply entrenched in the crash survivors, and we didn¡¯t want to add to it by revealing how Caeros had gone from accidentally ruining us, to deliberately trying to murder us, with that same power.¡± He started; the pained look on his face was evident, ¡°Caeros was¡­a deeply troubled young man back then.  The weight of the world was heaped onto his shoulders from the day he could understand what it even meant.  His aptitude for the use of his affliction ¨C the fact that he had his entire life to master it ¨C and ultimately, the responsibility of using it to safely bring the fleet to Tau¡­maybe it broke him.  He had gone to the Centauri system a number of times before, taking our technology with him to gather data and help us plan¡­there was no doubt he could get there.  It took a while to understand why it all went so wrong at the 11<sup>th</sup> hour.  Maybe it was too much to ask of his power¡­  Taking a single vessel with a satellite or rover aboard was child¡¯s play.  Taking a few passengers was a breakthrough.  Taking two or three ships¡­if he was struggling, he didn¡¯t show it.  At most, he said he needed a way to anchor the ships together more effectively, and it was¡­somewhat serendipity that one of his early passengers was afflicted.  The fact of it accidentally told him that his affliction could connect to others with the same ability, as if they were tethered together.  We probably never would have found that out if he hadn¡¯t insisted on bringing his closest friends along on some of those later missions.¡±

    Gabriel tilted his head slightly against the pillow behind his neck, ¡°The idea of Caeros having friends is such a weird thing.  He¡¯s always been this¡­monolithic figure ¨C a proverbial legend ¨C that was always separate from everyone else in the story.¡±

    ¡°The Academy back on Earth was very similar to the College we have in Agartha.¡± Xanarken explained, ¡°Almost a carbon copy, to tell it true.  Afflicted teens would be gathered there to learn how to control their abilities and become productive with them, where able, and to find comradery with those who suffered the same.  Caeros had a little gang back there, spent years together, and got into all kinds of trouble.¡± He shook his head and huffed a quiet laugh to himself, ¡°Him and his first recruit ¨C this silly kid named Tallus, who had this really annoying affliction that made him obnoxiously charming ¨C convinced the Headmaster to change their test scores on some important exam that they¡¯d both bombed.¡±

    ¡°You speak of that ability like it was used against you on occasion.¡±

    Xanarken nodded emphatically, ¡°It was, and it was incredibly annoying, too!¡± He threw his hands up in pseudo-frustration, as if hadn¡¯t been all that long since it happened the last time, ¡°Thankfully they were just little brats back then, and the worst Tallus ever charmed me into doing was letting them into the staff lounge at the school, where they could get all the good snacks.¡±

    Gabriel huffed a laugh, ¡°Trouble for a noble cause, to be certain.¡±

    ¡°In any case¡­¡± Xanarken shook his head to get off that track and back on point, ¡°Tallus was aboard one of the mission¡¯s sister-ships at one point, and when Caeros zapped them to Tau, he realized how much easier it was to keep the group together because of how he felt linked to Tallus.  That¡¯s where the concept of the Warp Magi came from.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°The bigger the group became, the more afflicted we needed to string them together.  The Warp Engines helped contain the Limitless anchor into one concentrated spot¡­they became the core ¨C the heart ¨C of each ship, and its tentacles coursed through the fleet like veins, holding it all together in a sticky web of abyssal energy.¡± Xanarken continued, ¡°Before the final trip though, when we had the colony fleet all loaded-up with passengers and cargo, Caeros warped it all to Tau empty, with only the Warp Magi aboard to ensure the success of it.  Everything went according to plan, and he came back a few hours later, no issues whatsoever.  It was all so perfect¡­  I guess it was too perfect.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Gabriel knew where the story was going after that, but with all the new details, he didn¡¯t dare assume the truth or completeness of it.

    ¡°It took a few days to load everything and everyone up,¡± Xanarken continued, the taint of regret in his voice, ¡°Caeros did what he always did, and the fleet warped away.  Immediately on arrival, we knew something was wrong.  The planet was wrong.  The star system was wrong.  All Hell broke loose as Caeros was lambasted with accusations of deliberate malfeasance, because he didn¡¯t seem all that bothered or surprised by where we¡¯d gone.  It was a trifling thing to him¡­or maybe he just feigned that it was all according to plan, to avoid looking like he¡¯d fucked up.  Then the rifts started to open¡­  The rest is as you know it.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see¡­¡±

    ¡°What we never said afterwards was how apathetic Caeros was to the situation.¡± Xanarken said quietly, and gently pressed his fingers to his eyes, as if his mantle could leak tears that he wanted to hide, ¡°He secluded himself, spoke seldomly¡­in fact, other than his little friend-group, Caeros only ever really talked with Arbelos.  I tried ¨C God knows I tried ¨C to reach him, but he was convinced the fleet leadership had turned against him, and that every one of us blamed him viciously for what had happened.  I forget how long after that it took for Arbelos to tell me, but Caeros admitted to him at some point that it was an accident.  Something about the number of afflicted people aboard the ships that no one knew about ¨C people who refused to disclose their conditions, and corrupted the safety-net ¨C had thrown him off.  It was chaos¡­it broke his concentration, and threw him far off-course.  He didn¡¯t know where we were, he couldn¡¯t figure out how to find home¡­we were stranded.  This foreign world that hadn¡¯t been prepared in any way for our arrival was a tepid jungle of secrets and unknowns¡­  The SSCF Chiron¡¯Thule had the capability to terraform, and we did everything we could as rapidly as was possible, and the Agartha was capable of changing the atmosphere, so we at least had that going for us¡­  But, the adaptation was so devastating to this planet¡¯s original state that our arrival caused a cataclysmic extinction-event.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°¡­So¡­there¡¯s nothing really left of what this place originally was.¡±

    ¡°The oceans were largely spared, but the surface was devastated.¡± Xanarken confirmed, ¡°We were lucky that the water here on Hadira was largely the same as our own, so the reconstitution of the atmosphere to reduce the CO2 levels didn¡¯t bother it much.  To make it possible for us to breathe without passing out after a while, we poisoned this world with oxygen, and reseeded it with our own flora and fauna.  It would be a whole 50-season drama to explain what happened in those early years, so I¡¯ll cut to the season-finale of that first arc.  The Eidolon System¡­  On Earth, it was nothing more than a method of manufacturing simple tools and images ¨C cups, shirt-logos that could change color, decorations and the like; things that didn¡¯t have to bear weight or stress ¨C and we brought it here so as to save space on material cargo that could otherwise be used for crop-seed and building supplies.  Necessity is the father of invention though, and we turned it into a scouting program.  Cups became drones, and Arianna used it to go beyond the horizon.¡±

    ¡°And then Caeros turned on you¡­?¡± Gabriel wondered, ¡°After all that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Xanarken nodded, ¡°The last thing he ever said to me was that he was starting to hear whispers.  That he¡¯d been hearing whispers since the fleet crashed.  We thought he was schizophrenic or something, and medicated him for it, but the whispers never ceased.  He kept that from us until those last moments, when he lured myself and Rylen into the System¡¯s central control-building.  Etienne was on-site to help us, having come all the way from her own ship ¨C the SSCF Mayrain ¨C and was caught-up in the whole thing.  Arbelos was working nearby, in another room.  One of Caeros¡¯ friends was a waif of a girl named Kourin ¨C she was probably only part of their gang because her affliction was useful; she could become perfectly invisible - and with her, they laid in wait for us.  ¡­We were told Arianna had found another ship, and we excitedly led ourselves to the would-be slaughter.  Caeros attacked Rylen first.¡±

    ¡°He went after his own father?¡±

    ¡°Adopted.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh.  Well, still.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s another story, for another day.¡± Xanarken dismissed the derailment, ¡°Caeros blamed Rylen for all his woes ¨C shouted that the whispers had told him so.  Arianna¡¯s throat had been slit before we arrived, but apparently not deep enough to kill her outright; just enough to bloody and surprise her.  It¡¯s amazing how deep the jugular actually is.  At any rate¡­she came barreling out of the control-pod, bashed Caeros over the head with a pipe or something¡­and the rifts opened again.¡±

    ¡°Again!?¡±

    Xanarken held a hand out to keep the man from speaking further, ¡°Caeros went down, but not completely.  Arianna was too weak from blood-loss to knock him out, but the strain was enough to finish the job that Tallus had started with the knife.  She bled-out on the floor as those void gates opened all around us.  Caeros writhed against the pain and disorientation¡­and he did something that caused a chain-reaction.  Syraph had seen us go into the building and ran in after us, just in time to get hit by the first twisted arc of abyssal lightning.  She collapsed in her footprints, literally crystalizing in front of us.  Everyone was panicking.  The rifts just kept reacting ¨C growing, shrinking, reaching out at us like fingers of flame ¨C and then it all just went white.  I was told later that there was an explosion.  Caeros, Tallus, and Kourin were gone; but so was his skiff, the Wanderer, so we all assumed he had fled.  We never found bodies.  The third member of Caeros¡¯ gang ¨C I don¡¯t remember his name; an inconsequential man who was only notable for being the only nonafflicted member of the group ¨C was the Wanderer¡¯s pilot, and he was gone, too¡­so¡­we assumed the plan was to assassinate us and then escape, leaving us all to die, and the colony to rot.¡±

    ¡°¡­Damn¡­¡±

    Xanarken gave a heavy nod and sigh, ¡°I mentioned Arbelos and Etienne being nearby but not immediately present at the start; Rylen had called Etienne in to help Arianna right before Caeros went at him.  She came in soon after Syraph, while Arbelos hid in another room; they both got caught-up in the explosion anyway.  Syraph was lost to us that day; Rylen was bereft and inconsolable, and refused to accept that she was gone.  Thinking that if we just spared her for now, we could eventually figure out how to reverse whatever crystallization had taken-hold of her, so we put her into one of the hyper-sleep pods.  We never saw or heard from Caeros ever again.  The Wanderer couldn¡¯t be traced.  It¡¯s like it just¡­never existed at all.  And so, we picked up the pieces, grieved for Arianna, and did what we could to carry on.  Thirty years later, people were starting to comment on the fact that the four of us survivors hadn¡¯t aged a day since the betrayal.  Thirty years became seventy¡­our health never failed, our youth ¨C such as it was at the time ¨C never advanced.  It¡¯s as if we were stuck in that moment.  Frozen in time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how you realized you were immortal.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The Eidolon nodded again, ¡°Not wanting to let that go to waste, we carried on, leading our little colonies and bringing in each one that we found after, until that scouting system became the Eidolon System, and nanotech became a central focus of our growing civilization.  Better yet ¨C or worse still, depending on who you ask ¨C Arbelos discovered that Syraph¡¯s crystalized state was radiating with energy¡­the same kind that had permeated the Warp Cores, subsequent to how Caeros linked to them.  If we weren¡¯t going to bury her, Arblos suggested we use her; Syraph¡¯s legacy could continue into the future and aid us where the woman¡¯s own efforts had been cut short.  If I had to wager¡­a full half of why Arbelos doesn¡¯t show himself is because of how much Rylen hates him.  Like, not just hates him, loathes him, and what we¡¯ve all become because of that one proposition.  The Eidolon System is what it is today because Syraph became its heart¡­and not just for us, but for the World Cloud that followed, too.¡±

    Gabriel looked aside, ¡°¡­But he agreed to it, right?  That¡¯s why it exists at all today.¡±

    ¡°Rylen was cut out of the process.¡± Xanarken answered, ¡°Now he¡¯s stuck, using this technology despite what he knows it really is.  He tells himself that he tolerates it because he feels as if a part of Syraph is watching over him ¨C over us all ¨C but in truth, I know he¡¯d rather gut every SkyFortress in our fleet, and use those Warp Cores to replace her in the Seraphim Engine if he could.  The sad truth though is that those Cores are nothing compared to what Syraph has become.  They are 1% of the power her body produces.  We don¡¯t even know if it would be enough to sustain the World Cloud if we swapped them.  That¡­infusion of Limitless energy ¨C from Caeros, from the warp rifts¡­from Syraph¡¯s transfigured corpse ¨C borders on magical for what it¡¯s done for the World Cloud.  We don¡¯t even fully understand how it works, to this day.  Arbelos isn¡¯t afflicted, so if there¡¯s something he could understand otherwise, he can¡¯t see it.¡±

    ¡°Is that why Rylen¡¯s putting Seth on it?¡± Gabriel wondered carefully, ¡°Seth¡¯s fascination with the Limitless and the rifts¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s likely, yeah.¡±

    ¡°But Seth isn¡¯t afflicted either.¡±

    ¡°The Myrmidon are though.¡± Xanarken reminded, and looked across the open space to his heir¡¯s perplexed face, ¡°They would be a proxy for whatever Seth directs them to look at.  I imagine Rylen wants to crack the code, and figure out some alternative to Syraph, so he can stop seeing her face anytime he checks on his real body.  He wants to put her to rest.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­  So, the Eidolon System¡¯s pod-room includes the Seraphim Engine.¡±

    ¡°The pods surround it, yeah.  Symbolically allowing Syraph to watch over us, and humbling us, since we can all see her face.¡±

    ¡°And you would have me go there, too.¡±

    Xanarken shook his head, ¡°The door to that place was sealed a long time ago.  We could open it, but it would probably be easier to just make a pod available somewhere else, and let you come and go from it as you please.¡±

    Gabriel held his tongue for a moment, and crossed his arms over his chest.  One hand lifted though, a finger brushing against his lips, subtly reminding him of that brief feeling from an hour before, ¡°¡­The mantles you use prevent you from being able to feel anything like a normal person though.¡±

    ¡°There is rudimentary sensation, but¡­yeah, it feels different.  You get used to it.  I¡¯d probably think the touch of flesh on mine to be terrifyingly intense after such a long time without knowing it.¡± The Eidolon confirmed, ¡°It¡¯s just something to think about.  A mantle is a tool¡­it doesn¡¯t have to be a lifestyle.  Not unless you want it to be, anyway.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    ¡°We will be crossing into Kitezan airspace in 30 seconds.¡± An announcer¡¯s voice spoke overhead.

    Xanarken stood up from his seat, ¡°Good timing.  My mantle will fall apart as we pass through the membrane of the border barrier.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll call you back when we get there.¡±

    ¡°Good lad.¡±

    And with that, almost in tandem, Gabriel¡¯s uniform-jacket and Xanarken¡¯s mantle burst apart, like a hand slapping-down into loose flour on a breadboard, and vanished entirely.  Gabriel drew in a long breath and leaned forward, reaching down and to the wall where a storage-space housed a small nanotech cannister.  He clicked a button on the top of the cylindrical container, and a second later, a line of text saying ¡®New network available¡¯ manifested on a temporary overlay on Gabriel¡¯s eyes.  He connected to it, and began the same download of personal data from his implants as Ren had once done with the supply given to her by Seth.  A moment later, he flicked his hand, and his Eidolonic mantle-like jacket reformed over him exactly as it had looked before.

    A finger settled against his lip again, and Gabriel¡¯s distracted mind hurtled back towards the source.  Though Xanarken¡¯s tale had left a strange feeling in his gut, it was a mere drop compared to what Ren had created.  His brow furrowed, Was¡­that just a goodbye kiss? His anxious mind wondered, Am I reading too much into it¡­?  Maybe it was just transactional¡­  She said she¡¯s slept with Furion before, but I¡¯ve never seen them act openly affectionate towards one another¡­  Even though she says he means a lot to her, she¡¯s stopped-short of saying she¡¯s in love with him.  Could that just be creature-comforts for the duration of deployments¡­?  He blinked hard and shook his head, and rubbed that hand across his chest, My heart has been racing since she did it¡­  One part elation and two parts despair and guilt¡­  I don¡¯t know how to take it, and yet, I feel gutted, like I had her and lost her.  His brow wrinkled even more as the stabbing pain settled in, and he pinched his fingers between his eyes, Shit¡­  I fell for her, didn¡¯t I¡­?  Today is really going to suck.

    .

    A few hundred miles north, moving silently through the early-morning mists that covered a mountain forest, the horrifying ¨C and free ¨C visage of Scyrexianori glided on wide, leathery wings.  Its progress was slow ¨C flying only as fast as organic limbs could take it ¨C but it was steady¡­and it knew exactly where it was going.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 47 â€“ Sands Shift And Seasons Change, And The Fickleness Of Man Endures

    It was a bright and beautiful morning in Oceanside, and Duchess Far¡¯nah in a very optimistic mood.  Every single one of her Magistrates was present at that meeting table in the throne room, and Mardu ¨C trying to look small and inconsequential ¨C sat silently on his side of the raised landing.

    ¡°I¡¯m pleased to report that the Luminaries have accepted the bit, and we are bringing them into barn as I speak.¡± The Duchess declared, ¡°I¡¯m told their progress proceeds apace; their ships have just entered into our territory and they should be here by mid-afternoon.¡±

    Three of the dozen-or-so Magistrates were looking a bit nervous, and one tugged at the collar of his uniform where the heat of his nerves was starting to make him sweat.

    Far¡¯nah took no notice of it, and made her way down the two-step ledge so she could walk into the center of that Stonehenge-looking pergola, ¡°The Vindicator¡¯s control-systems are all working as expected, and within the hour, we will be conducting one final test.  If all goes according to plan, we will finally have our means of forcing the Council ¨C and by extension, the Hadiran Accord - to give Kitez its due recognition as a formal state, and as a result, the Accord¡¯s guarantee of autonomy.  We will never betray our people to the Council¡¯s tyranny.  We will never submit to the Eidolon and their freakish need to dominate every corner of this world.  We have as much a right to exist independently as they do.¡±

    The most anxious of those Magistrates turned his light on to be heard, and Far¡¯nah hesitated at the sight of him, but gestured at him to allow his voice to be heard on the floor.  He swallowed a hard knot in his throat and stood, ¡°¡­Your Grace, with all due respect, it would be one thing if you only had the ship to use as a bargaining chip, but¡­we¡¯re finding out that you have all of the original passengers aboard as well.  You cannot possibly hope to win the day if you¡¯re keeping hostages.¡±

    Her eyes narrowed slightly, ¡°There are some 70,000 souls aboard that ship.  What would you have me do with all of them?  Wake them up and put them into internment camps?  They are refugees, who would need resources and homes and education¡­if they remain in cryo-sleep, they require nothing, and notice less.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying this is better.¡±

    ¡°Of course it is.¡± She held her arms out, ¡°We can wake them up later, in waves, and integrate them into Kitez slowly so the system isn¡¯t overwhelmed.¡±

    That same Magistrate could feel a shiver down his spine, and his arms trembled at his sides, ¡°Your Grace¡­we understand that you have been working on this project for more than a decade. Why did you not start waking them up as soon as you found them?  The ship could have been long-emptied by now¡­its people added to ours, and the vessel fit for purpose.  I¡¯m afraid I cannot support this plan, with the ship in this state.¡±

    The Duchess narrowed her eyes slightly, and looked around the ring, ¡°Do any others have this sentiment?¡±  No one spoke at first, ¡°Well?  Anyone?  Speak now or be consigned to history as supporters.¡±

    ¡°¡­I dissent.¡± Someone finally spoke; she rose from her seat, next to Regulus, ¡°I agree with the Honorable Judge Francis Aurelius.  If the ship had no unwitting passengers, this would be a different discussion.  When the Council finds out what you¡¯ve done-¡°

    ¡°What I¡¯ve done.¡± Far¡¯nah stopped the sentence, and turned towards the woman, ¡°What exactly have I done, Magistrate Haiyane?¡±

    The Magistrate looked on sternly, and held her ground, ¡°You have made us a terrorist state.  ¡­You still have time to turn this around.  When the Eidolon of the Fourth arrives, you can turn over the ship to their care as a gesture of good faith.  Make them believe they thought the worst and give them a pleasant surprise instead.  That may do more to bring Kitez into good standing with the Accord, than this half-baked plan to threaten them with the summary execution of these unwilling participants.¡±

    ¡°I have no plans to harm the passengers.¡± Far¡¯nah corrected, offended, ¡°They may still be aboard, but I am no monster.  If any harm comes to them, it will be the Council¡¯s doing, and no one else¡¯s.¡±

    A third Magistrate rose then, his light coming on like the two prior, ¡°Your Grace, this is lunacy.  You speak of this project as if it¡¯s a passive actor in your game, but we all see it for what it is.  A veiled threat of invasion against Council territory with a weapon you think they wouldn¡¯t dream of fighting back against.¡±

    ¡°Who said anything about pushing out of Kitez?¡±

    That Magistrate looked on with trepidation, but then made up his mind.  He pulled off his cloak and threw it down, ¡°I will no longer be a part of this.¡±

    The other two followed soon after; Mardu looked on with horror, but said nothing.  Far¡¯nah was just impatient, and watched them go.  As soon as the trio had arrived at the exit to the main hall, they found the guards unwilling to open the way.  Demands went out for the door to be opened, and went unheeded.  Then the order went out.

    ¡°Arrest them.¡±

    The guards moved swiftly then, and Far¡¯nah turned towards the spectacle, a look of callous indifference on her face as the three were manhandled into restraints.  Their protests were screamed into that massive room, until their voices faded to empty echoes, and ultimately to silence.  Nervous glances went around the table, but a number of them ¨C more than half of the original ¨C were eager.  Regulus was stoney, but watched carefully anyway.

    ¡°Are there any others who cannot support this lunacy?¡± Far¡¯nah wondered, and looked at each of those faces, one at a time, until she finally came to look directly at her husband, ¡°Anyone.¡±

    He hiccupped a breath, but shook his head, ¡°Y-you have my f-full support.  You always h-have.¡±

    She didn¡¯t entirely believe it, but she accepted the words anyway, for the moment, ¡°Those of you who have stayed are about to witness a paradigm shift on Hadira.  Kitez will no longer be a footnote.  We will be respected as a world power¡­and we will be afforded the independence and acknowledgement we have always deserved.¡±

    .

    ¡°Your Grace, this is a bad idea.¡± Tallus pleaded as he chased after the adamant woman, ¡°The Council has always given Kitez a wide berth and only ever intruded when threats within became threats without.  You cannot seek to provoke them like this¡­¡±

    ¡°Magistrate Oberoi, you¡¯re either with me or you¡¯re against me.¡± Far¡¯nah retorted, pulling on a regal long-coat from her ample options, ¡°Please do not tell me you side with the others, after all of your prior assurances of loyalty.¡±

    ¡°I am loyal, but this is going too far.¡± He answered, and hastily approached to pull her hands forward with his own.  He looked her squarely in the eyes, ¡°You will bring the ire of the entire Sixth Wing down upon us if this goes badly¡­and then we¡¯ll need the First to pick up the pieces, because there won¡¯t be enough of us left to do it ourselves.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t go badly.¡± She insisted.  She pulled her hands back to lift her hair up, and let it fall behind her back, ¡°If there¡¯s anything about the Council that¡¯s been logic-defyingly predictable this entire time, it¡¯s that Rylen is loud but toothless, and Xanarken has the final say.  There has never been a time where a nation that simply refuses them has ever been attacked.  Even in the histories, when colonies resisted the fascism of the Council, no one was ever invaded without firing the first shot themselves.  My intent with the Vindicator is a deterrent.¡±

    Tallus looked increasingly frustrated, and finally let that irritation spill over.  He grabbed the woman roughly by her shoulders, eyes flaring malignantly, ¡°You will cease this brow-beating and offer the Eidolon a peaceful transfer of colonists into their custody.  You will do this in exchange for the recognition you crave.  You will not present the Vindicator to the Fourth as a vessel of mass-kidnapping.¡±

    She stared back in surprise, but his commands for submission were no longer heeded.  She ripped herself free from his grip, ¡°I¡¯ve waited too long for this moment to have you try to stop me now.¡±

    Tallus¡¯ expression shifted, I can¡¯t change her mind.  She¡¯s completely convinced of her own path.  ¡­This fanaticism is beyond my ability to curtail anymore.  He kept that aurora-like connection to her gaze for a moment longer though, and decided to change tack, ¡°Then forget about me.  Forget everything I¡¯ve ever said to you, except this one, final thing¡­¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°¡­Yes¡­¡± She said, the daze finally taking-hold.

    ¡°You will leave me to my own devices.  If you see me, you won¡¯t care; if you hear me, you won¡¯t take heed.  Every action I take will be beneath your notice; even the utterance of my name in your presence will sound like the mention of a stranger¡¯s.¡±

    She looked on with surprise, eyes widened for a moment; her irises dimly glowed with the magnetic lure of the miasma pouring into them, ¡°¡­I¡­will miss you¡­¡±

    Those eyes blinked, and when she ¡®came to,¡¯ the room was ¨C except for herself ¨C empty.

    Far¡¯nah looked around in confusion, ¡°¡­What¡­was I doing?¡± She noticed the sleeves of her jacket, and realization struck, ¡°Ah¡­right, I was getting ready.  Regulus was going to do that shield-test.¡±

    .

    Arriving in Agartha felt like a sentence, but Ren kept her head up, and tried not to let it show that her new assignment ¨C temporary or not ¨C made her miserable.  There was a bit more fanfare on their docking than there had been when they left Trazad, but she supposed there had to be, since the Council actually had time to prepare for it.  Rylen and Xanarken were both there to greet the Prince, and with all that pomp and ceremony going on, Ren knew she had a moment to step away.

    Or fly, as the case may be.  She shoved as much of her hair into the collar of her flight-suit as she could before sticking her head into her helmet, and quietly hopped off the edge of the disembarking-bridge.  That high up in the city, it was a freefall for quite a ways, and Ren tilted nose-first into the drop, leveling-out her glide ¨C wings stretched out far ¨C only a few hundred feet above the ground.  She sent out a call to the only person she wanted to see in that moment, ¡°¡­Hey, I need you.  Can you come find me?¡±

    ¡°Coming.¡± Furion answered.

    Ren went all the way to where the Aegis was lingering on the outskirts of that massive metropolis.  She touched-down on its roof, and pulled her helmet off again, letting the biting wind lash at her cheeks.  Her long black hair ripped free rather quickly, and she waited¡­and waited¡­

    Armored feet finally touched down a few minutes later, and Furion approached, setting a hand down onto the roof of his SkyFortress as he moved to sit beside her, ¡°I didn¡¯t think this detail would be as upsetting as it apparently is.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± Ren answered, and rubbed her eyes against her gloved fingers, ¡°¡­I¡­  I guess it¡¯s just hitting me now that he¡¯s really gone.¡±

    Furion quirked a brow briefly, put then pulled his own helmet off, and hooked it onto the upper joint of his wing so it wouldn¡¯t blow away, ¡°No one is gone, we¡¯re just¡­doing different things.¡± He started, and reached an arm across the back of her shoulders to pull her into a lean against him, ¡°You never had reason to see him before because you didn¡¯t know him.  But, now you do, so you can always make the time.¡±

    ¡°Gabe¡¯s an Eidolon now though.¡± She snuffled, and rubbed her nose on the back of her thumb, ¡°He¡¯s practically been sacrificed to the machine that is the Luminary Council.  Even if I have time off, I don¡¯t¡­know that he ever will.  I don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡±

    ¡°You had a chance to say goodbye though, didn¡¯t you?  You knew it was coming, even if it happened a few days sooner than expected.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± She could feel the sting in her eyes, worse for the cold of the altitude.  The pain caught in her throat, and it hurt to speak, ¡°I told myself I wouldn¡¯t kiss him at the end and then I did anyway¡­  I probably messed-up his whole mission to Oceanside.  I¡¯m so stupid¡­¡±

    Furion made a face, but twisted in his place to lift his other arm around the woman¡¯s head, ¡°It¡¯s frustrating sometimes how you can¡¯t help yourself.¡±

    ¡°S-sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°I accepted a long time ago that your heart operates differently from mine.¡± He said, gently petting her hair, cheek against her crown, ¡°It was hard at first, I can¡¯t lie¡­but when I stopped fighting it, it was easier to make peace with the idea.  I just wish there was more that I could do when you find yourself attached to someone you can¡¯t do anything for.¡±

    Ren could feel her breath catching in her chest, and she turned on her knees so she could sit on the man¡¯s leg, and bury her face against his neck, ¡°I hate this¡­  He¡¯s going to be everywhere except with me¡­  I¡¯ll see his face everywhere and he¡¯ll never see mine¡­¡±

    Furion could offer no words to make the hurt better, so he just stayed there and let her finish in her own time.

    .

    It was nearly noon by then, and that Kitezan flagship once-again went out over the ocean.  This time, however, it had the Sovereign Shadow in tow.  The Vindicator had parked itself around a hundred feet above the water¡¯s surface ¨C even from that distance, its anti-gravity drives flattened the water beneath it, and waves drifted out to either side.  Once they were close enough for the gargantuan vessel to take up most of the sky, Regulus veered upward, and raised his machina up over the wide nose at the front of the ship.

    That deep blue coloring on the Sovereign Shadow¡¯s exterior glowed under the unimpeded sunlight, and as it crested, it paused, and was set to hover in place.  The top of it hissed and clicked, then opened, and the Magistrate himself stood up from within.  From a compartment behind his seat, he withdrew the one nanotech containment-orb that he was able to find, and set it against the lip of the opening.  As he leaned on it, he lifted a finger to the curved audio-piece wrapped around his ear, ¡°Ready when you are, Your Grace.¡±

    The flagship lifted high as well, but kept a safe distance, ¡°You¡¯re on screen.  Go ahead.¡±

    Regulus nodded and grabbed the sphere with both hands, turned 90 degrees to the left¡­and let it fall.  Swiftly it descended, until it all-but bounced off an invisible barrier some 10ft up from the top of the ship.  It crackled and bounced ¨C the nanotech inside it fighting ferociously against the energy repelling it ¨C until it finally went still, as if hovering in place.

    All eyes gaped at it, ¡°¡­Does that mean it stopped the nanotech or the whole container?¡± Far¡¯nah wondered incredulously.

    Regulus closed his eyes for a moment ¨C focusing ¨C and the mech started to hover downward.  He switched channels on his ear-piece, ¡°Bridge-command, confirm that the main shield is down.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s off, sir.¡± The hapless captive answered.

    With a nod, Regulus slipped back inside the machine, and the top folded back into itself.  Without hesitation, it leaned forward, and went underneath the pod, then around and over and back down again from several angles.  Without fail, nothing happened to him or the Sovereign Shadow.  Finally, the smaller arms coming out the bottom of the weapon¡¯s ¡®chest¡¯ reached forward, and clasped the pod within its multiple clawed fingers.  For a moment, Regulus simply held it there, seeing if anything would react to the pressure, but again, nothing did.  He then shoved the pod forward, and it skidded across the ship¡¯s aura as if a magnet repelled it at an exacting distance, even ¡®jumping¡¯ when it passed over a lip in the hull.  He hovered underneath the pod then, barely fitting into the space under it, and opened the hatch again.  Hands came out from within, and clasped the container from below.  Regulus could literally hoist himself up with a bit of effort, and the pod never wavered.  In the end, as he sat back down within the mech, he hovered directly up and let the container lift on his lap as he passed vertically, ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say that it repels nanotech.  I could feel it hooking to the interior, not the exterior.¡±

    ¡°What a delightful confirmation.¡± Far¡¯nah clapped her hands together, ¡°Just imagine the Luminaries coming at it, only to bash themselves against an invisible force, like a bug against glass.  Especially those Fafnir Knights¡­  The son of the beast who attacked you would come at this thing full-tilt and simply bounce off of it, the nanotech he brought with him to help him fight suddenly making his eyes pop and he falls from the sky like a dead bird.¡±

    Her new enthusiasm for barbarism unsettled a handful of the ship¡¯s other guests ¨C including two Magistrates who had, up to then, at least supported keeping Kitez out of the Council¡¯s clutches.  They looked worriedly at one another, but said nothing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move this thing closer to the city.  I want it parked above the harbor, where the Fourth can see it with his own eyes.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± The bridge answered, and a Kitezan Admiral issued the order, ¡°We¡¯re moving out.¡±

    Regulus closed the top of the mech, and veered it around to join the flagship in watching the Vindicator begin to drift forward.  As it passed by though, a different communication request came through to him, and he accepted curiously, ¡°This is Laurier, go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Sir, sorry to interrupt¡­we have an emergency at base.¡±

    ¡°What kind of emergency?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s gone, sir.¡±

    ¡°Gone?¡± He echoed, ¡°Since when?  What happened?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not sure, sir.  Late last night, after the facility closed, it just suddenly exploded.  We¡¯ve contained the blaze, but¡­oh, sir, it¡¯s a disaster.¡±

    ¡°Why wasn¡¯t I notified sooner?¡± Regulus growled in frustration, ¡°I should have been contacted immediately.¡±

    ¡°Apologies, sir¡­we didn¡¯t know until this morning.  The local authorities were focused only on the effort to put out the fires.  None of the rest of us knew until we tried to come to work.  I wanted to be sure we had exhausted every effort to find an explanation before we contacted you about it.  Sir¡­¡±

    The Magistrate stared ahead blankly for a moment, but then shook his head, ¡°¡­Very well.  Continue with the effort.  I¡¯ll be there as soon as I can.¡±

    .

    Mardu sat in that gazebo overlooking the bay again, eyes fixed on the horizon.  He knew the Vindicator was too far out to see from there, but he still found himself imagining it, getting larger and larger as it approached until it covered the entire palace and the nearby grounds under its oppressive shadow.

    ¡°Your Grace?¡±

    He turned in his seat, and spotted the masked man approach from the rear paths, ¡°¡­She¡¯s done it¡­  It¡¯s out of the water now.  They¡¯re¡­testing it, before the Fourth arrives.¡±

    Latheroux nodded and stepped slowly closer.  He looked around briefly to check for the proximity of nearby guards, but affirmed to himself that none were close enough to hear quiet conversation, and moved in under the gazebo¡¯s roof, ¡°When those ships arrive, you should be careful to continue your outward support for the Duchess¡¯ maneuvers.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡±

    ¡°And speak only to Gabriel.¡±

    Mardu gave a look of confusion, ¡°What?  Not Lord Xanarken?¡±

    Latheroux shook his head, ¡°The times are changing.  Lord Xanarken is no longer the only Eidolon in the Fourth Wing.  He has elevated his High Negotiator to be his equal, and it is Gabriel alone who carries the Luminary¡¯s authority in Kitez and Sargon.  If Lord Xanarken even comes, it would be useless to speak to him.  Lord Gabriel is the final arbiter now.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­see.¡± Mardu turned around again, and looked out at the water, ¡°¡­Another Eidolon¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you certain you want to flee?¡± The masked dissident asked again, coming around the man¡¯s right side.

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll do whatever I can.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 48 â€“ Come Forth, Ye Beasts of War, And Bare Thine Teeth Unto Me

    Speeding in advance of the two massive SkyFortresses, the diplomat¡¯s ship was smaller, thinner, and sleeker than both by far.  It looked dainty and nonthreatening by comparison, like a newborn pup against a backdrop of two full-grown wolves, teeth bared and daring for the slightest upset.  The Kitezan countryside fled beneath the three of them all the same.

    West from the mountains, slightly south to get around the tooth-like southern tip of the Exclusion Zone ¨C and the unnoticed white plume of smoke that rose from the back of Stoneface Bluffs ¨C then a straight-shot towards Oceanside, over vast swaths of flat grassland, bogs, thin woodlands, and ¨C as they got closer to the coastline they were seeking ¨C the dead remains of salt-choked forests, with the eerie pools of stagnant water that nothing grew in or near.  From high-enough up in the sky, it was even possible to see the rift-valley that the SSCF Kitez had once carved into the landscape when it came to its unfortunate landing centuries prior.  All of which, of course, Gabriel snoozed through as exhaustion finally claimed him.

    Regulus sneered at the trio of ships, spotting them above the clouds as he pressed on closer to the ground, heading back east towards the R&D facility he¡¯d left behind.

    At the same time, far to the north-north-east, Ren watched the Aegis leave Agartha without her, heading for that First Wing high-security site where Seth would begin his true education.  Likewise, Furion and Seth watched Agartha vanish behind them.  With all the celebrations and fanfare done, there was no more reason for Ren to keep her full armor on, and she dismissed herself from the Prince¡¯s retinue just long enough to find a good spot to dock the thing.

    Agartha was the first city that the Eidolon created, as it was built on the bones of the colony ship they had arrived on, along with its neighbor, the SSCF Chiron¡¯Thule.  As such, seeing Luminary uniforms was extremely common¡­and in particular, the red uniform of the Fourth.  Those jackets came in all manner of shapes, but like the First and Sixth, it followed certain similar themes.

    The longer the coat-tails, the more senior the officer.  Those who had no coat-tails at all were newcomers and were just coming out of Cadet status ¨C Cadets themselves could wear anything from colorless dark-grey pseudo-jackets (as Seth had, beneath his lab coat) to student uniforms of the College.  There were a few styles that were unique to the Fourth though, including a half-tailed coat, where around the sides and front, it was truncated between the knee and mid-thigh, but in the back, continued down like a train; those were for the Fourth¡¯s actual lawyers.  Others, where it was long in front, came up in a slitted curve at the side, then went long again in the back, were mental health specialists and reconciliators.  Every different kind of jacket Ren saw, was one more kind of jacket she¡¯d never get to wear herself, and it just weighed on her heavily.  She felt like a fish out of water in her long blues, in a sea of civilians and Fourth Wingers, seeing only the occasional First or Sixth Winger passing by.

    Eventually, though, she made it back to her charge, and was stumped to find that they were only just-then getting to the Prince¡¯s personal quarters.  One of the city¡¯s central towers was purpose-built ¨C with a twin building next door ¨C as a residential space, with jutting curved balconies every few floors that had gardens or viewing-decks.  Council skiffs flew through the skies, with the vessels of allied nations interspersed, creating a sort of choreographed flock that darted in pre-planned lines, some guided by floating lights, others ¨C closer to the ground ¨C by different means.

    Altogether, Prince Iresha was still wildly interested in all of it, even if there was plenty he knew he couldn¡¯t see.  To Ren and J¡¯ard¡¯s eyes, the city was alive with lights and projections - holograms that were only visible to those with the nanotech nodules or Cadet¡¯s glasses ¨C and which looked rather bland and placid without.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be an uneventful week before you begin at the College.¡± J¡¯ard was saying when Ren finally rejoined them, ¡°So I would recommend you inquire as to anything you¡¯re curious about seeing in the city, and we¡¯ll do what we can to show you around.¡±

    ¡°Is it really appropriate for me to be a tourist when my father sent me here early on the belief that Sargon may soon be entrenched in a bitter war?¡± Iresha wondered, looking around the single-floored apartment he¡¯d been given, ¡°Or generally that there¡¯s conflict on the horizon?¡±

    J¡¯ard nodded, only to shake his head, then nod again, ¡°Well, it¡¯s best not to dwell on such things.  Let the Fourth handle it, and maybe there won¡¯t be anything to worry about at all.  There hasn¡¯t been any kind of all-out war on Hadira in a very long time.¡±

    ¡°When has there been?¡± The Prince countered.

    ¡°There have been two large-scale wars,¡± J¡¯ard answered simply, ¡°The first was roughly 150 years ago, when East and West Oriban were still just Oriban, without the distinction.  As with most wars, resources and land were-¡±

    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t need to know right now¡­¡± Iresha lifted a hand.

    Ren tried to find some humor in the moment as she stepped into the room, ¡°Don¡¯t bore the poor guy, he just got here.¡±

    ¡°The young sir asked.¡± J¡¯ard defended, ¡°In any case¡­the peace brought on by the Hadiran Accord has been a landmark treaty that has kept things stable with even the most fickle people for a very long time.  With any luck, Lord Gabriel will be able to bring that to Kitez, and we can finally put all of this anxiety behind us, once and for all.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, hopefully.¡± Ren agreed.

    .

    ¡°Lord Gabriel.¡±

    ¡°Snrr¡­whe¡­¡±

    ¡°Lord Gabriel!¡±

    He awoke with a start, sitting up in his seat with narrowed, unfocused eyes.  His head creaked when he turned it towards the woman who¡¯d dared wake him, ¡°¡­Whahappen?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°What!¡± He spun around with such haste that he rammed the side of his forehead against the window, and coddled it with a wince and a startled groan, then looked again.  Sure enough, the ground was precariously close; not just the ground, either, but the wide cobblestone expanse of the Duchy¡¯s private landing yard, ¡°Oh shit!¡±

    And then he noticed the protesters.

    ¡°¡­Oh¡­well, damn.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re being kept behind a barricade and the Kitezan National Guard, but¡­well, they are quite plentiful in number.¡± The attendant explained, ¡°Please be careful, sir.¡±

    The butterflies in his stomach started to flutter voraciously, ¡°¡­Maybe I should¡¯ve assigned a Fafnir detail to myself, too¡­¡± He said quietly, but then pushed himself up to his feet.  He found the cannister that Xanarken had already connected himself to, and clicked a button on top to send the alert.  He waited a few moments before gathering his courage to leave the vessel on his own, ¡°¡­Guess he¡¯s busy or something.  I¡¯m sure I can handle this by myself for a minute.  He was only going to be watching anyway.¡±

    The exit was at the front-right of the ship, and the door was already open, folded down and out to form a stairwell for him to disembark on.  There was roughly only a perimeter of 30ft between the landing-circle and the barrier keeping the protesters at bay.  He swallowed a nervous lump in his throat, but took that first step¡­and was immediately confronted with the barrage of anger and rage from the populace.  The only thing stopping the onslaught of stones, trash, and other awful projectiles, was the wall of FlexiGlas that had been erected around the ship.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be intimidated, Mediator.¡± The Duchess¡¯ voice called, drawing Gabriel¡¯s attention to the choke-point of the proverbial funnel he¡¯d found himself in.  Kitezan soldiers lined the inner wall of the clear, glass-like barrier, and it crackled and fizzed with the impact of every new item hurled at it.

    Those eyes barely saw the woman before being drawn up into the sky, and the 3,500ft monstrosity that had been raised from the deep.  It was absolutely gargantuan, and far more intimidating up there than it ever had been as a ruin on or inside the ground.  It gave him a chill, and he forced himself to look down at his ¡®host¡¯ again, ¡°¡­Duchess.¡±

    ¡°You are decidedly not the man I was thinking I would see today.¡± She answered, flanked by a dozen of her own personal guard.  Beyond her was half of the Conclave, and all of those eyes bore holes into the Vice Eidolon as he approached.

    Gabriel¡¯s only saving grace was the intimidating appearance of the Dreadnought and the Fulcrum hovering beside one another in the sky behind him, though they were dwarfed by the Tuonela by being less than half its size by length alone.  A colony ship was probably six to eight times their size by volume.  Though the freighter had weight-class on its side, it had a particular lack of obvious weaponry on its exterior, whereas the two SkyFortresses had not only their primary cannons hanging under them, but an arsenal of smaller guns and weapons-systems clear to be seen.  Approaching from behind the diplomat¡¯s ship ¨C heard first by their marching, then seen as they came around ¨C was a contingent of soldiers, all of whom bore the blue of the Sixth, but who looked more like SWAT police than anything.  When they had assembled around him, Gabriel finally felt a little safe; four on each side stepped forward to flank him, while the rest created a perimeter around the ship.  Armored helmets, vests, vambraces, and shin-guards protected their bodies, and wide black visors protected their faces.  They carried a varied number of different-sized and types of weapons, from plasma-rifles in their hands, to smaller pistols on their hips, and knives across their lower-back and on each calf.

    ¡°You probably already know my name.¡± Gabriel started, turning to face the entourage directly, ¡°But I¡¯ll introduce myself anyway.  I am Gabriel Lugios, Vice Eidolon of the Fourth Wing of the Luminary Council.  I¡¯m here on invitation of your government.¡±

    ¡°Vice Eidolon?¡± Far¡¯nah echoed, ¡°Weren¡¯t you something else before?¡±

    ¡°The past is irrelevant, now that you have that thing up there.¡± He nudged his head at the giant in the sky, ¡°I¡¯d rather not do this outside, if it¡¯s all the same to you¡­Your Grace.¡±

    ¡°Will your Lord Xanarken Tellan not be joining us?¡±

    ¡°No.  You¡¯re dealing with me from now on.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    She stared him up and down for a moment, but eventually did as expected, and gestured up the stone steps towards the Duchy¡¯s royal residence, ¡°Very well, Vice Lord Gabriel.¡±

    With his four guards, Gabriel followed, surrounded on all sides by the rancor of the Kitezan people.  As he went up that long, wide staircase ¨C each step long enough to take two paces more just to arrive at the next step beyond it ¨C he looked at some of the angry signs.  There was no surprise for the fact that they despised the Council in general, but it was surprising that they held such particular anger for him.  Everything from traitor to afflicted coward, he saw it all.

    On the ship, Xanarken finally responded to the summons, but was mortified to realize the vessel had already landed and everyone had gotten off, Damnit, Gabriel, you were supposed to holler for me before you arrived.  With some quick thinking, he reshaped his mantle into cat-mode, and slithered his way down the open stairwell until he could make a break for it.  He spotted the procession about half-way to the palace, and Gabriel in the middle of it.  Paws pounded on the cobblestone as he ran forward, tail held low, and when he caught up, he quickly scrambled up to the Vice Eidolon¡¯s shoulder.

    Of course, that just made the man yelp in surprise, and everyone gawked at him ¨C spotting the cat sitting on him as well ¨C and weren¡¯t sure if weapons should be drawn or not.  Gabriel just held his hands out, ¡°Don¡¯t scorn a man for his emotional-support feline.  He was just shy coming off the ship.¡±

    Far¡¯nah gaped incredulously, and spoke quietly so only the Conclave members could hear her, ¡°¡­Emotional-support feline?  Is this some joke?¡±

    Lacking context, none of them realized the Eidolon was in their midst.

    Gabriel just stared walking again, and the rest did as well to get on with it.  He grumbled quietly at the creature, ¡°You took your damn time.¡±

    ¡°So did you.¡± It answered, voice heard even if its mouth didn¡¯t have to move to speak those words.

    ¡°Guess I was more tired than I thought.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d she take it?¡±

    ¡°Probably feels insulted.  I guess news doesn¡¯t travel fast-enough around this place.  She thought I was still High Negotiator.¡± He explained, ¡°Are you going to spend the whole encounter like this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll reshape myself inside.  No sense giving these people anything more to be mad about.¡±

    ¡°Look up before we get there.¡±

    The cat tilted its head, but then did as bid, and went wide-eyed with those deep purple orbits at the sight of the ship, ¡°¡­It¡¯s so unnatural to see that thing in the sky.¡±

    The inside of the palace was just as Xanarken had remembered it from all those years back; polished amber slate flooring, marble pillars, and wrought black-iron bars against the walls to match the black-iron sconces that flickered with fire-lights.  Unlike the cliff-side palace of Trazad, the Kitezan palace seemed more like a fortified castle than an airy home.  It was pretty, but, to outsiders like them, it felt oppressive and claustrophobic.  Two massive sets of doors had to be passed-through before they finally made it to their destination; the throne room.

    Far¡¯nah¡¯s entourage split to move around the pergola as the Duchess herself went under its vine-laden roof.  The Magistrates of the Conclave went around to their seats, and stood beside them rather than sit, and watched carefully from the exterior-side of the large table that circumscribed the edge of the proverbial stage in the center.

    Gabriel hesitantly approached, but he signaled for his protective detail to stay on the perimeter.

    There was tension as both the Sixth Wing and the Kitezan guard held-fast to their respective weapons, but Far¡¯nah just lifted her hands and gestured down with them, ¡°Let¡¯s bring the heat down a little bit.  There¡¯s no need for all this open hostility.  We¡¯re supposed to be here to talk, after all.¡±

    Those anxious bicolored eyes turned to the Duchess, ¡°You rose one of our colony ships into the sky, outfitted with technology it clearly did not come with, and have the nerve to tell us to lower the temperature in the room.¡±

    ¡°Your colony ship.¡± She threw back at him, ¡°We¡¯re the ones who found, restored, and recovered it.  It¡¯s ours.¡±

    ¡°What are you hoping to achieve by showing it off like this?¡± Gabriel wondered stiffly, ¡°If you wanted to send a statement that you had the ability to do so¡­we¡¯ve heard it loud and clear.  Keep the core if you want, but the ship itself belongs to the Council.¡±

    ¡°I will do no such thing.¡± The Duchess answered flatly, and pointed at the Vice Eidolon, ¡°And who are you to make such comments anyway?  You¡¯re just some spawn of the Exclusion Zone that an Eidolon took pity on.  You¡¯re not even the one I gave permission to come here!  Where is Xanarken!?¡±

    The cat narrowed its eyes, but finally decided that was its moment, and dissolved its feline body to reform as its normal self.  All arms were up to point at the Eidolon ¨C and his successor ¨C and the Sixth Wingers raised their weapons as well.  Everyone started shouting for the other to lower their guns, but Far¡¯nah yelled louder to cut through the fog.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to be able to kill an Eidolon by shooting through his mantle.¡± She chided, ¡°Kitez will not be the nation that shot one of their fleshy envoys, either.  Weapons down, now!¡±

    The Kitezan guard reluctantly did as directed, and Gabriel sidelined his own escort as well.  Xanarken just stood there defiantly beside the Vice, and crossed his arms, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡±

    ¡°Indeed it has!  So good of you to make yourself obvious, Eidolon.¡± She countered, ¡°I was worried you were going to make a fool of this man for the entire duration.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get no satisfaction from me, Your Grace.¡± The Fourth answered, and nudged his head towards Gabriel, ¡°It¡¯s him you need to impress.  I¡¯m only here to make sure you behave.¡±

    ¡°Behave!¡± She laughed, ¡°The last time your ilk set foot this deep into Kitez, you¡¯re the ones who attacked us.¡±

    ¡°You should be better-able to control your Magistrates.  But I suppose at a mere age of 45, you wouldn¡¯t have that much experience at such things.¡±

    Gabriel mentally deadpanned, Jeeze, I¡¯m only 32, way to throw me under a bus with her.

    ¡°After decades of open aggression inside my borders, and over a century of antagonism¡­you come to my doorstep and tell me about controlling my people.¡± Far¡¯nah scoffed, and started to pace slowly around the northern perimeter of the speech-circle, ¡°And worse still,¡± She gestured at Gabriel directly, ¡°You bring this welp ¨C practically still on the teat ¨C to treat with me!  You could not have chosen a better way to offend me from the start, Lord Xanarken.¡±

    He''d spoken is last though, and closed his eyes, as if shutting down right there in front of her.  Gabriel took a half-step forward, ¡°If that¡¯s the allegory you¡¯re going to use, then allow me to respond by saying I¡¯ve suckled deep from the bosom of experience.  I¡¯ve been party to every word and decision made between Kitez and the Council since you took your throne, Your Grace.  You may not enjoy it, but you and I are of the same generation.  You¡¯d do yourself a favor by showing some modicum of respect.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re nothing but an afflicted mongrel who got lucky.¡± She dismissed, and all-but spat at Gabriel¡¯s feet, ¡°I know who you are, boy.  We are not alike in any way.  You would do yourself a favor by stepping aside to let the adults speak.¡±

    ¡°What are you planning to do with the Tuonela?¡± He diverted, refusing to acknowledge the comment, ¡°You can¡¯t admit openly that the colony ship is Council property, but you know full-well that it is.  Long before any of us crawled out of the womb, the Eidolon had already had centuries of claim on this world.  Just because it took longer for them to find Kitez doesn¡¯t mean your colony was any less a part of the fleet¡¯s mission.  You were only lucky ¨C if you want to use that word ¨C that the initial scouting missions out of Chiron¡¯Thule went north instead of south.  Had we found you and Sargon first, maybe it would be Mayrain and Yunar causing the problems today.¡±

    ¡°Causing the problems¡­¡± Far¡¯nah scoffed, ¡°The Council didn¡¯t even exist when the fleet crashed.  We were left on our own for 250 years!  We clawed and scraped our way through the salty wasteland of this place, and you come in here now thinking you can shepherd us into your flock like so many sheep.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an open secret in the Accord that Sargon and Kitez are viewed as having some level of hubris when they declared themselves Empire and Duchy.¡± Gabriel retorted, ¡°No other single nation has demanded such soaring levels of recognition.  Most were not so arrogant as to suggest they were anything more than mere scattered colonies, and were eager to rejoin with the collective once found.  Under any different leadership¡­Kitez would¡¯ve been longing for the assistance of the Council.¡±

    There was no small amount of irony noted when the meeting was interrupted by the loud sound of the side-doors opening, and the Duchess¡¯ timid husband made his presence known, flanked by his masked, Sargonian rabble-rouser of a friend.  All eyes turned to Mardu, and he actually had the temerity to speak through his intrusion, ¡°We do not long for the Council.¡±

    Murmurs of agreement soared in the wings, but the two Eidolon glanced at each other quietly.

    Mardu stepped into the circle to take his place by his wife¡¯s side, ¡°¡­Kitez wants only two things from you and yours; acceptance that you can¡¯t control us, and recognition that we made it to today on our own.  You can play at despotism and serfdom all you like with your pawns in the Accord, but we will not bow to you.¡±

    Far¡¯nah and the Magistrates were equal-parts impressed and excited; that display was the closest thing to an actual spine Mardu had ever shown in public.  Gabriel turned a side-eye towards Latheroux though, and that masked man blinked ¨C or winked; with only one actual eye, it was hard to tell ¨C before looking to the Duke again.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to recognize here.¡± Gabriel argued, and sighed with frustration, ¡°You have our ship, and we¡¯re going to get it back, one way or another.¡±

    ¡°Is that a threat?¡± Far¡¯nah asked.

    ¡°There are two things that can happen here, Your Grace.¡± He answered, and looked briefly to Xanarken for any kind of objection, but the Eidolon made not a single flicker of motion.  That mantle was stationary, and Gabriel took it to mean he could proceed as he liked, ¡°Either you surrender the Tuonela to us without fanfare; park it on the border, allow our people to board, and we will get it the rest of the way out of Kitez.  Or¡­we can bring the full force of the Sixth Wing here and shoot it down.¡±

    ¡°You would never.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± He asked, ¡°That ship is nothing but a graveyard.  A sad reminder of potential that was wasted and lost.  The least we can do is bring them back to friendly territory with the leadership they followed here, and give those souls rest in soil we cultivated for them.¡±

    ¡°¡­There are no bodies to bury.¡± The Duchess responded grimly, and looked up to see that confused expression looking back at her, ¡°The Tuonela is alive and well, its cargo and passengers intact and untouched¡­save a few.¡±

    Even that hadn¡¯t gotten a rise out of the Fourth, so Gabriel felt truly alone in the moment, ¡°What do you mean, save a few?¡±

    ¡°Who do you think we have piloting that ship?¡± She answered, ¡°That thing is the better part of four centuries old.  The Council isn¡¯t the only group that evolved its technology beyond the recognition of the systems we arrived with here.¡±

    Gabriel was incensed, ¡°You would arouse the crew of that colony ship to participate in your games!?¡± He barked, taking a step closer, only to find weapons drawn on him to stop him in his tracks, ¡°You have a lot of nerve¡­  Those people have been in hyper-sleep all this time, and you¡¯d do this to them¡­¡±

    ¡°We all do what we must to achieve our ends.¡± She answered, and stood there defiantly ¨C within arm¡¯s reach, but knowing the Vice wouldn¡¯t dare, ¡°None of those colonists have any idea what¡¯s going on.  They¡¯ve been out since the ship crashed, and the bridge commanded cryogenic suspension be turned on.  They could¡¯ve been asleep till the end of time, if we hadn¡¯t found them.  Yet here they are, on the precipice of finding out what their world has become¡­and what grievous bungling took place in their absence.  Ask yourselves¡­would you be proud of what they find out when they wake up?  If they knew our side first, could you possibly face them and tell them what you¡¯ve done to us?¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t done anything to you.¡± Gabriel argued, ¡°¡­But I swear, we will, if you don¡¯t let that ship go.¡±

    ¡°Threats from the whipped dog of the Eidolon¡­¡± Far¡¯nah shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of you.  Begone from my sight.¡±

    Gabriel was stunned, ¡°You can¡¯t just kick us out.  We have unfinished business.¡±

    ¡°I can.  And I am.¡± The Duchess extended her open hand towards him, ¡°Guards, see to it that the Eidolon of the Fourth and his pet return to their ship.¡±

    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t-¡± Mardu suddenly interjected, and stepped forward into the circle, ¡°I would like to talk to them as well.  We are supposed to be Gemini rulers¡­  I am entitled to my piece.¡±

    Far¡¯nah looked at him incredulously, but the glances she got from the present Conclave were enough to tell her she was expected to allow it.  With a snarl, she turned around and left the circle, ¡°Fine.¡±

    Half the guard split from the rest to follow the Duchess to the doors to her antechamber, and posted outside, leaving the Duke and Latheroux with the other half in the meeting circle.  Mardu just lifted his hand though, ¡°Everyone else, get out.¡±

    ¡°Your Grace-¡°

    ¡°Out.  I have nothing to fear from these Eidolon.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 49 â€“ A Hand In the Abyss Is A Risk, But Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

    For something of a secret research facility, Seth was surprised at how sprawling and open it was.  Built into the join of two cliff-sides, it bore two obvious sections that could be seen from outdoors.  The first, was a three-level upper deck, with floor-to-ceiling windows across the walls from one side to the other.  Below that ¨C connected by a few pillars and elevator-chutes near the rock ¨C was a single-level outdoor space that extended quite a distance out into the open air.  In its center was a glass-covered walkway, covering a whirlpool where it emptied out into a waterfall.  Seth realized quickly that the protruding outdoor lip was actually a landing platform¡­for far smaller vessels, at any rate.

    The Aegis was simply too enormous to fit anywhere near the facility, and from high-up, the canyon looked more like a crevasse, splitting apart at the apex of a river.  The only thing that could get between the edges of the surrounding plateaus were much smaller, 2-3 person skiffs.

    ¡°Is that really all there is to it¡­?¡± Seth wondered, seeing the zoomed-in view from the Aegis¡¯ bridge, ¡°It¡¯s¡­so small.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just the arrivals bay.¡± Rylen answered, and leaned back slightly, taking note of the subtle bruising on either side of the back of the teen¡¯s head, ¡°Most of it is built into the rock, deep down and farther back.  If you¡¯re online, you can access more than just the front doors.¡±

    ¡°Y-yessir!¡± The teen answered excitedly, ¡°Ready to go!¡±

    ¡°Excellent.  You¡¯ll find that the doors you have clearance to enter will open automatically on approach.  You won¡¯t have access to everything for some time, but, you¡¯ll have plenty to get started with.¡± The First commented, turning to exit to bridge with his apprentice in tow.

    Furion watched them go, but stayed where he was.  He turned to the main screen, ¡°Commander Parker and Sir Jense Dmitry, head out.  First shift begins now.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡± They both answered, and a few moments later, the notification went out that the both of them had left the Aegis¡¯ shield-perimeter.

    Beneath the visible exterior, and behind several layers of rock-wall, a secure holding-room had been made ready for the dangerous cargo brought north from the southern hemisphere.  Within, no measures were left to chance, and even those presumably-dead and maimed entities were bound, secluded, and equipped with S.D. helmets.  Even the third Magi ¨C who had never roused to begin with ¨C was given the same treatment.

    Within the facility, the need for anonymity was irrelevant, and the normally-concealed members of the Inquisition corps were able to move freely and unmasked.  For every four of them though, only one was a Myrmidon ¨C and at least one was stationed nearby to each of the Magi at all times.  There was an air of nervousness about them though¡­because it wasn¡¯t just the Magi that were being secured there.

    It wouldn¡¯t do for the Fafnir to execute every problem-child the Limitless touched.  The further back the facility went, the more it looked like a high-security prison, with a number of cells that looked to be capable of suspending and maintaining a cadre of afflicted subjects.  They had special ¡®guests¡¯ there now, however; no such typical rabble would be taking up time and space when they had the Magi there.

    And their victims.

    Muttering and fearful, in three different rooms - which had been outfitted with what comforts could be afforded in such a place ¨C were the unfortunate souls who had been present at the opening of the Warp Core.  One stayed huddled on his bed, stripped to just his underclothes, eyes darkened and red from days of weeping, rocking back and forth uncontrollably.  His neighbor fared less hospitably, lying on his side but stuck with an S.D. helmet on; his hands clutched at it, as though worried something or someone might take it off.  The third was simply catatonic, standing in a far end of his cell, staring into a corner; he had bandages wrapped around his head, and his hands were now restrained about his waist.

    One of the Myrmidon guards who patrolled by couldn¡¯t help but stop, pity written on his face as she spied within each room.

    ¡°Don¡¯t linger too long.¡± Someone warned; she looked back over her shoulder at the standard Sixth Winger soldier posted at the door to the cell-bloc, ¡°They start screaming if they think someone¡¯s watching them.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± She answered, and moved along again, ¡°Have they said anything?¡±

    ¡°Only about the whispers.  The one on your right,¡± He nudged his head in that direction, ¡°¡­tore his own eyes out, thinking the whispers were coming from them.  He¡¯s been quiet since, but¡­¡±

    ¡°I see¡­  And they¡¯ve been like this since coming back from the south?¡± The Myrmidon wondered, and made her way back towards the soldier¡¯s post.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°But no one else?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid those details are bit above my pay-grade,¡± The soldier explained, ¡°But one nugget that¡¯s come out is that the Fourth¡¯s newest Eidolon was there with them at the time¡­and now he¡¯s on a diplomatic mission to Kitez.  Take from that what you will.¡±

    .

    The throne room felt empty as the last doors closed, and Duke Mardu let out a closely-held shiver.  Gabriel found it unusual, but waited for the man to make the first move.  Still, he gave a bit of a snide glance over at Latheroux past Mardu¡¯s shoulder, and quietly wondered to himself why such a figure would ever be allowed to attend a meeting like the one they were having.

    ¡°First things¡¯s first¡­¡± Mardu finally began, ¡°¡­It¡¯s¡­Lord Gabriel now.¡±

    ¡°It is.¡± He answered, ¡°Odd as that sounds.¡±

    ¡°I¡­should like to speak with you alone.¡±

    ¡°Xanarken is aware of everything that I am.  You can speak freely.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not that.¡± Mardu said; all of his prior courage had apparently been used-up just in the act of interrupting his wife, and he was as timid as he ever was.  Latheroux stepped up to him and whispered something into the Duke¡¯s ear ¨C Gabriel did not like that ¨C but the Duke nodded anyway, ¡°It¡¯s important that what I say be spoken only to the person with whom I¡¯m entrusting the words.  If you are, in fact, the presiding Eidolon of the Fourth here¡­then I must ask your predecessor to leave.¡±

    Gabriel didn¡¯t even have a chance to look back as his mentor before Xanarken dipped.  The mantle fell to dust and vanished entirely.  Gabriel just stared ¨C confused but mostly stunned ¨C and eventually returned his attention to Mardu, ¡°¡­Well, that solves that.¡±

    ¡°Apologies, Lord Gabriel¡­I just cannot bring myself to speak to a man who would threaten to choke the life from my wife with nanotech if she didn¡¯t obey him.¡± Mardu managed.

    ¡°¡­He couldn¡¯t have.  Xanarken wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°It appears there is much about your Eidolon that you don¡¯t know.  Please¡­walk with me¡­  I don¡¯t like the circle.¡±

    Gabriel had no reason to disagree, and stepped up alongside the Duke as he began to follow the winding channels of water embedded within the floor.  Mardu kept his eyes low, his hands held loosely behind his back, and the Vice Eidolon watched carefully.

    ¡°My wife, the Duchess¡­¡± He finally started; they¡¯d nearly made it to one corner of the room by then, ¡°She very much wanted to make that same point directly to Lord Xanarken, but¡­his refusal to engage with her ¨C beyond saying she had to engage with you ¨C really took the wind out of her sails.¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like it¡­  Uh, Your Grace.¡± Gabriel remembered, ¡°But it¡¯s good to know that you were listening-in even if you weren¡¯t with us at the time.¡±

    ¡°I have never had an aptitude for politicking.  That¡¯s¡­part of why she chose me.  And¡­it¡¯s why I¡¯m asking to speak to you now.¡± Mardu explained, and paused directly on the corner, ¡°My friend tells me you received my plea, and it is my sincere hope that you have been able to discuss it with my elder cousin in Sargon.¡±

    Gabriel had every answer to give, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak the words so long as that dissident shadow was following them.  He gestured at Latheroux, ¡°This man has no business listening to this conversation.  I¡¯m afraid I must insist he leave.¡±

    Mardu shook his head, ¡°He has been my confidant for more than 20 years.  He stays.¡±

    ¡°You do know who he is though, yes?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a man who shares a deep and abiding belief that the Council is best kept at arm¡¯s length.¡±

    Gabriel just felt impatient about it, ¡°He¡¯s also a man whose rhetoric contributed directly to the death of the late Empress.¡±

    ¡°An unfortunate mistake, to be certain.¡± Mardu dismissed, and took a step aside to gesture at Latheroux, giving him the chance to explain in his own words.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t the only one who had a strong reaction to the Council¡¯s actions in the Exclusion Zone back then.¡± Latheroux began, though Gabriel couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes a little, ¡°There were protests in both nations.  We wanted to send a clear message that we would not welcome the Council¡¯s influence.  I¡­did not anticipate that the crowd which had gathered at the Imperial palace was the sort to actually attack it.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Two times, Latheroux had made Gabriel feel embarrassed, and this third time would not be allowed.  He took a step past the Duke and stuck a finger down into Latheroux¡¯s chest, ¡°You don¡¯t get to make claims about being mistaken when you¡¯re meddling with the destinies of nations.  In fact, you¡¯re the last person who ought to be giving advice to the Duke about the trajectory Kitez should take.¡±

    Mardu tried to stick an arm between the two, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that¡­  He¡¯s been nothing but helpful.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a liar.¡± Gabriel insisted¡­and did the only thing he could think of to prove the point.  He pulled his finger back, and sent his fist forward, punching right through the front of that hollow visage.  Nanotech crackled around his wrist as it bounced off his glove, gently trying to restore its shape, but was repelled by the physical being of the limb.

    The Duke took a step back, and Latheroux did as well, making it possible for the hole to fill-in again, ¡°¡­Very well.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­an Eidolon, too?¡± Mardu said, aghast.

    Latheroux shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m the same man you¡¯ve always known me to be.¡±

    ¡°But¡­how are you¡­?¡±

    Gabriel flexed his fingers, ¡°I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt that ¨C maybe, just maybe ¨C you were actually who you claimed to be, and were here, with the Duke, in the flesh¡­somehow using a mantle from the palace.¡± He began, and grabbed a length of his Eidolonic cloak, ¡°But I¡¯ve worn nanotech garments long enough to know what it feels like when there¡¯s flesh or air beneath the surface.  And you¡¯re just a shell¡­  We don¡¯t know who you are.  For all we know, you¡¯re just some opportunist using the man¡¯s visage to gain clout¡­and it pisses me off that you would dare move about in the world like the Eidolon when even I don¡¯t.¡±  He turned again to Mardu, ¡°Please, Your Grace¡­this thing calling itself Latheroux cannot be trusted.¡±

    The Duke¡¯s eyes wavered, but he swallowed a knot in his throat and stepped between the two men, ¡°No¡­  He has been my only friend since my wife and I ascended.  He has never sought to manipulate me, only help me realize the deeper nature of my own thoughts and beliefs.  He risked his life to get to you-¡°

    ¡°He didn¡¯t risk anything.  He can¡¯t even be hurt while using a mantle.¡± Gabriel argued bitterly, though he did have to recover from the mental stumble of that now-known untrue fact.  He took another few steps back, closer to the pergola, ¡°If you won¡¯t dismiss him, then there¡¯s nothing further to discuss.¡±

    Mardu hesitated, but lacking the will to continue fighting against a more dominant personality, he acquiesced, and nodded for Latheroux to leave, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    The masked figure gave a small bow forward, ¡°Your Grace.¡±  He turned on a heel to step out, only to find more insults hurled his way.

    ¡°Just dissolve and get on with it!¡± The Vice barked, ¡°You¡¯re just embarrassing yourself now by walking around, as if you had to.¡±

    ¡°Please, Lord Gabriel¡­¡±

    He twisted in annoyance, that long cloak wavering behind him.  Once the fake had finally gone though ¨C leaving through the nearby side-door; the same he and the Duke had come through ¨C Gabriel finally let himself take a break, ¡°¡­My apologies for the outburst, Your Grace.¡±

    ¡°I understand your misgivings¡­but even if he isn¡¯t who he claims to be, he has been true to me all this time.  I trust his intent, even if I can no longer trust his face.¡± Mardu explained, ¡°Were you able to speak to Iresha¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± He answered, and turned back to face the Duke, ¡°He¡¯ll take you, but there are conditions.¡±

    Mardu¡¯s eyes lit-up, only for his whole body to sag immediately after, ¡°¡­Conditions?¡±

    ¡°The Emperor does not want to appear as though he¡¯s taking a side in this conflict that the Duchess has with the Council.  As such, he will not send a ship to come collect you, and he will not make a spectacle out of receiving you.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°The Council can¡¯t transport you either.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wh-what?¡± Mardu looked even more deflated, ¡°But I could go with you today; right now.  You have a ship docked already¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simply out of the question.¡± Gabriel waved his hands in front of himself in a denying gesture, ¡°You¡¯ll have to-¡°

    ¡°But Lord Xanarken plucked you out of Kitez the day you first met.¡±

    Bicolored eyes narrowed slightly, Is this guy really that na?ve¡­?  He shook his head, ¡°Your Grace, this simply isn¡¯t the same kind of situation.  If you want sanctuary in Sargon, you¡¯ll have to find a way to get there yourself, and a time and date that we decide.  It¡¯s the only way we can be sure to get you in safely, and then keep you safe until it¡¯s appropriate for you to return to the public eye.¡±

    ¡°¡­When will that be¡­?  I don¡¯t know how much longer I can stay in the Duchess¡¯ good graces.¡±

    .

    The R&D facility at Stoneface Bluffs was still lightly smoking by the time Regulus arrived on-site, and he could hardly believe the look of it.  Built into the rock of a lowland mountain, and surrounded by old-growth forest, the destruction made it look like less a building and more a kicked-over ant-hill.  Large debris-haulers descended from on high to grab bigger pieces of wreckage and move it safely away from the area.  Regulus had arrived just in time to see one such enormous slab of ruined concrete be pulled out of the river, and watched the whole deluge of its release rush downstream.

    Now-former employees of the site gathered in droves at the drop-off area of the road, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was going on, hoping for answers they¡¯d thus-far been denied.

    ¡°Does anyone know what happened?¡± Regulus asked, frustrated by the entire thing, ¡°Where did the explosion come from?¡±

    One of the rescue foremen nervously answered, ¡°It could take some days to understand the cause¡­¡±

    The Magistrate ¨C normally rather calm and collected ¨C threw the FlexiGlas panel with the disaster report on it into the growing pit, ¡°This place was high-security!  It had cameras!  What did the cameras show!?¡±

    ¡°We believe the security system was tampered with.  The footage we pulled from off-site is still showing a loop from after everyone left for the night.  The night-alarm was never set, either¡­¡±

    ¡°Tampered with!?¡± He echoed angrily.  The whole operation was going too slow, and the answers he was getting ¨C after so many hours to find them ¨C were appallingly unsatisfactory.  There were only two things he truly wanted to know, however¡­and there was nothing giving him the authority to blurt out loud what those were.  Not to the local rescue effort, anyway.  He turned where he stood and stepped down from some of the slanted slabs of broken flooring, ¡°Everyone who¡¯s in the hole needs to get out.¡±

    ¡°But, the survivors we¡¯re trying to find¡­¡±

    ¡°There are no survivors you are permitted to find.  I will not give the order twice, and I will not be kind to anyone who remains.  You have three minutes.¡±

    Panic set in, and the foreman started to wave at the pit-crew, ¡°Evacuate!  Evacuate now!  Everyone get out of the way!¡±

    The terrifying arrival of the Sovereign Shadow over the pit was enough to make people scramble even faster than they already had been, and Regulus hovered down with haste.  Small and large arms worked in tandem to push rubble away and dig deeper.  He didn¡¯t stop until he got to the skeleton of the blasting-chamber.

    The empty blasting-chamber.

    Regulus¡¯ heart felt like it stopped for a moment, Where the Hell did it go?  Did it escape?

    He dug a bit further, clearing out as much of the box as he needed to know that the beast it contained had indeed vanished from within it.  He took a moment to look at the way the metal at its edges bent, however, and realized that it had twisted outward, as if the explosion had somehow come from within it.

    All that time, it sat around in here, speaking cryptically and reshaping its shell¡­was it just biding its time?  What could¡¯ve possibly indicated it was ready to leave, though?  ¡­Where did it suddenly manifest so much power?

    That¡¯s when he heard a pitiable groan.  He turned his mech around, the ¡®head¡¯ of it turning further in seeking of the source of the sound.  Eventually, that flat, elongated face looked down, and Regulus realized the noise was coming from under a metal beam.  One final push with the strength of all four arms, and Regulus beheld the visage of a man he both hadn¡¯t expected ¨C and hoped not ¨C to see.

    But¡­it was wrong.

    Where burns had once come a long way towards healing, now writhed the disgusting wormy tendrils of a sickly purple-red ichor.  Every inch of that body that had once been burned with Limitless flame was now twisted and wrong, protruding and twitching like a cluster of fingers.  Prince Aamin simply looked like he¡¯d been half-melted, and the intact half of him was in shock, gasping for breath that wouldn¡¯t go into him.  Black veins of corruption threaded under the surface of his skin, creeping across his face, and wherever those veins touched his brow, the hair that sprouted above it had begun to turn white.  The truly heinous part of the whole image was the part where the once-empty eye-socket had grown a single, long, fungus-like extension that wriggled independently of the rest.

    ¡°¡­What in the ever-loving fuck happened to him?¡± Regulus asked himself quietly, ¡°And why is he here on this floor?¡±

    Rubble tumbled behind him; Regulus looked up, but was relieved no one had made the mistake of coming back to gawk.  What he did see, however, was telling; the dented second nanotech containment-pod.  It came to a stop just within arm¡¯s reach, and Regulus clasped it within the claws of his mech¡¯s small right arm, ¡­She brought it back.  But when?  ¡­Before closing-time, surely¡­  He shook his head, and made sure to keep his mech perched overtop of the Prince¡¯s mangled frame, but then sent out an urgent call to his Duchess.

    It beeped instead of cutting off; maybe the meeting was already over.

    And it beeped again; he waited.

    He started to wonder if she¡¯d answer at all, but then the beeping paused, and her face suddenly appeared ¨C irate as it was ¨C on his curved surround-screen, ¡°Your Grace, I-¡±

    ¡°I certainly hope you have some better news for me than I have or myself right now.¡± She said grimly, and rubbed her painted temples, ¡°¡­This meeting was an utter waste.¡±

    ¡°I found the Prince, Your Grace, but-¡°

    ¡°Aamin?  He lived?¡±

    ¡°¡­There are ways of interpreting the use of that word that may apply to him currently.¡±

    She just stared ahead in confusion, but then shook the haze away, ¡°I want him brought here to Oceanside.¡±

    ¡°With all due respect, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea at this time.¡±

    ¡°Are you disobeying an order, Magistrate?¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer that with words; he just turned his mech around and tilted the flat face of its head down, showing the grizzly sight beneath it.

    Far¡¯nah was visibly disgusted, ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°The Prince, I¡¯m afraid.  He somehow got into the basement-level of the facility.¡±

    The Duchess grimaced, ¡°¡­There¡¯s a new player on the board who doesn¡¯t appear to have the same concerns and weaknesses as I planned to levy against Xanarken.¡± She explained simply, ¡°Is there any way you can get him to Oceanside?¡±

    The look of revulsion on his face told more in that instant than any words he could¡¯ve given, ¡°Your Grace.¡±

    She held up a hand, ¡°You¡¯re right, I wouldn¡¯t want to touch him in that state either.  ¡­Then I¡¯ll come to you.  Conceal him until I can get there.  Do whatever you can to secure a transport container.¡±  She commanded, and disconnected the call.

    Regulus could say nothing to counter her before her image disappeared, and he looked again at the grotesquery lying in the rubble.  With a sigh, he lifted up and out of the crater, and hovered forward to find the foreman he¡¯d spoken to earlier.  He found the man all the way back with the employee-crowd at the drop-off circle, and made his intent known to the whole group.

    ¡°I want interviews done with everyone who closed-up shop last night, and a head-count of every person who worked here.  Moreover, this entire location is now off-limits to further search and recovery efforts.  This is now a government matter.¡± He ordered, and looked around the area.  There was a break-tent near the tree-line that had been set-up for the effort, and Regulus turned his mech towards it.  He yanked the thick plastic tarp right off the top of it, before shoving-off to vanish beneath the lip of the crater once more.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 50 â€“ Plentiful Options Donâ€™t Guarantee An Ideal Outcome; Sometimes Youâ€™re Hosed

    Departing the same way he¡¯d come ¨C and finding the same crowd of very angry protesters waiting outside ¨C Gabriel ran the gauntlet to get back to the envoy¡¯s vessel.  The four soldiers who¡¯d been ordered out of the throne room followed close-behind, and kept their vigilance until the door to that ship had closed, and the whole thing started to lift into the sky.

    He called-out to the Captains of the two SkyFortresses, ¡°We¡¯re done here.  Once you¡¯ve collected your people, we¡¯re going back to Trazad.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡± They both answered.

    Xanarken had been patiently waiting in the seat he¡¯d borrowed before, and Gabriel roughly threw himself back into his own.  He kept his eyes closed as he felt the ship lift off the ground, and blindly fumbled for the window-screen to pull it down and obscure the sight altogether.  The Eidolon quirked a brow, ¡°Well?  How¡¯d it go after I left?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even put up a fuss about being kicked out.¡± Gabriel grumbled, ¡°I know it¡¯s supposed to be my circus now, but they¡¯ve been your monkeys for the last 20 years.  Half of what I talked to them about, I only learned on the way here.  Also¡­¡± He cracked open his red eye, and gestured a thumb at the inner wall of the vessel, ¡°Why do those people have such a rage-boner for me?  Your comment earlier implied you had an idea about it.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to contaminate the process before you got here.¡± The Fourth answered with a shrug, ¡°You¡¯re a child of Kitez but you¡¯re also afflicted, and were raised by me, the face of everything they despise and reject in this world.¡±

    ¡°And they¡¯re calling me a traitor because I¡¯m with the Council, even though I was taken before I was ever old enough to even know where I was?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes people don¡¯t make sense.¡±

    ¡°It was the Exclusion Zone!  No one knew I existed before I turned-up with you.¡±

    ¡°It is what it is; I never said it had to make sense.  Civilians are fickle and sometimes they come to conclusions that don¡¯t square all the edges.¡±

    Gabriel groaned uncomfortably, ¡°This whole thing was such a waste¡­  Eight hours of flying just to be thrown out on my ass.¡±

    ¡°You got to talk to the Duke personally though.  On the first try, no less.  He never talked to me at all.¡±

    ¡°We already knew he was going to, though.  He had inquiries about safe passage into Sargon.  I¡­¡± He explained, hesitated, and then sat forward against his knees.  He buried his face into his palms and drew a frustrated breath between his fingers, then opened his eyes again to look through them, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to describe him.  He¡¯s got a rather child-like outlook on what¡¯s going on.  He was visibly upset that I couldn¡¯t just have him come back with us right now.¡±

    ¡°Did you tell him the plan?¡±

    ¡°Of course I did.  But then I had to explain to him why it was that way.¡± Gabriel sat fully upright, and gestured from one side of himself to the other with annoyance, ¡°To get from here to there, it has to be done when the Kitezans are most likely to be preoccupied and least likely to notice him leaving.  The obvious thing was to suggest the Dawn of Ages celebration¡­but he couldn¡¯t even put that together.¡±

    ¡°Give him a break,¡± The Eidolon suggested dryly, ¡°As much as we are ignorant to what goes on inside Kitez most of the time, they¡¯re ignorant of the outside, as well.  Maybe he didn¡¯t know.¡±

    Gabriel just gave him a disbelieving look, ¡°I could forgive him not knowing someone¡¯s birthday, but this is the Dawn of Ages.  It¡¯s the literal anniversary of the crash-landing, a date of significance for everyone here.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a somber affair in Kitez.¡±

    ¡°Maybe?  You don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡±

    Eyes narrowed, ¡°You¡¯re really annoying sometimes¡­  I thought you¡¯d be sympathetic to my frustrations.¡±

    ¡°I am, but if everyone around you always tells you that you¡¯re right, you¡¯ll never think you can be wrong, and that¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­¡±

    ¡°But he understood in the end, I gather.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± He answered, and slouched back into his seat again, ¡°On the morning of the Dawn, he¡¯ll have a small nondescript skiff bring him to the Sargonian border, on top of the Connington Fragment.  I¡¯ll let the Emperor know when we get back, that the Council will provide an escort from there to Trazad, and he can take custody of the Duke on arrival.  Mardu has spent a considerable amount of his life being a look-over, so it won¡¯t be too much of a change when he does the same thing in the company of Sargonians.¡±

    ¡°So, it wasn¡¯t a complete waste.¡± Xanarken proposed, and gestured both hands at the younger man, ¡°Pieces on the board are moving.¡±

    ¡°Not the right ones¡­¡±

    ¡°Elaborate.¡±

    Gabriel glowered slightly, ¡°I feel like you¡¯re only asking because you want to know how I messed it up.¡±

    ¡°No, but if you did, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± The Eidolon retorted, ¡°Duchess Far¡¯nah was expecting to talk me down today, and got you instead.  Even just listening to her, it¡¯s like she was struggling to recalibrate.  She didn¡¯t get the reaction from you that she would have from me.¡±

    ¡°What, to all the stuff about the people aboard the Tuonela still being alive?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, why didn¡¯t you react to that¡­?¡± Gabriel wondered skeptically, ¡°Of all the people who had a good excuse to react viscerally, it would¡¯ve been you.¡±

    ¡°When I turned the floor over to you, I set my mantle to an idle ambient state.  I wanted to be sure that nothing beyond my literal presence would cause a distraction.¡±  Xanarken answered, and leaned back against the headrest, fingers threaded together over his lap as he looked at the ceiling of the cabin, ¡°When I heard they were all alive, I wanted to make good on my promise right there and be done with it.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°¡­So you did threaten her at the border dispute.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t turn the fleet around because I asked nicely.¡±

    ¡°¡­Point taken.¡±

    Xanarken held quiet for a moment, and let out a sigh, ¡°¡­We are teetering dangerously close to Rylen¡¯s preferred outcome.  Whatever restrains Far¡¯nah had before, they seem completely absent.  But did you notice how few Conclave members were around?¡±

    Gabriel nodded, ¡°I¡¯m not putting much stock in it though.  I know for a fact that Laurier is an ardent supporter, but he wasn¡¯t there.¡±

    ¡°Mmh¡­  True.¡±

    ¡°So, what do we do about all this, Xanarken?¡± The blonde wondered dubiously, ¡°The Tuonela can¡¯t just be left like this, but I can¡¯t tell if Far¡¯nah wants us to try and take it from her, or if she¡¯s anticipating we¡¯ll heel to it.¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s run through the scenarios.¡± The Eidolon suggested, ¡°We can call her bluff on that vessel being anything other than a grave that she salvaged from the ocean floor.  It¡¯s just a big middle-finger at the Council but is otherwise a completely benign prop.¡±

    ¡°More of the status quo.¡±

    ¡°Alternatively, we presume the passengers really are alive and asleep, and it¡¯s incumbent on us to get them back.¡±

    ¡°All-out war; Rylen gets his invasion, the Duchy collapses, and the Hadiran Accord accuses us of acting on a maybe.  If the ship is a tomb, we invaded for nothing.  If it¡¯s full of people, we¡¯re saviors.  If we can¡¯t confirm one way or another¡­¡±

    Xanarken nodded, and continued, ¡°Then there are variables like Prince Aamin, whose current status we don¡¯t know.  Will the Emperor feel obliged to help him?  Will he abandon his own brother to maintain neutrality?  What, conceivably, could Kitez do to Sargon with that one token?¡±

    Gabriel considered it, ¡°Aamin was the reason the Bulwark incident happened.  Iresha gave up the search for him the day after.  I did tell the man his brother was in Kitez, so it¡¯s not like he¡¯ll be caught unawares¡­  But¡­I¡¯m of the belief that he would act in favor of getting Aamin back to Trazad somehow.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because he threw centuries of precedent out the window when he called us in.  Iresha has been consistent in doing whatever he thinks is best for Sargon as a whole.  Keeping it whole is also in that Venn diagram of success.¡± He answered, and tapped a finger on his jaw, ¡°If Aamin is going to be punished for what he¡¯s done, it¡¯ll be by Sargonian justice.  Iresha will bring Aamin home.  The only question is what price he¡¯s willing to pay.¡±

    ¡°What price will Kitez ask?¡±

    ¡°The usual suspects¡­  Kicking us out of the country, abandoning whatever deals we have in place, sending the Prince back home.  Or¡­simply making sure Sargon minds its own business if conflict breaks-out over the Tuonela.¡±

    ¡°And what are your considerations for how to fix all of this?¡±

    Gabriel lifted his head out of his palm, ¡°Mine?  Uh¡­well¡­¡±  He thought for a moment, ¡°I was pretty clear that I would be taking the Tuonela back regardless.  After actually talking directly to Far¡¯nah for the first time¡­I find myself wondering how or why you kept your shit together all this time and didn¡¯t just take her out.¡±

    ¡°Is that your instinct?¡±

    That earned the Eidolon a suspicious look, ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re leading me by the nose to something?¡±

    ¡°The common denominator in all of this is Far¡¯nah.  We already know that the Duke wants no part in whatever is coming.  But if she ceases to be part of the picture¡­a lot of problems suddenly go away all at once.¡± Xanarken answered, almost too easily, ¡°What are you willing to do to make problems go away, Gabriel?¡±

    Gabriel just shifted a bit, uncomfortable with the concept, ¡°¡­I think I¡¯ve been raised to be a mediator, not a murderer.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡± Xanarken pressed, ¡°She¡¯s kicked you out of the country after negotiating in bad faith.  She¡¯s holding a colony-ship hostage; by her own admission, piloted by members of the original crew that she woke-up from the tens of thousands of other souls who are still aboard.  She¡¯s got the younger brother of one of our newest and most fragile allies, and we don¡¯t know what she¡¯s done with him.  Conversely, something you have working in your favor, is the desire of the Duke to flee the country, and you presumably know the exact day and time that will take place.¡±

    Gabriel just grumbled in frustration, ¡°What if we just give her what she wants?  She says that she wants the Council and the Accord to recognize Kitez as a legit little country, and herself as its legit little ruler.  They don¡¯t want into the Accord themselves and it¡¯s no skin off our noses if they don¡¯t join, except in how it bruises Rylen¡¯s ego that he doesn¡¯t have the whole board under his thumb.¡±

    ¡°Recognizing Kitez sends a message to the others though.  What if they all start wanting sovereignty?  It could have a chilling effect on the unity we¡¯ve enjoyed, as it supposedly proves that the Council is unnecessary.¡± Xanarken countered, ¡°Plus, it still doesn¡¯t solve the problem of what to do about the Tuonela.¡±

    ¡°¡­I can see why you were getting tired of dealing with it.  It¡¯s much easier to appease people who are already happy.¡±

    ¡°Just think on it.  You have some hours left before we arrive in Trazad again.¡±

    ¡°¡­Traveling back and forth from Oceanside is such a pain.¡±

    Xanarken huffed a laugh and reached forward to pet his heir¡¯s shoulder as he rose to stand, ¡°We do have a solution to that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah¡­¡± He waved the Eidolon off, ¡°Go on and leave me here, I understand.¡±

    .

    Afternoon gave way to evening, and the sun began to set over the eastern horizon.  The cityscape of Trazad passed by in the north, and the unyielding drumbeat of adamant wings continued their progress.

    .

    ¡°Thank you for your vigilance, Dame.¡± J¡¯ard bowed his head, and pulled the door closed on the Prince¡¯s quarters in that high tower, ¡°I know this is not your ideal mission, but there are many who appreciate that you do it anyway.  I believe the young Prince is beginning to appreciate the lengths to which the Council will go to curry his friendship.¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯d rather swap me for Seth, to be honest.¡± She answered, and rubbed her eyes, ¡°And not just because Seth is more fun.¡±

    The veteran smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t think he notices the tension you feel for being here.  You¡¯ve done a stellar job of being professional.  I do hope you can still enjoy the rest of your night, and we will see you tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah¡­  Goodnight.¡±

    J¡¯ard bowed his head and turned to find his own room, a ways down the hall, and Ren turned to find her way out entirely.  Fingers swiped through various menus on her overlay, and by the time she¡¯d reached the lobby on the first floor, her blues had been swapped for a woolen long-coat, a scarf to cover the collar of her uniform-shirt, and a T-shirt beneath ¨C or, at least, the nanotech imagery that looked as such.  There was no warmth to be had from such contrivances, and she braced against the chill of the evening.

    Finally having some time to herself in the city though, there was one place she wanted to go, and after a half-hour of navigating her way through the metropolis with public transit, she arrived.

    It was the Fafnir Memorial Plaza.

    Distinguished as a place where Fafnir who had fallen in the line of duty were honored, there weren¡¯t a significant number of names emblazoned upon it, but there were still enough.  Many of the first K.I.A. dates were from the same timeframe ¨C the year 254 on Hadira ¨C and there were roughly 7 names bearing it.

    Ren stepped up the wide granite steps, the placid sound of the memorial garden and its fountains behind her.  Above, with gentle spotlights shining up at it, stood the statue of a winged warrior ¨C one with six wings.

    [To Honor Those Who Had Fallen, Fighting Against The Greatest Of Dangers]

    She reached her hand forward to touch to placard, and took a step back to bow her head in contemplative silence.  The plaza was a large, heptagonal space, representing the six warriors and their Wing Commander in each unit.  At each corner stood a massive weeping willow, its boughs aglow with soft light from beneath, and orb-lights braided within.  Viewed with a naked eye, it was already a solemn and respectful place, but behind an overlay, there was a little more going on.  Above the large circular fountain in the middle of the plaza, one could access the visage of every Fafnir whose ashes had been interred there, and witness in all their glory, each of them in their full armor.

    Ren sat on the lip of the highest step, and watched those images appear and rotate in her sights.  Since the projections weren¡¯t really there, their reflections were not present in the water below; a subtle reminder that those souls had departed, and could no longer be seen in the living realm.  She crossed her arms over her knees, and found herself idly rubbing the fingers of her left hand.

    ¡°I wonder if Furion is planning a ceremony for Ianori¡­?¡± She asked herself, ¡°Since he¡¯s been officially declared, and notice given¡­  Even though we don¡¯t have a body to honor.¡±

    She sighed and slouched a bit, feeling a sense of indolence hover over her like smoke.  There were pedestrians walking through the space, and Ren¡¯s eyes watched each one of them for a little while, until she finally came to speak aloud to herself about the reason why she¡¯d come at all.

    ¡°A long time ago, I made up my mind about becoming a Fafnir at any cost, because I heard about the Limitless boy who¡¯d been found in a far away place.  Caught-up in a conflict that wasn¡¯t even his, seeing these winged warriors zipping through with the full fury of the Sixth¡­  And yet, instead of giving up, and submitting to fear, he seized the opportunity to be better than the afflicted who¡¯d been made an example of that day.  In spite of every stumble, and foe, and attempt to drag him down¡­he rose up, and proved that the afflicted are more than just people to be frightened of, like boogiemen hiding under the bed.  They can be leaders.  They can teach leaders.  And now¡­not only is he an Eidolon ¨C the highest of the high ¨C he has made it possible for a whole nation to accept an afflicted as its heir and future Emperor.¡± She said, as if speaking to every Knight entrusted to the wall of names, ¡°And I wanted to do the same thing, but from the other side.  To prove that the Fafnir aren¡¯t just weapons of pain and bloodshed.  That we can rise above the reputation of being widow and orphan-makers, and be used for more than just¡­destroying that which we fear and can¡¯t explain.  ¡­And now, here I am, a Wing Commander of the Fafnir Knights, our last line of defense against the Limitless who would do us harm¡­and I¡¯m suffering from the success of my own dream; tasked with protecting the life of a Limitless Prince.¡±

    She huffed a laugh and sighed into the crests of her upturned knees, and finally decided to stand up again, ¡°I guess it only makes sense that to achieve my goals, I¡¯d have to go through the man who¡¯d inspired the journey in the first place.  So¡­thanks, Gabe, for helping me get here, so I can scold myself for having the nerve to complain about how bored I am.  ¡­And, while I know that making amends with the Fafnir was never your endgame, I hope I was able to help bring you some kind of peace with it anyway.¡±

    .

    The Brother Moons were high in the sky together when Kourin found herself at the mouth of a massive clearing.  The entirety of the day¡¯s sun-lit hours had been spent carefully traversing the irregular landscape of the mountainous woods on that hoverbike ¨C a vehicle painfully ill-equipped to do anything like it.  It managed to do the job though, and as she entered the meadow, she was able to come to a brief stop.  Eyes lifted directly up to that nearly-dark sky, and beheld a thing she had only been able to catch glimpses of since entering the forest so many hours before.

    The vortex.

    Like a mountain of swirling auroras, golden streaks danced with blues and purples, it coalesced around above a massive swath of the Exclusion Zone.  The apex of it, like a far-off and impossible-to-reach summit, was directly above the place she was trying to go¡­and it wasn¡¯t that much farther anymore.

    ¡°I¡¯m so close¡­¡± She said quietly to herself, and reached again to the handles of the hovercycle.  It hissed gently as she made her way across the meadow, and veered off to the east a little bit until she was just within the tree-line again.  She looked around, going up and down the different rocks and gulleys, until she finally spotted what she was looking for.

    Not even hidden ¨C one would have to be mad to travel that far into the Exclusion Zone ¨C was a skiff only slightly-larger than Maeve.  It was thinner and pointier at the nose though, and bore a normal tinted windshield, with more conventional, stubby wings and tail-fins.  Kourin quickly abandoned the hovering bike that had brought her so far, and scuttled her way over to the side of the vessel.

    ¡°Oh¡­my Lucid Dream¡­how I¡¯ve missed you¡­¡± She cooed, and draped her small frame over the ship¡¯s dusty nose-cone.  Just as she touched it though, the vessel began to come alive with lights and sensors, and its headlights shone its beams into the mottled woods.  The side-door opened, and Kourin quickly hopped in; the interior was, by far, less dusty than the exterior, and she quickly reacquainted herself with the layout.  Once settled though, and sat into the pilot¡¯s seat, Kourin reached for a small palm-sized device that had been set out onto the console.  She pried it open like a clam and set her thumb into a circular sensor at the bottom.  The sensor glowed green with her touch, and the whole device came on.  A few clicks later, she put the device back onto the console and waited, hearing the proverbial hold-music as she busied herself with getting her skiff airborne.

    Multiple seasons-worth of dead foliage was pulled free as the ship rose out of the trench, and carefully turned, weaving between the large tree-trunks until finally arriving into the clearing again.  By the time she got above the canopy, she finally heard a voice in answer.

    ¡°¡­Ohmigod¡­how long has it been this time¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hey, Phex.¡± She answered with a smirk, ¡°It¡¯s been four years.  I¡¯m on my way to you now.  Figured I¡¯d let you wake up and make yourself decent before I get there.¡±

    ¡°E.T.A.?¡±

    ¡°Roughly 20 minutes.¡±

    ¡°Ugh okay¡­  Are you bringing me something this time?¡±

    ¡°After the crap I got for forgetting last time, I wouldn¡¯t dare forget again.  See you soon.¡±

    ¡°Cya soon, ¡®Rin.¡±

 Book I - Chapter 51 â€“ Beggars Canâ€™t Be Choosers, And Eidolon Canâ€™t Have Regrets

    Tallus had watched the Duchy¡¯s flagship leave from the palace¡¯s underground dock when Far¡¯nah took it ¨C with the Sovereign Shadow in tow ¨C out over the open sea, earlier that day.  Though it was well-past dark by then, he could still make-out the faint, ghostly imprint of that memory in the waning light.  Yet, there he continued to wait¡­until he heard the fluttering ¨C and distinct call ¨C of a particular hawk.  It landed on top off the cliff-top gazebo, and turned around on its awkward, clawed feet to stare at him.

    ¡°Preen your left wing if you¡¯re the bird I¡¯m looking for, and you can hear me.¡± Tallus commented, quietly, and side-eyed the bird for the requested response.  It did as bid, combing its beak through its left wing, and Tallus looked out at the dark horizon again, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t obvious at the meeting earlier, the Duchess has completely gotten away from me.¡±

    The hawk squeaked a few hollow chirps.

    ¡°The last time I tried to corral her, she didn¡¯t even blink as she refused to heed me.  I¡¯m afraid I had no choice but to go the alternative route; I¡¯ve made myself invisible to her notice.  My time here now is limited¡­and she is free from the constraints of decency.  She will see her plans through, now.  No more guardrails.¡±

    No response came to that.  The hawk simply flew off into the night, and dissolved its small mantle as it escaped sight.

    .

    There was little to do on that long, annoyingly-slow trip back to Sargon but daydream, think, and consider the options.  Gabriel grumpily opened the ship¡¯s flight-path map and checked to see where they actually were; barely 2/3rds of the way.  He could hardly believe it.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been flying all damn day, and we¡¯re only this far?  What¡¯s going on?¡± He asked himself impatiently, and decided to call-up one of the Captains on the escort.  The Dreadnought was the first to answer, and he posed to her the same question he¡¯d just asked himself.

    ¡°Apologies, Lord Gabriel.¡± Captain Martell answered, ¡°We¡¯ve been stuck following in the wake of the Duchess¡¯ personal ship.  We¡¯ve slowed our progress out of concern that she may think we¡¯re following her.¡±

    ¡°¡­We¡¯re going the same way?  But¡­why?¡±

    ¡°Your guess is as good as ours, sir.¡±

    He shook his head, ¡°Er, sorry, I meant that for myself.  How far ahead is she now?¡±

    ¡°She appears to have stopped at this point, sir.  We¡¯re giving her ship a wide berth right now.¡± She explained, ¡°If you look at the map of where we are, you¡¯ll see the city of Stoneface Bluffs come up.  She stopped there.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything of significance there?¡±

    ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware of, sir.  It¡¯s the governmental capitol of the eastern district, and it sits on the southernmost tip of the Exclusion Zone, but¡­otherwise, there¡¯s nothing special about it.¡±

    ¡°¡­The eastern district.¡± Gabriel echoed, only for realization to dawn, ¡°Thank you, Captain.  That¡¯s exactly what I needed to know.¡±  He disconnected the call before she had a chance to answer, and instead, put out a call to his Eidolon.  He quickly made his way across the cabin to look out the north-facing window, and saw the city-lights coming up some few miles away ¨C as well as a curious blot of flashing lights at the far end of it.  He immediately got dizzy for it, and sat back down again, just in time to hear the sandy accumulation of nanotech nearby, and he lifted his head, ¡°Why do I keep doing that to myself.¡±

    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t call me to ask that?¡± Xanarken crossed his arms.

    ¡°Does the city Stoneface Bluffs mean anything to you?¡±

    The Eidolon squinted his eyes in thought ¨C the name did, in fact, ring a bell ¨C but for a moment, he couldn¡¯t recall exactly why, ¡°Does it hold something to you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Magistrate Laurier¡¯s home-base.  I think the Duchess went to go meet with him.  When she ditched the meeting, she left Oceanside, too¡­and I¡¯m not back in Trazad yet because we¡¯ve had to slow down while we headed the same way.  What could she possibly want out here that she couldn¡¯t simply call ahead for?¡±

    Xanarken tilted his head, ¡°Ah¡­  Yes, now I remember.  One of Rylen¡¯s orbiters tracked the Magistrate¡¯s mecha there after the Connington Fragment incident.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s heart skipped a beat uncomfortably, ¡°¡­Wait¡­doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯s known about Aamin this whole time?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Xanarken shook his head, and bent down to put a hand on the cabin wall as he looked out that small portal-window, ¡°Looking down from directly above, he must not have been able to see Aamin being carried by the mech.  He truly only learned about it because you mentioned it to the Emperor.  Do you think the Duchess is meeting with them?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s suspicious that there¡¯s enough emergency vehicles in the north of the city to be visible from here¡­and it would explain why Laurier himself wasn¡¯t at Oceanside today.¡± Gabriel answered, and went quiet for a moment as he made certain he was sure of what he was about to say next, ¡°¡­I¡¯ve had a lot of time to think about what you were saying earlier.  I¡­think, maybe¡­sometimes¡­some people are just too dangerous and unstable to try and deal with.  I can¡¯t stop worrying about how bad things are going to get if Far¡¯nah keeps testing our boundaries.  How many people are needlessly going to suffer because she can¡¯t help herself.  ¡­And all those innocents aboard the Tuonela who don¡¯t deserve to be used as a shield while Far¡¯nah continues to openly threaten us.¡±

    The Fourth listened carefully, and nodded, ¡°When I made her heel at the border dispute, I told her the way I would end her reign if she didn¡¯t leave.  I warned her that the World Cloud has safeguards in place that prevent it from being inhaled by mistake.  It would be a simple thing to make the Cloud ignore that directive for a minute.¡±

    Gabriel shook his head, ¡°Having Far¡¯nah drop dead for no reason would be really suspicious.  No one would believe it.  ¡­What if we sabotaged her ship?¡±

    Xanarken looked on cautiously, ¡°A critical malfunction that would cause it to go down, and take her with it.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Gabriel affirmed uncomfortably, ¡°To sacrifice one life in favor of all the others.¡±

    ¡°Not a thing to be decided lightly, but¡­on this, I agree.¡±

    ¡°¡­You do?¡± The younger man quirked his head up, then looked aside, ¡°I mean¡­I guess you would.  You were leading me right to it¡­¡±

    ¡°I can take a peek at the site with the orbital that Rylen¡¯s had parked overhead since he found the place.  There¡¯s no one just sitting at a desk back home watching it all the time; it just keeps a benign eye on things.  While I¡¯m looking¡­I want you to make your decision.¡± Xanarken advised, ¡°You¡¯ve made your thoughts known; the actual choice is a very different thing.  It¡¯ll be your command that this happens.¡±

    Gabriel drew in a quick, uncertain breath, ¡°¡­Okay.¡±

    The Eidolon bowed his head, and crossed his arms.  For a few minutes of unfathomably difficult silence, Gabriel watched, and waited, and thought.  It was nerve-wracking enough to speak the thought aloud, but knowing it could all come to a head ¨C and really be real ¨C was an entirely different thing.  It felt like an eternity, and yet, no time passed at all, before Xanarken returned and gave his affirmation.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°The Duchess¡¯ ship is parked on a landing strip not far from the facility.  I¡¯m not sure how or why, but the building appears to have been destroyed.¡± The Eidolon explained, ¡°I was able to spot the Duchess and the Magistrate together nearby; it looks like they¡¯re leaving, though.  ¡­If I go now, I could find a way to cripple the vessel before she gets there.¡±

    Gabriel could feel his heart racing ¨C pounding so hard in his chest, it felt as though his entire body swayed lightly with each thump.  He swallowed hard, ¡°¡­Do it.¡±

    ¡°Say it out loud, Gabe.¡±

    A nervous bead of sweat trailed down the back of the man¡¯s neck, ¡°Use the nanotech of your mantle to sabotage the Duchess¡¯ ship.  Do whatever it takes to bring it down, and her with it.¡±

    Xanarken stared for a moment, waiting for any hesitation or reconsideration, but when there wasn¡¯t, he nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t slow down the ships to watch.  Just keep going.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    The Eidolon vanished without another second of delay.  From so high up, it would take a few minutes to get that mini-cloud of microscopic machinery to the landing-yard.  Once Xanarken had arrived, however, and he was able to filter his way through the closed-but-not-sealed door, it was only a matter of searching.  A short while later, the visage of a benign, fluffy creature sat in wait.  Far¡¯nah¡¯s escort was approaching quickly.  The pale fur of the little feline shimmered and shifted, turning it entirely black against the long-grass beside the yard.

    But, as the trio of Luminary ships started to leave the area, barely visible but for the lights on their exteriors blinking in the night sky, the unthinkable happened.

    The Kitezan ship was starting to activate without its passengers.  Those wide purple eyes looked on disbelief, It¡¯s not possible.  It¡¯s leaving without her¡­?  He looked back at the diplomatic escort, and the fact that they were nearly beyond sight.  The sound of the Kitezan ship rising drew his attention back again.  Engines hissed and hummed as the anti-gravity drive kicked in, and those circular panels spun ever-faster, the space beneath them starting to blur like heat-waves.

    It lifted three feet off the ground before the rear drives detonated together.  The midsection cracked in half.  The nose was blown clear off the front of the hull.  Flame billowed out in enormous gluts, and after what felt like watching it in slow motion ¨C as fire licked at the exterior and parts of it began to break away and disintegrate ¨C it finally detonated.

    Long-grass billowed in violent waves as heat rushed out in every direction.

    And Far¡¯nah¡¯s small motorcade came to a calm stop on the opposite end of the tarmac.

    ¡°¡­You were right.¡± She commented, seeing the rain of debris starting to come down.  A few bits of it banged off the roof of the car, tapping like hail against metal and glass.  The glow of the flame flickered against her skin, and she looked with gently-quivering hands to the antler-crown she held on her lap, ¡°¡­They really tried to kill me¡­¡±

    Regulus kept his arms crossed, eyes on the maelstrom only a hundred feet away, ¡°It was their last opportunity.  I would¡¯ve been surprised if they didn¡¯t take it.¡±

    ¡°¡­That they would be so obvious though.¡±

    ¡°Plausible deniability.  The more obvious it looks, the more they can deny it was them because it was so obvious.¡± The Magistrate explained, ¡°And Xanarken did threaten to kill you with his nanotech.  We saw him with our own eyes in Oceanside, and the fact Lugios had his cloak on as well means we know they brought their own supply.¡±

    ¡°But now what?  How do we prove that they did it?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to.¡± He said simply, ¡°The mere shadow of doubt will be enough to cast suspicion on them.  Let them bear the burden of proving they didn¡¯t.  It¡¯s already suspicious enough that the ship went down while they were passing by.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll make an announcement immediately.¡±

    ¡°Not yet, Your Grace.¡± Regulus lifted a hand in pause.

    ¡°Not yet?¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡± He said again, ¡°There is merit in revealing the act immediately, but the event took place here, and we still need some element of privacy about our actions.  Let those two fools ruminate on what¡¯s happened, and feel the weight of that stress on their bones.  We need the time to bring a transporter here to take our special guest back to Oceanside discretely anyway.  Then¡­we¡¯ll reveal it.¡±

    ¡°Would it not be equally suspicious that we don¡¯t make a scene about it right away?¡±

    ¡°Not if we play into the idea that you were in such shock about the near-death experience that you needed a moment to recover first.¡±

    She glowered at him, ¡°I don¡¯t want to look weak.  That sounds like something a lesser woman would say.¡±

    ¡°This is a message that¡¯s going to go straight to the Hadiran Accord.¡± He explained, ¡°Play into their sympathies.  It won¡¯t take more than half a day for the local media to start leaking bits of footage of the sight¡­but the official announcement from the Duchy should be strategic.  A powerful statement, made with calm, calculated, surgical precision, rather than reactionary appeals to panic.  Make it seem like you ruled out every other possibility.¡±

    Far¡¯nah looked down slightly in thought, but then turned to look out the window again.  The blaze had settled into itself by then, and smoldered like a bonfire in the night, ¡°¡­Surgical precision.¡±

    .

    Gabriel paced back and forth in the cabin, and just about had a heart-attack when Xanarken reappeared.  He immediately went up to the Eidolon, ¡°Well?  Is it done?  Did we get her?¡±

    Those purple eyes gazed into nothing.  If it was possible for a fake man¡¯s gaze to appear dead inside, it would be in that moment.  Xanarken shook his head, ¡°The ship started to lift-off before her motorcade even arrived.  I¡­can¡¯t explain why it would, except in the possibility that they may have anticipated us, and sought to use the ship as a distraction.¡±

    The Vice¡¯s heart sank into his feet, ¡°¡­We¡¯re fucked.  We are so completely fucked.¡± He said grimly, and sat back into his seat, hands clutching to his head as his eyes trembled, ¡°How could we have bungled this so badly.  We should¡¯ve waited till she was airborne and definitely on the ship¡­¡±

    ¡°Welcome to it, kid.  Sometimes things go horribly wrong.  Imagine my horror when Captain Rydell¡¯s father attacked General Laurier at the capitol.¡± Xanarken reassured, ¡°You are going to experience a not-insignificant number of utter disasters as an Eidolon.  Your mistakes will be more evident than any other man¡¯s, and your successes will not be celebrated because they¡¯re expected as the bare minimum.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this.  ¡­I don¡¯t want to do this anymore.  I don¡¯t care if the demotion looks bad; you have to send me back to being a mediator.¡± Gabriel pleaded in his panic, feeling sick to his stomach and lightheaded all at once, ¡°I¡¯m not built for this¡­¡±

    Xanarken went down to crouch on a knee, and reached a hand forward to set onto his adoptive son¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Panic is a swift teacher.  You¡¯ll learn from this moment and be stronger for it.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a learning experience you should¡¯ve saved for right now!¡± Gabriel barked, and swiped his arm so quickly through the mantle that it went right through, breaking it to glassy dust for the briefest of moments before it could reform, ¡°Kitez is the last place that we can afford to make mistakes!  Lives are on the line here!  Far¡¯nah could use this against us!  Make up any kind of wild story that she wants, and she knows full and bloody well that to prove her wrong, we¡¯d have to somehow prove a negative, or ¨C even worse ¨C reveal the truth, to somehow make it seem less awful than it actually is!¡±

    Xanarken sighed, ¡°It¡¯s still an uphill battle for her to prove that we did do it.  We were already going to be traveling in this direction.  We could just as easily claim she staged it herself because she knew we were on-course to pass her by.  This is the way we came, after all¡­and the only way to get back without crossing into the Exclusion Zone, which¡­by definition, we shouldn¡¯t be going through.¡±  He reached his other hand forward and clasped both of those shoulders, ¡°Look at me, Gabe.¡±

    The trembling Vice refused.

    ¡°Look at me.¡±

    Reluctant eyes finally lifted, red and starting to darken with the stress.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be afraid of what she might do.  Plan for it.  Create contingencies.¡± The Eidolon advised, ¡°Two-thirds of your life has been lived in service to using your head.  You can¡¯t quit now because one of your schemes didn¡¯t go to plan.  It¡¯ll hardly be the last to go all wrong.  Get used to the feeling and train yourself to keep your shit together.  After all¡­this looks suspicious enough on both sides that she may not even have the nerve to make a fuss about it.¡¯

    Gabriel tried to let the words settle, but the unnerving pit of anxiety had already taken hold, and sent adrenaline flowing through every molecule of his being.

    Xanarken could tell his words weren¡¯t reaching him, and he pushed back up to stand again, ¡°I¡¯m going to divert the ships north to take you back to Agartha.  I¡¯ll go to Trazad and let the Emperor know how things went.¡±

    ¡°¡­Shouldn¡¯t I go to Trazad¡­?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in no state to be making decisions right now.  Hurry back to where you know no one will expect anything from you, and get your act together.¡±

    It was like a knife had been driven through Gabriel¡¯s back, and he dared not look up further.  It was enough to see the Eidolon¡¯s knees; he couldn¡¯t stand the thought of seeing the look on his face, too.  Gabriel just nodded weakly, and waited for the sound of the mantle to dissolve before the next worry dug its way through him.

    Agartha may have been somewhere that he had no direct responsibility¡­but it¡¯s where Ren was, and he had no doubt he¡¯d have to face her instead.  ¡­And that was, in its own way, even worse.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 52 â€“ A Day In The Life Of A Warrior Trapped By Mundanity

    While trapped in Agartha against her will, the Council had at least provided Ren with a reasonably-appropriate place to stay, and if there was nothing else that could be said about it¡­it had a Hell of a view.  In the second high tower in the middle of the city¡¯s center, dignitaries and other ranking officers could expect a comfortable layover between deployments, and a Fafnir Knight was no exception.  Though she went to sleep that night without the company of any of the three people she would¡¯ve gladly abandoned her duty to be with, being a responsible adult with some measure of pride for her reputation forced her to stay.  And so, she awoke ¨C alone ¨C to daylight breaking across the City of the Eidolon.

    Time passed in a blur as she got ready, and she hardly paid notice to the moments between getting to each different place, until she finally descended that tower, went to the other, and rose again.  Prince Iresha¡¯s little Sargonian retinue had just finished helping him assemble for the day, and Ren was surprised at how¡­dressed-down he was.

    ¡°I dare say you¡¯re starting to look a little moved-in, Your Royal Highness.¡±

    ¡°Well, come Monday, it¡¯ll be a boring Cadet¡¯s uniform, so I guess I better get used to the idea¡­including discouraging people from using the Y.R.H. on me in casual conversation.¡± He answered, looking at his vestments and their complete lack of ornamental armor, ¡°I won¡¯t be given any kind of special dispensation or accommodation at the College.  Or, so I¡¯m told, anyway.¡±

    J¡¯ard nodded from his corner of the room, ¡°Indeed.  The College is entirely merit-based.  You gain prestige by succeeding.  It¡¯s part of why your young friend Seth rose so high.¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, he won¡¯t be coming back, I don¡¯t think.¡± Iresha sighed quietly, ¡°Kind of a bummer.¡±

    Ren was surprised to hear it, ¡°Oh, were you two starting to hit it off?¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡± He answered, and shooed his attendants away.  He adjusted his own clothes as he approached the Knight, ¡°It was Lugios¡¯ idea that Seth be paraded in front of me like a dessert.  I guess he could anticipate what I might¡­find useful.  In a friend.¡±

    The Fafnir puffed a quiet laugh, but then ushered the Prince towards the door and stepped aside to let him by, ¡°It¡¯s going to be Lord Gabriel from now on, actually.¡±

    ¡°He can pry the Lord from my cold, dead lips.¡±

    ¡°Oof, is that projection or foreshadowing?¡±

    ¡°Better not be either.  I have shit to do.¡± The teen gave a smarmy look over his shoulder, ¡°My father said he has hopes that I¡¯ll learn to get along with people while I¡¯m here, so I can be better equipped to deal with outsiders when I inevitably succeed him.  It would be a damn shame to finally get out from under his shadow, only to drop dead cuz I seized-up from having to give Lugios is due.¡±

    That caught Ren by surprise, ¡°Getting out from under you father¡¯s shadow?  What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It sounds a bit pretentious coming from me, but¡­I¡¯m a bit of a sheltered kid.¡± Iresha answered, making his way towards the elevators that Ren had just come up in, ¡°In the aftermath of my grandmother¡¯s death, I guess my father became a bit of a home-body.  Kept family close, rarely went out unless it was necessary.  That meant hardly anyone ever came in, either.  ¡­To say that Seth was my first friend wouldn¡¯t be a lie.  Maybe that just made me easy to impress, in the end.¡±

    ¡°Seth¡¯s a good kid.¡± Ren was sure to note, ¡°He¡¯s easy to like.  I think you¡¯d probably get along even if you weren¡¯t itching for human contact outside the palace.  It really is a shame that Lord Rylen yanked him like he did.¡±

    ¡°Why did he do that, anyway?¡± The Prince wondered, as he, J¡¯ard, and Ren got into the elevator; the retainers inside the room had subsequently been swapped for two soldiers who had been stationed outside the room, ¡°I had heard that Lord Xanarken set the stage by promoting Lugios, but¡­why has been less clear.  The Eidolon have stood alone for ages.  Why change now?¡±

    Ren wasn¡¯t sure how to answer; the details of that revelation were meant to be announced only to the Captains.  The only reason she knew was because she was there when the offending event took place.  She shook her head, ¡°I think Lord Xanarken just wanted to make sure there were enough hands on deck to handle the conflict with Kitez while not neglecting the needs of the rest of the Accord.  We provinces may get along, there¡¯s still differences to sort out.  Civan was having a disagreement with the Stonebroken Isles about trade routes in the Dasiner Sea, for example¡­some of them almost got into fisticuffs over it, from what I heard.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmph¡­  Here I thought all the members of the Accord got along perfectly.¡±

    Ren just gave an amused but knowing chuckle, ¡°Hardly.  They¡¯re more like¡­siblings, in a really big family.  They all love each other and would do anything for one another, but¡­that bond doesn¡¯t mean they always get along.  Sometimes one of them will proverbially walk into a younger sister¡¯s room, knock things off a dresser, turn off the light, fart, and then close the door behind himself like some ridiculous older brother, just because he can.¡±

    Iresha gave her quite the look, ¡°¡­Siblings do that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ren laughed, ¡°And the equivalent of that on the level of the Hadiran Accord is sending fishing boats into neighboring waters, taunting the locals, having a better day on the nets than them, and then leaving.  Little sister¡¯s not just going to let it happen, and runs out into the hall to smack her older brother around the head a few times for it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Your analogies are¡­really strange.¡± The Prince commented warily, ¡°But¡­I think I¡¯m starting to understand.  What would Sargon be, in that big weird family?  Not that I¡¯m saying we¡¯d join.  But¡­just in case.¡±

    The Fafnir took a moment to think about it, ¡°¡­The awkward, shy kid down the street who never came out to play, but is suddenly trying to be bold and outgoing.¡±

    ¡°And how do cantankerous siblings treat someone like that?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯d all be vying for your favor and attention, to be the best of the best friends.¡± She explained, ¡°And you would be wise to avoid playing favorites.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°So¡­it¡¯s your first full day in the city.  What have you decided we¡¯re going to do?¡±

    .

    Iresha¡¯s student-supplies ¨C uniforms, shoes, jackets, etc. ¨C were handed to J¡¯ard, who was rather confused at how easily he¡¯d been turned into a coat-rack.  The Prince himself, however, was busy with the real reason he¡¯d wanted to go to the store, instead of letting it all be delivered at the end of the week.

    He held out his hands, and in his palms were placed a glasses-case, and he excitedly pushed the clamshell lid open.  Within, the spectacles he¡¯d been envious of for some time, ¡°¡­Seth let me borrow his a few times, and it still blows my mind how much stuff I¡¯m missing around you people when I don¡¯t have them.¡± He said, and looked to the right arm.  On the top was a tiny little sensor that glowed faintly white with his finger-touch, and he slid the glasses onto his face, ¡°Especially on the Aegis.¡±

    ¡°¡­Access to the World Cloud is definitely a hallmark of Council participation.¡± Ren agreed, ¡°Wait till you see Agartha with them on.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­looks like I have to set them up first.¡± The teen sighed, ¡°I thought being a nameless number in the system meant I could just turn them on and go.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have them going in no time.  Access to the Could is still somewhat regulated.  Can¡¯t just let anyone have access.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why would that matter?  It¡¯s just clothing and colors and goofy aesthetics.  And the overlay, I guess.¡±

    Ren shrugged her shoulders up, ¡°The entirety of human knowledge and insight is accessible on those glasses.  It¡¯s not just party favors; it¡¯s access to an information system that vastly out-paces anything that¡¯s come before it.  There are, so to speak, certain people who are refused access entirely.¡±

    ¡°People like me¡­?¡±

    ¡°People like the leadership of Kitez.¡± Ren corrected, ¡°Those who would do the Council - and those it protects - harm.¡±

    Iresha stared blanky at her through those frames, ¡°Seth was able to just hand me his glasses though.  What¡¯s to stop someone else from just giving someone in Kitez a pair?¡±

    ¡°The border barrier, for one; no World Cloud, no overlay, no access.¡± Ren answered easily, ¡°Second, there¡¯s an A.I. listening protocol built into the system.  When it hears Seth speaking words of intent, it goes into Safe Mode, so in the moments between him taking the glasses off and you putting them on again, certain restrictions have already been enabled that essentially put the overlay into Guest Mode.  The glasses act also as an identification system; they scan your retinas to confirm you¡¯re the person who¡¯s supposed to have them.  So, if they get stolen or ¨C as in your proposed scenario ¨C given away to someone who isn¡¯t registered to have their own access¡­they stop working.¡±

    ¡°There are exceptions to the rule, however.¡± J¡¯ard made a point to note, ¡°All of that only applies to access to the World Cloud.  If those glasses are connected to a smaller private network, such as those that the Council uses in Kitez, you can access anything that those networks have loaded onto them.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°¡­Well, that just seems like an easy way to get around the rules.¡±

    Ren shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s like giving you a single book from a vast library.  Same concept as the World Cloud but on a much smaller scale.  Not to mention, to get access to those smaller networks, you have to be invited onto them by already having access to the pods that contain the nanotech you¡¯d be using.  You couldn¡¯t just jump onto someone else¡¯s personal stock.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­I think it¡¯s going to take a minute to me to confirm who I am on these things.  I¡¯m starving.  What¡¯s good to eat around here?¡± Iresha wondered.

    The five of them departed from the little store and made their way out onto the street.  All passing vehicles propelled themselves forward some 20ft off the ground, leaving the surface-level itself free and open for hassle-free walking.  Trees were set into curated spaces, and pedestrians got by on both foot and all manner of different slow-moving personal hovering vehicles.

    Ren held the door open for everyone to come out, but just as she turned to follow them, she thought she spotted something through the foliage and high buildings in the distance, ¡°¡­Is¡­that a SkyFortress?¡± She asked aloud, ¡°What¡¯s it doing here?¡±

    ¡°Why would it be odd for a SkyFortress to be coming to Agartha?¡± The Prince wondered.

    ¡°Because they arrive on a schedule, and there¡¯s nothing on the schedule right now.¡± She explained, and craned her head to try and get a better look.  When it passed turned just-so in the sky, her brow crinkled, ¡°¡­Oh, no.  That¡¯s the Fulcrum.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that bad?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one of the two ships that went to escort Gabriel into Kitez.¡± Ren answered simply, ¡°If it¡¯s here, it means Gabriel didn¡¯t end up back in Trazad.  Look at the direction it¡¯s coming from.  That¡¯s from the south.  If it was coming from Sargon it would be the southeast.¡±

    Iresha stared at the woman, ¡°How can you even tell what direction it¡¯s coming from just by looking at it from here?¡±

    ¡°I always know what direction I¡¯m facing.¡± Her tone was a bit antsy and distracted then, as she tried to see around the space, wondering what may be hiding just around their high walls.

    He stared even more strangely, ¡°¡­Do¡­you¡­want to go see?¡±

    ¡°Do I what?¡±

    Iresha deadpanned her, ¡°I know you were Lugios¡¯ partner for a bit.  I¡¯ve got the memory of the goose-egg to know that much.  If you¡¯re that anxious about the ship showing up here, then let¡¯s just go see what¡¯s up.¡±

    ¡°¡­I couldn¡¯t.  This is supposed to be your day.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re actually protecting me from anything here.  I know it¡¯s just for show.  But, since you are stuck with me, and I do happen to be the heir to a nation with a very vested interest in what¡¯s happening in Kitez¡­then I want to go see how that meeting went.¡± The Prince clarified, then thumbed back at the store they¡¯d just come out of, ¡°Besides¡­  Coming to that place was my only plan.  I was going to make one of you two tip me off on where to go next.  So¡­let¡¯s go see the Vice Eidolon of the hour.¡±

    .

    It took the better part of 45 minutes to get up to the docking platform nearest to where the Fulcrum ended up stopping.  Not far behind it was the Dreadnought.  They each parked at a floating island set out at a distance from the main city, but at least for the moment, no one appeared to be deboarding.  The third ship eventually landed as well, but it was small enough to be able to access one of the landing-platforms that were actually attached to the city.  There were five such towers, set at the edges of the city-center, rising high like the tall prongs on a crown.  All the way up and down were different sized balconies for all manner of different skiff-types to come and go.

    Getting to the top of the tower used by the envoy¡¯s ship took a little bit of extra work ¨C it wasn¡¯t just some random mediator of the Fourth they were anticipating to encounter up there, after all ¨C but Ren¡¯s credentials seemed adequate for the task.  Anxious excitement for getting to see her former mentor again was turning to nervous trepidation as the elevator rose through the central-corridor of landing-spire.  By the time the doors opened, and they were able to exit into that long corridor that emptied onto the high terrace, Ren found herself starting to slow her pace.

    Iresha ended up taking point on that little side-trip though, moving to the front of their little group with his Sargonian guards on his flanks, and it gave Ren enough of an excuse to lag behind.  J¡¯ard noticed, but said nothing.

    Those tall gilded doors opened and gave a line of sight to the landed ship, and the crew who were coming back through it the other way.  None of them gave any indication that anything might have gone wrong, so it only added to Ren¡¯s concern about why the trio of vessels had come as far north as Agartha so unexpectedly.

    Iresha had stopped once he got outside though, and was looking around in confusion.  The entire platform had been enshrouded by what seemed to be a white, glossy dome, which completely blocked the sight of the city below.  Annoyed, he crossed his arms, ¡°What¡¯s up with this?  There wasn¡¯t a dome before¡­¡±

    J¡¯ard came up beside the Prince and laughed, ¡°Ah, Lord Gabriel is afraid of heights.  The dome looks much different to us than it does to you.  It¡¯s projecting the image of a forest glade, to give the illusion of being on the ground.¡±

    The teen grumbled, and started finagling with his glasses again, ¡°It¡¯s still saying I don¡¯t have access.  What¡¯s the deal?¡±

    ¡°It might be because you received them early.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Nothing that Lord Gabriel probably can¡¯t fix.¡± The elder supposed, ¡°After all, you are here at the behest of the Fourth.¡±

    ¡°¡­The Fourth could¡¯ve put in a word beforehand that I was going to be here earlier than planned when he agreed to ship me out like a cow.¡±

    J¡¯ard puffed a laugh and continued forward, ¡°To be young and impetuous.¡±

    The Prince shook his head and lifted his glasses up over the top of his head, and followed the larger figure onto the landing pad.  Once they were in sight of the deboarding side, they spotted the man they were after¡­and one they didn¡¯t anticipate.

    ¡°Oh¡­we¡¯ll have to be patient.  Lord Rylen is over there.¡± J¡¯ard explained, and held his hand out to gently block the way, ¡°We¡¯ll wait here.¡±

    Though his back was turned to the approach, Gabriel would¡¯ve kept his gaze down anyway.  His eyes were darkened from the stress, and the true Eidolon seemed less than understanding.  However, there was some small solace to be had in getting reamed by the First.

    ¡°¡­It was short-sighted of Xanarken to try and take her out like that.¡± Rylen grumbled, thinking on the whole sad story, ¡°You Fourth Wingers are always so adamant about seeming like you¡¯re harmless that you stumble around like bloodied animals when you¡¯re trying to be sneaky.  Never send a mediator to do an assassin¡¯s job¡­¡±

    Gabriel could feel his brow get heavier with every word, but he nodded grimly.

    ¡°Well, while it¡¯s true that you two have made a mess of things, I imagine one or both of you are trying to figure out how to smooth it over if and when the Duchess makes a stink about it.¡±

    ¡°¡­What would you have done, then?¡± Gabriel dared to wonder, ¡°How would you have gone about this filthy affair?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± The First said curtly, ¡°After sabotaging the flight-drives, I would¡¯ve lingered aboard ¨C out of sight ¨C until she took her seat.  Then I would¡¯ve started to reforge my mantle inside her lungs, until they filled up with nanotech and burst inside her chest.  I would¡¯ve stepped out of the gore of her dying body as she choked for breath, and looked in her eyes, seeing my own reflection in them ¨C so she¡¯d know it was me - and I would¡¯ve waited there with her until the ship detonated all around me.  The benefit of existing as a nanotech construct means I don¡¯t have to worry about being blown up with my targets.  I can make sure ¨C without a shadow of doubt ¨C that when I want something dead, it will be dead.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s deeply disturbing.¡±

    ¡°And the fact that neither of you two thought to kill her with your own hands first is precisely why neither of you should have tried.¡±

    ¡°¡­It was Xanarken¡¯s idea to use nanotech in the first place!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something to be said about those who can stomach the idea of murder, and actually carrying one out.¡± Rylen shrugged, ¡°Xanarken is a story-teller.  I¡¯m sure he can envision a number of terrible scenarios, but the grit to actually carry out the fantasy is something he has always lacked.  That¡¯s the difference between a talker and a killer, and why he¡¯s always left the unbecoming aspects of conflict-resolution to me.¡±

    Gabriel just seemed to sink into himself.

    ¡°At any rate, since Xanarken has grounded you, take the time to consider all the ways the Duchess might try to use the crash against us.  He¡¯s already given you a head-start on some ideas; flesh them out.¡± The First suggested, and spotted the arrival of the first two figures beyond the Vice¡¯s shoulder.  Ren¡¯s apparent absence did not go unnoticed, ¡°And don¡¯t tell the young Prince what happened.  I¡¯m told he¡¯s eager to learn, but these are not things a brash teenager with designs for Empire should know at this stage.¡±

    Brows crinkled more than they already were, ¡°¡­The Prince?  Why would he come up?¡±

    The First nudged his head forward, and when Gabriel turned to look, vanished.  Gabriel heard the dissolution of the mantle though, and knew there was no point in glancing back just to confirm the obvious.  His first thought, upon seeing the duo, was also the noted absence of the expected third.  He gathered what little courage he had left and stepped over towards them¡­only to get far enough around the ship to spot the woman, and the last whispers of it disappeared like smoke.

    ¡°So!  How¡¯d it go, Mr. Big Bad Eidolon Man?¡± Iresha asked eagerly, ¡°Were you able to bully the Duchess into submission, too?¡±

    J¡¯ard immediately recognized the weight lingering around the man, and leaned down slightly towards the Prince, ¡°There are probably better ways you could have asked that question, Your Royal Highness.  He is an Eidolon now¡­¡±

    Iresha just scoffed and crossed his arms, ¡°He never treated me with any particular respect.¡±

    ¡°The relationship between teacher and student is not always optimistic.¡±

    Gabriel dragged his feet as he went over¡­and walked right by them.  Iresha watched him go - a disbelieving look on his face - but before he could comment about how rude it was, J¡¯ard cupped the whole of his hand around the lower half of the Prince¡¯s face and pulled him back.  The two Imperial soldiers could only helplessly gesture around the two, pleading for their sovereign¡¯s release without being able to directly intervene.

    It wasn¡¯t wholly surprising to see Rylen there by the Fafnir, but the look Gabriel got from that one visible bright eye gave him slight chills.  The First looked past him though and glanced at the sometimes-mentor bounty hunter, ¡°It looks like you have things under control here.¡±

    ¡°Yessir, Lord Rylen.¡± J¡¯ard mused, and swayed the scrawny teenager where he¡¯d pinned Iresha to his side, palm still cupped around his mouth despite his muted protests.

    ¡°Dame.¡± Rylen finished with a bob of his head towards her, and took his actual leave then.

    Gabriel cautiously approached, and paused several paces away, ¡°¡­Hey.¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡± Ren answered; she had a feeling the cloud hanging over the man was unrelated to her.  Mostly.  She stepped around to the side briefly and waved at the Prince and his retinue, ¡°I¡¯ve been reassigned.  You guys have fun in the city.¡±

    ¡°Hmhmprhm!?¡±

    ¡°Be safe, Dame Ren.  Thank you for humoring your post, such as it was.¡±

    She nodded and gave a smile, but turned on her heel as Gabriel made his way by to walk beside her.  She skipped the few steps to catch up, and leaned forward to try and see his face past his bangs, ¡°How did it go?¡±

    Gabriel just sucked in an uneasy breath, ¡°¡­Would it be an imposition to ask that¡­we talk about literally anything else?¡± He asked carefully, ¡°Spend the whole rest of the day detailing every boring minute of your time with the kid¡­but just¡­anything other than the mission.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that bad, okay¡­well, sure.¡± She answered, Man, he looks like a kicked dog¡­  No wonder Lord Rylen wanted me to swap.  She straightened her posture, and reached around to rub her fingers into her left arm; it had a strange itch at the thought of Kitez, ¡°Let¡¯s go grab a coffee first or something.  I¡¯m famished.  I¡¯ll need the sugar to tell that dull tale.¡±

    .

    The Aegis hovered like a sentinel in that bright noon sky, parked about a half-mile out and away from the First¡¯s research and holding facility.  High above, touching the clouds, an ominous shade glided overhead.  From eyes that oozed with tails of black and red, Scyrexianori scanned the sight, able to see the abyssal aura given off by its dead counterparts like a path of colored smoke.  Deep within the rock at the base of the cliff, the longing power emanating off the Warp Magis¡¯ corpses pulsed like a heartbeat.  Scyrexianori smiled eerily to itself, leaned into the wind, tucked in its wings¡­and dove.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 53 â€“ â€˜Quietâ€™ Is A Fickle Thing That Evaporates Like Mist In Morning Light

    Trying to keep a low profile as the Vice Eidolon of the Fourth Wing ¨C looking as ridiculously obvious as he did ¨C was a challenge.  Though it was easy enough to just shut his cloak off, he himself still stuck out like a sore thumb.

    Ren came back with her coffee, and offered a second, ¡°If you¡¯re that worried about it, why not just augment the color?¡± She wondered.

    Gabriel had to take a moment to realize that she was holding out his drink ¨C and the weight of it ¨C solely with her left hand and arm.  Her fingers could actually manage a light grip around the base of that tapered cup, but he took it before it could slip from her grasp anyway, ¡°¡­Thanks.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± She asked again, and the duo turned to walk along the curated paths of a large inner-city park.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work.¡± He answered, ¡°The red just comes right through.¡±

    ¡°¡­Seriously?¡±

    Gabriel made the effort to show her, and sure enough, no matter what he did, the red tips would not yield.

    ¡°Damn.  Limitless tells are weird.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d just match it if I didn¡¯t think having bright red hair would make me even more of an eyesore.¡± He commented, and took a calming sip from the little mouthpiece.  The warmth was a balm to his sore throat, but he cleared it anyway after swallowing.  He¡¯d already manifested a simple long-coat over his frame to go overtop of his ponytail, but it did nothing for his bangs or solitary red eye, ¡°And I would¡¯ve covered it all up a long time ago if I could.  The number of dirty looks I¡¯ve gotten from people who think I¡¯m doing it deliberately to stick-out¡­¡±

    ¡°I saw the P.O.V. footage from the excursion to the Exclusion Zone.¡± Ren noted quietly, ¡°Back when we were fresh from Kitez, and Furion had just restored my rank to the Sixth, so I could see the archival footage from my misbegotten last mission.¡±  She glanced over to see if Gabriel was paying attention, but those wing-like bangs covered too much of his face to see his eyes, so she just continued, ¡°I wanted to know exactly what it was that happened to you, back when Furion¡¯s father was Captain, and how the Fafnir found you out there¡­  Your hair and eye weren¡¯t red back then.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°It was a little strange to look at.  The idea of you with all-blonde hair and both eyes blue seems like such a foreign concept to me, after all these years of knowing you for otherwise.¡± She said carefully, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything linger on someone when their eyes aren¡¯t glowing though.¡±

    ¡°Lucky me.¡± He sighed.

    ¡°¡­I suppose I¡¯m letting my work speak for me.¡± Ren smiled meekly, ¡°I think I meant to say something like¡­you were a cute kid.¡±

    ¡°If you get around the whole fact of why you were able to see me back then, anyway.¡±

    Ren was baffled, and held her cup with both hands as she tried to navigate that quagmire.  She looked up and over the tops of those randomly-spaced trees, able to see the Dreadnought moored by its island in the distance, and the Fulcrum much closer, looming in the sky.  She turned her eyes back to the dour figure walking beside her, ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    He pursed his lips and grumbled a sigh.

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to talk about your diplomatic mission, but¡­that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t tell me about how you¡¯re doing after it.¡± She suggested, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you like this before.¡±

    ¡°¡­It went really badly.¡± Gabriel managed, ¡°Like, catastrophically badly.  And it¡¯s all because of me.  I fumbled that ball like I didn¡¯t know what field I was supposed to be in.  Xanarken is upset at me, and Rylen was scolding me, too¡­basically said everything shy of calling me a damned idiot.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s unfair the way they¡¯re treating you.¡±

    Gabriel finally turned to look at her, brow crinkled slightly.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been eyeballs-deep in Sargonian affairs, but other than our ill-fated mission, you haven¡¯t set foot into Kitez at all.¡± She explained, ¡°Lord Xanarken must really want to wash his hands of the place, if he¡¯s just dropping you into it like a kitten in a tank of carnivorous fish.¡±

    ¡°¡­It certainly feels that way.¡±

    ¡°To have the nerve to beat you down after you¡¯ve basically been set up to fail¡­¡± Ren continued, only to pause and put a hand over her mouth, ¡°¡­Now I¡¯m talking shit about the Eidolon.  I¡¯m-¡°

    ¡°Why did you kiss me?¡±

    Her left eye twitched nervously, ¡°¡­Heh!?¡± Was all she could manage for a moment as her head felt as if it had spun around on her shoulders several times.  She looked around to regain her bearings, then looked at the man squarely, ¡°¡­Surprising question considering you kissed me back.  Is it really such a concept that¡­I¡­¡±

    Gabriel stared in confusion, ¡°¡­That¡­you¡­?¡±

    The perplexed look on her face betrayed her prior thought, and she could only lift her right arm to point into the distance, ¡°The Fulcrum just turned on its emergency departure lights.¡±  She turned to look at the Dreadnought, ¡°¡­They both did.¡±

    The Vice Eidolon felt every muscle in his body seize as he turned to see it, ¡°¡­Shit¡­is it Kitez¡­?¡±

    ¡°Gabe?¡±

    ¡°I gotta go!¡± He said hurriedly, dropped his coffee, and quickly swapped his costume for his uniform as he took off running, trying desperately to reach out to either of the Eidolon.

    ¡°Gabe!  You can¡¯t just half-way put the blame on me and then leave!¡± Ren called out helplessly, abandoned there in the middle of the park with nothing but a foamy latt¨¦-puddle to remind her she¡¯d once had company.  She grumbled and bent down to pick up the forgotten cup, but as she rose back upright again, she saw an unexpected call from Seth coming through.  She thought nothing of it, and accepted it, staring at the wasted empty cup rather than looking at the image of the teen on her overlay, ¡°Hey Seth, this probably isn¡¯t a great t-¡°

    ¡°Miss Ren!  Help!¡±

    ¡°Seth?¡± Her ears perked-up then, and she was laser-focused on that unexpectedly-tumultuous image.  The teen was cringing in a hall somewhere, red lights flashing all around him¡­and everything shook repeatedly as the sound of violence carried-on in the distance, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She asked, deadly serious.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!  There was suddenly a really bad shaking and what felt like an explosion!  I-¡± He attempted to explain, only for the area to shudder again, this time with bits of the ceiling collapsing around him.  Seth covered his head, and cried out in fear.

    The pit in Ren¡¯s stomach bottomed-out, and she, too, suddenly found herself abandoning the drinks.  Emergency protocols were activated, and Ren made her way to the highest spot she could easily get to, leaping with inhuman strength until she was on top of a nearby building, ¡°Why are you calling me!?  You¡¯ve got the entire Fafnir contingent right there!  I¡¯m in the city!¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°They¡¯ve already been scrambled; I can¡¯t get a personal call through anymore!¡±

    ¡°Scrambled?¡± She repeated, ¡°But that would mean-¡±

    ¡°Young Sir, we have to evacuate¡­!¡± A voice spoke off-screen, and Ren watched as Seth was suddenly collected by an unknown pair of arms.  By the uniform, she could tell it was a Myrmidon, ¡°It¡¯s not safe here!¡±

    ¡°Miss Ren!¡±

    The link was cut, and the window closed.

    Green eyes stared ahead in shock, ¡°Seth?¡± She asked quietly; the scramble order had just come to her as well, and shut her down to unofficial outside contact.  She blinked hard to shake the nauseating feeling, and quickly kicked her boots off, and dissolved her blues.  Her gaze went up, and she saw the distinct image of her armor coming blazing through the sky straight towards her like a red missile.  She had mere seconds to throw the clip from her hair and tie those long black strands into a messy bun, and just as she finished, the armor landed beside her with the back of its chassis open and ready.  She snatched the helmet with one hand, stepped into the armor, swapped the helm to her other hand, and allowed the shell to close around her.  The helmet was clicked into place as her wings flashed on, and she lifted off in a hurry.

    Some distance to the east, Gabriel had finally gotten through to Xanarken, and had subsequently stopped running for the docking tower, ¡°¡­What do you mean, it¡¯s not Kitez?  What else could possibly rise to the occasion?¡±

    ¡°Not sure right now.¡± The Fourth answered, ¡°I¡¯ll keep trying to get through to Rylen.  Given he¡¯s not responding - and he¡¯s locked his mantle down, so I can¡¯t just go to wherever he is - I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s something to do with him.¡±

    Gabriel looked up then, just as a flash of red went by; a familiar flash of red, with big volcanic-colored wings, ¡°Ren¡­?¡± He said skeptically, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll get back to you.¡±  He disconnected the comm.-window, and sent a new request to the Fafnir who¡¯d just blazed by, and for a mercy, she answered, ¡°What¡¯s happening?  Did you find out?¡±

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong at the place the Aegis is docked.  I¡¯m going there now.  Once I¡¯m clear of the city, I¡¯m going hypersonic, so-¡±

    ¡°Do what you have to.  I¡¯ll follow behind on Maeve.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to come.¡± She said dismissively, ¡°Just stay back and out of the way this time.¡±

    Gabriel felt the knife go in - and twist for good measure, ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t blaming you for why I messed up.¡±

    ¡°Well, it sure sounded like it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Like you said, I kissed you back, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    She went uncomfortably quiet, but she was outside of the city-center by then and was rising high into the sky; her armor was starting to shift its composition in preparation for the sonic-boom.  She wasn¡¯t sure whether to be annoyed still or flattered, so she went with neither, ¡°¡­If you decide to follow anyway, keep a safe distance until you¡¯re cleared to approach.¡±

    .

    The research facility was a labyrinth of halls and chambers, each receding further into the cliff.  Half of the Fafnir had already gone inside to try and keep escape-paths clear for those stuck inside.  Sixth Wing soldiers who¡¯d been stationed there for security were pulling up the rear.  Confusion was rife, and grumblings of the ignorant wafted into the air like a stinking smoke.

    Four thick walls had been broken through from the exterior before the shaking stopped.  Dust whirled through the gaping holes, and broken glass and metal littered the floor.  Undulating whorls of semi-translucent filament writhed as they filled the shattered cryo-pods that once secured the defeated Warp Magi.  Despite their grievous head-trauma, both of them had risen from their confinement with their arms outstretched through the mangled glass lids.  Between them, Scyrexianori had collapsed to its knees, its massive wings limp at its sides, head cocked unnaturally backward as the black-red oily ichor billowed from its eyes.  The aqueous residue wended down about its shoulders and arms, sliding across the floor until it entered into the eyes of the Magi on each side.

    There were already victims of the onslaught scattered around the room.  Bodies and parts of bodies were littered like leaves, splattered against the walls and instruments or just torn apart where they stood.  One unfortunate Myrmidon was trapped in the room, just beyond sight, eyes flaring out of control just by proximity to the entity.  The longer the transference seemed to go, the brighter that golden light shone, and the hapless man could only clench his eyes shut and press gloved hands to his face to try and keep it in.

    The unmasked Myrmidon who had ushered Seth out of his open hiding-spot found her own eyes bursting unbidden with light as well, but she continued to shuffle the teen forward.  She wouldn¡¯t stop until they were both fully outside and on that lip of a terrace overlooking the river.  She waved and hollered at the nearest Fafnir, and signaled them to come down.  The Knight who landed was Sammy, sporting blue and seafoam armor with long, skinny, fin-like wings, and he quickly hoisted the panicked teen to lift him to safety, along with the woman who¡¯d escorted him¡­and her light faded the farther up they went.

    Furion got the notice of Seth¡¯s return to the Aegis soon after, and a significant worry was lifted from his shoulders.

    Rylen was nearby, a hand over the lower half of his face and his brow furrowed deeply as he watched a few of the different P.O.V.s up on the bridge¡¯s main screen, ¡°¡­What the Hell even was it?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no video footage of whatever it was, sir.  It¡¯s as if it knew the ship¡¯s blind-spots and had slipped straight through them.¡± The SkyFortress¡¯ navigator explained cautiously, ¡°We only know that it¡­came from directly above us.¡±

    ¡°And it went straight for the Magi containment room¡­¡± The Eidolon finished, and pulled his hand down to set both against his hips, ¡°I need eyes inside.  ¡­How is the evacuation going?  I haven¡¯t seen a single hutch open.¡±

    Furion checked a separate screen on his overlay, ¡°It¡¯s proceeding apace.  They¡¯re primarily leaving through the rear underground tram, sir.  Roughly half the facility has vacated.¡±

    ¡°Commander Parker, get me a visual.¡± Rylen ordered, and he made Donivan¡¯s P.O.V. the primary on the main-screen.  Wing Commander Two hovered closer to the gaping hole in the side of the cliff, about 20ft off the ground where the river spilled out between the crevasse.  The smoke wasn¡¯t so dense as to not be able to see through, but the demolition hadn¡¯t been in a straight line, so there were buffer-walls in the way.  Rylen watched with unblinking eyes as Donivan set a careful foot on the debris-laden floor, and started creeping through the hollows.

    They could hear it before they saw it, and the unsettling quiet that made it possible to hear was even worse.  Two voices synchronized, moaning in guttural agony, but they were off by just-slightly-enough that it made it disconcerting to listen to.  The sound of bone snapping and rearticulating, flesh ripping, entrails sloshing as they hit the floor¡­it was as if some massive beast had crawled its way into the secret places in the earth and had started to feast on the people it found there.  It wasn¡¯t far off.  There was a beast¡­but it wasn¡¯t eating.

    It was reshaping.

    Ianori¡¯s body suddenly collapsed forward; wings, horns, and chitinous armor alike all broke apart and fell from him like dried mud.  What loomed above him was the twisted Gemini of the Warp Magi, fused together in a way that defied nature.  Its shadow against the broken and dimly-lit room was chilling, and Donivan kept a safe distance as he zoomed-in on the figure from two walls back.

    But then an Eldritch nimbus appeared behind it.  Red, like the outline of the sun during an eclipse, it manifested its light like a double-ended fuse, circling its perimeter from above the entity¡¯s head until it vanished behind, giving it a dark emanating glow.  The two skulls of the Magi had been twisted around, their shattered skulls open below like a gaping, blood-soaked mouth, while their jaws opened freakishly wide above it, and vomited-forth that sickly black-red miasma from its new ¡®eyes.¡¯  Within them, set into the recesses at the back of those throats, two orbs of golden hue were lodged like pearls inside an oyster¡¯s shell.  One set of shoulders were perched close to either side of the entity¡¯s new ¡®head,¡¯ slumped forward with skinny arms dangling before its chest, while the other was set beneath the entire disgusting display, twitching and retracted against its torso.  That exoskeleton of organic shell-like armor protruded in interlocking plates all along its body and back, more of those strange golden orbs embedded within it.  If it still retained the legs of the Magi, they were hidden within the sinewy lengths of skin that rippled beneath it, in its mockery of a representation of cloth.  Claws grew from fingertips, twisting horns rose from the new ¡®head,¡¯ neck, and back, and in place of what were once the leathery wings of a Fafnir-inspired body, now sat the multitudes of wriggling tendrils that arced out behind it like the arms of a horrific squid.  The finality of that repulsive transformation were the spikes of light that grew out from the circle ¨C shorter at the bottom and longer towards the arc above it ¨C until its ultimate shape was that of a halo.  Bent slightly forward, and sinister¡­it the very image of what contempt for the divine might look like.

    And Ianori ¨C weakened and near-death - had the temerity to grab at one of the skeletal ankles hovering above him, ¡°¡­D-don¡¯t¡­¡±

    Two voices, depraved and distorted by the fusion, roared impatiently at him¡­only for that screaming groan to reverberate into itself as a mocking laugh instead.

    The killing was about to begin.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 54 â€“ Drink Deep Of The Waters Of Death, And Pain Shall Not Find You

    Donivan¡¯s eyes widened behind his visor; the monstrosity didn¡¯t even have the decency to walk on the ground.  It hovered a few inches above it, and turned its sights towards the holes it had put through the walls.  The eerie silent way it traversed the length of the room and appeared in the side-hall was the stuff of nightmares, but the way it looked down on the Knight who¡¯d been spying on them was worse.  Its head tilted aside slightly as it observed, and the entire bridge of the Aegis watched as one of those wretched, withered hands came trembling forward¡­and waved.

    There was nothing humane-enough about whatever the entity had become to bother trying to reason with it.  It was a being of chaos and violence now, and its first chosen victim in its new form was Wing Commander Two.  The order to retreat came too late; the arms that hung aside the being¡¯s head swept forward and grabbed Donivan¡¯s helmet with unnatural speed.  The ones that were kept curled close to its chest went to the man¡¯s hands ¨C more specifically, the weapons held in them, and quickly found the trigger to turn them off ¨C and pointed their now-open ends directly into Donivan¡¯s chest, daring him to reactivate them.  It leaned close to that faceplate, the jaws of those mouth-borne eyes narrowing slightly, as if leering, ¡°Take off your mask¡­¡± It said, its ¡®voice¡¯ like the echo of a whisper, heard as though spoken directly into the Knight¡¯s mind.

    There was no way, and Donivan refused to answer it in kind.  Instead, the plasma-turret on the backs of his forearms started to light-up.

    The beast just heaved a few breaths, quietly laughing, ¡°¡­You¡­don¡¯t learn.¡±

    ¡°Napple, Remmy, Einhardt, get in there!¡± Furion ordered.

    The queer ¡®wings¡¯ that sprouted from the entity¡¯s back writhed with fury, and launched forward, pouring through the gaps in the walls like the waters of a raging river.  The three Fafnir who had made it to the cliff-face barely dodged the first pass, but those tentacles flailed and twisted from that small hole in the rock, and one of them got lucky.  Like the coils of a great constrictor, once it felt the armor brush against its skin, the arm wrapped and squeezed with speed¡­and pulled the hapless second victim through the hole, leaving the remaining arms as sentries to block the way.

    ¡°Sir, we can¡¯t get through!  It took Michelle!¡± Sammy called back, swatting off those thick tendrils with his plasma-edged blades.

    ¡°Find another way!¡± Furion diverted, and focused quickly on the feed from the aforementioned Knight¡¯s visuals, ¡°Dame Napple!  Come in!¡±

    All that answered were the suffocating gasps of a woman whose air-intake valves had been plugged, ¡°¡­Can¡¯t¡­breathe¡­¡±

    The main-screen imagery shifted when Scyrexian pulled Donivan¡¯s helmet off in spite of him, groping at the sides of it with its thin, clawed fingers until it clicked and came loose.  The perspective jostled as the helmet was cast aside, and landed roughly at an angle, giving the bridge a front-row seat to the horror that it had in store.  It hovered back into the room, dragging Donivan with it ¨C though he struggled against the pull as well as he could.  Against the inhuman strength of that fused being, even a Fafnir Knight couldn¡¯t resist, and soon, Donivan found himself cast hard to the ground.

    He saw a pair of dying eyes looking back at him.  Whatever had happened to Ianori in the moments he was trapped within the rift, it left his eyes blackened and body ruined.  Dark red dribbled from his mouth and nose, and every breath was wet, labored, and gurgled.  But, he still managed to look forward, where Donivan had been so roughly slammed down, and for an instant, their eyes met.

    Scyrexian perched atop the Fafnir, sitting like a gargoyle between those shock-paralyzed wings.  Its lower set of arms had pulled Donivan¡¯s arms painfully back ¨C try as he might to flex them forward in resistance ¨C umtil, with one last jerking motion, both shoulders came dislocated within the armor.  Donivan grunted out in agony as his hands released the hilts of his melee weapons, but grit his teeth, hissing his breath as the disbelief of it washed over him like a sick chaser behind the pain.  A second vantage to the scene was allowed then, as Scyrexian drew Michelle forward through the flood of fibrous, snaking limbs, bringing her up and over as the life was choked out of her.

    Rylen and Furion looked on in trepidation as the P.O.V. changed on the screen, and they witnessed from Michelle¡¯s helm-cam as Scyrexian continued its mockery of Fafnir prowess.  They were as children before its strength, and it gently stroked Donivan¡¯s hair as the man yelled-out Ianori¡¯s name¡­not for the should-be-dead-man¡¯s benefit, but for the bridge-crew to hear it.

    ¡°You did your best, Fafnir.¡± Scyrexian spoke in that guttural, primeval whisper, ¡°But you no longer have say over the narrative.  What trivial influence you wielded while I was trapped inside your blind and brittle frame, is ended.  Now watch¡­¡± It taunted, and started to lean its weight onto Donivan¡¯s head, pressing it down into the hard floor, ¡°¡­Watch as I show your comrades how inconsequential they are before the gaze of opened eyes.¡±

    Donivan screamed out, and then went silent, as the pressure pushed past the limits allowed by his mortal skull.  The last thing Ianori saw before his own fade to black was the sight of the Wing Commander¡¯s cranium imploding, and the viscera within was squeezed out the top of his head like a chunky, red slurry of dirt and stone.  The sound of it ¨C like a large egg being crushed ¨C made half the bridge crew nauseated.  Three of the Aegis¡¯ navigators vomited beside their seats; the rest were paralyzed in fear and disgust.

    The First echoed the name, however, ¡°¡­Ianori?  Sir Ianori?¡± It was foreign on his lips, like it should have been scrubbed from memory¡­and yet, there it was, and there he was, visible for all of them to see on the screen from two different points of view.  Donivan¡¯s power-armor went limp, and the glow of his wings faded with the severance of his connection to the World Cloud, making everything even easier to see.  Ianori¡¯s own body was clear to see as well; his hair a shock of white, skin was mottled and threaded with dark veins beneath his skin, and he wore the tattered remains of whatever clothing hadn¡¯t been ruined by the growth of that twisted organic armor.

    Scyrexian turned its sights towards the second Fafnir it had in its clutches, and it pulled her closer as it stood on top of Donivan¡¯s body.  Those tendrils that had previously stopped their advance by simply blocking the air-intake system now pushed further within, pushing through and breaking every filter and barrier until it squeezed into the interior of the suit.  It was, perhaps, a mercy that Michelle was on the edge of unconsciousness by then ¨C even a genetically-enhanced elite warrior could only go without oxygen for so long ¨C and she barely felt it when those probing threads forced their way under her skin.  They wormed and tore their way through her whole frame, wriggling just beneath the surface, until bursting out from the back of her throat and behind her eyes.  The last thing the bridge crew heard before her life-signs terminated was the horrific gurgling sound of her flesh being rendered inside her own armor, and it was left to fall to the ground like a broken marionette.

    ¡°I know you can still hear me, Fafnir.¡± Scyrexian taunted, and bent down to look into Michelle¡¯s visor for the last few moments before it went offline, ¡°I do hope you are pleased that I returned your fellow.  Please put up the biggest fuss you can while I help you reunite with one another more permanently.¡± The way it gargled its laugh as it went upright again and floated out of the room like a wraith was haunting.

    Furion was incensed, fists clenched angrily, ¡°I¡¯m going down there.  Charge the forward cannon.  If it won¡¯t come out, we¡¯ll blow the whole damn place up.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go warn the dawdlers to hurry up.¡± Rylen said, in complete agreement with the plan.

    ¡°No!  Sir, you can¡¯t go down there.¡± Furion refused, and actually stepped over to grab the Eidolon¡¯s arm.  Rylen stared at the Captain in shock, but Furion shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s already proven it can harm you.  The Council can¡¯t afford to lose an Eidolon.  Stay here while we go to finish this.¡±

    Rylen could hardly believe the manhandling, but the Captain¡¯s words had some sense to them, and he pulled his arm back, ¡°¡­Fine.  Go.  The second you¡¯re clear, though¡­¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    As Furion took off to join the others, Rylen turned back to the bridge, ¡°Will someone roll back the fucking clock on the orbital that¡¯s been watching Laurier¡¯s little home-away-from-home in Kitez?  I need to know if this thing really came from there, and if it did, I want to know why no one noticed it blowing up the building when it left the other day.¡±

    The Fafnir who were already inside the building were oblivious to the tragedies that had just transpired; keeping comms wide open during an operation would be damaging to the mission¡¯s completion.  That being the case, however, none of them knew about the whorl of death that was heading their way, and it was the first thing Furion announced as he launched off the back of the Aegis, ¡°Everyone listen up; the evacuation is our top priority.  We will not engage the target.  Do your best to get everyone to the tram or the escape-hutches and follow after.  ¡­Don¡¯t worry about a head-count on one another; once your sections are empty, get the Hell out.  For safety, you¡¯re also to use your on-board air-supply.  Completely block your intake valves and go into contamination-mode.¡±

    Gareth and Xandra looked up from where they were trying to get the cells open that the abandoned Myrmidon were in, then at one another.  Though they couldn¡¯t see each other¡¯s faces through their visors, there was an air of trepidation, and the valves on the back of their suits hissed with the last draw of air before sealing shut.  While Gareth tried frantically to get the doors to open with the control-pad at the exit, Xandra focused on trying to pry them open manually.  She appeared to have quicker success, and with the combined force of one plasma-edged rapier and a good tug, she was able to force through the lock on the first cell.  The figure inside ¨C the eyeless corner-stander ¨C had gone down to crouch instead, and was too busy trying to claw at those empty sockets to notice the way had been cleared.

    ¡°Hey!  You have to get out!¡± Xandra hollered, and rushed forward to grab the man¡¯s shoulder.  The savagery of desperation had left the man¡¯s face bloodied and raw, and he screamed horribly as his visage turned to the shocked Fafnir.  He didn¡¯t even have the wherewithal to pull his fingers from the sunken, bruised flaps of what were once his eyelids before he began that visceral bellowing.  The others started to cry out as well¡­and it only served to mask the sound of Gareth out in the hall.

    Scyrexian had managed to sneak-up behind him, and ever-so-gently clicked the releases on either side of his helmet.  His legs were kicked-out from under him and he collapsed to his knees ¨C he literally dropped out of his own helm, as it was suspended in the space his head had once occupied ¨C and he was yanked back by those second arms reaching into the crease of armor at his neck and shoulders.  The last thing he saw as he was forced to look up was the cluster of crawling arthropod-like legs that emerged from the empty, upside-down skulls of the Gemini.  They probed and grasped at his skin with those hooked finger-tips, then pulled him face-first into that gaping maw.  Like several insectoid mandibles all biting at once, the front of the Fafnir¡¯s skull was crushed and clipped away, and yet another Knight¡¯s interface was terminated on the Aegis¡¯ bridge.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    They never even saw what happened to him; they could only hear it, as Scyrexian continued to hold up that helm throughout the goring like Gareth had never moved at all.

    Xandra flapped her hybridized dragon-butterfly wings as she backed up from the cell-door in disgust and terror, ¡°Man, screw this place¡­¡± She said to herself, and turned just in time to see the hulking beast emerge through the room¡¯s singular entry-way, mandibles clicking and wriggling with the blood and gore stuck between them.  It finally cast aside the helm it had taken.  A ravaged section of Gareth¡¯s lower jaw came loose from its lamprey-like mouth, and fell to the floor beneath its feet.  There was no thought ¨C only instinct ¨C and Xandra unleashed her entire payload onto the creature.

    Rylen struggled to comprehend what he¡¯d seen, but he recognized the explosive gush of dense smoke that arose in response to the Fafnir¡¯s ranged weaponry, ¡°Captain, it¡¯s in the holding bloc.  Avoid going that way.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡± He answered, and diverted his flight-path from the broken rock-wall to the main entrance over the built-in waterfall.  Wings folded-in behind him and the feathers interlocked with one another, keeping a shield behind him as he made his way forward through those abandoned halls.  He immediately felt his heart in his throat as he heard the panicked scrambling of a straggler around a far corner.  It was the Myrmidon who¡¯d been trapped in the room with the Magi when Scyrexianori burst in, and every instinct in the Captain¡¯s body told him to attack those Limitless eyes.  Hands gripped down on the sword-hilts in his grip, but he made himself reset, and he gestured back the way he¡¯d come, ¡°Get out!  Now!¡±

    ¡°The whispers¡­the whispers, it¡¯s talking to me, you have to get it out of my head!¡± The rattled Myrmidon cried, throwing himself at the Fafnir.

    Furion easily deflected the man, but when that flailing researcher crumpled to the floor, the last thing he expected was for the man to push up onto an elbow¡­and immediately swing his face towards the lowered tip of his blade.  The Captain quickly stepped backward, barely avoiding the gruesome self-impalement, and pointed again ¨C with the sword, this time, to keep it out of reach ¨C at the exit-doors, ¡°GO ON!  Someone will come collect you!¡±

    Depraved from the exposure and mentally broken, the Myrmidon simply scrambled back to his feet, rushed out the door, and threw himself immediately off the ledge.  No one saw the landing, but they all knew there were rocks at the bottom of that river, and they all knew what happened when a body hit a solid surface from a sizable height.

    Everyone on the bridge saw what Furion had just witnessed, and were stunned to silence, except Rylen, who could only mutter in disbelief, ¡°¡­What the Hell is happening here¡­?¡±

    Furion wondered the exact same thing, but as he thought back on the state he¡¯d found the Magistrate¡¯s ship in, it was hard to deny the logic of simply cutting the experience short.  He steeled himself and turned to go further inside, ¡°Where is everyone right now?¡±

    Scyrexian watched with gleeful indifference as Xandra collapsed; it had ripped one of the limbs of her mechanical wings right off the back of her armor and stuffed it nearly to the shoulder down her throat.  And without remorse, it set a foot down onto her chest and reached for the implement, ripping it right back out again like a gruesome souvenir as it pushed her down.  It kicked her over onto her stomach and tore the second limb off with the other hand, and made its way back out of the room.  It had less than an iota of care for its three original victims, as they all clawed at their own eyes and throats to escape the deafening cacophony of unyielding whispers that emanated into their minds.

    There were still nine Fafnir left to slaughter, and one to find.

    A good half of them were in the subterranean tram-station, trying to keep the evacuees calm as they were stuck waiting for one of the trollies to return on the dual-direction tracks.  The number of them had blazing golden eyes, and the sight of it was enough to unsettle the Fafnir.

    Jense commented into their private comms the sentiment that they all had, ¡°¡­Suddenly it¡¯s clear why they normally wear those fucking masks.¡±

    ¡°This many afflicted in one place is always a bad sign.¡± Annashi agreed, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how itchy all of your trigger-fingers are right now.  Mine sure are¡­¡±

    Furion¡¯s words suddenly came into all of their ears, and their attention shifted.  Sammy was the one who answered, ¡°Sir, Wing Team Two is at the bottom of this place.  Wing Team One is in the upper levels, trying to find stragglers.¡±

    Rylen¡¯s voice interrupted that train of thought, but he only spoke to Furion, ¡°Captain, we¡¯ve lost two more.  You need to get the rest of them out of there.  Time has run out for anyone who hasn¡¯t already gotten out.¡±

    Gritting his teeth, Furion bent his head, ¡°¡­Yessir.¡± He answered¡­and all the remaining lights suddenly cut out.

    The main and emergency power supply had been blown apart; one of Xandra¡¯s wing-arms had been driven straight through each generator.  Scyrexian¡¯s mandibles clicked in amusement, and the terrified figure it had dragged into whole mess scrambled to get away in the dark; the dim light of that red eclipse-like nimbus was all he had to flee by.  The malevolent entity could hear the dread screaming from a different floor, right through the walls, and reveled in the sound of that pervasive fear.

    Wing Team Two suddenly had its hands full with a room possessing of a not-insignificant number of spooked afflicted who were quickly becoming berserk.  The light flaring from their eyes was all that the gathered had to use to see by, but the brighter it got, the more scared they became, until delirious mania drove the rest to start running out into the rail-line.  They were trampling each other in their fear, and ran blindly beyond the incandescence of that golden glow.

    ¡°Wing Team One, emergency withdrawal, now!¡± Furion ordered, quickly turning on the building¡¯s floorplan-overlay to display in his sights.  Even in the dark, he could at least tell where the walls and floors were supposed to be, visualized like a schematic from a topographical-mapper.

    When only Ravan and Alexander answered, the entire team suddenly felt a deep sense of dread, like freezing-hot water had been poured through their chests.

    ¡°¡­Is anyone¡­else there¡­?¡± Bianca ¨C the nervous first-year ¨C asked dubiously, ¡°¡­Anyone¡­?  Commander Parker¡­?¡±

    ¡°Stay calm and stick together.¡± Sammy ordered; without Donivan, and as the next-most-senior Knight, he was now the de facto Commander of Wing Team Two, ¡°Jense and Corbin, you two fly out over the crowd and drop flares to guide the way.  Michael; you¡¯re with me.  Bianca and Annashi, try to get those goddamn Myrmidon moving.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    There were seven afflicted in all who had succumbed to the pressure of whatever was making their eyes blaze, but they all abruptly collapsed to their knees where they stood just seconds before the ceiling at the south-end of the room collapsed in a roar of crushed concrete and dust.  That golden light was like a latticework of auroras, connecting eyes to eyes from all sides of the platform.

    ¡°East-wing is as clear as I think it¡¯s gonna get, Captain.¡± Ravan commented, ¡°I¡¯m heading up and out.¡±

    ¡°West-wing still has some people hunkered down who won¡¯t move.¡± Alexander noted, and pled his case one last time to the huddled mass of people who had fortified themselves in a cold-storage room, ¡°You have to get moving!  Whatever is here, it¡¯s on the lower levels now!  Just go up!¡±

    ¡°Get moving, Alex.¡± Furion answered, ¡°We can¡¯t force the unwilling.¡±

    ¡°But sir-¡±

    No response came, and Alexander grudgingly turned his back on the fearful staff.  He and Ravan weren¡¯t terribly far inside the facility, so it was an easy enough task to get to the level above where they were, and escape out through the doors onto the terrace.  They each had their melee weapons at the ready, and hovered at a presumably-safe distance, keeping an eye on whatever they could.

    Furion had managed to find his way over to the generator-room, and found the unsettling sight of the hole that had been blasted through the floor nearby.  The traumatized staffer who¡¯d been made to show the way was huddled nearby, face aglow in the dim light emanating off the Captain¡¯s wings.  He crouched down beside the figure, ¡°Can you find your way up to the overlook?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s hunting you¡­¡± The man answered in a frightful tone, ¡°It just¡­just wants¡­y-y-you¡­¡±

    Furion¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, but he wasn¡¯t sure if the staffer meant him specifically or him as a Fafnir, so he considered the worse option.  The only option was to follow the boreholes in the floor, and he left immediately, dropping through the first to land on the level below and take off for the next.

    Scyrexian hovered silently into view, emerging through the debris and dust.  Its halo was clearly visible through the cloud, until the entire being stepped into view of those four Fafnir.  Behind them, the tram-road was illuminated with the flickering candle-like light of the flares that had been dropped, disappearing far into the distance with a throng of panicked researchers and obsolete security trying to keep pace.  The twin-roar of the Gemini made the walls quake and dust crackle from the roof, and it lunged forward at the nearest Knight; Annashi.

    She tried to jump back, but the Myrmidon she¡¯d been trying to rouse grabbed and startled her.  Scyrexian was on her in a flash, grabbing the blade from her right hand.  It spun the hilt in its own palm, grabbed tight, and immediately plunged it down into the neck of the Knight.  It sparked and flared in resistance, and the creature just chittered a ghastly laugh as it swatted away the woman¡¯s attempt to parry with the other side, ¡°Your external armor may be tempered to withstand the intense heat of hypersonic flight¡­but not your joins.  What do you think will happen when it surrenders to the pressure?¡±

    She looked up with wide, trembling eyes through her visor; she could feel the heat of the weapon against her skin, but with two spindly arms grabbing at her throat, she couldn¡¯t get away.  Forced down to a knee by both the pressure of those hands and the force of her own blade being driven into her torso, everything suddenly went out from under her¡­and the burning heat of that plasma-edge was driven through her core.  Wings dimmed and shattered as she fell back, and the smell of broiled human meat filled the air; the impalement left Annashi¡¯s flesh sizzling and charred from collarbone to pelvis.

    ¡°Annashi!¡± Sammy yelled out in horror.  The afflicted lifted off their knees and stood up like ghouls on strings, and rushed at the other Fafnir.  They were able to get onto Bianca, but Sammy and Michael jumped back and out of the way.  They were quick to Bianca¡¯s aid, slashing at the unfortunate Myrmidon who¡¯d fallen prey to Scyrexian¡¯s will, and rendered them until they were dead and motionless at their feet, ¡°Captain, the afflicted turned on us!  And that thing just killed Dame Dessow!¡±

    That self-same Captain suddenly dropped-down through the hole that Scyrexian had made, and quickly lunged at the beast.  He was stopped only by the unexpected deflection of his blades by not just one, but both of the legs that had ¨C up to that point ¨C been kept hidden.  The thighs connected to the creature¡¯s waist as though the Magi they sprouted from had been strapped back-to-back against it.  The ankles had been twisted around, and scythe-like blades grew from where the feet once were, and both of them kept one-each of Furion¡¯s swords at bay.

    Scyrexian didn¡¯t turn around yet.  It made a sickening sound, as if coughing from that unnatural hole it called a mouth.  Through the mass of oily tendrils coming off its shoulders, Furion couldn¡¯t yet see the entity¡¯s face, and he was quick to withdraw and take several steps back to avoid the sweep that struck into his footprints.  The creature heaved the breathy, wet sounds of a laugh, and it finally made itself face the Captain.  Those glowing golden orbits within each of the Magi¡¯s inverted jaws flashed slightly within that oily ichor emanating form those ¡®eyes,¡¯ ¡°Captain Rydell¡­  I¡¯ve now seen every Fafnir but one.  How disappointing it must be for you to show up at the last, after so many have fallen already.¡± It taunted, and hovered closer, the disquieting sight of those twitching insectoid limbs making the Captain a bit uneasy, ¡°I¡¯ve learned so many things over these last few weeks¡­  Cutting through the fog of your underling¡¯s reluctant mind, surgically exposing every secret, every memory¡­right down to the bone¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that how you knew how to slip through the Aegis¡¯ sensors?  Drawing-up ideas from Ianori¡¯s experience?¡± Furion wondered carefully, hoping to keep the being¡¯s attention.

    It made that guttural heaving sound again, laughing as it could with what anatomy it had transfigured for itself, ¡°He was so hoping that you would give him the Wing Commander spot.  Babysitting your little brother¡­demeaning as it was¡­and his only reward was me.¡±

    Furion¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he and the beast seemed to stalk around one another, each waiting for the other to make a move, ¡°What are you?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s entirely dependent on your perspective¡­¡±

    Without an order to retreat, Michael and Sammy both drew their weapons and took-up position behind, but Bianca didn¡¯t have the constitution to stay, and she took off in terror.

    ¡°Primal good and evil.¡± Scyrexian continued, ¡°God, and the divine.  Chaos, and the order that presides over it.  Pain, suffering, or the salve for both¡­  To you, however¡­I am only one thing.¡±

    ¡°And that is?¡±

    It lifted its head, ¡°Ruin.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 55 â€“ Bare Your Teeth, Bare Your Soulâ€¦Bring Your All

    The world was a blur as Ren careened across the sky, but it still wasn¡¯t fast enough for her liking.  She¡¯d been able to hear the team-wide broadcasts ¨C and after Bianca¡¯s response, it was clear that some of their intra-team kin had fallen ¨C but exactly who and how was a mystery.  There was one option for getting information though, and she singled out the members of Wing Team One, ¡°What the Hell is going on out there?  Why is half our group nonresponsive?¡±

    ¡°Commander!¡± Was the unanimous answer, and Ravan explained as well as she could, ¡°Something dive-bombed past the Aegis earlier and went straight for the Warp Magi bodies Lord Rylen brought back from the south.  We¡¯re not totally sure what¡¯s been going on since, because the Captain sent us into the building to help guide the evacuation.  If anyone¡¯s getting orders, comms have been targeted, so only those who need to know, get to know.  We were told to come outside¡­and saw that the Aegis has its forward cannon primed.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s just you two?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Shit¡­  Hold tight, I¡¯m a bit more than halfway there.¡±

    .

    The shuddering in the walls was an unsettling experience while traveling underneath thousands of tons of rock, but they were only a few hundred yards into the tunnel, and it was farther yet to get to the end.  The crowd had to split into lanes as the trolley they¡¯d all been waiting for came towards them from further up the track, and watched it pass, heading back the way they¡¯d come.  Noticing only then that their numbers didn¡¯t include any of the Myrmidon they¡¯d arrived with, many felt conflicting senses of guilt, relief, and guilt again.

    There was a strange purple-gold glow that appeared in the dark, however¡­and grew larger swiftly, until it revealed itself to be a Fafnir Knight passing overhead with dangerous speed.  Corbin and Jense both had to dart out of the way to avoid a collision, and watched their fleeing cohort vanish further up the tunnel.

    ¡°Was that Bianca?¡± Jense wondered.

    ¡°No¡­I think that¡¯s Dishonorable Discharge.¡± Corbin retorted, ¡°Oi!  Bianca!  Get your ass back here and help so you don¡¯t get court-martialed!¡±

    There was no answer, and the glow soon faded into the darkness.

    Jense lifted his left arm out and shot-off another benign light-orb from his vambrace, and grumbled quietly, ¡°Hey Captain, was Bianca supposed to dip?¡±

    ¡°Not right now.  Continue the mission.¡± Furion answered, his voice strained.

    The tunnel shuddered again, and the two Knights could only wonder what the Hell was going on back at the tram-dock.

    It was a three-on-one, with each Fafnir giving everything they had to land a single blow against that multi-limbed monstrosity.  Each Knight had 19 years or more experience ¨C they were the pinnacle of what a Fafnir could become ¨C and not one of them could get through.  Furion was starting to consider the options, but knowing that five of his subordinates had already been taken out by the creature, he was also starting to believe that Scyrexian was just screwing with them.

    ¡°It¡¯s only defending.¡± Sammy noted on their private comms, ¡°It hasn¡¯t done a single thing to go after us offensively.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I noticed that, too.¡± Furion replied, ¡°We have to consider this thing as if it¡¯s one of ours.  It knows everything Ianori knew.¡±

    ¡°So, what do we do?¡± Michael asked, ¡°What¡¯s it expecting us to do?¡±

    ¡°Already contemplating how to get out of this, Captain?¡± Scyrexian taunted, the upper set of hands coming close to its face as if to cup its cheeks, and mockingly tilted its head to the side, ¡°After Donivan, you three are the best your unit has to offer¡­save one.¡±

    Furion felt a chill, ¡°What do you want?  You¡¯re toying with us without aim.¡±

    ¡°Why are you hiding Ren from me?¡±

    That took him aback, ¡°Is that was this is all about?  You want her?¡±

    Scyrexian paused there, and lowered its hands.  The eerie quiet turned to thrumming in each of their ears ¨C oppressive in its stillness.  The scythe-tipped legs that sprouted from the entity¡¯s back seemed to relax their posture, tucking in slightly, and the entire creature ¡®stood¡¯ up a little taller.  No one was willing to disturb the silence by so much as breathing, but the sound of their own hearts beating in their ears was loud enough to make them wonder if the being could hear it.

    And perhaps it could, because two of those hearts stopped mere seconds later.

    Furion could only watch as those oily appendages coming off Scyrexian¡¯s shoulders whipped with blinding speed, and flailed straight for the heads of both Michael and Sammy.  It didn¡¯t bother with removing their helmets, like it had with its other victims, but rather, swung the two Knights directly at one another.  The crunch of Sammy¡¯s cranial-dome colliding with Michael¡¯s visor was enough to make even Furion twitch.  The Captain reacted just as quickly, lunging forward with both blades together, only to find it so-easily deflected as to be like a master educating a green student.  The hilts were forced from his hands by the blow, and went clattering off into the debris-field, leaving Furion completely unarmed.  Scyrexian couldn¡¯t be satisfied with just that, however, and the arms aside its head slammed down on the Captain¡¯s shoulders, pushing him down to his knees with enough force that it cracked the foundation beneath him.  He reached up quickly, a hand gripped hard around each of those skinny limbs.

    ¡°The annoying thing about diamonds being the hardest naturally-occurring substance within the earth is that the only way to cut them is by using other diamonds.¡± Scyrexian lectured, and smashed the two suspended Knights together a second time, this time angling them slightly the other way so it was Michael¡¯s helm that mashed Sammy¡¯s visor, ¡°So too is it annoying how strong the armor of the Fafnir is.  Tempered to withstand the extreme heat of hypersonic flight¡­strong enough to endure impact forces that could collapse even the most hardened materials.  But, like diamonds¡­¡±  Another crushing blow ¨C the duo were already battered to unconsciousness, but now, the protruding angles of the ornamental horns on each of their helms was impaling into their faces, cracking and sending blood-spatter flying ¨C and Scyrexian held them up like grim trophies, limp in its grasp as those glowing wings shut down.  The entity pulled the two around ¨C their feet and then their knees dragging along the floor as they neared ¨C until their misshapen flesh was directly in Furion¡¯s peripheries, ¡°¡­Other Fafnir are their weakness.  Call to Ren.¡±

    ¡°¡­N-never¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you really so willing to die down here?  Buried so deep in the rubble that no one will ever dig you out?¡±

    Furion grit his teeth ¨C those frail-looking mummified arms were impossibly strong; enough so that they were still forcing his knees further into the concrete as it held him there.  He could only think of one thing, and he spoke privately to his Eidolon, ¡°Fire the cannon.¡±

    Rylen¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Captain, that would mean-¡±

    ¡°W-we can¡¯t beat this thing¡­¡± Furion admitted, ¡°It¡¯s on a level beyond anything we¡¯ve ever faced.  We can¡¯t find any weaknesses, we can¡¯t exploit the terrain, it knows all of ours moves¡­  Please, fire it before she gets here¡­  The others are far enough away¡­  I can¡­keep it here¡­keep its attention¡­¡±

    The Eidolon was horrified, and his brow furrowed deeply.  But, he lowered his head, and raised his arm, ¡°¡­Full-bore.  Do it now.¡±

    Jense and Corbin were nearly knocked out of their hover by a sudden rush of red from the front of the tunnel.

    Ravan and Alexander looked on in horror as the Aegis¡¯ primary weapon sounded-off that unmistakable, crackling-hum as it prepared to cut-loose its gathered power.  They quickly fled the line of fire, knowing full-well that someone was still down there, even if they weren¡¯t sure exactly who anymore.  The noise reverberating off that intense beam of raw energy was enough to rattle the teeth loose in other people, and those two remaining members of Wing Team Two were sent scattering like leaves against a hurricane.  They found themselves pressed against the nearby walls of the cliff, watching that ultra-bright line of light obliterate the facility, digging deeper with each passing second.

    Further up the tram-tunnel, people screamed and cowered, and the two guiding Fafnir looked on to see the subtle glow of heat in the distance.

    When it finally stopped, and the last bits of plasma fell to the ground like runny syrup, they were released from the pressure and started to fall, catching themselves only moments before hitting the ground.

    Ravan roughly landed anyway, rising up on hands and knees as she looked out at the destruction the Aegis had wrought.  The rock was smoldering ¨C melted and red-hot in places, cooling rapidly to black as it sizzled against the rush of the river as it returned ¨C and the only thing that was left that once marked the place as a building was the forward lip of the front terrace.  The water that fell from its artificial waterfall was gone ¨C cut off from the source by the gaping maw beyond it ¨C and the river it fed drained away.  Smoke billowed white and thick as the mouth of the river continued its forward flow from further up the crevasse, pouring into the pit, starting to fill it up. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    But the thing that confused Rylen was the fact that no other Fafnir went offline.  In fact, Furion was still very-much online.  The Eidolon dreaded to dare, and opened a channel, ¡°Captain?¡±

    ¡°Of all the stupid goddamn things any of you could do¡­¡± Ren¡¯s voice was the one that cut through the fog, angry and annoyed all at once, and on a very public channel to the entire team as well as the bridge, ¡°I leave you alone for one fucking day!¡±

    ¡°That was Ren?¡± Jense and Corbin both said in tandem.

    ¡°Commander!¡± Ravan and Alexander both called-out.

    ¡°Dame Ren!¡± Rylen¡¯s voice boomed, ¡°What¡­how!?  Where are you!?¡±

    She kicked out a section of wall beneath the terrace, and dragged the disoriented body of her Captain out with her, muttering under her breath the whole time.  When they were finally clear of the building, she sat the man up and knocked on the top of his helmet like a door, ¡°Hello?  I don¡¯t think I hit you that hard.¡±

    Furion just fell back again and groaned loudly, ¡°¡­You¡­tackled me¡­like a freight-train¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing then that our armor comes equipped with inertia modulators.  It could¡¯ve been worse.¡± Ren stood up and stuck her fists on her hips, ¡°What the actual Hell was going on out here?  First, I get a call from Seth that this place is being exploded, then, I get the distinct impression that my friends are all dying¡­and then I get here, Bianca¡¯s getting the Hell out of Dodge, and you¡¯re trying to eat a cannon.¡± She gestured at the man, ¡°I know you believe in the Captain goes down with the ship tradition, but still.  Damnit, Furion¡­¡±

    Rylen locked into her personal comms, ¡°Dame, the rest of the team is ignorant to what they haven¡¯t been present themselves to witness.  The thing that took Sir Ianori found this place and transferred itself into the Magi from the Sterling Rose.  The cannon-fire was supposed to take it out while Captain Rydell had it pinned¡­¡±

    ¡°Pinned?¡± She echoed, ¡°But he was alone when I got here.¡±  She looked back into the hole she¡¯d pounded through the facility, and watched a bit of debris fall in her wake.  Her brow crinkled a little, and she immediately went back through it, going all the way through until she found the crater where the tram-station once was.  She hovered there in that gaping space, surrounded by steam-fog, hearing Furion¡¯s voice in her helmet begging her to come back, but she just pulled the hilts off her hips and extended their blades, ¡°¡­It¡¯s still here.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Rylen answered, ¡°But¡­it took a direct hit.¡±

    ¡°No.  If the Captain was supposed to be holding it in place, then it had already gotten away before you fired.¡± She answered, and looked straight up, seeing a peculiar dot in the sky, ¡°¡­There you are.¡±

    Rylen switched-over to Ren¡¯s P.O.V., and sure enough, as they zoomed-in on the spec, it was evidently clear the Scyrexian had gotten easily clear, ¡°How could it have known¡­?¡±

    Furion forced himself up to his feet, even with his now-splitting headache, and despite being disarmed, lifted-off to fly after his lieutenant.  He got beside her and shook his head, then looked up at the same sight, ¡°¡­Unreal¡­that it got away¡­¡± He turned to Ren, and spoke with a pained inflection to his voice, ¡°Our observations about it on the Magistrate¡¯s ship were correct; it fights like a Fafnir because it¡¯s pulling insight from one.  It knows everything Ianori knew.  ¡­And it wants you, Ren, you can¡¯t stay here¡­¡±

    ¡°Me?  ¡­Why?¡±

    ¡°No idea.¡± He grunted, and put a hand against his stomach, ¡°Fuck that hurts¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Ren answered, and quickly tossed him one of her blades, which he easily caught despite his agony, ¡°I saw the cannon¡¯s glow on approach, and had a feeling you were about to do something idiotic, so I came through the tunnel to help.  Also, sorry Jense and Corbin¡­didn¡¯t mean to blast you as I went by.¡±

    ¡°Forgiven.¡±

    Furion drew in a breath and tried to straighten himself out, and spoke privately to the woman beside him, ¡°¡­Ren, we don¡¯t know what to do against that thing.  It¡¯s faster than it has any right being.  I watched as it systematically took out seven different highly-trained Knights like it was taking a Tuesday-afternoon stroll.  The cannon was our last chance¡­¡±

    ¡°If it wants me for something then I have the advantage.¡± She answered, and started to rise up to meet the being.  Furion grudgingly went up with her.  They both kept a substantial distance from it though, and Ren gestured at it, ¡°Well?  I¡¯m here.  Now what?¡±

    ¡°You give yourself over to me.¡± It answered simply, ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, you¡¯re not my type.¡± She answered, and took her singular hilt into both hands.  That done, the plasma-edged blade expanded into a much larger design, ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to make it worth my while.¡±

    ¡°You are merely a stepping-stone, child.¡± Scyrexian pointed one of its fingers at her, ¡°But if you willingly give me Gabriel Lugios¡­well, I could be convinced not to kill the rest of your friends.¡±

    She sent out a private retort to her Captain, ¡°Chatty thing, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It might be able to hear our comms.  Careful what you say around it.  I don¡¯t know how else it could¡¯ve known we were firing in that moment except that it heard me give the order to do it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Roger that.¡± She answered, Gabe¡¯s already on his way here¡­  It¡¯ll take him another couple hours though on Maeve.  We have to end this before he shows.

    Scyrexian just looked on at her dubiously.  In the full light of the afternoon, it didn¡¯t look half as menacing as it did in the dark beneath the cliff, but it was still a disturbing sight, especially with those insect-like legs clicking beneath the two fused skulls.  The wriggling tentacle-like appendages behind its back slowed their undulations slightly, until they came together in a singular mass, and fully detached from the main body.  The shape it took as it hovered out beside itself looked eerily similar, until two golden orbs within the miasma shone to life in the same place its ¡®eyes¡¯ sat in those two skulls.

    And a second volley from the Aegis tore through with that rumbling, deafening brilliance.

    Rylen took no chances, ¡°Again!¡±

    ¡°Sir, it needs time to cool down-¡±

    ¡°Charge it now!¡±

    Furion and Ren both scattered, seeing the two entities dart out at the last microsecond.  The sight of the powered-up weapon would¡¯ve been as obvious as the sun, and the two seconds before firing it weren¡¯t subtle either.  Ren found herself diving towards the smoking crater, following after the physical body, as Furion went after the miasma it had broken-off from itself.  Furion quickly found himself fending off an all-new onslaught, however, as the evidently-mindless creature thrashed with animalistic fury at him.

    That, he realized, made it much easier to fight.

    Ren was quick to discover the opposite, and watched it make a calculated escape into the mists.  Ravan and Alexander lifted-off to join their Commander, hovering a distance away from the dense fog, but Ren held her arm out to them, ¡°Don¡¯t let it bait you in.¡±

    ¡°Then what do we do?¡± Ravan wondered.

    Ren flipped the hilt in her hand to point the blade out to the side, and aimed her forearm cannons into the smoke, ¡°Rain Hell on it.¡±

    The other two were quick to follow suit, and suddenly six different sets of pulses were being shot-down into the gaping hole.  As they fired, they each began to drift apart from one another, making sure there was no single point from which the onslaught originated.  When they heard a distinctive shriek from beast trying to chew on their Captain, they had a feeling that maybe ¨C just maybe ¨C they were finally onto something.

    Furion watched as the orbs within the oily mass reconfigured, and the shadow of its body began to warp, until the horns above it more-resembled antlers, and the arthropod-like ¡®face¡¯ reassembled into something more mammalian.  Mandibles were replaced with teeth, and it charged wildly, biting down on the plasma-edged great-sword that Furion swing straight at it.  Steam hissed from the contact, and it sparked and smoldered.  Furion grit his teeth, ¡°Well, if you¡¯re about to blow-up anyway¡­¡±  He pulled his left arm free, and pointed his wrist directly at that animalistic forehead.  Wings quickly went up ¨C he let the hilt go entirely at the same time - and came down again, like blades that perfectly sliced between them, leaving only the gap for his one arm.  With a click, the detonation rippled throughout the sky, sending out enough of a shockwave that it pushed the smoke in the crater away¡­revealing the charge from the fleshy body.

    It went straight for Ren, that deer-skull¡¯s fanged jaws wide as it roared in its approach.  Ren quickly adjusted, seeing the charge from far enough away that she could swing her right arm around and down, bounce the long-blade directly between its eyes, and roll across its back in one fluid motion as it careened beneath her.  She was quick to follow it up, taking the hilt in both hands as she rushed up behind it with an eye to swing at it again with double the force ¨C Ravan and Alexander banked wide to follow after her.  It hadn¡¯t slowed for missing its mark though, and continued that ascent, directly towards the huge black cloud that seethed in the sky.  Ren watched Furion swoop out of the fray, embers flickering off of him as he dove to catch the falling hilt and reforge the sword¡­only for the proverbial wendigo to disappear within the smog in his place.

    ¡°It¡¯s gonna rejoin!¡± Ren yelled, and quickly pitched upward before the smoke could envelop her, too.  The explosive fumes seemed to crackle with gold and purple lightning-flashes, and within the illuminated haze, Ren was sure she spied the image of massive bat-like wings form and spread.  A piercing shriek thundered through the air, and Ren instinctively clenched her eyes shut, hands up to block her ears as if her helmet wasn¡¯t in the way.  She wouldn¡¯t let that make her vulnerable though, and the illuminated gap in the back of her mechanical wings ¨C where the solid light panels emerged - glowed more brightly for the afterburn of sending her further skyward.

    Alexander wasn¡¯t so fortunate though, and his blood-curdling shrieks filled their comms instead.  That demonic being had launched at and latched onto the man, those massive jaws poised around his head and chest like it would bite it clean in half if not for the armor.  The upper, central arms were drawn inward as the lower set clawed for purchase at the Knight¡¯s wrists, spreading those limbs wide before the former thrust out at his elbows.  The crunch of both arms breaking at the same time was blocked only by the distance, but Alexander¡¯s pained screams told the story just as well.  In vain, he tried to bring his wing-panels around, but just as he tried to wrap the solid light ¡®feathers¡¯ through the small gap between himself and the beast¡¯s bulky body, he heard the click of his helmet coming loose¡­and he was suddenly shaken violently.

    All three remaining Fafnir hovered at a distance, daring not approach closer, even with all weapons drawn.

    ¡°Captain, the evacuees are safe-¡±

    ¡°Not now, D¡¯Shay!¡±

    Ren held her left hand out, and disabled the plasma-blade, holstering the hilt on her hip again, ¡°Stop!¡± She called, extending that second hand then as well, ¡°Let him go!¡±

    ¡°Surrender.¡± It leered angrily, ¡°I grow impatient.¡±

    Furion reeled, ¡°You can¡¯t, Ren!  This is insane!¡±

    ¡°What do you want with Lugios!?¡± She called anyway, ¡°And what¡¯s it got to do with me!?¡±

    ¡°You are merely collateral, child.¡±

    Her brow wrankled, ¡°Collateral¡­?¡± She echoed to herself.

    ¡°And as collateral, you need not know the rest.  You are nothing but a tool, and your cooperation is optional.¡±

    ¡°So, you killed everyone in the unit just to get to me?¡± Ren asked, ¡°¡­But¡­why?  If I understand right, you already had Ianori¡­  What could I possibly do that he couldn¡¯t?¡±

    Those eyes narrowed, ¡°You can move the Prime Mover.¡±

    ¡°¡­The what¡­?¡±

    ¡°FIRE!¡±

    The Aegis lit-up all over again, and Furion charged to push Ren out of the way before the blast could barrel through.  Scyrexian took the hit directly to its back that time, and it shrieked in pain, the flesh of its hosts ¨C and its latest victim ¨C burning away in a violent whirlwind.  Alexander¡¯s marred armor was dropped and plummeted to the ground, landing with a wet, earthy thud in the exposed riverbed.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 56 â€“ Listen To The Echoes, Until The Very Last

    The Aegis¡¯ main cannon was glowing hot and starting to warp, but Rylen gave the order to charge it yet again anyway.  The crew didn¡¯t argue back that time, and simply gave him the weapon¡¯s status, ¡°¡­Cannon deteriorating.  Barrel integrity at 6% and dropping.¡±

    Rylen glowered, That was the last of it, then¡­  The Aegis is done-for¡­

    Wings were wrapped around like a double-layer cocoon, but as the after-effects of the shot subsided, they began to peel away.  Ren¡¯s came off first, like two massive flat hands, and she looked up, arms holding around Furion¡¯s shoulders for dear life.  He held around her core in turn, and rotated them around slightly to behold the result.  Not seeing anything obvious, they dared to hope; they glanced at one another, and Ren lifted off from the seat she¡¯d made of Furion¡¯s leg, and let her wings carry her forward, ¡°¡­Is it done?  Did we win?¡±

    ¡°It took the hit directly¡­  I watched it burn¡­  There¡¯s just no way it could¡¯ve survived¡­¡± He turned his gaze up at his ship then, and saw the devastation the battle had wrought to it, ¡°¡­I¡¯ve never heard of a Fortress needing to pop-off three times in a row like that.  That cannon¡¯s supposed to be a one-and-done deal.  They¡¯re going to have to decommission it after this¡­¡±

    Ren was listening, but she spotted the husk of Alexander¡¯s armor, and her heart sank.  Wings folded in slightly as she descended, then spread again just before she set her feet into the rock-laden slurry.  The way that armor was just lying there in the muck, as though thrown off the Aegis like trash, was an insult to everything they stood for, and she carefully stepped closer.  The body of the suicidal Myrmidon hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed either, lying face-down nearby where the force of the cannon¡¯s volley had knocked him off the rock he¡¯d landed on.

    Furion descended as well, but he kept to the dry riverbank, landing on a flat rock with one hand up against his bruised midsection, ¡°¡­Even with the inertia modulators I probably still cracked some ribs¡­¡± He grumbled quietly to himself, and lifted his head as he opened a comm to Jense and Corbin, ¡°Alright, go ahead, you two.¡±

    Ravan landed on the other bank, silent as she watched Ren reach for the armor and pull it up.  The rear side of it had been completely melted, fusing the joints into a solid block that memorialized the Knight¡¯s final posture; slumped over, arms forward, and bent the wrong way at the elbows.  The chest-cavity was a dark hole where the man once rested, and Ren finally gave in to the reality.

    ¡°¡­They¡¯re all gone.¡±

    ¡°Corbin and Jense are still around¡­and Bianca, wherever she went¡­¡± Ravan noted, and let out a heavy sigh, ¡°Can¡¯t believe she just dipped like that¡­¡±

    ¡°Deserters will face the consequences.¡± Furion commented as he stepped off the rock to hover just above the mud, ¡°There wouldn¡¯t be anything of him left, Ren¡­  He took the blast without cover¡­¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡± She replied grimly, and with a deep inhale, she lowered down to sit on her knees, pulling the empty suit onto her lap, ¡°We should bring everyone back that we can find¡­  I¡¯ll¡­take Alex up myself¡­¡±

    Furion lowered his head, but nodded, ¡°Ravan, with me.  We¡¯ll start to gather the others.¡±

    ¡°Yessir¡­¡±

    Ren listened to the quiet hiss as the two Fafnir lifted out of the river-bed and made their way off to the hole in the cliff-wall.

    Watching those three Knights starting to process the clean-up gave Rylen the message that it was ¨C more or less ¨C okay to come out of emergency-mode, and he lowered down to brace his hands against his knees, ¡°¡­What a disaster¡­¡±

    The entire bridge-crew let out a breath as well, and slumped in their seats.  Far below them, the cannon was finally starting to cool down, but it was still a warm red hue.  The tip had completely melted, and most of the surrounding hull had been warped and twisted as well; such was the limit of metal against projectile plasma.

    ¡°I need whichever First Wing SkyFortress is in the area to come here.¡± Rylen ordered, and pushed back up to his full height, ¡°And call for the Fifth as well.  If the evacuees weren¡¯t hurt, they¡¯ll be mentally traumatized.  Best get ahead of it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Shall we cancel the ship-wide lockdown?¡±

    Rylen was nearly about to affirm it, but shook his head, ¡°No, not yet.  And tell everyone coming that their ships are to go on lockdown as soon as they¡¯re within range to see us.  The Fulcrum and Dreadnought are already on their way.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    Ren reached up to click the releases on either side of her helmet, and set it skullcap-down into the mud.  Those bright green eyes had dulled against the heavy weight of that oncoming grief, and she bent her head down towards the half-melted armor before her, ¡°¡­I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± She said quietly, knowing her words wouldn¡¯t be heard by any but herself, ¡°For not being here, for¡­the transfer, for abandoning all of you for months on end, only to come too late here¡­  Everyone on Wing Team One except Ravan and I is gone¡­  That¡¯s on me¡­  I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll ever make-up for that; how I¡¯ll ever atone for this failure¡­¡±

    A wet slap sounded from the side, and Ren lifted her head to see the impossible.

    ¡°¡­Sub¡­mit¡­¡±

    Furion stepped down into the broken corridors and buffer-walls that protected the inner research labs from the exterior rock, and turned towards the woman who¡¯d followed him, ¡°Steel yourself against what you¡¯re about to see.  Donivan didn¡¯t¡­go down quickly.  It was gruesome and violent.¡±

    ¡°I can handle it, sir¡­¡±

    He doubted it, given what he knew was in the next room, ¡°I think I should probably go ahead and secure the scene anyway.  Wait here a minute.  I¡¯ll bring Michelle to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Y-yessir¡­¡±

    Furion paused his advance, and turned around again.  He pulled his helmet off and shook his matted hair free, and reached forward to set a hand to the Knight¡¯s shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard, Ravan.  Just take it slow.  We¡¯re all going to feel the loss sooner or later.  Just try to think of the mission for now, and see it through until we¡¯re done.  Lord Rylen ought to be calling in support by now.¡±

    Ravan reached her hands up to pull her helmet off as well, revealing that the dark circles had already started to creep under her eyes.  She turned her gaze down, ¡°¡­I just¡­can¡¯t believe they were all dying, all around me, and I¡­had no idea.¡±

    ¡°We were protecting you from that.  We had the safety of all these other folks to worry about first.¡± Furion reassured, ¡°All these people ¨C all these survivors ¨C they¡¯re still with us because we did our jobs.  It may not feel like it right now, because we did still lose so many, but¡­to those who lived, it¡¯ll mean everything.¡±

    ¡°Yessir¡­¡±

    There wasn¡¯t much more than could be said, but Furion waited another moment before giving a subtle nod and turned to go into the next room.  Within, he knew to expect three bodies, but it was still a difficult thing to see the state they were in.  He took a moment to pause, take a breath, and replace his helmet, and just as he did, he heard the end of something Rylen had started to say.  With a grunt, he cleared his throat, ¡°Sorry, sir, please repeat that last.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°Do not touch any of the bodies.¡± Rylen said again, making Furion¡¯s brow furrow, ¡°We can¡¯t risk anyone else getting contaminated by whatever that thing brought with it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sir?  But they¡¯re our people¡­¡±

    ¡°I know.  For now, I need you and Dame Ravan to make sure it isn¡¯t still lingering somewhere nearby.  I already have the others forming a perimeter.  You two should join them.  We¡¯ll figure something out.  And don¡¯t talk about the fallen¡­not yet.¡±

    Furion took a step back, beholding the grizzly sight from that subtle distance, but nodded, ¡°¡­Yessir.¡±

    Surprised, Ravan saw the Captain come back empty-handed, but the words to ask why caught in her throat.

    ¡°Head up and out.¡± He explained, ¡°Lord Rylen wants us to secure the area before we worry about recovery-efforts.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yessir¡­¡±

    They stepped back out through the cliff, and while Ravan quickly lifted-off into the sky ¨C securing her helmet as she went - Furion lingered a moment, looking back towards the river-bed.  Thinking nothing of the fact that neither Ren nor Alexander¡¯s armor were there anymore, he stepped out to join the aerial effort, Lord Rylen must¡¯ve seen her bring the armor back and had second-thoughts about bringing the rest¡­

    Ren¡¯s discarded helmet had been pushed so deep in the mud that only the chin-cover was visible above it, and it looked like nothing less than any other rock from a distance.  The woman herself, however, had been unceremoniously dragged back through the broken wall below the teetering terrace, held tight by the inky tendrils of a reforged foe.  Without her helmet ¨C and with the lockdown preventing her use of the World Cloud ¨C she was cut off from all communications.  Before her ¨C with eyes bleeding that characteristic red-black miasma ¨C stood the self-same Myrmidon who¡¯d thrown himself off the landing earlier in the attack¡­and he looked rather annoyed.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t come all this way to play games.¡± It said, its voice now blended with the new host¡¯s.  Though his uniform was covered in mud, those resin-like secretions were already starting to overtake them, ¡°Call to Gabriel.¡±

    ¡°N-no.¡± Ren choked, suspended a few inches off the ground where her whole frame had been coiled by those constrictive tails of translucent fiber.  She tried adamantly to get free, twisting hard and jerking with every bit of strength she had, but nothing would give.

    ¡°I could make things very difficult for you.¡± Scyrexian threatened, plates of armor and rudimentary horns already layering above the Myrmidon¡¯s skin, black threads wriggling beneath the surface, ¡°Your comrades don¡¯t know where you are right now, and I know how easy it would be to make it so they never find out.¡± It reached its hands forward, and as it cupped its palms to Ren¡¯s cheeks, its middle fingers probed back into her hair, and pressed obviously to the nanotech nubs at the back of her head.

    Ren just grit her teeth, ¡°And y-you¡­need me¡­  You w-wouldn¡¯t¡­  Not if you really want h-him¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you recall where I said that your cooperation wasn¡¯t necessary.¡± It retorted, and squeezed a bit harder.

    Ren could feel her windpipe crunching, and she gasped for breath, ¡°Th-then...why¡­persist¡­in asking for it?¡±

    Those eyes narrowed, ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy having my time wasted.¡±

    The peripheries of her vision were starting to darken, and Ren could feel her arms starting to go lax where they were pinned at her side.  Maybe Scyrexian could tell that she was giving up the ghost at that point, because that noose-like grip around her throat loosened a little, and Ren gasped for breath.  She coughed and heaved, retching against the pressure, and realized¡­her hand ¨C in that relaxed state ¨C could move.  Likewise, as soon as she tensed-up again with her rousing, she felt the tension push her limbs back against her sides.  Once she¡¯d swallowed a few pained breaths, and she lolled her head to the side, she glowered at the creature.

    ¡°Call to him, now.¡±

    ¡°I c-can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°You can.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­!¡± Ren breathed out a long and difficult sigh, and as she let her head roll forward instead, she could see through the translucent appendage wrapped around her.  She could also see the only golden sphere that the entity seemed to possess ¨C a noted departure from the numerous it had before.  It was a risk.  She couldn¡¯t be sure those little spheres had anything to do with anything, but she was out of ideas, and Maeve was closing-in with every passing minute.  Eyes turned, and she lifted her head again.  Focused on the frailty of her left arm, she let it drift upward, as if floating in water¡­and encircled her fingers around the little globe, ¡°¡­And even if I could¡­I won¡¯t¡­give him to you¡­  Not after what you did to Ianori¡­or the Magi¡­or this poor soul, who you¡¯ve made suffer too much already¡­¡±  She could see the orb trapped within her grasp like a bubble stuck at the top of a syringe¡­and she clamped down onto it as hard as she could, with all the strength her armor could give her.

    Scyrexian shrieked ¨C the same agonized scream that it had bellowed while being fired upon in the smoky crater ¨C and all of those tendrils it had coiled around the trapped Fafnir seized and loosened at once, leaving Ren to collapse to her knees.

    The banshee¡¯s wail was loud enough to be heard by all four of the remaining Fafnir, and they were quick to try and find where it came from.

    Ren coughed strongly as she dropped to her hands and knees, and refused to give up her vice-grip on the orb.  Once she had some air back in her lungs though, she turned her sights to the writhing creature nearby; Scyrexian had managed to stay upright, but it was clearly suffering.  Flecks of gold were starting to puff out of its eyes, like embers blown out of a campfire, filtering up alongside the black-red bubbling ichor that was already there.  It sneered at the Fafnir with an intense kind of hatred, and lifted itself back up again.  Ren watched as that half-transfigured Myrmidon came at her again with a murderous kind of intent¡­and everything just seemed to slow down.

    She easily deflected the first blow; left arm came up to push the incoming strike to the outside, and in an immediate and fluid follow-up, her right came up and struck the entity directly in the chest.  That whole body lifted up from the force of the contact, hit the broken ceiling above it, and came crashing down all over again, bringing half the floor above down with it.  Ren brought her arms up to protect her head, and when the rain of debris stopped, she rose up to her feet ¨C albeit with a bit of a struggle.  Scyrexian continued to resist though, and with those miasma-made appendages, lifted itself out of the rubble and reached for Ren at the same time.  Ren didn¡¯t seem to react though ¨C she just stood there as those tendrils went around her ¨C and just as Scyrexian believed it would gain the upper-hand, Ren outright-crushed the orb she¡¯d been holding onto.

    There was no power left to shriek a third time.  The host-body ¨C suspended half-up in the air by those semi-translucent limbs ¨C went limp, and the entire thing collapsed forward, slumping over the Fafnir in disbelief.  More and more of that black-blood smoke gave-way to gold, as its eyes seemed to surrender to the Myrmidon it had subsumed.  The writhing inky limbs ¨C barely strong enough to hold themselves up anymore ¨C lowered further and further, until they merely splayed-out behind the creature like a thick cape.

    ¡°So that was the trick to it¡­how we hurt you before¡­¡± Ren said quietly, practically comforting the body as it went limp against her, and she crouched down to a knee, ¡°Those little gold bubbles¡­  We must¡¯ve hit one earlier.¡±

    Scyrexian was just angry, though, and refused to respond one way or another about it.  It summoned-up whatever final shreds of control it still had over its host and pulled back where its right arm had dangled over the Fafnir¡¯s shoulder.  It grabbed at the thin lip of armor where the chest-plate gave-way to the neck, and stared bitterly, ¡°¡­The¡­hard way, then¡­¡± It whispered, and opened its eyes wide.

    A few seconds later, Corbin landed inside the crack, and saw the characteristic glow of Ren¡¯s wings.  He looked back out through the opening, ¡°I found her.¡± He told the others, and quickly hopped forward to get around to her front.  He saw the woman staring intently at that lifeless body, as if lost in thought, and it took a hand on her shoulder before she realized anyone else had turned-up.  Corbin cupped his palms around her face, turning her head one way then the other to check if she was injured, and was relieved that she was unmarred, ¡°¡­You scared the shit out of us just now.  Don¡¯t do that again.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°We heard the shriek, but you weren¡¯t answering your comms.¡± He answered, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take your hat off until you¡¯re back aboard the ship.  You know that.¡±

    She shook her head to dislodge the cobwebs, and looked down at the dead man in her arms, ¡°Sorry, I¡­  I thought it was over.  It had one last hurrah in it.¡± Ren explained, and let out a gruff exhale before she lifted back up to her feet, and hoisted the body up with her.  She turned in place and started to leave, hovering upward through the broken wall with Corbin right behind her.  She spotted Ravan first, unsticking her forgotten helmet from the mud, and then Jense and Furion coming in from above.  She kneeled to set the body down on its back on the ground, and stood up again as the remaining three finally landed around her.

    Furion just threw his own helmet off and flew straight into her, no pretenses about his relief, and hugged her tight, ¡°What happened!?  Why weren¡¯t you answering!?¡± He asked frantically, ¡°I thought that fucking thing was going to start picking us off one at a time again, starting with you!¡±

    Ren turned her eyes up, and offered a gentle return of the hug, but then pulled back, feeling a bit dazed, ¡°Sorry.¡± She answered, and pulled her hand back to pinch the bridge of her nose, ¡°I guess it somehow managed to shelter itself inside Alex¡¯s armor, then got into this Myrmidon before we came down.¡± She nudged her head at the corpse, ¡°It was really weak though.  Maybe it didn¡¯t have enough time to get its shit together before it came at me, but I¡­I¡¯m pretty sure I got it this time.¡±

    ¡°We can only hope¡­¡±

 Book I - Chapter 57 â€“ There May Be Sunshine After A Storm, But Thereâ€™s Also The Fallout

    Telling the Aegis¡¯ crew that the purpose for their existence had ¨C nearly to a man ¨C been wiped out that afternoon, and that their home would have to be taken out of service, was a blow that left no small number of them devastated.  Seth had at least managed to find his brother before the notifications started going out from the First.

    ¡°It gives me no pleasure to detail to you that most of the Fafnir Knights will not be coming home today.¡± Rylen¡¯s voice spoke to them all at once, ¡°An entity that had originally been in Kitez had managed to find its way here, and after diffusing itself into the bodies of the Warp Magi from the SSCF Sterling Rose, launched into a killing-spree that claimed the lives of: Wing Commander Two, Donivan Parker.  Dame Annashi Dessow.  Sir Michael Remmy.  Sir Sammy Einhardt.  Sir Gareth Fitzroy.  Dame Michelle Napple.  Dame Xandra Cephyr.  And Sir Alexander Rogers.  We owe much and more to their sacrifice today, and they will be properly honored.¡±

    Those who survived ¨C save Furion, who already knew ¨C were left feeling hollow and broken by the reading of each name.  None could bear to leave the docking-hangar, seeing those empty pods, waiting for armor that would never return.

    ¡°Unfortunately, in the effort to take down the entity, the Aegis¡¯ forward cannon was pushed beyond its breaking point, and as a consequence, the ship will need to be decommissioned.  I will have more information for you on that front in the coming days¡­but for the time being, please anticipate being transferred to any of the other Sixth Wing ships in the fleet.

    ¡°In light of the devastation that was visited unto us today, the Aegis will continue to be on communications lockdown until further notice.  The details of the mission will be marked as classified and it will not be permitted to discuss them outside the walls of this ship.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean for us¡­?¡± Ravan wondered, looking around the circle of survivors; still clad in their armor, but at least with their helmets off, ¡°Without the Aegis, we¡¯re¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be assigned to other ships as well.¡± Furion answered, struggling against the growing pain in his ribs, ¡°Whether you all go together or are going to split up, however¡­I¡¯m not sure yet.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re talking about us like you¡¯re not included, sir.¡±

    He lowered his gaze a little, ¡°I¡¯m a Captain without a ship.  I¡¯ll have other duties to attend to while Lord Rylen figures out if he even wants to rebuild the unit.¡±

    ¡°How could he not?¡± Jense wondered, ¡°It took damn near all of us ¨C er¡­you - to kill that thing.  If we don¡¯t have a Fafnir contingent next time¡­¡±

    Furion could only nod in agreement, and he looked down to where his brother had leaned against his side, still hiccupping his breaths and staring ahead vacantly in shock.  He pet the teen¡¯s shoulder reassuringly, ¡°He may try to go in a different direction.  The Fafnir Knights were never designed to combat whatever that presence was.¡±

    ¡°Scyrexian.¡± Ren corrected, ¡°That¡¯s what it called itself.  In Kitez, when it¡­was still mostly Ianori¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Furion acknowledged, and looked around the group again, ¡°We were purpose-built for taking on afflicted people.  Scyrexian battered us like a bug trapped behind a kitchen curtain.  I¡­can¡¯t even fathom the kind of re-engineering program he¡¯d have to put together to develop a Knight that could take that on.¡±

    All eyes turned to Ren, ¡°¡­You were able to.¡±

    She looked back at them, ¡°It wanted me to get to Gabriel.  Even at the very end, when it could¡¯ve killed me, it implied that doing so would¡¯ve made that process a big hassle.  It¡­says that I can move him, whatever that means.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to tell him...?¡± Ravan wondered.

    Ren looked to Furion, but shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m not sure.  I think it¡¯ll depend on what Lord Rylen says about it when we debrief.  Gabe may be an Eidolon in his own Wing now, but if Lord Rylen says to keep it quiet, his word comes first.¡±

    ¡°I wonder what it wants him for?¡± Corbin asked idly, one arm wrapped around his core as the other tapped against his jaw in thought, ¡°The way that it went right for the Magi, and ditched Ianori¡¯s body¡­seems to me it would rather have a dead afflicted than a living normal person as a host.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking the same¡­especially after it referred to Gabe as a Prime Mover.  The only difference between him and every other afflicted is the fact that he arrived in the world with that curse.¡± Ren added, ¡°Maybe that changes how it can behave.  Still¡­if it needed me specifically in that acquisition, it¡¯s probably less to do with the fact that I have him on speed-dial and more to do with the fact that he¡¯d probably actually do what it said if it threatened me somehow.¡±

    ¡°You think so?¡± Jense wondered.

    ¡°It¡¯s the only reason I can think of.¡± She shrugged, brow furrowed, ¡°I mean, other than Seth¡­I¡¯m the only person who¡¯s been at every place that Scyrexian manifested, and it hasn¡¯t made any overtures towards going after him instead.¡±

    ¡°You think Lord Gabriel would refuse if it threatened Seth instead?¡± Furion was surprised, ¡°He¡¯s just a kid.  If anything, those situations should be reversed, since you¡¯re a trained fighter, and Seth¡¯s an innocent.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡±

    .

    ¡°I kissed you back, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    .

    ¡°¡­Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.  With any luck, it won¡¯t come back at all.  I crushed that last bubble-thing it had, and it fell apart after that.¡± Ren said, and pulled out of the group to go towards her docking-pod.  The others all watched her go, getting out of her armor and restoring her blues ¨C as well as manufacturing some temporary boots ¨C as she headed for the exit.

    All eyes went to Furion after that, and gave them a casual glance back as he understood he should probably go after her.  He lifted an arm to pat his brother¡¯s head, and Seth let go for a moment so the man could step out of his armor as well.  He gathered-up his own boots from where he¡¯d kicked them aside earlier, and manifested his Captain¡¯s regalia over his uniform-base ¨C even if it would only last until he got to his quarters.  He reached an arm out to Seth to summon him forward again, and looked to the remaining three, ¡°I recommend you all take some time to decompress.  I¡¯ll go-¡°The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    He hadn¡¯t even made it to the door to the lift before Rylen turned up.

    ¡°¡­Sir?¡±

    ¡°I need you to bring Dame Felipe back.¡± The Eidolon said simply, ¡°She¡¯s still on the move.¡±

    That made a knot grow in the Captain¡¯s stomach, ¡°Yessir.¡± He said anyway, and he bent to look at his brother, ¡°Go keep Ren company.  She probably went back to the room.  You can stay with us tonight if you want.¡±

    ¡°Th-thanks¡­¡± He hiccupped, and hopped-off to catch up with the woman.  Though the fast-travel chutes were mostly intended for the Fafnir to get around the ship in a hurry, it was the quickest way from their launch-bay to the bridge-level, and Seth took-off, not quite understanding what the Eidolon had just asked his older brother to do.

    Rylen watched the teen go, and stepped out of the way for the Captain to leave as well, ¡°We¡¯ve already tried to establish contact.  She¡¯s ignoring us.  Shame, really.¡±

    ¡°Yessir¡­¡± Furion bowed his head and stepped off to head for the bridge-level chute as well.

    The trio of Knights watched him go as the chute returned and the door opened, and they glanced at each other warily, then to the First.  Rylen just gave them a quiet nod, and dissolved shortly after.

    Ravan was the one who broke the silence, ¡°¡­The things we didn¡¯t know a Captain could do before Ren had it done to her.¡±

    Corbin stepped off and put his armor away, ¡°I¡¯m going to go punch something for a while.  I didn¡¯t get a chance to lift a goddamn finger against anything else today.¡±

    Jense followed suit; the sentiment was mutual, and it was easy to yearn for the same relief.

    Ravan could only watch them, ¡°¡­It¡¯s not your fault that it ended up this way.¡± She tried to say, and the pair paused to glance back at her, ¡°I¡­  When the Captain and I were about to start picking things up, he told me the bridge team was using targeted messaging with us so no one would know what was going on with anyone else.  We needed to focus on helping the people who were helpless.  I know there¡¯s not much solace in being told you were just following orders to protect the staff, and it was just happenstance that it took you from the frontline.  I know that, in the end, it just boils down to a sentiment that says ¡®you walked away from the fight really well¡¯ but¡­  He wouldn¡¯t even let me into the room where Commander Parker went down.  He¡­said it was brutal, and violent.  If it was the same for the others, then¡­maybe it wouldn¡¯t have made a difference if we were all there.¡±

    ¡°You actually got to fire a shot though.¡± Corbin countered, a hint of bitterness in his voice, ¡°You actually got to see the enemy.  Look it in the eyes.  You walked away from that fight knowing you contributed to ending it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­  I¡¯d give anything to get the image of that thing out of my head¡­¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re trying to say that we should count ourselves lucky to not have been involved, then don¡¯t bother.¡± The older Knight countered, ¡°You get to say that you wished you hadn¡¯t been there.  The both of us get to live with knowing we weren¡¯t able to help anyone.  That our family fell, one by one, to an enemy we never even got to engage.  We all woke up together this morning, and only five of us are left.  The others just¡­disappeared.  Evaporated from existence.  And¡­we can¡¯t even put a face to the reason why.¡±

    Jense just grabbed the man by the back of his shoulders and shoved him to a different fast-travel chute.  Corbin shrugged him off and threw his hands up in a ¡®don¡¯t touch me¡¯ sort of gesture, and went towards the doors on his own.  Jense glanced back, ¡°¡­Survivor¡¯s guilt is gonna be a bitch.  Sorry, Ravan.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay¡­¡±

    Once Jense was also gone, and Ravan was there on her own, there was nothing left to do except listen to the sound of the ship around her.  She held her helmet against her chest with both arms, and looked down into the visor.  Her own reflection looked back at her in that black, one-way face-plate, and Ravan could feel the gnawing, raw pain in her throat starting to return.  It migrated up into her sinuses, and put pressure behind her eyes and brow.  Her vision started to blur as she felt the tears starting to form in her eyes.  She refused to just cry though; she was a Fafnir Knight of the Sixth Wing.  She was tougher than that.  But¡­the tears fell anyway, pattering against the visor with little splashes before following the curve to disappear in the crook of her arms.

    .

    Furion stepped out into the long hall towards the bridge just in time to catch-sight of his brother disappearing through the door to his quarters.  He hoped Ren was already in there, and hadn¡¯t just wandered off to who-knows-where-else on the ship.  Still, he made his way up to the bridge, a hand against his ribs as they ached with every breath and step.

    The bridge-crew wasn¡¯t sure how to react when they saw the doors open, and their Captain ¨C battered but alive ¨C walked in.  There were some dark patches on the floor near some of their workstations where they¡¯d tried to clean-up after their unfortunate reactions to Donivan¡¯s broadcasted demise, but there was still a sour sort of smell in the air.  They just turned to watch him come onto the deck instead, and quietly waited for him to issue the coming order.

    ¡°Bring up Bianca¡¯s P.O.V. on the main-screen, please.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    He sat back in the Captain¡¯s chair, and drew in a breath as he readied himself for what he was about to do.  The imagery appeared ahead of him, and he watched the sky and clouds blaze by as Bianca continued to flee, having gone into hypersonic some time ago.  He tapped his fingers against a few buttons on the arm-rest of his seat, and a panel on the side of it opened with a click.  He withdrew from that compartment a crown-like apparatus that ¨C unbeknownst to anyone present ¨C was identical to that of the ones used in the Eidolon System.  As he lifted it to put it in place, he nodded to the communications officer nearby, ¡°Open a direct channel.  I don¡¯t want her to find out this is coming by surprise.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.  Line¡¯s open.¡±

    ¡°Dame.¡± Furion started stiffly, though he received no response; only the panicked breaths of someone who¡¯d been sobbing in fear, ¡°I can only give you one last chance to come back to the Aegis voluntarily.  If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll seize command of your armor and pilot you back myself.¡±

    ¡°Y-You can¡¯t make me face that thing!¡± She wept, ¡°This isn¡¯t what I trained for!  I didn¡¯t sign-up to fight monsters!¡±

    The Captain held a finger over the trigger, ¡°Dame Bianca Felipe¡­  You are under arrest for desertion, in violation of the Luminary Protocols of Behavior, Article 72.  You have the right to your silence, the right to a mediator, and the right to have your plea heard by your commanding officer.  Under Article 15 of the Sixth Wing Uniform Code, I, Furion Rydell - in accordance with my authority as your Captain, and with the acknowledgment of the Eidolon of the First and Sixth, Rylen Vor¡¯antiss - will take command of your armor and bring you back to your home-ship.  Do you understand your rights, and what is about to happen?¡±

    She could only whimper in fear.

    ¡°Overriding personal controls now.¡± He said with finality, and set his finger to the touch-screen panel.  There was a bit of a jolt as the cerebral interface took effect, and the man immediately slumped in his chair.  The main-screen overlay showed the activation of remote-command, and the skies began to slow-down.  Clouds regained their shapes ¨C from quickly-passing streaks to the cotton-like mounds and wisps they were known to be ¨C and Bianca began to cry-out in panic.  Furion¡¯s brow furrowed with guilt, ¡°The fight¡¯s over, Dame.  The enemy is gone.  Please try to breathe normally so you don¡¯t pass-out when I bring you back up to hypersonic in the other direction.¡±

    .

    When Seth found Ren, she was praying to the porcelain gods.  The grief he himself felt seemed a second-thought when he saw her, and he quickly rushed into the bathroom, ¡°Miss Ren!¡±

    She just groaned; her voice echoed into the bowl.

    Seth grabbed for a small towel and waited for the water in the sink to warm before wetting it under the faucet, then went down to his knees beside her, ¡°¡­Miss Ren¡­  Please don¡¯t call me stupid right now for asking if you¡¯re okay¡­¡±

    She lifted her head up and glanced over a shoulder at him, hair messy and stuck to her tear-soaked cheeks.  She saw the towel and accepted it, burying her whole face into the warmth without a word.  It was all she could do to not scream into it right there, though she did finally let out a half-contained sob as she felt Seth¡¯s hand go up and down her back.

    Seth watched quietly as she started to lean towards him, and quickly shifted to sit cross-legged instead as she pressed her shoulder into his chest.  Hearing her crying only made it harder for him not to (keep) crying, so he just held her and joined in her sorrows.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 58 â€“ Of Soot And Smolder, And A Rain Of Ash And Death

    It was twilight when Maeve finally came into sight of the Aegis.  The lockdown was still in effect, and that meant Xanarken had to be carried onto the SkyFortress like a real boy, and he manifested aboard the little skiff as it came onto that final approach.  The steaming cauldron of once-molten rock had long-cooled by then, and the fog had faded.  Within the caldera of that ruin, the river had manufactured a small lake, and it bled out into the river delta, completely submerging the base of the building, flowing out beneath the ruined landing-terrace to rejoin the river¡¯s original path, and continued on from there like nothing had happened.

    Gabriel grumbled in frustration as his hails were denied, ¡°¡­Rylen still has the ship pinned.  I can¡¯t get through unless he releases the directive.¡±

    ¡°Fly up in front of the bridge.  They may not want to hear us, but they can¡¯t ignore looking right at us.¡±

    A ways back, the Dreadnought and the Fulcrum could already be seen cresting over the horizon.  That little red skiff hovered upwards and found its way over to the nose of the ship ¨C and as they went, they got an eyeful of the mortifying sight of that warped and twisted metal of the cannon and its surrounding structures.

    ¡°¡­What the Hell happened¡­?¡± Gabriel wondered aloud for them both.

    It only took a few minutes for an acknowledgement to come from the Aegis¡¯ bridge, and an invitation was sent to Maeve¡¯s communications system to join the call.  Once the link was established, the bridge-crew had only one statement, ¡°State your purpose.¡±

    ¡°This is Gabriel Lugios and Xanarken Tellan of the Fourth.  We¡¯re requesting permission to board.¡±

    ¡°One moment.¡±

    It was an anxious several few more minutes as they waited; Gabriel wasn¡¯t sure if it would¡¯ve been better or worse if there had been hold-music playing.  When Xanarken snapped his head up to attention though, Gabriel knew that meant only one thing, and a few seconds later, the First himself manifested aboard his little ship.

    ¡°You two don¡¯t have any business with the Aegis.¡± He said angrily, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t call, you don¡¯t text¡­¡± Xanarken answered, turning around so he could lean his side against the back of the second chair, and gestured forward, ¡°You¡¯ve been incommunicato since this morning.  The last time one of your SkyFortresses went on total lockdown, it was only by the good sense of the Inquisitors that we didn¡¯t have an international incident.¡±

    ¡°This is a completely internal incident.  You have nothing at stake here.¡± Rylen dismissed, ¡°I¡¯ll release the lockdown in a couple days.¡±

    ¡°Let me see Ren.¡± Gabriel interjected, pausing the First in the midst of his dissolving, ¡°Please¡­¡±

    Rylen just leered for a moment, but grumbled and turned to his brother, ¡°I need you to assess one of my people for representation.  Figure out who you want to assign for a Fafnir court-martial, and I¡¯ll consider it payment towards letting you two on board early.¡±

    ¡°A Fafnir court-martial?¡± The two echoed.

    Xanarken nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Rylen vanished then, and a minute later, they got the clearance from the bridge to dock at the back of the ship.  That intimidating figure was on the landing-pad waiting for them when Maeve finally touched-down; deck-crews continued about their business without interruption.

    Xanarken came out first, ¡°I guess you¡¯ll show me where your problem-child is?¡±

    ¡°Might as well.¡± The First shrugged, and watched Gabriel hop off the skiff to catch up, ¡°While you two are here, you¡¯ll be like air-bubbles passing through a fish-tank.  You can still access the World Cloud¡¯s information systems like normal, but you won¡¯t have access to any of the Aegis¡¯ nanotech supply, and as before, you won¡¯t be able to contact anyone who¡¯s aboard the ship.  The only reason you¡¯re allowed to connect to the Cloud while here is because I can¡¯t scrub the access-permissions of other Eidolon; I can only limit them while you¡¯re in my space.  To that end, I hope I don¡¯t have to explain that what you see here stays here.¡±  Those orange eyes went to Gabriel, just to be certain the man was paying attention.

    ¡°How¡¯m I gonna find Ren if I can¡¯t call her now that I¡¯m here?¡± He asked, and gestured around the hangar, ¡°This place is massive.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s in the MedBay.¡± The First answered simply, and as the anxious blonde attempted to rush by, Rylen stuck a hand out and pressed it to the man¡¯s chest to stop him in his tracks and nudge him back a few paces again, ¡°Just wait, will you?  I¡¯m not done.¡±

    ¡°Is she hurt?¡±

    ¡°She fought-off a beast of darkness and won.  She deserves to feel like shit for a minute.¡± Rylen answered, and looked away as Gabriel glowered at him for the comment, ¡°Before I can cut you loose to rampage around my ship, let me tell you what happened.  Then, you can do whatever you want, and go where you please.¡±

    .

    The Aegis was a proverbial ghost-town compared to how Gabriel knew it to be from his last stay there; most people had sequestered to their rooms and bunk-halls, leaving only a skeleton-crew to keep things going.  There was a definite sense of tension in the air, and those few people Gabriel did see on his way towards the MedBay seemed not to notice him.

    Par for the course, for him.

    The medical wing was a familiar-enough place that he had no trouble figuring out where to go to find out exactly where Ren was had gone.  It was something of a relief that he spotted Seth in the lobby through the clear-glass walls, and he quickly made his way through, ¡°Seth!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gabriel?¡± The teen quickly stood up and threw himself at the man; the receptionist behind the desk nearby practically jumped out of her chair to salute the unannounced Eidolon.

    For a change, Gabriel was actually receptive to the idea of a hug, and he was relieved to see the teen unharmed, ¡°Rylen told me everything¡­  I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already cried all the tears I think I have right now¡­¡± Seth answered, arms holding tight around that halo-bearing cloak.  His throat was raw and rough, and his eyes darkened and red, but he still looked up at his friend, ¡°Miss Ren collapsed after the fight¡­  She was feeling really sick after getting back to my brother¡¯s room, and-¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes twitched slightly.

    ¡°-I went to go keep her company so she wouldn¡¯t be alone.  But she leaned into me and then went completely limp, and I couldn¡¯t wake her up¡­¡± The teen started tearing-up again anyway as his heart raced in his chest to recall it all, ¡°I-I-I¡­I was freaking out and all I could think to do was call the ship¡¯s medics up to help her¡­and they brought her down here.  She woke up on the way but they wanted to keep her for observation.¡±

    With a nod, Gabriel pet a hand to the side of the teen¡¯s head, ¡°You did the right thing.¡±  He then turned to the woman at the check-in desk, ¡°Where is Dame Ren now?¡±

    ¡°Oh!  Uhm¡­y-yessir¡­I¡¯ll take you.¡± She answered hastily, and locked her clinic-screen down before rising to stand.  The two followed her out of the little lobby and around to one of the side-rooms around the corner.  Gabriel recognized the door to his own former room, but they passed it right by, and she eventually led them to a room a few doors further down.  She stood by and turned back around to face the Eidolon, ¡°¡­I¡¯m not a member of the med-staff, so I can¡¯t just open the door to someone as important as one of the Fafnir.  But¡­you could.  Probably.  Sir¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± He said simply, and she quickly saluted again before heading back to her workstation.  Gabriel watched her go until she was roughly halfway back up the hall, then turned to the door, and drew in a nervous breath.  He set his hand on the knob, watched the light on the side-panel go green for access, and tapped the back of a knuckle against the panel.  He waited a moment for a response, but hearing none, he gently opened the door, and knocked one more time as it cracked a few inches, ¡°Ren?¡±

    The room was dark, but not completely so; there was a single lamp in the corner behind the door that gave the space a subtle illumination.  As in Gabriel¡¯s previous room, there was a singleton bed pressed to the far wall, and upon it, he spotted Ren on her side with her back turned towards him.  Still in her blues, she held tight to a pillow, face buried against it, a warm-pack across her eyes, and the distinct image of a nanotech hologram around her visible ear; it was like a headphone, blocking out all other sound while playing something else instead.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Seth slithered into the room as Gabriel took in the sight of it, and tapped gently against the side of the mattress.  Ren hadn¡¯t bothered getting under the covers.  She seemed to jump slightly for the surprise, and when she turned over, she pulled the warm-pack away and looked under it with the one eye, seeing Seth there coming into focus beside her, ¡°Miss Ren¡­¡±

    ¡°Seth what are you-¡± Her words caught in her throat as she spotted that rather-obvious purple sigil in the background.  She was up with a start, and the headphone-hologram faded ¨C the pillow fell off the other side of the bed and the beanbag she¡¯d kept on her eyes felt into the blankets, ¡°G-Gabe!¡±

    He finished coming into that small room and pushed the door closed, ¡°Ah¡­hey.  Hi.  I made it.¡±

    Ren quickly threw her legs off the near-side of the mattress and gestured for him to come closer at the same time.  She got her feet on the floor and stood up just as he got near, and she immediately set her arms ¨C though the left lagged behind a little - over his shoulders, hugging around his head near as tight as she had the pillow before him.  When she felt him actually return the hug ¨C arms firm around her back and waist ¨C she just buried her face against his shoulder and hiccupped a few gasped breaths against it.

    ¡°I had hoped that the lockdown was for something stupid again like with what happened to Iresha¡­¡± Gabriel said quietly, just holding there for a little while; as long as Ren didn¡¯t make overtures of letting go, he wouldn¡¯t either, ¡°I¡­can¡¯t even imagine how you¡¯re feeling right now.¡±

    The ringing in her ears made it a bit hard to even hear what he¡¯d said, and by the time it eased-off, the hug was as much to keep upright as it was to seek comfort.  Her arms still went a bit lax though, and she was sure Gabriel could feel that she was putting more of her weight on him than before, and made an effort to hold her up.  She was already set back against the edge of the bed when she blinked and came-to, and seemed to look around in a daze.  She could hear the voices of worry around her, but they sounded distant and shrouded somehow, as if she¡¯d sunk to the bottom of a pond and was trying to hear people above the surface.  Everything came back in a hurry, and she shook her head, ¡°Wha¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you good?¡± Gabriel wondered dubiously, ¡°You rag-dolled on me.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I¡­¡± She started, feeling the swimming-sensation behind her eyes and brow again.  She pulled her right hand up to rub her face, ¡°Maybe I stood up too fast¡­¡±

    ¡°Should I call a doctor over?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­fine.  I¡¯ll be fine.¡± She shook her head, ¡°¡­I¡¯ve had too much time stuck alone in my own head, I think.  Furion¡¯s predisposed with Captain-stuff, and Seth¡­wasn¡¯t involved in the fight, so¡­¡±

    Seth just lowered his head, brow wrankled.

    Gabriel turned and sat beside her, ¡°Yeah, Rylen¡¯s got Xanarken down there in the brig right now¡­  I¡¯ve gotten the CliffsNotes about what went down, but¡­it¡¯s a heavy load to carry.  I wish there was something I could do to make it better.¡±

    ¡°What did Lord Rylen tell you?¡± She asked pointedly, ¡°About Scyrexian and¡­specifically¡­¡± Her words drifted a little, but that disorienting feeling was starting to get on her nerves, and she grumbled quietly to herself, ¡°Gods, enough¡­get your shit together, Ren¡­¡±

    Seth and Gabriel glanced at one another, but wordlessly turned back to her and waited.

    ¡°What¡¯d he tell you about what it wanted.¡± Ren finally blurted, and reached forward to firmly grab at her knees for the stability.

    ¡°Oh, uh¡­  He didn¡¯t say.  That it wanted anything, I mean.  ¡­Did it have something it was hoping to achieve?¡±

    So, that¡¯s how it¡¯ll be¡­  She thought, and mentally nodded, only to shake her head in reality, ¡°Maybe not.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to Mr. Ianori and the others¡­?¡± Seth dared to wonder, breaking the awkwardness a little, ¡°Lord Rylen wouldn¡¯t let anyone go down there to pick anyone up, but now the whole facility is under water, and half of our people are down there¡­¡±

    Gabriel could at least answer that much, ¡°The Fulcrum and Dreadnought should be here within the next half-hour as back-up security in case something goes sideways again.  The¡­fuckin Bulwark is also coming, to start recovery effort.  It¡¯ll be them that goes diving.  They¡¯re bringing Fifth Wing support for the survivors, and Xanarken is going to arrange for some psych-specialty mediators and counsellors to be available when the Aegis comes off lockdown.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Seth snuffled, and rubbed his nose against his lab-coat¡¯s sleeve.

    ¡°What happened here isn¡¯t known to the rest of the world yet.¡± Gabriel continued, ¡°Besides the lockdown, Rylen is getting ahead of the shit-storm that¡¯s going to start over the massacre.  He said he was actually gonna bring Lord Arbelos into things.  Since the Third maintains and manages the World Cloud ¨C and the information highway that we can all access with it ¨C he wants to make absolutely sure that no mention of that Scyrexian critter gets out into the public sphere.  Ambient-listening protocols for those with Cloud-access will also be monitoring for discussion of it.  He¡¯s¡­not messing around with wanting to keep this under wraps.¡±

    ¡°What about the Aegis?  And us?  ¡­What about Miss Bianca?¡±

    Ren glanced up, but they were questions she wanted answered as well, so she didn¡¯t stop him.

    ¡°Once the lockdown is lifted, the Aegis will be allowed to limp back to one of the shipyards near Agartha.  Rylen hasn¡¯t decided yet if he¡¯s going to completely disassemble the thing and salvage what he can, or if he¡¯ll just cut the cannon off and replace it¡­but the ship will be out of commission for the foreseeable future.¡± Gabriel continued, ¡°He said he already told the crew-in-total that they¡¯ll be dispersed to other SkyFortresses¡­and the Fafnir will be handled the same.¡±

    Seth and Ren both felt that weight like a gut-punch.

    Gabriel could feel the temperature in the room drop because of it, and he reached an arm around Ren¡¯s back for the reassurance, ¡°Not right away, though¡­  There¡¯s plenty of other stuff that needs to happen before he throws you all into the wind.  Much as he and I are at odds about things, I know he wants to do right by all of you, so even though none of you were direct family, he recognizes what you all meant to each other as a team and will give you all the full two weeks.  Sometime in there, he¡¯ll have a formal ceremony at the Fafnir Memorial in the city.  Ianori will finally get his due, too.¡±

    ¡°Tsh¡­  Weeks overdue¡­¡± Ren muttered.

    ¡°Yeah, I agree¡­¡± Gabriel nodded, and rubbed his palm across the back of her shoulders, ¡°I have no excuse or explanation for why he was holding back on that one.  I don¡¯t want to assume, either¡­  It was one thing to avoid it before the death notice, but after¡­?¡±

    ¡°I knew he was still alive.¡± Ren added, staring daggers into the floor by Seth¡¯s feet, ¡°I knew it.  And sure enough¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Ianori¡­was alive¡­?  That thing that came was him!?¡± Seth was mortified.

    ¡°Yeah¡­  I don¡¯t think I¡¯m supposed to know, but Furion told me anyway¡­¡± She explained grimly, ¡°Before Scyrexian murdered Donivan¡­he yelled out that Ianori was there, and Ianori actually moved briefly, too¡­  Didn¡¯t last long, though.  And Scyrexian just keeps hopping bodies like it¡¯s putting on different pants.  Lord Rylen didn¡¯t want us touching any of the fallen while we had the chance because he was worried it had just attached itself to one of the corpses, ready to rise again later.¡±

    ¡°¡­So that¡¯s the trick to it?  It can take-over the dead?¡±

    ¡°Other than Ianori himself ¨C who, I guess, was a special case, given he was yanked through the rift ¨C yeah.¡± Ren nodded, and leaned into the man¡¯s side a little.  She reached up to rub her eyes a bit, feeling the sting in them all over again, ¡°It had no where else to go after it took over the dead Myrmidon at the end.  But¡­the speed at which it was assimilating that guy¡­  It took hours for it to start putting horns on Ianori back when.  That Myrmidon sprouted a pair in minutes.  And the way it reshaped those Magi like they were made of warm clay¡­  I guess that¡¯s the difference between an afflicted victim versus not¡­¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s brow furrowed a little, ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    Ren turned her eyes towards her former mentor, a wary look on her face, Would taking Gabe give it even more power¡­?  What the Hell does it want him for¡­?

    A quiet knock came to the door, and everyone glanced aside.  Ren didn¡¯t budge, so Gabriel didn¡¯t either.  Seth, however, took it upon himself to answer, and not unsurprisingly, he spotted his forlorn and exhausted brother outside, ¡°Hey.¡± The teen answered, and pulled the panel into the room to let the man in.

    For a split second, Gabriel was certain his soul had left his body, and his left arm immediately lifted up and away from Ren¡¯s small frame.  He stiffly pet her shoulder a couple times as he rose up to his feet, ¡°Well, I¡­uh¡­I¡¯m glad you¡¯re all okay.  I¡¯ll¡­probably be around until tomorrow.  Xanarken wants me to take Dame Bianca back to the city, and it¡¯s a long way, so¡­not tonight.¡±  He had started to side-step towards the door.  Just about to make his escape though, he felt himself unceremoniously grabbed backward again as Ren snatched his hand.  His heart stopped in his chest, but he managed to look back, and saw a strange, glassy look in Ren¡¯s eyes.

    She stared at his fingers for a moment, but then seemed to get her wits about herself again and shook her head, letting her grasp loosen again and freed the man, ¡°¡­Uh¡­sorry, I¡­don¡¯t know why I did that.  Thanks for coming by, Gabe.  I feel better now¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure¡­I¡¯ll see you around.¡± He answered, fingers tingling a little.  He wormed his way out through the door, trying to take up as little space as absolutely had to, ¡°...Uhm¡­bye then¡­Seth.  Captain.¡±

    ¡°Lord Gabriel.¡± Furion answered awkwardly.

    Those boots tip-tapped off down the hall with a certain kind of urgency, and the Vice Eidolon vanished around the far corner.

    Ren just slouched where she sat, ¡°I still feel really weird¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you want to spend the night here?¡± Furion wondered, and finally made his way through the open door.

    ¡°No, I-¡±

    Furion had only just begun his attempt at bending towards her to kiss the top of her head, when he suddenly buckled and had to catch himself with a hand on the now-open spot on the mattress.  He grimaced in pain and held at his ribs again with his free hand, and Seth quickly came up on his other side in worry.

    ¡°Furion, you-¡± Ren started, hands up and ready catch him if he collapsed any further.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± He answered gruffly, ¡°Just need to catch my breath.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be.¡± He grunted, and finally carried-through with his intended peck.  He stood upright again and gathered his senses, ¡°I was ready to die down there.  If four cracked ribs are my punishment, I accept.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d have found a way to haunt you in the afterlife and give you shit for leaving me behind.¡± Ren countered, and lifted off the edge of the bed as well.  She gently put a hand against his midsection and craned her head up to see him, ¡°But I¡­probably would¡¯ve done the same thing, if I was in that situation.  If it could¡¯ve saved any one of the others¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I came up here thinking I could carry you to bed, but maybe I got ahead of myself.¡± The Captain said, and drew in a long, pained breath, ¡°I¡¯ll settle for hobbling alongside you though.¡±

    ¡°I think we can do that.  C¡¯mon, Seth¡­¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 59 â€“ Time Marches Forward And Waits For No Man

    There wasn¡¯t a force in all the Heavens or any of the Hells that could get Gabriel to stay in one of the Aegis¡¯ regular rooms again, and he opted instead to rough-it on Maeve instead.  A compartment at the back of the skiff was stocked with some blankets and a rudimentary pillow, and he set himself up in the pilot¡¯s seat, and leaned way back in it.  He stared up at the solid interior of the forward shell, where the windshield would be if he hadn¡¯t had it hidden, and flicked his overlay forward to appear on the main-screen.

    ¡°Gabriel Lugios, Vice Eidolon of the Fourth Wing¡­camping-out in a chair, with nothing better to do but watch television dramas.¡± He criticized himself, ¡°¡­At least Rylen let me keep my access.  This¡¯d be a really boring night otherwise.¡±

    .

    The First had plenty to do that precluded him from enjoying such trivial pursuits, and he regaled his fellow Eidolon with the footage of the misbegotten assault.  Every P.O.V., the fully-compiled timeline and movement-map, the order of death, and ¨C most importantly ¨C the utter lack of a record for whatever Ren had seen and done last.

    ¡°They heard the damn thing shriek, but it was already gone by the time they found where it had dragged her.¡± Rylen grumbled, arms crossed as he looked up at the displays hovering above his desk.  He looked to his brother, ¡°I¡¯m still trying to decide if I want to issue a disciplinary action against her for taking her helmet off.¡±

    ¡°Wait a little while if you do end up reprimanding her.¡± Xanarken answered, ¡°At least until after their bereavement leave.  She walked into an all-out Fafnir genocide.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s definitely a force to be reckoned with.¡± The Fourth continued, ¡°I know that being the target of its aims meant she stood less of a chance of being hit, but¡­still.  It came at her like it did the others, and she managed to fend it off anyway.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still baffled by how quickly it was able to reshape those Magi corpses.  Fusing them together like that, manufacturing those bug-parts from its face, then turning the whole head into a deer-skull¡­?  Where did it even get the idea?¡±

    ¡°Go back to the footage from the specimen-room, when it broke in with Ianori.¡± Xanarken said, and Rylen did as bid.  Soon enough, the visuals of that demonic, bat-winged figure came into view through the dust of its initial arrival, ¡°Look at how it changed your soldier, compared to what it did with the Magi.  The possibilities for explaining it are endless¡­but the first thing that comes to mind for me, at least, is the fact that Ianori was alive ¨C even if barely ¨C while the Magi were not.  Maybe part of why it came all this way to get to them was because using dead afflicted was better than using a half-dead regular guy.  Using a Fafnir as a host, its body reshaped to look like a Fafnir.  That wing-style is the same he used on his armor, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, technically.¡±

    ¡°But then when it drew itself out of him and into the Magi instead¡­it was able to form whatever it wanted of itself, and changed it on the fly to suit the need of the moment.¡± Xanarken surmised, ¡°Plus, seeing how fast it was able to change its body once it had them¡­  It¡¯s been weeks since it took Ianori.  Maybe it took all that time just to shape it into what we saw.¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to have Seth look into it?¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯s probably had enough of the topic.¡± Rylen answered, and shut the displays down.  He suddenly looked rather dour, ¡°I want someone to meet with him specifically, one-on-one, and help him work through all this.  These people who died were like family to him, and it all started with a mission he managed.  I can see it in his face; he feels like he¡¯s responsible for what happened.  I need him to know that it¡¯s not his fault, hopefully before he tells anyone he thinks that way.¡±

    Xanarken looked at the First carefully, but gave a nod, ¡°Of course.¡±

    Rylen stood there in relative quiet after that, his mind fuzzy with exhaustion and unyielding thoughts.  He let out a sigh, and started to slouch, only for his mantle to dissolve and reshape itself into that orange-eyed Russian Blue he¡¯d stalked Ren with in Trazad.  There was no grace about the way he just dropped shoulder-first onto his left side, and laid there ¨C prone ¨C on the floor of his office, staring vacantly at the bottom of his desk.

    The Fourth gave a sympathetic look, and crouched down to sit cross-legged beside the cat.  He reached forward to rub behind its shoulders, ¡°I can¡¯t even conceptualize how this all must feel for you right now.  The Fafnir have been your baby for so long¡­  To lose so many of them like this, in a single afternoon¡­¡±

    ¡°I owe all my thanks to the System for giving me the ability to reduce the sensitivity of my emotive displays.¡± Rylen answered, voice heard even if that feline mouth didn¡¯t move, ¡°People would probably think I¡¯m certifiable if they could see how I feel right now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I bet¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m going to do.¡± The First continued, and lifted its right paw to wrap around its face, ¡°How do I recruit to refill the ranks?  Nearly the whole team got wiped out, and I can¡¯t even give a good reason why.  Anyone who knows anything about this unit knows that they¡¯d be perfectly fine if all that happened was a building collapsing on them.  How do I explain why the Aegis is melted?  Why I blew-up a whole facility with friendly-fire?  Even if I told the truth, saying so would probably sound even more unbelievable than the cover-up.¡±

    ¡°It would be an easy thing to blame an unusually-powerful Limitless threat.  You wouldn¡¯t even be wrong, in that case.¡± Xanarken suggested, and continued that slow rub against those shoulder-blades, ¡°The way the afflicted react around it¡­there must be some connection.¡±

    Rylen fell silent for a little while, but then relaxed that paw and lifted his cat-head up to look at the Fourth, ¡°What if that abyss through the rift is the source of the afflicted¡¯s abilities?  That the way the Limitless manifests in people is just¡­I dunno, like they¡¯re a lens through which that void is focused.  Maybe that¡¯s why Caeros was able to¡­¡±

    Xanarken¡¯s massage slowed, and he pulled his hand back.  Elbows went down to his knees and he set his chin across his threaded fingers, ¡°¡­Maybe.¡±

    ¡°If I knew that would happen, I would¡¯ve never pushed him so hard.¡± Rylen said grimly, and flopped back down again, ¡°But I thought void gates were just a myth back then.  Ignorance truly is bliss¡­¡±

    ¡°The pendulum swings both ways.  What you didn¡¯t know back then, turns into lessons to learn from now.¡± Xanarken supposed, and lowered his hands into a relaxed posture, ¡°And if Seth hasn¡¯t been completely put off of the topic at this point, maybe his efforts will bear fruit that can be used to protect the next generation of Fafnir.  You¡¯ve always been very conservative with the way you handle the afflicted in your ranks.  Maybe it¡¯s time to let them open up a little, and have their limits tested.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°¡­No¡­¡±

    ¡°No?  Still?  After everything that just happened?¡± The Fourth was stunned, ¡°Surely the S.D. Helmets aren¡¯t going to be the sole defense mechanism you allow the Inquisition to develop.¡±

    ¡°If pushing Caeros past his limits opened those void gates¡­maybe the threshold for disaster is much lower for those less gifted.¡± Rylen answered, and rolled to turn onto his other side, putting his back to his brother, ¡°I already won¡¯t forgive myself for what I encouraged to happen back then.  I couldn¡¯t do it again, knowing what might happen.¡±

    ¡°Oh Rylen¡­  Maybe I should bring a mediator in to talk to you about managing self-blame.  Caeros led you to believe that what he was doing was easy.  It was as much a shock to him as it was to the rest of us when all those rifts opened.¡±

    ¡°¡­If you say so.¡±

    Xanarken quirked a brow, ¡°¡­About which part?¡±

    ¡°The latter.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m gonna go to sleep.¡± The First then said, ¡°The Bulwark should be here by morning, and we¡¯ll start trying to salvage whatever¡¯s left to be found in the water-pit.  I¡¯ll probably have Captain Rydell remote-pilot his armor down there to see whatever he can see.  I don¡¯t think the First has any drones capable of lifting whatever¡¯s left of those Knights.¡±

    ¡°Alright.  ¡­You know how to find me if you need anything.  And try to at least open-up communications between the Eidolon later.  This lockdown was a massive pain in my ass all day.¡±

    .

    Seth had been given enough blankets and pillows to fashion a proper nest on his brother¡¯s couch, and had worn himself out in his grief.  In the bedroom, Furion had made a nest of his own, so he could sleep at an incline ¨C or at least try to.  Though his eyes were closed, every breath was enough of a jolt to half-rouse him again, and his attempts at sleep were largely restless.  Beside him, curled-up towards him with her face squished into the pillow-pile, was Ren, out cold.

    Eyelids flickered in that fitful unconsciousness.  The cries and desperate pleading from her friends echoed in her head like so many nightmares.  And the whispers behind them all ¨C each of those voices begging for help, screaming in pain, and dying in agony before falling silent ¨C was like a sinister foundation to the intense guilt she felt.  For being late, for living¡­for not even being hurt, while all the rest of them suffered such cruel fates.  The whispers seemed to get louder with each of the fallen, until, at the last, it seemed to yell at her directly.

    ¡°REN!¡±

    She yelped and startled herself awake with a visceral twitch.  She could feel Furion stirring beside her, and she pushed up to sit and tried to lull the man back to sleep, ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­shhh¡­¡±

    ¡°All good.¡± He feigned through grit teeth.

    Ren sighed to herself, ¡°I¡¯m gonna get some water¡­¡± She said quietly, and moved to pull her legs out from under the blankets.  She could hear her partner grumble-mumble a tired acknowledgement, and she set her feet to the soft floor.  In the pitch-dark of the room, she had to fumble her way through to the doorway she knew should be there, hand swaying in the black air ahead of her until her fingertips felt the solid wall.  In she went through that open door, and she closed it quietly behind herself before feeling-up the next wall in search of a light-switch.

    And when she found it, she took one look at the 2¡± of pure white coming out of the roots of her hair¡­and screamed.

    Furion heard that and the sound of violent thud from the next room, and he quickly threw the blankets off to go find the woman.  Broken ribs be damned, he was getting through that door.  He heard Seth rousing in the front room as well, asking what was going on, but he quickly told him to stay where he was, and the teen nervously obeyed.  Furion banged on the door, ¡°Ren, open it up!¡±

    The sound of her scrambling and panicking within was easy to hear that close to the panel, but she wasn¡¯t making any obvious attempt at unlocking it.  Furion fumbled for the door-lock on the outside, and when he finally found it, he was blinded briefly by the sudden shine of light ¨C even at only half-brightness ¨C as he looked into the room.  Disoriented, he clenched his eyes shut and squinted tightly in an attempt to see, opening them a little more at a time as he finally got his wits about him again.  He found Ren sitting on the floor, looking like she¡¯d seen a ghost ¨C pale and shaking ¨C and he went down on a knee beside her.

    ¡°Ren, what the Hell happened?¡± He asked worriedly, noticing the hand-towel bar broken where she¡¯d flung herself into it.

    Ren¡¯s overlay still had the hair-augment app open, displaying the dark black color she¡¯d hastily selected.  Her eyes trembled and she had a hard time closing it, barely able to accept that the visual had applied at all, but for the fact that Furion hadn¡¯t mentioned seeing the difference.  She finally managed to look at the man, and scrambled to reach her nearest hand towards him.

    He quickly clasped it, and pulled her arm over his shoulder to bring her closer, and hugged his own arms around her.  She immediately started crying against his bare skin, all over again, and he offered what trivial comfort he could, given the circumstances, ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­¡±

    Seth was relieved to hear things settling down, but his heart hurt all the more for it.

    .

    Ren was a full-on zombie the next morning, but in spite of it, she still insisted on being there when Furion handed Bianca over to her fate.  She kept her distance in the hangar ¨C standing back by Ravan, Corbin, and Jense ¨C and watched in disappointed, anxious quiet as the first-year was brought out.

    A Knight genetically-engineered to be faster and stronger than any normal human couldn¡¯t simply be restrained by the manacles of the common person.  Arms were sealed at Bianca¡¯s sides, her knees and ankles bound together, and for good measure, an S.D. helmet was set overtop, ensuring that her transport back to Agartha would go smoothly.  She¡¯d been stripped of all uniform-colors, and was dressed in just a simple tan-colored jumpsuit.

    Gabriel nervously watched as the deserter was hoisted onto his skiff and settled into one of the passenger seats, and another officer of the Aegis boarded after to help with the escort.  He looked to Furion ¨C who was just ashamed of the whole thing ¨C then to Rylen ¨C who shook his head in disappointment.  Eyes then drifted to the back wall, where the little cloister of Fafnir ¨C all that was left ¨C watched in disbelief at the whole sight.  While things were finishing up, Gabriel stepped aside to approach them, only to be stunned by the fact of Ren twitching at the sight of him.

    She seemed almost afraid of him.

    ¡°Ren?¡±

    Whether she heard him or not was a mystery, but she bowed her head and quickly left the hangar.  Ravan was just as confused as Gabriel was, and gestured out to him that she¡¯d figure out what was going on.  Not that it would help in that moment, given he was about to leave.  Ravan passed in front of the last duo, and Corbin ¨C with a long sigh and a shake of his head ¨C let go of the dreadlock he¡¯d been fiddling-with and stepped off as well.  Jense, as usual, could only gesture an apology to whoever was watching, and took off after his colleague.

    That just left Gabriel standing there feeling really dumb.  He wasn¡¯t allowed to linger for long though, when both the Captain and the First came back to get his attention.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Rylen said simply, ¡°I know you didn¡¯t volunteer for this but I appreciate it anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sure.¡±

    Furion manifested a data-nodule above his palms, and offered it forward, ¡°Lord Gabriel; give this case-file to the hand-off team.  They¡¯ll take her off your hands from the landing-tower.¡±

    He lifted his hand, hesitated, then reached again to accept the glowing node.  He wasn¡¯t sure if he should look at the man, so he kept his eyes down, I wonder if he said something to her about me being in her room yesterday¡­?  Why else would she have looked at me like that?

    ¡°Better get moving.¡± Rylen added, getting the Vice¡¯s attention back with a start, ¡°You¡¯re on a schedule.  Any deviation from the timeline and the Sixth will send people after you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get her there, don¡¯t worry.¡± Gabriel answered simply, and moved off to get onto his skiff.  The sight of those two unusual passengers was enough to make him uneasy already, but having to get into the pilot¡¯s seat with the image of Ren¡¯s fearful visage in his head had made his stomach turn.  Nauseating knots coiled in his gut, but he got on with it anyway, and clicked for the side-door to close.  Maeve lifted-off the hangar-bay floor, and made its way out.

    The pair watched until the little red skiff was out of sight, and Rylen turned to his Captain, ¡°Time to get to it, then.  Frustrating as it is to have lost so many, and to lose one more to her own poor choices, we still have work to do.¡±

    ¡°Yessir¡­¡±

    Rylen only just-then noticed that the other four Fafnir had already left, and huffed, ¡°Guess they couldn¡¯t stand to see it through.¡±

    Furion wasn¡¯t sure how to answer that, so he just stepped by and made his way towards the fast-travel chute leading to the upper level, ¡°I¡¯ll ready my armor and head up to the bridge, sir.  If the Bulwark crew is set-up, I¡¯ll join them shortly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you down below.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 60 â€“ Sorrow And Respite In Equal Measure

    Sheets were tangled, and the blanket hung halfway off the bed, but the warmth of skin was plenty.  Ren cozied-up over Gabriel¡¯s bare frame, draped across his chest with her head over one shoulder, brow to the side of his neck.  Every part of her tingled, and her heart felt lighter ¨C even if only for a little while.  She felt the soft stroke of fingers against the upper part of her right arm and shoulder ¨C her left was buried in the blanket against the man¡¯s right side ¨C and she pivoted her cheek to look at him.

    ¡°¡­Do you have to go soon?¡±

    Gabriel lifted his head up from the pillows so he could see her, ¡°Not really.  I think I¡¯d rather stick around for a while anyway.  ¡­It¡¯s way more comfortable here than aboard Maeve, at any rate.¡± He half-huffed a breath at his own expense.

    Ren pushed up onto an elbow and narrowed her eyes in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re not serious.  You spent the night in a chair?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have it in me to ask for a room again.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the Vice Eidolon of the Fourth!  You can have a damn room!¡± She scolded.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, really¡­I wouldn¡¯t change a thing.¡±

    Still, she gave him a look anyway, ¡°Now you have to stay.  Maybe we can both get some sleep¡­¡±

    .

    The recovery effort went on until dusk.  Furion had done his best for as long as he could, remote-piloting his armor through the underwater ruins, trying to make-way for the First Wing divers who were there with him.  Having the strength of a Fafnir at their disposal certainly made things quicker, but Furion paid a heavy price for it, and by the end of that evening ¨C having borne the burden of carrying all of them out himself - the Captain was utterly broken.

    His hollow armor stood there on the banks of the river, staring at the row of deceased that had once been a team of his peers; each one had a white sheet placed over them.  The only Knights whose bodies could still be clearly identified were the ones who hadn¡¯t been in the blasting-zone; Donivan, Alexander, Ianori, Michelle, Xandra, and Gareth, who had all been in the wings of the facility and just-barely outside the perimeter.  Annashi and Michael¡¯s armors had been recovered largely intact ¨C excepting for their warped appearance ¨C but Sammy¡¯s had been so-badly melted that he had to be I.D.ed purely by the fact that they could identify the others first.

    Rylen had been there to witness the placement of each victim.  No living person was allowed to go anywhere near those bodies.  Even the First Wingers who¡¯d been there on the assist could only do so with drones and submersibles.  Throughout the day, while Rylen stood his vigil, both Xanarken and Etienne paid him visits, but he wasn¡¯t much for talking at that point and they both eventually let him be.  When the last one was found and added to the line, Rylen waited a little while, but then told Furion, ¡°Please make your way to the meeting room.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yessir.¡± The Captain answered, voice hollow and digitized from the distance.  He flew that empty suit back up into the Aegis¡¯ hangar, docked it into its pod, and disconnected the remote-piloting protocol.  Having his sense of self restored to his real body was a strange feeling; it was like he¡¯d taken a glove off that had somehow been wrapped around his entire frame.  He pulled the interface-crown from his head and dreaded to stand, but stand he must, and with every bone in his chest feeling like it would snap as easily as dry kindling, he got up, and made his way off the bridge.

    ¡°Cargile, you have command.¡± He said gruffly as he took his leave, and the First Mate nodded.

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    The hall to Rylen¡¯s office felt ten times longer than it really was, and it took half an epoch just to get to that door.  When he finally arrived, the holograms of Captains Martell, Odinsdottir, and Gallifey were already there, and they waited quietly as Furion¡¯s aching frame went to find his seat.

    Outside, their three accompanying SkyFortresses were parked nearby, and altogether, were an island unto themselves.  Joining the four Captains however was an unexpected unity of Eidolon; all four of them were there, too.

    Including the elusive leader of the Third.

    Etienne¡¯s arrival was preceded by the sound of fluttering, like butterflies taking off in a whirlwind, rather than the simple rustling of sand particulates.  She was, by and large, the most unique-looking of the bunch of them, with her combination of animal, plant, and insect themes.  But, Arbelos was a strange thing in his own right.  He took neither form nor substance; he was¡­a wisp.

    A literal, simple, hovering orb of faintly-blue light, with two smaller of the same orbiting around it.

    At first, Furion wasn¡¯t even sure he was really looking at an Eidolon, but there was no other explanation for what that thing was.  He could tell the other three Captains were a bit mystified as well.

    ¡°Good, now that we¡¯re all here.¡± Rylen started, getting their attention off the sprite, ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point, for Captain Rydell¡¯s sake.  Down below, laid out in a row, is the sub-total of my failure as the Eidolon of the Sixth.¡±

    Straight to the point indeed.  No one had expected that opening statement.

    ¡°That there are only five Fafnir Knights left ¨C and with at least 17 First Wingers unaccounted for from the facility itself ¨C I can only take full and complete responsibility for the devastation that was wrought here yesterday.  It was my order that the Aegis shoot onto my own people.¡±

    That went through Furion¡¯s chest like a knife, making it hurt all the more, I asked him to fire the first shot¡­  Why would be take that burden onto himself alone?

    ¡°And unfortunately, I¡¯m going to need one of you three to do the same, and finish the job.¡±

    Eyes went around the room with concern, but Captain Martell was the one who spoke, ¡°Sir?  What are¡­we supposed to shoot at?¡±

    ¡°Onto the bodies.¡± He answered simply.

    Etienne quickly fluttered into the middle of the circular table, all-but shoving the wisp out of the way, ¡°Rylen, you can¡¯t just¡­  They¡¯re your people¡­  They don¡¯t deserve that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­not about what anyone deserves.¡± He shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s about the safety of everyone else.  My pride ¨C my hubris ¨C brought the Warp Magi north even after they rose from the literal dead to attack those same people.  I brought danger to our doorstep, and I don¡¯t know what its capable of.  All I do know is that I¡¯ve dealt with the consequences of its transference between three different bodies ¨C four if you count the Magi Gemini to be separate beings ¨C and I don¡¯t know the conditions that allow it to do so, or why.  The last body-swap it did was after it had already taken a direct hit from the Aegis itself.  I¡­can¡¯t take the risk that it might¡¯ve left some part of itself in any of the warriors that it touched.  Whichever one of you ends up pointing your gun at their remains¡­if it makes you more comfortable, I can come over and pull the trigger myself.¡±

    The room was quiet.

    ¡°If no one will volunteer then I¡¯ll simply have you three draw lots.¡± Rylen continued, and held his hand out, ready with just that sort of contingency.  Above his palm manifested a little cluster of folded paper-looking panels.  He held it out to each of the Captains, who ¨C in turn, on their own ships ¨C pulled one of the three lots out.  Once they each had theirs, Rylen had them unfold, and it was Captain Odinsdottir who drew the one with a check-mark on it.

    She bowed her head, and the papers dissolved again, ¡°¡­Yessir.¡±

    Furion could feel that raw pain burning at the back of his throat, ¡°¡­Lord Rylen, there won¡¯t be anything left to put into the memorial¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The First answered simply, ¡°I really am.  But I can¡¯t have one more person die to that thing.  I can¡¯t take that risk.¡±

    Furion¡¯s eyes narrowed a little, ¡°Then you might as well put Ren into the pyre as well.  She was fully grabbed by the creature.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s alive and unbothered.  Not even Ianori could claim that.¡±

    ¡°Rylen, you¡¯re giving them whiplash.¡± Xanarken warned, stepping closer to the First¡¯s side, ¡°Have some pity.¡±

    The Fourth and the Fifth looked on for a reasonable alternative, but Rylen maintained his stony visage, ¡°That brings me to the part for which I had to call you three here.¡±  They grumbled in annoyance at him, ¡°I can only swear my own to silence about what happened here.  Etienne, I expect you¡¯ll do the same with yours.  Arbelos, when the lockdown ends, you¡¯re to monitor chatter on the World Cloud for any attempts at malicious disobedience by those who think they can anonymously reveal it.  Put your troll-farms on it if you have to; anyone who whispers a word of this black-site is to be brandished as someone who can¡¯t be believed¡­and I¡¯m to be notified of any such content appearing.  To that end¡­if there¡¯s unanimous consent among the Eidolon, then for the next year, everyone who¡¯s been physically present here will have their communications monitored and flagged for suspicious speech.¡±

    ¡°I refuse.¡± Xanarken said simply, before anyone had a chance to consider it, ¡°Outright.  We brokered trust in the World Cloud specifically by making a point not to interfere with people like that.  I know you want to be sure this secret doesn¡¯t get out, but¡­there¡¯s better ways of making sure than by invading the privacy of all those people on the suspicion that they might one day disobey.  They deserve more respect than that.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°And what would you have me do?¡±

    ¡°What you¡¯ve already done.  Maybe get a confirmation from everyone that they understand this is serious¡­but don¡¯t monitor every word they say.  That¡¯s crazy.  The fact that we even have a clause that lets us suggest doing so baffles me.¡± Xanarken said with annoyance, ¡°We don¡¯t track people, and we don¡¯t listen-in on their conversations.  The A.I. ambient-listening system is only to help facilitate the individual needs of the users, not to give us a microphone into their private discussions.¡±

    All four Captains felt a sense of relief to hear it.

    Rylen could only grudgingly agree, ¡°Fine¡­  Then, that¡¯s all I had to say.  Any remaining personnel on the ground are to return to their ships.  Have the Fulcrum get into position and take aim.  I¡¯ll bet there in an hour.  The lockdown will be lifted tomorrow at noon.¡±

    Acknowledgements came from around the room, and the images of them started to fade away.  Etienne still had a weird feeling about it all, but in the end, could only shake her head and dissipate into a particle-effect of butterflies and sparks.  Xanarken waited a moment, arms crossed contemplatively, but even he vanished after a moment.  Arbelos ¨C who hadn¡¯t said a word the entire time ¨C blinked out of existence as quickly as he¡¯d arrived.  That just left Furion, who had to hobble his aching frame towards the door manually.

    ¡°Captain.¡±

    Furion paused; he knew it was going to happen, he just wasn¡¯t sure how near to the door he¡¯d get before it happened.  He turned around to face the First, ¡°Yessir.¡±

    ¡°The Fafnir Memorial in Agartha doesn¡¯t just hold ashes.¡± Rylen said quietly, ¡°There are some whose personal wishes did not include being cremated.  There are personal effects amongst the dead, and every one of those names holds meaning and honor regardless of what got put behind the placards.¡±

    He had nothing to say to that.  What comfort it was intended to offer was lost in the mire of Furion¡¯s frustration.

    Rylen watched the Captain carefully, ¡°Are you angry with me?¡±

    ¡°My opinion of a commanding officer is irrelevant, sir.¡±

    ¡°You can speak freely here.  I think I owe you that much.¡±

    Furion was tempted, and his brow wrinkled briefly at the thought of unloading onto the Eidolon, but he collected his thoughts and drew in a breath, eyes closed, ¡°No, sir.  I still have a lot of work to do.¡±

    ¡°You five can go early if you want.¡±

    ¡°¡­Go early, sir?¡±

    ¡°Bereavement leave.¡± Rylen explained, ¡°There¡¯s nothing left for you to do here, and there¡¯s already a small fleet on the way to pick-up the rest of the crew.  I know already that your team understands the importance of keeping the details of our work close to the vest.  I¡¯ll have figured out where you will all be going before you get back, so you can take your armor with you, and not have to face seeing the Aegis in this state again just to come back and get it later.¡±

    ¡°And my brother?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let him decide what he wants to do, but I imagine he¡¯ll just head back to the College.¡±

    ¡°Let me take him home then.¡± Furion asked, ¡°He should be with family.¡±

    ¡°Are you asking to borrow a skiff?¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    ¡°Granted.  Bring it back to Agartha when you¡¯re done.¡±

    Furion stared for a moment before taking his leave finally, and said nothing further.  The door to his room was directly across the hall, but instead of going into it, he diverted to his office instead.  The first thing he did was send out a message privately to the remaining Fafnir, letting them know they were free to leave if they wanted.  The second was to the crew of the Aegis, to whom there was no way he could give a proper farewell to individually, or even as some big speech in front of them.

    There was a melancholy to staring at the unfortunate curtness of that letter.

    For some reason, I thought I¡¯d have more to say, he thought, staring at the half-page on the display ahead of him.  Fingers stayed on the embedded keyboard in the top of his desk, and he shifted where he sat, desperate for the relief of a deep breath but knowing his ribs wouldn¡¯t allow it.  He set a hand against his midsection and leaned back, ¡°All that death and devastation; people either walked away unscathed or didn¡¯t at all¡­and here I am with the only survived injuries, and I got them from my own girlfriend.¡±

    He abruptly got a door-alert; his overlay showed it was Corbin in the hall, and he allowed the panel to slide aside to let the man though.

    ¡°Sir-¡±

    Furion sat-up a bit straighter, ¡°Were you camping-out in your inbox or something?  I just sent that message.¡± He puffed; Corbin stood out ahead of him and save that characteristic salute, but Furion just waved his hand down, ¡°At ease.  No need to stand on ceremony.¡±

    Dark eyes looked ahead at the Captain, but Corbin took the directive for what it was worth and relaxed his posture, ¡°Nothing better to do while we¡¯re stuck on silence.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t find the flaw in your logic there.¡±

    ¡°I saw the Fulcrum starting to turn around from my room.¡± The Fafnir continued, ¡°Seemed pretty suspicious.  I went to check if I¡¯d missed something and saw your note pop-up at the same time.  Figured maybe you knew something¡­¡±

    Furion lowered his head, but then pushed up on his desk and rose to his feet.  With a moment more of consideration, he shook his head and hit Send on the farewell letter, then stepped out into the open part of the room.  From that side of the Aegis, all that could be seen through those massive windows was the open sky and the brother-moons, ¡°Lord Rylen has decided to do a prompt, on-site cremation.  The Fulcrum is turning around to be the furnace.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re shitting me.  Uhm¡­sir.¡±

    He shook his head, and to make a finer point on what he¡¯d said before, Furion dissolved the pauldrons and cape of his officer¡¯s regalia, leaving just the blue jacket underneath, ¡°I¡¯m just talking as me right now.  No formality.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sorry, sir, you¡¯ll always be the Captain.¡±

    ¡°Alright¡­¡± He¡¯d done what he could, ¡°I feel the same as you, but¡­it¡¯s not my call.  I can only put my mind towards how I¡¯ll tell their families.  All of their families.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t envy you your position, sir.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t either.  Maybe that¡¯s why Lord Rylen is saying we can go early.¡± Furion shrugged, and winced slightly; it was like a sharp pinch on his left side.

    ¡°Yessir¡­¡± Corbin cast his eyes down a little, ¡°¡­How long until the Fulcrum fires?¡±

    ¡°About 45 minutes.  Lord Rylen¡¯s giving enough time for the skeleton-crew on the ground to get clear.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to stay to watch?¡±

    Furion wasn¡¯t sure how to answer that, and he glanced back at the Knight, ¡°Half of me wants to leave, because I don¡¯t want to be party to it.  The other half feels a sense of obligation to see it through.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll suit-up and watch from a respectable distance.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you there, then.  I¡¯ll tell Jense, too, and Ravan.¡± Corbin answered, and gave another quick departing salute before he made his way back to the door, ¡°Sir.¡±

    That seemed to be the deciding moment, and Furion gave a nod, ¡°Roger that.¡±

    .

    The duo had moved from bedroom to living-room by that evening, and had pulled the whole nest of blankets with them.  A few bowls and plates were stacked at the far end of the small coffee-table between the couch and the television, and with one of the many shows that Gabriel was dreadfully behind on, he and Ren had found themselves curled-up watching.

    And that¡¯s where Ren was when she got the notification.  She lifted her head up from the perch she¡¯d made on Gabriel¡¯s shoulder, ¡°¡­Oh¡­I think I need to go.¡±

    ¡°How come?  It¡¯s so late.¡±

    ¡°Furion¡¯s calling.  Says we have 45 minutes to get up on top of the Aegis before Lord Rylen torches the site.¡± She explained, a bit in disbelief at her own words, ¡°¡­That doesn¡¯t sound good.¡±

    ¡°Sounds pretty ominous, honestly.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She agreed warily, but decided to go ahead and answer the summons.  She pulled free from the blanket-nest and ¨C clad in just a long T-shirt ¨C wandered around the apartment to collect her discarded uniform-base, ¡°I don¡¯t know how long this will take, but¡­you can stay here tonight if you want.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±

    Each garment was pulled back into place as she found them, and with nothing left to find but her gloves on the floor by the door, she clicked her blues back on.  She stepped past the back of the couch on her way over, and set one, then another, upside-down kiss to his lips, ¡°Thank you for helping take my mind off everything.  I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be the only time I come looking for a distraction.¡±

    ¡°Happy to oblige.¡±

    She departed after that, and made her way to the upper hangar.  Confused as to why she was the only one there at first, she waited a minute, and soon, Ravan was there as well.  Corbin was the next to arrive, then Jense, and finally, Furion hobbled through the gates.  Everyone could see the toll the day had taken on their Captain, and Ren stepped forward, into the raised hand and the gentle pressure of a palm against her cheek, ¡°I guess you were able to find them all?¡±

    ¡°¡­Such as they were¡­¡± He answered, and brushed his thumb just under her eye.  He then turned to the rest of the gathered, ¡°Corbin already knows, but¡­Lord Rylen plans to incinerate the fallen where they lie.  Much as I hate it, I guess there¡¯s some sense in making absolutely certain that Scyrexian didn¡¯t latch onto any of them with ill-intended designs for later, when we have our guards down.  The Fulcrum is already getting into position.  I thought, maybe, you¡¯d all want to be there for the send-off.  I¡¯m going up to the roof for the overlook.  I leave it up to all of you to decide if you want to witness it, or if you¡¯d rather not.¡±

    No one needed further instructions; everyone dropped their uniform-jackets and kicked their boots off, moving towards their respective pods.  For such a short outing, none of them bothered with their flight-suits, and just stepped into their armors as they were.  Furion struggled a little, but he did the same, and they all made their way up into the cold night sky.  Feet touched-down onto the hull above the bridge, and they walked to the side facing the water-filled caldera.

    With the Aegis, Fulcrum, Bulwark, and Dreadnought all parked together, they formed a sort of boxy perimeter around the site.  That massive cannon was pointed down already, and Furion crouched down on his knees, hands set to his lap and head bowed.  Those huge solid-light wings folded-in behind him, the feathers draped across the hull like a cape, and he stayed that way ¨C quietly ¨C until the moment came.

    The others had done the same, each silently remembering their fallen friends in their own way.  The glow of that singular 3-second blast put dark shadows behind them¡­and it was over.

    Furion waited a little while longer before saying anything.  He pulled his helmet off and hooked it to one of the mechanical wing-limbs on his back, long hair swaying in that high-altitude wind, ¡°¡­Lord Rylen tried to take the blame for what happened here onto himself earlier.  But¡­much as he wants to be the sole reason it ended this way, I¡¯m still Captain, and it was me who sent everyone down there.¡±

    Everyone else pulled their helmets off as well, and listened quietly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what lies ahead.¡± He continued, ¡°Tomorrow at noon, the lockdown will be lifted, and ships will start to arrive to help take our crew to their new assignments.  The Fafnir are free to leave at any time.  I¡¯m going to take Seth back home, and then¡­head to Agartha, probably, to work on notices.¡±  He finally let himself stand, and with the help of his armor¡¯s strength, was able to get up without much trouble ¨C though it still hurt ¨C and he turned to face what remained of his team.  The smoke and smolder glowed behind him, ¡°You¡¯re encouraged to take your suits with you, so you can immediately go to wherever your next stops will be.  Whatever you don¡¯t take with you will be shipped to you once the Aegis arrives at dry-dock.  I¡¯ll send updates about whatever I find out, as I find it out, and hopefully¡­within a few months, we¡¯ll be united on the same ship again.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just hope Lord Rylen decides to refit the Aegis with a new cannon so we can all come back together soon, rather than waiting for whatever he makes next.¡± Ravan said, ¡°I refuse to believe he might disband us permanently.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he would.¡± Corbin shook his head, ¡°We¡¯ll rebuild, and we¡¯ll make sure nothing like this ever happens again.¡±

    Ren looked on quietly at the smoldering embers of that crater in the distance.  Hearing Corbin¡¯s words gave her a sickly chill, ¡°¡­Yeah.  Never again.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 61 â€“ The Greatest Con Is Convincing People They Want What You Want

    It didn¡¯t go unnoticed that Ren was the first to leave the impromptu funeral.  No one could really blame her, but it was a little strange how soon after the blast she¡¯d turned to go back inside the Aegis.  Furion followed after a few seconds, but the remaining three stayed behind, sensing a strange awkwardness with the way the latter who had departed.

    Corbin crossed his arms, ¡°¡­Is this what it¡¯s going to be like now that they¡¯re open about their thing?¡± He asked with annoyance.

    ¡°What difference does it make?¡± Ravan answered in kind, ¡°After today, we¡¯re getting scattered to the four winds, and you won¡¯t have to look at them anyway.¡±

    ¡°Easy¡­  Easy.¡± Jense got between them, ever the peacemaker, ¡°Everyone¡¯s really tense.  Don¡¯t go picking fights with each other right now.¡±

    Ravan took that personally, and put her helmet back on, ¡°Fine, just ignore the point then.¡± She grumbled, and stepped off the hull.  She didn¡¯t care that the bridge had gotten flagged by her departure; she just wanted to get way for a while.

    Jense sighed, watching the glow of her wings fade into the background-lights of the Fulcrum, ¡°¡­There¡¯s only the few of us left¡­  I don¡¯t want it to end like this.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s probably nothing to do for it¡­and she has the right idea.¡± Corbin said, and placed his own helmet back over the thick ponytail binding his dreadlocks together, and took-off in the opposite direction.

    Stuck there on his own, Jense just sighed loudly, and sat back down to watch the sad smolder for a little while longer.

    Within the hangar, Ren had already put her armor away before Furion caught up with her, and she was pulling the first of her boots back on when he landed nearby.  He fussed with the long bangs that had gotten in his face as he braved the whipping winds on the way down, ¡°Ren, wait¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to linger on this shitty situation.¡± She complained, ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do about the fact that everyone down there died.  Standing around just for the sake of knowing I¡¯m making myself feel bad seems pointless.¡±

    That caught him by surprise, ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t judging you for leaving.¡±

    ¡°Then what do you want?  I have to get back to-¡± She started, only to stop and blink at herself in surprise, ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know¡­what came over me just now.¡±

    Furion was already suspicious though, ¡°Get back to what?¡± He asked, ¡°¡­Or, who?¡±

    She gave him a look, ¡°We made a deal a long time ago that I wouldn¡¯t rub it in your face if I had a fling with someone else.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± He said simply, feeling it like a knife going through his chest, ¡°¡­I see.  You¡¯ve¡­already slept with him.¡±

    ¡°Now you¡¯re just trying to make yourself feel bad.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long day.  I thought we could-¡±

    Ren shook her head, ¡°We could what?  Sit in the same general vicinity as one another while I watch you suffer like an osteoporotic old woman who just fell down a flight of stairs?  And feel as bad for you as I do for the fact that I¡¯m the one who threw you down them?¡±

    Furion¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°¡­You¡¯re being needlessly defensive.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just being real.¡± She argued, and pulled her second boot on roughly.  As she stamped the heel down onto the floor, she snapped her fingers to reform her blue jacket, ¡°As soon as you get out of your armor, you¡¯re going to buckle like a rusted hinge.  At least if I spend the night with Gabe, I can feel something other than the crippling depression and frustration that I have for losing so many people that I cared about.  I can sleep next to a warm body that won¡¯t cringe at the fact that I want the skin-contact, and I don¡¯t have to worry about hurting him for it.  Not to mention, I can actually sleep, rather than roll around in torment while my crazy, out-of-control imagination replays for me their gruesome deaths like it was my hands that killed them.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Was all he could think of to say.

    She returned his same anxious and worried expression, and stepped closer to put a hand against the front of his armor, ¡°¡­I¡¯m¡­not trying to put you down.  I just¡­want to feel something else, and I can¡¯t do that with you right now.  Let me have what fleeting moments I can find with him before he has to go, then I¡¯m all yours again¡­¡±

    Furion watched in wretched silence as Ren pulled her hand back again, and she started to head for the doors to the chute.  He only got his wits about him again after the door clicked open, ¡°I¡¯m gonna take Seth home tomorrow.¡± He announced, and those green eyes turned back to him, ¡°You can come, if you want.  Unless you have somewhere else you¡¯d rather be for the next two weeks.¡±

    ¡°¡­No, just message me when you¡¯re about to go.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    She stepped through the open door and was whisked away with a mechanical hiss, and Furion just stood there in perturbed quiet.  He glanced back at the hangar¡¯s exit, thinking maybe any of the other three had been lingering and saw the entire exchange, but when no one came down, he let out a mumbled sigh and started walking towards his docking-pod.

    ¡°¡­I got into this knowing she¡¯s like this¡­I knew it from the start¡­¡± He said to himself, as though it was a mantra he¡¯d recited before.  He drew in a long breath and exhaled quickly, ¡°It sucks being the monogamous partner to a polyamour¡­  Maybe I¡¯ve just been spoiled by knowing she only messed around with Ravan until now.¡±

    .

    The door to Ren¡¯s room shifted aside, and she stepped through, feeling a whole different kind of bad from how she did on top of the ship.  She peeled her boots and gloves off, and dragged her feet across the thinly-carpeted floor until she was back around the side of the couch.

    ¡°¡­That took a lot less time than I thought it would.¡± Gabriel noted; it had only been an hour, and he was still in the same spot she¡¯d left him in within the blanket-nest.

    Ren had little and less to say in response.  She just waved-away her uniform-jacket, unhooked the collar of her base-coat, slid the thin zipper all the way down, and shrugged out of it, leaving just the T-shirt she¡¯d worn for most of the day.  As she stepped into the footwell between the couch and the table, Gabriel made room for her and opened the blankets, thinking she¡¯d just resume her spot from before, but instead of sitting next to him, she slid a knee over his lap and sat on him.  Those evergreen eyes looked into him like she was trying to see straight into his soul, and she slid her hands against his still-bared chest, up to his shoulders, neck, and threaded through that long blonde hair behind his head.  Without a word, she just leaned forward and pressed her brow to his, savoring in the small comfort of his arms coming to rest along the side of her legs, fingers curled over the curve of her hips.

    ¡°¡­Do you want me to say anything¡­?¡± He asked cautiously, offering a gentle nuzzle back as she held to that spot, ¡°I can stay quiet otherwise.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t¡­know.¡± She answered quietly.  She pulled back though, and looked into those bicolored eyes again.  She pulled her right hand forward and brushed some of those red-tipped bangs from his face, her heart racing all over again, light and airy and completely contrary to the misery she¡¯d just come back from.  It felt like a forbidden kind of happiness ¨C a relief from the grief that she thought she was honor-bound to experience ¨C but there was something behind it all.  Something she couldn¡¯t put her finger on, and so, she stared, looking for it in her reflection, ¡°¡­I¡­feel like there¡¯s something I want from you¡­  Something¡­different¡­from what we¡¯ve been doing all day...  Like an itch that hasn¡¯t been scratched yet, despite getting everything I could ask for on a first date¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you have any guesses¡­?¡± He asked nervously; he could feel himself starting to stir again already, and there was the subtle worry he¡¯d lose cognitive function before she answered.  The way she sat closer against his hips and stretched her thin frame up to pull her T-shirt off was answer enough, he supposed, and as every inch of that olive skin was revealed to his gaze, the urge to see more grew. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°¡­I just want to feel you on every part of me.¡± She supposed, and quietly hummed into another long kiss.  Feeling those hands slide up her bare back and under her hair was a big relief, and he pulled her close, chest to chest.  The heat of it was a welcome respite from the cold of the high altitude outside, and she hugged her arms around his shoulders, ¡°¡­Make me forget¡­¡±

    Gabriel could feel the words as they were spoken against his lips, and he set one more kiss to them before he moved to twist around in his seat.  With arms carefully set around her, he turned her back to the big pillow set into the corner of the couch, and lowered her against it.  Hands went to the waistband of her uniform-slacks, and with a few tugs, he was able to get them off of her, and those bare legs came down around his waist, squeezing him lightly between her knees.  Though every part of him wanted to instantly feel her inner heat again, he waited, and leaned in over her instead.  He savored the sound of her vocal exhale, sighing that surrender to the open air, and he moved to the side of her neck again as before.  Hands caressed against her sides, and as he walked his nibbles down from her ear to her chest, he swore to himself that he¡¯d give her anything she wanted.

    .

    Every slow step Furion took to get back ¨C alone ¨C to his own room was a stark reminder of the point Ren had made about his incapacity.  Worse still, he had to decide if his wounded pride was worth more than his younger brother, who¡¯d been stuck all day in his room waiting for him to come back.

    If Ren¡¯s been with Lugios all day then Seth¡¯s been on his own¡­  I can¡¯t just avoid him, he thought grimly, and went past the door to his office to the next door down.  He let his Captain¡¯s regalia go as he went through, and immediately saw that pale-haired head pop-up from the back of the couch.  There were data-panels up instead of a movie though, and Furion looked at it all curiously, ¡°¡­Honestly, every day, you¡¯re more of a Rydell than the day before.  Drowning yourself into your work instead of less-useful distractions.¡±

    Seth still looked like he¡¯d been bit less than distracted, eyes dark and sunken, ¡°¡­I¡­had nothing else to do today but marinate on my own fears.¡± He said, and turned back to the panels, ¡°I thought maybe¡­I could do something productive instead, and make sure that I learned something from this thing, so those deaths wouldn¡¯t be meaningless.¡±

    ¡°Sensible¡­¡±

    The teen looked around though, ¡°¡­You came back by yourself?¡±

    Furion¡¯s first instinct was to throw Gabriel under a bus, but he thought better of it and shook his head, ¡°Ren is¡­seeking respite in other places right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    The Captain¡¯s better nature couldn¡¯t hold-out against the repeated barrage, ¡°She¡¯s spending the night with Lugios instead.¡±

    ¡°¡­With Mr. Gabriel?¡± Seth repeated incredulously, ¡°But she¡¯s¡­with you¡­?  Why are you so okay with that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Furion answered, and made his way past, parting the front of his base-jacket as he went.  With a frustrated pull, he lifted one side away, and revealed the swath of dark red, bordered in purple, that wrapped around his body like a saddle-blanket, ¡°But this precludes me from being of any use to her, so¡­she¡¯s spending her time with someone who wasn¡¯t beat to Hell.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked.¡±

    The elder Rydell let the flap fall forward again, and Furion just bowed his head, ¡°Ren made it pretty clear at the very beginning that she¡­has room in her heart for more than one person at a time, and that if I wanted to be with her, I¡¯d have to accept that she may occasionally find distractions with others.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh¡­¡± The teen sank into the cushions again, and pulled a blanket over his head, ¡°¡­That seems so cruel though¡­knowing you wouldn¡¯t want her to¡­¡±

    ¡°It was my choice to accept it.¡± Furion countered, ¡°We set boundaries that worked till now; that there was a hierarchy to the partnerships she engaged in, and that I¡¯d always be the primary¡­or, however you want to call it.  ¡­And I¡¯ve gotten used to that.  She was always upfront about how I was the one she wanted to be with, and the others were just people she had fun with.  I guess I never had to think too hard about it because her other fling was ¨C at least until today ¨C not another man.  All of a sudden, I¡¯m wondering if I ever really understood what I was agreeing to¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­don¡¯t think I could do that¡­¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend it.¡± Furion agreed, and moved through to his room so he could change.  It took him a while ¨C a shower was in the cards as well ¨C but when he did finally come back, he found a spot next to his brother and carefully sat down, ¡°¡­Tell me you¡¯re onto something, at least.¡±

    Seth warily looked at the man, ¡°I¡­  Maybe, I mean¡­potentially¡­¡± He said, and seemed to shy away from the panels for a moment, ¡°Before I say anything though, I just want to preface that Lord Rylen didn¡¯t ask me to do any of this.  He doesn¡¯t even know I¡¯m looking right now.  ¡­Well, maybe he does, but he hasn¡¯t told me so.¡±

    ¡°What are you getting at?¡±

    ¡°He let me have access to all the P.O.V. footage.¡± He answered quickly, and got that immediate snapping stare that he expected.  Hands went up defensively, ¡°And I can¡¯t be of any use to anyone if I can¡¯t look directly into that abyss, regardless of what it might show me.¡±

    ¡°Seth¡­  You don¡¯t need to put yourself through this¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­fine, really.¡± He answered, ¡°But let me at least tell you about what I noticed.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±

    ¡°Miss Ren had been working with Mr. Gabriel to figure out his affliction.  She told me she had a theory that¡­cutting stuff in half wasn¡¯t really the thing he did.  That it was just what he thought he could do.  Maybe it was a lack of imagination or creativity, or being stunted in his development with it because Lord Rylen didn¡¯t want him using it¡­but she was certain he was misunderstanding what he was capable of.  The day Lord Xanarken barged in on them working on it in the simulacrum-room, she was trying to confirm if he could interact with spaces from a distance.  She thinks that his ability to cut stuff is actually a baseline expression of an ability to manipulate the plane between locations.  Cutting is just¡­him disrupting that plane.  She said he was starting to confirm her theory by being able to feel things that were across the room from them.  At one point, she had him trying to grab her hand instead of an object, and she says she could feel him back faintly.  Then, later on¡­in Trazad, when we all got there ahead of the escort for Prince Iresha¡­she said he was actively able to push stuff around from a distance.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure where you¡¯re going with this.¡±

    ¡°Scyrexian referred to Mr. Gabriel as a Prime Mover.¡± He answered, ¡°And if there¡¯s nothing else about Mr. Gabriel that¡¯s unique, the fact that he was born afflicted is definitely one that makes him stick out.  The only other person with that gift was Caeros, back in the day¡­and he was the single-most powerful afflicted user in known history.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying Scyrexian wants Lugios because he might be as powerful as Caeros?¡±

    Seth nodded, ¡°If he actually learns how to tap into his abilities, I¡­I think so.  The limits of his Limitless might only be what he can imagine himself capable of doing.  He went from cutting a teacup in half to being able to move a tree back and forth from 30ft away, and he could feel it as he did it.  If time and space were of no consequence to Caeros, maybe¡­it¡¯s the same for Mr. Gabriel.  He might be able to reach out and manipulate objects and places far beyond his immediate surroundings.  In fact¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­In fact?¡±

    The inquisitive teen let the blanket-hood fall away a little, ¡°If Caeros was able to expand his Warping abilities so far as to move the entire original colony fleet¡­maybe Mr. Gabriel could extend his range to a similar scope, or even further.¡±

    ¡°What would that look like though?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­well¡­¡± Seth looked around, trying to find something to grab; lacking an obvious answer, he just pulled his hand out of the blankets and held it forward, ¡°Imagine me holding a wadded-up piece of paper.  Now¡­imagine that paper-ball is a SkyFortress¡­and my fingers are able to wrap around it just as easily¡­and I can poke it, throw it, fold it¡­or even crush it.  I think Mr. Gabriel might be able to do something like that¡­manipulating objects on a grand scale as if they were nothing but toys in the palm of his hand.  The binding feature between Mr. Gabriel and Caeros though, is that both of them are able to connect two places in space together.  While Caeros never showed any aptitude for ¨C or inclination towards ¨C manipulating things in two places, he could move things between two places, as if he was guiding it through a door.  Mr. Gabriel is essentially making two places exist together at the same time¡­or splitting things that already exist together into distinct spaces, as the case may be.¡±

    Furion put a finger against his chin, ¡°¡­Terrifying, honestly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can take it one step further.¡± Seth warned, getting those familiar teal eyes to look his way again, ¡°With Scyrexian calling him a Mover, I have a hunch that it means Mr. Gabriel can swap things.  He could¡­go anywhere he wanted, just like Caeros.¡±

    ¡°Then why did it want Ren?¡±

    ¡°Scyrexian called her collateral to make him do something.  I think it wants his power¡­or his potential for it.¡± The teen explained, and sunk back into his blanket-poncho, ¡°Caeros¡¯ Limitless-maximum created a cataclysm that opened dozens of void rifts.  Scyrexian came through one of them, after dragging Mr. Ianori into the open gate.  ¡­I think it has designs to use Mr. Gabriel¡¯s power to open a void gate, too.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t it just take him then?  It¡¯s swapped bodies before, and Lugios has been right in front of it at least twice.¡±

    ¡°The first time?  It probably didn¡¯t even know Mr. Gabriel was there.  I watched it pawing around like it was feeling for something to grab onto, and Mr. Ianori was what it found.  And¡­other than Mr. Ianori, Scyrexian has only been seen to swap between corpses; the Magi, and that Myrimdon it found after the Aegis shot it down.  My theory is¡­it can¡¯t just get into a living person.  It¡¯s¡­kind of like those old vampire stories, where no matter how powerful it was, it still had to be invited into someone¡¯s home to get access to it.  It probably intended to use Miss Ren as a hostage to force Mr. Gabriel to invite it into himself.¡±

    ¡°And if it succeeded?¡±

    Seth shivered, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to think about how powerful it could be if it got a Prime Mover ¨C a living one ¨C as a host-body.  Especially one with Mr. Gabriel¡¯s abilities¡­there¡¯s no telling what it could do.  Crush a star?  Drag a moon into the surface of Hadira?  Opening a void gate might not even be its goal.  That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been wracking my brain about for the last few hours¡­  Why would it even bother taking a host if it just wants to open a gate to go back to where it came from?¡±

    ¡°¡­And here I was already impressed with its capabilities using the Magi.¡± Furion leaned his head back, ¡°Good thing Ren killed it, then.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 62 â€“ Red Sun At Morning, Sailors Take Warning

    Ren was the first to rouse that next morning, contented and comfortable in the tangle of blankets.  It wasn¡¯t too typical for her to be little spoon, but the warmth of her chosen-partner of the evening was welcome against her back.  His left arm was stretched-out under her thin waist, the back of his knuckles resting on the table-top, while the right was draped across her other side.  He breathed softly against the back of her neck and shoulder, and she savored every pass of warm air against her skin.

    She could only doze for so long though.  She carefully peeled out from the tangle, and gently set that arm down so the man wouldn¡¯t be disturbed.  That morning haze made her care-free and want for nothing, and she shuffled into the bathroom without a worry.  Still, with every passing second ¨C and once she was done with her business ¨C looking at herself in the mirror as she washed her hands just reminded her of the last time she¡¯d been there.

    Her heart seemed to skip a few beats for it, and she pulled up her HUD, looking at the dreaded fact that she still had the black augment active on her hair; she closed her eyes and turned off the app for a moment.  She cracked one eye open at a time, and to her horror, the white has spread from her roots to nearly eight inches of her total length.  Her bangs were more ivory than ebony now, as if the black had been added to the tips like paint on a watercolor brush instead of being its original color.

    What is happening to me¡­? She asked herself, and bowed her gaze into the sink as she reactivated the color again to hide it all from her sight, What does this even mean!?  I killed that thing, didn¡¯t I!?  I crushed the orb and watched it fold¡­

    ¡°¡­The¡­hard way, then¡­¡± She heard the words echo in her head.

    A hand went up over her mouth as she did whatever she could to stop from making a sound in her distress, What do I do¡­?  If I say anything, Lord Rylen will probably have me locked-up¡­  Am I a danger to everyone¡­?  Should I tell Gabe¡­?  No, think rationally about this¡­  She drew in a deep breath, and looked at her reflection head-on, The fact that I can cover it means it¡¯s not a Limitless-tell like Gabe¡¯s red coloration¡­  This really is a straight-up loss of pigmentation¡­  And I don¡¯t feel any different¡­  Maybe it¡¯s just an echo of what it did to Ianori¡­?  Like what Tobias did to me before¡­?  A cruel effect that lingers because I got too close, and let it touch me¡­

    She inhaled and exhaled slowly, repeating until she felt her heart calm down again.  When she came out again, she had her hair wrapped in a towel and a fuzzy robe around her shoulders.  Gabriel still hadn¡¯t woken up to that point, so she huffed a quiet laugh and went around to the corner-side.  Securing the towel on her head, she leaned down and squished her hands to his face, and rubbed in opposing directions, ¡°Hey.  Heyyyy.¡±

    That, he responded to, and both eyes cracked open, ¡°Huh-wha¡­¡±

    Ren smiled, ¡°Time to get up.  It¡¯s nearly go-time.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s go-time?¡±

    ¡°When we gotta go.¡± She answered, ¡°The lockdown will be over at noon.  The Aegis will be emptied out, and everyone will be sent on their ways.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Gabriel pushed himself up onto his hands, and reached up to rub his eyes.  He paused a moment to stretch ¨C Ren¡¯s eyes looked him all up and down as he did so ¨C but then grabbed a big cushion to hold against his front and slouched over it as he watched the Dame go back towards the bathroom, ¡°Where are you going to go?¡±

    ¡°Apparently, I¡¯m going to escort Seth home.  After that, I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± She answered, and rubbed the towel a bit before unwrapping it, and all that damp dark hair tumbled down her back, ¡°Whatever I do, I¡¯ve got to take my armor with me, since I¡¯ll have to get it to wherever Lord Rylen sends me.  We all do.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why wouldn¡¯t he just send you altogether somewhere?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know his reasons for it, but¡­I imagine it¡¯s probably got to with the fact that our Captain survived, and there can¡¯t be two Captains on the same ship.  So¡­it¡¯s easier to give us something to do if we get split up, and we go do training exercises or something until we¡¯re called back.¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡¯ll that mean for the aforementioned Captain?¡±

    Ren grabbed for a brush, and started moving it through those stringy black lengths, ¡°¡­He¡¯s going to be busy with the death notices.  He¡¯s going to be stuck doing all that alone.¡±

    ¡°Really?  Wouldn¡¯t it be prudent to send all of you out?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Captain¡¯s duty on a combat ship to notify next of kin.  If any of us subordinates went in his stead ¨C whatever the reason might be ¨C it might be seen as a slight against the family.¡±

    ¡°You lost eight people, and one more has been taken into custody for desertion.  It goes up to ten if you want to count Ianori in this round, since he was technically brought here alive, and died again with the others.¡±

    Ren pulled her hair out over her right shoulder, and let is sit there as those words sank in, ¡°¡­Yeah.  Ten.¡±

    Gabriel felt a cold shiver go down his spine, and he quickly got up from the couch, pulling a blanket with him so he¡¯d be a little decent as he approached, ¡°Ren, I¡¯m so sorry¡­I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡­¡±

    She just tilted her head slightly as he came up into the doorway, but she set her brush down and glanced at their reflections instead, ¡°¡­I envy the fact that you¡¯re detached from the emotional toll this is taking.  It¡¯s part of why I wanted to spend time with you instead of the others¡­  There¡¯s nothing wrong with stating the facts.  And the fact is, we lost ten people.¡±

    He gave her a look anyway, ¡°¡­I could¡¯ve been gentler with my choice of words.¡±

    Ren turned again and reached her right hand towards him, pressed her palm over the flat of his chest, and just felt for a moment, sensing the subtle thump of his heart beneath her fingers, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about painting a pretty picture with me.  I¡¯d rather hear it straight.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I can help with the notices; relieve some of the burden.  I may not be from the Sixth but-¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± She cut him off and pulled her hand back.  Gabriel watched her rummage around in the supply-closet, came back with two rolled-up towels, and put them into his unexpecting arms, ¡°Vice Eidolon or not, this isn¡¯t your responsibility.  You should get cleaned-up.  I¡¯ll put your things through the refresher.¡±

    He stared in confusion at the abruptness of her comment, ¡°¡­Then I can ask Rylen to offer the help.  Surely the Aegis¡¯ upper officers co-¡±

    Ren put a finger over his lips, and shook her head.  To reassure him, she then replaced her finger with a kiss, ¡°You¡¯re a good man, Gabriel Lugios.  Very sweet.  But you¡¯re also very stinky.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t sure how to take that, but he relented, and shrugged his shoulders up, ¡°Alright¡­¡±

    .

    Unlike when Gabriel first arrived, the Aegis¡¯ halls were buzzing with activity in those final hours.  People were boxing-up their bunks and offices, taking only what they could carry as they all started getting their dispersal orders.  The first transfer-ships could already be seen nearing to them as the clock ticked-down to the lockdown being lifted.

    Within the main hangar, Seth arrived with a meager bag and approached a thin blue skiff, cross-checking the assignment on his overlay with the ship¡¯s ID, ¡°¡­Well, this looks to be the one.¡± He turned back to his brother, who ¨C despite it all ¨C was trying his best not to look as bad as he still felt, ¡°And you¡¯re sure Lord Rylen¡¯s going to let us take this for personal reasons?¡±

    ¡°As long as I get it back to Agartha later, yeah.¡± Furion answered, and set his hand onto the hull to open the door.  It hissed as it popped-out and slid aside, and he threw his own ruck-sack within, then grabbed Seth¡¯s from his hands to toss it in as well, ¡°Guess there¡¯s not much point saying no when it¡¯ll be deboarded later anyway.  Letting us borrow it just means one less thing to deal with.¡±

    ¡°¡­Would you mind if we went down to the caldera before we leave?¡± The teen wondered, ¡°You guys keep leaving me behind when you do your wakes¡­  I¡¯d like to have at least one moment while I have a chance¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­  Damn, sorry, Seth.¡± Furion stepped back and pet his brother¡¯s head, ¡°Yeah, we can go down.¡±

    ¡°Go down where?¡± Ren¡¯s voice suddenly asked, and both Rydells glanced over to see her come through the doors.  Gabriel came through behind her ¨C Furion leered slightly at the sight of him ¨C whispered something, and then continued on towards Maeve.  Ren had her own bag slung over a shoulder, ¡°Fancy seeing you guys down here right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t very well carry Seth on my back all the way home.¡± Furion noted, looking vaguely unimpressed as she approached.  He held out his hand anyway, and Ren tepidly offered her bag over to join the others, ¡°He wants to go down to the crater and say goodbye.¡±

    Ren wasn¡¯t oblivious to the icy reception, but when it was Seth who spoke the words of dissent, she was a bit surprised.

    ¡°Miss Ren, should you really be-¡±

    She pinched his cheeks and moved them up and down, ¡°Stay.  In.  Your.  Lane.¡± She said, trying to make it a tease, but saw those brows wrinkle anyway, and she let go, ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing I don¡¯t need your approval then, isn¡¯t it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair¡­¡± The teen complained, and rubbed the soreness from his face.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°When you¡¯re my age - and in a relationship - and a 17-year-old virgin tries to judge you, then you¡¯ll understand why I¡¯m not concerned.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s plenty, Ren.¡± Furion interrupted, ¡°You don¡¯t have to put salt in the wound.¡±

    She just crossed her arms and stared, ¡°He wouldn¡¯t even have opinions if my night wasn¡¯t being spoken about behind my back.¡±

    Furion couldn¡¯t understand her attitude, ¡°Can we do this later?  I hadn¡¯t even called you down yet.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just go to where I¡¯m already welcome.¡± She huffed and turned to head for Maeve instead.

    Seth was utterly baffled, hands still on his cheeks as he watched her go.  He looked back at his brother, ¡°¡­She¡¯s never acted that way before.  What¡¯s going on¡­?  Was what I said really so bad?  I¡¯m just worried.¡±

    Furion stared in disbelief, but drew in a breath and put his hands together like a prayer, ¡°I¡¯m going to let it slide for now.  It¡¯s stressful times and everyone¡¯s acting out of their norm.  We all find peace where we can.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sounds like a coping strategy to avoid confronting the problem.¡± Seth grumbled, ¡°Miss Ren can be sassy but she¡¯s never been mean like that before.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want me to do about it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Maybe tell her you¡¯d rather she not sleep with other guys?  I mean, maybe she¡¯s atypical in how she views this kind of thing, but I don¡¯t think that means she¡¯s oblivious or uncaring towards how most people expect partnerships to be like.  Does Mr. Gabriel even know you and her are together?  I didn¡¯t, and I¡¯ve known her for practically my whole life!¡±

    ¡°Just get on the damn ship.¡± Furion instructed, ¡°I¡¯ll go get my armor and come around to set the auto-follow.¡± The teen sighed loudly in annoyance as he did as bid, and Furion pushed the door closed again behind him.  He took one last look towards Ren and Gabriel ¨C noting the particularly public fondness the duo showed to one another ¨C and snarled to himself as he turned to head for a lift to the upper level, You said you wouldn¡¯t rub it in my face.

    ¡°So, down to the crater, huh?¡± The Vice echoed, ¡°I guess I should probably pay my respects as well before I head out.¡±

    ¡°Meet you down there, then?  I can give you a proper send-off when I¡¯m all suited-up.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sounds good.¡± He agreed easily, and pulled her into a tight, swaying hug.  She returned it in kind, and ¨C in spite of the shocked looks from crew nearby ¨C rather nonchalantly gave their semi-parting kiss.  The clueless and attention-starved semi-Eidolon could hardly keep his happiness to himself though, and soaked-up the affection like a sponge, ¡°Okay, go on¡­get your stuff.  I¡¯ll see you down below.¡±

    Ren nodded and gave one last squeeze into that hug before peeling off, and quickly skipped to get to the lift.  Gabriel boarded into Maeve and got the skiff off the ground in short-order, piloting it carefully up and out the hangar doors.  Ren made it up to the Fafnir launch-bay just as Furion¡¯s docking-pod opened, and the enthusiasm she had as she skipped by to get to her own was an odd thing to see.  She quickly dissolved the visible parts of her uniform ¨C jacket, coat, and boots in all ¨C revealing her flight-suit beneath, and slipped into the open back of her waiting armor.

    As she stepped out though, and turned around ¨C helmet in her hands, about to put it on ¨C she caught-sight of Furion¡¯s perplexed expression, and paused, ¡°¡­What?¡±

    He twitched slightly, and stood upright, ¡°You are acting very strangely.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I am.¡±

    The Captain was mystified, and the baffled look on his face was the clearest window into him that Ren had seen in quite some time, ¡°Your entire team ¨C save Ravan ¨C has been obliterated.  The Aegis ¨C your home for the last near-decade ¨C is crippled.  Your family ¨C as you know it ¨C is being torn apart.  ¡­And you think it¡¯s totally normal to be as giddy as a school-girl over a guy you had a one-night-stand with.¡± He said sternly, a hand on the open door to the pod as he stood ready to get in.  He could see that his words had been received with confusion though, and he let the metal go, ¡°¡­Even if you¡¯ve gotten a bit too zealous with your little crush on him, it¡¯s crazy that you¡¯re being so public about it.  In front of the crew?  In front of me?  What if Lord Rylen had appeared right then?  I thought you had more sense than that¡­¡±

    ¡°Why are you being so judgmental?  He¡¯s the Vice Eidolon of the Fourth.  If I don¡¯t get everything out of it while I can, he¡¯ll get put into the Eidolon System and I¡¯ll never get the chance again.¡±

    He was utterly taken aback by the comment, ¡°You¡¯re not in your right head.  Something is very wrong.  You would never think to do something like this.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re just being overly sensitive.  If you would show a little heart now and then, instead of canning it like a jar of preserves that you can put on a shelf for later, maybe it wouldn¡¯t seem like such a foreign concept to openly enjoy someone else¡¯s company.¡± She countered, and put her helmet on, ¡°You used to be a lot more fun.  I guess the thrill is gone now that we aren¡¯t keeping it secret anymore.¡±

    Furion had no clue what to say to that, so he just watched in bewildered silence as she activated the wing-optics on her armor and took off.  Once she was out of sight, he turned towards his waiting armor, left eye twitching in frustration, Don¡¯t take it personally.  Don¡¯t take it personally.  ¡­This isn¡¯t normal.  We¡¯re all still in shock.  Nerves are high.  ¡­This will pass¡­  She¡¯ll realize she¡¯s being malicious and take it back¡­  ¡­Right¡­?

    Ren dove quickly, spinning for the fun of it as she sought-out that red speck on the ground.  It was easy to see against the backdrop of the natural ¨C even if destroyed ¨C landscape.  She spotted Gabriel soon after, and glided right for him, playfully tapping on his shoulders as she went down to land.

    Standing nearby were the three other Captains, as well as Rylen, surveying the damage in the full light of the noon-day sun.  They were all a bit stunned to see either of them at that moment, but the manner in which they interacted was both professionally awkward, and situationally wildly inappropriate.  At least Gabriel had some sense, and encouraged Ren to settle down a little as she set her feet on the ground, before approaching the ruined edge of the melted crater.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have something better to do?¡± Rylen wondered crassly, stepping through the trio of Captains so he¡¯d have a clear line of sight to the Vice, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Gabriel bowed his head and kept his silence for a few seconds, but when he looked up again, he turned towards the First, ¡°I¡¯m heading back to Agartha.  I just wanted to pay my respects before I left.¡±

    Those piercing orange eyes scanned him with thinly-veiled indifference, and while the blonde¡¯s excuse seemed at least somewhat valid, when he saw Ren pull her helmet off, he was really confused.  She wasn¡¯t even looking into the ruin; she had her eyes only on Gabriel, ¡°Dame Ren¡­why in the high-holy fuck do you look so satisfied right now?¡±

    The way everyone present, save for her, acted like they¡¯d just been shot in the chest conformed to a uniform shock at the Eidolon¡¯s choice of words.  Their ears were ringing, and their attention went straight to Ren.

    For a change, the Dame¡¯s reaction seemed somewhat appropriate, and she backed off to quickly take a knee and bow her head, ¡°S-sir¡­sorry, I-¡±

    Gabriel came to her defense, ¡°Rylen, please go easy on her, she¡¯s-¡±

    ¡°Know your place, Lugios.¡± The First ordered sternly, ¡°I am still Lord Rylen to you.  Or perhaps you don¡¯t quite understand what Vice means?¡±  Rylen took a step forward, hands clasped loosely behind his back as the Captains behind him waited and watched in horrified silence, ¡°Let me elucidate it for you; it means you¡¯re second to the Eidolon.  Even if Xanarken likes to play at the idea that you¡¯ve got equal authority to us because he dumped Sargon and Kitez onto you, that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re the same.  You¡¯re the minor lord of a problematic fiefdom that¡¯s beneath our notice.  ¡­Too long have I tolerated the impudence of allowing you to disregard my authority.  No longer.  Get out of my way.¡±

    He knew not to argue in that moment, and stepped aside.

    The First paused his advance and glared down at the Fafnir, ¡°You have a lot of nerve coming down here like you¡¯re excited to go on a field trip, Dame.  Eight of your fellows and more than a dozen other soldiers lost their lives here just the other day.  This is hallowed ground.  How dare you just drop in with such a smug look on your face.¡±

    Ren¡¯s heart pounded in her chest, What¡¯s going on right now¡­?

    Rylen snarled, those vampiric teeth looking rather sinister for it, ¡°You once genuinely worried I would strip you of your wings and rank for the fact that you were caught being involved with your Captain.  How can you possibly show up now, having no shame whatsoever as you cavort with yet another superior officer, right in front of my face?¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s brow furrowed, Rylen knew they¡¯d slept together¡­?  For how long¡­?

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the benefit of the doubt - this one time - that you¡¯ve lost your way in light of the tragedy.  That you¡¯re still in shock, and your judgment is impaired.¡± The First continued, and bent forward angrily, ¡°But if you ever take advantage of my acknowledgement of your combat prowess again¡­I¡¯ll not only clip your wings; I¡¯ll burn them in effigy for all the world to see, and make an example of you.  Am I crystal clear?¡±

    ¡°Y-yessir¡­¡± She answered, trembling where she knelt.

    ¡°Get out of my sight.¡±

    She didn¡¯t even look as she took off, vaulting into the air and over the edge of the cliff without a word.

    Gabriel was stunned at the whole thing, and looked back to the First, ¡°¡­That wasn¡¯t necessary.¡±

    Rylen turned on a heel, and cast his gaze into the newest of the two gaping pits, ¡°I thought I heard a voice just now.  Must¡¯ve been a trick of the wind.¡±

    ¡°Lord Rylen-¡± Gabriel corrected.

    ¡°Ah!  So, someone was trying to speak to me.¡± The angry drow answered bitterly, and looked back at the blonde.  Unusually, he lifted a hand and pointed one threatening finger at him, ¡°You have a grand total of 17 seconds left before you realize what an absolute shit-storm you¡¯ve unleashed.¡±

    ¡°¡­A what¡­?¡±

    Hearts beat in time with the count-down, and at the end of it¡­it was exactly noon, and the scheduled release of the lockdown took effect.  Gabriel¡¯s HUD reconnected to the World Cloud, and he was bombarded by alerts.

    [Leadership of Kitez announces assassination attempt on the Duchess by the Luminary Council]

    [Breaking!  Duchess Far¡¯nah accuses Eidolon of the Fourth of attempted murder!]

    [Corrupt or Conceited?  Maybe both!?  Lord Xanarken Tellan mired in controversy as Kitez lobs blame for flagship crash at his feet!]

    ¡°¡­Wh-what¡­in the world¡­?¡±

    Rylen sneered at him, ¡°Maybe, just maybe, the next time you decide to ignore your actual duty in favor of flirting with the lower ranks, you¡¯ll think better of it.¡±

    Gabriel sneered right back, ¡°You knew about this and didn¡¯t think to tell me!?  You knew I was under the effect of your lockdown.¡±

    ¡°And you were the one who voluntarily walked right into it.¡± The First countered, ¡°Lucky for you, there¡¯s a real Eidolon managing the crisis right now.  If you took your duty half as seriously as you think you do, you would¡¯ve stayed in Agartha after you watched the crash happen and did nothing.  Where¡¯s your sense of accountability, Lugios?  Far¡¯nah may be trying to drive a stake through Xanarken¡¯s heart, but Kitez is your responsibility.  It¡¯s your charge to explain what happened out there.¡±

    Captain Gallifey glowered at the accused blonde, ¡°¡­You¡¯d only been a pseudo-Eidolon for less than a day when the crash took place, right under your nose.  Who¡¯s to say it wasn¡¯t you who tried to kill her?  That¡¯s just like you afflicted freaks.  You¡¯re completely beyond control.¡±

    Gabriel was stunned, and looked to Rylen, ¡°You¡¯re just going to let him talk like that?¡±

    The First stared blankly, ¡°Let who talk like what?  I didn¡¯t hear a thing.¡±

    Tarrock smirked.  The other two Captains kept very quiet.

    ¡°This is why the Eidolon don¡¯t stick their noses in each other¡¯s business.¡± Rylen added, ¡°If you want to pretend to be one, you¡¯d do well to learn this lesson now.¡±

    Overwhelmed still by the alerts on his overlay, Gabriel struggled to pay attention.  It was absolutely mortifying how many messages had been sent to him that morning ¨C hours ago ¨C that he didn¡¯t know were there.  He quickly turned to get back to Maeve¡­only to hear Rylen clear his throat behind him.

    ¡°Forgetting something?¡±

    Gabriel felt his whole body tense, but he turned to face the Eidolon again and grudgingly gave that little bow, ¡°Lord Rylen.¡±

    Tarrock just laughed as the Vice finally got to leave, and Rylen turned back towards them as Maeve lifted-off into the sky in a hurry.  Those calm eyes stared at all three Captains, ¡°Keep an ear to the ground.  If he keeps fucking this up, it may fall to us to clean up the mess after all.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 63 â€“ Rose-tinted Glasses Or A Wool Cover? Both Will Take Skin With Them

    Ren wasn¡¯t even sure what direction she¡¯d taken-off in. She knew the four SkyFortresses were behind her, but whether she¡¯d gone north or south, or any other way, was lost on her. The further she got, though, the more she started to notice the absurdly intense duality of conflicting emotions fighting for dominance inside her.

    I have to get back to Gabriel¡­

    What was I thinking!? Why did I do that in front of an Eidolon!?

    I need¡­I need to be by Gabe¡¯s side¡­I have¡­to¡­

    I¡¯m losing my mind¡­ Furion must be so disappointed in me¡­

    Gabe¡­

    Her frantic flight slowed to a stop and she found herself clutching at her head, and cried out, ¡°What the Hell is happening to me!?¡±

    She thought her heart would explode in her chest. It raced so fast, it felt more like a vibration in her head than a drumbeat. The ringing in her ears grew louder; the intensity of the urgency to go back overwhelmed the panic of her need to escape.

    She couldn¡¯t know that the scleras of her eyes had gone nearly black. Shadows in her periphery grew darker; the distant whispers louder and closer. Her whole body started to tingle and felt hollow, then hot, pouring out from her core until her fingertips and toes felt like they were burning.

    And she started to fall.

    It was her good fortune that Furion and Seth had been on their way down when Rylen sent her fleeing, and went after her out of concern. Furion cut the auto-follow tether to the skiff his brother was on and it slowed as he sped up, catching her well-before she could hit the ground; if he was calling out to her, she couldn¡¯t hear it ¨C the whispers overwhelmed her senses. Her helmet plummeted, dropped from her hand as she slipped in and out of consciousness. She eventually lost the battle though, and her eyes stayed closed; the whole of her went limp in the Captain¡¯s arms.

    She wasn¡¯t sure how long had passed when she came-to. She knew she was inside somewhere ¨C she could see the walls and ceiling of some small, enclosed space ¨C and the lights were quite a bit dimmer than the full brightness of the noontime sun. She still felt like she was burning-up; sweat beaded on her skin, but at least the dark aura in her eyes had gone away.

    With the mechanical limbs on the backs of her shoulders, lying flat on her back was impossible. She was propped-up at an angle, and her head was set atop the skullcap of her retrieved helmet. She thought she could hear something finally, other than the hurricane-force shrieking hisses that had taken her out before. Then, a familiar face came into her sights, and for a brief moment, she felt relief for it¡­then dread.

    ¡°Ren¡­?¡± Furion asked quietly. He¡¯d gotten out of his armor at some point, and did a quick scan of her temperature with his overlay, ¡°You¡¯re burning up. What the Hell?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­not right¡­¡± She managed, trying to move her hand.

    ¡°Is she awake?¡± Seth asked.

    ¡°Keep your eyes on the horizon.¡± Furion snapped back at him, and the teen quickly whipped-around in the pilot¡¯s seat, anxiously flying that ship himself. The Captain looked back down at his partner, ¡°Ren, you¡¯re not making any sense. What¡¯s not right?¡±

    ¡°¡­M-me¡­ It¡¯s¡­in me¡­¡± She answered, heart still racing, making her dizzy.

    ¡°You need to breathe. Your pulse is going too fast.¡± He told her, and reached to take her hand; he pulled it to his chest, and held it there carefully, ¡°Ignore everything else, just listen to my voice. In¡­and out¡­ In¡­ ¡­And out.¡±

    Ren did her best. It felt like forever before anything started to change, and her chest started to hurt as her heart slowed to a quick-normal pace. She could feel her eyes watering as the swimming-sensation in her head normalized, and a raging sense of despair filled the void of her panic. She clamped-down on the hand her partner held, and turned her eyes to look at him finally, ¡°It¡¯s¡­inside¡­ The¡­ Scy¡­¡±

    ¡°Take it easy. You¡¯re safe here. Close your eyes and keep breathing.¡±

    It was impossible to stay relaxed with those thoughts clouding her mind though, and she swallowed a painful lump in her throat, ¡°I¡­I understand now¡­ I¡­couldn¡¯t tell¡­before¡­but it¡¯s¡­so obvious now¡­¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    She took a deep breath, ¡°The¡­need¡­¡± She started again, and struggled to sit up. Furion helped her get there, and she slapped her other hand down between her knees to keep steady so she wouldn¡¯t just topple forward instead. She choked a few more breaths, coughed to clear her throat, and blinked hard as she shook her head. She wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d be able to get the words out, so she did the one thing she didn¡¯t want to do, and cut-off the color-augment on her hair. To say that Furion¡¯s alert-level was through the roof at the sight of it would be an understatement, and with that, she put the color back again before Seth could see. Ren looked around and realized she was on a small ship; it must¡¯ve been the one she saw the brothers packing-up earlier in the hangar, and she felt horrendous all over again, ¡°It¡¯s burrowed¡­so deep¡­I couldn¡¯t tell where I ended and it began¡­¡± She started again, quieter than before, barely audible by her partner even though he was right beside her, ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize¡­what it was doing, until Lord Rylen sent me away¡­ The further away I got, the more insistent my urge to go back became¡­ No, not just back, but back to Gabe¡­even though, in my head, I wanted nothing more than to get as far away from him as I could go, so I wouldn¡¯t get into more trouble¡­¡±

    Furion could hear his own heart in his ears then; it was all a bit much to take in, but he listened anyway.

    ¡°I was so stupid¡­ It told me that it¡­was just going to get what it wanted the hard way, if I didn¡¯t cooperate¡­ I thought it was just being cryptic as it died¡­but it actually¡­¡± She started again, a few tears falling from her eyes, ¡°It must¡¯ve gotten inside me somehow¡­and it¡¯s¡­been influencing me; bending me to do what it wanted¡­ Making me think that how I felt for Gabe was more than what it was¡­twisted my relationship with him into something I wouldn¡¯t normally go through with; not like this, not knowing how you¡¯d feel¡­ I was¡­so sure¡­it was what I wanted¡­that I convinced myself you were the problem¡­ I¡­understand now¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about¡­?¡±

    ¡°Scyrexian¡­¡±

    Furion¡¯s eyes narrowed as his own worst fears were confirmed, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to think it¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡­it wants Gabriel¡­ It¡¯s obsessed with him¡­¡± She continued, glancing up at her partner with a look of fear in her eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­know that I would¡¯ve slept with him if not for this thing wanting to get to him¡­ The¡­frustration I had for being questioned about why I wanted to be with him¡­ The feeling like I hadn¡¯t gotten what I wanted from him¡­ Gods, and the nightmares¡­that must be what it saw as it was killing everyone¡­ I¡¯ve made a mess of everything¡­and I¡­can only see it now, after I can¡¯t take it back¡­¡± She said, even as she tried to keep herself together. She pulled her hand up from the floor and rubbed her eyes on her armored wrist, ¡°And it¡¯s still making me want for him, even now¡­ But I know¡­it¡¯s not me¡­ It¡¯s not me¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±

    The anger and frustration inside the Captain faded to relief, only to be replaced by dread and anxiety, ¡°But you¡¯re still in control¡­right?¡±

    ¡°I can feel it, clawing behind my eyes¡­ It wants out, but it¡¯s like there¡¯s something blocking it¡­I don¡¯t know what¡­ It¡¯s just bleeding into me, now¡­¡± Ren answered, and looked the man straight in the eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s safe for me to be around him¡­to be around anyone¡­ If I get close to Gabe again, I might¡­get overwhelmed¡­¡±

    Furion gave the hand he held a reassuring squeeze, but he still reached up with the other to pinch between his eyes, ¡°I knew you were acting weird. I just didn¡¯t expect it to be this extreme¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±

    He just shook his head and gave a sigh, ¡°Well, you know now. Maybe that¡¯s enough. Eight years of us and, before now, you never looked at another man, even though you said you might. I had¡­started to believe you never would. Maybe I was right after all.¡±

    Ren just looked away, ¡°The level of shame I have in me right now¡­growing, swelling, overwhelming¡­ Thinking about what we did, I can¡¯t help but feel like I¡¯ve done something horribly wrong¡­ And Gabe, poor Gabe¡­ Before the fight, I figured he might refuse me if he knew you and I were already together, and this¡­thing kept me from saying anything, so adamant was its need to get to him¡­ I can¡¯t even imagine how hurt he¡¯s going to be when he¡­finds out it wasn¡¯t entirely me¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­So, you don¡¯t want him. For certain.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    She shook her head, ¡°Not like¡­that¡­ Not, knowing it would hurt you.¡±

    ¡°See?¡± Seth¡¯s voice suddenly sounded, ¡°I told you.¡±

    Furion snapped his head up, ¡°How long have you been listening?¡±

    ¡°I have access to my own apps on the World Cloud now. I¡­might¡¯ve downloaded one that amplifies and focuses sound to help me hear better. I was using it with the P.O.V. footage, thinking I could hear something that wasn¡¯t obvious at surface-level. Mr. Gabriel once commented that the void rift was whispering, and I couldn¡¯t hear it then.¡± The teen answered, ¡°¡­Sorry.¡±

    The Captain could only shake his head, and he looked back to Ren, ¡°¡­So, now what? How do we get it out of you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know¡­ The way that it¡¯s fighting to make me go back, but can¡¯t¡­it¡¯s like it¡¯s stuck. Trapped. Roaring and thrashing from inside a cage, unable to act on its own will.¡±

    ¡°It must be like I theorized.¡± Seth chimed-in again, ¡°When it got to the Magi with Mr. Ianori, it didn¡¯t pour itself into them. The Magi pulled it out of him. It must need an afflicted person to draw it out. That would explain it saying Miss Ren didn¡¯t have to be willing. If Mr. Gabriel finds out it¡¯s got her, he might just volunteer himself just to save her.¡±

    ¡°Then, no matter what happens, we can¡¯t completely get rid of it.¡± Furion supposed grimly, ¡°To get it out of Ren would mean someone else has to take it, and then they¡¯re trapped. Seeing how quickly it got rid of Ianori as a host, and how powerful it was with the Magi¡­we absolutely cannot let an afflicted get-hold of it.¡±

    ¡°What are we going to do then¡­?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll think of something. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± Furion answered, trying to sound reassuring. He pulled her hand up from his chest and kissed her gloved knuckles, ¡°Right now, you¡¯re probably the safest place to keep it stuck. If the worst it can do is make you think you need to be with Lugios ¨C only to be unable to act on what it wants to make him do, even after having nearly a full 24 hours to try ¨C then I think we can manage. And¡­going back to earlier; now that you know what it¡¯s trying to make you do, you can probably tell it to go fuck itself.¡±

    Ren wanted to laugh, but her chest still hurt too much, so her eyes just watered instead, ¡°¡­So¡­you¡¯re not mad at me¡­? I said such cruel things to you¡­¡±

    ¡°I think, if you hadn¡¯t trained me over the last several years to look the other way while you had your occasional fun with Ravan, it would be a different situation.¡± He answered, only to see Seth whip his head around again with a look of shock on his face. Furion held his free hand up and gestured for his brother to keep his eyes forward again, and Seth grudgingly turned. The Captain put his attention back to Ren, ¡°The words you said didn¡¯t sound like your own. Maybe the sentiment was there, and Scyrexian amplified it in an effort to put distance between us so it could make you focus on Lugios¡­but it wasn¡¯t something you would¡¯ve said if it was up to you. ¡­I can forget it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­break things off with Ravan, too.¡± Ren offered, finally feeling a little bit of true relief, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you with it¡­ I should¡¯ve considered how you felt more, instead of thinking I was entitled to act that way because I told you about it before we got together¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­You would do that?¡±

    She nodded easily, and inhaled a quick, but throat-ragged breath, ¡°If you can suffer through the agony of four broken ribs without collapsing, as you try and knock some sense into me¡­then I can do at least this much.¡±

    That just made him huff a quiet laugh, and he bent his head down to touch his brow to hers, ¡°Adrenaline is a Hell of a drug. Welcome back.¡±

    .

    [Thank you, everyone, for your attention.] Far¡¯nah¡¯s voice spoke on that televised announcement, [It grieves me to report, at this critical hour, that the Luminary Council has made a clear attempt on my life.] Footage replayed from the ground, inside the town and at a slight distance, as her flagship crashed without cause. The camera then turned abruptly to catch sight of the two SkyFortresses and the smaller diplomatic vessel as they passed overhead, [After failed negotiations and threats from the Fourth Wing at Oceanside, it appears that they would rather try to kill me than follow their own creed. They¡¯ll try to claim this as an accident, and that they couldn¡¯t have done anything to make the ship crash¡­but we all know that the Eidolon are capable of more than they let on. The Fourth himself, Xanarken Tellan, clearly sabotaged the ship as the mission passed by Stoneface Bluffs. We knew to suspect that he might because we sent the ship off while we weren¡¯t aboard.] Regulus stood by her side resolutely, [And, true to our concerns, it went down soon after take-off. I call for the Fourth Wing¡¯s Eidolon to be cast-down! He¡¯s already tried to establish a scapegoat in Gabriel Lugios, sending him into Kitez like a lamb to the slaughter, knowing nothing and less about us and our history. He fears strong leadership and resents that Kitez won¡¯t bow to the Council. Down with the Fourth! Down with Xanarken Tellan!]

    Gabriel stared at the main-screen, slack-jawed and horrified, ¡°¡­Holy fucking Hell¡­¡±

    Xanarken stood nearby, leaning against his usual perch on the head-rest of a different chair, ¡°At this point, I could write a book on why you need to get installed into the Eidolon System. If you hadn¡¯t been physically stuck aboard the Aegis, you would¡¯ve known about the announcement as soon as it happened.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come tell me?¡±

    ¡°Did you already forget how you had to bring me aboard manually in the first place?¡± The Fourth countered, ¡°Rylen never made exceptions for the Eidolon. It¡¯s his dog-and-pony-show and he runs it how he wants.¡±

    Gabriel just looked devastated and pained, ¡°¡­This is all so messed up¡­ And the way those three Captains acted like they already knew this happened, when Rylen released the lockdown and all the alerts started pouring onto my feed¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, Rylen would¡¯ve known, since the lockdown doesn¡¯t impact him. He probably told them right before you found out.¡±

    ¡°¡­He was literally counting down to it, too¡­¡± The blonde sighed, and gripped the drive-stick a bit tighter by his knee, ¡°Like he was hoping to humiliate me in front of them.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, he probably was. He¡¯s mostly indifferent to you as a person, but he hates it when people stick their noses in his business.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t there for his business.¡± Gabriel argued, ¡°I was there for Ren.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t have been?¡±

    The Vice threw his hands up, and Maeve shuddered from the turbulence. Gabriel quickly grabbed the stick again to level it out, and heaved a panicked breath. After being sure his soul hadn¡¯t left his body, he glared back at the Fourth, ¡°You were all-too eager to get aboard the Aegis when I got there. If you didn¡¯t think I could or should go, you wouldn¡¯t have helped me get landing permission.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t, though.¡±

    ¡°You told me how to get their attention!¡±

    ¡°You already knew to do that. I was just stating the obvious.¡± Xanarken shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s the exact same thing you did with the Bulwark weeks back.¡±

    ¡°Man, you really must be hurting to get me to use a mantle if you¡¯re making me this miserable for not using one.¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡±

    ¡°Why is that, exactly?¡± Gabriel dared to wonder, ¡°Sargon¡¯s already on the edge of joining the Hadiran Accord, so Kitez is really the only problem¡­and they don¡¯t even let the World Cloud into the country. A mantle is pointless out there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not though. You brought tech-cannisters straight to the Duchess¡¯ front door. Maybe it would still be mildly inconvenient to have to wait for a ship to take some there again in the future, but you could still get other things done while they travel on your behalf. Then, you can also leave immediately, since you can just remanifest in an area where the World Cloud exists.¡±

    ¡°What the Hell are we going to do about this¡­?¡± Gabriel diverted, ¡°I was sure we thought of every possible way that she might twist this¡­ Putting a hit out on you in favor of me was not in my cards.¡±

    ¡°She views you as green and na?ve, and easy to manipulate.¡± Xanarken pointed out, ¡°And, at least in this case, you weren¡¯t using a mantle, so she had no way to pin the crash on you, too. She absolutely would have if you were.¡±

    ¡°And thus, I could write a book explaining why I don¡¯t want one¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just being obstinate about it then.¡±

    ¡°I still have a life I want to live, Xanarken!¡± The blonde argued, ¡°If I agree to get put into the System, I might as well kiss all that potential goodbye.¡±

    ¡°And what life is that, exactly?¡± The Fourth asked pointedly, like a knife in the heart, ¡°You¡¯ve never been particularly social. You¡¯ve pushed people away most of your life. You¡¯re clever and quick, and can at least pretend to be personable, and you¡¯ve proven your loyalty to the Council and its mission a thousand times over. You¡¯re an even better candidate to be an Eidolon than any of the rest of us were when we became such.¡±

    Gabriel grit his teeth, ¡°¡­I¡­have something with Ren.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Mh.¡± Xanarken responded rather indifferently, ¡°And how¡¯s that working out, given she¡¯s been involved with Captain Rydell for damn-near the entire time she¡¯s been a Fafnir Knight?¡±

    The Vice felt his heart drop-out the bottom of his body, and his brain felt fuzzy, ¡°¡­She¡¯s¡­what¡­? No¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have time for distractions, Gabe. Now¡¯s the time to buckle-up and prepare for your future. You¡¯re one of the most important people on Hadira now, and Eidolon don¡¯t have the luxury of peasant-level relationships.¡± Xanarken noted, though the vacant look on his heir¡¯s face made it clear the man couldn¡¯t hear him. He hummed a breath to himself discontentedly, ¡°Sorry to bust your bubble. I figured she would¡¯ve told you, if it wasn¡¯t super-obvious to you already.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then why bring it up like you figured I didn¡¯t know? You just used it like a cudgel.¡±

    ¡°Because you just said you had a thing with her, and that¡¯s not likely to be true¡­because she¡¯s already involved with someone.¡± The Fourth retorted, ¡°Whatever bond you think you have with her is superfluous. I don¡¯t want you to linger on it like you think it¡¯s going to go somewhere when it can¡¯t and won¡¯t.¡±

    Then what the Hell were we doing for the last whole day, if she¡¯s already with him? Gabriel thought painfully, Did I just help her cheat on him? What was she thinking¡­? ¡­What if he finds out¡­? I never¡­would¡¯ve let it go that far if I knew¡­

    ¡°The member-states of the Accord are preparing to gather. You probably won¡¯t make it back to Agartha before the convention starts, so I¡¯d recommend landing somewhere and preparing.¡± Xanarken added, his tone indifferent, ¡°I¡¯ll do the best I can to set things up, but it¡¯ll ultimately be up to you to answer for what happened.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is Far¡¯nah right¡­?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°That you¡¯re just setting me up as a fall-guy¡­?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. What would¡¯ve been the point of these last 22 years if I was just going to cast you aside on the eve of lifting you up?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m¡­just making sure.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted big things for you, Gabe. Don¡¯t let her make you doubt yourself, or me. We¡¯ll get through it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay¡­¡±

    ¡°Good lad.¡± The Fourth said, and ruffled the man¡¯s hair fondly before finally dissolving again.

    Gabriel could only stare ahead, numb from top to toes. His heart twisted in his chest, but before he could let his anxious mind get away from him, he shook his head, ¡°¡­There¡¯s just no way. She wouldn¡¯t have¡­led me on like that. I¡¯ve never even seen them act like anything more than colleagues. Xanarken must be reading too much into the fact that they got caught¡­having flings¡­or whatever¡­¡± He said, hoping he could convince himself of his truth. He sucked in a pained breath and grabbed the steer-stick firmly, ¡°¡­Yeah¡­she was way too willing to be public with me in that hangar to be involved with the Captain, not when he was standing right there in full sight of us¡­ There has to be some misunderstanding somewhere¡­¡± He smacked his left cheek to get himself to refocus, ¡°Okay¡­okay, landing spot¡­landing spot¡­¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 64 â€“ There Is No Truer Court Than The Court Of Public Opinion

    There was no actual place for the Hadiran Accord to physically meet; the entire thing was digitally-hosted on the World Cloud.  There were roughly 70 delegates, all presented as faceless, vaguely-humanoid shades of light, surrounding a main circular central area.  Different rings expanded out from the lowest levels, up to the top, in the shape of the tiered steps of a coliseum.  There were no walls, floors, or ceilings, just open space for eternity in every direction.

    And it was quiet, until the chimes sounded.  Lights dimmed a little, as if the bright clear sky had suddenly been set to the moments before twilight, and from the center-space at the bottom of the bowl-like structure, a much-larger variant of those same faceless amalgams rose into view.

    ¡°The 89<sup>th</sup> Emergency Session of the Hadiran Accord is called to order.¡± The large construct stated; its voice was loud, but serene, sounding neither masculine nor feminine, but somewhere in between, ¡°The provisional agenda of this meeting is to address the growing crisis within the nation of Kitez.¡±

    All around the digital room, faint spotlights shining down on each of the anonymous-looking specters shut off¡­save one.

    The large presence turned towards it, ¡°The agenda cannot be adopted until there is unanimous consent.¡±

    ¡°The province of Paraga does not consent.¡± That lone figure stated; its own voice matched the larger one¡¯s cadence ¨C placid and neutral, ¡°How can such a meeting be called without the voice of the nation in question?¡±

    All around the space, a subtle humming began to resonate, then another, until nearly the entire room sounded-off like a chorus of singing-bowls; it was a clear message of agreement.

    ¡°The territory of Kitez was invited to participate but has not yet responded.¡± The main entity explained, and the resonance faded, ¡°It will be noted in the record that the Accord has acknowledged this, and will continue to adopt the agenda with Kitez in absentia.¡±

    Paraga¡¯s representative darkened its spotlight, and things advanced.

    ¡°The agenda is adopted.¡± The construct noted, and returned to the neutral center, ¡°In accordance with rule 23, of the Accord¡¯s provisional rules of procedure, we offer a final invitation to the representatives of Kitez to participate in this meeting.¡±

    ¡°We accept your invitation.¡±

    The singing-bowls returned in force as a new construct manifested in the center-ring, near as large as the first one.

    From Maeve ¨C with both eyes covered-over by the golden interface ¨C Gabriel swallowed a nervous breath, ¡°Well shit, they actually turned up.  I wonder who it is though?  Is it the Duchess or one of the Magistrates?¡± He asked himself, and pulled-up the guest-dossier of the newly-appeared amalgamation.  To his not-quite-so-shock, it was indeed Far¡¯nah herself.

    The large hologram dissipated in a scatter of sparkling light, and traveled over to the second ring, finding a gap between the delegates of Dasiner and Civan before reforming at their same size.

    ¡°I will now invite the main speakers for the meeting; representing the Fourth Wing of the Luminary Council, Eidolon; Lord Xanarken Tellan, and Vice Eidolon, Lord Gabriel Lugios.  Representing the territory of Kitez, Duchess Far¡¯nah Calix.¡±

    Within the antechamber to the Duchy¡¯s throne-room, Far¡¯nah scoffed; she wore a sort of V.R. mask over the upper half of her face, ¡°Territory, they call us, as though we¡¯re some savage expanse of uninhabited land.  The utter disrespect¡­¡±

    Around her, taking notes and listening in with their own mask-like apparatuses, were four Magistrates, one of whom being Regulus.

    ¡°Before we begin the talks, let it be restated for our guests in attendance that all language spoken in this place is modulated for civility and tone.  Hostility will not be tolerated or allowed.  We believe that productive dialogue can only be achieved when all parties feel respected and heard, without interruption.  The Hadiran Accord will now begin its consideration of item one; approximately two days ago, a diplomatic mission was sent by the Fourth Wing to Kitez to discuss Kitez¡¯s raising of a colony-fleet vessel into working service.  The Council ¨C in accordance with its responsibility as the arbiters of the original mission to terraform and colonize this world ¨C had a claim to that vessel and sought to retake possession.  Kitez refused, citing maritime rules of salvage.  Upon departure, both the Duchess and the Fourth Wing¡¯s escort-fleet passed around the city of Stoneface Bluffs, whereupon the Duchess¡¯ personal ship crashed under suspicious circumstances.  Thus¡­Duchess Far¡¯nah has lobbied the accusation that the Fourth Wing ¨C namely, Lord Xanarken Tellan ¨C purposefully sabotaged the ship in an attempt to assassinate her, as retaliation for her refusal to send the colony ship to the Council.  The Fourth has subsequently rejected this, citing that there is no evidence to suggest they were in any way involved with the ship¡¯s destruction, and that simply passing by the city does not amount to correlation.  Without judgement, can both parties agree that this is the argument as it is being presented.¡±

    The two golden ghosts representing Kitez and the Fourth flashed green in affirmation.

    ¡°This assembly has no authority to issue a verdict on the truth of either claim.  However, the conflict that is arising from it has created international concern.¡± The head-hologram announced.

    Far¡¯nah was galled, ¡°They¡¯re not even going to listen to that?  Not a single word is to be said about the crash?¡±

    ¡°Our purpose today is to find a solution to the conflict so as to avoid further hostilities.  To that end, since the Duchess has already stated her case with a publicized declaration, we will allow Lord Xanarken to have the floor first to issue a rebuttal.¡±

    Since the Eidolon had a mantle, the digital signature of it simply appeared there in place of the faceless figure that the others were represented by.  He manifested as his normal self on a disc of light in the center of the base, and a larger variant appeared above and behind him, focused from the chest up.  Every movement and gesture was matched, and Xanarken circled his sights around at those multiple tiers and their golden ghosts.

    ¡°Thank you, everyone, for allowing me the opportunity to give these opening statements.¡± The Eidolon started, ¡°While we in the Luminary Council regret the Duchess¡¯ chosen course, and look forward to exonerating ourselves in the coming investigation, the simple fact of the matter is that Kitez is in possession of a colony ship that belongs to us.  This fleet was our charge from the moment we departed from the Earth, and it is still our responsibility now.  Most notably¡­because the SSCF Tuonela ¨C according to the Duchess¡¯ own word ¨C is still in possession of its original crew; alive and well, still in cryo-lock.¡±

    Specters flashed around the entire room; dissent and argument would not be allowed vocally, but the response was clear.

    Xanarken continued, ¡°So long after the crash, and with the civilization that has subsequently grown out of the communal effort of everyone who arrived, there is simply no reason to leave those people in limbo while Kitez parades the ship around like some kind of spectacle.  Moreover, it is our responsibility ¨C not Kitez¡¯s ¨C to ensure the safety and assimilation of the personnel.  They are expecting the names of their commanders to be declared¡­and we are still here.¡±

    ¡°The Duchess may respond.¡±

    Without a mantle, Far¡¯nah¡¯s ghostly image continued on as that faceless visage, though she took Xanarken¡¯s same place on that center stage, ¡°There is simply no precedent that requires us to surrender the crew or the ship to the Council.¡± She started adamantly, ¡°Every province ¨C nay, nation ¨C in this room knows full well that their origins stem from the communities that grew from the survivors of the crash, be they solitary and later found, or landed close-enough together to help one another from the start.  In our view, the SSCF Tuonela is ours to foster, and we will not be threatened by the Old Guard.  The Luminary Council simply has no claim on it; it didn¡¯t exist for decades after the fall.¡±  She looked around that room in her visor, trying to figure out which of those ghosts was the Eidolon, but with all of them looking the same, she had no one to stare at.  In frustration, she simply continued, ¡°Further still, the Eidolon have never once offered proof that they even are the same people as they claim to be.  No one has seen their flesh in 300 years, and we all know that humans simply are not that long-lived.  Kitez cannot and will not surrender the fate of the vessel to an A.I. system with a clear bias.¡±

    Gabriel felt a chill, but he knew in that moment, it was probably his time to step into that ill-begotten lime-light.

    There were a few prolonged seconds where nothing and no one spoke, until suddenly the original announcer¡¯s voice returned, ¡°Lord Xanarken will defer a response to Vice Eidolon, Lord Gabriel Lugios.¡±

    Once Far¡¯nah¡¯s placeholder-image faded, ceding the floor, the Vice took a breath and prepared to speak.  His vantage-point then changed, and he saw the scene from the bottom of the proverbial bowl, ¡°If the Duchess won¡¯t accept the word of an Eidolon, then she can accept mine.  The truth of the matter is that the Duchess has no intention of releasing those passengers.  In the time it would have taken to restore the SSCF Tuonela to a state where it could not-only rise from the depths, but also outfit it with Kitezan anti-gravity-drives such that it can fly, she could have been deboarding and rousing every one of those people.  She hasn¡¯t.  She¡¯s going to keep them as hostages, and force concessions from the Council in exchange for their safety.  It should also be stated that she has successfully woken-up some of that crew, since she admitted to myself and Lord Xanarken that she has the bridge-crew up and working for her.¡±  Those lights flashed in anger again, but Gabriel wasn¡¯t sure if it was because they didn¡¯t believe him, or because they did, ¡°Duchess Far¡¯nah was explicit in her statement during the parlay that she brought them out of hyper-sleep with the sole intent of making them pilot the Tuonela for her.  She¡¯s given no stated purpose as to why she brought the ship up at all; the Council sees this as a threat, both to us and to the passengers caught in the limbo.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°How the¡­Hell do you¡­use this damn thing?¡± Far¡¯nah grumbled as she tried to navigate the foreign tech.  She eventually found the way Xanarken had originally sent a private message, and sent one of her own, ¡°I want to meet my accuser on the floor.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s eye flinched when he got the request from the announcer, and shook his head, ¡°Guess this¡¯ll be it.¡± He said, and indicated agreement.  A moment later, his perception of the room changed again as his faceless representative-visage moved to one side, and Far¡¯nah¡¯s appeared ahead of him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot of nerve claiming this is a hostage situation!¡± She barked, only for her amalgam to say something else entirely, ¡°I disagree with your implication.¡±  Far¡¯nah balked a little, ¡°¡­Why did it change what I said?¡±

    ¡°Censorship.¡± Regulus supposed, ¡°It¡¯s forcing a manner of speech if it doesn¡¯t like our tone.¡±

    ¡°My tone?¡± She echoed, but drew a breath and tried to find her Zen, ¡°Fine¡­¡±

    Gabriel waited; he knew full-well she had meant to say something rude, and was giving her the chance to try again as she learned how the game was played.

    ¡°The accusations made by the Fourth Wing are unsubstantiated.¡± She said, and her words were allowed through.

    ¡°Then state your intent for the SSCF Tuonela.¡± Gabriel retorted.

    ¡°I really hate how placid these voice-overs are.¡± Far¡¯nah grumbled, and opened the line again, ¡°The nation of Kitez demands formal recognition from the Accord and the Council; if granted, we will release the Tuonela¡¯s passengers into the larger population.¡±

    A mixture of angry light-blinking and singing-bowls chimed-out.

    ¡°So you intend to keep them in Kitez either way.¡± Gabriel surmised, ¡°And thus, you¡¯re not really releasing them at all.¡±

    Far¡¯nah scoffed, ¡°In good conscience, we can¡¯t release them to the Council¡¯s custody; your leadership has made it evident that lives are disposable.  To entrust you with 70,000 of them would seem reckless and irresponsible.¡±

    ¡°Your personal belief that the Fourth tried to assassinate you is not grounds for your chosen course.¡± Gabriel answered, his brow a bit wrinkled in annoyance, ¡°The fact that our ships were passing by at the time of the crash is not definitive evidence that we had anything to do with it.¡±

    ¡°I defy you to prove that you didn¡¯t.¡±

    Flashing lights blinked all around, and the announcer had to address them, ¡°There will be order.  I repeat to the parties involved; this assembly has no capacity to prove or disprove any claims about the incident in question.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll allow it.¡± Gabriel noted, ¡°If this is the avenue through which the Duchess wishes to plead her case, then I say we let her.¡±

    The singing-bowls returned; it resonated to a high-pitch and seemed to cancel itself out with the unanimous agreement.

    ¡°The Hadiran Accord has spoken; Duchess Far¡¯nah, you may proceed, but remember, a verdict cannot and will not be issued by this body.¡± The announcer reminded.

    She smirked, ¡°Finally¡­¡± She held her head a bit higher, ¡°Vice Lord Gabriel Lugios threatened Kitez with utter ruination if we didn¡¯t comply with his demands, saying he would unleash the full destructive force of the Sixth Wing onto us in an effort to regain custody of the Tuonela.  As the flagship of the Duchy, my personal skiff was privately and meticulously maintained.  There were no faults with it when it took off from Oceanside that afternoon.  That it would suddenly explode and crash as the Fourth is flying by cannot possibly be coincidence¡­and I say this in light of the fact that Lord Xanarken personally threatened me during a recent border dispute.¡±

    ¡°There it is¡­¡± Gabriel said to himself, and waited for the anger to simmer before responding, ¡°You continue to accuse Lord Xanarken of malicious intent yet offer nothing to prove any of your claims.  He has dedicated his entire life ¨C 350 years ¨C to maintaining peace and longevity across Hadira.  His has never been the voice of violence.  To suggest that he would suddenly employ malicious means ¨C and at such a daring and implicative moment ¨C is the height of na?vet¨¦.  The Fourth has been nothing but courteous to you and yours in spite of the constant chest-beating over the last two decades.¡±

    ¡°Na?ve!?  How dare you!  If the godsdamned Council would stop their ceaseless invasion of my country, we wouldn¡¯t have to reciprocate!¡± Far¡¯nah barked, only to hear that voice replace her words again, ¡°I disagree with your implication.¡±

    Gabriel couldn¡¯t help but snort a laugh to himself.

    The Duchess gripped her seat¡¯s arm-rest in frustration, and tried to normalize her tone, ¡°¡­The Council has repeatedly disregarded the borders of my nation for its personal ends, sending its most elite warriors on missions of murder, time and again.  Your flagrant disregard for our right to answer steel with steel sends a message that the Council doesn¡¯t respect the right of a nation to defend itself.¡±

    ¡°The Council doesn¡¯t recognize the territory of Kitez to be a nation in need of private defenses.¡± Gabriel countered, ¡°It¡¯s a rebel colony that has flippantly refused to rejoin the community.  It has nothing but imagined enemies and a lofty sense of self-importance, acting with the hubris of a drunken hermit who refuses food because it isn¡¯t from the right restaurant.¡±

    The Duchess shot-up to her feet in rage, ¡°You can say that but I can¡¯t say how dare you!?  What kind of circus is this!?¡± She yelled, ¡°I disagree with your implication.¡± Her avatar said in her place.

    ¡°Your Grace, the system is responding to your tone, not your words.¡± One of the other Magistrates told her, ¡°You must speak it gently.¡±

    ¡°The Luminary Council has offered, time and again, to bring Kitez into the fold of the Hadiran Accord, and offer it all the benefits and protections and services that it could possibly want.¡± Gabriel continued, much to the Duchess¡¯ chagrin, ¡°Your suggestion that we simply invade into Kitez to commit murder is also a misrepresentation of the facts; we go into the Exclusion Zone, a place notoriously unmonitored and used as a safe-haven by dangerous afflicted criminals who know they¡¯ll be ignored there.  If Kitez did the least bit of work in monitoring the comings and goings of entities into the Zone, the Council wouldn¡¯t have need to do it ourselves.  Or shall we lay out exactly how much damage is estimated to have been prevented by our surgical excursions, while we remind the Accord exactly how much damage is estimated to have been allowed by Kitez¡¯s negligence?¡±

    ¡°I disagree with your implication.  ¡­I disagree with your implication.¡±

    Gabriel lifted his head up, ¡°I would further implicate Kitez¡¯s tendency towards aggression by having a note made that this is the fourth time her replies have been augmented because her words were charged with hostility.  It is thus the position of the Fourth that her accusation of our maleficence be stricken from the record and condemned by the whole of the Accord, since it¡¯s clearly coming from a place of rage instead of rationality.¡±

    ¡°I disagree with your implication.¡±

    Gabriel waited; the singing-bowls seemed to be sounding in his favor.

    ¡°¡­There is no explanation but for the Fourth¡¯s interference that my ship was destroyed.¡± Far¡¯nah finally managed to say, ¡°I stand by my accusation of Lord Xanarken.  He brought nanotech into my country and used it to sabotage my ship¡¯s lift-off systems.¡±

    ¡°You cannot prove it definitively, Your Grace.¡± Gabriel answered, feeling a bit more relaxed to have pushed the Duchess into a proverbial corner, ¡±Stoneface Bluffs is at the southernmost tip of the Exclusion Zone, and as we have respected that boundary ¨C excepting in extenuating circumstances caused by Kitez¡¯s own refusal to act ¨C we did not cut-across that expanse even if it would have been more convenient to our travel.  We were forced to pass by that city, and you know that, because it¡¯s the same path we took from Sargon to arrive at Oceanside in the first place.  The veracity with which you accuse Lord Xanarken of sabotage carries as much water as my accusation that the Duchy detonated its own vessel on purpose, just for the purpose of attempting to assassinate the Fourth¡¯s character and sow doubt.¡±

    A mix of blinking and resonance answered that.

    ¡°As much as we can¡¯t prove a negative, you can¡¯t prove the positive, Your Grace.¡± Gabriel said, ¡°If you¡¯re so certain that the Council was behind it, however¡­it should be noted; if we actually wanted you dead, we wouldn¡¯t have failed so spectacularly.¡±

    Regulus and the other Magistrates sighed in annoyance; Far¡¯nah was baffled, ¡°But there¡¯s no other way¡­  It was so obvious¡­¡±

    ¡°It is the Fourth¡¯s sincere wish to resolve disputes diplomatically.¡± Gabriel went on, further rubbing salt into that open wound, ¡°We will continue to offer the olive-branch to Kitez no matter how often you refuse it.  However, this situation with the Tuonela is untenable.  You must release it to the Council.¡±

    ¡°I need do no such thing.¡± Far¡¯nah answered bitterly, ¡°Your thinly-veiled threats to unleash the Sixth on us in retaliation is exactly the sort of violence the Fourth would stand by.¡±

    ¡°The Fourth has no command over the Sixth.¡± Gabriel noted, ¡°But while we can¡¯t send them after you on purpose, warning you that Lord Rylen will see your retention of the Tuonela and its crew seems the prudent course.  If you continue to refuse their return to the Council, I simply cannot guarantee he won¡¯t see that as provocation, and launch an offensive against Kitez to rescue them.  The involvement of the Sixth will only ever come into play by your choices; it is purely retaliatory, not instigative.¡±

    ¡°You hold no claim over the Tuonela, and the crew are not being mistreated.¡± Far¡¯nah countered, ¡°It¡¯s ours by right, and as every nation on Hadira has done before, we can do with the ship what we wish, including dismantling it and retrieving the Warp Core.  The fact that the passengers are still in hyper-sleep is incidental.¡±

    ¡°And yet, it¡¯s entirely the reason we¡¯re here.¡± Gabriel pointed out, and heard the resonance side with him yet again, ¡°Just because you haven¡¯t pulled the trigger doesn¡¯t mean you aren¡¯t holding a gun to their heads.¡±

    The Duchess snarled, and lifted the V.R. mask to look at her Magistrates, ¡°The odds were stacked against us as it was¡­I can¡¯t believe the Accord is so brainwashed.  None of them have any pride or solidarity.  The Eidolon have them fully under their thumb.  They wouldn¡¯t piss on us if we were on fire.¡±

    Regulus lifted his mask as well, ¡°It¡¯s a catch-22, Your Grace.  We¡¯ve been in possession of the Tuonela this long without ever doing anything to the passengers.  The Fourth simply has no basis to suggest we would do anything in the future just because we¡¯ve lifted the vessel out of the water.¡±

    Far¡¯nah nodded and replaced the mask, ¡°Kitez has never made any move of aggression against those civilians, in spite of ¨C as you well-noted ¨C how long we¡¯ve been actively working on the ship.  We have no desire to inflict slaughter on them.  The Sixth has no right to interpret the peaceful retention of an SSCF-class ship as being the same as threatening its destruction.  But if that¡¯s how they want to do this¡­¡±

    Regulus lifted his head, ¡°Your Grace; choose your words carefully.  Whatever you say next might be taken as a declaration of war.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then let them come.¡±

    The Accord was stunned to silence.

    ¡°Damn.¡± Gabriel said to himself, brows raised in surprise.  He pushed up from his pilot¡¯s-seat and stepped around to the back of his skiff, contemplating his own next words.  He rubbed his chin between his fingers, ¡°Your Grace, I will remind you again that retention of the Tuonela and refusal to surrender the passengers will potentially be viewed by the Sixth as an act of aggression, and will respond in kind.  Kitez has no way to win against a force like that.  You would bring ruin to your nation.¡±

    ¡°Then let that be the burden of the Sixth to bear.¡± She argued, ¡°If Lord Rylen truly wants to rain Hell onto Kitez for the sake of a ship full of sleeping cargo ¨C people who haven¡¯t been awake in 350 years and don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening around them ¨C then so be it.  The path he paves with the bodies of Kitezan citizens will be his to walk as he comes to Oceanside.  How many would he gladly kill for the sake of 70,000 sleeping people?  And would he really be able to shoulder the scorn of the entire world if it came to that?  Could he really put that burden onto them, when they wake up and realize what was done, supposedly, for their sake?¡±

    ¡°Release them to the Council, Your Grace.¡± Gabriel replied simply, ¡°Using them as collateral to get recognition is a disproportionate demand.  We¡¯re not even asking for the ship itself; just the people aboard.¡±

    Far¡¯nah hesitated, but then issued her final statement before disconnecting, ¡°¡­Then come and get them.¡±

 Book I - Chapter 65 â€“ Be Still, My Beating Heart

    ¡°Well, that was certainly entertaining.¡± Rylen commented; the imagery of the Accord played out on a massive display in his office aboard the Aegis.

    Xanarken stood with him, beaming with pride, ¡°That¡¯s my son up there.¡±

    ¡°Astonishing that you were able to turn him into something useful, considering the dump you found him in.¡± The First shrugged, ¡°In any case, I am mildly suspicious of Far¡¯nah¡¯s apparent willingness to self-immolate.¡±

    ¡°I think she probably underestimates just how much force you would bring against her if it came to that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, who would expect every SkyFortress in the fleet all at once?¡± Rylen huffed, ¡°I¡¯m so tired of this woman¡­but honestly, what I wouldn¡¯t give to be a fly on that wall.¡±

    Xanarken agreed fully, ¡°I really need to get Gabe and Arbelos to get together.  The sooner he gets his mantle set-up, the sooner I can truly put the Duchy in my rearview mirror.¡±

    ¡°Giving up, hm?¡±

    ¡°Gabe seems to be having a better effect than I ever did.  I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s because he¡¯s more willing to threaten her with me.¡± Rylen chuckled, ¡°I suppose I was a bit hard on him earlier.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°In so many words, I insisted he refer to me by my title.¡± The First answered, ¡°Dame Ren set me off in a way I hadn¡¯t anticipated, and I probably took a bit of that out on your kid.¡±

    ¡°¡­Dame Ren set you off?¡± Xanarken was visibly shocked, ¡°¡­But¡­how?  She was always one of your favorites.  You bent over backwards to fix her situation.  I don¡¯t know that you would¡¯ve done it for anyone else.¡±

    ¡°¡­She was acting like a damn fool.¡± Rylen answered, still a bit annoyed about the whole thing, ¡°Maybe it was a mistake to put her with Lugios while she was out of commission.  They¡¯ve gotten far too familiar with each other.  Her behavior with him around the pit was wildly inappropriate.¡±

    Xanarken was still baffled, ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine.  She managed for years keeping her private business under the radar.  It sounds so¡­unlike her to suddenly do otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I agree.  Her and Captain Rydell have maintained their same routine in the public sphere, despite my telling them I¡¯ve known about their relationship for a while.¡± Rylen pulled his arms forward and crossed them across his chest, tapping his chin with a finger, ¡°Maybe she thought it was different because Gabriel is Vice now.¡±

    ¡°¡­But she¡¯s still with the Captain, isn¡¯t she?  That¡¯s what I was led to believe.¡±

    ¡°You know, I hadn¡¯t really thought about it.  It wasn¡¯t a top priority so long as the both of them continued doing their jobs well.  No news is good news, et cetera.¡± The First shrugged, ¡°I sent her away, though, so maybe things will settle down.  There won¡¯t be any reason for either her nor Gabriel to see one another again, unless Gabriel gets it into his head to go track her down, again¡­which I would highly discourage.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying.¡± Xanarken sighed, ¡°How is Dame Ren, anyway?  Other than that.¡±

    .

    With the First Wing R&D facility being so near to Mayrain, getting to the Rydell estate only took a few hours, even limited by the reduced speed-capacity of the skiff they¡¯d borrowed.  Neither of the Fafnir aboard had bothered getting back out again though, and Furion took the controls back from his brother once things had calmed down.

    That thin blue dart came around the beach-front and landed about a hundred yards from the north-face of the house, with its nose towards the bay.  First off was Seth, then Ren, then Furion at the last, after he grabbed their things and tossed them through.  With just their flight-suits on them, both Fafnir had long-since manifested some casual clothes overtop, and all three made their way towards the family home.

    Unlike the first time, mom and pop Rydell were expecting the arrival, and were out on the water-side deck when the skiff flew overhead.  Suzu took off like a shot, rushing up the mild incline of that rocky hillside until she got caught by her next-older sibling, and Seth quickly snatched her up, only to carry her back down the way she came.

    Lequerion and his wife ¨C Dianna ¨C rose from their seats on that stilt-legged deck to meet the group by the fence-line.  The patriarch reached forward to grab his squirmy daughter out of Seth¡¯s arms, and perched her against his hip before setting his battle-weathered hand atop the teen¡¯s head, ¡°How¡¯s the Cloud treating you so far?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay, dad.¡± Seth answered a bit dourly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound half as excited as I thought you would be.¡± The older man looked on suspiciously.  He raised his eyes towards his eldest son, ¡°¡­What is it this time?  Why does it look like you¡¯re carrying half your rooms with you?¡±

    Furion looked at his father with a sigh, ¡°We lost the Aegis.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Dianna tilted her head, ¡°¡­You¡­lost a whole ship?¡±

    ¡°We should probably sit down for this one.¡±

    Lequerion felt a bit deflated, ¡°It¡¯s bad, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Suzu probably shouldn¡¯t be in ear-shot.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep her inside.¡± The older woman said, and pulled the girl off her husband¡¯s hip, ¡°I¡¯ll catch up with you later.¡±

    ¡°Mooommmmm but it¡¯s Furion!¡± The 4-year-old whined, arms reaching out to her older brother.  He stepped closer to offer a greeting at least, and that seemed to satisfy her enough to go back inside.

    Lequerion was stunned to silence by the retelling of that long and sordid tale.  He looked out over the water rather seriously.  The sound of the beach lapping at the rocky shore and a small fire nearby ¨C contained within a glass firepit on the deck ¨C were a kind of balm, but the shock still touched deeply.  The former Captain just drew in a long breath, ¡°It was a massacre.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d heard there had been an accident, but I didn¡¯t realize it was this severe.¡± He commented, and turned his eyes to the pair on the opposite side of a glass-top table, ¡°So what does this mean for the few of you that made it?¡±

    ¡°Lord Rylen is giving us two weeks bereavement.  I¡¯m only taking the day, though.¡± Furion answered, ¡°Long enough to bring Seth home for his term, but then get back to it.  Ren?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just stick with you, if it¡¯s all the same.¡± She answered, sitting in the black-iron deck-chair right beside him, her palm above his where Furion had set it against her lap, ¡°I¡¯m a little worried about where Lord Rylen¡¯s going to send me when we¡¯re done, so I don¡¯t want to be too far away if I can help it.¡±

    Seth was a bit surprised though, and finally chimed in, ¡°¡­So you came all the way here to drop me off for two weeks?  I¡¯m not taking time off.¡±

    ¡°Why not?  You¡¯re entitled to it.  They were family to you, too.¡± Furion scoffed.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I could sit still that long.¡± The teen answered, ¡°I can still be useful, and keep going over the footage.  I¡­don¡¯t want to just leave it to later when I could start now.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s unfortunately one of us.¡± Lequerion shook his head, and pet Seth¡¯s head again, ¡°I don¡¯t blame you, kid.¡±

    ¡°Then I guess there was only one thing to come here for.¡± Furion slouched, only to wince a little and have to clasp at his midsection with a grunt.  He took a breath and sat a bit straighter, ¡°¡­Dad, I think I¡¯m in over my head.  I need your help.¡±

    ¡°What do you need?¡± He wondered, brow furrowed a little.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°The notices can only be given by the Captain of the ship.¡± Furion answered, the pain subsiding enough to at least somewhat relax his posture again, ¡°There¡¯s just¡­too many, for me to do alone.  I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m strong enough to face all of them myself, over and over.  I also don¡¯t want them all to find out from the news, and there¡¯s just no way I can get to everyone before that happens.  It¡¯ll take days, even with hypersonic, and I don¡¯t want to rush anyone so I can move on to the next.¡±

    ¡°No doubt.¡± Lequerion nodded, and crossed his arms in all seriousness, ¡°Well, it¡¯s been a while since I donned my armor, but if you need me, then I¡¯m yours.  You¡¯ll have to put in a request for it to be pulled out of storage though.¡±

    Furion heaved a sigh of relief, ¡°¡­Yeah, I will.  Thanks, pop.¡±

    ¡°Then there¡¯s one final thing to inquire about before we put this all on the back-burner for the night.¡± Lequerion noted, and sat up high enough to grab his chair by the arm-rests and move it around the head of that square table, only to park it next to Ren on the opposite side, ¡°Let me see it.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t surprised; the last time she¡¯d been there, the patriarch was none-too-impressed with the state of her post-transplant situation.  She dismissed the nanotech jacket she¡¯d made, undid the front of her flight-suit, and peeled her left arm out from the dark material.  She wordlessly offered it forward to the older man¡¯s discerning eyes.

    ¡°How¡¯s it feel now?¡± Lequerion wondered, giving it those same inquiring ¨C but gentle ¨C pinches as he felt along the length of each muscle group, ¡°It¡¯s got a bit more definition.  Even the skin-tone¡¯s pretty close to matching.¡±

    ¡°Every day is a little better.  Strength is still lacking, but I can use it for everyday stuff.¡± She answered, watching that inspection go down past her elbow and into the palm of her hand.

    Lequerion pull the whole thing up and positioned it like he was about to arm-wrestle her, ¡°Give it a go.¡± He suggested, and set their elbows onto the table-top at the corner.

    Ren drew in a nervous breath, but sat forward and clamped-down as hard as she could onto that thumb, and pushed.  His own arm didn¡¯t budge much, and she quickly let it go again, ¡°¡­Ah, sorry¡­that¡¯s all I¡¯ve got.¡±

    ¡°Your grip is about as strong as Suzu¡¯s.  Not bad, honestly.¡± The patriarch complimented, and pet her hand before letting her have it back, ¡°Dexterity?  Fine-motor function?  Numbness?

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t bead a friendship-bracelet, but I can hold my own fork.¡± She said, trying to find a little tease against herself.  She displayed how she could also touch her fingertips to the end of her thumb in order, and back again, ¡°And it mostly feels okay-ish.  Not quite like I¡¯m wearing a glove over it all the time¡­more like a sticker?  Being able to move it completely normally while in my armor has been a big help.  It¡¯s like I¡¯m reminding the whole thing how it could move if it was completely healed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s strange that way, right?¡± Lequerion sat back in his seat again, ¡°It¡¯s like the opposite of that phantom-limb phenomenon.  Instead of tricking an extremity you no longer have into releasing its tension, you¡¯re puppeteering it into normal function.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°So how long will you stay?  Long enough for dinner?¡±

    ¡°How long do you need?¡± Furion answered, ¡°At this point, it¡¯s really up to you.¡±

    ¡°Mh¡­¡± The elder rubbed his lip with a knuckle, ¡°Agartha¡¯s a seven-hour flight from here, if we take the skiff you borrowed.  Maybe it¡¯ll be better if you three stay overnight, and we head out in the morning.¡±

    Furion nodded, and glanced at the other two.  They each agreed, and it was settled.

    ¡°Alright, well¡­¡± Lequerion began again, and stood-up from his chair, ¡°You all have your room-assignments already, so I¡¯ll go tell your mother what¡¯s going on and then help finish making dinner.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the E.T.A. on that?¡± Furion wondered.

    ¡°About an hour?¡±

    He looked to his partner, ¡°Wanna take a walk?¡±

    .

    The rocky beach went on for miles, flattening-out in areas while rising up in others again.  Ren¡¯s shoulder fight right under Furion¡¯s as they walked that far distance, keeping half an eye on the house on the raised rocky hill so they wouldn¡¯t get too far.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been really quiet since we got to the beach-head.¡± Furion commented, glancing down at the Dame where she was pressed right up against his side, ¡°Does your heart still hurt?¡±

    She pulled up her right hand to rub at her sternum, ¡°A little bit¡­  I felt like I was having a coronary.¡±

    ¡°What did Lord Rylen even say to you that sent you flying-off like that?¡± Furion wondered, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to ask in front of Seth.¡±

    Ren went quiet for a moment, a worried look on her face, ¡°¡­He called me out for how I was acting around Gabe.  I¡­guess I lost my sense of self enough that I stopped caring what people ¨C even an Eidolon - thought.  I should¡¯ve had some damn respect for the fallen, but all I had instead was googly-eyes.¡± She shook her head in shame, ¡°I don¡¯t know how it got away from me so fast.  I really did convince myself that I was just trying to find some solace.  I¡¯m still worried how much damage I¡¯ve done to us.¡±

    Furion just paused in his steps and turned towards her, and pulled her closer into a hug.  He held there a short while, but then pulled back again and looked down to her, ¡°¡­Depends, did you go down on him?¡±

    Her face went red, ¡°Why would you ask me that?¡±

    ¡°Well?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡± She answered with a huff, skin feeling tight for the embarrassment, ¡°Weird as it sounds, the feeling I had about the whole thing made me want to have my eyes up.  In the thick of it, I wanted him completely in my sights, and¡­I was adamant about looking into his eyes.  It must¡¯ve come across as strange to him, but he played along anyway.¡±

    Furion leaned down and set a warm kiss to her lips, ¡°Silver linings, I suppose.¡± He said, and got a slightly confused look for it, only for the dawn of realization to set in.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯d let you kiss me for another week if I had.¡± She noted, and looked down, putting her brow to his chest, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know how you can forgive me for this¡­¡±

    ¡°Knowing what I do, my earnest concern is actually for Lugios.¡± He answered, and felt that hug around his waist a little tighter, ¡°But I suppose he¡¯s got his hands full right now, and he probably won¡¯t have much time to think about it.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ren wondered, and looked up just far enough to squish her nose against him instead.

    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t see all the headlines?  Kitez accused the Fourth of trying to kill the Duchess.¡±

    She pulled back with a start, ¡°W-what!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s major news everywhere.  I¡¯m surprised you missed it.¡±

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t need it for my hair right now, I¡¯d have turned my HUD off entirely once I was out of my armor.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of¡­¡± Furion said, giving Ren a palpitation, ¡°When did you first notice?¡±

    She stayed quiet a moment, and turned to start walking again, ¡°When I screamed in the bathroom the other morning.  It scared the crap out of me.  ¡­It was only my roots at that point, though¡­it¡¯s spread so far since then¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Heh?  Right now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.  We¡¯re far enough away from the others; no one else will witness.¡±

    She whined a little, but agreed, and made a few gestures to cancel the effect.  The nanotech coloration faded off of her like flame-burns eating through paper, and when the effect was all gone, the extent of those extra hours was evident.  Her bangs were completely white, and the depigmentation had crept to the base of her ponytail, with the strands that arose from the back of her head going up into her clip like the underbelly of a tuxedo-cat, ¡°¡­How bad is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s definitely moving still.  What about the rest of it?¡±

    Ren quickly put the effect back, and put a worried hand over her mouth, ¡°¡­I¡¯ve¡­got this constant feeling in my chest, kind of similar to stage-fright, but it¡¯s this sense of doom, like if I don¡¯t get back to Gabe right away, something bad will happen.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s still manageable?¡±

    ¡°For now¡­¡± She answered, and sucked in a long breath, ¡°Can we sit down for a minute?  I feel like everything is really starting to hit me all of a sudden.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­yeah, sure.¡± Furion said easily, and looked around for a good spot.  There was a semi-flat rock not too far away, and he walked them over to it.  He took his seat first, and Ren sat a bit lower on the incline, right between his legs.  She draped an arm over each one and leaned back against him, and he slid his own over the front of her shoulders, kissing the side of her head, ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s freaking me out.¡±

    ¡°I can tell.  You don¡¯t like being little spoon unless you¡¯re not feeling good.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­  I don¡¯t even understand why I was able to get through that whole day with Gabe and not have something happen.  What the Hell was Scyrexian waiting for?  I know Seth said it needs to be invited out, but still¡­what stopped it from making me say something?  He was right in front of me, for hours and hours¡­and the best it could do was make me feel like I was missing something?¡±

    ¡°Well, if it can¡¯t manipulate you directly, maybe that¡¯s a good sign?¡±

    ¡°¡­It just whispers sometimes.  And then it shows me the nightmares¡­visions¡­memories¡­whatever you want to call them.  When I¡¯m asleep.¡± She explained, and pulled her limbs over again so she could clasp her fingers lightly to her partner¡¯s forearms, ¡°¡­Did¡­you see how they died?  The ones it killed¡­¡±

    ¡°I saw what they saw.¡± Furion answered, and slowly rubbed his jaw against her hair, ¡°The first one to fall was Donivan.  I sent him into the room it busted into, and it¡­¡±

    Ren clenched her eyes shut, ¡°¡­I can¡­feel it, on my own hands¡­like I did it.  The pressure.  It¡¯s so strong¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a good idea to have me around like this?¡± Ren wondered, and lifted her head to look back at the man, ¡°¡­I can¡¯t guarantee that it isn¡¯t getting stronger.  What if, when all my hair is white, it¡¯ll mean it can make me do stuff?  What if it starts turning me, like it did to Ianori, with that weird resin it made on his body?¡±

    ¡°If you feel like you¡¯re a danger, then we won¡¯t go back.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t ¨C not right now, anyway ¨C but¡­I can¡¯t guarantee that won¡¯t change.¡±

    Furion stayed quiet a moment, looking out over the gentle push and pull of the tide.  The foam licked at the rocky beach, then receded again, only for a new wave to softly roll in.  He then set his chin atop the Dame¡¯s crown, and shrugged, ¡°With everything I¡¯ve seen and heard, I¡¯m certain that you¡¯ll know if something is wrong.  You just about had a heart attack and it still couldn¡¯t get through.  Whatever you¡¯re doing ¨C whatever conditions need to be met ¨C it¡¯s not happening as you are.  So, we¡¯ll just take it one day at a time.  I was thinking about asking Seth to look at you, too¡­see if there¡¯s any way to assess for commonality between the way it transfigured the others, and now you.  There¡¯s so many variables at play¡­  Who knows?  Seth said it could only freely get between the bodies of the dead.  You¡¯re very-much alive.  It could just be trapped completely as long as you stay that way.¡±

    She gave a suspicious look, ¡°And you¡¯d just be fine with that?  It¡¯s kind of a weird threesome you¡¯re inviting.¡±

    Furion snorted, and lifted his head, ¡°Yeah, I guess it does seem that way.  But I¡¯ve already endured enough tragedy this week.  I¡¯m not going to give you up, too.  Scyrexian¡¯s just going to have to deal with getting an eye-full.¡±  He answered, and pulled his arms back to cup his hands over those thin shoulders, ¡°¡­And, pops just messaged me.  Let¡¯s head back.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 66 â€“ Two Steps Towards The Future, One Foot Firmly In The Impossible

    Xanarken was on the landing-pad when Maeve finally touched down late in the afternoon.  As a smaller skiff, there was no need for it to go all the way up to the top of the spire like the diplomat-ship had done, and when Gabriel hopped out and got clear, the platform itself moved, taking Maeve into the storage-lot further within.  The Fourth was all-smiles as his heir approached, ¡°There¡¯s the man of the hour.¡±

    ¡°I did good?¡±

    ¡°You did really good.¡± Xanarken affirmed proudly, and reached his hands out to clasp around both of those shoulders, ¡°You even impressed Rylen.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh.  I¡¯m¡­I mean, I did?  I thought he was angry with me.¡±

    ¡°Maybe by proxy, but I think you reminded him why I promoted you.  Your working relationship with him will probably change dramatically once you¡¯re using a mantle.¡± The Fourth explained, and turned to walk with the Vice towards one of the exit-elevators, ¡°And I think he enjoys the fact that you don¡¯t discount the potential of the Sixth to be the wolf behind the pup.¡±

    ¡°How come you don¡¯t?¡± Gabriel wondered, ¡°You two have been working together for half an epoch.  You refer to each other as brothers.  I¡¯d figure you¡¯d follow the ¡®where I go, we go¡¯ ethos.¡±

    Xanarken hesitated to answer for a moment, but as the door to the elevator opened and they went in, he shrugged, ¡°When you¡¯ve seen as much as I have, you tend to hold certain trump-cards close to the vest.  You¡¯ve never seen the kind of Hell that Rylen can unleash if he¡¯s provoked.¡±

    ¡°When has he ever?¡±

    ¡°Oh, a bunch of times.  Kitez is hardly the first rebellious colony that wanted to go it alone because they were stranded for a couple generations.¡± The Fourth answered, ¡°Back before the Sixth actually had SkyFortresses though, and it was mostly smaller vessels, he was a bit more strategic with the assaults.  But, ultimately, the point still stands; he takes no chances, and he¡¯s never lost a fight.  I¡¯d just rather exhaust every possible diplomatic option before even considering letting Rylen out.¡±

    ¡°¡­Should I back off on mentioning the Sixth then?¡±

    ¡°I think you should do what you think is best.  If you go out there trying to be a mini-me, the people you¡¯re dealing with will just think you¡¯re acting as my proxy, and that they can always go around you to ask me for the final word.  You have to find your own identity as an Eidolon, so that your word is the final word.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not going to be an Eidolon though.  Even if the name is in the label, it¡¯s just fancy packaging around High Negotiator like before.¡±

    ¡°And that, kiddo, is why I came to pick you up myself.¡± Xanarken explained, ¡°I¡¯m not cutting you loose for the night until you¡¯ve gotten scanned.¡±

    ¡°Uh oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sound so unenthusiastic.¡± Xanarken puffed, ¡°Anyone else in your shoes would be chomping at the bit to get what you¡¯re getting.¡±

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just¡­weird.¡± Gabriel sighed, and found himself nudged out of the elevator and out onto a different level within the spire.  They were beneath the ground-level, and they stepped along the platform to one of the subterranean mag-train tunnels.  It was build as a perfectly-circular tube, and the gentle, slowly-pulsing hum of the system that powered it could be felt in the air.  There was already a mag-train waiting for them ¨C spherical in shape, with a clear exterior and three rows of seats set within a perimeter that lined the inner wall - doors open, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen one of these things empty before.  It¡¯s eerie.¡±

    ¡°This one is going straight to Arbelos, no stops along the way, so it¡¯s basically out of service to everyone else.¡± Xanarken explained, and showed the way in.

    Gabriel still stayed back a moment, a worried look on his face, ¡°¡­I feel like this is happening too fast.¡±

    ¡°Heh, I¡¯m the opposite.  Feels like I¡¯ve been waiting for years.  Come on, then.¡±

    The blonde mumbled a quiet whine under his breath, but followed, and grabbed a seat near the closing door.  The sphere started to move, following the perfectly-circular chute as it picked up speed.  The inertia of it was mild, even as it changed direction and the standing-platform within it moved relative to whatever true level always was.  And¡­if Gabriel wasn¡¯t immediately nauseated and dizzy from the sight of the city appearing and fading into the distance as the mag-train went vertical on the outside of Agartha¡¯s central tower, he might¡¯ve appreciated the view.

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll get over that little fear once you¡¯ve had a chance to mess around with the different mantles.¡± Xanarken teased, ¡°Knowing you can¡¯t take falling-damage, in essence, really liberates the mind from natural instinct.  You can go flying in the shape of a literal bird or swim with the body of one of those crazy Poseidon-sharks.  The possibilities are endless.  Get creative with it.  You could even do like Etienne and manufacture yourself the body of a forest god, and prance-around in the woods.¡±

    Gabriel had to lay-down flat on the ground, heedless to it being dirty from the footprints of prior passengers, ¡°Here I thought the Eidolon actually had jobs to do.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re still human, in the end, and we all need outlets for rest and creativity.¡± The Fourth puffed, ¡°Unless you¡¯re Arbelos, in which case taking a break is akin to suicide.¡±

    The mag-train finally came to a stop, and for a mercy, instead of simply opening-up again with its exterior facing the open skyline, it went inside the building to rest at an actual dock.  Gabriel still needed a minute to recover, and ultimately had to crawl pitifully out of the pod before everything around him stopped spinning.  Xanarken just shook his head and waited.

    There was still a short distance to go yet before they actually made it to their destination, but it was all safely within the walls of the tower.  Up a long series of wide, unassuming steps, and through two substantial doors, they finally entered into the proverbial beating heart of the World Cloud itself.

    It was a round-ish room, with a series of very-slowly-rotating concentric circles embedded in the floor; whether they were time-pieces, an astrolabe, or some other kind of machine, Gabriel had no idea.  Above them, hovering like a blue dwarf-star, was the faintly glowing image of the Fifth Eidolon, though on a much grander scale than that of the wisp that had briefly appeared to Rylen¡¯s summons.  It was surrounded by nanotech panels ¨C blinking in and out of existence ¨C and a number of smaller orbs orbited around.  When it finally realized that it wasn¡¯t alone in that room, the entire sphere rotated on an axis and ¡®face¡¯ them; solid-light panels opened in a sequence ahead of it, creating something of an iris with which to observe them.

    ¡°Yo.¡± Xanarken raised a hand, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    Gabriel was baffled, ¡°¡­Why does he look like that?¡±

    ¡°Why do any of us look the way we do?¡± Xanarken answered, and shrugged up his shoulders, ¡°Anyway.¡± He turned back to the Fifth, ¡°Thanks for agreeing to do this right away.  Things are heating up in Kitez and I need this one fit to fight.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I kinda hate how you said that.¡±

    The Fourth swatted him.

    The massive iris narrowed slightly, changing its focus from Xanarken to Gabriel and back again, ¡°This one is to become an Eidolon.¡± A voice spoke ¨C loud but passive ¨C but, to Gabriel¡¯s confusion, sounded like young boy.

    ¡°He¡¯s been acting in the capacity of one for some time now.  He needs access to a mantle to be as effective as one, though.¡± Xanarken explained, ¡°Can we just get straight to it?¡±

    The iris turned back towards Gabriel, and the way it zoomed-in on him made it seem like it was actually extending itself closer to the man.  Gabriel just stood there in uncomfortable silence, although he balked when he heard that boy-child¡¯s voice give him an unexpected command.

    ¡°Undress.¡±

    ¡°Hah!?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not gonna scan you in all your clothes.  It would take too much time to render you down to skin-level.¡± Xanarken explained, ¡°He¡¯s going to manufacture the digital doll-body that you can dress-up later.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just supposed to strip right here in the full sight of both of you?¡±

    ¡°Not all the way.  Just¡­most of the way.  Go on.¡±

    Gabriel muttered discontentedly under his breath, but released the image of his uniform-jacket, and grudgingly pulled the material base of the rest of his things away until he was just there in his shorts.  He crossed his arms and glowered, ¡°This is degrading.¡±

    ¡°Please tie your hair tightly to the back of your head.¡± Arbelos commanded, ¡°Your back and neck must be uncovered.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    That was less intrusive, so he didn¡¯t complain, and pulled the tie from his hair.  Fingers combed through his bangs to blend it in with the rest ¨C Xanarken watched the red coloration fade as those bangs became part of the whole.  Gabriel then grabbed the whole length of the ponytail around his right hand, coiled it around into a loop, and pulled the rest of it around the base of the loop until it was just the red-streaked tips, which he pulled through and tightened.

    ¡°Please stand in a neutral position and extend your arms straight out at shoulder-level.¡± Arbelos instructed next, as the entirety of that star-like orb started to move out and above the man.

    Gabriel swallowed a nervous breath, but did as bid, and watched as the entire iris came down over top of him, engulfing him as those solid-light panels rotated - rising, and falling ¨C for nearly half a minute.  Xanarken watched carefully, those vivid purple eyes never blinking.

    ¡°You may release your hair again.¡±

    The bun was loosed, and it all went tumbling down behind Gabriel¡¯s back; those long, wing-like bangs were shaken free as well, and as soon as they settled, the red crept back in like he¡¯d dipped the tips in ink.  Another scan was taken from there, and finally, Arbelos lifted the iris and went back to his neutral position above the rings.

    ¡°Your mantle will be ready in two weeks.¡± That child-like voice answered, ¡°Please review the schematic database that I will send to you now.  It is imperative that you select a range of garb-options so that you may present yourself in the manner of your choosing.  Thank you.  Goodbye.¡±

    And with that, Arbelos went back to what he was doing before¡­whatever that was.

    Gabriel was a bit flummoxed by the whole thing, but shook his head, grabbed his hair to put it back into its usual style, and bent down to collect his things.  At the end, he backed-into the mag-train in reverse, and found a seat that wasn¡¯t facing the full open skyline of the city, ¡°¡­That was, quite possibly, the weirdest thing I¡¯ve ever experienced.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he probably could¡¯ve figured out a better way to do that, but¡­¡± Xanarken couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the whole thing, ¡°Well, you¡¯re the first person he¡¯s ever scanned, so I guess it was a prototype method.  Whatever it takes though, right?¡±

    ¡°If that was the first time, how did you guys get your mantles?¡±

    ¡°Vaguely-humanoid-shaped templates that were developed on Earth, at first.¡± Xanarken answered, ¡°Like I told you, the original purpose of the Eidolon System was a scouting program.  There wasn¡¯t any need for it to have any particular identity or personality.  It was just¡­a generic amalgamation that got the job done.  We only started making unique images for ourselves when Arbelos started disseminating nanotech out into the world in cannisters, and we wanted to be able to confer with other colonies as ourselves.  That¡¯s initially the whole reason we set it all up this way; being able to keep working at the Agartha main-camp while sending our avatars to other sites as we found them.¡±

    ¡°¡­How did Rylen end up looking like he does now, though?  And Etienne¡­?  And, well, shit¡­Arbelos.  Damn.¡±

    The Fourth laughed and sat beside his heir, looking rather relaxed now that that chore was finished, ¡°The original templates weren¡¯t super great.  They served, but people who interacted with them complained about the uncanny valley feelings they got from us.  Rylen got kind of impatient with the way people didn¡¯t like looking at him, so he acquiesced to the requests to make the mantles look better¡­only to take it a step further.  He called it malicious compliance.  Thought it was really funny.  I, on the other hand, didn¡¯t want to change the way I looked much, so the purple highlights are kind of a new thing from probably a hundred years back.  Etienne started to change her mantle after around 70 years of looking like her original self.  She had the idea in mind that if we were going to be these unique immortal creatures, she wanted to embody the concept in visuals, too.  Being so long-lived as us, our knowledge and experience started to seem deific to the people who came and went after us, so I guess I can¡¯t blame her.  Flaunt it if you¡¯ve got it, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­But Arbelos¡­?  He doesn¡¯t even go anywhere.  That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not even really him.¡± Xanarken answered, drawing a look of genuine confusion, ¡°The focus you saw up there is, in reality, the core of the World Cloud; he just kind of borrows the place when he¡¯s needed in person.  The whole room is a server-bank, and the blue orb-thing in the middle is a coalesced cloud of ambient energy coming off of Syraph.¡±

    ¡°¡­Come again?¡±

    ¡°About a mile down is the Eidolon System, with the Seraphim Engine at its co-¡±

    ¡°No, I know that part, but¡­that blue cloud was literally Syraph?¡±

    ¡°Well, indirectly, but yeah.  When I said that energy radiated off of her, I meant it literally.  You can feel it, interact with it, manipulate it¡­harness it into a power-system that flows through all the nanotech in use today.  It all originates from that room.  The panels that float around the core are new nanotech being charged with that energy before going out into the ambient Cloud.  There¡¯s always more being made, especially in the days since Sargon opened-up to us.¡±

    ¡°¡­How does so much tech not blot-out the sun?¡±

    ¡°Oh, in the beginning it was miserable.  It was like smoggy patches.  It took Arbelos years to figure out how to get it to be less obvious¡­now it just blends in like it¡¯s not even there.  But you wanna know something kinda cool?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Gabriel dared.

    ¡°The Eidolon can see the Cloud.¡± Xanarken answered, ¡°And you¡¯ll be able to see it soon, too, when you¡¯re up and running.  There¡¯s a setting you can turn on that cancels-out the light-refraction effect, and it all becomes visible.  It coalesces into paths¡­this massive, unending lattice¡­threads that connect literal rivers that flow through the sky.  It reminds me so much of those early conceptual models of the known universe, with all those filaments of the cosmic web stretching out into eternity.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll really like it, once you get over the initial shock of the change.¡± Xanarken continued, and the pod suddenly became enshrouded in the dark of the underground-component of the chute, ¡°What seems like a sacrifice now will quickly fade.  The way the world just opens-up when you can go anywhere you need to be in an instant¡­  The freedom from base needs like eating or bathing or going to the bathroom; all this stuff that won¡¯t matter anymore¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I like food though?  I thought you said I could come and go from the System as I pleased.¡± Gabriel asked suspiciously, ¡°You¡¯re starting to make it sound like that won¡¯t be the case after all.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just eager.¡± The Fourth relented, and looked up as the mag-train started to slow down again, ¡°I literally cannot wait to see the great things you do once you¡¯ve got your full kit.¡±

    ¡°Would you have eventually pushed for this outcome anyway?  Even if not for the Sterling Rose situation, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, definitely.¡± Xanarken laughed, and pushed up to stand as the pod came to a stop at its original dock again.  Gabriel stood as well, and they departed into that empty station, ¡°The Sterling Rose certainly kicked things up a notch, but the cogs were already turning when you zipped into Sargon two years ago.  And look how far things have come since then; Sargon is one small nudge away from joining the Accord.  I think the Emperor¡¯s just looking for a good excuse to pull the trigger.  That¡¯s all your good work.  And even though you have misgivings about how things turned out with Kitez recently, the way you hammered Far¡¯nah during the convention was a master-class.  I¡¯ve no doubt that Emperor Iresha¡¯s foreign-affairs Minister is already reporting-back to him what happened.  The further Kitez is pushed into a corner, the more free Sargon will feel to cut its losses.  And while I will always hope for a civilized resolution to what happens out there¡­you¡¯ve definitely set the stage for the Accord to accept the invasion if it comes to that.¡±

    That opened-up the nervous pit in Gabe¡¯s stomach again, ¡°¡­Her final words aren¡¯t sitting well with me.  I didn¡¯t want to set the stage that excuses the Sixth marching on Kitez.  What the Hell is Far¡¯nah thinking, spreading her arms out like that and saying ¡®come at me, bro¡¯?  It¡¯s suicide. How does the entire Conclave stand behind it?  No wonder the Duke wants out so bad¡­  Timid as he is, even he can see the writing on the wall.  Gods, I hope he makes it to the Dawn of Ages¡­  I¡¯ll feel terrible if something happens to him before he has a chance to get out.¡±

    ¡°Waiting patiently can sometimes be one of the hardest things you have to do.¡± The Fourth reassured, ¡°What do you plan to do now?¡±

    ¡°¡­I know you don¡¯t want me to, but I kinda wanna call Ren; see how she¡¯s doing since Rylen laid into her earlier.¡± He answered, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him tear someone up like that before¡­least not one of his own.  I can¡¯t even begin to imagine how she felt after.  She took off so fast¡­¡±

    Xanarken gave him quite the look, ¡°Gabe, you¡¯ve gotta sort that situation out before you start using your mantle.  You can¡¯t be cavorting with a mistress as an Eidolon.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t just stop feeling how I do.¡± The Vice argued, ¡°This is such miserable timing¡­  I¡¯ve been on my own since my early 20s and now, all of a sudden, it¡¯s a problem.¡±

    The Fourth drew in a long breath and let out a vocal sigh, ¡°¡­Just¡­let it be for now.  Rylen¡¯s still pretty mad at her for how she acted in front of him this morning.  If he finds out you¡¯re trying to talk to her after that¡­you might get put on that same shit-list.  He just acknowledged the good job you did at the convention.  Don¡¯t spoil it.¡±

    ¡°How long am I supposed to ignore her, then?  I can only put her off for so long before I start to look like an asshole.  She didn¡¯t get into trouble on her own.¡±

    Xanarken narrowed his eyes slightly, ¡°You¡¯re putting me in a weird position.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because I just told Rylen I¡¯d do my best to keep you two apart, but I feel like if I don¡¯t help you figure this thing out, you¡¯ll hobble yourself before you stand a chance.¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you suggesting?¡± Gabriel raised a brow, ¡°You¡¯ve been so adamant about sticking me into the System that it¡¯s like everyone¡¯s forgotten it was you and Rylen who put her with me.  You even once suggested she¡¯d be a good influence on me.  Surprise, you were right!  Now I¡¯m just being punished for it with this crap about Rylen being mad at her, and the salacious insinuation that she¡¯s actually involved with someone else, suggesting I just facilitated adultery or something.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know.¡± Xanarken waved his hands down, then pulled one up to his goatee in thought, ¡°¡­Let me go look in on her myself first.  I needed an excuse to ask her how she¡¯s doing anyway.  Rylen may hold her in high regard, but only as a weapon, not a person, so he couldn¡¯t really tell me how she¡¯s holding-up since the massacre.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯d really do that?¡±

    Those purple eyes looked up hesitantly, ¡°If I help you find peace with this situation, will you promise to focus on the Eidolon-stuff?¡±

    ¡°Depends what kind of peace you¡¯re implying.¡± Gabriel crossed his arms.

    ¡°You and Ren get whatever you¡¯re looking for from each other, come to an understanding that you¡¯ve got work to do, and accept that you¡¯re not going to be together.  I can only offer you my help insofar as to give you a soft landing.  I¡¯m not playing match-maker, especially not if it¡¯s true that she¡¯s already spoken-for.  That¡¯s a whole nest of trouble I want nothing to do with.  ¡­And, as I¡¯ve said before already, you won¡¯t have time for that kind of thing anyway once you come into your not-unliteral crown.¡±

    Gabriel wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about it, but he nodded anyway, ¡°¡­Fine¡­  She said she was helping escort Seth back home.  So, she¡¯s gone to wherever the kid¡¯s family lives.¡±

    ¡°I already know exactly where she is.¡±

    ¡°¡­You spying on her or something?  I thought you abhorred the idea of tracking people.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not tracking her, per se.  I¡¯m tracking the nanotech that she¡¯s been accessing.  The World Cloud is my mountain, so it¡¯s like following the footsteps in the snow that she knowingly left behind.  That¡¯s fair-game.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 67 â€“ To Be Beholden To The Consequences of Oneâ€™s Actions

    News-broadcasts about the ¡®accident¡¯ at one of the First Wing¡¯s research facilities was starting to gain traction in the wider zeitgeist of the civilian population.  Images from the site were nonexistent, given the wide restricted border surrounding it, but from afar, the dainty sight of the Bulwark could be seen.

    The thing that had really gotten people¡¯s attention though was the Aegis, and its warped and twisted forward cannon.  Footage of that was easy to collect, given that it was finally limping back towards Agarthan airspace.  Chevrons along the bottom of those collective screens had precious little to say about it though.

    [Sixth Wing LCSF Aegis returns to shipyard for assessment after apparent malfunction of forward cannon.]

    Kourin pulled back the hood on her sweater to get a better look, and grabbed blindly for her companion¡¯s arm to get his attention, ¡°Phex, Phex look.¡±

    They were in a little caf¨¦, and she pointed at the displays above the merchant¡¯s kiosk ¨C displays that could only be seen with access to the World Cloud; they each sported a pair of those special glasses.

    Phexides yawned behind one hand, looking on blearily, ¡°What am I looking at?¡± He whispered.

    ¡°Ugh you always take so long to fully wake-up after stasis.¡± She grumbled, and turned towards him, ¡°I told you before we came to Agartha¡­  Our ticket outta here had to make a pit-stop to wipe-out the Fafnir and snatch a hostage that it can use to get to Lugios.  Finding out if and when that happened is the entire reason we¡¯re here right now.  The state the Aegis is in¡­that can only mean the fight has happened, and the Aegis overtaxed itself in the brawl.  To think, it was strong enough to make a whole SkyFortress fight¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Does that mean it got what it wanted, then?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve gotta wait for Tallus to find out that part from Latheroux and tell us.¡±

    ¡°¡­Who is that again?¡±

    Kourin stared with narrowed eyes, ¡°How does Tallus trust you with anything half as important as manufacturing identities for us when you can¡¯t even remember who¡¯s who?  The Latheroux persona was your damned idea!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­  Post-stasis brain-fog is hitting me hard this time¡­¡± Phexides whined and went back to his snacks, ¡°Just¡­tell me again in a couple days¡­¡±

    There was nothing for it; Kourin mumbled - annoyed ¨C into her drink.

    .

    The barest sliver of sunlight was fading off the eastern horizon when an out-of-place grey and white Himalayan long-hair with bright purple eyes hopped into the tall-grass.  It trilled as it stuck its head up to get its bearings, and trotted off with that bouncy-fluffy tail held high.  The outdoor patio area had been vacated for the indoors a while ago, but those lines of gentle flame behind the deck-chairs were still lit, and the cat walked gingerly by, looking around as if it owned the place.  It stopped in its tracks though when the sliding-glass doors from the house opened, and two sets of feet came back outside.

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to just leave like this.¡± Ren was saying, ¡°I just need some air¡­¡±

    ¡°Things probably won¡¯t feel very much like normal for a long time, hun.¡± Dianna answered, and pushed the doors back together.  She followed the Dame out to the ledge of the upper deck, and sat beside her where legs could dangle over an alcove to the lower section.  She gently rubbed a hand up and down Ren¡¯s back before setting both down onto the wood-planking behind her and leaned into them, ¡°But you just take it a little bit at a time, and eventually you make room for the void that¡¯s been made by the losses.¡±

    ¡°¡­It still doesn¡¯t even feel real.¡± Ren replied quietly, eyes down on the railing farther ahead of her, ¡°But I feel guilty none the less.  If I had been there from the start, would the outcome have been any different?  ¡­Would I have been able to prevent a single death?¡±

    ¡°Or would you have been counted among them yourself?¡± Dianna noted, and lifted a hand to brush a few strands of dark hair over Ren¡¯s left ear, ¡°Don¡¯t torture yourself with questions like that.  Face the reality.  Guilt for what may have been won¡¯t change what is.¡±

    ¡°The Fafnir have never faced anything like this before though.  There¡¯s¡­no precedent to follow.  No example to learn by.¡± Ren countered, and gestured futilely into the darkened expanse, ¡°That creature we faced¡­?  What even was it?  I¡¯m probably not even allowed to ask those questions out loud like this.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get yourself into trouble.¡±

    Ren nodded, but after a moment, she pushed off that short ledge and walked forward on the lower section, ¡°I think I¡¯ll just hang-out here for a little while.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± The matriarch answered, a concerned look on her face.  She stayed a few seconds before standing, and quietly made her way through the doors again.

    Slouched over the black-iron railing, Ren set her sights onto the dark waters, the ¡®stage-fright¡¯ dread still swirling in her chest.  She bent her arm inward to rub her knuckles against her sternum again and gave a quiet whine, ¡­I hate this feeling.  It¡¯s like a constant, loud drip of water when I¡¯m trying to sleep; gnawing and raw.  I can¡¯t even truly spare a thought for the others because this thing won¡¯t let me think of anything but Gabe¡­

    ¡°Prrt¡­¡± That trill sounded, and soft-paws tapped on the short set of wooden stairs from the deck behind.

    Ren glanced backward, thinking for a moment the household cat had gotten out, only to spot a different familiar creature.  She just about jumped out of her skin at the sight of it, ¡°L-Lord Xanarken!?  What are you doing here!?¡±

    The Himalayan just hopped-up onto a nearby drink-table, and sat down, looking at her inquisitively, ¡°Partly personal interest, partly on behalf of another.¡± He answered, ¡°Mostly¡­wondering why you¡¯re using a color-augment on your hair that¡¯s the same color as your hair.¡±

    ¡°Sh-shit, not again.¡± She muttered under her breath, and grabbed her head with both hands, ¡°That¡¯s the second time in a row¡­¡±

    ¡°Dame?¡±

    She didn¡¯t give it a second thought; she grabbed the cat with both arms and literally leapt out of sight.  She landed on a rocky outcrop roughly halfway between the patio and the spot where the Sixth Wing skiff had been parked, then jumped again a little further towards it, and finally glowered at the little creature, ¡°Lord Xanarken, you can¡¯t just show up like this.¡±

    ¡°Funny, I¡¯m outside¡­I thought I could.¡±

    ¡°Can you not be a cat if we¡¯re doing this now?¡±

    The Eidolon flicked its ear, but then dissolved from the Knight¡¯s grasp, and reformed as his normal self a few paces away.  Ren immediately gave that instinctive salute, but the Fourth simply waved her down, ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that.  I¡¯m here as a friend.¡±

    ¡°¡­My friend the Eidolon¡­¡± Ren muttered to herself in disbelief, but lowered her arm, ¡°¡­Sir¡­¡±

    ¡°Rylen admitted he took a pound of flesh earlier today.  After everything you¡¯d already been through, I thought it prudent to come check on you.¡± Xanarken explained, ¡°Gabe¡¯s worried about you, too.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    She could feel one eye twitch, ¡°Sir, I¡­uh¡­  I don¡¯t know what to say about all that right now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not here to offer relationship advice, but¡­you¡¯ve got about two weeks to figure out how to break it off with him before it happens by proxy.¡± The Fourth explained, ¡°And the sooner you do, the less it¡¯ll hurt.¡±

    That just made her heart sink into her stomach, ¡°¡­It¡­was a mistake.  I have no excuse for my actions.¡±

    ¡°Gabe will be in Agartha until after the Fafnir Memorial.  If you¡¯re going to take him, you should probably do it then.¡±

    ¡°What?  Take him?¡± She echoed.

    ¡°Take him?¡± Xanarken said curiously, ¡°I said break up with him.¡±

    Ren¡¯s brow wrinkled in confusion, ¡­Did I hear him wrong?  I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what he said.

    ¡°He¡¯ll understand if it comes from you.  I can beat him over the head with it until I¡¯m blue in the face but it doesn¡¯t matter as long as he still has hope.¡± The Eidolon continued anyway, ¡°But as soon as he starts using a mantle, he¡¯s going to be really difficult to reach, and he¡¯ll be stuck with the regret about what if.  He thinks he can make something work by only using the mantle part-time.  Speaking purely from a leadership perspective, though¡­I can¡¯t have him distracted by this.  You need to get through to him as soon as you can.¡±

    I know he¡¯s right, but the last thing I want is to put Gabe at risk with this, Ren thought, biting the inside of her lip.

    ¡°Your last chance will probably be the Dawn of Ages at the end of next week.¡± Xanarken continued, ¡°Let that be the deadline.  He¡¯ll be in Trazad for that one, alongside the Emperor.  ¡­Although, if you drag it out that long, I would ask that you wait until after the party¡¯s over before you pull him aside.¡±

    ¡°Yessir¡­¡± She answered, head bowed down, heart pounding hard behind her ribs.

    Xanarken¡¯s discerning eyes were not content to just stare at the guilt-ridden woman though.  In a clear abuse of his power as an Eidolon ¨C and a Lord of the World Cloud Mountain ¨C he took the moment of distraction to roll-back the effect Ren¡¯s hair-augment, starting at the crown.  He saw a palm-sized chunk of pure white before Ren lifted her head again and Xanarken took his finger off the dial.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for how what I¡¯ve done has given Gabe the wrong idea.¡± She said, clear hurt on her voice, ¡°I¡­I know that what I did was wrong.¡±

    ¡°You are, in fact, Captain Rydell¡¯s partner, are you not?¡±

    Ren cringed at the mention, ¡°Yes, and¡­he knows.  I just¡­never conferred that fact to Gabe himself.¡±

    ¡°People do inexplicable things in the aftermath of traumatic circumstances.¡± Xanarken noted, and took those few steps closer.  He reached a hand forward to press softly to the outside of her shoulder, and gave it a pat, ¡°But, Gabriel did chase you all the way out there, so maybe you felt like you owed him something.  Please don¡¯t feel that way.  You already did him a world of good while you two were partnered together.  Let that be the take-away.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yessir.¡±

    ¡°Miss Reeeeennn!¡±

    She looked back with a start, and spotted Seth out on the patio where she¡¯d just been.  When she turned around again though, Xanarken was gone.  She could feel her hands trembling lightly at her side, and she pulled one up to press against the side of her face, I can¡¯t stay here tonight¡­  She thought grimly, a nervous bead of sweat on her brow, trailing down her other cheek, If Scyrexian¡¯s able to make me mishear what people are saying¡­maybe it¡¯s only a matter of time before it starts changing what I say, too.

    ¡°Miss Ren, why are you all the way out here?¡±

    For the second time, she thought she would jump out of her skin.  She flipped around frantically; Seth was right behind her already somehow, ¡°How did you get up here that fast!?  You were on the balcony like four seconds ago!¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been calling out to you this whole time.  Didn¡¯t you hear?¡± The teen wondered, ¡°¡­Are you okay?  You¡¯re not trying to leave, are you?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡­¡± Ren started, only to stop and shake her head, ¡°Never mind.  ¡­I need to talk to your brother.¡±

    .

    The evening crept onward far in the west, and Far¡¯nah looked up with satisfaction at the SSCF Tuonela, hovering above her city.  Dressed-down from her typical royal garb in just a silk night-robe ¨C and without the antler-crown or make-up ¨C she seemed rather pleased with herself.

    And that persisted for all of 10 more seconds, before her pitiable husband made his presence known.

    ¡°¡­Can we talk?¡±

    She glanced back over a shoulder and watched that uncertain approach, but she turned around anyway, ¡°What is it?¡±

    Mardu stepped warily closer, but made sure to stay on the inside aspect of the veranda door, while Far¡¯nah stayed on its outside in contrast, ¡°¡­I think it was a mistake to dare the Sixth to come for the ship.¡± He started, ¡°It¡¯s the whole world against just us.  We can¡¯t hope to win a fight like that.  ¡­For the life of me, I don¡¯t understand why you would taunt them in this way.¡±

    ¡°My love,¡± She answered, and took a few steps closer, a hand outstretched to touch gently to his arm, ¡°My Vindicator is not just an idle threat.  I will protect us when the Council comes here.  ¡­That was the entire intent of my warning.¡±

    ¡°Protect us how?¡± Mardu asked, a pleading tone in his voice, ¡°Even if we bring our entire military up, the Council simply has more firepower.  They also have the backing of the Accord; if the Sixth comes under fire from us, every single other nation will send arms against us.  There is no way to win this.  You have to give the Vindicator to them.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember nothing from the tour I gave you?¡± The Duchess wondered, ¡°I haven¡¯t been painstakingly restoring the functionality of that ship just to lift it from the ocean floor and walk it into the arms of the Eidolon.¡±

    ¡°¡­But you¡¯re threatening them with harm to the passengers.  That won¡¯t be enough of a deterrent to keep them beyond the border, and it certainly won¡¯t gain you the recognition you¡¯re asking for.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± She pulled her hand back, and crossed her arms over herself, bracing against the evening chill, ¡°Which is why I¡¯m going to wrest it from them with a show of force.  I expect the Luminaries to come here.  The only question is how long Rylen can hold-out against the temptation.  When it happens, I want the entire Accord to watch as Rylen proves himself the aggressor, and ruin him along with his fleet, in one fell swoop.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you can be so confident¡­  I¡¯m begging you to make it make sense.¡±

    ¡°Look up, my love.¡± She said, and turned around, gesturing at the behemoth hovering high above, ¡°What you see is just a cargo ship, bearing the weight and memory of a time long past.  But what I see is a sword and shield.  Within it is the living, beating heart of a power the Council can¡¯t possibly stand against.¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°The Eye of Kitez.¡± She answered, ¡°A focus that will concentrate all the rage and resentment of the last three centuries into a weapon that will take down Rylen¡¯s fleet.  We¡¯ve already tested and proven the efficacy of the shield-system against nanotech, so the Eidolon can¡¯t simply infect it with their toxic Cloud.  The Sixth could bring all ten of its SkyFortresses here and I¡¯ll swat each one out of the sky as it arrives.  Rylen¡¯s arrogance will lead him to believe he can simply steam-roll us, and he won¡¯t form any real strategy.  I will humble him, by making him watch his war-machine burn to ash and dust in front of his eyes.¡±

    ¡°¡­Even if you could do all that, you would be doing it atop our people¡¯s heads.  How can you stomach knowing that those ships would crash-land in our own countryside?  It would take a decade to clean it all up, even if we could dedicate all of our time and resources to the task afterwards.¡± Mardu questioned, and pulled the woman around, hands roughly on her arms.  He looked at her desperately, ¡°Please, stop this.  Nothing about this war you¡¯re trying to wage is worth the blood that will be spilled in the process.¡±

    Far¡¯nah just looked at him, disappointed, and pulled herself free from Mardu¡¯s grasp, ¡°¡­You¡¯re so scared and na?ve.¡± She said, and made her way back into the room.  A hand went to the door, and she paused there a moment, looking back on the man she¡¯d made her Duke with a solemn sigh, ¡°¡­I once believed your timid nature to be endearing.  Now it just feels like a burden.¡± She explained, and pulled the door open slowly.  In stepped her personal guard, and she lifted her hand towards her husband, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you feel this way¡­but I knew it would come to this sooner or later.  ¡­Take him.¡±

    ¡°What?  Far¡¯nah, no, you can¡¯t.¡± He protested, and those soldiers took him roughly by both arms, twisting them behind him as they bent him forward into an uncomfortable and awkward lean, ¡°Far¡¯nah!¡±

    She wouldn¡¯t look at him again as he was dragged out, and though she shivered slightly as his voice faded with the distance, she calmly pushed the door closed after them.

    Half the palace could hear the commotion as Mardu was taken below, including a number of confused guards, Magistrates, staffers, and¡­Latheroux, who¡¯d been rather abruptly impressed-upon at his chambers.  Soldiers were about to break the door down for lack of an immediate answer when he finally pulled the panel aside, and he was quickly put into the same uncomfortable bent-arm-bent-over position Mardu had been hauled-away in.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s the meaning of this!?¡±

    No one would answer.  The floors and walls just whipped by as he was swiftly taken into the subterranean, catacomb-like corridors beneath the palace.  Latheroux was surprised ¨C and yet not ¨C when he saw the faces of the three previously-detained Magistrates as he was dragged past their cells.  He only saw flashes of them through the narrow vertical slits in their doors, but they were unmistakable.  Soon, he was thrown into his own closet-sized space, and the same kind of door was slammed shut and locked behind him.

    That one visible eye looked around the tiny room in confusion, but he was suddenly able to single-out the voice of the Duke, somewhere further down the corridor, crying out for mercy, pity, and a chance to speak to the Duchess one more time.  Those pleas were unanswered, and soon, the corridor itself was locked-down, and the only thing left to listen to was that terrified man¡¯s confused weeping.

    ¡°¡­Oh, Mardu, what stupidly brave thing did you just try to do?¡± Latheroux wondered quietly to himself, and sat back against the narrow cot with a sigh.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 68 â€“ The New Gen Meets The Old Gen

    The anxious hours flowed into that dreadful midnight hour, and Gabriel found himself unable to sleep.  Xanarken wasn¡¯t answering his messages, Maybe he didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d go check on her right away? He thought, and sat up in annoyance.

    Unlike other apartments for high-ranking officials in the Council that were handed-out on a temporary basis, Gabriel¡¯s place was well-lived-in, and in keeping with his refusal to view the city from higher-up than he is tall, the windows were completely blocked-out with a different landscape.  This time, instead of the forest-floor that had been displayed at the top of the landing tower, he¡¯d chosen a long expanse of hilly grassland.  As he rose, his sights went to his overlay; the Elysian Fields night-theme slider was set to night-time, but he pushed to just past dawn, and the ¡®sun¡¯ rose enough to cast the bedroom in a soft orange light.

    He got up and paced, debating with himself over whether or not to call Ren.

    ¡°Surely she wants to hear from me¡­¡±

    ¡°Rylen did chew her out though.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really late anyway.  She¡¯s probably been asleep for an hour by now.¡±

    ¡°Or she¡¯s stressed and up late, restless, like I am?¡±

    ¡°But she went to take Seth home, which means the Captain¡¯s probably with them, and that would just be awkward to intrude on no matter what their situation really is¡­¡±

    Hands went to his waist as he kept walking up and down the length of the room, but ultimately, when he pulled up her name in his contact list, it was greyed out, and that ended that debate.

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t sleep like this.¡± He grumbled to himself, and lifted his hands to rub his face.  Fingers parted for him to look through, and he narrowed his sights on the imagery of that endless expanse, then turned them around the room, only to settle on an empty glass on the nightstand.  A peculiar look crossed his face¡­and he let his eyes light-up.

    There were roughly 12 feet between him and that glass, and he stretched his right hand out towards it.  He felt his hair lifting up behind him, and he narrowed his focus, curling his fingers as though around the cup.

    ¡°If Xanarken wants me stuck into the Eidolon System that bad, then letting me out again will be a harder and harder ask.  I have to anticipate that my transient relationship with it will be discouraged rather quickly¡­and I won¡¯t be able to practice anymore.¡± He said to himself, ¡°Before that happens, I need to show Ren how far I could take it¡­  ¡­So¡­pick¡­up¡­the glass.¡±

    And for roughly three hours, he nudged it around the top of the nightstand.  Each attempted clasp just pushed it an inch or two in the direction his palm faced, slipping out of his grip like a bubble in a vat of oil.  It was a frustrating endeavor, and he was sure his face would be stuck in the annoyed expression he no-doubtedly possessed, but he pressed on anyway.

    ¡°I can feel the goddamned thing¡­why can¡¯t I grab it¡­?¡± He asked himself in irritation.  He fully extended his arm from where he¡¯d eventually found himself sitting on the floor against the opposite wall, getting a sense for the glass between his fingers, but then closed his eyes.  He focused every sense, trying to figure out the definition of the object against his skin, I can definitely tell there¡¯s something there¡­  I could feel the scratchy tips of the tree-branches back at the palace¡­  If I didn¡¯t know this was a water-cup already, I could probably figure that out¡­  But every time I close my grip around it, it warps like melted plastic and loses its shape¡­

    He suddenly heard a thunk sound, and opened one eye¡­and spotted the glass on the thin carpet halfway between the nightstand and his bare feet.  Both eyes opened, and the golden miasma faded quickly.  In disbelief, he scrambled across the floor on hands and knees, staring at it with uncertainty.

    ¡°¡­What is thiiiissss!?¡± He asked desperately, and moved to lift the glass tenderly in both palms.  He held it up, and looked to the nightstand, definitively acknowledging the 5 feet of distance between where the item was and where it had landed.

    His breath caught in his throat, and he uttered the most restrained scream he could manage.

    .

    Though Ren had set her HUD to ¡®do not disturb¡¯ for the night ¨C as was her typical manner anyway ¨C she was all-but sleeping.  She had, in fact, slipped back inside her armor and gone out flying, and to Furion¡¯s chagrin, she¡¯d dragged him with her.

    ¡°Why are we going so far out?¡± He asked, exhaustion on his voice.  He looked back behind them and saw the beach disappear under the horizon; they were at least 3 miles out at that point, ¡°Ren¡­?¡±

    She descended towards the water, and eventually came to a stop, hovering just above the bobbing surface.  Her helmet came off, and she set it atop her right wing, waiting for her partner to do the same.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s 1am¡­I¡¯m begging.¡± Furion said as he matched her manner.

    ¡°Can you do the override outside of the Aegis?¡± Ren asked pointedly.

    He just blinked at her, ¡°¡­The what?¡±

    ¡°The failsafe protocol.  Can you do it from your armor?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.  Why?¡±

    She lowered her head in disappointment, ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s an interface on the bridge that I have to put on.¡± He explained, despite his mental haze, ¡°Half of what makes it work is that it intercepts cerebral outputs to the body and prevents them from going downstream.  It paralyzes you while in use, so you don¡¯t act out what you¡¯re doing with the recipient armor.  ¡­Again though, why?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m scared.¡± Ren answered simply, ¡°Lord Xanarken turned up earlier, saying I had to figure out how to let Gabe down easy so he can focus on being Vice.  But in the middle of it, I thought I heard him say something completely contrary to the whole reason why he was there.  I think Scyrexian¡¯s starting to mess with my perception.¡±

    The comment was rather sobering, but not exactly in the way Ren had expected, ¡°¡­Lord Xanarken came to my parents¡¯ house?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.  Looking for me.¡±

    ¡°¡­That probably qualifies as the most terrifying meet my dad moment I could ever think of.¡±

    ¡°Be serious!¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡­  I¡¯m starting to hear colors and see sound.¡± Furion answered, and shook his head, ¡°What¡¯d you think he said?¡±

    ¡°That I should take Gabriel, before it¡¯s too late.  Not that I should break with him.¡± She explained, and started hover-pacing over the water, ¡°I was so sure I heard him right, but when he corrected my misunderstanding, I started to wonder if it was Scyrexian messing with how I understand my surroundings.  It would make perfect sense for it to twist someone¡¯s words to suit its needs, right?  Since that¡¯s what it wants.  What better directive to go track Gabe down than to be directed to do so by the Fourth Wing?¡±

    ¡°¡­And you¡¯re wondering if I could stop you from going if you tried.  Supposing you trying to take your armor in the process.¡±

    She nodded worriedly.

    ¡°You can¡¯t live in that suit, Ren.¡± Furion shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s only been a day since we figured out what was going on.  You¡¯re just thinking the worst.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare gaslight me, Furion!¡±

    ¡°Mmmmmh¡­¡± He narrowed his eyes slightly, ¡°That came out wrong.  Let me try again¡­  Your caution is admirable, but I think what you heard was¡­uh, what¡¯s it called¡­a Freudian slip?  Yeah.  Just because you¡¯ve agreed to reduce your range to one person doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ve stopped considering the other players.  I¡¯m not fool enough to believe you just stopped liking Gabriel that way.  And ¨C let¡¯s be honest ¨C it¡¯s entirely possible you did want to take it that direction.  You did kiss him before the fight.¡±

    Ren¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°That was supposed to be the end of it though¡­  That was supposed to be a goodbye.  If not for the Prince, I wouldn¡¯t have gone up to the landing-pad to meet with Gabe at all.¡±

    ¡°Do you not trust yourself anymore?¡±

    She looked up, but then away again, ¡°After being manipulated so thoroughly by Tobias¡­no.  Not really.  If I learned anything from that debacle, it¡¯s that when it comes to Limitless threats¡­one can never be too sure.  This thing is like Limitless incarnate.  We don¡¯t know what it¡¯s capable of, what its rules are¡­or if there even are any.  ¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe to keep me near your family.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re your family, too.  Don¡¯t discount that.¡± Furion corrected, and hovered closer to find his partner¡¯s hands, ¡°If something ever happened to me, you know damn well they¡¯d take care of you.¡±

    ¡°All the more reason to be safe about this and not put them in danger.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do, then?¡± He wondered carefully, ¡°Tell Lord Rylen you¡¯ve been possessed by an extradimensional demon-thing and have him lock you away in a dungeon somewhere, until we can find an afflicted criminal with a death sentence willing to do anything to redeem themselves and die with honor?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want that, no¡­but¡­¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll make you a deal.¡± Furion suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll stay suited-up tonight, and keep watch over you while you try to get some sleep.  If you make it through the night without any bother, and you¡¯re still yourself in the morning¡­then we¡¯ll keep this little situation between the few of us, and when we get back to Agartha, you¡¯ll let Seth do a full assessment.  We Fafnir are supposed to be open to the idea of learning everything we can about the ways the Limitless manifests in this world.  This could be our single-greatest opportunity to figure this creature out, and make good on what Corbin said about never letting this all happen again.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re already exhausted though.  How can I ask you to suddenly pull an all-nighter?¡±

    ¡°By saying you agree.¡± Furion shrugged, ¡°Pop¡¯s gonna wake up early anyway.  Always has.  I only need to make it till dawn, then you¡¯ll have a Fafnir with twice the experience keeping watch.¡±

    ¡°¡­Your father doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s watching out for though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯ll notice if your eyes start glowing red and you grow extra parts.¡±

    She made a face, but huffed a quiet laugh anyway, ¡°I hate that you¡¯re finding humor in this.¡±

    ¡°Well, apparently I need to learn how to openly enjoy the company I keep, so¡­¡±

    That made her go pale, ¡°Wow!  Using my own words against me!  Rude!¡±

    He smirked as he turned her where she hovered, and faced her back towards the shore, ¡°Yeah, you really were.  The osteoporotic old woman jape was kind of mean, too.¡±

    .

    The following morning, Seth went out to the skiff to make sure it was ready and warmed-up, and was¡­not in the least bit surprised when he found the duo where he did.  Within said skiff, sitting on the floor with his back against the far wall ¨C and still fully armored ¨C Furion kept vigil, with Ren leaned against him on a pillow set to his lap.  She had the same ear-muff nanotech-effect on that she¡¯d had when Gabriel found her in the Aegis¡¯ MedBay.  The elder had dark circles under his eyes, but he lifted a finger to his lips to signal that his brother needed to keep quiet for a little while longer.

    Seth quickly hopped in and slid closer, careful not to run into Ren¡¯s armor where it crouched - empty and idle - towards the back of the ship, ¡°I¡¯d ask but I think I already know.¡± He whispered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to worry dad about this situation.¡± Furion said, also keeping his voice down, ¡°So, let¡¯s just keep it simple and technically true; she¡¯s still having nightmares, and didn¡¯t want to risk bothering anyone overnight if she made a scene while waking up.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Seth nodded, only to point back towards the still-open door, ¡°I¡¯ll go tell him to just come out right away then.¡±

    Furion watched the teen go, but with a few heavy blinks, he was out.  When he finally came to again, Ren was still draped across him, but she had a number more blankets wrapped on and under her ¨C he himself had a pillow wedged against his head to keep him from slouching - and the skiff was clearly airborne.  As he lifted his head though, the pillow fell out, and Seth spotted it tumble in the middle of the floor from his spot in one of the front seats.

    ¡°Oh hey, you¡¯re up.¡±

    ¡°¡­How long?¡±

    ¡°About five hours?¡±

    ¡°What about Ren?¡± Furion asked, and looked down, though he tuned his head side to side as the soreness of his awkward sleeping posture started to cause aches, ¡°That¡¯s not how I left her.¡±

    Seth got out of his seat and squeezed into the back, and gently helped lift the woman off his brother¡¯s legs, ¡°She woke up around an hour after we took off, mumbled something about you winning ¨C whatever that means ¨C and let us turn her into a burrito before going back to sleep.  By the look of it, you both needed it.¡±

    Furion scooted to the side and grabbed the pillow he¡¯d lost, set it into the spot he¡¯d just been sitting, and let his brother lower the Dame back down again.  He stepped over beside Ren¡¯s armor and stepped backward out of his own, setting it to crouch in a stable position as it closed again.  Standing fully upright though - and able to stretch his back - he immediately regretted it and winced forward again, ¡°Ugh¡­  Getting out of that thing is like being scooped out of an exoskeleton¡­  All my bumps and bruises feel fresh all over again¡­¡±

    ¡°Come up here and have a seat, kid.¡± Lequerion suddenly commented, ¡°You stay back there for now, Seth.  Keep an eye on her.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­yeah, sure.¡±

    Furion squeezed his way to the seat his brother had been in earlier and sad back with a pained grumble, hands cupped to his midsection as he tried to catch a breath, ¡°Mmh¡­  What is it?¡±

    ¡°Lord Rylen reached out after getting the notice about my armor.¡± Lequerion commented, ¡°Apparently he has a lot to talk about regarding recruiting, so he¡¯s going to meet us when we get to the city.¡±

    ¡°I see.  Is he doing to split our focus or something?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.  I hope I didn¡¯t overstep when I told him why you had asked for my help; he seemed sympathetic enough to that.¡± The patriarch continued, casually steering the vessel, though it was mostly flying itself at cruising-speed, ¡°I also asked that he consider keeping you and Ren together after leave; for a mercy, he said he was already planning on it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not happy about that?¡±

    ¡°I am, I¡¯m just having a severe case of d¨¦j¨¤ vu right now.¡± Furion said, and shook his head with a tired laugh, ¡°Everything in my body wants to say yessir, like we¡¯re back in the old days again.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it is a little weird.¡± Lequerion agreed easily, ¡°Hard to believe it¡¯s been a decade since then.¡±

    ¡°In any case¡­Lord Rylen was okay with it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right.  Yeah.¡± He continued, and checked the map briefly, ¡°It was kind of strange, the way he phrased it¡­  I mean, his way of speaking is a bit dated sometimes, but the words ¡®give her time to remember who she¡¯s beholden to¡¯ came across as really odd.¡±

    Furion felt as though cold water had been thrown on him, and let out a quiet sigh, ¡°I know what he means.  It¡¯s already been addressed.¡±

    ¡°Okay.  I thought he was being weird about knowing you and your lady were a thing.¡±

    ¡°¡­Nah.  He¡¯s been surprisingly laid-back about that.¡± Furion explained, ¡°He even approved letting us share the Captain¡¯s suite.¡±

    ¡°Heh, wow, that¡¯s unheard of.¡± Lequerion shook his head in amusement, ¡°Just make sure you never get on his bad side.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, we won¡¯t.¡± The younger Rydell agreed tepidly, and pushed back up from his seat to return to the back of the skiff.

    .

    It was early afternoon when that thin blue skiff crossed into the skyline of Agartha, and made its way around to one of the tall landing-spires.  Unlike when Maeve landed, however, once that ship was grounded, it stayed on the ledge.

    Seth was the first to hop out, and as a subtle warning to the others, made a point to loudly announce that they had a guest, ¡°¡­Lord Rylen, sir!  We weren¡¯t expecting you!¡±

    Ren got a sinking feeling as she stepped into the boots of her armor again, ¡°Ah great¡­  Of course he would come for the grand homecoming¡­¡±

    ¡°Just keep your head down and let him do all the talking.¡± Furion advised, getting back into his own suit as well, ¡°He¡¯s probably mostly here for my dad anyway.¡±

    The aforementioned man took that as a note to head out next, and he grabbed his bag from the pile before hopping to the ground outside.  Seeing that face and those unmistakable eyes, he got a shiver of familiarity, ¡°Lord Rylen, it¡¯s been ages.¡±

    ¡°Captain Lequerion Rydell, as I live and breathe.¡± The First eagerly answered, and stepped closer with a hand reached forward.  The retired Knight reached back for the shake, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, old friend.¡±

    ¡°Shame it¡¯s under such circumstances, sir.¡±

    Furion looked up and over his shoulder, then back to his partner, ¡°Seems he¡¯s in a good mood, at least.¡±  He said quietly, and offered Ren her helmet before stepping off after his father.

    Ren stepped out quietly at the end and kept slightly behind the two Captains.  With Seth in front of her as well, an odd fact about the situation became unmistakable, Stuck in the shadow of the Rydell family¡­even one ten years my junior¡­  Not that she was particularly allowed to dwell on that for long, as Lequerion seemingly plucked her out from behind them like a stray eyebrow-hair and placed her right out front, a hand on each shoulder, and all she could do was stare at the First in stunned confusion.

    ¡°Hiding, Dame?¡± Rylen asked, as though their encounter the day before hadn¡¯t happened at all.

    ¡°N-no sir.¡± She answered with trepidation.

    ¡°You¡¯re in for a treat.¡± The First added, and turned to look out into the sky, ¡°Given the timeline, you would¡¯ve just missed seeing the former Captain in all his glory.¡±

    Lequerion just snorted, ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it, sir.¡±

    ¡°There it is.¡± Rylen pointed over towards the spire to the east of them.  He watched proudly as that speck started to take shape; somewhat ominous in its color, it was completely black, streaked with the occasional line of blue or dark teal.

    ¡°¡­Hopefully I haven¡¯t gotten too fat to put it on.¡± Lequerion said warily, ¡°But I¡¯ll be damned if it isn¡¯t cool as Hell to see it again.¡±

    The armor touched-down about 20 feet ahead of the Eidolon who¡¯d summoned it; up close, it was even more the intimidating figure than it had been on approach.  Though it still possessed the finer points of what made a Fafnir Knight so distinctive, its wings ¨C unlike those of the modern generation ¨C had a rather more mechanical style to them, and there was more to the physical limbs as well.  Instead of simply being an arm-like structure that ended at the ¡®wrist,¡¯ with solid-light paneling extending out from there, this older model had a longer build ¨C extending horizontally from the back instead of upward at the shoulder ¨C and bent sharply at the elbow, which itself had a long, blade-like extension coming off the end of it.  The forelimb lifted high and proud, and attached to the wrist was the full ¡®hand¡¯ of the wing, splaying out in sharp, flat folds, and ended with three long fingers, each tipped with knife-like edges.  The older model also had spike-like implements branching off from the shoulders, forearms, knees, and ankles, and at the waist, had paneling that descended halfway down the leg like a protective detached sheath.

    Modern Fafnir armor may have been more streamlined, but that previous generation lacked nothing for appearing sinister.

    Lequerion handed his bag to his youngest, and stepped up to that ¡®old partner,¡¯ delighted to find it open for him as it always did, ¡°Moment of truth.  Don¡¯t tell your mother if I don¡¯t fit.¡±

    ¡°Suck it in, pops.¡± Furion joked, ¡°Become as water.¡±

    The patriarch gestured downward with a hand in front of his face, as though saying a quiet prayer to himself, and nudged his shoes off with the toe of each opposite foot.  With a ginger step, he squeezed himself in, and though it was a bit of a tight fit, the armor closed around him without difficulty.  Feeling it come to life around him after a decade was a surreal and fateful experience, and he sucked in a quick breath, sensing his movements starting to influence the movement of the machine.  He lifted his hands first, and closed and opened his fists, then turned on the wing-optics¡­and those already-deadly-looking implements expanded into their full fury.  Metal blades extended into longer, translucent-black panels, edged on the ¡®dull¡¯ side in glowing neon blue, and with the fingers flexing, was like a fan of curved knives.  Moreso, since Lequerion had attained the rank of Captain, there was a second set of wings coming off the back of the main set, smaller and thinner from their roots on the man¡¯s lower back.

    ¡°¡­Holy Hell.¡± Ren said, very impressed, and she glanced back at her partner, ¡°¡­How come we don¡¯t look like that?¡±

    ¡°Sacrifices made for hypersonic flight.¡± Furion answered, ¡°That armor can only go supersonic, because the spikey-bites and mechanical aspect of the wings create too much drag and heat.¡±

    ¡°¡­Still.  Yikes.¡± She commented, and looked back again, ¡°What a literally-terrifying thing to have to face-off against.  To think, that¡¯s the thing Gabriel was looking at when the Fafnir came that day¡­  No wonder he despised us for so long.¡±

    Furion gave her a strange look.

    ¡°Everything in working order, Captain?¡± Rylen asked, pleased as a peach.

    ¡°I think so, sir.  It all feels like it used to.¡±

    ¡°Given the range-limitations on the older generation model, I¡¯ll have you take care of the four families closest to the city.¡± The Eidolon continued, ¡°Captain Rydell Junior can take the ones further afield.  I¡¯ll notify Wing-Commander Parker¡¯s next of kin myself, since they¡¯re way out there.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to participate?¡±

    ¡°I probably should¡¯ve been the first to suggest assisting with the notices.¡± Rylen admitted, and turned back towards Furion, ¡°Yours is a burden that shouldn¡¯t be carried alone.  It¡¯s simply too much for one man¡¯s shoulders.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±

    ¡°If you both want to get started right away, I¡¯ll send you the information about an office I¡¯ve had made fit for purpose.¡± The First explained, and glanced back at the elder Captain again, ¡°The Fifth has been able to keep chatter about the Aegis¡¯ situation on the down-low, so people think it¡¯s just a cannon malfunction right now.  There is no information in the public sphere that there were any casualties.  You¡¯re all free to use and take your armor anywhere you need to go.  Finally¡­¡± The Eidolon turned back towards Furion and Ren, ¡°The Memorial will be in four days.  That should be enough time to tell everyone who needs to know, and have transport made available for those who want to come.¡±

    ¡°Four days¡­¡± Ren echoed quietly, Four days¡­

 Book I â€“ Chapter 69 â€“ The Ouroboros Need Only Snap Once To Catch Its Own Tail

    Keeping up appearances was as important at the 11<sup>th</sup> hour as it was in the 1<sup>st</sup>, and Tallus maintained that air of Magistrate-isms as dutifully as he could.  He pored over the work sent to him at his office in the Royal Quarter, waiting for literally anything to be said about the arrests.  No word ever came though ¨C it was as if the Duchy had simply purged itself of its problems, and had no need to address them anymore.

    Tak tak¡­tak

    Tallus glanced up at a large nearby window, and saw ¨C perched on the exterior windowsill ¨C a well-known hawk.  He nonchalantly put his FlexiGlas tablet down, grabbed his cloak, and stepped outside.  There was a meeting-park just outside the Ministerial building, and he walked beneath those sun-dappled boughs, until he could pause at a table at the center of the courtyard.

    There was no one else around, and the hawk landed on a low-hanging branch.

    ¡°It¡¯s been two days, and not a single bloody word.  From you or the Duchy.  What the Hell is going on?¡±

    The hawk chirped, and spoke without moving its beak, ¡°Things are getting busy on the other side.  After the arrest, I just parked my mantle on the cot and pretended to sleep most of the day.  It¡¯s been more of a challenge to dispose of the meager meals they keep providing than it is to fake the imprisonment.¡±

    ¡°¡­How are you doing that?¡± Tallus wondered, looking as though he was just enjoying the afternoon fresh air as he lounged against the table on one of its benches.

    ¡°Toilet.  Have to fake needing that as well.  Convenient, right?¡±

    ¡°Kourin and Phex are going to be wondering soon when they should come get me.¡± Tallus pointed out, and withdrew that old-tech phone from his uniform-jacket, ¡°What do I tell them?¡±

    ¡°My assistance with this grand scheme of yours was always contingent on allowing me to make preparations for a succession.¡± Latheroux¡¯s hawk-mantle explained, ¡°I¡¯ve built too much to just leave it to rot on a whim.  You can leave when we¡¯ve successfully gotten the Duke into Sargonian custody.  That still proceeds apace, with the transfer expected to take place during the Dawn of Ages.¡±

    ¡°So, if there¡¯s no changes there, what did you come to tell me?¡±

    ¡°The Fafnir were nearly wiped-out a few days ago; I can count the survivors on one hand¡­and a thumb, I suppose.¡± Latheroux explained, ¡°Scyrexianori transferred into its next host.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re certain?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t claim to know anything about how it works, but I do know what it looks like when it does.  Yes, I¡¯m certain.¡± He said, and fluttered down to land on the Magistrate¡¯s shoulder, ¡°All this hurry up and wait you¡¯ve been doing since Scyrexian came into being will suddenly switch to panicked rushing once it gets to Gabriel.  After more than three centuries, another week ought to be nothing.¡±

    Tallus stayed quiet for a moment, ¡°¡­And you¡¯re certain you¡¯re willing to give Lugios over to that thing?  Just like that?¡±

    ¡°Scyrexian said that it leaves its hosts the same way it found them.  If everything goes as it should, Gabriel will be Scyrebriel for all of half a day, then be let go again, no worse for wear.  It already knows to seek out Kourin under the vortex once it has him, so there won¡¯t be any further delay.  The only hang-up right now is trying to get Gabriel and Scyren in the same place at the right moment.¡±

    ¡°Scyren?  Like¡­the singing death-mermaid siren?¡±

    ¡°It names itself in combination with the host it has.  Don¡¯t ask me why; I don¡¯t know.¡± Latheroux answered, wings fluttering briefly for balance, ¡°In any case, the Dawn of Ages is when everything will come to a head.  The Duke will go to them, Scyren will go to Gabe, Scyrebriel will go to you three, Scyrexian will go back to where it came from, Gabe will be released, you come to me, and then we all leave.¡±

    ¡°¡­And if any part of this plan doesn¡¯t go as expected?¡±

    ¡°Then it all goes to shit and we don¡¯t go anywhere.  What more is there to it?¡±

    Tallus turned his head to face the bird and gave it quite the look, ¡°You¡¯ve put a great deal of faith into this thing that appeared out of nowhere.  We have no idea if it¡¯ll be able to pull this off.  And the way Far¡¯nah is rushing head-first into Rylen¡¯s loving arms, it¡¯s clear that Kitez will be flooded with Luminaries soon.  If we can¡¯t get off-world, what kind of shit-storm will we be stuck living in?¡±

    ¡°You three have been living in the shadows all along.  If this doesn¡¯t work out¡­then you should consider blending into the Luminary population instead, and just try to live your lives.  You can¡¯t protect the Wanderer forever.¡±

    That didn¡¯t seem to satisfy, and Latheroux quirked his hawk-head.

    ¡°I know how much you all want to go home.¡± He said instead, ¡°But this is the best shot any of you will ever get, and it¡¯s a miracle the opportunity presented itself at all.  We go full steam ahead on the expectation that it might not work out.  You will all be okay in the end though, no matter what happens.  I¡¯ll make certain of that much.¡±

    ¡°¡­I really hope so.  Being a Magistrate kinda sucks.  I¡¯m ready to quit this.¡±

    ¡°Just hold on a little while longer.¡± The hawk advised, and suddenly looked alert, ¡°Someone¡¯s coming.  See if you can¡¯t get a skiff available for next week.  I¡¯ll find you if anything changes.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The bird took off and vanished through the trees, and beneath the palace, Latheroux opened his one eye, hearing the sound of the noon-time meal distribution starting further down the hall.

    ¡°What¡¯s the Duchess going to do with us!?¡± One of those arrested Magistrates pleaded, voice muffled by the walls.  No answer was given, as had been the case every previous time the question had been asked.  A tasteless, unappealing gruel was slid into the woman¡¯s cell, and further, one by one, until each had its share¡­even Mardu, in the very last room.

    That bowl only joined the growing pile of untouched earlier portions.

    .

    Donivan¡¯s family was the first to hear the devastating news as Rylen kicked-off the notification-tour.  Lequerion and Furion did their own on the mainland, each making their zig-zagging sweep over the course of two days.  By the time they were done, and all the information had been sent for the families to attend the Memorial, both father and son were broken-down by the experience and returned to Agartha in miserable silence.

    They dropped off their armor in one of the Sixth Wing repositories at the base of the southern landing-spire, and as they descended to the ground-floor, it occurred to the elder that they were missing someone.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°What about that first-year?¡±

    ¡°¡­Bianca?¡± Furion wondered, eyes heavy with the stress of the task being finished, ¡°Lord Rylen¡¯s been dealing with that since the arrest.  It¡¯s a pretty cut-and-dry case.  Might even be done already.¡±

    ¡°Damn¡­¡±

    Furion set the back of his head against the inside-elevator wall and looked up with regret, ¡°She had such a promising future.  And in a single moment¡­¡±

    ¡°It was her choice.¡± Lequerion reminded, ¡°You said she blasted by both Corbin and Jense, after the fact.  They tried to call her back and she never stopped.  ¡­She made her bed.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡± The younger sighed.

    The door opened again, and they were released into a large public-transit hub, with mag-trains on raised platforms and dozens of smaller, private vehicles around the bottom.  Light poured in from the outside through the various entrances and exits.

    ¡°So where will you go, now that the hard part is done?¡±

    Furion paused, looking out at the hundreds of people in the hub, ¡°¡­Probably go and bother Ren.  You?¡±

    ¡°Go and bother Seth.¡±

    ¡°Why not both?  They ought to be in the same place.¡±

    ¡°Both is good.¡±

    .

    The College at Agartha was a sprawling campus, half a city unto itself, located on the outside the landing-spire ring.  Pristine white buildings, anywhere from two to eight-stories each, rose up from corridors of glossy marble walkways.  Glass-covered water-channels coursed throughout, opening up into ponds and park areas.  Above, following pre-planned ¡®roads¡¯ that were marked by hovering lights, went mass-transit carriages, ferrying people from one end of the campus to the other at speed.

    One section of the city-within-a-city was dedicated to the training and education of the afflicted, and that was where the two elder Rydells expected to find their younger third.  One such space was like a large gymnasium; a massive indoor open-area with a number of protected dome-like structures within, each offering their own space for those with ¡®gifts¡¯ to practice controlling them without worry they might hurt someone.

    And within one of them, near an external wall, was a dome temporarily-engulfed in flames.

    Furion spotted his younger brother sitting outside that dome, data-panels hovering around him, and an arm up as the heat of the blast seemed to threaten the security-doors.  The amazed teen looked over it again though as the maelstrom settled-down again, and he got a clear view of both Prince Iresha¡­and his fully-armored Fafnir sparring partner.

    With the dome as big as a school-gym ¨C and supported by a net-like latticework of structural beams, making it look like an overturned basket ¨C that red armor could hover and maneuver easily.  Wings were spread wide, and curved outward as Ren came hovering down to the ground again.  She¡¯d spotted their guests coming, and pulled her helmet off, giving a ¡®stand down¡¯ wave to the Prince on the other side of the space.

    Iresha heaved for breath, eyes flaring as brightly as the flames his hair had become, and he slouched out of his stance in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s¡­why did you stop?¡±

    ¡°The boys are back.¡± She answered simply, and shook her hair free from her flight-suit¡¯s skullcap, ¡°Take a breather.  You¡¯ve improved a lot in a short period of time.¡±

    The Prince just slouched, his fires going out like a sad candle, and he pouted as Ren went by, ¡°¡­Fine¡­fine¡­¡±

    She went for the locked doors and uncovered the inside panel to trigger the release, and waited as it hissed and rolled out of the way.  She didn¡¯t dare show any excitement for seeing either of the two Fafnir ¨C she could see on their faces that they were exhausted; mentally and physically ¨C and instead of simply going to them, she parked her armor to the side and stepped out of it.  Hands went up to tie her long hair into a ponytail, and cautiously approached.

    Lequerion had his arms crossed as he looked on in confusion at Seth¡¯s data, eyes all-but spinning as the teen tried to explain what he was doing.

    ¡°¡­I started tracking the movement of the Cloud inside the pod, since I still can¡¯t trace the effect of the Limitless directly.¡± He was saying, moving his hands around in the same way the data-points traced, ¡°Ignoring the obvious way it gets pushed around when the fires are blazing, it actually seems to swirl-around in the seconds before ignition.  On here it just looks like flocking birds or schools of fish, but it¡­flows like water, following paths and coalescing.¡±

    Within the dome, Iresha couldn¡¯t help himself, and lit-up again to finagle-around on his own for a bit.  In real-time, Seth pointed-out to his father the way things moved before the Prince even did anything.

    Ren went right around the two and stepped into her partner¡¯s waiting hug, careful not to return it too tightly, ¡°Glad you¡¯re back.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, me too.  What was all this about?¡± Furion wondered, looking over at the Prince, ¡°Giving away trade secrets?¡±

    ¡°Every single one.¡± She answered, and pulled back just far enough to move her arms up over the man¡¯s shoulders instead.  She felt him bend his head down, and just held there a moment, brow to brow, sensing the deep sigh as it inflated and deflated again from her partner¡¯s chest.  Ren offered what comfort she could in a kiss, but she knew it was just a drop in the bucket, and it would take many more to find some sense of normalcy again.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s all this over here, then?¡± They heard Lequerion asking, pointing at the other end of the footage, ¡°All this swirling around where I think Ren is?  Is that it hitting her?¡±  He turned on a heel to gape at her, ¡°You just let the kid hit you?¡±

    Furion went up to his normal height, and inadvertently took the Dame with him where he¡¯d still been hugging her.  Ren widely side-eyed him, but then turned back to the older man, ¡°¡­I¡­guess?  I mean, it¡¯s not like it hurt.  Flying at hypersonic is way hotter than that.¡±

    ¡°Oh.  ¡­What were you trying to accomplish then if you took the blast face-first on purpose?¡±

    ¡°Easier to see how good he is with the fire if he¡¯s aiming at a moving target.  There¡¯s nothing like that here though.  This place is all about making sure the kids can turn their power off in a pinch, not how to get good at using it.¡± She explained; that seemed to satisfy, and Lequerion went back to his youngest.  Ren just dangled there, feet nearly a foot off the ground, and was perplexed to find Furion just¡­walk off with her, ¡°Wh-where¡­  Hey!¡±  She started, only for a question to manifest, ¡°¡­How are you even doing this?  I thought you were crippled outside your armor.¡±

    ¡°I have the same healing factor you do.¡± Furion puffed, ¡°The bruises are almost gone.  The breaks just feel like little pinches now.¡±

    ¡°So where are you little pinching me to all of a sudden?¡± Ren wondered, rather enjoying herself then, and found that question answered soon after asking it.  She felt the ground under her feet again and she stood on her own, just around 30 feet away from the others, ¡°¡­Furion?¡±

    ¡°¡­I know it¡¯s nothing to worry about normally for you to take a fireball straight-on, but¡­considering the circumstances?¡± The Captain started, looking a bit worried, ¡°You were so worried a couple days ago that you¡¯d lose control and hurt the family.  That¡¯s a whole-ass Prince you¡¯re cavorting with.¡±

    Ren blinked a couple times, but then pulled her hands down, and put the backs of them against her partner¡¯s chest as she stared at her gloved palms, ¡°¡­Seth was trying to do his diagnostics, like you said.  Prince Iresha just¡­kind of popped-up on his own.¡±

    ¡°And his minders?  J¡¯ard?  The Sargonian guards?¡±

    ¡°He explicitly ordered them away about two hours ago.¡± She answered, ¡°You¡¯re going to think I¡¯m mad, but¡­when Iresha started using his fire under the dome, I¡­could see it.  Not the fire, obviously anyone can see that¡­but like¡­something under it.  Something else.  I told Seth to see if he could find it, and I went in there with the kid to test some things out.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°¡­The swirling your dad saw around me¡­was me pushing the fire away.¡± Ren explained ominously, ¡°I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m doing it, but¡­the fire never touched me.¡±

    ¡°I feel like I should be excited by this but I¡¯m also just a tiny little bit concerned?¡±

    ¡°It was your idea to try and figure this thing out.  I¡¯d rather be a proactive participant to finding the answers, than sit back and hope others can figure it out after the fact.¡± She noted, and turned her hands around to press them to the man¡¯s front instead, then lowered them to find his hands.  She slipped her fingers into his palms, and as she felt the clasp around them, she held firm in return, ¡°Gabe¡¯s been trying to call me, too.  I listened to the first message he left, but¡­I could feel Scyrexian writhing at the sound of his voice, so I stopped.  I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do when he shows up at the Memorial.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got your back, don¡¯t worry.¡± Furion reassured, ¡°There¡¯s still a day and a half.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to face him somehow¡­  I only need a minute¡­¡±

    ¡°You know you¡¯ll need more than that.¡± The Captain puffed, ¡°You¡¯re going to talk to a talker.  He¡¯s going to want answers.  So, unless you plan on dumping and running, you¡¯ll have to stamp it down a while longer.  Do you want me to-¡±

    ¡°Noooooo no no, no.  Absolutely not.¡± She pulled back and set her hands into a T-pose to stop him, ¡°If you¡¯re there with me, he¡¯ll just think I¡¯m being pressured.  You need to be far away.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright¡­  I guess that¡¯s fair¡­  Open mic, then?¡±

    ¡°¡­I think I just need to deal with it myself.  I¡¯m the one who got me into this mess.  I¡¯ll¡­message you if I need an escape-hatch.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 70 â€“ Even If You Walk Instead of Run, Youâ€™ll Finish The Race All The Same

    A conspicuous pair of Kitezan detectives landed near - and entered into - the Ministerial building of Oceanside¡¯s Royal Quarter.  It had been nearly a week since the explosion at the Stroneface Bluffs facility, and the preliminary investigation into it had been completed.  With directions through the building given and notice sent ahead, the two investigators went up to the building¡¯s second floor, and found themselves in front of the office of the Magistrate of the Eastern District.

    [The Honorable Regulus Laurier]

    They entered within, flashed their badges at the front-desk clerk, and took a seat in the little waiting room. Three businessmen were already there waiting, but authority came before politicking, and soon, the pair were led into the Magistrate¡¯s office.  The man himself was busy at his desk, but he gestured at a pair of seats in front of it.

    ¡°General Laurier.¡± The first detective started, getting a subtle side-eye as he took the seat and pulled up a briefcase.

    ¡°That was some time ago.¡± The Magistrate answered, and put a pin in his work, ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve concluded the initial sweep of the personnel files from the Stoneface incident, and ¨C as you know ¨C only one person was noted as missing.¡± The second spoke-up, ¡°I believe you knew her by her alias, Kourin, and she was a tech researcher under your employ.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°We have reason to believe she absconded voluntarily.¡± The first explained, and set a conduit onto the desk to offer it forward.  Regulus looked at it curiously, ¡°Witnesses say she returned to the site the night of the explosion, and that she stated she was there to return one of the nanotech cannisters that you had seized from the Luminaries prior to that.¡±

    ¡°Right.  We recovered three of them.¡± Regulus nudged his head to a bookcase near to the door, and showed the intact container from the Vindicator test, the crushed ¨C albeit empty - one from the escape-vehicle, and finally, the dented one found at the bottom of the pit, ¡°She had taken the crushed canister home to work on in her own time¡­before it was crushed, at any rate.¡±

    ¡°We have no evidence showing she left after that, though, only that the security feeds started looping after a point.¡± The first detective continued, and withdrew a glasses-case from the inside of his jacket, and set it on the desk, ¡°We conducted a search of her apartment in town.  There was nothing perishable remaining in the unit, no pets, and no trash.  If nothing else, she¡¯s a very courteous missing person.¡±

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t think she¡¯s dead somewhere further down in the sub-basement?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°And the glasses?  Why bring them to me?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re of Luminary make.¡±

    That made the man¡¯s brows wrinkle a little, and he picked the case up to withdraw those spectacles, ¡°¡­I suppose it could be suspicious for her to have such technology, but not entirely unheard of, considering the research she did.¡±

    ¡°It would still be considered contraband in Kitez, however.¡± The second detective noted, ¡°We have reason to suspect she might¡¯ve been a deep-plant from the Council, and potentially responsible for the explosion itself.¡±

    Regulus looked at them squarely, ¡°I certainly hope you have good reason for that.  She worked for me for a while.¡±

    ¡°Her entire profile is only as old as her employment at that building.¡± The first explained, and tapped a finger down on the conduit, ¡°All the information we gathered is on here, but suffice it to say¡­while it looks rather clean, a forensic dig into it proved that the profile had only existed for about four years. It should have had time-stamps dating back to her date of birth. Someone went to great lengths to manufacture this dossier.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she moved here from Sargon prior.  Movement was still relatively free between us before that fool Emperor called in the Luminaries two years back.¡±

    ¡°Not with a history claiming she was always here.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± The Magistrate answered simply, and pulled the arms of the glasses open, looking at the inside of the lenses from a small distance.  On a whim, he slipped them over his eyes, and almost right away, saw a flashing dot appear before him, as if a circle of green light hovered in the air over his desk.  His brow wrinkled slightly, ¡°¡­Thank you for coming.  Issue a warrant for Kourin¡¯s arrest and I¡¯ll sign it, and If you find anything else, let me know.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    The duo stepped out, and the door clicked shut behind them, leaving Regulus in near-total silence.  It was easy to see that the glasses themselves offered nothing to correct one¡¯s vision, and were purely a screen upon which to display the imagery of the simple HUD.  One hand went forward, trying to find a way to interact with the flashing green circle, but no matter how near or far he swiped, the circle seemed out of reach.  It was only when he moved his face away from the door that he noticed another button was visible ¨C one that had been much harder to see where it overlapped the elaborate wooden paneling that framed it.  That button was interactive, and after tapping, swiping, pressing, and holding a finger against it in various combinations, he finally found a way to make it open something.

    It was a network list, with roughly 60 entries.

    Deathly curious, but unsure what any of it meant, Regulus started clicking on everything.  The first entry on the list simply said ¡®out of range,¡¯ and so too did the next 16.  The 17<sup>th</sup> item on the list, however, said ¡®connected,¡¯ which was unexpected¡­and further still was the fact that one of the three nanotech pods on the shelf ¨C the one that had been dented from the debris that fell on it at the facility - lit-up with the same green circular light that had been flashing on the main screen.  Looking between them curiously, Regulus wondered if it wasn¡¯t a fluke, and tapped a finger on it again.  As before, ¡®connected,¡¯ followed by three flashes of the green light.  The 18<sup>th</sup> entry flashed yellow instead and reported ¡®connection issue, trying again¡­¡¯ and a matching yellow light blinked on the pod that had been used at the Vindicator, while the 19<sup>th</sup> was greyed out entirely, as if it was merely a log of a connection that no longer existed. He clicked on it anyway, just in case, and saw ¡®canister depleted; disconnecting¡­¡¯ blink onto the overlay; the last of the three orbs just showed a simple sad-face emoji.  The 20<sup>th</sup> entry once-again said ¡®out of range,¡¯ and the following five more said the same thing.

    ¡°¡­Interesting.¡±

    .

    Rain tapped quietly on huge glass windows, leaving the morning over-casted in dark clouds.  Ren stared at the ceiling with half-opened eyes, watering for lack of sleep.  She turned her head on her pillow ¨C Furion was blissfully asleep next to her ¨C then turned forward again, ¡°¡­Of course¡­¡±

    With a grumble, she gave up, and rolled towards the edge of the bed.  She shuffled across the room, headed into the bathroom, and as the lights started to fade on, she put her hands on the edge of the vanity.  With a deep breath, she cut off the color-augment app she¡¯d had on for days, and stared at her now-completely-white hair.

    ¡°Okay, you insidious bitch, what are you waiting for?¡± She asked quietly, posing the question to her own reflection, ¡°If you¡¯re so much stronger with an afflicted host, why bother with me?  Why won¡¯t you get out?  You didn¡¯t do fuck-all while Gabriel was right in front of me, and yet spent all night making me dream about making-out with him, like you think you can use the urge to drive me into his arms or something.  Yet you won¡¯t ¨C or maybe can¡¯t - do anything if I¡¯m standing in front of him anyway.¡±

    That annoying anxiety swelled in her chest; she knew the entity was trying to do something, but what it was, she couldn¡¯t tell.

    ¡°¡­You want me to go to him so badly¡­but you know I won¡¯t let you have him.¡± She grumbled, and stepped back to lean against the wall behind her instead, ¡°I¡¯ll take you with me into the grave before I tell him what¡¯s going on.  This stupid plan of yours to seek me out, like you thought I¡¯d be an easy stepping-stone¡­and now you can¡¯t do anything but keep me up at night with horny dreams, and make me look stupid.¡± She grabbed her hair to pull it over a shoulder, and gestured at it in frustration, ¡°This doesn¡¯t go with my complexion at all!¡±

    Still nothing; just the frustration that naturally came out of being shown nigh-pornographic imagery for the last several hours.  She glowered at her reflection in severe annoyance and made her way over to the shower instead.  White hair took on a ruddy, dull-grey look as water rushed over it, and Ren scrubbed at it like she could somehow wash the bleaching out of it.  It obviously wouldn¡¯t work, and she just slouched until she could sit instead, and leaned back against the contoured back of the tub until the steaming water filled all around her.

    She perched her elbows up on the edges, and set her head against her right hand, eyes locked onto the faucet in contemplation.

    ¡°I will¡­get out¡­¡±

    Water splashed as she twitched from the surprise and looked around, ¡°Who was that?¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ll¡­release me¡­very soon.¡±

    That was concerning; more so was the fact that she could feel those words being spoken with her own lips.  Were she still in front of the mirror, she would¡¯ve also seen that the whites of her eyes had gone completely black again.  A hand went up over her mouth in surprise though, ¡°¡­How soon?  What are you going to do¡­?¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    It was terrifying that she could feel how the beast made her own lips smile, and an eerie-quiet laugh escaped her lungs, ¡°¡­You¡­will call out to him¡­before too long.¡±

    Her eyes went back to normal after that, and a sinking feeling settled over her, weighing down as though a sandbag had been dropped on top her soul.  A drag of air quaked in her throat, and she reached to hug her arms around her knees, ¡°¡­Damn it¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t too long before she heard a knuckle tap against the door, and heard it slide open.  Ren turned her gaze towards the blonde-haired head that poked through, looking past her arm and shoulder with a worried expression.

    ¡°¡­Oh, you turned the optics off.¡± Furion commented, a bit surprised, and he stepped all the way through.  Clad in just a pair of sweat-pants, the remnants of the bruises from his broken ribs were just a faint ¨C albeit still sickly-looking ¨C yellow-green color on his skin.  He stepped closer and crouched to sit beside the tub, and reached one arm over the edge to pet his palm into that wet hair, ¡°You look exhausted.¡±

    Her brow felt heavy over her eyes, and she nodded, ¡°¡­I¡­don¡¯t think I should be at the memorial today.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can get out of it, unless you¡¯re willing to tell Lord Rylen exactly why.¡±

    Ren just buried her face against her knees and sighed, ¡°Then I can¡¯t be allowed anywhere near Gabe¡­  As soon as it¡¯s done, we have to go.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±

    .

    The pavement was still wet when the first signs of the procession emerged, and scattered puddles rippled and splashed in the afternoon sunlight as glossy-shoed steps went through.  Marching in lock-step, a few hundred Sixth Wing soldiers moved in rows of five, extending back by ten columns as they guided chariots through the roadways of the Memorial Park.  Each chariot carried the urn of a different Knight ¨C whether they had cremated remains or not was never stated, as was the case with their manner of dying ¨C and were pulled by the strength of two chimeras, the likeness of which was a combination of draft-horse and elk.

    All in attendance wore black with a lapel of dark blue, and hundreds more lined the edges of the path as the ceremony passed by.  In the center of the park, around the fountain, the chariots circled and came to a stop as each was brought forward towards their Eidolon.  He waited there at the Memorial Wall, and as each urn came to him, so too did the loved ones of those who¡¯d come to remember them.  Final words were spoken, and the urns were placed in their slots; places of honor.

    As surviving Fafnir, the five were close to the Memorial circle, but as soldiers, they were counted amongst the wall of mournful faces, watching the ceremony take place from a small distance.  Only the Eidolon and the families were permitted up on the walkway in front of the Memorial itself.

    And that was where Ren ¨C hair augmented to black again - found her gaze fixated.

    Standing off to the side were the two leaders of the Fourth, paying their respects with quiet patience.  Etienne was there with them, looking rather toned-down from her usual extra display, and beside them in turn was a particularly strange-looking boy.  Perhaps 12 years old, but with bright, luminescent blue eyes; the sight of him would probably be one of the only ¨C if not the only ¨C time most people would ever see the Third in their entire lives.

    The service was far enough away from the main streets around the park that spectators from the public couldn¡¯t peer inside.  That didn¡¯t stop the determined, however, especially those who had the power to slip by unseen.  With the barest bit of news starting to get out that there was a memorial service happening at all, Kourin hurried there to get a look.  With her eyes alight, she could walk right down the main thoroughfare without being noticed, and paused at the mouth of the fountain-circle as the last three urn-carrying chariots were queued-up to go around.  It was a slow-moving procession, and there was still plenty of waiting to do, so Kourin could take a long look around without bother.

    One thing she was very keen to gander at was the little group of Fafnir Knights; being so long in Kitez, she¡¯d been cut off from information about the outside world, and had no idea who was who within that little club.  It was easy enough to single them out though; soldiers of the Sixth they may have been, but as special ops forces, their funerary blacks were uniquely different from everyone else¡¯s, looking a little bit more ornamental than the rest.

    That, and Furion¡¯s Captain¡¯s regalia gave him away as the Aegis¡¯ commander, so he stuck out like a sore thumb.

    So up close, Kourin¡¯s heart still raced, but she got closer to the walkway-barrier and took each of their measure, So these are the ones who lived.  Scyrexian said it was one of the women it needed¡­so¡­one of these two?  She side-stepped past Lequerion and Seth, and found Ravan first, looking on at the Memorial Wall.  She got unnervingly close, turning her head this way and that as she inspected the woman for any sign.  Not sensing anything though, she moved on to the corner, and did the same thing to Ren.  For a moment, Kourin turned to look in the direction Ren had been staring, and spotted the Eidolon of the Fourth there, Xanarken!  ¡­And¡­wow, Gabriel¡¯s so tall now.

    That waif of a woman turned back to the Fafnir after that¡­and realized Ren was staring straight at her, green eyes wide - surrounded by black - and fixated.

    Kourin took a big step back.  She dared not shriek or even gasp in surprise, even as a finger lifted to Scyren¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Shh.¡±

    ¡°¡­Scyrexian¡­¡± Kourin whispered.  She had the temerity to blink though, and the sight was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

    Ren seemed to disassociate and was trying to regain her senses, putting that shushing hand up to cover her eyes instead.

    ¡°You okay?¡± Furion wondered quietly, bending down towards her slightly, ¡°Ren?¡±

    The Dame shook her head, but when she looked up again, the strange image she¡¯d seen was gone.  She looked around in confusion, ¡°I¡­thought I saw something.¡±

    The carriages moved around the circle, and as the one that had been idling at the front went by to leave, Gabriel looked past it into the crowd.  He¡¯d spotted the Fafnir earlier on, and with Ren on the corner, she was the easiest of the whole bunch to see.  Though the ceremony only carried on for another 20 minutes, it felt like far longer, and as the massive crowds started to disperse, Gabriel stayed close to the wall.  He looked on at those unfortunate new names, and took a few paces back towards the steps to take the whole sight of it in.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re not going to talk to Ren?¡± Xanarken wondered, coming up beside him, ¡°She may not stick around for long.¡±

    ¡°I feel like there¡¯s probably a reason why she¡¯s ghosted me.¡± He answered with a grim sigh, ¡°I don¡¯t want to make it harder for her by foisting myself onto her.  Not here¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s been staring at you the entire time though.  You were so worried she¡¯d think you an asshole for not talking to her.¡±

    ¡°Staring in the direction of the ceremony isn¡¯t the same as staring straight at me.¡± Gabriel corrected dubiously, ¡°And I¡¯ve left a few messages already¡­she never answered a single one.¡±

    ¡°Well, fine, then I¡¯ll go talk to her on my own.¡±

    ¡°Wh-¡­Wait, Xanarken!¡±

    The Fourth had already shifted his mantle too far forward though and Gabriel could do nothing but watch with dread as the Eidolon weaved through the crowd.  People were filtering out from the walkways to approach the memorial, and the fountain rotunda was starting to get crowded.  There was no stopping it ¨C Xanarken approached the Fafnir like they were his own ¨C and Gabriel felt his heart drop into his gut.

    ¡°Lord Xanarken¡­¡± Ren started, feeling that hand on her shoulder again, ¡°We¡­were just about to go.¡±

    ¡°I understand.  Never in history have so many Fafnir been interred at the same time¡­it¡¯s a heavy weight to bear.¡± He answered, and loosely clasped his hands behind his back, ¡°Gabe says he¡¯s been trying to get hold of you, but you haven¡¯t responded.  I know it was agonizing to have Rylen send you away, but¡­do you have to punish Gabe over it?¡±

    Furion side-eyed the Eidolon dubiously; not being able to argue with the man was rather frustrating.

    Ren just looked down and took a half-step back, ¡°I¡¯m not¡­trying to punish him.  I¡¯d like more than anything to talk to him, but¡­it¡¯s probably not a good idea right now.  Lord Rylen¡¯s probably watching us.  I don¡¯t want to give him any reason to reprimand me.¡± She said; it wasn¡¯t difficult to say since it was technically true.

    ¡°He can¡¯t punish you if I¡¯m moderating.¡± The Fourth countered, and gestured back at his Vice to come forward.  Gabriel looked worried and annoyed at the same time, but Xanarken was still technically his superior, and he started coming down those wide steps.

    Ren felt her heart jump into her throat, and she quickly grabbed for her partner¡¯s hand.  Her eyes were locked on the man as he got closer; she couldn¡¯t turn away, no matter how hard she tried.

    Furion could feel her shaking through that tight grip, and tried to get her attention, ¡°Ren, just breathe.  It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ravan wondered; she, Corbin, and Jense were still nearby, and Ravan could sense a rise in the local temperature.

    ¡°Block my line of sight!¡± Ren begged; it was a relief to know her voice was still her own, ¡°Furion, please!¡±

    Not understanding, but knowing how to follow an order anyway, Furion did just that, and cupped the side of his hand against her face like a blinder, ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±  He asked, and got a full view of the dark color creeping into her scleras.  Not only that, but her evergreen irises had gone a deep, bloody red, ¡°Shit, your eyes-¡±

    ¡°Dame, are you well?¡± Xanarken wondered, and made the grave mistake of getting close again.  Maybe Ren could see the edge of him past Furion¡¯s hand, or maybe she could sense it, but whatever it was, something made her react viscerally¡­and Xanarken got gut-checked as she pushed him away with an elbow.

    It wouldn¡¯t have been an issue under normal circumstances; the mantle gave-way as it normally would have, but deep beneath the city, where his true body was kept safe and hidden in the Eidolon System, Xanarken coughed and gasped into the oxygen-mask covering the lower half of his face.

    Ren looked on in horror; everything seemed to happen in slow-motion.  The Fourth buckled slightly; Gabriel stopped dead in his tracks ¨C blocked by a number of people between them still, he couldn¡¯t really see what happened ¨C and Ren took several steps back, bumping into the rest of the Fafnir in the process.  Voices questioned her from all sides, and her pulse raced in her ears.  All she could do was flee.

    She knew the layout of the area well enough, and roughly where all the different mourners had been standing, so when she blindly leapt over them, she could only hope no one would get in her way.  As she felt the descent of her arc, she peeked her eyes open for the landing, and just kept going.

    ¡°Ren?¡± Was the general consensus amongst those who knew her.

    ¡°None of you go after her.¡± Furion ordered, staring at his subordinates.  He turned then to Gabriel, ¡°You leave her alone.¡± He emphasized that by pointing straight at the man, and quickly turned to follow after the woman, the lengths of that long cape flicking at the air until he was out of ear-shot.

    The action didn¡¯t go unnoticed by everyone else nearby, and there was no shortage of Sixth Wingers wondering what the Hell was going on.  Seth and Lequerion gaped at one another as well, only to stare at the two Fourth Wingers who were staring in stunned horror in the direction the duo had escaped in.

    Gabriel finally got his wits about him though and went to his Eidolon¡¯s side, ¡°Xanarken?  Why are you cringing like that?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­don¡¯t know?¡± He answered, ¡°¡­I felt that one.¡±

    ¡°How the Hell did you feel that!?¡± The blonde harped quietly, barely audible over the sound of the crowd, ¡°That should¡¯ve been nothing worse than a whiff!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back later.¡± The Fourth grumbled, and abruptly vanished into his footsteps.

    ¡°Xanarken!¡±

    The Fafnir looked on at the Vice in utter confusion, ¡°¡­What is happening right now¡­?¡± Corbin wondered for them all.

    Rylen had witnessed the dispersal from a distance, his attention grabbed by Ren leaping through the air ¨C as had Etienne and Arbelos¡¯.  Though the First thought nothing of it in particular ¨C after all, it had been him that told Ren not to look so satisfied with Gabriel before ¨C the Fifth was worried.  Arbelos stared on indifferently and took Xanarken¡¯s lead, vanishing before anyone could drag him into anything.

    Standing far enough away to not be bumped into, Kourin had watched the whole thing unfold from beneath the stealth of her afflictive barrier.  She turned her gaze in the direction Ren had run, ¡­It almost happened just now, didn¡¯t it?

 Book I â€“ Chapter 71 â€“ Nothing Is Ever What It Looks Like

    Xanarken¡¯s pod beeped and the lid slid open, and the frail-looking man who¡¯d been residing within abruptly rose from the stasis-fluid he¡¯d been suspended in.  The mask over his face was ripped away, the interface on his head pulled off to plunge back into the pod, and Xanarken coughed and heaved, trying to catch his breath.  He put one thin hand against the front left side of his core, and tried to catch his breath.

    The sound of fluttering was rather annoying, but he knew Etienne would show up sooner rather than later, and he turned his dark eyes towards the Fifth, ¡°You can leave.¡± He said, voice raspy from centuries of disuse.

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t say it again.¡± Xanarken argued, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Rylen tried to send me away, too.  I won¡¯t be bullied into patient abandonment when I can see with my own damn eyes that you¡¯re not fine.¡± Etienne countered, and approached anyway.  As soon as she was next to the Fourth¡¯s pod though, Xanarken snapped to her wrist and grabbed her; it was a surprisingly tight grip, considering the man¡¯s muscles had withered.  Etienne looked at her limb, horrified as her mantle shifted and buckled, ¡°Xanarken, what are you-¡±

    ¡°I said I¡¯m fine, Etienne.¡± He said with no uncertain level of seriousness, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay¡­¡± She answered quietly, and spread her fingers out in surrender.  Xanarken let her go, and she hovered a few paces away, ¡°Sorry.¡±

    The Fourth just grumbled quietly as the Fifth took her leave again, and he tried to draw in a few pained breaths.  His hand remained on the side of his stomach, but he finally started to feel a bit of relief as the pain subsided, ¡°¡­Fucking Hell¡­is this what Rylen felt like?  God almighty¡­all she did was elbow me¡­¡± He winced.  With one final breath though, he put back the breathing-mask, waited for it seal around him, and then lowered back down into the stasis-fluid.  Hands went up to find the neural-interface crown, and he pulled it back into place above his head.  With a deep breath, he opened up the overlay again, reconnected to his mantle.

    It took a moment, but when it finally formed at pod-side, the Eidolon turned and spent a moment making sure nothing else had come loose.  Nanotech-arms dipped into that iridescent fluid, checking on every tube and cable attached to his partially-atrophied but immortal flesh.  Satisfied everything was where it ought to be, he reached at the last to adjust the crown over his head, centering it so the cerebral pegs that touched to his skin were settled back into the grooves they¡¯d made from such prolonged placement.  The lid was put back into place, and Xanarken set his hands to the glass, staring down at himself, ¡­I haven¡¯t come out of it like that since we realized we didn¡¯t have to anymore.  I¡¯ll have to be careful not to get too close to her again.

    .

    Ren wouldn¡¯t stop running until the Memorial was completely out of sight, and she fled straight-up a vertical wall to the top of a park-bordering building.  It was just as well that she was going to stop there anyway, since her vision started to darken at the peripheries, and a strange sound ¨C like raging water ¨C filled her ears.  Her legs gave out from under her and she collapsed forward, going shoulder-first into the gravel that lined the roof-top.  Struggling to regain herself, she rolled to her stomach, and tried to get her hands under her shoulders as a disturbingly-cold feeling washed through her.

    Furion was quick behind her after that, hefting himself up the building¡¯s siding the same way she had, only to launch himself further without realizing she¡¯d stopped until he spotted her below his arc.  He landed on one of the domed roof-top greenhouses, and hastily slid down, pulling the woman over and against his lap, ¡°Ren!¡±

    She was completely dazed, disassociating all over again.  The nanotech that she wore ¨C her dress-blacks ¨C and the color in her hair all seemed to dissolve in fits and starts, coming back together, only to fizzle again like a broken radio-signal.  The only other time he¡¯d seen nanotech behave that way was when Rylen had been impaled-through during the Sterling Rose incident.  Worse still, he could see subtly-darkened veins trailing outward from her blackened eyes, and she went completely limp.

    ¡°REN!¡±

    His voice was distant and distorted, as though she was hearing it from deep under water.  The deafening roar from before was completely washed out, leaving her in uncomfortable quiet¡­but she was sure she could still move around somehow.  Eyes went up, seeing light above the ¡®water,¡¯ but it was getting smaller and smaller as the seconds wore on.

    ¡°The only reason you¡¯re in control is because I allow it.¡± Scyrexian¡¯s voice boomed, and it coiled like a great serpent in the deep, ¡°Surrender, and make it easier on yourself.¡±

    Ren could hardly believe what she¡¯d heard; the voice was so clear, not just a whisper at the back of her mind anymore.  She could feel herself turning around ¨C the light above her moved as her perspective shifted ¨C but she was sure she could see the beast hiding in the dark below her, like a leviathan stalking prey.  She faced it adamantly, ¡°If you could take-over that easily, you would¡¯ve done it already!  You¡¯ve had hours of opportunity already and you didn¡¯t do shit!¡±

    Scyrexian bellowed madly at her, shaking the entirety of whatever realm it had pulled her into, ¡°Know your place, you blind and impertinent thing.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to do to me what you did to Ianori!¡± Ren argued back, ¡°You¡¯re not going to hurt anyone else!  Not one more!¡±

    Red eyes blazed in the abyss, scorching in their brightness and painful to behold, ¡°You¡¯ll be lucky if I don¡¯t rip them all apart with your own hands when I¡¯m done.  Surrender!¡±

    ¡°NO.¡± She yelled, hands over her ears and eyes clenched shut, ¡°SHUT UP!  JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!¡±

    Scyrexian raged all the more, thrashing in the void violently¡­but it never rose higher than it already was.  Ren could feel the endless power radiating off of it like a terrible heat, but something was stopping it from swallowing her whole.

    ¡°¡­Shut¡­up¡­¡± She whispered in pain; Furion held her close, though that didn¡¯t stop him from wondering if she was talking to him in that moment, ¡°Just¡­shut the¡­Hell¡­up¡­¡±

    The fractious writhing settled as Scyrexian¡¯s roars diminished into threatening growls, though even that seemed to vibrate through that endless space, and Ren could feel it go straight through her with terrifying ease.  Those massive red eyes narrowed, and the oily miasma weeping off of them narrowed into thin tails, ¡°Your time is running out, child.  You will lose this fight.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­nothing but a liar.¡± Ren answered, and started kicking, determined to breach the surface before she drowned in its wrathful gaze, ¡°If I have to keep you here for the rest of my life¡­then so be it¡­  Never forget that you¡¯re the one trapped inside of me, not the other way around!¡±

    Scyrexian watched her silhouette shrink away from it as she rose towards that glimmer high above, but instead of seething in its fitful fury, it just¡­kind of rumbled a low, disturbing laugh to itself, completely unheard by the woman as she escaped.

    Ren gasped loudly as she sat upright, and wretched terribly as she tried to catch her breath.  Her eyes and lungs stung, but that pain quickly faded, and she reached up with her right wrist to wipe the spit from her chin.  She cleared her throat a few times, and finally opened her eyes - her completely normal green eyes - and turned where she sat.

    ¡°¡­Ren?¡±

    ¡°F-Furion¡­¡± She managed, and coughed again.

    The Captain shifted in place to look at her squarely, and reached his hands forward to cup around her face.  He turned her left and right, stunned at the sight of her, but found that everything had returned to how it should be, ¡°¡­Are you good?  What the Hell was all that just now?¡±

    Ren looked around as well as she could, and Furion finally let her go again, ¡°¡­I¡­  I think I told Scyrexian to go fuck itself¡­¡±

    ¡°Your tech was freaking out.  I was freaking out.  Your eyes were starting to do that thing like with the afflicted where the light comes out, but it was dark red and gross like when it was happening to Ianori¡­  Are¡­you¡­good¡­?¡±

    ¡°I think so¡­¡± She nodded, and put a hand over her heart, feeling it beating at a normal pace beneath her skin.  The sense of anxious dread was gone, too, and she looked around that roof-top space, ¡°¡­I¡­feel better than I have in days, actually¡­¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s all the same to you, we¡¯re not going back to where Lugios is.¡± Furion said, and pulled the Dame into a tight hug, ¡°I told him to leave you alone before I came after you.  You¡¯ve got to make sure you do the same for him.  You were right to not want to come to the Memorial; you¡¯re not safe around each other.  Not for now.¡±

    ¡°¡­I know.¡± Ren answered quietly; her heart hurt to admit it, but she knew it was the right thing to do.

    .

    Not knowing what to do or say, Gabriel stared out over the park, wondering what just happened.  To his surprise, Ravan carefully approached on his left side.  He heard her try to get his attention, and cast a glance her way.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t mean that to look the way it did.¡± The Fafnir commented, ¡°She¡¯s always spoken really highly of you.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡± He answered, only to shake his head, ¡°Um¡­that she didn¡¯t mean it to look like that, I mean.  Rylen is-¡­er, Lord Rylen¡­is right over there, and¡­  Gods, I can¡¯t talk all of a sudden.¡±

    ¡°Were you two close?¡±

    Gabriel just cleared his throat and took a step back, ¡°¡­I think¡­I should make my way to Trazad.  I¡¯ve probably overstayed my welcome with the Sixth at this point.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Ravan watched with a sigh as the Vice turned away, all-but retreating from the lingering despair of the proceedings.  She turned to the duo behind her, ¡°¡­That was weird, right?¡±

    ¡°These days, I don¡¯t know what counts as weird anymore.¡± Jense answered, arms crossed as he, too, watched the pseudo-Eidolon depart, ¡°Honestly, after finding out Ren and the Captain are a thing, that was probably the most normal thing I¡¯ve seen in weeks.¡±

    ¡°You are so right, brother.¡± Corbin agreed easily, ¡°I long for the days when love triangles were the strangest thing we had to deal with.¡±

    Ravan made a face at them, ¡°¡­You think that¡¯s a love triangle?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, absolutely.  What else could it be?¡±

    ¡°¡­A love chevron?¡± Jense suggested contemplatively, ¡°A triangle would imply that all three points are connected and I¡¯m almost-certain they¡¯re not.¡±

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe you two are saying stuff like that at a funeral.¡± Ravan scoffed at them.

    ¡°I¡¯m so numb, I¡¯m not even sure I think it¡¯s funny.¡± Corbin shrugged, and turned on a heel to start heading for the park exit, only to pause a few paces away, ¡°¡­I dunno about you two, but I¡¯m shipping out tomorrow.  Feeling bad about wanting to get back to work is probably the only thing I¡¯ve actually felt for the last week.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m going, too.¡± Jense agreed, ¡°Where did you get assigned?¡±

    ¡°The Guardian.  Captain Greenseer.¡±

    ¡°Lucky¡­she¡¯s probably the next-best thing to the Aegis.  I¡¯m heading to The Ward with Captain Hernandez.¡± Jense answered, and they both looked to Ravan, ¡°You?¡±

    ¡°The Buckler.  Captain Landon.¡± She answered sullenly, ¡°¡­They¡¯re on deployment in the way-far north.  It¡¯s¡­not ideal.¡±

    ¡°You three better not leave without saying goodbye.¡± A fourth voice commented, and all three turned to spot Lequerion there with his youngest, ¡°It¡¯s bad enough you¡¯re all already thinking about deploying again.  Doesn¡¯t anyone take leave around here?¡±

    Jense and Corbin were practically at attention for the man, ¡°Captain!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡± He says dismissively, ¡°I haven¡¯t been your Captain in years.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    Lequerion just stared at them, and looked to the third ¨C and nonreactive ¨C Fafnir, ¡°¡­How long have you been with the team, kid?¡±

    ¡°¡­Seven years, sir.  Almost eight.¡± She answered, ¡°¡­I was with The Buckler before.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re basically going home, then.¡± Lequerion noted.

    ¡°It¡¯s a new Captain and a new crew, for the most part, sir.¡± Ravan explained, ¡°Familiar halls, but no familiar faces.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s better or worse.¡± The elder Rydell commented, tapping his thumb on his son¡¯s shoulder where the teen was glued to his side, ¡°In any case,¡± He turned to speak to all three again, ¡°This wasn¡¯t something I was expecting to have to talk to you about so soon, but if you¡¯re all going to leave already anyway, then I guess now¡¯s as good a time as any.  The reason you¡¯re being dispersed like this is because Lord Rylen expects you to look for recruits.¡±

    ¡°¡­He wants us to poach people?¡± Corbin was surprised, ¡°Isn¡¯t that unethical?¡±

    ¡°If we want to rebuild the Fafnir, we can¡¯t wait for another formal application-phase to roll out.¡± Lequerion answered, ¡°You¡¯re envoys for the Aegis, and you¡¯ll be looking-out for skilled warriors while those ships go out on exercise.  You also need to assess if you can see yourselves working together.  Normally, the compatibility factor is something the Captain looks-out for, but there are a lot of extenuating circumstances these days, and it¡¯s going to be a team effort this time.¡±

    ¡°¡­How do we explain why so many of us suddenly ended up dead?¡± Ravan wondered, ¡°I know there was some¡­shall we say, sanitized language used to explain the state of the Aegis.  ¡­But us?  Nothing was said about us¡­¡±

    ¡°Lord Rylen doesn¡¯t want you talking about it.  At all.¡± Lequerion explained simply, ¡°Never forget that the Fafnir are an elite unit, and its missions are considered classified for the most part.  You owe an explanation to no one, and you¡¯re under orders to keep quiet.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what happened, sir?¡± Corbin wondered, ¡°You¡¯re a civilian now¡­yet it seems like you know exactly what happened.¡±

    ¡°Not entirely as such; former Captains still have some clearances.  Enough-so that if, say, another Captain wanted to divulge details in an effort to get a second opinion¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have access to the archival footage, though.¡± Lequerion noted, ¡°So what I know is just what came from your Captain¡¯s retelling.  And¡­speaking of whom¡­¡±

    All eyes turned in the direction the former Captain was looking, and were relieved to see Furion returning with Ren in tow finally, even if neither of them was heading in their direction.  Seth wasn¡¯t about to wait around for an invitation, and peeled off to go after them, ¡°See you guys later!¡± He hollered, weaving through the remnants of the crowd until he disappeared.

    Lequerion looked to the trio, ¡°Guess that¡¯s my cue.  Remember, don¡¯t leave without saying goodbye first!¡±

    ¡°Yessir!¡± Corbin and Jense both answered; Ravan stayed stoic and quiet.

    Seth ducked and swerved until he made it to the side of the thoroughfare, where it was a little clearer to run a straight line along the road-side barrier.  He kept an eye on his brother through the forest-like congregation of mourners, until the barrier finally ended and he could hop out onto the grass.  It was a straight-shot after that, and Seth tore across the field to catch-up, ¡°Miss Ren!  Furion!¡±

    Ren glanced up, and barely had time to let go of Furion¡¯s hand before Seth barreled straight into her, ¡°Seth!¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯d you take off like that!?¡± He berated, ¡°You¡¯re honestly the worst about leaving without saying something first¡­¡±

    Furion made a face at the teen, and reached his hands under Seth¡¯s arms, lifting him up like a cat, ¡°She had good reason.¡±

    Seth dangled for a moment, but then flailed to get free, only to find it wouldn¡¯t be so easy, and finally went limp, ¡°¡­Ugh¡­fine.¡± He grumbled, and Furion set him back down again, feet steadying themselves on the walkway.  He turned slightly to see the pair over his shoulder, ¡°Still, it was super rude¡­  And at a funeral, no less, where saying goodbye is the whole point.¡±

    The dressing-down only continued as Furion started to corral them forward, and ¨C still watching from the proverbial shadows ¨C Kourin kept half an eye on them.  Her eyes narrowed slightly on the teen, I wonder who that is?  Looks just like the Captain, only¡­fun-size?  She quirked her head to the side, but then dismissed the thought and pulled up the overlay on her glasses.  Hidden beneath her barrier, no one could see her typing a message to her cohort, [Have you been able to get the Fafnir personnel files yet?]

    A few seconds passed before she got an answer, [Yeah.  Incoming.]

    Images of the core-dossiers came up on Kourin¡¯s sights, and she narrowed her eyes at the Captain¡¯s image, ¡­Furion¡­Rydell.  Same last name as the guy that Laurier despises¡­  She looked at the image skeptically, but then pulled her glasses down a little to look over the rims at the little group ¨C just as Lequerion had finally caught-up - and realized the three of them looked similar, Oh¡­Furion must be a nepo-baby.  That¡¯s papa Rydell right beside him.  But who¡¯s the kid?  She typed at Phexides again, [There¡¯s a third Rydell here, I think.  The former Captain and someone far younger, not even old enough to be a Knight.]

    [That¡¯s probably Setharion Rydell, the former Captain¡¯s youngest son.] Phex answered, and sent a photo of that profile as well, [He¡¯s actually a full Knight already, even though he doesn¡¯t turn 18 for another 7 months.  ¡­Apparently Rylen has taken him on as some kind of apprentice.  I can look further into it if you want.]

    [Yeah, good idea.  He¡¯s hanging out with Scyrexian¡¯s newest host.] Kourin replied, and leaned back against the tree she sat by, contemplating for a moment.  She then went back to the profiles she¡¯d been sent, singled-out Wing Commander One, and continued typing, [This is the one it took.  Ren Nibasai.]

    [You¡¯re sure?]

    [It turned her eyes black for a second, and literally shushed me while I walked by.  It saw right through my cloaking.] Kourin answered, still baffled by it, [Gabriel¡¯s right here, too.  Or at least he was, until leaving a minute ago.]

    [Wasn¡¯t Scyrexian supposed to take him as a host?  I thought that was the whole point.]

    [Yeah¡­I dunno.  You should see him though.  He¡¯s like¡­6ft tall now or something.  Kinda hot.]

    [He was literally a child the last time we saw him.  I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d say that.]

    [What?  It¡¯s not like I thought he was hot back then.] She leered at the messaging window, [In any case¡­put a pin in Nibasai.  For whatever reason, Scyrexian didn¡¯t make a move here, and now the two of them are going their separate ways.  We should keep tabs on her and make sure we know where she goes.]

    [Not Gabriel?]

    [¡­That ought to go without saying.] Kourin grumbled, and pushed up to stand, [He hangs out with Xanarken though, so he¡¯ll be much easier to track.  We should let Tallus know at some point that we¡¯ve got things handled on this side.]

    [I¡¯ll call him.  What about you?]

    [I got what I came for, so I¡¯m coming back now.  We¡¯ll leave Agartha tonight and be ready for when Scyrexian swaps.] She answered, and closed the window before pulling the glasses off her face.  She put them carefully away and took one last look out into the field where the Rydells and Scyren were still walking away, ¡­You¡¯re a strange critter, Scyrexian.  I hope there was a good reason for why you didn¡¯t migrate earlier.  This whole thing is making me antsy.

    Seth had finally gotten through with all his scolding by that point, and was contented to just walk with the group as they made their way towards the public streets.  When they finally got to the park¡¯s gates though, they were surprised to find a certain duo there waiting.

    ¡°¡­Iresha?¡± Seth said aloud, and quickly walked forward to meet with the Prince where he stood on the sidewalk, next to a rather obvious Sargonian vehicle, ¡°What are you doing out here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, hi, nice to see you, Iresha, I¡¯m so glad you showed up when you did to pry me away from all these stuffy adults.¡± The older teen said dryly, ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone tell you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Tell me what?¡±

    J¡¯ard answered that question, ¡°Lord Rylen reached out and asked me to bring the young Prince here to collect you.  ¡­His Royal Highness explained the reasons, although I would have phrased it differently.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Iresha reached forward to grab Seth by the shoulders and pushed him back and forth, ¡°You gotta come.  I¡¯m bored out of my gourd.¡±

    Seth was just baffled, ¡°¡­You know this was a funeral, right?¡±

    The Prince blinked, then released, and cleared his throat against his hand, ¡°¡­Ah, ahem, I see.¡±

    J¡¯ard offered a wary smile, ¡°I was wondering why there was so much going on here.  I hadn¡¯t heard about any deaths though.  I apologize for our mutual disrespect.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­  I could probably use the distraction anyway.¡± Seth shook his head, but glanced back at his family, ¡°Can I go, dad?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in good hands with J¡¯ard, so¡­sure.¡± Lequerion nodded, and crossed his arms casually, ¡°No sense keeping you around all us stuffy adults, after all.¡±

    ¡°Okay; thanks.¡± The young teen turned and gave a wave to the group, ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys again later, maybe?¡±

    ¡°Just go have fun, Seth.¡± Furion shooed him off, ¡°No one would ask you to spend all of your time grieving.  I know it¡¯s not in your blood to linger anyway.¡±

    Ren stayed mostly quiet, and just waved, ¡°Cya later, Seth.¡±

    Iresha all-but shoved the youngest Rydell into the vehicle, and followed after, pulling the door shut behind him.  As Seth reoriented himself with the vertical plane, the Prince kept a hawk¡¯s eye on J¡¯ard, watching him go around to one of the other doors.  At the last moment, he flicked the locks, and the entire vehicle became inaccessible, ¡°We gotta ditch him.¡±

    J¡¯ard¡¯s words were mumbled and impossible to understand from inside the vehicle, but both teens were sure he was asking the obvious.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be more careful?  I mean, you¡¯re a royal and all.¡± Seth wondered, combing his fingers through his hair to set it back to normal.

    ¡°You know that the only reason he was picked to follow me around is cuz I¡¯m afflicted, right?¡± Iresha countered, ¡°I don¡¯t need a minder making sure I don¡¯t use my Limitless.  I know what I¡¯m doing.  He¡¯s also way too formal, so if anyone around here is a stuffy adult, it¡¯s him.  I have an idea¡­¡±  He leaned towards the forward row of seats, ¡°Take us up!  J¡¯ard can find his own way.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡± The Sargonian driver answered, and immediately did as bid.  The vehicle lifted straight up, then out as it left the street-side, joining into the flow of traffic higher in the air.

    Seth flipped in his seat and watched J¡¯ard vanish ¨C stunned; Lequerion thought it was hilarious ¨C out the rear window, ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe you did that.¡±

    ¡°Perks of being a royal, right?¡± Iresha was rather proud of himself, ¡°Now, if it¡¯s true that I just plucked you out of a funeral ¨C and if it¡¯s true that this was done at Lord Rylen¡¯s request - then it¡¯s apparently my solemn duty to cheer you up, so¡­where are we going?  What¡¯s your favorite place in this city?¡±

    Seth turned around to sit forward again, and after a moment of thought, gestured his hand forward to dismiss his funerary-blacks, and replaced them with far-more-casual garb, ¡°My favorite place would probably bore you to tears¡­but I know somewhere you might actually like.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 72 â€“ Never Doubt That Great Danger Can Arrive In Small Packages

    Lequerion was still laughing as J¡¯ard came off the road, and went to approach the bounty hunter with a sympathetic shoulder-smack, ¡°All those years, you hunted down some of the worst, only to be bamboozled by a couple teenagers.  Oh, how the mighty have fallen.¡±

    ¡°¡­I suppose I¡¯ve become complacent in my elder-years.¡± J¡¯ard shook his head and sighed, ¡°The Prince has gotten impatient with the idea of being followed around¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll both be fine.¡± Lequerion mused, ¡°Agartha¡¯s the safest city on Hadira.  If they can¡¯t be idiots here, they can¡¯t be idiots anywhere.  Take the ditch for what it is, and take a break.¡±

    Furion watched the duo curiously, ¡°I forgot how much more closely the hunters worked with the Fafnir back in the day.¡± He commented to his partner, one arm wrapped lightly around her back, ¡°Things were very different when my father was Captain.¡±

    ¡°¡­Prince Iresha has changed a lot, too.¡± Ren added, ¡°Maybe Gabe was onto something when he thought to give the kid a friend.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, but it still wasn¡¯t his place to suggest it the way he had.¡±

    ¡°I know.  I¡¯m just saying.  Iresha seems quite a bit more relaxed in his own skin.  From the things I¡¯ve been told¡­he was really uptight before.¡±

    ¡°Oh, he certainly was.¡± Came an unexpected voice, and the two Fafnir turned around to spot their Eidolon approaching.  They both quickly parted to salute the man, and he paused his advance a few steps ahead of them, ¡°But I suppose anyone would be if they lived a life as sheltered as his was.  Grandmother murdered by rioters in the palace, an affliction that set half that same palace on fire, being the reason the Council is in the country¡­  Oh, right, at ease.¡±

    The duo relaxed their stances, and Rylen stepped closer to see around the park walls, ¡°Sir!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve known his father since before he became Emperor.¡± The First continued, amused in his own way at the fact that J¡¯ard had been dumped, ¡°Back when your father¡­¡± He looked to Furion, ¡°¡­was still Captain, and the whole sordid incident with the Exclusion Zone happened.  The late Empress tried to intercede ¨C Sargon and Kitez were much more in lock-step with one another at the time; practically one nation split into eastern and western provinces ¨C but found herself in the awkward position where she actually agreed with me in the whole thing.  I thought she and I might be partners in our mutual desire to see afflicted threats diminished, but¡­well, she balked when protests started breaking out in Sargon, and Xanarken told me to back off.  We swapped out after the Empress was murdered, and Iresha ¨C not yet of ¡®the Elder¡¯ title - was coronated.  Those were certainly interesting times.  ¡­I warned Xanarken back then to keep a close eye on things, especially after the man who¡¯d championed the riots in Sargon ¨C Latheroux - absconded into Kitez and popped-up in their court, but¡­I think he believed the soft-paws approach would work better.  But by that point, it was no longer a military conflict, and Xanarken had the final say in how it was all handled.¡±

    ¡°Do you think Lord Xanarken handled it improperly, sir?¡± Furion wondered dubiously, ¡°Is that why he¡¯s giving it up?¡±

    Rylen shrugged, ¡°Hard to know.  Sargon made a mess of things in their own way when newly-crowned Emperor Iresha sent Mardu to Kitez to make amends.  I suppose he believed that if Sargon gave up one of their own as a peace offering, Kitez would settle down¡­and for a time, the former Duchy seemed okay with that.  They married Mardu to their daughter, Far¡¯nah, and a so-called harmony returned to the region.  Maybe we lost track of the goings-on there when Sargon resumed its position that the Council should mind its own business.  A lot had changed by the time Iresha dusted off the communicator I¡¯d given to his mother, and called us in directly.¡±  The First suddenly looked oddly frustrated, ¡°Did you know that shit-kicker riot-starter actually became friends with Mardu?  Of all the people¡­  In a normal universe, Mardu ought to have kicked Latheroux to the curb for what he started in Sargon¡­but instead, sympathized with the man and kept him around like an abandoned puppy.  And Xanarken didn¡¯t even notice Latheroux was there!¡±  He stopped himself there though, and tried to re-find his Zen, taking a few symbolic breaths before he shook his head and resumed his normal affect, ¡°¡­Anyway, that was quite the segue¡­that¡¯s not even why I came over here.  I actually wanted to know why the both of you made a scene of yourselves by jumping over a crowd earlier.¡±

    Ren immediately went down to a knee, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m so sorry, I-¡±

    Furion stepped between them though, blocking out the sight of his partner with his cape, ¡°Lord Rylen, with all due respect¡­  I¡¯m aware that you were unhappy with the expression of Dame Ren¡¯s familiarity with Lord Gabriel, and reprimanded her severely for how it came out recently.  She didn¡¯t want there to be any misunderstandings about how she interpreted that, and dismissed herself in such a way so as to make it clear that she was abiding by your instructions.  The Fourth Wing has become somewhat pushy in its desire to continue communications with her, as though she still had ties to both Wings.  Lord Xanarken went so far as to come to my family home to find her.¡±

    Rylen¡¯s brow twisted, ¡°¡­Really.¡±

    ¡°I know he means well, sir, but I would request that something be done to keep the Fourth out of the Sixth¡¯s affairs.¡± Furion continued; behind him, still on one knee, Ren felt the heat of anxiety burn through her, ¡°While we are grateful that they offered Dame Ren a place to go while we addressed the source of her beguilement, that¡¯s all in the past now, and she¡¯s back with us again.  We can no longer abide by the meddling, and I lack the authority to keep them at bay.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± The First said simply, and pulled a hand up to rub a knuckle on his chin, ¡°Well¡­reminding Gabriel that he¡¯s not as powerful as he thinks he is has become a favorite pastime of mine¡­  I¡¯m sure I can think of a way to kindly tell him to mind his own business.  And Xanarken, for that matter.  I¡¯d rather not think he¡¯s forgotten our agreement.¡±

    The scene hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed by Lequerion or J¡¯ard, but neither was about to get in the middle of the scene, and kept a respectable distance.

    Rylen nodded to himself after that, and gestured for the Captain to step aside.  Furion warily did so, and Ren quickly bent her head down a bit further.  She didn¡¯t expect the Eidolon of the First to join her down there, but he crouched in front of her anyway, ¡°I know it can be problematic when you¡¯re torn between the authority of two and a half different Eidolon.  I suppose you did the right thing, given the circumstances.¡± He started, and offered his hand, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this little problem.  The Fourth will be in your rear-view mirror again soon, and you can go back to doing what you do best.¡±

    ¡°¡­Y-yessir.¡± She answered cautiously, and accepted the help up.

    ¡°Until next time, then.¡± The Eidolon commented, and quickly took his leave, dissolving before his visit could be prolonged somehow.

    That left a line of sight between the two Fafnir and the two older man, and they gaped at each other awkwardly.  Ren just turned to Furion though, ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t have to throw them both under a bus.  If Lord Xanarken hadn¡¯t insisted¡­¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯ll do it again, a thousand times over.¡± He countered, ¡°My job, first and foremost, is to keep you safe, whether it¡¯s as your Captain or your partner.  I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten into Lord Xanarken¡¯s head, but he can¡¯t just insist himself onto you.  You¡¯re not his responsibility anymore, and it¡¯s¡­inappropriate¡­how he¡¯s trying to be so chummy with you.  Weird even.¡±

    ¡°¡­Maybe a little, but¡­it¡¯s exactly how he is with Gabriel.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not him.¡± Furion insisted, a sort of pleading tone in his voice, ¡°It¡¯s not right.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°Everything okay here?¡± Lequerion wondered, ¡°It¡¯s normally not necessary to take a knee for the Eidolon.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­¡± Ren answered, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to go back to the room though.¡±

    ¡°Your comrades have indicated they¡¯re planning to deploy tomorrow.¡± The former Captain said, drawing those eyes back in his direction, ¡°I told them they shouldn¡¯t go without saying something first, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± She looked to Furion.

    ¡°I¡¯ll arrange something.¡±

    .

    Gabriel finally made it back to Maeve, but as soon as he slumped back into the pilot¡¯s seat, he heard the unmistakable shifting-sands sound of nanotech coming together.  Before he even had a chance to look around and figure out who was there to bother him, he felt a thwap come down on the top of his head.  He yelped in surprise, and pulled both hands up to protect himself, ¡°What the Hell-¡±

    ¡°Leave.¡± Thwap. ¡°My.¡± Thwap. ¡°People.¡± Thwap. ¡°Alone.¡±

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Gabriel flailed, and finally got enough of a break to look up at the offending animal that had assaulted him, ¡°Rylen!¡±

    ¡°Lord Rylen.¡± The angry Russian Blue corrected, paw up still, and thwapped him one more time for good measure, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you again.  If you¡¯re going to hold any sort of authority in the Fourth then you have to understand that the other Wings aren¡¯t your concern.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t even my idea!¡± The Vice protested, ¡°I was trying to keep to myself, but Xanarken went himself and then all-but ordered me to come over, too!  What was I supposed to say to him!?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°As if that would work!  Why don¡¯t you go smack him around!?  I¡¯m going back to Sargon!  I got the message loud and clear days ago!¡±

    The cat narrowed its gaze and lowered its paw¡­but then raised it again, and smacked the man again ¨C right between the eyes for good measure, ¡°¡­Are you going to do something about the Tuonela soon?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± Gabriel rubbed the sting away, and before he could get hit again, he stood up from the seat and turned around, ¡°Mardu is supposed to get himself here during the Dawn of Ages.  If the Duchess loses her shit after, then you can be my guest.  I just need his ass here before that.¡±

    Rylen gave a low growl, ¡°I feel like I¡¯m the only one who truly appreciates how serious that situation is¡­and yet, I¡¯m stuck here, watching you and Xanarken bumble-around in the dark.¡±

    ¡°I promise, I understand¡­¡± Gabriel explained, ¡°But as much as you want to remind me that the Sixth Wing is none of my business, this¡­is none of yours.¡±

    The cat lifted its head straight up; Gabriel wasn¡¯t sure if Rylen was offended or impressed.

    ¡°The Sargonians are sticking their neck out to offer Mardu somewhere to go while we figure out how to deal with Kitez afterwards.¡± He continued, ¡°Everything hinges on how Far¡¯nah reacts though.  Please, just¡­wait until the end of the celebration.  All of it should come together in a hurry afterwards.¡±

    ¡°And if she does nothing?¡± Rylen countered, and hopped down into the seat, staring intensely with those blazing orange eyes, ¡°It cannot be allowed to stand that she holds onto that ship.  She did everything short of invite an invasion from the Sixth.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­I know¡­  I¡¯m working on it.¡±

    ¡°How are you working on it!?¡± The First hissed, ¡°What are you doing!?¡±

    ¡°¡­I tried to kill her, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Xanarken tried his best with his novice, peasant hands.¡±

    Gabriel slouched and sighed, ¡°He only went down there because I said so.  It was my lack of experience that left the plan vulnerable to failure.  I just¡­didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have another chance if I hesitated.¡±

    Rylen sat down again, claws flexing into the seat a little before retracting again, ¡°¡­You and I are going to have to have a better working relationship if this is going to pan out.¡±

    That surprised the Vice, and he paid very close attention.

    ¡°Once you¡¯re in the System and using a mantle, things are going to change rapidly.¡± The First explained, ¡°The Luminary Council has only been as successful as it has been because the Eidolon haven¡¯t kept secrets from each other, or acted on impulse without conferring with the others.  If Xanarken wasn¡¯t toying with Kitez like an entry-level learning experience, he ought to have told you to talk to me before you went there, so we could plan-out contingencies based on every possible outcome¡­even the ones you¡¯re not comfortable confronting.  The Fourth and the Sixth are two sides of the same coin; where one fails, the other succeeds.  It¡¯s always been that way.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s brow crinkled, and the weight of it settled poorly on his shoulders.

    Rylen shook his head, and hopped up to the head-rest again, only to leap down behind the seat and reemerge as his normal self.  He crossed his arms and leaned against the same seat Xanarken usually did, ¡°And if you had talked to me before going, I would¡¯ve probably sent the Aegis instead of the Fulcrum.  With the stealth of the Fafnir, they could¡¯ve obliterated the Duchess.¡±

    ¡°¡­The Fafnir were developed to fight Limitless threats though.  I don¡¯t know that they would¡¯ve been willing to engage in political assassinations.¡±

    ¡°The Fafnir do what they¡¯re ordered to do.  It wouldn¡¯t be the first time they¡¯ve bloodied their hands with non-afflicted offal.¡± Rylen countered, ¡°They could¡¯ve easily achieved that post-take-off accident that you were going for¡­and they would¡¯ve been able to wait to confirm the Duchess was aboard before doing it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then why didn¡¯t you send the Aegis?¡± Gabriel wondered, ¡°There was no reason to send it the opposite direction just to give the Prince a lift.¡±

    ¡°Because you didn¡¯t come to me.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I was going to try to kill Far¡¯nah on the way home!¡±

    ¡°Maybe you would¡¯ve if the Sixth had known to present the option!¡±

    Gabriel threw his arms up in frustration, ¡°You were listening to the conversation I had at the palace!  You had every ship in the fleet go to high-alert when we got news of the Tuonela being raised, and then immediately agreed to Iresha¡¯s blockage when he asked for it!  What more am I supposed to do?  You don¡¯t want me touching your stuff!  I thought you wouldn¡¯t see any reason to get involved unless we expected violence, and I didn¡¯t!¡±

    Rylen just put a hand on his face, eyelids pulling down a little as he rubbed downward, ¡°¡­We really are just two ships passing each other in the night.¡± He sighed, ¡°When I say not to get into my business, I mean don¡¯t interfere with the things I¡¯m already doing.  That never meant you shouldn¡¯t try to work in tandem with me.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t exactly been super inviting, God-Emperor, Lord of the First and Sixth, Rylen Vor¡¯antiss.¡± Gabriel countered, and crossed his arms stubbornly, ¡°You can¡¯t blame me for excluding you from my thought-process when you all-but refused to level with me before.  Hell, the fact that you yourself could¡¯ve tried to bridge that gap ¨C only to choose not to, even with Xanarken ¨C says a lot.  We¡¯re both at fault here.¡±

    Rylen pressed his hands together and gestured his fingertips towards the Vice, ¡°¡­Fine.  I¡¯ll give you that.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The First went quiet for a moment as he considered things then, and started pacing slowly around the open space at the back of the skiff, ¡°The blockade that the Emperor demanded is still in place.  If you¡¯re certain that Mardu can get himself out of Oceanside, you should be sure to tell him to head straight for one of those ships, and we¡¯ll guarantee his safe passage across the border.¡±

    Gabriel looked a bit nervous, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know that we can talk to him right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean, you can¡¯t talk to him?  What if he runs into problems?¡±

    ¡°I mean, every channel of communication going into Kitez is monitored, and anything we say to him through them will be known by the Duchess.  We can¡¯t just call and ask him if he has questions about his plan to escape the country.¡±

    Rylen¡¯s left eye twitched slightly, and he drew in a long breath, ¡°¡­One moment.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing¡­?¡±

    A few uncomfortably-quiet seconds passed, but soon, that noise of sand coming together sounded again, and Xanarken manifested there in that little skiff with them.  He looked at the pair in surprise, but crossed his arms, ¡°¡­Fine, I¡¯m here.  What now?¡±

    Rylen stared for a moment, but quickly changed his mantle to the cat again, and started swatting at the Fourth¡¯s face with that angry paw, ¡°Quit¡­touching¡­my¡­stuff!¡± Pap, pap, pap, ¡°Ren¡¯s not your project anymore!  And quit dragging Gabriel into it!¡±

    The Vice felt a cold rush go through him, but he stayed quiet as the horror of that sight carried out in front of him.

    Xanarken just stared cross-eyed at the feline, ¡°I take it you sorted out your personal problems?¡±

    Rylen clung to the head-rest of the seat, tail swishing irritably, ¡°Please tell me you have a way to reach the Duke if needed.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Heh!?¡± Gabriel balked, ¡°What the Hell!?¡±

    ¡°I talked privately with Latheroux after the Duke kicked us both out.  What did you expect?¡± The Fourth noted, ¡°I don¡¯t trust Mardu to pull this off on his own.  Latheroux is more than capable of picking up the slack.¡±

    Rylen¡¯s feline mantle practically expanded, fur fluffing in anger, ¡°I hate that you just talk to and about him like he¡¯s just some guy over there.  I think the only thing that frustrates me more is the fact that the Emperor is so blas¨¦ about dealing with the guy.  Twenty years would never stop me from hating a man who was responsible for the death of someone I loved.  Hell, 350 years hasn¡¯t subdued that rage.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair that we judge Emperor Iresha¡¯s reaction to hearing Latheroux¡¯s name when I¡¯d just blindsided him with news that Aamin is in Kitez.¡± Gabriel interrupted, ¡°He¡¯s had plenty of time to reconcile the fact that Latheroux is over there in the first place.  If we have an in-road¡­we have to take it.¡±

    Xanarken gave a smarmy grin to the cat, ¡°And thus, the massive pain in your ass has become a lifeline.  Funny how things work out.¡±

    Pap, pap pap.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 73 â€“ Bring On The Shenanigans

    ¡°Keep your head down.¡± Seth whispered, and peered around the edge of a storage container.  The area was dark and covered in fog; there was maybe three car-lengths worth of visibility before the soup of white obscured everything beyond.  Wet grass thrashed under every step, and Iresha suddenly caught-up with him, back to the corrugated metal, ¡°Shh.  I think it¡¯s right ahead.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s right ahead?¡±

    ¡°Level-boss.¡± He answered, and nudged his head towards an ominous shape just barely visible in the distance, ¡°You want me to tell you how it works or just let you figure it out?¡±

    ¡°Let me try it first.¡± The Prince answered, and carefully stepped out from behind the protective corner, ¡°We¡¯re still looking for a way through the electrified gate, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then there¡¯s probably a button or two in here.¡± Iresha nodded and made his way through, and for a moment, seemed to think he was on the right track.  Just as that strangely-shaped shadow was beyond his line-of-sight though, he heard a gut-chilling roar; it was like the unholy combination of a howler-monkey and an enraged boar.  The Prince yelped and ran faster, spurred on by the horrendous sound of something chasing right behind him.

    ¡°Turn around!¡±

    ¡°NO SPOILERS!  AHH!¡±

    Seth snorted a laugh and watched as Iresha¡¯s player-character disappeared into the fog, and abruptly went silent.  His name-plate flashed and went red.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say a word.  I¡¯m coming right back.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± He answered, and waited patiently by the storage container.  He looked back when he heard footsteps in the fog, and Iresha¡¯s P.C. went around him once again, ¡°It¡¯s still over there, by the way.¡±

    ¡°So, I have to find another way around.  Maybe the gate-access thing is the other direction.¡± Iresha wondered, mostly to himself, and peeked his head around that metal box again.  Instead of following his former path, he turned left instead, keeping half an eye on the haze.  The boar-scream echoed all around again, and those stomping footsteps gave chase, but Iresha flipped around this time, and instead of being mauled by that creature in the mist, he got a good look at it instead.

    It was easily 20ft tall, and built like a massive, bulky centipede, but with body-parts cobbled together from animal-carcasses and crustacean-pieces.  Limbs were flayed and rotted, and eyes glowed like embers in the sockets of the moose-skull set over it high shoulders, making it look all the more eerie as it loomed in the thick mist.

    Iresha stood still, staring up at it in surprise, ¡°¡­Damn that thing moves fast¡­¡±

    Seth darted out behind it and hid behind another container, making his way along its blind-side until he could spot the Prince around the far corner.  He waved to get the older teen¡¯s attention, ¡°Come this way.¡±

    Iresha made the fatal mistake of trusting him, and as soon as he looked towards the blonde, the creature mauled him a second time.  Seth laughed and shook his head as Iresha¡¯s character fizzled and faded into the ground, and waited for him to respawn outside the puzzle-zone to try yet again.  The creature heaved its breaths ¨C deep and guttural ¨C as it waited idly nearby, and all the while, Seth kept a keen eye on it.  Two minutes later, Iresha finally caught back up again, and followed the path Seth had taken to get around the back of the container.

    ¡°You absolutely did that on purpose.¡±

    ¡°Shh.¡± Seth put a finger to his lips as the beast beyond the corner swayed and turned slowly in their direction, ¡°It¡¯s one thing to talk normal when we¡¯re outside the zone-boundary, but we gotta be quiet in here.¡±

    ¡°Fine.  Where do we go now?¡±

    Seth pointed in the direction Iresha was headed before, ¡°There¡¯s a ladder over there that leads on top of the walls.  You can go or I can, but someone¡¯s gotta keep eyeballs on the critter.¡±

    ¡°You go.¡±

    ¡°Aright.¡± He pushed off the corner and carefully made his way forward, taking a wide path around the disgusting beast.  He kept his sights on it until he was around 30ft past it, and too far to see much more than a bare-bones outline of its shape against the foggy foreground, and the burning glow of those two eyes.  He found the ladder, and put one hand and foot onto the rungs; one last glance at the pair of candle-like pin-lights, and he turned his gaze away to make his way up¡­and immediately heard the scream and subsequent stomps.  Flipping around on a ladder was already awkward, but holding onto it backwards while a massive, rotting moose-head was close enough to feel its breath on his face was entirely another, ¡°You shitass!  You looked away, didn¡¯t you!?¡±

    Iresha was the one laughing then.

    A nervous bead of sweat went down the side of Seth¡¯s face, but he clambered his way up anyway, delicately grasping at each hand-hold until he was up at the top of the container.  Though the beast didn¡¯t move forward at all, it still moved its head as it tracked his movements, and was rather unnerving.  Once he was up top though, he knew he had to get the thing clear so Iresha could follow up after him, and he made his way along the container-tops, all the while keeping his sights set on the beast, ¡°¡­You gotta get out of its line of sight so it moves away from the ladder.  Go around the back of the box you¡¯re hiding by, and when I close my eyes, it should come towards me.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Iresha answered, and did just that.

    Seth was far enough away that he figured he¡¯d had a good head-start, ¡°Three¡­two¡­one¡­¡± He said quietly, and turned his back.  The screech sounded so loudly that Seth could feel it in his bones, and though he only effectively spun on his heel, when he opened his eyes and looked up again, not only was the creature right on top of him¡­it had gotten on top of the containers with him, its many twisted crab-legs clasping to the ledges on each side, ¡°Ah damnit.¡±

    Iresha was quick to get to the ladder and made his way up as well, ¡°What now?¡±

    ¡°We have to get it back onto the ground somehow.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t it just follow us up again afterwards?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but half the fun is figuring out how to get to where we need to go, while knowing it¡¯s going to do that.¡± Seth answered, careful not to let his voice get too loud.  He spotted the Prince approach the beast from behind, and held his hand out, ¡°On three, I¡¯m gonna jump back down.  Keep your eyes on it.  When I say, look away.¡±

    ¡°Aright.¡±

    Seth held his thumb out, then thumb and pointer, then thumb, pointer, and middle¡­and he leapt.  The horrendous yowling-scream followed after him, but the beast stayed where it was, and Seth could hide behind the large metal container.  A few seconds later, Seth was back at the ladder, and Iresha waved before closing his eyes¡­and was immediately mauled to death for it.

    Seth deadpanned, ¡°You were too quick.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean!?¡±  The Prince harped as he respawned back outside the play-area, ¡°I thought you were looking at it!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have line-of-sight on it from the ground.  The container was in the way.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so!?¡±

    ¡°I thought it was obvious.¡± The blonde laughed.

    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m just gonna watch you finish then.¡±

    ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Seth shrugged, and went around the back of the metal box that the ladder was attached to.  With some clever baiting, the beast came down from the top of it to chase after him, only to get to the ladder and be spotted.  Seth went around in a wide arc, and lured it back the way they¡¯d originally come and away from said ladder.  Once it was far enough, he made a break for it and got up top.

    From outside the game, Iresha pulled the V.R. helmet off his head and sat-up in the forward-leaning game-chair, ankles unhooking from the support-pads where the movement paddles were set.  He hugged the helmet around the front of his chest and just watched on the large screens ahead of the paired seat-set as Seth finished the level on his own.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Once it had been cleared though, and Seth pulled his own V.R. headset off, he found himself getting quite the look, ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°You made it look so easy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve played before though.¡±

    ¡°Still¡­¡± Iresha shook his head and lifted off the seat, setting the headset down as well, ¡°Well, anyway¡­I¡¯m sufficiently starving.  Let¡¯s go find something to eat.¡±

    .

    Egg-toast with avocado and a teriyaki hotdog were quick favorites, and the duo took their fare to the upper deck.  After finding a patio-table with an open bench near the railing, Iresha took a long, hard look at his Luminary friend, and asked an oddly specific question.

    ¡°¡­So, what¡¯s the catch, with all this stuff you¡¯re doing for me?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Seth had a mouthful of his egg-toast, and avocado-sauce was stuck to his face, ¡°What catch?¡±

    ¡°The catch.¡± Iresha repeated, ¡°My dad hasn¡¯t budged on the fact that he doesn¡¯t want to join the Hadiran Accord unless the Council has¡­well, proven itself, I guess.  These past two years ¨C everything you¡¯ve all done for me ¨C hasn¡¯t been enough to push him over the edge.  But now, you¡¯ve got me here in Agartha; a proverbially captive audience.  You¡¯re showing off how cool the World Cloud is by giving me these glasses,¡± He tapped a finger on the arm of the spectacles where they sat atop his head, ¡°And apparently no real limits on what I can do or where I can go.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why would there be limits?¡± Seth wondered skeptically, ¡°You¡¯ve got all the same access any other entry-level Cadet would.¡±

    ¡°¡­I dunno, it all just seems really suspicious.¡± Iresha grumbled, ¡°I was having a lot of fun, right up until the minute I realized it was probably propaganda.¡±

    Seth snorted into his egg-toast, and panicked as the heat of it burned his tongue.  Hands fanned frantically to cool his mouth, and he coughed to catch his breath, ¡°P-propaganda!?  Why would we even bother with something that serious?  Can¡¯t just the fact of this place being what it is normally be enough to impress you?¡±

    ¡°Does it need to though?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­I guess not.  Maybe it¡¯s just the culture-shock.  I can only imagine how overwhelming it must be to suddenly get thrown into it after spending your life without it.¡± Seth commented, and picked at his sandwich, trying to put pieces of swashed avocado more-evenly across the remaining egg, ¡°But¡­speaking of being without things¡­  I¡­don¡¯t think I appreciated before how much your life¡¯s been upended in the last few weeks.¡±

    The Prince gave a skeptical look, but took another bite from his hotdog as he listened.

    ¡°After this past week¡­I¡¯m suddenly being confronted with all this loss.¡± Seth continued, staring at his egg-toast idly as it center of it cooled down, ¡°Towards the end of our time in the VeeArcade, I started to feel really guilty about having fun after so many people I knew had just died.  ¡­I¡¯d known most of them for almost half my lifetime, and yet¡­I can sit here and laugh at you getting mobbed by a video-game boss.¡±

    ¡°Multiple times.¡±

    ¡°Multiple times¡­¡± Seth agreed, and chided himself for laughing again, ¡°¡­How are you holding up?¡±

    Iresha stared quietly, but then turned his eyes away, ¡°It¡¯s better when I don¡¯t think about how I¡¯m holding up.¡± He explained tepidly, and took another bite so he could choose his words, ¡°¡­It¡¯s been a few weeks now since I lost my mom.  It was a Hell of a journey to go from blaming myself for what happened, to taking a top-down view of it, and accept that the outcome could¡¯ve been prevented by a number of different minor differences.  If my mom hadn¡¯t been standing at the cell-door, or if the door hadn¡¯t been open at all.  If the Inquisitors hadn¡¯t stuck my head in the S.D. Helmet, or if I hadn¡¯t been so worked-up, to the point where my fire exploded outward when it finally got taken off.  I¡¯m still not sure if there were protocols that got skipped on account of the weird situation, or what¡­¡±

    Seth swallowed a bit of the sandwich, ¡°What exactly happened?  Maybe I can fill in some gaps.¡±

    ¡°¡­Could you?¡±

    ¡°Sure.  I have a lot of experience dealing with S.D. Helmets.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    Seth blinked in confusion at the dour acknowledgement, but then realized, ¡°I don¡¯t mean that in a bad way.  I¡¯ve never trapped someone in one of them.  I just¡­I¡¯ve worked on them a lot.  I actually got myself stuck in one once.¡±

    Iresha gave a skeptical look, but then shook his head, ¡°I was trying to work on the exercises Lugios gave me.  The flow of Limitless, how to control it so it stays with me rather than bursting out¡­  Someone snuck up on me and stuck the helmet on, and everything cut to black.  For hours, I was so disoriented, I couldn¡¯t stand, and by the time the helmet came off, I¡¯d built-up enough frustration that the fire blew-up all around me, like throwing gas on an open flame.  I had no warning, no count-down¡­no one said anything to me¡­it was just suddenly gone.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah?  What ¡®ah¡¯?  What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a dial-down on the helmet that gradually restores the senses that had been blocked.  When properly removed, the wearer has about 30 seconds to get acclimated to the return of perception, so it isn¡¯t like getting hit with a brick.¡± Seth explained, ¡°The last sense to return is sight.  Before the helmet comes off, the person doing the removing is supposed to warn the wearer that it¡¯s happening, since the eyes have adjusted for total darkness, and any amount of light could be blinding.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure without being there or seeing a playback of the event, but¡­yeah, you¡¯re probably right.  Something along the way went terribly wrong, and your family paid the price for it.¡± Seth finished, and looked at his sauce-covered fingers with a forlorn expression, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know how you don¡¯t hate the Council for such flippant incompetence.¡±

    ¡°Well, thinking it was my fault for the longest time probably helped deflect blame.¡± Iresha shrugged and leaned down onto his elbows, slowly twirling the hotdog on its stick between his fingers, ¡°¡­And, maybe I don¡¯t give Lugios enough credit.  Making the Fourth look like it had its shit together probably made me think everyone else did, too.¡±

    ¡°It was Mr. Gabriel¡¯s idea that I come try to be friends with you.¡± Seth admitted, ¡°He thought he was really clever about it, too¡­¡±

    Iresha scoffed and thumped his chin into the palm of one hand, ¡°Sounds like him¡­  He¡¯d been taunting me for the whole two years he was in Sargon about the fact that I had none.¡±

    ¡°You have no friends back home?  Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Lugios called it ¡®sheltered prince syndrome.¡¯¡± He answered, and nibbled on the hotdog again, ¡°My dad took issue with the label, but I never really heard him defend against it.  I never thought a thing of it; living in the palace, having tutors come in and out, being with my family¡­that¡¯s just how it was.  How pathetic is it that you¡¯re my first and only friend?¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that why you think it¡¯s not real?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit sus.  If Lugios put you up to it, how can I think of it otherwise?¡±

    Seth raised a brow, ¡°Would someone trying to ingratiate themselves call you a shitass for getting them killed in a V.R. Game?  Least not if they¡¯re trying to be respectful of the fact that you¡¯re a Prince?¡±

    ¡°¡­Maybe not.¡±

    ¡°Well, there you go.¡± The blonde pointed a sauce-covered finger at him, ¡°You have nothing to be suspicious about.  Mr. Gabriel probably took one look at me and thought I was friend-shaped or something.  Between the fact that we¡¯re similar in age and that I¡¯m not afraid of afflicted people, it must¡¯ve seemed perfect.¡±

    ¡°Not afraid?  That was a criterion?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­I mean, most people are apprehensive about being around Limitless stuff.  I¡¯m¡­the opposite.  I¡¯m stupidly jealous of the afflicted.¡± Seth clarified, and finished the last of his sandwich, ¡°I¡¯m probably the only person on this rock who wishes to be afflicted.  Social-stigma or not, I know there¡¯s stuff the afflicted can see and hear that us normies can¡¯t, and it¡¯s maddening that I can¡¯t find a way to get around it for my research.¡±

    Iresha considered those words for a moment, but then set the hotdog down on the small plate it had been served to him on, ¡°¡­I can show you something cool with it, if you want.¡±

    ¡°¡­Something cool?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.  C¡¯mon, we can go back to my place and I¡¯ll demonstrate.¡±

    .

    Guards were quick at attention as their liege-lord appeared at the end of the hall, and quickly opened the door to the apartment.  Iresha quickly shoved the door closed again before said guards could enter in after him, and dragged Seth into the middle of the open living-room area.  With some of the furniture pushed out of the way and an open-space cleared, Iresha took a quick breath.

    ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re about to do but sure.¡± Seth smiled cautiously.

    ¡°Okay, here I go.¡± The Prince lifted his head up, and let his eyes blaze.  The Rydell teen didn¡¯t seem impressed yet, but Iresha wasn¡¯t done yet, ¡°Hold your hands out.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s mildly concerning.¡± Seth answered, brows crinkled, but lifted his hands up anyway.

    ¡°You¡¯ll like it.  Trust me.¡± Iresha reassured, and raised his own hands out as well, holding them above Seth¡¯s with palms facing one another.  With a bit of focus, a point of light manifested there within their mutual grasp, expanding into a tennis-ball-sized sphere of fire.

    ¡°¡­Concern elevating.  Skin heating.¡±

    ¡°Just hold on a damn second.¡± The Prince scolded, and closed his hands slightly around the immolated orb.  A few moments later, it coalesced and condensed¡­and he released it.

    Seth just-about screamed as the tiny bolide fell into his grip, and be bounced it between his palms a few times¡­only to realize it felt less like a hot-rock and more like a small tangerine; completely ambient to the touch, and benign in every conceivable way.  He let it sit in the groove of his left palm and just stared at it, ¡°¡­How in the¡­actual Hell.¡±

    ¡°See?¡± Iresha beamed, and crossed his arms, ¡°There¡¯s no risk of burning you now.¡±

    ¡°How¡­are you doing this¡­?¡± Seth asked, more and more amazed as each second passed.

    ¡°People call it Limitless and I started to wonder why I was limited to manipulating fire.¡± The Prince began, and stepped inward again to make the fireball even bigger; now the size of a small pumpkin, ¡°Everything Lugios taught me about how to control it ¨C making it shut-off as though blowing out a candle, or imagining the flow of fire across my skin like hot oil ¨C it boxed me into this idea that fire was all there was to it.  I looked at all these other examples of afflictive powers and thought, maybe Limitless is referring to the sum total of powers, where the combination of everyone together implied an endless possibility of abilities.  But then I started to wonder if that was true, and started to question if there was something more to it.  I messed with the fire for a long time, and at one point, accidentally dropped one of these,¡± He nudged his head at the burning nugget being tossed between Seth¡¯s hands, ¡°And freaked out for a second that I was going to set the whole palace on fire again by mistake.  It was¡­weird, when I realized nothing it touched was lighting-up, and it suddenly occurred to me; my own fire hasn¡¯t burned me since the day it first manifested.  And even back then, the only stuff that did burn was the fire that I was hyper-fixated on.  Lugios even told me at the time that the fire couldn¡¯t hurt me if I didn¡¯t let it.  And so I wondered¡­what if I didn¡¯t let it hurt anyone else either?¡±

    ¡°¡­So, it¡¯s like¡­cold fire¡­?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s really fire at all anymore.¡± The Prince answered, ¡°Maybe it only looks like fire.  What if it¡¯s something else entirely, and it only takes the image of fire because that¡¯s what I want it to be?¡±

    Seth¡¯s eyes practically sparkled with wonder, ¡°That¡¯s so cool.  You have to let me study it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure.  Go right ahead.¡±

    The teen squealed with delight, and all his nanotech data-panels immediately manifested.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 74 â€“ Thereâ€™s No Time Like The Present, And No Bug Too Large To Swat

    The ride back to the tower was awkward in its silence, but there was no point bringing up what was wrong, since nothing could be said about it in public anyway.  Ren all-but dragged her feet as she made it to that final door, and as Furion closed it behind them, Ren just started tossing pieces of clothing to the floor.  A boot here, a glove there, until she made it to the bedroom and could drop face-first into the blankets with just her underclothes left.

    Furion quietly watched her go, but after he walked around gathering-up all of her things again ¨C and put them away ¨C he went over to the nearest side of the bed to where Ren had dropped.  Sitting on its edge, he let his over-uniform dissolve into the ambient Cloud, pushed his gloves off, and slid his hand up along the curve of her back, ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s time we had a difficult conversation.¡±

    She turned her head, and looked at the man past her shoulder, ¡°What about?¡±

    ¡°Getting Scyrexian out of you.¡± He answered, ¡°It would be in such poor taste to say that it¡¯s a good thing we¡¯re on leave, but I¡¯d¡­have to pull you from active duty until we can figure out what to do about this, if we weren¡¯t.¡±

    Ren drew in a long breath, and crossed her arms in front of herself with a sigh, ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t just let it live rent-free inside you.¡± Furion continued, ¡°I¡¯ve seen it push you damn-near to your limits twice now, and you were within striking-distance of all four-and-a-half Eidolon today.¡±

    ¡°¡­I did suggest not going to the memorial.¡±

    ¡°And you were completely right to say so.  Under any other circumstances, I¡¯d have supported it.¡± He agreed, and twisted around to lean down over her back.  Hands wedged under her and crossed beneath her front, pulling her into a hug as he pressed a kiss to the back of one shoulder, ¡°Which is why I think we need to be a little more proactive now.  We have two weeks.¡±

    ¡°¡­I have a feeling I¡¯m not going to like what you¡¯re about to suggest.¡±

    ¡°We no longer have the luxury of hiding behind our so-called moral superiority.¡± Furion said, ¡°When the others deploy tomorrow, we¡¯re going to leave, too¡­and we¡¯re going to find the most benign Limitless-user on Lord Rylen¡¯s Most Wanted list.  Someone whose power won¡¯t be difficult to manage if Scyrexian gets hold of it.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re suggesting we sacrifice someone to save me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°It was never a problem to go hunting the targets Lord Rylen explicitly told us to seek out and terminate.¡± Furion countered, ¡°Why is it different if we¡¯re doing it to save your life this time?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s self-serving.¡± She answered, and closed her eyes as she lowered her face to the blankets, ¡°And besides¡­how do we even know that we can kill it?  Maybe it¡¯s like an interdimensional prion or something, where it just lingers forever.  It took a shot from the Aegis straight to the face and it still got away.  Not to mention¡­even a dead afflicted host was a force to be reckoned with.  The only possible way to make it weaker than it is inside of me is to make it move into a body that has no combat training¡­and that assumes it doesn¡¯t just remember what it got from Ianori and I beforehand.¡±

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t even want to try.¡±

    ¡°¡­I just don¡¯t want to waste time on something pointless.¡± She sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.  Maybe this is the best we can hope for, short of sticking me into stasis or something¡­¡±

    ¡°Leaving it inside you and putting you into stasis are solutions I¡¯m not willing to condemn you to.¡±

    Ren grumbled and rolled over where she lay.  Eyes looked up worriedly, ¡°And I see no alternative.  ¡­The only way it¡¯s coming out is if it gets to Gabe¡­and that¡¯s even less of an option. ¡­So, at least to me, figuring out how to live with it is probably our best bet.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want that though; not even just for selfish reasons either, but because I know Lord Rylen will never let you be Captain if he finds out you¡¯re compromised like this.  We simply can¡¯t keep it secret forever.¡± Furion tilted his head to one side, ¡°¡­And I have a non-zero-sum of reasons to believe that, maybe, Scyrexian¡¯s manipulating you into giving up, so it doesn¡¯t risk losing you as its hostage.  To that end, since it can probably hear us, I won¡¯t say any more about what I think we should do.  Just¡­put your faith in me, and I¡¯ll find a way to pry it out.¡±

    With her brow wrankled, Ren gave an uncertain mutter, ¡°¡­You know how to twist the knife.¡±

    ¡°I know how much you want to lead the team after I go.  I want that for you, too.  ¡­I¡¯d also really rather not share my girlfriend with the monster that slaughtered said team.¡± Furion pointed out, and shifted his posture to pull his legs up onto the bed.  He pulled one of his partner¡¯s around his waist, and held himself up with a hand in the blankets on either side of her shoulders, ¡°And if it won¡¯t leave willingly, then I¡¯m about to give it a good reason.¡±

    Ren was a bit surprised, ¡°¡­This is the first time you¡¯ve broached the subject since you found out I had the thing.  Even after you joked about making it watch¡­I was starting to think you saw me as contaminated.¡±

    ¡°Contaminated?¡± He echoed, and lowered down to his elbows, putting them nose to nose, ¡°Not as such¡­maybe more the fact that I have to consider that you¡¯re thinking about another man while we¡¯re going at it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Maybe only if we¡¯d messed around this morning.  It tends to leave me to my thoughts during the day.  Mostly.¡±

    Furion quirked a brow, ¡°Dare I ask?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to know?¡±

    He considered that for a moment, ¡°¡­Want is a debate.  Should is the question.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t say anything unless you ask me to.¡±

    That just earned a tepid sigh, ¡°¡­Say it.  I think I can hazard a guess.¡±

    Ren waited a moment in case her partner had second thoughts, but when he didn¡¯t voice any, she shrugged her shoulders up, ¡°It¡¯s switched from nightmares to horny dreams.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah¡­there it is.¡± Furion huffed a careful laugh, ¡°That¡¯s okay.  Next time you wake up wet, just say something, or jump my bones, whichever helps you faster.  Lights on, eyes open, no problem.¡±

    She was baffled, ¡°¡­Seriously?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯d be the only one.¡± He mused, and pressed a kiss to her chest.

    .

    The Fafnir didn¡¯t wait for very long before starting to assemble on one of the landing-towers, early the next morning, and the three of them appeared with their armor and a duffel-bag.  Corbin landed first, followed by Jense right after, and Ravan came down a minute later.  They each unhooked their bags and stepped out, waiting in that cold pre-dawn air as the second half of their mismatched team made their approach.

    Furion was nowhere to be seen though at first, as Ren arrived on her own.  She touched-down and hopped out of her armor like the others, and cast her eyes across each of the trio.  With a head-shake, she stepped closer, and the group made a circle with one another, ¡°¡­I can¡¯t blame you guys for wanting to get going as fast as you are¡­but it still sucks that you¡¯re leaving.¡±

    Jense lowered his gaze, but stepped forward and threw his arms over Ren¡¯s short stature, ¡°Where are you going to go?¡± He wondered, and swayed her back and forth a few times before he let go again, ¡°Or do you even have an assignment?¡±

    ¡°The Captain and I are going to take advantage of the break.¡± She answered, ¡°But I think, once it¡¯s over, we¡¯ll probably be back here again.  Papa Rydell is going to help us with final selections once you guys start sending back names, and will be sending some out if the candidates are promising from the last application cycle.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is it weird that I¡¯m glad he¡¯s back in the saddle right now?¡± Jense wondered quietly, ¡°I trust the Captain, but¡­this was a big hit.  I can¡¯t imagine how he¡¯s managing.¡±

    ¡°No better or worse than any of the rest of us.¡± She answered, and gave another parting hug before she moved on towards Corbin, ¡°¡­I hope you¡¯re not still mad about what happened.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever quit, Commander.¡± He answered, and reluctantly accepted the offered hug with a one-armed hug in return, ¡°We lost too many for me to stop thinking I could¡¯ve done something to mitigate the worst.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll get your chance someday.¡± Ren suggested, ¡°Who knows if or when Scyrexian will show up again.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Maybe.¡± The dark man answered, eyes still heavy with that reticent despair, ¡°It would be on sight if it ever showed its ugly head¡­heads¡­whatever the fuck that thing was.¡±

    There was no time to give an answer to that before the low, rumbling hiss-sound of an older Fafnir model could be heard, and the small group looked out into the open sky.  Above them, coming from the west ¨C where the sun was just beginning to crest ¨C was that menacing-looking armor.  Corbin and Jense were both in awe of it, and quickly stood in a line, but Ren stepped off beside Ravan, who in turn had no particular response to the sight of the former Captain.

    Lequerion didn¡¯t bother stepping-out though, he simply landed and pulled his helmet off, taking a good look at the gathered before asking the obvious, ¡°Where¡¯s the man in charge?¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡± Jense and Corbin both saluted.

    ¡°Not me, idiots!¡±

    ¡°He left about an hour before, saying he had to do something.¡± Ren answered, ¡°I thought he¡¯d get here before I did.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Furion¡¯s voice called from the far end of the platform; he¡¯d come up to normal way, unlike the rest of them, and aside from the bits of his flight-suit visible, he¡¯d mostly arrived in plain-clothes.  He appeared to be typing something onto a nanotech keyboard as he made his way closer, then gestured in a swipe to make it go away as he arrived, ¡°And quit saluting him.¡± He puffed and shook his head at the two lone veterans.

    ¡°Sir!¡± They turned and saluted him instead.

    Lequerion snorted a laugh and crossed his arms, ¡°Relics of a bygone era, those two.¡±

    ¡°At ease.¡± Furion shook his head; there wasn¡¯t much point dissuading them, ¡°In any case¡­thanks, all of you, for waiting a little while.  I know there isn¡¯t much more that can be said about what happened or what¡¯s to come, but¡­if we¡¯re being scattered to the wind for a while, then a proper farewell is probably in order.¡±

    Ravan was about to join the gathering, but felt her left wrist get pulled gently away, and saw Ren there at the end of it.  Ren nudged her head aside, and the two stepped off, moving out of ear-shot.  There was a nervous pit in Ravan¡¯s gut, especially once they stopped moving, and the look on Ren¡¯s face told her there was more than just a goodbye coming up.

    ¡°¡­Before you go,¡± Ren started, holding both of the older woman¡¯s hands in her own, ¡°There¡¯s something that we should probably clear-up¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh oh¡­¡± Ravan felt her spine clench, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Ren¡¯s brow wrinkled a bit, but she gathered her courage and lifted her eyes, ¡°Ever since I got into the Fafnir¡­you¡¯ve been a constant.  One of the stabilizing rocks in my foundation, a shoulder to learn on, and¡­a comfort, in hard times, just being there when I¡¯d otherwise be lonely.  And I¡¯ll never deny you any of those thi-¡±

    Ravan pulled one hand free and waved it anxiously, ¡°Is this about you and the Captain going public?¡±

    ¡°¡­Er¡­well¡­sort of.¡± Ren grimaced.

    ¡°Ah¡­he finally told you he didn¡¯t want to share anymore, huh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­a bit more nuanced than that, but I guess you can boil it down to that.¡± The younger Knight answered pensively, and she sighed, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.  Maybe the fact that he and I don¡¯t have to keep our situation secret anymore has made him think about other secrets¡­or rather, the fact that being acknowledged for one is making him consider confronting another¡­  I also might¡¯ve gone a bit too far, and it rubbed him the wrong way¡­¡±

    Ravan quirked a brow, ¡°How did you go too far?¡±

    Ren stepped up onto her tippy-toes to whisper the confession into her friend¡¯s ear, ¡°I might¡¯ve messed around with Gabe¡­a lot¡­¡±

    ¡°Gasp!¡± Ravan said, although she had to feign her surprise for it, ¡°¡­Was he good?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± Ren harped, and crossed her arms, ¡°Honestly¡­¡±

    Ravan teased a laugh and nudged the woman¡¯s shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine¡­you don¡¯t have to say.¡±

    ¡°¡­The thing is¡­I guess I found the limit of Furion¡¯s tolerance.  Maybe it was different with us because you¡¯re not a guy¡­but Gabe is, and¡­I dunno, I probably took advantage of the fact that I bullied Furion into accepting the way I am before we got together, way back.¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡±

    ¡°But the thing is¡­now that I¡¯ve done it, and knowing I¡¯ve hurt the both of them in the process, I have to take a step back and look at how my peculiar way of getting attached to people might be problematic.¡±

    Ravan gave a disappointed smile, but nodded anyway, ¡°I think I understand where you¡¯re going with this.  No more ¡®friends with benefits.¡¯¡±

    Ren sagged where she stood, ¡°¡­Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad.¡± Ravan commented, and pulled the shorter figure into a hug, ¡°I don¡¯t envy your position, and I know it¡¯s not your way, but¡­I think it¡¯s probably for the best.  For the both of you.¡±

    Ren could barely see over the shoulder she¡¯d been pulled to, and she spotted Furion¡¯s gaze looking her way.  She pressed her eyes down though, and returned the hug, ¡°¡­It¡¯s a bit of a shock to the system, for sure, but¡­thanks.¡±

    Final goodbyes were said between the little group before those parting salutes were given, and as each of the three departing Fafnir returned to their armor and took to the sky, there was a bittersweet feeling that fell over those who were left behind.  Ren continued to wave until the fading glow of those solid-light wings were replaced by the sight of Furion¡¯s incoming armor, and she turned her eyes towards the elder Rydell.

    ¡°So where are you two going?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll check on the Aegis first.¡± Furion answered, and stepped off to meet with his landing suit, ¡°I think Lord Rylen¡¯s probably made a decision about whether he¡¯s fixing or scrapping it.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully he keeps it.  I don¡¯t want to go so far as to call it a family heirloom but it kind of is?¡± Lequerion huffed, and crossed his arms, ¡°Would be hard to see it go after so many generations of the family have Captained it.¡±

    Ren gave a disgruntled sigh, ¡°One of these days, I¡¯m going to pry it out of your hands.¡±

    Furion had gotten into his armor by then and approached to stand beside his father; the two of them look at one another, but Lequerion was the one to answer, ¡°Ren Rydell has a nice ring to it.¡±

    ¡°Unbelievable.¡±

    The two of them couldn¡¯t help but laugh, and the elder smacked the back of his armored hand against his son¡¯s arm, ¡°Better get on that before she changes her mind about how much she likes you.¡±

    Furion¡¯s eye twitched, ¡°¡­Let me finish putting together a new squad at least.  I can¡¯t pass-on the helm when I don¡¯t even have a ship to offer.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine¡­¡± Lequerion shook his head, but then finally ¨C albeit briefly ¨C stepped out of his armor and gestured to Ren to come closer, ¡°C¡¯mere, then.  I know you¡¯re reluctant to give up your name since you¡¯re the last one in your line to bear it, but that doesn¡¯t make you any less part of this family.¡±

    Ren stepped in and accepted the hug, feeling her feet leave the ground for a moment as her would-be in-law lifted her up to sway her back and forth.  She could feel the air comically squeezed out of her lungs, and she squeaked like a dog-toy, but smiled anyway when he let her down again, ¡°Thanks for coming back to help us, even if unofficially.  Team-morale was hurting for the support.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t deny that it¡¯s been fun to fly again.¡± Lequerion answered, and gave a doting kiss to her cheek before letting go again, ¡°Shame about the circumstances, but I¡¯m glad these old bones can still do something useful.  Take care of my Hellion while you¡¯re out, okay?¡±  He clasped her small shoulders with his big hands, ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s putting on a brave face, but he¡¯s still the first Captain to ever lose most of the troops in a single battle.  It¡¯s gonna leave a mark, whether he shows it or not.¡±

    Furion deadpanned the older man, ¡°¡­Damn, pop, I¡¯m standing right here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like I can still hear his voice¡­¡± Lequerion said whimsically, and turned on a heel to stare at his eldest son, ¡°Surely, wherever Furion is, he can put Captain Rydell aside for a minute to let himself properly take the measure of his losses.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t sure whether to be offended or take notes, so Furion just looked away with an annoyed sigh.

    ¡°Furion grieves in his own way.¡± Ren defended, and pet the hand that was settled on her left side, ¡°Keep an eye on Seth for us while we¡¯re gone.  He¡¯s had enough sorrows to last a lifetime.¡±

    Lequerion gave a quizzical look, ¡°Aren¡¯t you two coming back for the Dawn of Ages party?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s strange times right now.¡± Furion answered, and watched the two part so they could find their suits again, ¡°I think a big part of why the others wanted to go so soon was because everyone¡¯s worried what¡¯s going on with Kitez.  The Dawn is a vulnerable time, and anything can happen¡­Lord Rylen might scramble us at any moment, and the closer we get to the date, the more anxious everyone¡¯s getting about an attack happening.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be on pins-and-needles waiting for the order.¡± Lequerion advised, ¡°The blockade is still in-place, but as long as the Fourth is managing the situation, the Sixth has no say in the matter.¡±

    Furion and Ren exchanged looks, but the Captain gave a reticent nod, ¡°As you say.¡±

    ¡°Let me know what the Aegis looks like when you find out.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yessir.¡±

    As the pair put their helmets off and rose into the skies, and Lequerion took his own leave, a particular purple-eyed feline watched from a distance.  Its gaze followed Ren until her bright-red wings disappeared like a star in the dawning light.

    .

    The sun had risen over Oceanside around three hours earlier, and that meant there was work to be done.  Regulus had taken to Kourin¡¯s glasses like a fledgling-bird to flight, and as such¡­was not terribly good at their use.  Frustrations were mounting as progress seemed slow.

    [Error: Access denied]

    [Error: Directory not found]

    [Error: Target out of range]

    He pulled the spectacles off and rubbed his fingers across the bridge of his nose, ¡°Did she wipe her access to these damn pods or did she never gain access?  These damn systems make no sense¡­¡± He grumbled to himself.  With a breath, he took a moment to think, but then put the glasses back over his eyes again, ¡°There must be something I¡¯m missing¡­  Kourin clearly had access to the pod-network, since I can see the other containers in the list¡­but what good would that have been if she couldn¡¯t do anything with them?  ¡­Unless¡­¡±

    He went back through the list again, and saw ¨C as before ¨C the signals he¡¯d gotten from the pods in his possession versus those that were farther afield.  He narrowed his eyes at each, If it can tell me that some pods are accessible and others are too far away to interact with¡­there must be a way to figure out where they all are.

    Every combination of gesture was made at the overlay displayed on those lenses; a finger-tap, a swipe, a pinch, a clasp of the whole hand¡­but each attempt ended as the last had, with the listings doing nothing more than he¡¯d already seen.  In a moment of hasn¡¯t-slept-all-night clarity, he rose from his desk and approached the one pod that was showing a green light, and pulled it from the shelf.

    He set it on the table, and looked it over carefully; there were no obvious external buttons ¨C everything about Luminary tech had always involved using that tech to access it ¨C and he traced his fingers across the surface.  Something about that gesture had triggered a reaction finally, and a barely-audible hiss escaped the top of the pod as a trace amount of nanotech escaped it, forming a keyboard above it.  Surprised, the Magistrate reached his hands towards it, and was interested in how the keyboard actually felt tangible, unlike everything he¡¯d done with the overlay.

    He used the arrow keys to scroll up and down the list of connections, and hit ¡®Select¡¯ on the only one that was listed as useable¡­and in that moment, a new window opened.

    [Other users on the network:]

    -Cadet_0039928819928

    -User_000000000025

    -User_002881937782 (Me)

    ¡°¡­Cadet?¡± Regulus said aloud, ¡°That must be the Rydell kid.  The last¡­obviously.  But who¡¯s this other one?¡±

    He clicked on the middle listing and it brought up a scant profile; it had the potential for information, but all of the fields were blank or redacted to asterisks.  There was, however, a particularly interesting button at the bottom of the window.

    [Disconnect user]

    He clicked it.

    Latheroux opened his one eye, and spied ¡®Pod 17 has been disconnected¡¯ come up on his overlay.  That eye narrowed slightly, Someone is meddling¡­but who?  ¡­And more importantly, how?

 Book I â€“ Chapter 75 â€“ Machinations

    Going through the motions of the morning wake-up went as it usually did, but Gabriel felt as though those very motions were little more than a thinly-veiled fa?ade.  The persistent sting of what had happened at the Fafnir Memorial gnawed at his mind, and left in its lingering affect a sense of frustration and confusion.

    To distract himself as he left the room he¡¯d been given in the Sargonian Imperial Palace, he pulled up the reports he¡¯d received overnight from other divisions of the Fourth.

    <ul>

    <li>¡®No contact¡¯ from Kitezan Duchy continues without change.

    <ul>

    <li>Flagship remains at Oceanside.</li>

    <li>Magistrates remain at Oceanside.</li>

    <li>Movement around the Palace cannot be detected.</li>

    </ul>

    </li>

    <li>Military and police presence around Kitezan bases continues to increase.

    <ul>

    <li>SSCF Tuonela remains at Oceanside.</li>

    <li>Defensive blockade within the Eastern district has increased 12%; Kitezan military continues to issue demands for full withdrawal of Luminary forces from the border region. Fourth Wing negotiators maintain Council¡¯s position that Kitez must deescalate first and significantly pare-down its activity in the Eastern district.</li>

    <li>Sixth Wing SkyFortress perimeter has not been breached; no abnormalities noted.</li>

    </ul>

    </li>

    <li>Stoneface Bluffs site is secure.

    <ul>

    <li>Barricade maintained; media uproar has diminished.</li>

    <li>Local investigations continuing; all building-staff accounted for except one.</li>

    </ul>

    </li>

    </ul>

    Then there were the reports from the Council¡¯s Sargonian contacts.

    <ul>

    <li>Public unrest

    <ul>

    <li>Border-provinces unhappy with SkyFortress presence; requesting withdrawal and replacement with Sargonian defenses. Emperor Iresha has refused this, citing that it was his demand that the Council establish this perimeter in the first place.</li>

    <li>Protests as Council embassy persist but are peaceful.</li>

    <li>Sargonian security forces increasing patrols in border cities.</li>

    <li>One reported attack against Luminary personnel; soldier sustained minor injuries; perpetrator arrested by Sargonian authorities.</li>

    </ul>

    </li>

    <li>Kitez continues to demand full termination of associations with the Council.

    <ul>

    <li>Economic toll of trade barriers increasing; local businesses expanding into other nations to compensate. </li>

    <li>Heavy tariffs on Sargon by member-states of the Hadiran Accord continue to be discouraging; business leaders requesting Sargon enter into the Accord to relieve these burdens.</li>

    </ul>

    </li>

    <li>Prince Aamin; location unknown, status unknown.

    <ul>

    <li>Based on reports from the Fourth, Prince Aamin is suspected to be a hostage of the Duchy, as Magistrate Regulus Laurier is reported to have transported the Prince from the border-region to Stoneface Bluffs. Whether he was present at the R&D facility that was destroyed is unknown.  Presumed alive until the Duchy states otherwise.</li>

    <li>The Duchy has not responded to a request for comment about Prince Aamin¡¯s status; they will also not confirm if they have him.</li>

    </ul>

    </li>

    <li>Prince Iresha the Younger; located in Luminary capitol of Agartha, faring well.

    <ul>

    <li>Keeps evading supervision; has been reprimanded for dismissing personal guard but does not appear to be amenable to changing this behavior.</li>

    <li>First Wing minder ¨C J¡¯ard Qiste ¨C also having difficulty with the Prince.</li>

    </ul>

    </li>

    </ul>

    Gabriel could feel the information going in one eyeball and out the other, ¡­I can¡¯t think about anything important.  I wish Ren would just talk to me.  If she regrets what we did, then fine, but at least let me know. He grumbled to himself, and realized he¡¯d wandered halfway around the palace without realizing it.

    ¡°Lord Gabriel?¡±

    All thoughts evaporated in an instant, and he turned to spot one of the Emperor¡¯s personal guards at the far end of the large ballroom, ¡°¡­Yes?¡±

    ¡°The Emperor, His Imperial Majesty Iresha the Elder, has requested an audience.  He invites you to breakfast.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh.  Sure.¡± He answered, almost relieved for the turn of events.  As soon as he got to that door though, that appreciated distraction suddenly distilled into concern, ¡­I wonder what he wants?  I know I got here after-hours, but I didn¡¯t think anyone would¡¯ve bothered him with the details of my arrival¡­

    The doors were opened, and he was allowed to enter; he spotted the Emperor already at the head of a private family table with the morning¡¯s fare set before him.  The table looked rather empty, given the decided lack of family available to join him, so Iresha just gestured for Gabriel to pick a seat, ¡°Hungry?¡±

    ¡°Famished.¡±

    The Emperor gestured for an attendant to do something about it, and Gabriel made his way around to take a seat on a corner near the older man.  Iresha didn¡¯t stand on ceremony though and continued with what he¡¯d already been eating, ¡°You came back much sooner than I expected.  And not a word in advance to warn us.¡±

    ¡°¡­I suppose it was a bit short notice.  My apologies.¡± Gabriel answered, looking rather awkward there with his full Eidolonic nanotech halo glowing behind his head, and not a morsel to nibble on, ¡°My obligations in Agartha concluded earlier than I anticipated, so I thought I¡¯d just return.  The Dawn of Ages is approaching quickly, and I know that Sargon is anxious about it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s actually part of why I called you over.¡± The Emperor continued; the attendant returned with coffee, juice, a bowl of oatmeal, and a sampler of fruit and cheese.  As it was all set down for the Vice, Iresha reached for a cloth napkin to dab the corners of his mouth, ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned my concern about Sargon¡¯s security, given what¡¯s happening with Kitez lately, and I know that Lord Rylen¡¯s blockade is doing plenty to dissuade the Kitezans from doing anything ¨C at least openly ¨C but¡­¡±

    Gabriel listened carefully even as he doctored the oatmeal with a few spoonfuls of brown sugar and some hot cream.

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t help but worry that it¡¯s being bungled anyway.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°Not by you lot, but by Mardu.¡± Iresha clarified, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I spent any significant amount of time with the man, but one thing that keeps bubbling-up from my memories is the fact that he¡¯s¡­a little bit cognitively delayed?¡±

    Gabriel was very unsure how to answer that, so he stayed quiet, just stirring as his heart pounded.

    ¡°Are you certain he can handle this?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a simple-enough plan.  All he has to do is get on a ship.¡±

    Iresha wasn¡¯t convinced, and sat back in his tall seat, ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s leaving too much to chance.  Mardu isn¡¯t subtle, and he spills his emotions like milk.  If anyone has the idea to ask him what he¡¯s doing, I don¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to finesse his way out of revealing himself.  If this whole thing is supposed to be covert, leaving it up to him to figure it out is probably a bad move.¡±

    ¡°He seemed a bit na?ve when I spoke to him at Oceanside, but he didn¡¯t come across as incapable.¡± Gabriel defended, ¡°He was in his late teens or so when you last interacted with him, wasn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Regularly?  Sure, but he wasn¡¯t a stranger until I called the Council in, and Kitez backed away from me.¡± Iresha answered, ¡°Far¡¯nah may have been the primary mouthpiece of the country, but Mardu was still personable.  He just didn¡¯t talk matters of state.¡±

    ¡°What do you suggest then?¡±

    ¡°Taking out the variables.  ¡­I think I should take a more direct role in this process.¡±

    Gabriel had a spoon up and his mouth open, but he paused there, then lowered it, ¡°You want to participate?¡±

    ¡°Much as I have faith in the Council¡¯s ability to discourage the Duchess¡¯ vitriol, Sargon is taking a big risk in its clandestine agreement to hide Mardu until things over there calm down.¡± Iresha explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t like the idea of being secretly involved from the start¡­and I like it less now.  It¡¯s too risky.  But if I negotiate for his release myself¡­then there would be no cause for concern, because Far¡¯nah would already know.¡±

    Gabriel gave the man quite the look, ¡°Supposing the Duchess would even let him go, knowing where he intends to settle.  If she refuses, it would make things even harder.  Not to mention¡­Sargon has been antagonizing the Duchy for the last two years now.  Far¡¯nah holds all the pieces on the board¡­there¡¯s nothing you could offer her in exchange.¡±

    ¡°Spoken truly like a man of the Fourth.¡± The Emperor shook his head, and slouched back in his seat, ¡°The Council has nothing to offer Kitez but blood.  I refuse to believe that, in spite of everything, Far¡¯nah would still spit in my face when I reach out to her.  ¡­I¡¯m going to do what I can to get Mardu here in one piece, and figure out what¡¯s going on with my brother, since it seems as though I¡¯m the only one particularly perturbed by his lack of presence.  Inviting you here was just a courtesy to let you know it¡¯s happening.  The Fourth will not be involved.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Gabriel could only sigh, ¡°¡­If you¡¯re set on this path, then I can¡¯t stop you.  The Council is only here on an advisory-basis and, while we have had our heated exchanges in the past, it¡¯s ultimately not our place to command your actions.  However¡­since it was mine and Xanarken¡¯s plan to start with, at least let me talk to him first.  Rylen, too, probably¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need the consent of the Eidolon to negotiate on behalf of my own country.¡±

    ¡°No¡­but you don¡¯t get to make deals with Kitez alone when the consequences impact all three of us.  The blockade was put into place at your request, to protect your son ¨C and your people by proxy - while he¡¯s in Agartha, and odds are good that Far¡¯nah will mention it as part of those talks.  Even if we¡¯re asked to be silent, we ought to be allowed a seat at that table.¡±

    .

    Rylen looked over the water-filled pit that was, until rather recently, a fully-functioning R&D facility.  The ruins of what the Aegis hadn¡¯t exploded looked like a system of caves in the cliffs, and the First Wing soldiers who were poring over the site seemed as termites.

    The surface of that still water broke as an unusual creature emerged; it looked like a white fox ¨C ears tipped in red ¨C but when it continued to rise, and hovered above the artificial lake, it was clear that it was the Eidolon of the Fifth that had breached, and not some mythical nine-tailed beast.  Etienne made her way up to the ledge of the crater, and hovered serenely in front of the First, ¡°I found seven more.  I¡¯ve marked them for your crews to collect.¡±

    Rylen gave a solemn nod, ¡°Very well.¡±

    Those faintly-glowing red eyes examined the Eidolon quizzically, ¡°¡­How are you holding up?¡±

    ¡°In the immediate sense, more curious than melancholy.  I can¡¯t help but find it strange that you choose that form to go below the water on such a grim mission.¡±

    Etienne shrugged those narrow shoulders and reshaped to her normal mantle, ¡°My kitsune-form is luminous; I can see better in the dark with it.  Was never much a fan of night-vision.  Would rather just brighten the area.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fair enough, I suppose.¡±

    The Fifth crossed her arms, and hovered closer to that sharp edge so she could set her paw-like feet down on the rocks, ¡°It¡¯s making me really anxious that no one¡¯s saying anything about the Tuonela.  If everyone aboard is truly still alive and in stasis¡­I don¡¯t much trust the Kitezans to be capable of waking them all up properly.  There are protocols, procedures¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t disagree, but I do doubt the Duchess¡¯ intention of waking any of those colonists up.  The only way they¡¯re coming out of stasis is in an act of war, unless it¡¯s us doing it.¡±

    Etienne whined quietly and lifted her legs to sit cross-legged in mid-air, slouching over her lap, ¡°¡­I hate how much we¡¯re having to wait to find out¡­¡±

    ¡°The Dawn is going to start in less than 72 hours.  My blockade is still in position.  The First is on stand-by, and we¡¯re watching Oceanside ¨C as well as a number of other strategic locations - like a hawk.¡± Rylen noted, and returned to his pacing along the edge; Etienne hovered behind him and followed, ¡°Kitez is ramping up for something; I can feel it.  But it¡¯s out of my hands unless Gabriel screws it up.¡±

    The Fifth looked on skeptically, ¡°¡­I¡¯ve never known you to be unprepared for something.  I feel like you¡¯re waiting for the worst.¡±

    ¡°I am.¡± He gave a wary smile over one shoulder, ¡°If Far¡¯nah hadn¡¯t parked the Tuonela above the palace, I¡¯d have a clear shot from one of my orbitals.  No one¡¯s seen her or the Duke since the fumbled assassination-attempt¡­and I¡¯m certain she¡¯s using the ship as cover, in addition to staying hidden underground.  Gabriel¡¯s certain that the whole thing will be finished ¨C regardless of the manner in which it happens ¨C by the end of the Dawn.  By our gentlemen¡¯s agreement, I can only let it play out organically.¡±  He paused though and turned around, opting to walk backwards as he faced the Fifth, ¡°I would ask that you make preparations as well.  The First can manage the immediate catastrophe ¨C if it comes to that ¨C but I will not be kind to that place if I have to get my hands dirty.  There¡¯ll likely need to be some extensive reconstruction after the fact¡­not to mention, the landscape restoration that those salt-ruined plains will need.¡±

    ¡°¡­I hate how easily you can talk about the devastation you¡¯re planning to bring to that place.¡±

    ¡°Only as much as is necessary.  If the Kitezan fleet is smart, it¡¯ll see the Sixth Wing approach and surrender.¡±

    ¡°And if they don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Then I hope the civilian population is keeping a finger on the pulse of these issues, because I won¡¯t be able to do anything about where those ships fall when I shoot them out of the sky.¡±

    That worried face twitched with brief disgust, ¡°When did you become so comfortable with war-crimes?¡±

    The First paused in his footsteps, hands held loosely behind his back.  Long molten-silver hair waved slightly in a gentle wind, and those orange eyes stared intently forward, unblinking, ¡°Do you recall how I bent to your ministrations, much as I hated receiving them?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±

    ¡°I ask you to do the same for mine.  Come Hell or high water, I will fix what¡¯s broken in Kitez, and I will bring the Tuonela home.  I-¡±

    Etienne tilted her head.

    Rylen shook his head, ¡°Speak of the devil; that was Gabriel.  There¡¯s movement in Sargon.  I should go find out what happened.  Have faith in me; I¡¯ll play by the rules as long as everyone else does.¡± He gave a polite bow of his head and dissolved his mantle, reappearing a few seconds later on the antechamber to Gabriel¡¯s borrowed apartment in the palace.  He spotted Xanarken already present, and turned his gaze towards the Vice.

    ¡°¡­Sorry to bring you two in so suddenly.¡± The youngest started, ¡°The Emperor¡¯s decided to go a bit rogue and is wanting to take-over our plans with Kitez.¡±

    The First and the Fourth glanced at one another, then back to Gabriel, giving a perturbed ¡®what¡¯s new¡¯ sort of look in response.

    ¡°He¡¯s planning to reach out to the Duchy himself and proffer an official request to negotiate for the transfer of Duke Mardu into Sargonian custody.¡± The Vice continued, knowing full-well how insane it sounded, ¡°He¡­thinks that if he makes a formal plea on Mardu¡¯s behalf, it won¡¯t go belly-up if or when Mardu gets here.¡±

    ¡°If the Duchess agrees to let Mardu go, then sure, but why would she?¡± Xanarken asked, leaning against a tall chair, ¡°The second the Emperor suggests this idea, she¡¯ll know Mardu has value here, and she¡¯ll hold him up like a carrot on a stick.  There¡¯s no telling what she¡¯ll ask in return.¡±

    ¡°That was my thought as well, but he wouldn¡¯t really give me a chance to make that case.  He just went straight to telling me the Fourth wouldn¡¯t be involved with this.¡± Gabriel slouched where he stood; he clearly had a headache pounding behind those tired eyes, ¡°Twenty years ago, Iresha could¡¯ve made a case for getting Latheroux extradited to Sargon¡­maybe Far¡¯nah would¡¯ve been happy to throw the cretin out, given she probably had pity for the death of the Empress.  But the Duke?  The whole man?  I can¡¯t even process it.  There¡¯s just no way.  There¡¯s nothing for her to gain by sending him here.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s going to demand the removal of the blockade.¡± Rylen noted easily, ¡°And nothing less than the-¡±

    ¡°¡­Complete withdrawal of the Council and all its ships, people, and tech from within Sargon¡¯s borders.¡± Gabriel interrupted, ¡°I know, I know.  And I also know it won¡¯t happen, but I get the strong sense that Far¡¯nah will ask for it anyway.  Iresha knows he can ask us to do anything within Sargon, so unless we¡¯re prepared to become illegal squatters, we should be ready to have to do what he says.  Our only leverage here is the fact that the Prince is still in Agartha.  ¡­It¡¯s a three-way hostage situation.¡±

    ¡°Assuming the Duke gets here.  We may have the Prince, but Kitez has both Mardu and Aamin.¡± Rylen turned and put a finger over his lips, ¡°Maybe we should consider sending a retrieval party to collect the man, in the event that an agreement can¡¯t be bartered.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not our guy to extract.¡± Xanarken pointed out, ¡°It would be seen as nothing less than kidnapping, even if he wanted to come.  He¡¯s the Duke of Kitez¡­that still means something.  We should probably ask him what he wants to do.  Maybe he doesn¡¯t want to be haggled-over like a prized cow.¡±

    Both Gabriel and Rylen stared in confusion, ¡°Explain?¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s there to explain?  We ask the Duke if he wants Iresha to negotiate on his behalf.¡±

    ¡°No, no¡­how do we contact the Duke, to even pose that question?¡± Gabriel clarified; Rylen nodded, ¡°Nothing going to him would be free from interception.¡±

    ¡°Oh.  We pass messages through Latheroux, not official channels.¡±

    The duo stared incredulously, ¡°¡­Explain.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The Fourth looked back at them with the same level of perplexity, ¡°Did you think I would just stand off to the side while you talk to the Duke and not try to set-up contingencies?  The both of us got kicked out of the throne room.  It should¡¯ve been expected that I talk to Latheroux while we waited.¡±

    Gabriel wasn¡¯t sure how to answer to that, and he turned his eyes towards the First for a moment, Xanarken¡¯s being very careful to avoid mentioning that Latheroux is using a mantle.  Rylen must not know¡­  He swallowed a nervous lump, ¡°¡­I guess it would make sense to have a back-up way of talking to the Duke.  So¡­then we tell the Emperor how we¡¯d like to proceed, and go from there.¡±

    Rylen couldn¡¯t help but stare daggers at his proverbial brother, ¡°I really hate how care-free you are about talking to that rabble-rouser.¡±

    ¡°He seems to have the Duke¡¯s best interests in mind.¡± Xanarken shrugged, and pushed off the chair to stand normally, hands going to the head-rest in place of his shoulder, ¡°What he did in Sargon had an unfortunate outcome, but I¡¯m not going to look a gift-horse in the mouth.  Latheroux is a life-line right now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not just talking about the riots he started, Xanarken.¡± Rylen puffed impatiently, ¡°The man has had his sticky fingers in everything having to do with Kitez since he got there.  His entire reason for being there is because of how much he wanted to keep the Council out.  You can¡¯t trust him!¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m with him on this.¡± Gabriel arced a thumb at the First, ¡°Latheroux is a manipulator.  The second we put our faith in him to be an intermediary with the Duke, we¡¯ll be playing right into his hands.  Mardu told me the same thing about Latheroux¡¯s motivations.  We can¡¯t just put our trust in him to pass along - and respond with - the truth of the messages, least not when it¡¯s an Eidolon doing the talking.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already asked him.  He¡¯s ready to start when we are.¡± Xanarken crossed his arms.

    ¡°Y-¡­what!?  When!?¡±

    ¡°Twelve seconds ago, while you were trying to lecture me on who I can talk to.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s left eye twitched, ¡°¡­Unreal¡­  I hate everything about what just happened.¡±

    ¡°We can communicate in real-time.¡± The Fourth continued, ¡°Latheroux will only be there to hold the proverbial phone.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re undermining me in a circumstance you made me responsible for.¡± The Vice grumbled, ¡°Don¡¯t do that again.¡±

    Rylen whistled, impressed, and gestured to fan himself, ¡°Be still, my beating heart¡­¡±

    The Fourth could only smirk, ¡°Still think making him Vice Eidolon was a bad idea?¡±

    ¡°Oh, absolutely, but I can¡¯t deny that it¡¯s fun when someone other than me tells you off.¡±

    Gabriel deadpanned the two of them, ¡°¡­And thus, I continue to be an outsider looking in¡­¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 76 â€“ The Smallest Droplets Can Still Fill A Bucket If Ignored Long Enough

    A small group had gathered for the Duchess, and approached where she sat on her now-singular throne.  Of the three visitors, one carried a suitcase, and bent to one knee as she opened it and presented its contents.

    ¡°Your Grace, the item you requested is ready.¡±

    Far¡¯nah looked over the object ¨C to the unknowing eye, it appeared as nothing more than a livery collar ¨C and she reached forward to lift it up.  Hanging from the base of that thick, plated chain, was a medallion bearing the crest of the Kitezan royal family.

    ¡°May I?¡±

    The Duchess nodded, and rose-up from her throne.  Taking a few steps down towards the main level, she handed back the collar, and stood patiently as the woman unhooked it at the back and lifted it around her shoulders from behind.  With deft fingers, the collar was latched, and Far¡¯nah turned around again to face the trio as the third of them returned to the group, ¡°Is it already working?¡±

    ¡°Please touch your fingers to the crest and hold for three seconds, Your Grace.¡± One of the others noted, and as the Duchess did so, the crest glowed briefly.

    All around the fiery-haired woman¡¯s body, a ripple expanded, emerging from the talisman and enveloping her from top to toes.  It hummed quietly, and as the ripple completed its circuit around her, the hazy effect faded, and Far¡¯nah was left as her normal self again.

    ¡°There, Your Grace.  You are now as well-protected as the Vindicator.¡± The first woman beamed, ¡°So long as you wear that, the Eidolon cannot harm you.¡±

    ¡°And such devices are being disseminated to the Magistrates and their officers?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± The third finally spoke, ¡°We are presently augmenting the shield capabilities of all of the ships in the fleet harboring a piece of the SSCF Kitez¡¯s original Warp Core.  We have seven such ships fully online now.  The rest will be ready by tomorrow evening.¡±

    ¡°¡­Everything is going so smoothly.¡± Far¡¯nah was impressed, and traced her fingers around the crest¡¯s edge, ¡°I can hardly believe I waited so long to get this all moving¡­¡±

    ¡°Kitez and her people stand ready.¡±

    ¡°I think I want to go see my husband.¡± The Duchess commented quietly, and her personal guard came away from the throne-platform to flank her quickly, ¡°Continue your good work!

    ¡°Your Grace!¡±

    .

    Mardu had picked his lips and cuticles raw from the stress; skin was chapped and pock-marked, and his hair was heavy with unwashed oils, laying across his scalp like sheets of dark paper.  He still wore the same garments he¡¯d had on when he¡¯d been arrested in the first place, and his cheeks were noticeably gaunt.  Dark circles hung under his eyes, and he looked as exhausted as he was starved.

    He had no reaction when it was made known to him that his wife had come to his door, but after a few seconds, he managed to roll over on the cot he¡¯d been provided with, and set the soles of his boots to the floor.

    ¡°I¡¯m told you refuse to eat.¡± Far¡¯nah¡¯s voice commented quietly, ¡°I can have something more palatable brought to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­want to leave¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± She gave a sullen nod, ¡°But we both know that¡¯s not possible.  You¡¯ve turned against me, my love.  Against Kitez.¡±

    ¡°I did no such thing!¡± He refused weakly; his hands trembled where they gripped the edge of the thin mattress, ¡°You turned against Kitez!  Your ambitions will bring us nothing but ruin!  You march us headlong into oblivion!¡±

    ¡°I wish you could see what I see.¡± She answered, and looked on with a disappointed gaze through the opened window in the door, ¡°The grander picture that I have¡­¡±

    ¡°Your vision is pure folly¡­¡± Mardu said, starting to weep into the palms of his hands.

    Far¡¯nah¡¯s brow crinkled slightly, ¡°¡­I remember how things used to be.  When we were young, na?ve, and full of hope.  And how that all came crashing down the day the Fafnir invaded into the Exclusion Zone, and forever put a crosshair onto the Council.¡± She drew a long breath and sighed, ¡°The sheer hubris of that Captain to attack our General during a parlay¡­  And the unapologetic defense that Rylen gave for the man¡¯s actions.  The way Xanarken stole-away one of Kitez¡¯s children and brainwashed him into being a lapdog for the Council¡­it was as though they knew exactly how to insult us.¡±

    Mardu¡¯s ragged fingernails dug against his skin, leaving little red marks against it, ¡°So all this insanity is because of me¡­?  Because I couldn¡¯t give you an heir?  That this could have all been avoided if I wasn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°No, my love.¡± She discouraged, and shook her head, ¡°None of this is your fault.  It was always going to end-up this way¡­  Perhaps the only thing you did was stall the inevitable by your pleas for nonviolence.  The time for that is over though.  I¡­don¡¯t know how to explain it; I feel as if a haze has been lifted from my eyes.  I can see everything so clearly now.  I know exactly how to bring the Council to heel and push them back, to free this world from the yoke of the Hadiran Accord and give everyone the autonomy they so rightfully deserve.¡±

    ¡±They¡¯re in an alliance, Far¡¯nah!  They weren¡¯t conquered!¡± Mardu argued desperately, ¡°Please, give the Council their colony ship back, and stop this war-march!  You can¡¯t possibly win against the entire world!¡±

    ¡°But I can.  And every day that passes brings me closer to total victory.  The Council¡¯s greatest claim to authority is also its greatest weakness; and even more-so now especially, that capability has been rendered irrelevant, so they are nothing more than toothless dogs.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand how you can say that when the Sixth Wing has blockaded the entire border¡­¡±

    ¡°You can understand though, if you return to my side, and pledge obedience to the Kitezan cause.  The Conclave is in complete agreement; the military is armed and ready; we have our strategic targets and a surgical plan to fatally gut the Luminaries.¡± Far¡¯nah explained, and played with the medallion hanging from her shoulders again.

    Mardu was silent, save his hiccupped breaths.

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t believe me.  I understand.  Let me give you a taste then¡­¡± The Duchess supposed, ¡°The Council has grown proud over the centuries.  They think themselves omnipotent and untouchable, so much so that they¡¯ve put the very seat of their power at the top of a spire; one that¡¯s visible from miles away, and effectively undefended but for reputation and precedent.  One well-placed shot and the entire World Cloud goes offline¡­and then, what Eidolon?  Their greatest technology will rain down all around them like ash, and they¡¯ll be leaderless.¡±

    They still have Lord Gabriel¡­ Mardu thought, but kept quiet.  Through his gently shaking fingers, he¡¯d spotted the unmistakable image of a hawk perched on the floor, hidden in a corner between the latrine and the wall.  Though confused at first, he knew exactly what it meant to see the creature there, Latheroux¡­  I have to tell them¡­I have to warn them¡­

    ¡°Promise me that you¡¯ll think about it.¡± Far¡¯nah¡¯s words continued, and the former Duke looked up towards her, ¡°The Council and the Eidolon are nothing but a cancer.  Once removed, we¡¯ll be allowed to chart our own course - and make our own alliances - without their antiquated influences.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­will never¡­agree to such violence¡­¡± He answered stiffly.

    There was nothing more to do then.  Far¡¯nah sighed quietly, ¡°As you say¡­  I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to keep you here, in that case.¡±  She turned away from the door and started to leave, ¡°See to it that he¡¯s better cared for.  He clearly has no interest in doing it himself.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±

    The window closed, and Mardu was left in uncomfortable silence.  Through his fingers, he gazed to the falcon, and waited for something ¨C anything ¨C to happen.  The hawk crouched on its awkwardly-long curved claws, and peered around the chrome bowl, waiting to be sure that the coast was clear before speaking, ¡°Your Grace¡­please keep your voice low, or respond only in physical gestures if possible.  Do not react to my presence.¡±

    The former Duke gave a subtle nod.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    In a cell further down the hall, Latheroux¡¯s ¡®normal¡¯ self continued to snooze on his cot, unmoving save for the maneuvers of breathing.

    ¡°I come to you on behalf of the Emperor of Sargon.¡± The hawk spoke quietly, its motionless beak emanating the words like a whisper, ¡°And the Eidolon of the First and Fourth.¡±

    Darkened eyes trembled, and Mardu gave another nod.

    ¡°Plans are changing.  If you wish it¡­Emperor Iresha is willing to reach out to the Duchess and see you sent to Trazad with her consent.¡± Latheroux explained, ¡°Blink hard once if you understand.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear what was said?¡±

    ¡°About her plan to shoot directly at Agartha?  Yes.¡±

    .

    Xanarken paced idly as he waited for an answer, watched by Gabriel, Rylen, and the Emperor in turn.

    .

    ¡°You have to warn them.¡± Mardu continued, and made the fool of a move to sit ¨C fully clothed ¨C on the latrine.  The hawk narrowed its eyes slightly, but said nothing, ¡°You have to tell them what she¡¯s going to do.  Forget about me if you must¡­  Her plans cannot be allowed to unfold!¡±

    ¡°Lord Xanarken already knows.  But the Emperor needs to know if you are amenable to the negotiation he¡¯s proposed.  If he can convince the Duchess to send you to Sargon¡­it would be much better than the escape we already have planned for you.¡± Latheroux explained, and crouched on the floor like a nesting bird, ¡°I will see to it that you are freed from this place either way.¡±

    ¡°¡­I cannot fathom the sacrifice Iresha will be asked to make to have me sent to Trazad.  Far¡¯nah would sooner make a bid for the return of Lord Gabriel himself before she agrees to send me away.¡± Mardu explained pensively, ¡°And that says nothing to the blockade¡­or anything else¡­¡±

    ¡°The Emperor is not asking what you think you¡¯re worth to him.  He wants to know if you¡¯re open to the idea of his direct involvement.¡± Latheroux asked, returning to the point, ¡°Let him decide what he¡¯s willing to give up in exchange.¡±

    ¡°I feel backed into a corner.  How could I possibly refuse him?¡±

    ¡°I still have allies in this place.  If you don¡¯t want your elder cousin to barter for your transfer, then I will see to it that you are absconded into Luminary custody instead.  You will never be Duke again, but you¡¯ll live.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t care about being Duke.  I only want to do whatever it takes to prevent all-out war.  Far¡¯nah, she¡­she¡¯s convinced she has some kind of Ace up her sleeve that guarantees her victory over the Sixth¡­over the entire Accord¡­¡± The tepid man explained, hands shaking all the more, ¡°Tell my cousin to do what he thinks is right.  Whether I step onto a Sargonian ship or one of yours in the end, I leave to all of you.¡±

    .

    Xanarken lifted his head and looked to the trio, ¡°Mardu has agreed to do whatever is asked of him, but he didn¡¯t say one way or another about how he wants to get to the end of this journey.¡±

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s as good as anything.¡± Iresha acknowledged.

    The Fourth cast his eyes to his adopted son, ¡°He also suggested Far¡¯nah may ask for you in exchange.¡±

    ¡°¡­Heh?  Why me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still a son of Kitez, in the end.¡±

    Gabriel scoffed, ¡°I have no ties to that place.¡±

    ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter; a hostage of your level would be ideal for her regardless of your origins.¡± The Fourth noted, and stroked at his goatee contemplatively, ¡°If we got you into the Eidolon System before the exchange, they wouldn¡¯t even know you¡¯re using a mantle¡­¡±

    The Vice narrowed his eyes, ¡°Why are you already making plans like that¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen?  I¡¯m the negotiator, not the offer.¡±

    ¡°Trading cops for hostages isn¡¯t an unheard-of tactic, Gabe.¡± Xanarken answered, ¡°In any case¡­Your Majesty?¡±

    Iresha was already lost in thought, ¡°¡­I won¡¯t permit it.  You already have my son, I won¡¯t be held hostage to the responsibility of sending Lugios into the mouth of madness, too.  He¡¯s not mine to send away.¡±

    Gabriel felt a pang of relief to hear it, but he turned his sights towards the First after that.

    ¡°Then the blockade isn¡¯t up for negotiation either.¡± Rylen commented, ¡°Kitez already feels that the Council¡¯s presence in Sargon is an overstep; you should just lean into it and say we won¡¯t move, even if you ask.  ¡­It would make even more sense if Sargon joined the Accord and became part of the collective.  We would have every reason to build a formal defense-system on your behalf.¡±

    A tingle went down Iresha¡¯s spine, and he visibly shivered, ¡°Far¡¯nah would never speak to me again if I did that.¡±

    ¡°Is that really such a valuable contact at this point?¡± The First countered, and stepped closer to the Sargonian royal, ¡°You might as well cut your losses.  Come into the Accord, and we¡¯ll pluck Mardu out of Kitez in a joint maneuver, with the full approval of the alliance.  There are plenty within it who already feel Far¡¯nah has overstayed her welcome on that throne, and her constant saber-rattling is becoming a nuisance.  Among other problems¡­¡±

    Iresha wasn¡¯t sure how to answer.

    ¡°Just consider it.  Joining the Accord would get around a lot of Sargon¡¯s difficulties.  Trade barriers coming down being least among them, but which would please the people the quickest.  The Council¡¯s buffers aren¡¯t unlimited.¡±

    The Emperor leered slightly, and turned his pale eyes towards Gabriel, ¡°You¡¯ve never mentioned the potential of that support being terminated.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s not supposed to be mentioned.¡± The Vice answered, staring daggers at the First, ¡°I specifically said I would never pressure anyone into joining the Accord.¡±

    Rylen just shrugged and turned his nose up, ¡°And thus, I continue to anticipate the worst, even if the preventative measures are simple.¡± He said, and dissolved his mantle before his point could be argued.

    Gabriel let out a disgruntled sigh, ¡°Your Majesty¡­I sincerely apologize for that.  That¡¯s a classic reason why Lord Rylen doesn¡¯t typically get involved with these kinds of talks¡­¡±

    Iresha simply shook his head and glanced to Xanarken, ¡°Is that it, then?  Is that all there is to say?¡±

    ¡°The situation out there is a bit complicated at the moment.  If you have anything further to say to the Duke, it would put both him and Latheroux at risk.¡±

    The Emperor glared away irritably, ¡°¡­I swear, I should ask for him to be sent here, too, to finally answer for the crimes his actions perpetrated against my family.¡±

    ¡°Whether you ask for Latheroux to be extradited as well is entirely up to you, Your Majesty.¡± Xanarken noted, and bowed his head, ¡°If you need me for anything further, please let Gabriel know.¡±  He then dissolved his mantle as well.

    Gabriel¡¯s brow crinkled, Having a mantle makes it so easy to bail¡­ He grumbled in his thoughts, but then turned to the Emperor again, ¡°Is there anything more I can help with?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think so.  Not yet.¡± Iresha answered, and turned his back to leave in turn, ¡°I have work to do.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± The Vice gave a subtle head-bow, and waited for the man to leave before rising up again.  Once the room was completely empty again though, he didn¡¯t hesitate to summon the Fourth back, and waited with crossed arms for the Eidolon to remanifest.  It took nearly 10 minutes, but Xanarken did finally return, and Gabriel had questions, ¡°¡­Why does it seem like you¡¯re deliberately withholding certain bits of information?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for noticing and playing along.¡± Xanarken answered, as though it was a bit of a game, ¡°You were always pretty quick to follow along.¡±

    ¡°But why are you doing it?  I thought you and Rylen were thick as thieves.  Why keep him in the dark?¡±

    ¡°Because he has a hair-trigger.¡± The Fourth answered, ¡°Though you¡¯ll have to be a bit more specific on what you noticed I was withholding.  It could honestly be anything.¡±

    ¡°The fact that Latheroux is using a mantle.  You might as well have been holding up a flashing neon sign saying ¡®I¡¯m not gonna mention it¡¯ with how loud that void was.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be gained from telling Rylen that someone he despises is using a mantle like we are.  He¡¯d carpet-bomb Kitez out of spite.¡± Xanarken explained, ¡°Being Fourth means knowing when and how to divulge details, and to whom.¡±

    ¡°¡­He¡¯s a nobody though.  Latheroux, I mean.  In the grand scheme of things¡­and yet, he¡¯s living his best life like an Eidolon.  And that doesn¡¯t seem to bother you in the least?¡±

    Those wizened eyes looked on quietly for a moment, only for Xanarken to look away, and out through a nearby tall window, ¡°Maybe you haven¡¯t hit that point yet, but¡­after three hundred years, you develop a certain apathy for the way other people think.  Rylen abides by the laws and finds ways to get what he wants within the confines of what we¡¯re allowed to do, but¡­personally, he couldn¡¯t care less anymore about what either the Emperor or the Duchess think.  He maintains a sense of responsibility towards the greater peace, because creating a world free from the strife of the Earth we left behind was always his personal mission.  But, he¡¯s getting impatient with the petulant, needy whims of these last two hold-outs, and that¡¯s exactly why he threw a flash-bang grenade into the room a minute ago.¡±

    ¡°Threatening the Emperor with abandonment is hardly the best way to encourage him to join the Accord.¡±

    ¡°Maybe not, but it sure lit a fire under his ass.¡± Xanarken shrugged and started walking towards the window.  He stared outside at the clear blue sky for a moment, then turned back to look at Gabriel again, ¡°Rylen is teetering dangerously close to acting on his own to resolve this issue with Kitez.  At some point, he will employ the ¡®ask forgiveness instead of permission¡¯ ethos, and do what he feels is necessary to nip things in the bud.  That is why I¡¯m strategically keeping certain pieces of information to myself¡­from him, and even from you.¡±

    Bicolored eyes widened, ¡°But¡­how am I supposed to be effective if you¡¯re keeping bits from me?¡±

    ¡°Because you have a level of impatience with the Duchess that lends itself to siding with Rylen.  The last thing anyone needs is for you to tell him something that¡¯ll set him off.  There¡¯s already plenty about the Duchess that could give him the excuse to light the match¡­and maybe, just maybe, with the consent of the Accord.  But the whole reason you¡¯re in charge and not Rylen is because we don¡¯t want to carpet-bomb the countryside.  The people should never have to suffer for the machinations of their leaders.¡± The Fourth explained, and started making his way back again, ¡°I raised you to always look for the peaceful way through any problem.  So¡­if you want to be an Eidolon one day, I expect you to learn how to manage the others.¡±

    ¡°¡­One day?¡± A brow went up skeptically, ¡°You already promoted me.¡±

    ¡°So?  Is my point any less valid for it?¡±

    ¡°¡­I guess not.¡± Gabriel slouched a little.

    ¡°In any case, try not to put too much thought into Latheroux using a mantle right now.  It¡¯s not the priority.  We can figure it out once the Duke is safe.¡±

    ¡°¡­Have you thought about how he¡¯s doing it at all?¡±

    ¡°Sure I have.  But figuring it out doesn¡¯t get the Duke into Sargon any faster, so I¡¯m not wasting the energy.  Neither should you.¡± Xanarken discouraged, and took a step back as he readied to leave a second time.  He saw that anxious look on his son¡¯s face, ¡°Don¡¯t linger on things you can¡¯t do anything about.  You¡¯ll only frustrate yourself.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, yeah¡­¡±

    The Fourth hesitated a moment to go, but then left anyway without another word.

    Gabriel just sighed, alone again in that big space, ¡°¡­Don¡¯t linger, he says.  You¡¯ll only frustrate yourself, he says.  Yeah, let me just find that setting in my personality and toggle it off¡­¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 77 â€“ Reach For The Moon, But Leap To The Stars

    The Sky-docks were a sprawling complex of towers, walkways, cranes, and constantly-moving fleets of large and small skiffs.  The Aegis was easily the largest ship currently occupying the place, but there were easily half a dozen smaller vessels there beside it, in varying stages of repair and new-construction.

    Furion was the first of the Fafnir-duo to dive under their home-ship and see the state of it¡¯s ultimate fate, ¡°Looks like it¡¯s going to get refurbished.¡± He said, and glanced back at Ren, who was around 20ft behind, ¡°That¡¯s a relief, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± She answered, ¡°Papa will be happy to hear about it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Not you?¡± Furion was perplexed.

    ¡°¡­I have mixed feelings, looking at it in this condition.¡± She explained, and flipped over backward to face the gutted underside of the massive ship, ¡°I know Lord Rylen is the one who repeatedly pulled the trigger, but part of me feels like this could¡¯ve been avoided.¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just get in there.  The sooner we¡¯re done, the sooner we can leave.¡±

    Ren watched as Furion climbed again, heading for the rear hangars, and she followed after him.  There was a definitive sense of melancholy as the two of them landed, and bypassed the docking-pods to head into the ship with their armor still on.

    When the fast-travel chutes let them out into the main part of the SkyFortress, Furion turned and pulled his helmet off, shaking his hair out to make it look normal again, ¡°Just hang out here in the concourse for a little while.  I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not coming with you?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re carrying a pair of eyes that don¡¯t need to know what my plans are to get rid of it.  Don¡¯t need it getting ideas about how to avoid it.¡± He answered.

    ¡°Oh.  Okay.¡±

    The Captain glided away and out of sight, and Ren just stared at the abandoned multi-level mid-body lobby of the massive ship.  She could hear the sound of construction through the walls, but for the most part, it was relatively quiet.  For lack of anything else to do, she made her way to the residential floors, and more specifically, to her own room.  The door opened, and she stepped through, seeing everything exactly where she¡¯d left it¡­including the mess.

    A flutter went through her chest as she spotted the nest of blankets still splayed over her couch, then a deep sense of guilt and regret.  She sighed and stepped out of her armor, and reached to grab the first of the blankets¡­only to pause, and stare into that corner-section.  Her brow crinkled slightly as the memory of that clandestine day played before her mind¡¯s eye, and with a reticent groan, dropped into the cushions.

    With a few minutes to kill, she closed her eyes, clutching the blanket to her chest, ¡­Scyrexian, if you¡¯re listening to every word I say and know every thought I have, then you¡¯ve got to know how much of a pain in my ass you are, she thought grimly.  There wasn¡¯t an answer though; if it could respond, it was choosing not to.  Ren squished the blanket to the lower half of her face, and she narrowed her eyes slightly, then abruptly pushed to sit up.  She sent out a call to her partner, ¡°¡­Should we go to the Dawn of Ages?¡±

    ¡°Sure.  Which one?¡± Furion answered, rifling through the Aegis¡¯ tech-inventory.

    ¡°The one in Trazad.  Gabe¡¯s gonna be there.¡±

    The Captain quirked a brow, ¡°I thought we agreed you shouldn¡¯t go near him.¡±

    ¡°¡­Lord Xanarken said that it might be the last chance I have to talk to him though.  He at least deserves to know I¡¯m not trying to mean...¡± Ren countered, ¡°He¡¯s supposed to go into the Eidolon System after that.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s going to be using a mantle, not getting launched into low-orbit.¡± Furion puffed, ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll never be able to talk to him again.  Playing keep-away is as much for his safety as it is yours.¡±

    ¡°Maybe Lord Xanarken meant that I should explain myself to Gabe¡¯s face though¡­  So I can see how he really feels, not the curated rubber-face he¡¯ll be able to pull once he¡¯s in.¡±

    ¡°Lord Xanarken doesn¡¯t know that you¡¯re harboring an existential threat to Lord Gabriel¡¯s continued state of being alive.¡± Furion retorted, ¡°Unless you mentioned it to him and didn¡¯t mention that part to me?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, then there you go.  He¡¯s operating from a perspective that lacks key insight.  Do you really think he¡¯d suggest being around the guy if he knew?¡±

    ¡°¡­No¡­¡±

    ¡°Mhm¡­¡±

    Ren groaned and disconnected the call again, ¡°I hate this¡­¡±  She looked even more annoyed when Furion called her right back, and she answered with her face buried in the comforter, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°You cut off before I could mention it¡­but I have our first target.¡± He explained, and bagged the item he was after, then hooked the pack over his left wing-arm and shoulder, ¡°She¡¯s the Council¡¯s 9<sup>th</sup> in the Top 10, and was last-sighted in the Exclusion Zone¡¯s north-eastern region.  She¡¯s known for high-stakes burglaries and at least two murders, with an affliction that effectively makes her a Lycanthrope.  No ranged capabilities, no mind-fucking¡­just plain old physical transformation.  She¡¯s perfect.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah¡­perfect.¡± Ren muttered quietly, ¡°Right up until the moment Scyrexian takes that power and turns into a goddamn dragon or something¡­¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.  I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine.  Are you done?¡±

    .

    Regulus hovered over the far western edge of the beachfront of Oceanside¡¯s administrative district.  With Kourin¡¯s glasses still settled in front of his eyes, and a little green marker on his sights guided him closer and closer to the nearest marker.  Sand and seafoam whipped around beneath the anti-gravity drive, and the Magistrate closed-in on the target.  He sought through crags and ragged stone for anything obvious, and soon spotted a little cave high up on an outcrop of wave-lashed hillside.

    A thousand years ago, the waves were rougher and breached the land higher, but now, that spot was a relatively dry-patch, bleached by the rising western sun.  The cut wasn¡¯t even that deep, but as Regulus idled his Sovereign Shadow close to the rock, he got a better look¡­and spotted ¨C what appeared to be ¨C some rather smooth, round boulders.

    But they weren¡¯t boulders at all.  They weren¡¯t even eggs.  They were nanotech canisters, even if they looked rather different from the trio that Regulus already had in his possession.  Unlike the flat-bottomed sphered he had in his office, these were more like ovals, about a foot and a half tall, with slits down the front where nanotech could escape or return.  Regulus reached into the crack and grabbed one, looked it over with fascination, and tossed it to the shallow tide since 10ft below.  He then grabbed the other, and the third, before hopping down to join them.  The target-market on the borrowed lenses highlighted the cluster as active, and with a bit of maneuvering, he could see the little green light on the front of each was on; it was difficult to see in the bright sunlight.

    With a huff and a smirk, Regulus shook his head, and re-mounted his warmachine.  He hovered down closer to the ground, jumped back out again, tossed the canisters up into the cockpit, and then went in a third time.  The next-nearest target was north from there, around 700 meters away¡­and it perplexed the Magistrate that it appeared to be coming from inside the palace.

    Curiosity became concern, and he quickly made his way forward. He went in through one of the sunrise-facing terraces, and wandered the twisting halls of the residence.  Gothic pillars stood between tall, narrow, arched windows; sconces were dimmed where sunlight poured through.  It was a bit of a challenge to find a way through to the next clusters of nanotech containers, especially as the verticality of the marker indicated he¡¯d have to go up to the next floor.

    Soon, however, he found himself standing outside Latheroux¡¯s chambers.  Given the man was in a prison-cell below the palace, Regulus had no qualms about going in unannounced.  Strangely, the space looked barely-lived-in.  The bed was immaculately-made, as though it had never been laid in.  The night-stand didn¡¯t so much as have a water-stain on it from a glass.  The Magistrate was just snooping at that point, and pulled open the massive wooden shrank, finding nothing but empty drawers and cabinet-spaces.  The bathroom was even worse¡­it had nothing in it at all, not even a shower curtain for that massive ceramic tub.

    Housekeeping couldn¡¯t have been this thorough¡­it doesn¡¯t even look like they¡¯ve ever been here.  There¡¯s dust everywhere, he thought.

    It was finally time to seek the target through, and it led through the doors of the large walk-in closet on the other side of the room.  At first, the space looked as normal as one could expect¡­for a space never used by a living human being.  There were no changes of clothes, no shoes, no personal effects stored-away¡­it was just empty, save for the wooden trunk pushed into the near corner.

    And that¡¯s what the guide-marker was indicating on.

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Steady hands immediately looked to pull the chest open, but it was locked tight.  Fingers traced the edges, seeking for a latch or other mechanism, but it was clamped tight.  There were, as he noticed, holes in the sides ¨C slits for hand-holds ¨C and when the Magistrate used them to heft the case up off the floor, it rattled with the unmistakable sound and thumping of two large metal containers.

    He immediately carried the chest outside and into the courtyard in front of the residence, where he¡¯d parked his mech.  Once again, he hopped inside, but this time, instead of flying-off with yet another curiosity, he hovered overtop of the trunk and grabbed it with the mech¡¯s small lower arms.  It was nothing to twist the wooden case into pieces, and out fell the nanotech canisters he expected to find.  These were similar-enough to the egg-shaped trio he already had, but were perhaps a different model in the same generation.

    This gods-damned liar¡­he¡¯s an Eidolon, isn¡¯t he?  All this time, posing as a Sargonian to get close to the royal family¡­  Manipulating the Duke to turn against Far¡¯nah¡­ Regulus sneered and grit his teeth, But which one¡­?  ¡­Or could it be an underling?  If they¡¯re making any peasant into an Eidolon now, maybe this one is just a spy working directly for Council leadership¡­

    With a look at the markers on the lenses again, the next-closest location popped into prominence.  He blinked hard and focused, realizing he could, in fact, see multiple smaller green dots, though they were easy miss where they blended into the background.  With a few finger-taps, each of the smaller indicators came up and grew larger, and to Regulus¡¯ astonishment¡­there were easily 30 more, all at varying nearby ¨C and farther afield ¨C ranges.  One was so far away, it looked to be clear across the country, sitting in the border-mountains with Sargon.

    His first thought was to pull up a map and try to integrate the distances with direction, but just as he was about to do so, he could feel his FlexiGlas communicator buzz in his pocket.  He withdrew it and expanded the screen, and saw that it was an announcement straight from the Duchy; the Conclave of Magistrates was being summoned for an emergency meeting.

    I need to find the rest of these before Latheroux notices they¡¯ve been moved.  He may yet be skulking-around the palace while he pretends to be locked-away, Regulus thought, and sent out a call to his local receptionist.  When the line was answered, he put out a simple directive, ¡°Get me a meeting with Oceanside¡¯s fastest couriers.  People who can be discrete.¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°I want them in my office in two hours.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yessir, right away.¡±

    .

    Waiting for things to happen was the worst part about international negotiations.  Kitez and Sargon were Gabriel¡¯s only responsibility, and the Emperor had decided to take this next step on his own, which meant the Vice Eidolon was suddenly in possession of an overabundance of free time.

    And that meant he had time to continue practicing with his affliction.

    Multiple nights had gone by with incremental progress, and certain aspects of his power were now getting far easier.  With his eyes lit-up and ponytail hovering behind his back, his hand reached out for a small flower-vase on a dresser at the far side of his borrowed apartment.  He lifted it up as if he was standing there in front of it, and had it in his physical grasp, though the only thing that gave away the fact that he did have it was the subtle purple arc of electric-like lines that surrounded the porcelain.  He focused hard, light-emanating eyes narrowing.

    Come here¡­ He thought adamantly, I know I can do more than pick the damn thing up¡­  Bring it closer¡­

    The best he¡¯d been able to do to that point was maneuver the target object around within the confines of arm¡¯s reach, even if it was on the other side of the room.  If he pulled his hand closer, the object would move towards him, but only by whatever 3-5 feet he could reach around himself.  He closed his eyes entirely and tried to envision the thin vase being in his hand ¨C physically in his hand, where he stood near the door ¨C but when he opened them again, it still merely hovered in the air by the dresser, as it already did.

    The ¡®mirroring¡¯ was starting to get on his nerves¡­and Ren¡¯s words came back to his mind.

    ¡°I¡¯m still trying to parse it all, but¡­I think that you can connect two different physical locations together.  Or distinguish them from one another.  The fact that you don¡¯t have to be touching those locations yourself is a big part of that theory.¡± She had said in that training room; it felt like an eternity ago then, ¡°Now¡­again; try to take hold of my hand.  Just¡­focus.  Don¡¯t worry that you¡¯ll get spooked and hurt me by mistake.  ¡­If you don¡¯t trust yourself, then trust me.  I¡¯ll tell you what I¡¯m feeling as you figure it out¡­¡±

    I could really use your help right now, Ren  I¡¯d give anything to talk to you right now, Gabriel grumbled, brow winkled beneath those wing-like bangs.  With a frustrated sigh, he shook his head and released the effect¡­

    ¡­and immediately banged his left knee into a brass drawer-handle.

    He yelped and tried to take a surprised step back, only to find his right foot refuse to move, and he fell backwards.  Everything was confusing, and half of it was painful, but one thing that was definite was the sound of the thin flower-vase smashing to pieces as it hit the ground beside him.  Gabriel laid there on his back, utterly perplexed, but as he shook his head and regained his bearings, his first thought was towards why his right leg seemed stuck.

    The dresser was right in front of him, looming where he looked at it from the floor.  His left knee stung and throbbed where he¡¯d jammed it into the knob.  ¡­And the heel of his right boot¡­was fused with the floor.

    ¡°¡­What in the actual Hell¡­?¡±

    He had to wrench his leg free just so he could turn around, and when he did, he was on his hands and knees, staring at the boot like he didn¡¯t know what a boot was anymore.  He pulled and pried at it, but nothing he did would get it free.  Even the carpet was embedded, like the boot had been built into the flooring from the start.

    ¡°¡­Man, the Emperor¡¯s not going to be happy with this.¡± Gabriel said to himself, and sat back on his knees, hands on his lap as he continued to stare.  He scratched the back of his head, but then realized¡­he¡¯d somehow covered 20ft of distance without moving.  He turned back around to look at the door, then back at the boot, then at the dresser, and finally, at the broken vase on his right, ¡°¡­I wanted to bring the vase to me, but did I just¡­go to the vase instead?¡±

    A knock rapped on the door, ¡°Lord Gabriel, are you alright in there?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine!  Everything is super-fine, thank you!¡± He answered frantically, and started scooping-up the broken ceramics with the sides of his hands.  He pulled it all into a small pile, only to stop and really look at it.  Bicolored eyes narrowed again, and he spoke quietly, ¡°How did I pull it off, though?  I¡¯m still not even sure what I did when I yanked the glass forward at my place, and now this?  Full on freaking teleporting across a room?  Should I tell Seth about this¡­?  No, no¡­Rylen never wanted me learning how to use my shit all this time, it would just make things harder on Seth if I dragged him into this¡­  Damnit¡­  I really need to figure out what I did wrong and get back on Ren¡¯s good side¡­¡±

    He sat back and crossed his arms, and thought really hard about what to do next.  He decided to try one more time to reach out to his former trainee, Please pick up the damn call¡­

    [User unavailable.  Please try again later.]

    ¡°Unavailable?¡± Gabriel said aloud in disbelief, ¡°What the crap is she doing?  It¡¯s not even quiet-time hours and she¡¯s already turned her tech off?¡±

    [Would you like to leave a message?]

    He drew a deep breath, and sighed grimly as he responded in the affirmative, ¡°¡­Uh¡­hey, Ren, sorry if it¡¯s a bad time.  I¡¯m still not sure what happened between us?  I could really use your help though.  I¡¯ve been working on my¡­um¡­special skills?  Since you told me I should try, and I¡¯ve been keeping up with the lessons, and you¡¯d probably be really interested to know what¡¯s just happened.  Call me back?  If you can¡¯t, I understand, I just¡­I¡¯m really confused and hurt, and all that?  Sorry if this sounds like whining.  If it''s cuz I was your superior or something then it¡¯s fine, it¡¯d just be nice to know¡­  Anyway, I¡¯ll be in Trazad for the next while.  For the Dawn of Ages and stuff.  The Emperor¡¯s doing a bunch of things on his own so I¡¯ve got a lot of free time all of a sudden.  Okay¡­uh¡­bye then.  Hope to hear back.¡±

    The message was ended, and Gabriel rolled to his back.  For a few moments, he started at the elaborately-paneled ceiling, and finally lifted his right leg straight into the air.  He wiggled his toes within his sock, and the continued lack of a boot there just mystified him.  He let out a loud and annoyed grunt as he flailed and threw his arms out above his head, and pouted in the quiet of the room, ¡°What did I do!?¡± He whined, only to suddenly feel all the blood drain from his face, ¡°Holy shit, if I was off by just two inches, that could¡¯ve been my whole foot stuck in the floor.  That was so close!¡±

    .

    All the Magistrates entered into the throne room and took their seats at the meeting-table under the pergola.  There was an air of tension as the bunch of them looked at one another, and to the Duchess, who looked back at them with a bit of impatience.  She stood up before the final Magistrate was even at their seat, and immediately went to the point, ¡°The Emperor wants to make an exchange.¡± She declared loudly, and stepped down to the main floor, crossing over the glass-covered water-channels to stand in that central circle, ¡°To put it plainly, he wants Mardu.¡±

    Murmurs rose from all sides.  Regulus looked unsurprised.  Tallus narrowed his eyes slightly.  The empty seats of the missing Magistrates seemed all the more prominent, since those present knew their absent occupants were in the same hall as the aforementioned Duke.

    ¡°I had the same feeling.¡± Far¡¯nah crossed her arms, ¡°But Iresha is not known for making offers lightly.  What could he possibly offer us in exchange for someone as valuable as my husband?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing!¡± Was the general consensus.  No one had even bothered mentioning the Luminary blockade.

    If the Emperor is throwing his hat into this ring, then he must¡¯ve been made aware of Mardu¡¯s circumstance, Tallus thought stiffly, Was this part of the plan?  ¡­What am I supposed to do; let them say no?  Are we going forward with the secret extradition?  Damnit!  I wasn¡¯t told this was going to happen!

    ¡°There is one thing¡­¡± Far¡¯nah contemplated, and the room went eerily quiet, ¡°The Younger Iresha.¡±

    At least one of the Magistrates had reservations about that, ¡°¡­He¡¯s in Agartha though.  The Emperor has already traded him for Council protection.¡±

    ¡°A cow traded once can be traded again.¡±

    More murmurs.

    Tallus swallowed a nervous lump in his throat, and made his decision, ¡°¡­We have to send Mardu to Sargon.¡±

    Everyone at the meeting except Far¡¯nah turned to look straight at the man, and were quickly shocked to see those eyes flare with golden light.  Regulus had his arm up with the instinct to shoot, but in that meeting room, his weapons had been confiscated, and he was left with the bare sleeve of his uniform.  All he could do was look on helplessly as that aura of golden light rose and expanded out like so many tails of glowing smoke.

    It took only a few seconds for the miasma to link to everyone in the room ¨C and though Tallus struggled with connecting to so many people at once, he persevered.  He half-collapsed against the table before him as he forced himself to speak, ¡°We¡¯re¡­sending Mardu to¡­Sargon¡­  We will¡­accept whatever the¡­the Emperor offers in return¡­  And we will do so gl-gladly¡­¡±

    ¡°We will¡­send Mardu to the Emperor.¡± The room echoed, irises illuminated where that golden affect sunk into each of those new victims.

    Far¡¯nah looked around the room curiously, but she never turned towards Tallus¡¯ side.  To her eyes, the man wasn¡¯t even there.  She just seemed keen on the unanimous agreement, ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± She clapped her hands together, ¡°I¡¯ll tell Iresha that we agreed to the talk.  He can have his pawn, and we¡¯ll soon have ours.¡±

    Tallus collapsed back into his seat; his eyes quickly went back to normal, and he heaved for breath.  The Magistrates around him all glanced around in brief confusion, but then redoubled their efforts towards their Duchess.  As Far¡¯nah left the room to head for her antechamber, Tallus leaned forward to clasp the edge of the table and used it to support himself as he rose back to his feet, I hope you¡¯re ready for this¡­

 Book I â€“ Chapter 78 â€“ Living The Good Life And Walking A Fine Line

    ¡°¡­Are you sure you won¡¯t come to Trazad?¡± Seth asked, standing at the base of a landing-spire.  He looked up at his father¡¯s tired face, ¡°Prince Iresha¡¯s even offered to bring you there on the Sargonian flagship.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of work to be done here, kiddo.¡± Lequerion answered, and pulled his boy into a hug, ¡°But have fun for me while you¡¯re there.  It¡¯ll be the first time the Dawn of Ages has been hosted in Sargon.  I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be quite the party.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is it weird that I wish you guys weren¡¯t trying so hard to reform the team already?¡± The teen said, and held a little while longer before he finally let go.  Lequerion kept his hands on Seth¡¯s shoulders, and Seth looked up with a worried glance, ¡°The memorial literally just happened¡­let them rest a minute before you replace them¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll take weeks to put a group together.¡± The elder Rydell explained, and pat one arm before releasing, ¡°Every squad will find itself replaced over time.  Of all the people who flew with me while I was Captain, only Jense and Corbin are still here.¡±

    Seth just pointed at his own face, ¡°Dad, my eyes are still swollen from how upset I¡¯ve been that anything happened in the first place.  Taking Iresha to the V.R. caf¨¦ was the first time I felt somewhat normal in days.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great.  You should do more of that, then.¡±

    ¡°Dad!  I don¡¯t want to get over them so fast!¡± The teen protested, only for Lequerion to clasp him by his head and turn him around to face the spire, ¡°Dad!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too young to grieve so much.¡± The elder countered, ¡°I know you spent a chunk of time aboard the Aegis, but the Fafnir were still soldiers, and they died doing their duty.  If you want to feel any kind of way about them, then have pride for their skills and accomplishments.  In spite of how bad this loss was, it was the first loss the Fafnir have experienced in an extremely long time.  It¡¯s a testament to their training and dedication.  There was no dishonor in falling to something as powerful as that Warp Magi turned out to be¡­and in the end, the Fafnir still won the day.  We still have a nearly-full Wing Team altogether, so it wasn¡¯t a complete wash.¡±

    Seth could only feel guilty, ¡°Soldiers or not, they were still people with families¡­  We were family¡­¡±

    ¡°Then hold your head high and prove how strong we are.  We will rebuild.  Don¡¯t wallow; the others aren¡¯t.¡± Lequerion advised, and glanced over to the young Prince.  He gave a subtle head-bow, ¡°If he mopes too much, smack him.  You have my consent.¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡±

    The older teen returned the head-bob with one of his own, ¡°With pleasure.¡±

    ¡°Iresha!¡±

    ¡°What?  He said to.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Knight of the First Wing of the Luminary Council!  You can¡¯t smack me!¡±

    And yet, he did, right across the top of that pale-blonde head.  Iresha smirked, ¡°Being a Prince never stopped anyone from walloping me.  You can always ask Ren how she managed.¡±

    Lequerion huffed a laugh as he went to give some parting words to J¡¯ard, and Iresha led Seth over to the spire¡¯s entry-hall.

    ¡°Your dad¡¯s probably right.¡± The Prince continued as they went through those gilded doors.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯d feel like I¡¯m disrespecting them by moving on so fast though.¡± Seth complained, ¡°It¡¯s not like it was some war of attrition that they lost after a long and arduous campaign.  They were wiped out like they were nothing.  Half of them never even had a chance to fight before they were taken out, and I¡­I¡¯ve got a short list people I¡¯m even allowed to talk to about it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not on that list, am I?¡±

    ¡°Probably not¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, then don¡¯t get yourself into trouble on my account.  I get what you¡¯re saying.¡± Iresha noted, and let go of his friend¡¯s shoulders to walk alongside him instead, ¡°When my mom died, the fact of it was hard enough, but knowing I was the one who made it happen made me feel like I had no right to mourn her.  You¡¯re not responsible for what happened to the Fafnir though¡­so just be grateful for those who came back, and give yourself permission to go back to your life.  Feeling bad forever won¡¯t lift anyone up¡­and it won¡¯t do anything but drag you down.¡±

    ¡°¡­I hate it when people make sense while I¡¯m in my feelings.¡±

    .

    The sun dipped low on the horizon as two Fafnir crossed through the widest section of the mountain range between Sargon and Kitez, leading into the far northeastern part of the Exclusion Zone.  They¡¯d turned off their nanotech a while ago already, and they flew without the illumination of their characteristic wings, making it easier to both ¡®sneak into¡¯ Kitez without their notice, and also avoid being traced by anyone while they were there.

    There were three known encampments in the area, and the pair surveyed two before Ren landed on a high tree and pulled her helmet off.  Furion noticed and went back, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± He asked; they were far enough away from any living thing that only the woods knew they were speaking.

    ¡°We¡¯re not just going to be able to find a wanted criminal because it would be convenient for us.  They¡¯re on a bounty list because no one can find them.¡± She argued, white hair exposed to the cold, waning light, ¡°The Exclusion Zone is bigger than some countries, all on its own.  We¡¯ll be lucky to find any afflicted people, never mind a specific one.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean we shouldn¡¯t try.¡± Furion countered, ¡°Anyone we do find is bound to know where they¡¯re congregating.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t just snatch-up a random person because they¡¯re afflicted!¡± Ren argued, and gestured back the way they¡¯d come, ¡°And just because they¡¯re here doesn¡¯t mean they deserve to have us fuck up their night, either.¡±

    ¡°What, so you just want to go back, after spending hours getting here?¡±

    ¡°Yes!  This is insane!¡± She threw her arms out to the side and yelled as loud as she could, ¡°We¡¯re so far away from the nearest living human being that I can scream and no one will ever hear me!¡±

    Furion could only look on at her and shake his head, ¡°I¡¯m not just going to quit because you think it¡¯s hopeless.  Besides, as I¡¯ve said before, I have to consider that every doubt isn¡¯t actually yours.  I just hear Scyrexian¡¯s words in your voice.  The Ren I know would never throw in the towel like th-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare finish that sentence, Furion Rydell.¡±

    He glowered slightly, ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because I can, in fact, still have my own thoughts and opinions.  It¡¯s not like Scyrexian is whispering in my ear or anything.¡± She argued, and held her helmet in front of herself, ¡°And even if it did, I¡¯ve told it to screw-off before!  And I¡¯m telling you right now that this hunt is pointless!  We¡¯re never going to find one specific criminal out here.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so you¡¯re saying everything that¡¯s happened since the massacre was completely you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying I¡¯m completely in control of my faculties; you said it yourself that my eyes went black when that changed.  If I¡¯m saying this mission is doomed from the start, then it¡¯s because I actually think so.¡±

    Furion narrowed his gaze, ¡°Then having sex with Lugios for a whole day was your idea.¡±

    Ren¡¯s eyes widened briefly, ¡°¡­You¡¯ve got a lot of nerve drawing that comparison.  I¡¯ve been saying this whole time that Scyrexian amplifies beliefs that are already there¡­it doesn¡¯t construct new ideas in my head from whole-cloth.  I joined the Fafnir Knights because of Gabriel; I had a little fangirl crush on him before I ever even met you!  After spending all that time in the get-away car with us, Scyrexian could probably tell I had some kind of connection to him, which would explain the whole reason it wanted me and not Seth.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to get the damn thing out or not?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do!¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯re wasting time standing here arguing about it.¡± The Captain countered, and put his helmet back on as he stepped off the high branch.

    Ren could feel the anger building in her gut.  She took a moment and closed her eyes, taking in a few calming breaths, ¡°¡­It¡¯s amplifying¡­it¡¯s amplifying¡­  I¡¯m not going to let myself get goaded into a fight¡­  I know he¡¯s trying to help¡­  He has every right to be upset at what I did¡­¡± She chanted to herself, and finally put her own helmet back on as well.

    .

    The Sargonian flagship was not a speedy vessel, so leaving Agartha in late afternoon meant it would be arriving in Trazad just after breakfast the following morning.  With such a royal spread on-hand, Seth could hardly resist playing into it, and made a caricature of himself as a Prince in his own right as Iresha watched him with morbid amusement.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°That¡¯s absolutely not what I sound like.¡±

    ¡°Hum hum, I¡¯m the Prince.¡± Seth taunted, pinky-finger stretched far where he held the dainty little coffee-cup ¨C and the saucer beneath it, ¡°Fetch me some gold-leaf to sprinkle on top of this cappuccino.¡±

    Sip.

    ¡°Unbelievable.¡± Iresha shook his head and slouched in his seat, ¡°You don¡¯t actually think I¡¯m like that, do you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, at first you absolutely were.¡± Seth tormented, and finally went back to his normal affect, ¡°You¡¯ve mellowed-out a lot since then though.¡±

    ¡°Hmph¡­another Gabriel Lugios Special, I guess.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go so far.¡± Seth set the cup down to back to the egg-toast he¡¯d half-eaten, ¡°Mr. Gabriel wanted there to be a bridge between Sargon and the Council.  His intent wasn¡¯t to change you.  At least, that¡¯s not how he phrased it when he posed the idea to me, at any rate.¡±

    Iresha looked off at nothing in particular, ¡°¡­Do you think I¡¯ll even be Emperor if my father joins the Accord?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Seth wondered, and wiped the crumbs off his face with a cloth napkin, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you be?¡±

    ¡°Every country that joins the Accord becomes part of a union¡­individual leadership is exchanged for the collective.  Everyone seems to have a say in what everyone else does, with the Eidolon pulling the strings from the very top.  The concept of Empire goes out the window there.¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­there may be some truth to that, but everyone seems to be pretty content with the way things are.¡± The younger teen noted, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of a country being forced to change how it operates though.  There¡¯s just an agreement that they won¡¯t make unilateral decisions.¡±

    ¡°But if my father joined the Accord, then in all likelihood, he¡¯d be the last Emperor of Sargon.  We¡¯d be expected to have elections after that or something.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to be Emperor?¡±

    Iresha looked at his upside-down reflection in a spoon, ¡°¡­I guess so.  I wouldn¡¯t know what I¡¯d do otherwise.  I¡¯ve been preparing for it my whole life.  Who am I, if I don¡¯t play that role?¡±

    ¡°I doubt Mr. Gabriel or Lord Xanarken would ask that you give that up.¡± Seth shrugged, and took another bite, ¡°Maybe they¡¯d ask that when you have kids, you raise them up on the expectation that they wouldn¡¯t automatically be the next in line to lead¡­but the Fourth wouldn¡¯t steal your birthright straight out of your hands.¡±

    ¡°I think the worry about it is a big part of why my father won¡¯t pull that trigger.¡± The Prince continued, and pushed his chair back from the table so he could cross his right leg over the opposite knee, and idly played with the spoon between his fingers, ¡°Maybe he plans on leaving the decision to me, after I succeed him.¡±

    ¡°Is he going to step down or something?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but¡­I get the distinct impression he¡¯s starting to feel the pressure.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    The ship parked alongside the palace¡¯ private dock, and as the two stepped out onto that long connecting pathway, they saw 1.5 Eidolon standing on the veranda waiting for them, alongside the usual contingent of Sargonian guards and attendants, ¡°¡­Cuz of that.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Iresha gave a quiet sigh, ¡°They definitely aren¡¯t subtle.  My father opened that door and it¡¯s just been a deluge ever since.¡±

    ¡°How come he had to call the Council though?  Doesn¡¯t Sargon have its own afflicted specialists?¡±

    ¡°I could never hope to explain why, but¡­Sargon has a surprising lack of Limitless users.¡± The Prince explained, and started that long walk across the bridge, ¡°So few, in fact, that if there are any specialists here¡­my father didn¡¯t know who any of them were, so in a pinch, he had no one else to reach out to.  Kitez seems to have the lion¡¯s share of such things, but they have a dramatically different way of handling them.¡±

    ¡°¡­Dare I ask?¡±

    ¡°Camps.¡±

    ¡°Camps!?¡±

    ¡°Not bad ones, per se, but like¡­  If hospitals are for the sick and injured, and prisons are for violent criminals¡­then these camps are for the afflicted, to let them live their lives, but¡­apart from the rest of the population.  I¡¯ve only heard about them, but I¡¯m told they¡¯re nice.¡±

    ¡°¡­But the people can¡¯t leave.¡± Seth grumbled, ¡°I wonder if the Council knows?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be surprised if they didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s barbaric.¡± Seth crossed his arms, looking rather sour all of a sudden.

    Rylen held his head high as he watched his prized pupil get closer along the catwalk, but before the two teenagers could get into ear-shot, he turned to where he knew Gabriel was approaching, ¡°So the Duchess agreed to that talk with the Emperor.¡±

    The Vice Eidolon nodded, and paused at the First¡¯s side, ¡°Seems so.¡±

    ¡°Has she made her demands known yet?  Surely she won¡¯t send the Duke here for free.¡±

    Gabriel shook his head, ¡°If she has, no one¡¯s told me what they are.  As far as I¡¯m aware, that¡¯s still to be discussed.  Iresha was just glad for the fact that Far¡¯nah was willing to talk to him at all.¡±

    Rylen turned slightly to look at the man, ¡°These negotiations are happening behind our back, and we can¡¯t get a word in edgewise about the Tuonela.¡±

    ¡°¡­Having Mardu in Sargon will make dealing with the Duchess much easier.¡± Gabriel surmised, ¡°But I¡¯m worried that Far¡¯nah is only agreeing to this meeting as a taunt.  Suggesting she send her husband away is a massive ask, and Sargon has very little to offer in return.  She¡¯d be a fool to send him here without some kind of truly equal exchange.  This may be a ploy to make Iresha look stupid or na?ve¡­or unreasonable.¡±

    ¡°And suppose she gets her unreasonably equal exchange.  What then?  How does that get us any closer to solving the Kitez problem?¡± Rylen asked impatiently, ¡°You and Xanarken are letting this thing get beyond control.¡±

    ¡°¡­You told me once how you would¡¯ve dealt with the Duchess if you were there when I tried to deal with her myself.  What would you do in this situation?¡±

    Rylen was a bit taken aback, ¡°¡­You actually want to know?¡±

    ¡°No sass, no sarcasm¡­just straight-talk.  What would you do?¡±

    The First looked around, checking for how close every set of ears was.  Iresha and Seth were barely halfway up the ramp, and hadn¡¯t even arrived at the edge of the cliff yet.  He turned those blazing orange eyes back to the Vice, and spoke quietly, ¡°I would send a small team of Inquisitors to Oceanside, probably by way of the water.  The Inquisitors know how to board and operate colony-ships, so their primary directive would be to commandeer the Tuonela and pilot it away from the city.  The Fafnir, meanwhile, would secure a route for special ground-forces to infiltrate the palace, take the Duchess and Conclave into custody, and bring them out of Kitez.  I¡¯d then install a Luminary governor, bring Kitez immediately into the Hadiran Accord, use that as leverage to bring Sargon in at the end.  World peace, achieved, at long last.¡±

    Gabriel could only stare, brows raised, ¡°¡­We can¡¯t just depose governments and kidnap world-leaders because we disagree with them.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why this is taking so long, because we absolutely could, and you know it.¡±

    Iresha and Seth were cresting over the terrace walls by that point, and Gabriel could only shake his head, ¡°¡­Maybe you¡¯re right about the Tuonela at least.  We should talk later about it.  That¡¯s our ship.¡±

    Rylen was flummoxed, and reached to grab Gabriel¡¯s face, using his thumbs to open the man¡¯s eyes wider and check for a fever, ¡°¡­Are you okay?  Are you¡­actually willing to go through with my plan?¡±

    The Vice swatted him away, ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea.  You could do it without bloodshed, right?¡±

    The First smiled awkwardly, ¡°Mmmmmaybe.¡±

    ¡°¡­I guess that¡¯s good enough.¡±

    ¡°I would support your position as Vice Eidolon with my whole chest if you agree to go through with it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Talk about a carrot on a stick.¡±

    ¡°You are surprisingly clear-headed about Kitez, and in the literal days since you got this promotion, you¡¯ve done more to give me hope that the end is in sight than Xanarken has since he brought you here.¡±

    Gabriel just lifted his hands defensively, ¡°I don¡¯t want to get between you two.  If you want to thank me for my approach to Kitez, then by default you would have to thank Xanarken, too, since it was his idea to put me in charge.  He did so knowing I¡¯d probably be willing to listen to you.¡±

    ¡°Lord Rylen!  Mr. Gabriel!¡± Seth came hopping down the rest of the ramp, and gave a quick salute, though Rylen waved him down from it.

    ¡°At ease; you¡¯re my student, not my subordinate.¡± The First reminded, ¡°The honorific is plenty.  How was the trip?¡±

    ¡°Relaxing!¡± The teen answered easily, ¡°Prince Iresha showed me the coolest trick with his affliction; he can make it so his fire doesn¡¯t burn!  He thinks there¡¯s a component to the power used by the afflicted that makes it behave based on the expectation of the user, rather than some actual arbitrary definition of their gift.  I have so much I want to test now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±

    Seth leaned around the First to gape at the Vice, ¡°It could mean a lot for your abilities, too, Mr. Gabriel!  You think you can cut through stuff, but what if you can do so much more?¡±

    Gabriel just gave a half-assed but well-meant smile, ¡°I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t need to know.  After tomorrow night, there won¡¯t be any occasion for using it.¡±

    ¡°But the possibilities!  There¡¯s so much to learn.¡±

    The Vice continued that smile, but then shook his head, and gestured into the palace, where the Emperor had appeared quite some time ago, ¡°There are other things to think about for now.¡±  How gave a somewhat-respectable head-bow to the Prince, ¡°Your Royal Highness.  Welcome home.¡±  Iresha offered a nod in acknowledgement, but then skipped by and rushed towards his father and the entourage.  Gabriel held an arm out to prevent Seth from following after, and the teen looked on quizzically.  Gabriel looked back at him quietly, ¡°Can I have a minute alone?¡±

    Seth glanced at the First, but Rylen had no objections, ¡°My business here is done.  Enjoy the festivities.  I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll see you again before too long.¡± The Eidolon commented, and took his leave, dissolving to dust.

    Setting a hand behind Seth¡¯s back, Gabriel gently ushered him off towards one of the stairs that led into the palatial gardens.  Once they were far enough away from the Emperor¡¯s retinue, he paused, and took a careful breath, ¡°¡­Do you know why Ren¡¯s not talking to me?¡±

    Seth blanched, ¡°Uh¡­what?¡±

    ¡°After everything happened with the Fafnir¡­I thought Ren and I were close.  But then Lord Rylen spooked her, and she hasn¡¯t talked to me since.¡± Gabriel explained, ¡°You¡¯ve been her friend for most of your life though.  Do you know if I did something wrong¡­?  Or did Lord Rylen tell her I¡¯m off-limits or something?¡±

    The teen could feel a drop of cold sweat run down the back of his neck, and he frantically waved his hands, ¡°I surely wouldn¡¯t know anything about Miss Ren¡¯s personal dealings with Lord Rylen.  She seems completely normal and fine to me, all things considered.¡± He said, suspiciously quickly.

    Gabriel quirked a brow, ¡°¡­Did your brother tell her not to talk to me?  She took off in a pretty big hurry at the memorial, when Xanarken asked me to come see her, and he did technically go after her on his own¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s told her to do.  I don¡¯t really get brought into those discussions.¡± Seth answered hastily, ¡°She¡¯s one of the only Fafnir left standing now though, so as her Captain, if he¡­  I mean¡­he could¡­  They even brought our dad back into semi-active service to help¡­¡±

    That just made the knots get tighter in Gabriel¡¯s stomach, ¡°¡­You¡¯re acting weird.  I¡¯m gonna take this as an acknowledgement that you know something but that you can¡¯t tell me.¡±

    Seth let out a near-explosive exhale, and quickly launched at the man, hands clasped together to beg, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t!  There¡¯s a really good reason for everything!  I promise you¡¯ll know when it¡¯s over!  But right now it¡¯s reeeaaaaaaaally important that you don¡¯t know and don¡¯t ask any questions!¡±

    Bicolored eyes narrowed, ¡°That just makes me want to.¡±

    ¡°You absolutely cannot!¡± Seth argued, draping himself across the Vice¡¯s front, arms over his shoulders to cling to that taller frame, ¡°On my life, I swear, you cannot!¡±

    Gabriel stared ahead in annoyance, ¡°Can you at least tell me if I¡¯m still on her good side?  The way she looked at me before, it¡¯s like she was terrified of me.  Give me something to chew on¡­¡±

    Seth slid back down to his own feet again, and his whole body sagged where he stood, ¡°¡­It¡¯s¡­complicated.  I can¡¯t say anything else though¡­it¡¯s not my place¡­¡± He explained, quickly put his hands together in front of his face again as he bowed in apology, and took off before anything else could be said about it.

    Unsure if he felt better or worse then, Gabriel just stood without moving, staring into the foliage of the garden with a mind that was simultaneously blank, and noisy with incomprehensible chatter.  He just grit his teeth, ¡°Damnit¡­¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 79 â€“ Even The Best-laid Plansâ€¦

    ¡°¡­You¡­want me to sit-in on your talk with the Duchess?¡± Prince Iresha was dumbstruck, ¡°When did you even start talking to her again?  What¡¯s this all about?¡±

    ¡°Just yesterday; it¡¯s about our shared futures.¡± The Emperor went up the long curved stairs of the ballroom towards the upper level of the building, ¡°Diplomacy is about waiting for opportunities.¡±

    ¡°But the Duchess despises the entire concept of me.¡± The Younger noted, ¡°She blames me for the Council being here, like I chose to become afflicted.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s held it against me for a long time, too, so that¡¯s why this talk is of immense importance.¡± The Elder explained, ¡°But I only want you to be in the room ¨C listening, observing, and learning ¨C so you can be better-informed as my heir.  Dealing with people who are vehemently disagreeable can be a challenge, but this will be a good real-world lesson.¡±

    ¡°¡­When¡¯s all this supposed to start?¡±

    ¡°In a few minutes.¡±

    The Prince¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°¡­Did you arrange it like this?  So I¡¯d be back in time?¡±

    ¡°It worked out that way, yes.¡±

    Iresha glanced back down the stairs and into the large atrium; he could see Seth coming ¨C alone - through the doors, but the guards wouldn¡¯t let him access the stairs.  He turned back to his father, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Fourth going to be involved?  Lugios is still outside.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve been involved through most of this, but the talk itself is just us.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± He paused on the last step, and waved back down to Seth, ¡°I¡¯m getting pulled into a meeting.  I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll take¡­  Make yourself at home or something, and we can check out the city later.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh...okay¡­¡±

    Iresha rushed up the rest of the stairs to get out of sight quickly; leaving Seth there on his own felt awful.  It was a small relief when he heard one of the attendants on the lower floor speaking words - to the effect of - showing Seth to the room that had been prepared.  The march into the meeting-room was awkward and stiff, and it was clear that the whole space had been slightly rearranged to make it ready.

    ¡°You can sit over there, son.¡± The Emperor commented, gesturing towards a few seats in the library nook, ¡°You won¡¯t be visible, but you¡¯ll be able to see everything that I can.¡±  He turned towards the lower diplomats and staffers who¡¯d been there helping arrange everything, and the Emperor took his seat, ¡°Okay, you can submit that we¡¯re ready on this end.¡±

    The dark-haired teen took his spot quietly, and could practically feel the seconds tick by behind his eyes as he watched.  The quiet was deafening, and the nervous looks on everyone¡¯s faces as they waited for the call to begin were enough to make the Prince¡¯s heart-rate rise.

    Closer to the windows, a proverbial stage had been set.  A large, flat, circular disc had been placed on the floor, and the Emperor¡¯s chair ¨C along with a side-table ¨C had been set on top of it.  Two thin metallic poles rose up to nearly the ceiling, and bent inward slightly towards the top where they supported a ring above the center.  The ring had a subtle glow to it, and from the right angle, a flat, cone-like plane of light could be seen emanating from it, shining down at an angle until it met the edge of the disc on the floor.  Within it, the Emperor waited.

    Then, the indication came, and staffers redoubled their focus.

    A matching circular platform and cone of light was set across from the Emperor¡¯s place, and the image of the Duchess herself faded into view.  Like her Sargonian counterpart, she, too, sat in a large cozy chair¡­and with something of a knowing smile, she gave her greeting, and their fates were sealed.

    .

    Seth didn¡¯t even have time to take his jacket off before he could hear yelling and banging from the far hallway.  Servants and guards alike looked perplexed and astonished, but there went the Emperor - genuinely enraged - as he went down those stairs and burst his way outside, yelling for Gabriel.  Seth held-back, halfway through his door, and looked to the guard set just outside, ¡°¡­What happened?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­have no idea, young Sir.¡±

    They could hear the younger Iresha giving chase, pleading to be heard, only for his voice to cut-out as he went outside as well.  Seth peeled out of his room and pulled the tall door closed, and went down that long corridor until he could see over the railing to the large round ballroom.  Both royals were beyond his sights by then, and he had no idea where they¡¯d gone, ¡°¡­What in the world¡­¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s ears had perked-up like a startled horse¡¯s when he heard his name being barked so suddenly, and he quickly made his way back towards the veranda.  A number of Sargonian guards had turned-up by then as well ¨C some to make sure he went the right away, others to make sure he didn¡¯t turn back ¨C until he was all-but chased up those stone stairs, ¡°Your Majesty!?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s done; the Duke will be coming here tomorrow evening.¡± The Elder seethed.

    Gabriel was so confused, ¡°That¡¯s¡­good¡­?  Why are you so angry?¡±

    The Emperor pointed at his son, arm shaking, though he still did his best to keep his voice down so no one other than their small group could hear, ¡°Because this one ¨C after being given explicit directions to just listen and observe ¨C heard the Duchess ask for the one thing I would never agree to trade and decided to open his big, stupid mouth in agreement.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not stupid!¡± The Prince protested, out of breath from the chase, ¡°This is a perfect opportunity to figure out everything we¡¯ve never been able to know!  Maybe I can even talk her down!¡±

    Gabriel could feel the ice-water thrown over him from the dread that crept through every inch of him, ¡°¡­You¡¯re¡­not serious.  You didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I can do this!¡±

    ¡°Keep your voice down!¡± The Elder Iresha was livid, and yelled at the attendants who¡¯d been stuck outside when he got there, ¡°The Rydell boy needs to be sent somewhere else.  No one is to speak of this, to anyone.  If you heard anything, no, you didn¡¯t.  I¡¯ll put this entire palace under house-arrest if I must!¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡±

    The Emperor was a writhing cauldron of rage and fear and disbelief, and he stared at his son like he would suddenly burst into flames, ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done¡­  How could you?¡±

    ¡°She said this was about sending the Duke here¡­nothing less than a royal would¡¯ve been agreed to.¡± The Prince argued, ¡°It makes perfect sense for me to go.  This could be my chance to prove that the afflicted aren¡¯t as monstrous as the Kitezans want to bel-¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t about the afflicted, Iresha!¡± The Elder argued desperately, ¡°She¡¯s a fanatic!  She took one look at you, accused the Council of brainwashing you, and made the audacious declaration that she was personally going to brainwash you back!  She¡¯ll poison your thoughts and make you just like her!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a wilting flower, dad!¡± The teen countered, ¡°I¡¯ve already made my mind up about everything that matters!  No one needed to brainwash me¡­I saw what was true with my own eyes!  I know what the Council is like because I¡¯ve been to Agartha and I¡¯ve met them all.  If you don¡¯t care about changing minds about the afflicted, then fine, I¡¯ll focus on doing what Mardu couldn¡¯t¡­preventing a damn war!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not going to listen to you, son!¡± The Emperor retorted, making those pale-gold eyes widen, ¡°You¡¯re nothing more than a child-hostage.  All she has to do is lock you away in a room and then feed you a false narrative about what¡¯s happening outside the palace¡­  It would only take months, and you could be a completely different person!  She doesn¡¯t even have to convince you that what she says is true; she only needs to plant the seeds of doubt!¡±

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    To that point, Gabriel had stayed as quiet as the grave; the news hit like a brick, and he was struggling to process that it had been given to him at all.  When the Prince tried to get his attention, he could only lift his head to shake it in disbelief, and he looked to the Emperor, ¡°You can¡¯t take it back, can you?¡±

    ¡°No¡­  She¡¯s already preparing the Duke for transport.¡± The older man answered; his voice betrayed the fact that he was on the edge of tears, though no force on Hadira could make them fall from his eyes while in the sight of the Vice, ¡°She will send him on a transport-skiff under personal guard.  When that ship and ours meet on the border, the passengers will be confirmed by the crews and then continue on.¡±

    ¡°The passengers won¡¯t switch ships right then?¡± Gabriel wondered skeptically.

    ¡°That was my first curiosity as well¡­but Oceanside is so much further from the border than Trazad is, she insists on it.  The Duke is to stay aboard with a Kitezan entourage and pilot until Iresha arrives safely at the palace.  To her thought process, both ships will dock at the same time, and then they will leave.  If Sargon ¨C or, worse still, the Council ¨C does anything to try and board or dock the Duke¡¯s transport early, or stop the Prince¡¯s from leaving, she¡¯ll have her pilots turn it around.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡± The Vice said quietly, ¡°¡­What about Latheroux?¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t mentioned.¡±

    ¡°Right.  Well¡­I could always take this situation to the Accord and see if they¡¯re willing to approve a formal military response.  We still have the blockade on the border; once the Duke arrives, we could shoot down whatever cursory escort she arranged, keep the Prince here, and take the Duke for ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that just be kidnapping?¡±

    ¡°If the alliance says it¡¯s worth it¡­¡± Gabriel shrugged his shoulders up and held them there for a moment, ¡°The Duke may be seen as a relatively weak man, but he¡¯s still one half of Kitez¡¯ Gemini Duchy.  It would be an easier sell to the Kitezan people to have him installed than any lacky of the Council¡¯s, once we deal with the Duchess.¡±

    ¡°¡­So, a coup then.¡±

    ¡°It does feel like it¡¯s coming to that, doesn¡¯t it.  There isn¡¯t much else to be done, given the Prince himself agreed to go.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not even going to let me try?¡± Iresha protested.

    Gabriel stared at the teen stiffly, ¡°Kid, unless you¡¯re willing to the light the bitch on fire when you get there, I doubt there¡¯s anything you can do.¡±

    ¡°Lugios!¡± The Emperor protested, ¡°You¡¯ll not speak of her with such language.¡±  He turned to his son, ¡°And don¡¯t you dare touch that woman.¡±

    ¡°My apologies¡­¡± Gabriel bowed slightly, ¡°The ball is in your court, Your Majesty.  You wanted to do this on your own and I can only offer advice.  How you choose to move forward is entirely your decision.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a damn way of saying this is my grave to jump into.¡± The older man said bitterly.

    ¡°We¡¯ll help you dig it if you ask us to but, yes, in the end it is yours.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ve nothing to suggest except open conflict.  I thought you were the Vice Eidolon of the Fourth?  Where did you desire to mediate go?¡±

    ¡°It was kicked out of the room and taken hostage aboard a small skiff headed to Kitez, in the seat next to the Prince.¡±

    .

    Without nanotech, not only did the Fafnir have no communications, but they had no ancillary tools to use in the field either.  Furion carefully made his way through the many treetops, using the relative quiet of flight to avoid being heard by those he was watching on the ground.  They were hard to see in the dark of a 3am campfire-light, but he was sure he¡¯d spotted at least one person with an affliction.

    Sitting on a log with a rifle across his shoulder, one of the men on night-watch had a clear oddness about his appearance.  Though Limitless-tells were not guaranteed on the afflicted, when they did manifest, they were often extremely obvious; Gabriel¡¯s red hair and eye were relatively minor compared to some.  This particular afflicted figure had skin marked by scale-like projections, arising from the jaw, cheeks, around the eyes and brow, up over the forehead, and over the hairline until truncating in horn-like spines.  Furion struggled to get a good look at the man, given the hat he¡¯d worn to protect against that Alpine cold, but the shape of his head beneath it was unmistakable, and the Fafnir Captain eventually got near enough ¨C and low enough to the ground ¨C to get a proper angle on the face and confirmed it outright.

    Furion went back up into the branches and reunited with Ren, who¡¯d waited about a quarter mile away at the top of a half-frozen waterfall.  When he landed, he spoke matter-of-factly, ¡°Target located.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not going through with this.¡±

    He anticipated such a response, ¡°Your orders are to flank the camp on the south side while I go north.  The man we¡¯re looking for is sitting on the eastern side of the main campfire.  He¡¯s carrying a weapon; I¡¯ll go in first to get his attention while you go in to disarm and apprehend.  We¡¯ll rendezvous here and proceed with the extraction.  Once Scyrexian has been transferred, I¡¯ll complete the mission, and we¡¯ll bring the new host back for secure holding.¡±

    Ren¡¯s brow furrowed behind her visor, ¡°Did you not hear me?¡±

    ¡°It sounded like insubordination.  I ignored it, because I know you don¡¯t want to be Bianca¡¯s neighbor.¡±

    Her heart was in her throat, but she stood her ground, ¡°This isn¡¯t an official mission; you can¡¯t claim disobedience when I¡¯m not refusing a sanctioned directive.¡±

    ¡°Since you have aims to be Captain one day, you will be aware of the fact that the Fafnir Knights have the authority to launch missions without a specific mandate from Lord Rylen¡­because the prevailing mandate is to seek out and eliminate Limitless threats wherever they are found.¡±

    ¡°And you just said he, not she.¡± Ren countered, ¡°Meaning this isn¡¯t the target on the approved list¡­and therefor, your orders are invalid.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you wait?¡±

    She hesitated, but then felt every muscle in her body tense, ¡°Because I wanted to make sure you didn¡¯t do anything.  I¡¯m not just going to leave you here to commit war-crimes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to save you.¡±

    ¡°¡­We¡¯ve been on this chase for nearly two full days.¡± Ren argued, and took a step back from the cliff, ¡°We haven¡¯t eaten since we left friendly airspace.  We haven¡¯t slept either.  I¡¯m hungry, I¡¯m tired, and I don¡¯t need saving.¡±

    Furion grit his teeth and let out an annoyed breath, but leaned forward to set a foot down on the edge of the rock drop-off.  He unclipped the bag he¡¯d carried there from the Aegis, and pulled out the tech he¡¯d sought after; an S.D. Helmet, ¡°Then you might as well put this on yourself, because you¡¯re not going back home with that thing still inside you.¡±

    ¡°¡­You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Ren sneered, and took another step away, this time feeling herself stance-up a little.

    ¡°Ren, I love you, but you¡¯re not thinking rationally about this.  I can¡¯t let you back into active duty with the Fafnir when you¡¯re harboring the parasite that wiped the team off the face of Hadira.  I know I¡¯ve seen it come to the surface once, and I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve seen it twice.  You are an existential threat to everyone around you, and to the Eidolon themselves.  No matter how firmly you believe you¡¯re in control, you know deep down that it could come out at any time.  We simply don¡¯t know enough about it to know what conditions have to be met for it to fully assume control.¡± Furion lectured, stepping closer with the helmet in his hand, ¡°You¡¯re leaning too heavily into the fact that it didn¡¯t come out while you spent that day with Lugios.  You think that means you¡¯re in control, but you don¡¯t know that!  Ren, think about it!  I¡¯m begging you.¡±

    She refused to speak.  Every muscle in her body coiled and tensed, feeling hot against her flight-suit.  One more step closer¡­and everything became a blur.  Gravity and inertia pulled and pushed from multiple sides before she stopped again.  Three loud bangs and one vicious crack sounded, and she turned where she hovered over the crest of that falling water.  The helmet lay smashed at Furion¡¯s feet, and he himself had been brought to one knee; one of the wing-arms on his back flickered where the solid-light fissure had been damaged.

    Furion could hardly believe it, and he turned to spot the woman over his shoulder, ¡°Ren¡­?¡±

    ¡°I am perfectly in control.¡± She answered angrily, ¡°The only times it¡¯s managed to come to the surface have been when I¡¯ve been on the edge of fainting¡­and both of those times were because I was having a panic attack.  I don¡¯t feel that now, and I won¡¯t feel it when I go to Trazad to talk to Gabriel.  ¡­I am completely calm.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be court martialed for this.¡± He said; his tone was worried concern, not threatening.

    ¡°I can¡¯t be court martialed for something I wasn¡¯t around for.¡± Ren answered firmly, ¡°No one knows we were ever out here.  Our nanotech is turned off, and our archival recording mechanisms are disabled.  If you want to try explaining that we invaded Kitez with the goal of seizing and extracting someone, then by all means¡­but I shouldn¡¯t have to remind you what happened the last time a Fafnir Captain helped do that.  If you whisper a word of this misguided side-quest to anyone, I¡¯ll deny involvement.¡±

    Furion rose back up to his feet, ¡°You¡¯re making a huge mistake.  If you care about Lugios half as much as you think you do, you wouldn¡¯t put him at risk like this!¡±

    ¡°Quit telling me what to do!¡± Ren snapped.  She felt her whole body tighten all over again, but she released it and just clenched her fists at her sides, a pain in her throat growing, ¡°¡­You know what?  The harder you push me to keep away from him, the more I wonder if my problem isn¡¯t the fact that I¡¯m poly.  Maybe you¡¯re just jealously guarding against the realization that I found someone I like better.¡±

    ¡°¡­You can¡¯t mean that¡­¡±

    She swallowed the knot behind her voice-box, ¡°¡­It''s a long way back to civilization.  You¡¯ll have plenty of time to think of an explanation as to how your armor got banged-up.  I hope it¡¯s a good one.¡± She said with finality, and rose up into the cold night sky.

    ¡°Ren¡­!  REN¡­!¡± Furion called out, and tried to give chase, only to find that he couldn¡¯t go faster than cruising-speed before his damaged wing-arm would overheat.  A deep and abiding panic went through him, She¡¯s completely surrendered to that thing¡¯s influence¡­  I¡¯ll never get back to the World Cloud in time¡­!  SHIT!!

 Book I â€“ Chapter 80 â€“ One Secret Is A Shame, Two Is A Disgraceâ€¦Three Is A Conspiracy

    Dawn hadn¡¯t even broken yet when Mardu heard the doors of his cell rattle open, and a small contingent of guards pulled him out.  Not roughly, but they definitely weren¡¯t waiting for him to make the decision to move on his own.  They didn¡¯t speak to him as they moved up into the palace, and he found himself deposited within one of the palace¡¯s guest-rooms.  Fresh clothing had been set out on the bed, and before the door was pulled shut, one of the guards explained.

    ¡°The Duchess has arranged for your transport, Your Grace.  You are to make yourself presentable.  Assistance will be provided.  In one hour, we will escort you to the ship.¡±

    Click.

    Mardu could only stand for a few more seconds before his legs went out from under him, and a wave of relief washed over him.  He could feel his whole body trembling ¨C though whether it was from the hunger-strike he¡¯d imposed on himself or excitement ¨C he couldn¡¯t tell.  The tears fell like streams from his eyes, and his arms felt heavy where he tried to lift his hands to his face.

    For a mercy, when the knocking came next, it was the ¡®assistance.¡¯  There were three attendants who came in and quickly went to help him back to his feet, and gently warned him that they needed to go quickly.

    The hour seemed to go by faster than anything Mardu had ever experienced in his life, but his spirits were lifted when the grime of those days in the cell washed away.  He let his relief get away from him when he spotted Latheroux under the portico as he was brought out of the palace.  They exchanged glances, but Latheroux was stoney-faced, held with his arms bound behind his back by Regulus.

    ¡°Of course¡­you would immediately notice your treacherous friend first.¡± Far¡¯nah¡¯s voice caught Mardu¡¯s attention, and his head whipped around to spot the woman standing a bit further away.  She had her personal guard, but otherwise, they were alone.  Far¡¯nah looked on with fatigue and annoyance, and a short distance behind her ¨C parked on the expertly-manicured lawn ¨C the transporter opened its hangar door, ready to accept its royal inventory, ¡°No matter.  Soon, you¡¯ll be your cousin¡¯s problem, and I can focus on the future.¡±

    ¡°¡­I have nothing more to say.  The sooner I¡¯m gone, the sooner we¡¯ll all be in a better place.¡± Mardu argued contentiously.

    ¡°On that, we can agree.¡± She said stiffly, and gestured for the escort to move the man towards the vessel.  When he was guided by, Far¡¯nah didn¡¯t bother turning her head to watch him go, ¡°I will grieve for what could have been, but what became will be remembered less fondly.  I hope you one day realize what it was you threw away.  Goodbye, Mardu.¡±

    The former Duke looked back, ¡°What about Latheroux?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s staying.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then what was the point of bringing him out here?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not your concern.¡±

    The escort pushed him forward after that, and Mardu looked back with worry, ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him!  Please!¡±

    The pleading and shrieking was annoying almost as quickly as it began, but Far¡¯nah managed to hold her tongue for the minute that was needed for Mardu to get onto the ship.  Instead, she made her way up the short steps of the portico, a stern eye on their final captive.

    Latheroux didn¡¯t look phased at all, even with Regulus holding fast to the shackles at his wrists.

    ¡°Not even going to say goodbye?¡± The Duchess wondered, ¡°Over 20 years, and in the end, you just watch him leave without a word.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already achieved everything I set out to do.  Whatever happens next ¨C whatever happens to me ¨C is irrelevant.¡±

    ¡°Irrelevant, is it?¡± Far¡¯nah mused, ¡°Wasn¡¯t putting him on the throne in my place your intention?  He¡¯s flying off into the night, chased by the dawn as if the light itself has rejected him being in Kitez.¡±

    ¡°As soon as Mardu arrives in Trazad, we¡¯ll be one step closer to getting you out of the way, and putting him on the throne in your place.  A much more pliable and agreeable leader, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±

    The woman just laughed, ¡°Well, well, if that isn¡¯t the most honest thing you¡¯ve ever said to me¡­  I certainly hope you and yours have a good time at your Dawn of Ages celebration.  I hear it¡¯s going to be a real blast this year.¡±

    Regulus sneered slightly, and he held tightly to the bar between Latheroux¡¯s wrists.

    Latheroux, however, tilted his head ever-so-slightly.  His one visible eye drifted out towards the ship as it began to lift into the air¡­then opened wide, and he twisted back to snap at the Duchess, ¡°Call it back.  Now.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± She mused, ¡°What are you going to do if I don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°If anything happens to or because of that ship, not even the Hadiran Accord will be able to temper Rylen¡¯s fury.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡±

    ¡°What have you done!?¡±

    ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s irrelevant.  But what are you going to do?¡± Far¡¯nah taunted, ¡°Those bindings around your wrists and ankles are practically just for show.  You struggle against their confines but we all know, nothing is actually keeping you here.¡±

    Latheroux stared intensely, but realization struck, The pods getting disconnected¡­  They somehow figured out how to access the network?  But how¡­?  He drew in a breath and moved his arms forward ¨C pulling the binding-shackles straight through his gut ¨C and held them up in front of himself.  The sight of the nanotech shifting and reshaping itself came as no shock to anyone except the Duchess¡¯ guards, and Latheroux pulled his hands free, tossing the manacle to the polished stone floor, ¡°Then let¡¯s dispose of the pageantry.¡±

    ¡°You were right.¡± Far¡¯nah looked on in amazement; behind Latheroux, Regulus withdrew the glasses from his uniform-pocket and slipped them over his nose, ¡°All this time¡­we had an Eidolon in our court.¡±

    That masked figure turned to see the glasses, and his brow furrowed slightly, Those are Kourin¡¯s¡­!  How did he get them!?

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to try and stop the ship?¡± Far¡¯nah wondered, a jeer in her tone, ¡°Aren¡¯t you all-powerful?¡±

    ¡°But the Eidolon aren¡¯t all-powerful, Your Grace.¡± Regulus chimed-in, and stepped forward to stand by her side, ¡°Out here, where there¡¯s no World Cloud to draw more nanotech from¡­¡±

    ¡°You are so right.¡± Far¡¯nah mused; it was clear they¡¯d had time to think about what they wanted to say.  Their lines sounded too rehearsed, ¡°You can¡¯t manually catch-up with that ship anymore; it¡¯s too fast and too far away for one of your little animal-mantles to fly after.  You can¡¯t manifest aboard the vessel either; the border-barrier holds back the Cloud, and you don¡¯t have enough container-pods to make-up for that.¡±

    Regulus gestured with one hand, and Latheroux got the notification that one pod after another was being disconnected.

    ¡°So, which one are you, then?¡± The Duchess continued, and began to walk a slow circle around the mantle standing before her, ¡°Surely not Lord Rylen.  If he had the wherewithal to create an alter ego here, he would have found a clever way to kill me a long time ago.  Xanarken, perhaps?  No¡­he¡¯s been trying for decades to get Kitez to join the Hadiran Accord; what purpose could there be to posing as a man who wants to keep the Council out?  He¡¯d be working against his own interests.  Maybe it¡¯s that mysterious Third Eidolon that no one ever sees or hears from?  The one whose continued secretive existence makes people believe the Eidolon as a body is just some sad A.I. playing at personalities ¨C a relic of a bygone era, refusing to move on.¡±  She made her way all the way back to Regulus¡¯ other side, and curiously, set a hand onto his shoulder, ¡°My ever-faithful servant here also suggested that you may be a proxy instead, since the Eidolon appear to be bestowing their power onto others publicly now.  Perhaps you¡¯ve been an agent of one of them all this time, bestowed with a mantle to keep your secrets safe in case we found out.¡±

    Latheroux noticed a strange ripple in the light that spread across Regulus¡¯ frame, but he couldn¡¯t tell what it meant or what it was.

    Far¡¯nah kept her hand where it was, ¡°You Luminaries are always so eager to talk.  Yet there you stand in sil-¡± The invisible aura around her suddenly shimmered and quaked, reacting viscerally to some unknown force.  Far¡¯nah was equal parts horrified and amazed, and she managed to finally laugh, ¡°Incredible¡­you actually tried for it.  So it¡¯s you.¡±

    She has a shield that keeps out nanotech!? Latheroux thought in a panic, but he collected himself, and his mantle never gave-away his concern, ¡°By the time you learn whether you¡¯re right or not, Kitez will be a smoldering ruin.¡± He threatened, and reforged the back-half of his mantle, where he¡¯d sacrificed a portion of it in the attempt, ¡°But you still have time to bring that ship back.  My only goal was to protect this place.¡±

    ¡°You are relieved of your duty, Latheroux.¡± Far¡¯nah taunted, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what you do.  If you understand what¡¯s at stake, you have the chance to stop it before the worst happens¡­but you would likely be forced to reveal your duplicity.  Or you could protect your second life here and not say a word¡­but you¡¯ll spend the rest of your immortal existence knowing this was coming.  You have about 10 hours to decide.  Good luck!¡±

    ¡°And goodbye.¡± Regulus finished¡­and with one last gesture, Latheroux¡¯s mantle fell apart.

    Far¡¯nah let go of his shoulder, and she drew in an excited breath, ¡°And thus, the fuse is lit.¡±

    ¡°The Council will be here by nightfall.  Some of their forces will arrive much sooner.¡± Regulus commented, and pulled the glasses from his face.  He took a knee as the confused guard formed a protective perimeter around them, and offered the glasses up in both hands, ¡°I stand ready to lead our people against Luminary tyranny.¡±

    Far¡¯nah accepted the spectacles, looked at them curiously¡­and threw them to the ground, smashing them under the heel of her boot until the glass was dust and the frame was bent beyond recognition.  She gestured forward with an open hand, ¡°Let this Dawn of Ages cast its light onto a new era; one where the Luminary Council is in ruins, the Hadiran Accord is dissolved, and Kitez leads the world into the future.  A clear, independent future where we can all decide for ourselves how we wish to live, no longer choking under the boot of the old guard.¡±

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    The Magistrate rose back to his feet, and left to make-good on the order.  He set a finger to his ear-piece, ¡°It¡¯s done.  Destroy the pods.¡±

    .

    On a rocky beach about a mile north of Oceanside, an unseen heavy object created imprints in the soil before coming into view; the Lucid Dream had landed.  The side-door opened, and Kourin looked outside, trying to spot the approach of her pick-up.

    Tallus came into her sights a few seconds later, having replaced his Magistrate¡¯s uniform with much-more civilian attire, and a long jacket overtop to protect against the sea-spray.  He quickly hopped aboard, and pulled the door across to lock it into place, ¡°¡­I hope all this set-up is worth it, in the end.  All three of us are now withdrawn from public discourse, and we¡¯re stuck counting on the capricious nature of a literal demon, whose only bond to us is a verbal arrangement.¡±

    Kourin¡¯s eyes were still alight, and she re-cloaked her skiff, ¡°Earth-legends often make mention of demons that enjoy deal-making.  Maybe this isn¡¯t the first time Scyrexian¡¯s made itself known to people.¡±

    ¡°Has it taken Gabriel yet?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    Tallus rubbed his temples, ¡°I don¡¯t like this¡­¡±

    ¡°I saw it at the funeral service.¡± Kourin noted, and watched the older figure rummage-around at the back of the skiff.  She lifted a brow, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for the hand-hold to pull the cot down.  I¡¯m exhausted.  I had to walk all the way out here and it¡¯s not an easy hike.¡±

    ¡°Higher¡­to the right; there.¡±

    Tallus pushed his fingers into an easily-missed divet, flat against the walls of the skiff except for the outline of the flap that blended it with the rest of the interior.  With a press, a section of the wall came down, and a wide cot tilted into view.

    ¡°If I knew you were going to need it, I would¡¯ve made it up.¡± Kourin noted, and pulled back on the lift-controls to raise the Lucid Dream back into the air, ¡°I think there¡¯s blankets in the lower compartment, but they probably stink.  It¡¯s been years since anything in here was looked at properly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­I¡¯ll be out in 3-seconds flat anyway.  Let¡¯s just get back to the Wanderer.  If this place descends into bedlam after the Duke¡¯s transfer, I don¡¯t want to be anywhere close to it.¡±

    .

    It was just after 5am when Ren arrived in a small city near the Sargon-Kitez border, and sleepless fatigue was gnawing at the front of her mind.  She¡¯d turned her tech back on as soon as she felt herself pass through the barrier-wall, and by that point, she could see the hotel she¡¯d booked a room in.  From the sky, she finished the self-check-in, searched through the upper-level parking garage for the spot she¡¯d been given, landed and exited from her armor, and threw on a quick nanotech outfit alongside the black coloration to her hair ¨C though this time she added a green streak to it, so it wouldn¡¯t look so suspicious.

    A call from Rylen ¨C three calls, actually ¨C had to be addressed, but she wanted to get to her room first.  All she needed was her room-key from the front desk, and she quickly grabbed it and made her way down.  The door clicked behind her and she swallowed a nervous breath, then sent a response that she was available.

    A window popped-up a few moments later asking if she would accept the Eidolon¡¯s manifestation, and she went back towards the door in preparation to open it, then tapped ¡®Yes.¡¯

    It was really weird to hear the shifting-sand sound come from behind her then, and she quickly turned to find her Eidolon standing there in the open room, ¡°L-Lord Rylen!  I¡­thought you would appear in the hall.¡±

    The First looked around curiously, ¡°Seems we still have some work to do in Sargon.  This hotel must not-yet have been mapped to count as a domicile.  In any case¡­¡± He turned his eyes towards her, ¡°Are you here alone?¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    ¡°Where is the Captain?  I thought you two left Agartha together.¡±

    ¡°We parted ways some time ago.  I¡¯m not sure where he chose to go.¡± She answered; technically true, but with omissions.

    ¡°You¡¯re still wearing your flight-suit, so I imagine you have your armor here somewhere.¡± The Eidolon noted, nudging his face towards the obvious neck-portion of the uniform that poked through her outfit, ¡°Where are you heading after this?¡±

    ¡°To Trazad, sir.  I was curious about how the Sargonians plan to celebrate with us.¡±

    ¡°Very good.  The Armada is the closest SkyFortress to the city.  There¡¯s been some developments; if you¡¯re not opposed to coming off leave early, I want you to be part of it.  The briefing will be tomorrow morning; you can do it from the Armada.¡± The First explained, ¡°And the Captain, if anyone can reach him by then.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to do something productive, sir.¡±

    ¡°¡­And you¡¯re certain you don¡¯t know where he is?¡± Rylen looked a bit skeptical, ¡°I thought you two were¡­¡±

    Ren wouldn¡¯t betray herself with a sad look on her face, and kept a stiff upper lip, ¡°¡­There¡¯s been some developments.  It¡¯s¡­complicated.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not about to regret the allowances I¡¯ve given you two, am I?¡±

    ¡°No, sir.  In fact¡­I would like to formally request a performance review.¡±

    ¡°To what end?¡±

    She looked directly into the Eidolon¡¯s eyes, ¡°I am challenging Captain Rydell for command of the Aegis and the Fafnir Knights.¡±

    That was a shock, and Rylen stared in stunned silence for a few seconds.  When he got his bearings back, he nodded, ¡°¡­Complicated developments, indeed.¡±  He turned and rubbed his chin, ¡°Very well.  Consider the mission-briefing tomorrow to be the official beginning of your review.  You have command.  I¡¯ll add the details to your calendar.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.  Thank you for the opportunity, sir.¡±

    ¡°Until then, Dame Ren.¡± Rylen dissolved his mantle, and she was left alone in that Sargonian hotel-room¡­with her heart pounding so hard, she thought it could be heard from where he once stood.

    She let out a breath she¡¯d been holding, and waved-away the nanotech garb she¡¯d assembled.  Stepping into the bathroom, she set her hands to the vanity, and looked at herself in the mirror.  The stare she leveled at her own reflection was adamant, but she found herself blinking hard and shaking her head anyway.  A hand went up to cover her tired eyes, ¡°¡­Where did that come from?  I know this is what I want, but¡­we agreed he¡¯d voluntarily step-down when the time came¡­¡±  She asked herself, and took a few steps back from the mirror, leaning against the opposite wall, ¡°¡­I shouldn¡¯t have left him out there like that¡­  I¡¯m getting power-hungry, now, too¡­but damn him, he keeps getting in my way¡­¡±  She looked forward again, ¡°¡­It¡¯ll take him till tonight to get back, in the condition I left him in.  Assuming he just pushes through¡­¡±  Ren shook her head and peeled the flight-suit off her thin frame, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll catch a nap before I finish the flight.  I may be able to stay up another day, but that doesn¡¯t mean I have to.¡±

    .

    The Sargonian transport-vessel parked inconspicuously at the main dock at the palace cliff-side.  There weren¡¯t any guards posted specifically for it, so when Gabriel showed up ahead of time, there was hardly a soul around.

    It was finally the Dawn of Ages¡­and it was just about noon.

    ¡°Just when you think it can¡¯t get any worse, right?¡± Xanarken¡¯s voice came, and Gabriel turned to spot the Eidolon finish forming his mantle on approach.

    ¡°There¡¯s always a way for things to get worse.  I can only sit back and marvel at the creative ways people decide to make it happen.¡± Gabriel sighed, ¡°Is this why you¡¯re giving it up?  Handling problems with the rest of the Accord must be a cake-walk.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­I suppose so.  Yesterday I occupied my time with the annual pre-Dawn Mediators¡¯ Gala, then attended a state dinner at the Mayrainese consulate.¡±

    Gabriel stared with narrowed eyes, ¡°How come I didn¡¯t get invited to the pre-Dawn Gala?¡±

    ¡°You were, but it was happening way out in Gesh¡¯ko this year.  Some things are more important.¡± Xanarken answered, and hooked his thumbs into the top of his wide belt, ¡°I told them it was my fault you weren¡¯t there.¡±

    ¡°Well, at least you admitted it¡­¡±

    ¡°Next year you¡¯ll be using a mantle and can go anywhere you want, at any time.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°So how come you¡¯re waiting out here anyway?¡± The Fourth wondered.

    ¡°Iresha and Seth came together from Agartha, with plans to check out the pre-party festivities.  Seth suddenly found himself kicked out of the palace, so he asked me to pass along a message if I saw the Prince again.¡± The blonde explained, ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do, I guess, since I¡¯m the reason they¡¯re friends.  Now I feel like I¡¯m part of why they¡¯re being split up.¡±

    ¡°You said Iresha volunteered.  What was he thinking?  I thought he was looking forward to going to the College.¡±

    ¡°I thought so, too, especially since Seth was gonna be there.¡± Gabriel shook his head, and leaned against a nearby tree-trunk, ¡°But Iresha apparently got it into his head that proving himself was more important, only to realize like three minutes later that it was, in fact, a terrible idea.¡±

    ¡°To be young and dumb again¡­¡±

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to know, but Rylen and I have been figuring out contingencies.¡± Gabriel noted, and crossed his arms across his chest, ¡°I offered the option of a preemptive maneuver, but the Emperor shot me down.  He absolutely doesn¡¯t want to throw hands with Kitez, especially not if his son is in the middle of the field.¡±

    ¡°Valid.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­but after.¡±

    ¡°What kind of contingencies, then?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to try to get the Tuonela back from Far¡¯nah first.¡± Gabriel explained, ¡°He¡¯s trying to call in the Fafnir but¡­two of them are conspicuously non-communicative, and it¡¯s kind of making him mad.¡±

    Xanarken quirked a brow, ¡°¡­Oh boy.  Ren¡¯s one, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve actually gotten hold of her.¡± Rylen¡¯s voice suddenly added to the commentary, and the pair spotted a large familiar owl in the tree directly above, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been here a minute, but I almost fell asleep.¡±

    ¡°You were saying, you got hold of Ren?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, around 5am.¡± The First responded, those large saucer-eyes narrowed to nearly-closed; even his owl-mantle couldn¡¯t hide the yawn.  Feathers fluffed, and he seemed to sink into himself a little, ¡°Still can¡¯t reach the Captain though.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Ren know where he is?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d think.¡±

    ¡°¡­But she doesn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°No one does.  Dame Ren said they both shut their tech off, but went their own ways.¡±

    Gabriel felt a pang of worry, ¡°I see¡­¡± He glanced to Xanarken, but the Fourth could only shrug.

    ¡°If the Captain wants to stay offline, then¡­by rights, for the moment, he¡¯s entitled to do so.¡± Xanarken explained, and turned his eyes back up to the exhausted owl, ¡°Why are you trying to call them in if they¡¯re on leave anyway?¡±

    ¡°Because everyone except the Captain is apparently eager to get back to work, and I have a project for them.  A joint operation with the Inquisitors.¡±

    ¡°Again?  Didn¡¯t that go badly last time?¡±

    Orange eyes opened slightly, but blinked slowly as they turned down towards the Fourth, ¡°This is far more standard than a demon-possessed Warp Magi, thank you very much.  I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be happy for a quick in-and-out.  Something to refocus the team and get them back into a winning mindset.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you can give the mission leadership to Ren then?¡± Gabriel suggested, ¡°She¡¯s already Wing Commander.  If the Captain is doing his own thing, Ren would be itching for the chance.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the last person I need giving suggestions on what to do with Dame Ren.¡±

    The Vice¡¯s face just went red, ¡°¡­Fine, sorry.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s the royal entourage.  I¡¯m not sure where they plan to cross the border, but the blockade is keeping an eye on things.  Kitez has permission for one vessel to get through¡­everything else gets shot down.¡± Rylen finished, and yawned one more time, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve been up all night.  I¡¯m going to sleep.  I¡¯ll be back for the party.¡±

    Xanarken waved, and Gabriel gave a simple ¡®cya¡¯ as the owl dissolved.  The Fourth couldn¡¯t help but puff a laugh, ¡°It¡¯s funny how Rylen¡¯s faces flip like a coin.  One minute he¡¯s keenly engaged, and the next, he¡¯s telling you to buzz off.¡±

    ¡°Something is going on with Ren and I¡¯m not allowed to know.¡± Gabriel grumbled, ¡°That¡¯s the most I could get out of Seth, anyway.  Rylen is probably involved¡­  I¡¯ll bet it¡¯s fallout from my decision to go to the Aegis, when he got mad at her¡­¡±

    ¡°I faintly recall mentioning before that Rylen doesn¡¯t like it when people touch his things.¡± Xanarken tapped the side of his fist against the man¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Gentlemen¡¯s agreement to stay in our own lanes, et cetera.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡±

    They went quiet as the Sargonians finished their approach, and the duo went to meet them at the loading-ramp.  Both the Elder and the Younger Iresha looked like they hadn¡¯t slept much either, but the Prince was the only one between them who was willing to speak, ¡°¡­Lugios.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± He gave a head-bow.

    ¡°You and I have often butted-heads, but¡­thanks, anyway¡­for everything you¡¯ve done to help us.¡± Iresha said quietly.

    ¡°¡­Yeah.  Sure.¡±

    Xanarken stepped around and gestured for the teen to follow him, and Iresha ¨C confused ¨C looked around before following after.  The Fourth looked on at him contemplatively, but then set a hand on each of those armored shoulders, and spoke softly, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever understand exactly why you decided to do this to yourself¡­but since you have, let me add my voice to the chorus of people telling you to be careful out there.  The Duchess is a wildcard, and there¡¯s¡­really no telling what she plans to do once this exchange is finalized.  But if there¡¯s one thing I can say for certain, it¡¯s that¡­¡±

    No one else could hear what was said, but they could see the Prince¡¯s eyes widen with worried surprise.  Xanarken pulled back then, pat one shoulder, and released, then took a step back.  Iresha swallowed a nervous lump in his throat, eyes fixed on the Eidolon, only to find himself pulled away for the final goodbye with his father.

    Gabriel watched as his Eidolon returned, and asked in a hushed tone, ¡°What¡¯d you say to him?  It looked like you just kicked his dog, and he doesn¡¯t even have one.¡±

    The Fourth had no chuckle to answer to that, and spoke seriously, ¡°I told him it¡¯s time for him to become a man.  If he wants to play this role, he needs to take it seriously.  This was a fool¡¯s move¡­but he can still fix it.¡±

    ¡°Fix it how?¡±

    Xanarken just crossed his arms, ¡°That¡¯s up to him.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 81 â€“ There Can Be No Light Without Shadow

    The two hours that it took for the Sargonian transport to get to the border felt like an eternity, and like an instant at the same time. The Emperor could only look out to the west with worried eyes as he waited for the notification that the exchange had gone through.

    And when he did, he collapsed to his knees and wept at the stone railing before the gardens.

    Gabriel had kept a close eye on the time as well, but he didn¡¯t need to look when he saw the man¡¯s reaction through the ballroom doors.  He sighed and shook his head, and stepped away.  He made it half-way back to his borrowed apartment ¨C intent on changing into something more fitting to the outward purpose of the occasion ¨C when he got a notification he never thought he¡¯d see.

    [Ren Nibasai has sent you a message.  Click to view.]

    His heart just about exploded, and he was certain he was imagining it.  He smacked his own face a few times to be sure, and looked again.

    [Ren Nibasai has sent you a message.  Click to view.]

    He clicked ferociously, and saw a small snippet.

    [I¡¯m really sorry.  If you don¡¯t hate me, I¡¯ll be at the city¡¯s main park for a while ¨C there¡¯s a memorial garden for past rulers here.  I¡¯ll explain what I can.]

    He replied immediately, [I¡¯m coming right now.  Don¡¯t go anywhere.]

    Having his own personal skiff made getting around far easier than waiting on one to collect him, but finding somewhere to park was a challenge.  He had to hoof-it about half a block to get to the Memorial Garden entrance, and rushed up the long, winding pathways towards the center where the actual monument had been set.  He didn¡¯t see anyone that looked obviously familiar¡­until he went up the wide steps to where the ¡®tomb¡¯ had been erected ¨C with a large, regal sphynx-statue perched on top - and heard that characteristic hissing-thump sound of a Fafnir Knight landing behind him.

    Gabriel turned, and spotted that distinct red armor with its massive volcanic-colored wings, standing about 15ft away.  He felt his heart skip a beat, but for the first time in a while, felt simultaneously flighty and paralyzed.  Words caught in his throat, and a sobering worry fell over him.  He could hardly comprehend that she was standing right there.

    ¡°Gabe¡­?¡± Ren¡¯s voice finally sounded from within the helmet, and she reached up to pull it off.  Those bright green eyes were even brighter then, as she felt tears threatening to well within them.  She quickly hooked the helmet over the top of her wing-arm, shut off the solid-light paneling, and stepped out.  For a moment, she, too, hesitated to approach ¨C no matter her disagreement with Furion¡¯s methods, she still had to agree that the threat he warned against was real.  She felt nothing though; Scyrexian was quiet and still.  When Gabriel finally took that first step closer, Ren quickly closed the gap, and threw her arms over his shoulders, feeling her feet sweep off the ground as he spun her.

    That hug was the most incredible sensation to each of them, like feeling water in one¡¯s throat after days of oppressive heat and thirst.  Gabriel held tightly, each of them with their brows pressed to the crook of the other¡¯s shoulder.  Ren could no longer fight those tears, but before she let any of them fall, she pulled back slightly, and saw that nearly-identical reaction in his eyes.  She set one palm to his cheek and lifted up onto her toes, seeking for the kiss she¡¯d been so eager for since the First had sent her scrambling.

    It didn¡¯t matter if there were nearly 20 other people in the park within eyesight of them, taking photos of them and Ren¡¯s armor.

    Fingers threaded through that long pale hair, and Ren snuffled to hold back that relieved huff of a laugh.  She pressed her brow to his and opened her eyes again, ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°What the Hell happened?  You¡¯ve had me worried sick for days.¡± Gabriel answered, keeping his arms tight around her lower back.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault¡­¡± She tried to explain, and lifted back into that hug again, grip tight around the back of his shoulders, ¡°I made such a huge mess of things, and then Lord Rylen¡­and¡­just, everything¡­¡±

    ¡°So, it was him¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no, Gabe¡­listen to me,¡± She pleaded, ¡°He told me to get lost, but it wasn¡¯t him that kept me there.  I did that myself, because I¡¯m¡­trying to keep you safe.¡±

    ¡°Safe?  Safe from what?¡± Gabriel countered, confused, ¡°Rylen may be a big dick sometimes but he¡¯s not going to turn on me because I fell for y-¡­uh¡­am I allowed to say that¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­I know¡­¡± Ren answered, and lowered down again.  She pulled her hands back to slide them to the front of the man¡¯s chest, and looked up at those worried eyes, ¡°I¡¯m right there with you, it¡¯s just¡­I¡¯ve¡­  Ugh, this is so hard...¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked carefully.

    ¡°You have to let me explain the whole thing before you jump to any conclusions.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay?¡±

    Ren looked on for a few seconds, not sure where to even start.  She didn¡¯t want to give some long-winded lecture on the story of her life just as a preface to explain the finer points, but she didn¡¯t want to just get straight to the point either.  Her brow crinkled slightly, Damn, I¡¯ve had this whole time to think of how to tell him, and now that I¡¯m here, I¡¯m completely blank on what to say¡­

    ¡°Ren?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I¡­¡± She pressed a palm to her face like a headache was settling in, but she drew in a breath and kept it simple, ¡°When I got punted out of the Fafnir Knights, I thought it meant I was leaving everything behind.  The Sixth Wing, my armor, the squad, my friends¡­and the guy I¡¯d been with for as long as I¡¯d been Wing Commander.  But then I ended up getting back in, and a lot of it tried to pick-up where it had been left off.  The problem I¡¯m struggling with now, is¡­I¡­¡±

    Gabriel could tell where the line was going.  Every word she¡¯d ever said about the matter came flooding to the front of his mind, and he reluctantly pulled away, stepping just out of arm¡¯s reach, ¡°¡­You¡¯ve¡­been in a relationship with Furion this whole time, haven¡¯t you.¡±

    Her brow furrowed even deeper, ¡°I had already caught feelings for you before I patched things up with him, so¡­when he explained to me what really happened on that last mission, I felt like I was expected to forget the time I had with you in the Fourth, and just go back to the Fafnir like I¡¯d never been gone at all.  That was their plan, after all¡­  They expected you would be inhospitable towards me, and that I¡¯d welcome the chance to come home.  But that¡¯s not how it worked out.  After being a grump for four months, you risked your life for mine and Seth¡¯s, and I got to see the person you are under the reputation you¡¯d built around yourself.  I wanted to be closer to you; I genuinely wanted to finish the Mediator program with you.  But then Furion just had to come stomping in with the truth of the illusion I¡¯d been put under, and I felt trapped.  He didn¡¯t deserve to be cast aside over a misunderstanding¡­but I¡­felt like I¡¯d already accepted we were over, and had moved on from it.  I just didn¡¯t know how to deal with it, so I just kind of rolled with things, and hoped it would sort itself out.  That you and I would get split up like they all said, and I¡¯d just have to make peace with the situation I was in.¡±  She explained, and snuffled quietly as she reached up to wipe her eyes with the underside of her wrist.  She took a wary step closer, and looked at the man carefully, ¡°But I haven¡¯t been able to stop thinking about you.  That so-called goodbye kiss has been haunting me, and every day that goes by, I just¡­want to go back to that moment¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­But you¡¯re still involved with him¡­¡± He noted quietly, and that horrid, terrible pain grew in his throat, ¡°¡­I can¡¯t¡­be a side-piece, Ren¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not asking you to be¡­¡± She replied, ¡°I¡¯d have you both if I could, but¡­I know I¡¯m weird in that regard.  Furion has already made it clear that he¡¯s not interested in sharing, and-¡±

    ¡°He knows¡­?¡± Gabriel felt a shot go through him, though he wasn¡¯t sure if it was shame or embarrassment.

    Ren sighed in the affirmative, ¡°¡­It¡¯s a whole thing¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­How long have you two been together¡­?  Since you became Wing Commander?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah; eight years.¡±

    ¡°Eight years!¡± Gabriel echoed in disbelief, and let out an uncomfortable, self-depreciating laugh, ¡°¡­Eight years¡­¡±  He took another few steps away, and turned side-face to the woman as that crippling despair really settled-in.

    ¡°I¡­I understand now, that I need to break things off with him.  I was never really able to reconnect with him after I went back to the Sixth, and the more I tried, the more dishonest I felt with myself about it.  It could¡¯ve been the easiest thing to tell you that him and I were together when we were talking about it on the way to the Connington Fragment, but even then¡­I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it.  I care about him, but I¡­I don¡¯t love him the way that I used to.  Leaving the team caused too much damage to the relationship¡­¡± She tried to explain, keeping her distance then, ¡°And I think he¡¯s starting to realize it, too, cuz he¡¯s really leaned into his persona as Captain Rydell, even when we¡¯re not on duty¡­¡±

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    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­want to be the reason you throw away eight years¡­¡± The Vice said, his voice tortured.  His gaze was fixed forward as he lost his grip on the tears that had already formed, falling as he took another step back, ¡°¡­If I was in Furion¡¯s shoes, I¡¯d¡­hope to repair whatever damage was done¡­  You¡¯re too special to give-up over one problem¡­and I¡¯m in¡­no position to offer you anything better¡­much as I wish otherwise¡­¡±

    ¡°Gabe¡­  I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to happ-¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s¡­probably for the best that you haven¡¯t called it off yet with him¡­  The Eidolon don¡¯t really get to have¡­that kind of thing anyway¡­¡± Gabriel continued, vision starting to blur from the grief of it, ¡°Um¡­so¡­  Thank you, Ren¡­I guess¡­  That one day we had was r-really nice¡­  I¡¯ll always be grateful that I¡­got to experience that connection one last time, before I went in¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Gabe¡­!¡±

    He had already turned to leave though.

    Ren felt the weight in her chest like she¡¯d been impaled with hot irons.  She didn¡¯t even have a moment to think about what to do before she heard teenagers laughing from the side, poking at her open armor like it was some art-display that they could meddle with.  She angrily sent them off and got back in, but when she reached for her helmet and looked around, Gabriel was gone.  She wasn¡¯t sure how he could¡¯ve gotten away so quickly, but no matter where she looked¡­he was no where to be found.  Confused and hurt, she lifted up above the trees, and took one last look around before she was forced to give up.

    An hour passed before the next grim bother inflicted itself onto her, but by then, Ren had found herself on top of one of the city¡¯s skyscrapers.  She felt both annoyed and intruded-upon as she saw that name flash across her overlay.

    [Furion Rydell is calling¡­]

    Frustration and resentment had been cooking for some time, so when she decided to answer, there was little better than vitriol on her voice, ¡°What do you want now?¡±

    ¡°Well at least you answered; that¡¯s a good sign.¡± He replied, hobbling through the mountains as well as his damaged wing-arm could manage, ¡°Where are you now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested, Furion.¡± She growled tiredly, ¡°The only thing you should be worried about is answering Lord Rylen¡¯s messages.¡±

    ¡°Lord Rylen¡¯s been waiting all day already, he can wait a minute longer.¡± The Captain noted, ¡°The important thing is that you haven¡¯t made contact with Lugios yet, and Scyrexian is still under control.¡±

    ¡°Gods, fuck you, Furion.¡± Ren snapped, and pushed up to stand, ¡°You know¡­all these years, we kept our relationship secret, because we knew we weren¡¯t supposed to be together.  I thought the worst thing that could happen was for Lord Rylen to find out, and force one or both of us off team.  But then I got sent away anyway, and as it turns out, the worst thing to ever happen was coming back.¡±

    Furion wasn¡¯t sure how to answer to that.

    ¡°Do you have any idea how much it chafes to come back to the team, only to have to settle back into the idea that I¡¯ll never be Captain so long as you¡¯re around?¡± She continued, pacing bitterly atop that rooftop, ¡°My first day seeing a Fafnir again after four months of being gone, and all Hell broke loose.  Ianori got possessed, Seth got tortured, I got my fucking arm ripped off¡­and then I got to be reminded that my goals and aspirations are perpetually on hold because of you.¡±

    ¡°Ren, we had an agr-¡±

    ¡°To Hell with the agreement!  We both know I¡¯m the better Fafnir and yet I¡¯m the one stuck in your shadow!¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a grandiose self-assessment.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re no less than five generations into a super-soldier lineage, and yet you¡¯re barely keeping up with me, Furion.  The first day we met, I put you on the ground, and I hadn¡¯t even been augmented yet!¡± Ren snarled, ¡°And I¡¯m somehow supposed to be content with the idea that, oh, well, if I wait long enough, Furion will finally pop the question and then make me the next Rydell Captain in that long and storied history.  But when will that be?  In five years?  In ten?  Will you be like your father and punch-out in your 50s?  I could be waiting another 15 years for my chance!¡±

    ¡°What does any of that have to do with the immediate problem?  You¡¯ll never get your chance anyway if you can¡¯t get rid of Scyrexian.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve already told Lord Rylen that I want to be evaluated for command.¡± Ren finally stated, heart racing.

    ¡°You know damn well you¡¯re in no position to do that.¡±

    ¡°I am though, Captain, and Lord Rylen has agreed to let me try for it.¡± She said firmly, and slowed her breathing in an effort to calm her pulse, ¡°When the Aegis comes back online and a new Fafnir squadron is assembled, it¡¯ll be me wearing those pauldrons.  If I can¡¯t have Gabe right now, then I can at least have this.  I¡¯ll see you tomorrow morning, and if you¡¯re fit for duty, and I¡¯ll consider if I even want you on my mission.¡±

    ¡°Ren!¡±

    The line was cut, and Ren looked out over Trazad with renewed purpose.  The hot irons that were stuck inside her ignited a new flame, I¡¯ll find a way back to you somehow, Gabe¡­I promise¡­  It¡¯s not over just because you¡¯re getting a mantle¡­we can figure something out.

    .

    It was nearly sunset when Rylen finally woke-up again, and was inundated by the bombardment of messages and notifications he¡¯d missed while asleep.  He closed his eyes for a few moments longer, but then manifested himself just outside his own pod, and tiredly swiped-away all the banners, I¡¯ll deal with them later¡­  If anything truly needs my attention, the emergency system will be enough.

    The room was quiet, except for the low, ambient hum of the SERAPHIM Engine¡­and the subtle tap of footsteps as the First approached it.  The huge glass wall bisected the open-air section of the pod-area from the fluid-filled tomb that Syraph¡¯s crystalized body had been contained in, and those wing-like glassy ¡®growths¡¯ had never ceased their expansive creep.

    Rylen thought back on those first few years since the woman¡¯s body had been interred in a standard stasis-pod, when they still had hope that her injuries could be fixed somehow and her life restored.  While those years became decades, and hope dwindled until nothing remained but that doll-like form, the crystalline shards filled the pod nearly to bursting, and she was moved into something larger.  Eventually, a stasis-pod for even the largest man was no longer suitable for that expansive cluster, and part of a room was set-up to hold her instead.  Long before getting to that point, it had been noted that the frozen miasma gave off a kind of strange, radiative energy, and subsequent generations of holding-spaces were designed to allow room for their growth.

    ¡°It¡¯s grotesque!¡± Rylen remembered protesting, ¡°She¡¯s my wife, not a battery!¡±

    ¡°We need something stable to supply the nanotech, and whatever this power is that she¡¯s emitting, it reacts strongly with the energy systems we¡¯ve already developed.¡± Arbelos argued; he was a fleshy, fully-grown man back then, plain-looking, and a far-cry from the child-like shape he¡¯d chosen later, ¡°I¡¯ve run dozens of tests, and nothing works half as well as this¡­  Please, sir, we can¡¯t be choosers out here¡­  We have to use everything¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s officially been 348 years since we crash-landed on this planet.¡± Rylen said, mostly to himself, as he approached the wall-like divider.  He pressed his palms to the glass and lowered down to his knees, until he could press the top of his head to the clear paneling, ¡°¡­And for most of them, you¡¯ve been our God and Protector¡­  Wholly unremembered by all save those closest to the Eidolon¡­  Now, it seems almost taboo to mention you, and the incredible contribution you¡¯ve made to this world¡­far more than any number of others, even combined.  You, and the World Cloud you¡¯ve enabled for us, have made everything else possible¡­¡±

    [Xanarken Tellan is requesting to materialize at your location.]

    Rylen¡¯s eyes twitched slightly, and he pulled his hands off the glass to hold them in his lap instead.  He responded in the affirmative, and the Fourth manifested a few paces away.

    ¡°¡­Oh, you¡¯re still down here?¡± The Eidolon commented, and took half a step back, ¡°I know the Dawn of Ages isn¡¯t your favorite holiday, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Probably because there¡¯s nothing holy about it.¡± Rylen answered, keeping his gaze down, and the top of his head pointed towards his proverbially-mummified wife, ¡°My son nearly killed us all with the catastrophe¡­and then he actually tried to kill us all a few years later.  Maybe the rest of Hadira feels the need to celebrate today because, in spite of it all, we survived¡­but every year that ticks by, I wonder what the point of it all is.¡±

    ¡°The point is what we make of it.  Maybe it feels like one long, continuous Hell to us¡­but to the people who were born here?  Spent their whole lives here?  This is the point.¡± Xanarken offered, ¡°To them, the Earth is just a legend.  Would you even want to go back, if the option came to you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Go back?¡± Rylen echoed.

    ¡°Yeah, if a gate just opened in front of you, and stepping through it meant going back to Earth, right now.  Would you go through it?¡±

    ¡°I¡­never thought about it.  All hope of ever going home died with Caeros, and I haven¡¯t seen much point in rehashing the idea since.¡± The First countered, and finally lifted back up to his feet again.  He pressed his hand to the glass one more time before turning his back to the tank, and looked at the Fourth directly, ¡°This isn¡¯t the anniversary of Syraph¡¯s passing though, so I imagine you didn¡¯t seek me out for that.¡±

    ¡°You always mope for a little while on Dawn-Day, but¡­no, I figured you¡¯d be done by now.¡± Xanarken answered, ¡°The ship that the Duke is on started moving unexpectedly about an hour and a half ago.  It¡¯s getting ready to dock in Trazad now.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wasn¡¯t the plan supposed to be that both ships dock at roughly the same time?  The Prince won¡¯t arrive at Oceanside for a while yet.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but apparently the Emperor is allowing it.¡±

    ¡°What does it matter to us?  We¡¯re not even allowed to be there.¡±

    Xanarken gave a coy look, ¡°The Eidolon aren¡¯t allowed to be there¡­but who¡¯s going to bother with a couple stray cats?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really that curious?¡±

    ¡°Do you have any other plans right now?  It¡¯s the Dawn.  You¡¯re either partying or you¡¯re party-pooping.¡±

    Rylen stared blankly, but then shook his head and sighed, ¡°I guess not.  Nothing will be happening until tomorrow morning anyway¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit.  C¡¯mon.  I know the perfect spot.¡± The Fourth quickly dissolved, and a few seconds later, all-but dragged his cohort with him.

    If a cat could smirk, the fuzzy Himalayan that Rylen spotted would be iconic for it, and it trotted-off sneakily along the base of a wall outside the Sargonian palace.  Taking his usual Russian Blue form, Rylen sauntered after, tail low and eyes forward.  They traced their path to the northern end of the grounds, until they found the stone and wrought-iron fencing that separated it from the public-access areas in front.  It was easy for them to slip through, and continue onward until they finally arrived near the cliffside gardens¡­and the veranda where the transport-ship had been given clearance to touch-down.

    Too small to dock at the ramps where the Aegis had once parked, the little Kitezan courier-skiff was greeted by a small platoon of Sargonian soldiers, as well as the Emperor himself.  Rylen watched carefully from within the manicured bush they¡¯d squeezed into, but from that distance, it all seemed rather trite and dull, ¡°This is far less interesting than you made it seem.¡±

    Xanarken had nothing to say in response; those black, tufted ears were pressed flat to the back of his feline head, eyes wide and fixed.

    And the entire cliffside section of the palace abruptly detonated, sending out a shockwave so massive that it obliterated the two small mantles, knocked boulders loose from the cliff, and roughed-up the water 700ft down.

    The western half of the palace was engulfed in flames, and every soul within 100ft was dead.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 82 â€“ Seeds That Are Sown Together, Sprout Together

    47 seconds earlier¡­

    Every major city in the Hadiran Accord was getting ready to pop-off with fireworks and nanotech-based aerial shows. At the Compound of the Fifth, Etienne had personally put on a display, dazzling the population of the medical campus with the imagery of legendary flying beasts ¨C dragons of every kind, Rocs, winged serpents, and a blazing phoenix that seemed to emerge straight out of the last embers of the setting sun itself. For those with access to an overlay, the image of the Earth seemed to crest over the horizon. A recreation of the fleet traveling through the waxing night passed above, with an optional narration explaining the event, with the voices of the Eidolon themselves telling the tale from their own recollection.

    But in Trazad, on the western terrace of the palace, overlooking the massive sea-like lake, Emperor Iresha felt less than celebratory. He watched the Kitezan skiff approach ¨C everything seemed on the up-and-up. The pilots of the vessel were communicating with the ground crews, there wasn¡¯t any suspicious haste with the approach, and it landed exactly where it was told to touch-down. When the ship was given permission to open its loading-ramp door, Iresha had sent some of his guards in. He watched them bring the weakened former-Duke out, and pat him down in full sight of everyone, clearing him to approach. Iresha swallowed a nervous breath, and he saw every step that distant cousin took to get closer.

    Mardu himself, while stressed from travel and a week¡¯s worth of self-imposed starvation, seemed exactly as Iresha remembered.

    If either of the two men were aware of anything after that moment, it might¡¯ve been the loud click-like sound that preceded the explosion. After that, the cut to black would have been instantaneous. The gardens were completely destroyed, sending trees, bushes, and stone-architecture flying in every direction. Glass and walls shattered like dry leaves. Bodies that weren¡¯t evaporated by the blast were torn apart and ejected with force. The terrace itself was little more than a smoldering crater, with the hollowed-out remains of that ship sitting in the midst of it¡­and within that, sat the singed shell of a well-protected, casket-like container.

    The lid was damaged, but it hissed anyway as it cracked open, and one side split apart, making space for a spindly, deformed hand to rise up and grasp at the lip.

    Ren had gotten an eyeful of the explosion from where she¡¯d been flying circles around the capitol. It was a no-brainer to go down and find out what was going on; she found carnage, but she also found her Eidolon, ¡°Sir!¡±

    ¡°Dame Ren?¡± Rylen answered in confusion, the lone entity staring at the conflagration from what was once the doorway into the ballroom, ¡°I¡­I was just here with¡­Xanarken¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Orders, sir?¡±

    The First didn¡¯t seem to understand what was said to him, but when Ren repeated herself, he shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­even know. It all just blew up. Where¡¯s Xanarken?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡­burns¡­¡± Ren heard, and she turned towards the wreckage; she flew upward to get a better view, and spotted the sarcophagus in a divot that looked like the epicenter of the blast, ¡°¡­Everything¡­thing¡­every¡­ Burns¡­ It¡¯s¡­all burning¡­¡±

    ¡°What in the actual Hell¡­?¡±

    Within the palace, Gabriel had retreated back to his room some hours before. The explosion hadn¡¯t quite sent fire that far in, but the shockwave had caused extensive structural damage, and smoke was pouring in through a crack in the broken door. Gabriel himself had been thrown hard, and was face-down on the floor with the dresser pinning him down. The red in his hair was no longer just from his Limitless-tell; a wide gash just above his left ear was bleeding into it as well.

    He abruptly roused, and retched from the smoke. The dresser wasn¡¯t terribly heavy, but it still took some effort to push it away and get free. When he turned back, the first thing he saw was the boot he¡¯d been unable to remove from the floor, and he groaned as he got up to his hands and knees. A gentle touch to his head revealed the sting of that injury ¨C blood on his hand as he pulled it back to check ¨C and Gabriel looked around in confusion.

    His first thought was for the Emperor and the transfer, but his second thought¡­was to the sound of someone banging on the busted door, yelling for him to respond. He was surprised how dull his hearing had become, and the deafening ringing settled in. What felt like normality a moment before was now replaced by the swimming imagery of the room warping around him, and he collapsed all over again.

    At the hotel Seth had been confiscated to, he had a clear sight of the palatial cliff, and his eyes ¨C along with those of everyone else in the city ¨C were fixed in horror on the sight of that smoldering, black pillar. Fire and smoke looked like a writhing monster, as that dark exhaust billowed into the waning light of the evening. Not knowing what else to do ¨C and not knowing who was close by - Seth reached out to the only person he could think of, ¡°Pick up the call, pick up the call¡­ ¡­Furion! Where are you right now!? You¡¯ve gotta get to Trazad! The palace just exploded!¡± He listened a moment as his brother responded, ¡°¡­Miss Ren is here? No, I had no idea. I saw Mr. Gabriel yesterday when Iresha and I got here, but¡­ No, I actually got kicked out almost as soon as I¡¯d been shown to a room. I stayed somewhere else. But Iresha and his dad were up there¡­! And Mr. Gabriel probably, too!¡±

    To say that Ren¡¯s view of the creature was up-close and personal would be an understatement. Almost as soon as she spotted it, it had spotted her in turn, and so forcefully shot itself in her direction that it pushed her 30ft further into the air. The grotesque fingers ¨C knobbed and blistered, lobulated to the point of disfigurement ¨C were punctuated by half a body that seemed not to know what shape it was trying to take. It cried out as if with multiple voices, and clamped-down on Ren¡¯s helmet with a mouth that shouldn¡¯t have been able to open as wide as it did; teeth and tongues lashed at the visor, biting with a fury as it screamed out in pain.

    Ren felt the ground behind her back much sooner than she expected, but for a mercy, the same inertia-modulators that made it possible to fly at hypersonic made it so she didn¡¯t get the wind knocked out of her from the impact. Whatever the thing was that had leapt at her was trying to smother her, too, and it was freakishly strong, making it nearly impossible to grab the plasma-blade hilts on her hips.

    Nearly, but not completely.

    Right hand latched to the grip, and with a flick, the blade extended, shooting straight through the core of the entity. It shrieked and writhed, but finally let her go, and Ren kicked it off with all her strength, rolling her legs up and over to get out of the way with the same movement. Crouched on a knee then, and both hands with a white-hot edge at the ready, Ren got her first careful look at what had just attacked her.

    ¡°¡­Prince Aamin¡­?¡± She said with disbelief; yet, there he was. Repulsive could be used to describe him; Eldritch another. Every part of him that had once been burnt by his nephew had ¡®blossomed¡¯ with mutilation. What remained ¨C the right side of him, mostly ¨C maintained some passing resemblance to the man he once was. He was the living embodiment of a fungating cancer otherwise, with multiple parts of him reshaping themselves into the limbs of something else entirely, moving independently from him. The worst part of it, to Ren¡¯s sights, was the expansive mouth that had overtaken the left side of Aamin¡¯s face and head, ripping through the flesh to protrude with meaningless teeth and hooked tongues. The jaw itself had broken away and elongated into an insectoid-like mandible, sharp and quivering.

    Rylen took no chances with proximity, and had retreated to the other side of the palace as he watched the live-stream of Ren¡¯s feed on his overlay. He spotted Gabriel amongst the others being extracted from the palace-ruins, but it was concerning that every time he tried to reach out to Xanarken, there was no answer. With no recourse, he closed the attempted communication, and reached out to Etienne instead.

    She answered quickly enough, ¡°Need someth-¡±

    ¡°No time to explain! Check on Xanarken, now!¡± He barked, and steeled himself for the next message. The sound of Aamin¡¯s tortured cries sounded in his ears as if he was standing in front of the man himself, and the fact of the Prince¡¯s presence solidified one horrifying, sober truth, ¡°¡­Attention fleets of the First and Sixth; prepare to invade Kitez. The Emperor of Sargon has been killed. All hands on deck; this is not a drill. Repeat; prepare to invade Kitez. We need to get Prince Iresha back immediately.¡±

    Gabriel had been too far away to hear, but even if he¡¯d been right next to the Eidolon, it probably would¡¯ve been a challenge anyway. His ears were still ringing, and everything sounded hollow and distant. Someone was trying to bind the wound on his head, but with the sight of red wings in the sky ¨C darting through the smoke as something chased after - he fought to get a clearer view, ¡°¡­Ren¡­!¡±

    Etienne manifested in the pod-room and cautiously approached the Fourth, remembering all-too-well how he reacted to her ministrations last time she attempted to offer any. She got close enough to see that his vitals were pulsing rapidly, but hadn¡¯t reached a threshold of emergency, so she wasn¡¯t sure what the problem was. She dared to set her hands to the glass and peered within, and was surprised to find the man staring straight up with his eyes wide open. Even though the soupy, iridescent liquid, his horrified expression was easy to read, and he quickly manifested a mantle there opposite her.

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    ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine.¡± He said, rather too simply, ¡°I just watched the Emperor of Sargon get blown into a thousand pieces, is all.¡±

    ¡°You saw what.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s dizziness was starting to clear, and he forced his way past the medics who were trying to help him. Sound from all around him started rushing in like a freight-train, and it seemed far louder than it should¡¯ve been. When he rushed for the First, he couldn¡¯t help but yell at the Eidolon, barely able to hear himself, let alone anything else.

    Rylen just stared at him in frustration, and sent a text-based message instead, waiting for Gabriel to read it, [You have to get clear. The Kitezans blew up the ship they sent the Duke here on. The Emperor and him are both dead.]

    Those confused eyes read the message in disbelief, and Gabriel yelled again, ¡°What do you mean they blew it up!? How did they get a bomb here!?¡±

    [Quit yelling at me, idiot! I can hear you just fine!] Rylen sent back, [And I don¡¯t know! Xanarken and I went to watch the landing, and it just blew up!]

    ¡°Then what¡¯s chasing after Ren!?¡±

    [Prince Aamin, or whatever he¡¯s become since we lost him.]

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes widened, but Rylen could only shrug, and they both looked up over the ruins of the palace as yet another explosion rattled-off into the night, shaking the ground and volleying another glut of fire into the sky.

    What they couldn¡¯t see was the volley of firepower that had been launched at the creature from over the lake. Ren rose up from where she¡¯s braced and blocked with her wings, and spotted the oncoming form of the Fafnir Captain, ¡°You¡¯re only going to be a burden with one working wing.¡±

    ¡°I made it here, didn¡¯t I?¡± He answered, and finally ¨C after nearly 16-straight-hours of flying ¨C set a foot down onto solid ground. He already had his sword drawn, but with a click, the massive blade extended, and he leveled it at the former Prince, ¡°I don¡¯t need to fly to kill whatever that is.¡±

    For the moment, personal problems were set aside, and Ren refocused as well, ¡°I think it¡¯s a gift from Scyrexian.¡±

    Furion knew they were being recorded at that point, and didn¡¯t ask the obvious, ¡°¡­Right then. Let¡¯s do what we do.¡±

    Aamin¡¯s wretched form uncovered itself; the writhing pieces of his left side had covered the vulnerable right, but what momentary seething anger it felt towards Furion¡¯s unexpected assault evaporated as it turned back towards Ren, ¡°¡­Rejo¡­rejoin¡­ Let me¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Ew, no.¡± She nearly wretched just to think of it, and dug-in with a foot before launching forward. A furious blade-storm descended onto the creature, with each strike ¨C from both Fafnir ¨C seeming to leave a fatal gash through that tormented flesh. However, each attack served only to cause pain, and its wounds closed almost as quickly as they were carved. Not understanding why nothing was dealing a finishing blow, Ren impaled both blades through Aamin¡¯s chest ¨C just as she¡¯d tried to do to Regulus some weeks before. Sinew and skin sizzled with contact on those plasma-blades, and Aamin screamed out in agony.

    Something about that shrill cry triggered a wrenching pain in Ren¡¯s eyes, and as she clenched them shut, she twisted her arms slightly inward. The barrels on her vambraces glowed, blasting energy out at point-blank, and launched the accursed Prince¡¯s body away in a bloody spray.

    Furion quickly switched from his intended course to impale from the side, and turned to vault after the figure instead. He already had his back to his challenger when she dropped to a knee, clutching at her head, ¡°What was that for!? We can¡¯t lose him in the water!¡± He barked, and kicked-off the burnt edge off the cliff to launch past the man. With one grand swing from the flat-side of his sword, he smacked Aamin had enough to send him flying right back then way he¡¯d come.

    Time seemed to move in slow motion for a moment, and Ren watched that body come right back for her. She could see something around it ¨C a sickly aura, or a cloud of some kind; not unlike the translucent miasma that had served the Warp Magi before ¨C and for a split second, she was sure she saw a golden flash just over Aamin¡¯s heart. Without thinking, she threw the sword down from her right hand¡­and sunk her fingers into that flesh, catching the creature without so much as an inch of ground given from the impact.

    Aamin flailed and screeched, that exact miasma pouring out of him chaotically, slapping and wriggling in every direction. They latched onto Ren¡¯s arm frantically, and crawled up past her shoulder with desperate abandon, pawing at the underside of her helmet like it knew how to unlatch it somehow. Something about the sight of those clinging tendrils kept Ren frozen in place; she could feel them wriggling through every vein in her body, licking at the back of her eyes like fire.

    She wasn¡¯t sure how it happened, but it was suddenly gone, ripped away like roots from loose soil, and she was lucid again. She blinked hard and looked around; Furion had the creature impaled through the chest on his greatsword and had lifted it up and away. It squirmed like a hooked fish, and Furion swung the blade around to pin it to the ground instead.

    Blood boiled from the wound, spilling out onto the charred ground as Aamin coughed and cried, reaching for Ren all over again.

    ¡°Ren, focus!¡±

    Etienne formed her mantle first, then Xanarken close behind her, as they both tried to reorganize themselves around what had just happened. Rylen was surprised to see them, but was equal parts relieved, and took a few steps closer, ¡°What the Hell was that!? You can¡¯t give me the silent-treatment and then refuse to reforge yourself after a blast!¡± The First barked, pointing at the Fourth, ¡°I¡¯m about to start a damn war; I need you here!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I-¡± He started, only to spot his ¡®kid¡¯ trying to get back into the palace, ¡°Gabriel!¡±

    ¡°Xanarken!?¡± The blonde answered in surprise, ¡°Ren¡¯s fighting against Aamin! He¡¯s¡­turned into something! I have to get over there!¡±

    ¡°And do what, Lugios!?¡± Rylen yelled from that short distance away, ¡°There¡¯s two Fafnir over there; let them handle things! There¡¯s nothing for you to do!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who let Aamin get away before!¡±

    ¡°And if you go over there now, then you¡¯ll just get in the way again! Just stay on this side and wait!¡±

    Xanarken looked between them, but spoke to Gabriel alone, ¡°As an Eidolon, you can access her P.O.V. now. Are you watching?¡±

    ¡°¡­I can watch¡­?¡±

    Rylen was too busy coordinating a response with the Fifth to notice the unexpected conspiring. Local emergency response crews were starting to arrive to put out the fire, making it even harder to focus as vehicles clamored for real-estate to park and set-up, putting themselves between the pair of Eidolon. By the time Rylen would¡¯ve been able to see¡­the both of them were gone.

    Aamin recoiled against the agony of the plasma-blade, and to Furion¡¯s shock, ripped himself free of it by using that very edge to cut his own body apart. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, it lunged at him with singular ferocity, and smothered him with the same disgusting mass of flesh that it had used on Ren. It knocked the Captain to the ground, and chewed hatefully at the visor of his helmet, taking hold and shaking like a dog with a large toy.

    Ren wasn¡¯t sure what she was looking at; she could see it, but she couldn¡¯t make herself do anything about it. The intersection of dream and circumstance wove through one another, and every time she blinked, she swayed and had to figure out what she was looking at all over again, as if suddenly waking up after nearly falling asleep. It didn¡¯t make any sense at all when she thought she saw Xanarken manifest beside her, and even less when he reached to unhook the helmet from her armor.

    ¡°Is it time?¡±

    ¡°¡­Wha¡­?¡± She wondered blearily, and collapsed to her knees.

    Those purple eyes looked foreign, like they a mask hiding some other man¡¯s visage. Sound rushed in as the protective dome came away, and Xanarken loomed, looking down on her impatiently. She could only look back¡­with eyes that were spilling that black, bloody miasma.

    ¡°He¡¯s coming right now. You have to take him.¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡­are you saying¡­?¡±

    Xanarken had his lips parted, as if about to answer, but he heard a shriek nearing behind him, and three rather confusing things all happened at once. First, in a flash, Xanarken found himself standing on the other side of the wrought-iron fence of the palace¡¯s southern garden somehow. Second, to Ren¡¯s sight, in his place¡­was Gabriel. And third¡­the damned idiot grabbed at Aamin like a disarmed matador who had nothing left to lose, and took the bull ¡®round the neck with both arms.

    Eyes burned brightly with that golden light, and Gabriel held on for dear life, but since the creature was trying to get at Ren anyway, it didn¡¯t push him far. It lifted and thrashed, trying to throw him off, until finally succeeding¡­after a fashion. Gabriel had let go, and went skidding across the obliterated terrace, and in a purely chaotic swing of his arms ¨C trying to keep his balance ¨C Aamin¡¯s whole frame smashed-down into the rubble as if hit by a falling bus. Gabriel managed to throw himself forward just enough to catch himself, and he caught sight of Furion¡¯s armor struggling to lift itself up from the hole Aamin had put him into.

    ¡°¡­L-Lugios?¡±

    Attention shifted back to the cursed Prince, but with a few seconds of stillness, Gabriel rushed back towards Ren. He skidded to his knees on that ruined ground, and took her by the shoulders, ¡°Ren!? Ren, what¡¯s happening!? Why are your eyes¡­!?¡±

    ¡°Lugios, you have to get away!¡± Furion warned¡­only to find the Fourth Eidolon appear in front of him with an arm-outstretched, ¡°¡­Lord Xanarken¡­?¡±

    ¡°Stay out of it.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± The Captain could hardly believe the words, ¡°Lord Xanarken, you don¡¯t understand, he can¡¯t be close to her!  She¡¯s-¡±

    The Eidolon was unmoved, ¡°I know exactly what she is.¡±

    Ren seemed catatonic, but her half-sleepy eyes opened a little, and more of that pitch-dark reddish smoke oozed out, ¡°¡­G-Gabe¡­you¡¯re¡­so far away¡­¡±

    ¡°No, Ren, I¡¯m right here.¡± He answered, the golden mist fading to just his normal sights, ¡°Focus on my voice.¡±

    Furion frantically looked between the three figures; confusion was the least of his worries when he saw Aamin starting to move again. He twisted to rise, but nothing could have prepared him for what the next few seconds had in store.

    Xanarken took a step closer, not noticing the trembling mass of hateful flesh lifting from the dust. He only had eyes forward, and just as he was about to call out¡­found one long, spindly, wretched hand strike fully-through his mantle. Gabriel heard the crunch like the Eidolon¡¯s figure was made of glass, and twisted around on a knee so he could see past his shoulder. Ren lifted her head behind him, eyes wide; that dark red ichor crept forward, and black veins trailed out across her skin.

    ¡°Y-you can¡¯t¡­have her¡­before I do¡­¡± Aamin growled, and clenched his hand, ripping downward.

    The Fourth could only utter a distorted, crackling grunt before lines of light tore through the rest of him, and his mantle shattered entirely.

    [Xanarken Tellan is offline.]

 Book I â€“ Chapter 83 â€“ Not Every Light Is A Symbol Of Hope Or Heaven

    The flight over Kitez was a terribly boring thing, with nothing but hundreds of miles of foothills and plains to look at through those windows.  Iresha was equal parts anxious and worried, his father¡¯s words ¨C and Xanarken¡¯s both ¨C echoing around in his head in conflict with one another.

    There were still two hours to go until the ship reached Oceanside, and the previous half-day of travel had done nothing to take the edge off his rattled nerves.  Worse still, his guilt over the lack of a proper goodbye to his only friend was eating at him.  He¡¯d been made to leave his glasses behind, and the myriad notifications went unnoticed.

    Seth paced frantically from one end of his hotel-room to the other; repeated attempts at reaching the Prince were going unanswered, and he worried for the worst.  The razed cliffside caught his attention though, and he looked up at it with discerning eyes¡­only to take a step back in awe and fear.  A strange green-blue light emanated from high-up on the Imperial plateau, blinked out a few times, then returned with a sun-like brightness as a pillar shot into the darkened sky.

    The shine was so intense that Furion and Gabriel both were blinded by it.  To Furion¡¯s chagrin, that made him unacceptably vulnerable, and he paid for it when he felt a breath-catching kick that sent him quite-literally flying off the cliffside.  He hit the water 700ft below before he knew what direction was up.  Gabriel ¨C his eyes flaring violently with that golden aura - pawed at the ground, trying to find his way around; Ren had stood up and moved away from him.

    But it wasn¡¯t really Ren anymore.

    The nova had disrupted all of the nanotech in the area after Xanarken¡¯s mantle sparked the eruption, crackling outward like lightning until everything within a hundred feet had been knocked out.  Hair that had once been augmented to black was now shimmering in white, and those formerly evergreen eyes stared forward, fully enshrouded by that thick, black-red mist.  She set her foot down and glowered out over the lake, ¡°¡­Pest.¡±

    ¡°¡­R-Ren¡­where are you¡­?¡± Gabriel¡¯s voice sounded, weak but determined.  He¡¯d found the spot she once crouched in, but not feeling her there was worrying.  Without his overlay, he couldn¡¯t see the declaration that his adoptive father¡¯s connection to the Eidolon System had terminated, and without sight, he couldn¡¯t see Scyren approaching.  It was dizzying when he felt a hand grab his shoulder and flip him over, only to grab him by the chest and hoist him into the air.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been quite the challenge to pin down, Gabriel Lugios.¡± Scyren said indifferently; Gabriel¡¯s toes dragged on the ground ¨C only one had the luxury of a boot to wear, ¡°This vessel has been rather adamant about keeping us apart.  No longer¡­the time has arrived.¡±

    ¡°¡­Vessel?¡± He echoed in confusion, ¡°You¡¯re talking in Ren¡¯s voice¡­  What¡­who are you!?¡±

    ¡°If you want to save her from what¡¯s to come, you must extricate me from her.¡± It answered, ¡°Use your Sight and open the way for me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re¡­talking about¡­¡± The Vice argued, feeling some semblance of his vision starting to return.  It was just shadow and light at first, taking amorphous and indiscernible shapes; he blinked hard in an attempt to clear it faster.

    ¡°You are a Prime Mover.¡± Scyren explained, tilting its head slightly, ¡°I need your power to fulfill a small bargain.  Give yourself to me now.¡±

    ¡°W-what!?  No way!¡±

    Scyren sneered, and closed its hand tighter where it held the man just above the ground, ¡°You¡¯re not getting it; the things we¡¯ve done to get to this moment.  The path that¡¯s been paved with sundered flesh and primordial fear¡­the people who¡¯ve died to make this meeting happen.  You¡¯ll do what¡¯s expected.¡± It said forcefully, and pulled Gabriel closer, clutching its second hand to the side of his face; it pressed its thumb under his right eye, adding a bit of pressure like it would pop the orb out if it was denied again.  Lips were parted to speak again, but no words came as Scyren felt a grip around its left ankle, and it turned its attention to the wretched creature who had grabbed it.

    ¡°¡­T-take¡­me¡­  End it¡­¡± Aamin said desperately.

    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve it.¡± Scyren answered, and kicked him off, ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a tumor.  Meat that¡¯s grown out of control; an infection with a voice.¡±

    ¡°You¡­you can¡¯t mean that¡­  You¡­made me¡­¡± The former Prince agonized, ¡°¡­I¡¯m¡­begging¡­  I can¡­feel you¡­  Take me¡­back¡­¡±

    The World Cloud crept back into the void that had been carved, and in a flash, Gabriel started to hear all the alerts that were ¨C if he could properly see them ¨C blinking on his HUD.

    Scyren¡¯s hair darkened with the black coloration again, and it looked up and around, as though the Cloud itself were watching it, but turned its attention back to the vile thing pleading at its feet, ¡°Made you?¡± It mocked, and turned around, forcing Gabriel down to his knees in so doing.  Those armored fingers bit down hard into the top of his shoulders as Scyren leaned in over him from behind, ¡°How about we unmake you?¡±

    Darkened shapes were starting to refine themselves to Gabriel¡¯s sights, and as he grit his teeth against the bruising pain of that grip, he caught that first fleeing glimpse at Aamin¡¯s twisted form up-close.  He wretched in disgust at it, but Scyren wouldn¡¯t let him go, and jostled him back into place.

    ¡°This is what we created to make it possible for me to escape, Gabriel.¡± Scyren taunted, ¡°This pitiful anchor with the barest residue of the Limitless on him¡­  Now, look at what he¡¯s been reduced to.  A confused mess of rot and resentment, with no idea where his own wish for death begins, and the infection¡¯s desire for reunion ends.  But none of your cohorts has the power to end his pain¡­  You do, though.¡±

    Gabriel felt his heart skip a beat, and he was shoved closer, forcing him to put his hands into the burnt dirt, ¡°I¡¯m not¡­doing anything you want.¡± He growled, ¡°Let her go!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice.¡± Scyren retorted, and let his right shoulder go just long enough to grab his head by the hair instead, and pulled him back to see those unwillingly-illuminated eyes.

    Gabriel was horrified by the sight, but that visceral reaction paled in comparison to the way his very soul recoiled against the feeling of invasion.  Virulent red miasma blended to Gabriel¡¯s gold, and the cacophony of whispering-screams sounded throughout his mind, far clearer than it ever was when he stood next to the Void Scar.  When he felt his head wrenched forward again, he was made to watch as his own power manifested around Aamin¡¯s grotesque form.  Subtle arcs of purple light flitted around that twisted frame, ¡°Stop¡­stop it!  What are you doing!?¡± He barked¡­pleaded.

    ¡°Watch.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± He argued, and tried to force his eyes shut, only to find it impossible, It won¡¯t let me look away!?

    It only took a few more seconds; Aamin suddenly spewed black blood to the ground, gurgled, and coughed.  Chunks of something came out of him, and the unmistakable sound of bones cracking sounded.  The cursed man¡¯s body started to break and contort, folding into itself in ways that shouldn¡¯t have been possible. Red spritzed out of him from the pressure, and Gabriel felt it hit his face just as Aamin¡¯s entire frame simply¡­vanished.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The feeling of dreaded-takeover ended, like a flood had approached and had been driven back by high walls.  But there was no mistaking it; Gabriel could feel that it was his own Limitless that had crushed Aamin.  Pressed into such a tiny space that he was practically invisible, the very atoms of his body reforged and fused into something entirely different.  Gabriel felt the tiniest tap of a stone bounce off his left knee, but the persistent, deafening sound of those tormented wails pierced through him like knives, forcing his attention elsewhere.

    There was one voice within the maelstrom that caught his attention though.  One specific, painfully recognizable voice.

    Ren¡­!

    Something flipped in him, and Gabriel twisted free.  His knees grinded painfully as he turned, but he found himself facing the entity wearing the Fafnir¡¯s face.  Scyren looked a bit surprised, and the connection it had made was lost.  Gabriel had both hands on either side of the overtaken woman¡¯s head, palms over her cheeks and thumbs to her brows to cover her eyes, ¡°Let her go!  I know she¡¯s still in there!¡±

    Scyren buckled and dropped to its knees, ¡°How are you¡­doing this¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ren, if you can hear me, you¡¯ve gotta come up!¡± He called out, ¡°Come back!¡±

    The dark aura emanating from Scyren¡¯s eyes seemed to flicker a little, but it refused to give up, and braced itself to rise back to its feet, ¡°You can¡¯t just¡­suppress me¡­  You have¡­an obligation¡­¡±

    ¡°Let her go, damnit!¡±

    ¡°Pull me out, then!¡±

    ¡°NO!¡±

    Scyren felt that snap like a punch to the chest, and staggered where it stood.  Gabriel¡¯s eyes flared brighter than before, and he could feel the entity¡¯s grip on Ren¡¯s psyche waning.  He wasn¡¯t sure how he was doing it, but simply wanting to force it down seemed to be enough to make it happen.  One of her eyes was released, looking at him past his thumb with trembling fear, but the other refused to give up its oily ichor.  Gabriel moved his hand out of the way, and pressed his brow to hers, cupping his palm around the back of her head as he lowered them both down.

    ¡°Fight, Ren¡­!  You have to fight¡­  Come back to the surface¡­!  You¡¯re almost there!¡±

    One of Scyren¡¯s hands came up and grabbed at the man¡¯s chest, one last threat on its lips as it felt itself losing that fight, ¡°You¡¯ll¡­never get rid of me¡­  Not until you¡­do it¡­yourself¡­¡± It said, and ¨C at the last ¨C finally fell limp entirely.

    The golden light from Gabriel¡¯s eyes whipped and thrashed but then faded as quickly as it appeared, and he was left heaving for breath.  The oily mist was gone, and Ren was there ¨C unconscious ¨C but herself.  Hands collapsed at her sides, and the weight of her armor became rather apparent, pulling him down until he could get a knee under the back of her shoulders.

    The stillness and quiet ¨C save for the crackling fires ¨C was distracting, but Gabriel kept his sights on the fallen Fafnir.  Feeling that the haunting presence had vanished ¨C at least for the moment ¨C he collapsed to sit, and pulled the woman over his lap, ¡°Ren¡­can you hear me¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­Mn¡­mnmh¡­¡±

    A sense of relief washed over him, and he slouched slightly as he finished catching his breath.  It had only lasted a few seconds, but the lingering feeling of that freakish link made him extremely uneasy.  He shook his head to try and clear it, and pinched at the bridge of his nose.  He suddenly became acutely aware of his surroundings, and the lack of a certain someone he¡¯d arrived with.  He craned his head slightly, ¡°¡­X-Xanarken¡­!?¡± He called out, trying to find where the Fouth had reformed himself, only then to finally notice the alerts on his overlay flashing that the Eidolon had been offline that whole time.  His breath caught in his throat, but before he could contact anyone about it, he spotted Furion clambering over the edge of the broken cliff.

    The Captain¡¯s helmet had been cracked, and he finally reached up to pull it off, throwing it to the ground as he took a pained step forward, ¡°¡­Lugios¡­you c-can¡¯t¡­be here¡­¡± He grunted, yelling it as loudly as he could, ¡°It¡¯s not safe¡­to be around her¡­!¡±

    Gabriel stared in bafflement for a moment, eyes narrowed at the man, but when realization struck, he recoiled, ¡°You knew!?¡±

    That once-radiant armor had been broken by the assault, and between the mangled wing-arm and the dent from the kick, Furion was a sore sight.  The whole thing dripped with lake-water, but he took a step closer anyway, clutching at the chest-plate, ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to judge when you don¡¯t know what¡¯s been going on!¡±

    ¡°But you knew!¡± Gabriel barked back, ¡°It¡¯s Scyrexian, right!?  That¡¯s what took her over just now!?¡±

    The Captain looked a bit surprised, but he grunted a nod, ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°It¡­it¡¯s been killing your own people¡­!¡± The Vice countered, unsure if he was more offended on their behalf or angry, ¡°It body-swapped from Ianori into the Warp Magi, and then into her somehow, and you knew¡­  You knew and you did nothing!  You just¡­let her walk around like this!?  You¡¯re the reason she wouldn¡¯t talk to me, too, aren¡¯t you!?¡±

    ¡°¡­It wants you for something, Lugios¡­!  We were trying to keep it away from you!¡±

    ¡°I COULD HAVE HELPED HER!¡± He snarled back.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have possibly known that though!  We didn¡¯t know!¡± Furion barked bitterly, and was surprised to see the Vice trying to drag Ren further away as he tried to get closer, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing¡­?¡±

    ¡°You stay away from her!¡± Gabriel answered angrily, only to discover that her armor was too heavy to pull, and dropped back down to his knees with her on a section of semi-normal terrace, ¡°Half a year ago, you sent her to me thinking I¡¯d send her right back¡­  Like it was all some cruel joke at my expense, after years of having every step I took preceded by whatever Tarrock fucking Gallifey said about me¡­  It was already bad enough that people were scared of me because I¡¯d had an affliction since birth, but then you¡­  After she made it that long¡­  Even when she wanted to stay¡­  You took her back like it didn¡¯t even matter¡­¡±  He rubbed his nose on the front of his shoulder, eyes burning as much from the smoke as from his anguish, ¡°But now you¡¯re just taking her away again¡­  And here I was, trying to be understanding of the fact that you were there first, since I only just found out about you two¡­but now I¡­  Now I¡¯m just so fucking angry at you¡­¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t to spite you!  We don¡¯t know what it wants from you!¡± Furion argued, trying again to get closer, but stopped when he spotted the Vice¡¯s eyes flare.

    ¡°There it is; that¡¯s what she meant¡­  You¡¯re so damn busy being Captain Rydell that you can¡¯t stop for five goddamn minutes to be a normal human!¡± Gabriel snapped back, ¡°No wonder she was so keen to find someone else¡­¡±

    ¡°Nothing about what happened here has anything to do with our personal relationships, Lugios!¡±

    ¡°You could¡¯ve let her call me at least!¡±

    ¡°Ghosting you was her idea!¡± The Captain¡¯s breaths wavered slightly as his damaged armor poked into his side, and he grumbled painfully against it, ¡°She did that on her own¡­  She was worried that if she so much as heard your voice, she¡¯d feel compelled to find you¡­¡± He tried, and buckled forward, having to hold himself up with a hand against one knee, ¡°We were trying to figure out how to get rid of it¡­but nothing works¡­  If the host dies, it just moves on to the next one¡­  Ren thought that keeping it inside herself was the best possible solution, because at least then it¡­it wouldn¡¯t be able to take advantage of someone¡¯s affliction to make itself stronger¡­¡±  He gasped for air, and coughed, seeing easily that there was blood on his breath.  A few drops slid down the white shell on his arm, but he refused to think too hard about it, ¡°That thing is way beyond what we¡¯ve been trained to handle¡­  The only alternative is cold-stora-¡±

    ¡°Enough with the excuses!¡± The Vice complained, much to Furion¡¯s annoyance, ¡°All that highly-technical mumbo-jumbo and not one word about whether she¡¯s even okay!?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for that!¡±

    ¡°No time!?  You¡¯ve had this whole time, and all you¡¯ve done is bitch at me to get away from her!  Screw you!  I¡¯ll refuse my spot with the Eidolon if it means keeping her away from you.¡±

    Furion¡¯s brow wrinkled, ¡°¡­You can¡¯t just do that.¡±

    ¡°Watch me!¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m afraid the Captain has something of a point, Gabriel.¡± Came the unexpected voice of the First.  Those bicolored eyes turned to see the Eidolon, but once he found that distinct visage, Gabriel was sure the man looked devastated by something.  Rylen tried to keep a clear head, ¡°¡­You¡¯re the Fourth Wing of the Council now.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Xanarken is dead.¡±  He answered simply, ¡°As his second, it¡¯s on you to take his place.¡±

    ¡°¡­No¡­  How¡­could he be¡­?  He was just¡­¡± Gabriel¡¯s voice caught in his throat; he felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe.  His mind went blank; even seeing Ren start to open her eyes again didn¡¯t help anything make sense.  His vision started to faulter all over again as tears filled his eyes.  He wasn¡¯t sure what he was even looking at anymore as he buckled forward, but he felt a gentle arm settle around his shoulders, and everything else suddenly ceased to matter.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 84 â€“ A Moment Caught In Time, And A Secret Long In The Revealing

    The sound of his own mantle shattering was enough to make the Fourth feel nauseated.  His head spun, and he noted a sickly, metallic taste in his mouth.  He felt like he¡¯d been hit in the head with a hammer; one quick, hard strike directly to the crown.  Xanarken was certain that if the interface he wore hadn¡¯t been submerged in fluid, it would probably be smoking.

    He could hear alarms from all around as his pod sent out distress signals to the other Eidolon.  The lid hissed and shifted before he saw the face of the Fifth who ¨C for a change ¨C he actually welcomed.  She reached into the oily liquid to shove the interface off his head, and angled under his shoulders to help lift him up above the surface.

    ¡°X-Xanarken!¡± She called-out in worry, ¡°What happened!?  I think I¡¯m going to have to get Arbelos down here¡­  It looks like your entire access-node is fried.¡±

    The Fourth threw off the air-mask covering the lower half of his face, and coughed; blood poured from his nose as he leaned forward, dripping into the shimmering color of the stasis-fluid.  Both thin hands came up to clutch at his head, ¡°It¡¯s¡­killing me¡­  The pain¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s going to take a minute to get something down here to offer some relief.  What¡¯s going on?  Why did Rylen yell at me to come down here?  His call and the notice you¡¯d gone offline came practically at the same time¡­¡± Etienne wondered dubiously, and glanced aside as she spotted the Third manifest on the other side of the pod, ¡°Check his head-gear; something¡¯s wrong with it.¡±

    Xanarken wasn¡¯t sure how to answer, so he said the only thing that came to his agony-riddled mind, ¡°¡­It¡¯s complicated¡­I was attacked¡­¡±

    Arbelos held the interface in his hands, ¡°There¡¯s some peripheral damage but it¡¯s still serviceable.¡± He assessed, and his already-luminate eyes glowed even brighter as he ran a few diagnostics, ¡°Your profile is irreparably corrupted.¡±

    ¡°His profile¡­?¡± Etienne echoed, ¡°You mean¡­his mantle?¡±

    ¡°No; his Eidolonic profile.  Everything that was ever attached to the name Xanarken Tellan is damaged and will have to be rebuilt.  The corruption spread so far, it rendered his back-ups unusable.¡± The Third explained, rather matter-of-factly, and turned the assembly around in his hands, ¡°Although¡­there¡¯s another one here.  Must be one of the copies you made while crossing into the south.  I¡¯ll see if I can find some containers to load it on.¡±

    ¡°How long will it take to replace my profile?¡± The Fourth wondered, ¡°There¡¯s a¡­  Rylen will need my help right away¡­¡±

    ¡°Two weeks.  I can expedite it to 28 hours if I put everything else aside.¡±

    ¡°Shit¡­  It¡¯ll all be over by then.¡± Xanarken whispered; he heard the heart-rate monitor beep faster then, and he did his best to twist-around where he sat, only to get tangled in the cables attached to his flesh.  He swatted around helplessly, ¡°Turn it off!¡±

    ¡°Xanarken, easy¡­you¡¯re bleeding from every hole in your head right now.¡± Etienne warned, seeing the red slicks from his ears and eyes following those from his nose.  She reached for him though, and silenced the meter, ¡°I¡¯m sure that whatever is going on, Rylen can handle it on his own for a minute.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡­¡± He grumbled, and clasped at his head again.

    Rylen could not have manifested at a worse time, but there he was, frantic in his approach, ¡°You¡¯re okay!¡± He said, the relief on his voice evident.  He grabbed the open edge of the pod and looked a bit more skeptically at him though, ¡°¡­I stand corrected.  You¡¯re bleeding.  What happened?¡±

    The Third stared indifferently, and offered the metallic crown back before vanishing, ¡°I will acquire those pods and send the load-invite to this interface.¡±

    Etienne crossed her arms, ¡°Some kind of feedback through the Eidolon System.  He said he was attacked.  Last time that happened, it was because of a Warp Magi you two tussled with on the Sterling Rose.  What was it this time?¡±

    Rylen shook his head and slouched slightly where he stood, ¡°The Kitezans, they¡­sent Prince Aamin back.  They were doing an exchange with the Sargonians ¨C Duke Mardu for Prince Iresha ¨C but the ship carrying the Duke exploded on arrival, so both he and the Emperor are both dead.¡± He explained simply, watching the woman¡¯s expression darken with every word, ¡°Aamin though¡­  There¡¯s something seriously wrong with him¡­he¡¯s like a man possessed.  I only caught a glimpse on Dame Ren¡¯s stream, but he looks¡­wrong.¡± He lifted up again and gestured irritably at the Fourth, who to that point had been rather quiet, ¡°What the Hell were you thinking!?  After everything else, you just walked Gabriel into the fire yourself?¡±

    That earned a skeptical look from the Fifth.

    ¡°What were you two even doing over there?  Wasn¡¯t it enough that Gabriel got in her way last time he was sent in with her?¡± Rylen continued irritably, ¡°I have maybe 30 minutes before the entire Hadiran Accord is crawling up my ass about what happened in Trazad, and I need you to handle them while I deal with the direct response.  Prince Iresha¡¯s ship is only a couple hours out from Oceanside and we can¡¯t reach them anymore.¡±

    Xanarken had no answer, and just turned to look at the warbling image of his own feet through the ripples.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s the matter?  Is he deaf?¡± Rylen looked to Etienne.

    ¡°No¡­¡± She answered.

    The First turned back to his brother, and leaned down slightly in an effort to find his line of sight, ¡°Xanarken!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help you.¡± He finally answered, and avoided that orange-eyed gaze by looking at the golden weave of metal bands in his hands.  With a quick breath, he put the interface back on his head, though he didn¡¯t bother with leaning back under the water.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Etienne had tilted her head, giving a very confused look at the man sitting in his pod.  The both of them suddenly received their summons though, and she looked to the First, ¡°Arbelos said Xanarken had a second profile somewhere.  The main one got nuked.  This ought to be Arbelos saying he¡¯s ready to roll it out.¡±

    ¡°¡­A second profile?¡±

    ¡°Probably just the one left-over from your trip south.¡±

    Rylen could only manage a defeated laugh, but he steeled himself, ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine¡­  If we have to spread-out a bunch of those pods so they¡¯re in convenient places for a while, then¡­that¡¯ll just have to be what we do.¡±  He set a hand onto one of those pale wet shoulders, ¡°It¡¯ll be a pain in the ass, but you shouldn¡¯t need to be anywhere in Kitez anyway¡­  Gabriel can handle that part.  It¡¯ll be a little funny to watch you use glasses on a mantle to access the World Cloud though.¡±

    ¡°¡­Mhm.¡±

    ¡°Okay, see you in a second.¡± The First gave a pat and dissolved, and Etienne followed after him.

    Xanarken could only sit in anxious silence, listening to the uneasy hum of the SERAPHIM Engine at the front of the room.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Arbelos had gone to the nearest SkyFortress to Agartha, and had commandeered some pods from the ship¡¯s stores.  The First¡¯s meeting room was quiet save for them, and the Third crouched in front of the metallic orb.  The light on top flashed green, and he rose to take a step back.

    Rylen was half-distracted by the frustration of not knowing what was happening in Trazad; Ren¡¯s helmet was face-down in the dirt, and Furion¡¯s was dark.  He tapped a finger against his hip impatiently, ¡°What are they even doing out there?¡± He wondered quietly, and after a few seconds, heard that telltale sound of a mantle starting to form from the pod¡¯s supply.  He saw the shadow of legs first, and turned to face the man, ¡°Took you long enough.  For a minute I thought you were¡­¡±

    His words caught in his throat.

    Etienne tilted her head and gestured at the man, ¡°¡­Who the Hell is this?  Xanarken, you loaded the wrong thing.¡±

    Arbelos stared, ¡°There was only one mantle to load.¡±

    The both of them looked back at Rylen, then back to the fair-skinned, black-haired man standing opposite, with the half-baroque mask covering his right eye.

    Latheroux could only sigh, ¡°Like I said; I can¡¯t help you.¡±

    Rylen¡¯s wide-eyed stare narrowed, and he took an angry step forward, ¡°¡­It was you.  The¡­whole fucking time.¡±  He raised his hand out towards the other two, ¡°Etienne, please prepare your people for a full-scale invasion of Kitez.  Arbelos, thank you for your help here.  You can both go.¡±

    ¡°¡­Rylen?¡± Etienne dared.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Arbelos was already gone, and although she hesitated, Etienne followed after, a worried look on her face.

    Rylen¡¯s gaze went from annoyed to hateful, ¡°¡­Is Gabriel in on this charade, too?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Good.  Because if he was, I¡¯d have to kill him, too.¡± The First snarled, and quickly disappeared from that lonely space.

    Latheroux closed his one visible eye, and waited for the worst.  A few seconds of anxious trepidation passed, and he felt it¡­  The tightness around his throat started, and wound taut.  Latheroux grunted a restricted cough, and pulled his hands up towards his throat, grasping at unseen hands.  The mantle only finally collapsed back to the dust it had come from when Rylen jostled the interface-crown free, and Xanarken was forced to look out at the rage-filled eyes of the Eidolon who was strangling him with all his strength.

    .

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for that!¡± Furion barked.

    Gabriel just snarled back, ¡°No time!?  You¡¯ve had this whole time, and all you¡¯ve done is bitch at me to get away from her!  Screw you!  I¡¯ll refuse my spot with the Eidolon if it means keeping her away from you.¡±

    Rylen manifested a short ways away; none of the three figures present noticed him at first.  He had no idea what he was walking into, and he looked between the two arguing men with a vacant expression.

    ¡°¡­You can¡¯t just do that.¡±

    ¡°Watch me!¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m afraid the Captain has something of a point, Gabriel.¡± Rylen said abruptly, and stepped into view, ¡°¡­You¡¯re the Fourth Wing of the Council now.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    His eyes felt heavy, but Rylen pressed on, ¡°Xanarken is dead.  As his second, it¡¯s on you to take his place.¡±

    ¡°¡­No¡­  How¡­could he be¡­?  He was just¡­¡±

    Rylen could only wait so long before he made his way over towards the Captain, though he only went so far as to be in easy earshot, ¡°What¡¯s the status of this place?  You people keep taking your helmets off ¨C against regulation, I might add ¨C and it¡¯s impossible to monitor what¡¯s going on when you do.  I could only assume Aamin had been dealt with because I could hear you and Gabriel bickering at each other from wherever your helmet ended up.¡± He gestured around the blast-zone irritably.

    Furion grunted quietly and decided to exit from his armor, and the evidence of his injury became more obvious than just the dent.  Red had permeated from chest to foot, and the Captain felt it that much worse as his ribs were freed from the pain of the pressure, ¡°Lord Rylen¡­  The target was eliminated.  I can¡¯t guarantee that the area is secure until we run a perimeter but, preliminarily, I believe the worst is passed.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s going on with your armor?  How did a Fafnir take such heavy damage?¡±

    Teal eyes twitched slightly, and Furion grimaced, looking past the First to where Gabriel and Ren were still down; Ren had become lucid enough to comfort the newly-made Eidolon in his grief, I don¡¯t think Lord Rylen knows what happened¡­in the slightest¡­

    ¡°It was my fault, sir.¡±

    Rylen glanced back, and spotted Ren trying to get Gabriel back up to his feet, ¡°Come again?¡±

    Furion stared on incredulously, More lies¡­

    ¡°We were both going for the Prince at full tilt and ended up hitting each other.¡± She explained, ¡°You¡¯ll find that the dent on the front of the Captain¡¯s armor fits my right foreleg.¡±

    ¡°I know you want his job but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be so ready to take him out to get it.¡± The First shook his head, and pointed at the Captain, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re out for the moment.  I have people on the way here to secure the city, but until they arrive, you should seek medical attention from the Sargonians.  Dame Ren, get to the Buckler.  Captain Landon will be on point for the assault.  I¡¯ll divert the other Fafnir that way to meet you there.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    ¡°Gabriel, I need you to head that way as well.¡± Rylen continued, and turned his blank eyes towards the new Fourth, ¡°I know you have your skiff here in the city.  You¡¯re going to be addressing the Accord with me shortly.¡±

    Gabriel just gawked incredulously, eyes red with grief, ¡°You just told me my father is dead and you want me to-¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what I want you to do.¡± Rylen snapped, ¡°After all, I just told you my brother is dead, and I need to tell the alliance why we¡¯re about to carpet-bomb an entire country.¡±  He gestured out over the lake, ¡°Or did you forget that Prince Iresha is still out there?  If you don¡¯t want to think about the carnage I¡¯m about to unleash, then think about bringing him back¡­because when I¡¯m done, Sargon and Kitez are going to be one nation, and he¡¯ll be grateful for the fact that I sat his ass on that throne and not some puppet-governor like they¡¯re all worried about.¡±

    A taxing stupor had already settled in Gabriel¡¯s mind; his head felt tingly, and his ears were ringing.  He blinked hard and pinched at the bridge of his nose.

    ¡°I need you to get your shit together right now, Gabriel.¡± Rylen¡¯s voice caught him again, ¡°You can mourn when our business is done.  We have work to do.  ¡­We have to avenge the Duke, the Emperor¡­Xanarken¡­and all the people who are about to die because I let the Fourth fuck around two decades too long.¡±

    Gabriel lifted his eyes, and gave a sullen nod, ¡°¡­Okay¡­¡±

    Rylen hesitated to leave for a moment, but then finally dissolved.

    Ren waited a moment, but when she was sure the First wouldn¡¯t suddenly come back, she turned her eyes up to the blonde, ¡°¡­You¡¯re gonna make it.  Just take it one step ¨C one minute ¨C at a time.¡±

    Gabriel had to shake his head to regain some semblance of his wits, ¡°¡­How is it even possible that you¡¯re saying that after what just happened?  I just¡­  I just watched you kick the shit out of Furion and had to summon-up power I didn¡¯t even know I had to get that thing inside you to chill the fuck out¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, but that¡¯s exactly why¡­¡± She answered, and pulled her hands back, ¡°Whatever you did¡­it¡­  I can¡¯t feel it anymore.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not gone¡­I can promise you that¡­¡± Gabriel retorted cautiously, and set his hands on the outside of her armored shoulders, looking at her squarely in the eyes, ¡°It¡¯s going to come back¡­I don¡¯t know when or how, but¡­you have got to be so careful¡­  You can¡¯t put yourself at any unnecessary risk¡­¡±

    Ren couldn¡¯t help the flurry of nerves in her chest; hearing someone worrying about her and not just her situation was a bit of a marvel.  She swallowed a hard knot in her throat, but nodded, ¡°I know.  Whatever you did though, I trust it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what I did; that¡¯s the problem.  What do you know about that creature¡­?  What can we do?¡±

    For what it was worth, Ren stepped in under those arms and wrapped her own around the man¡¯s trunk, ¡°We can talk on the way.  You should call Maeve up here.  If we¡¯re both heading in the same direction, then I¡¯ll just catch a ride.¡±

    That hug was a momentary salve to Gabriel¡¯s distress, ¡°You don¡¯t know how happy I am that you pulled through¡­¡±

    ¡°Keep your eyes forward¡­  We¡¯re still in the thick of it.¡±

    Furion could only stare at them with a mix of anger and frustration, but the pain from Scyren¡¯s strike was starting to make him lightheaded, and he dropped to a knee.  It was enough to catch Ren¡¯s attention, and she pulled back from the hug.  He couldn¡¯t hear what she said to the new Fourth, but he could see the glow from her wings as she took-off vertically, leaving him there with just the man himself.  Gabriel made a few gestures to summon his skiff, and Furion grunted a pained breath, ¡°¡­You¡¯re no different than me, now.¡± He said, as though warning him as much as stating the fact, ¡°You let her lie about her condition, and what happened here¡­  You could tell that Lord Rylen didn¡¯t know what happened, and you didn¡¯t speak a whisper about it¡­because you knew what would happen if you did.¡±

    ¡°You and I are nothing alike.¡± Gabriel retorted, and dismissed his overlay as Maeve indicated it was coming, ¡°I¡¯m simply letting Ren speak for herself.  She¡¯s gone to tell the Sargonians where to find you.  I¡¯m sure that you did what you thought was the right thing, but your involvement here is ended.  Now it¡¯s time for a different approach.¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 85 â€“ Drifting Apart, Like Two Ships Passing In The Night

    Maeve arrived on the cliff-top within a few minutes, but Gabriel hesitated a moment to hop in.  The skiff hovered a few inches above the broken ground, and with a foot set on the threshold, he glanced back to see if his stow-away had seen.  Having moved to the front of the palace so crews could get in to put out the rear fires, Gabriel had a clear sight of the medical response personnel, and in turn, a clear sight of Furion.

    Ren was over there as well, but only long enough to tell them she was fine and was going to leave again.  There was a brief, awkward exchange between her and Furion as she went by, but quickly after, she made her way over to catch her ride, and put the whole thing behind her.  Gabriel stepped in to make room, and she followed-suit with a foot on the ledge and a hand on the open door.  She glanced back briefly, seeing that face watch her go, but she sucked in a breath, shut off the glow of her wings, and went within.  The door closed, and Maeve lifted off to head west over the lake.

    She held to the back of a seat for a few seconds as the ship leveled out, but then stepped out of her armor, and hooked her helmet over the top of the wing-arm.  With a grunt of a sigh, she flung herself into the co-pilot¡¯s seat, and stayed there with her eyes closed for a few seconds.  Once she opened them again and watched the forward-screen blankly, she shook her head and pivoted the back of it against the seat so she could see the new Fourth, ¡°¡­I never thought I¡¯d get to be where I am again.  The circumstances are really bitter-sweet, but¡­I¡¯m glad I got to fly with you again anyway.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not even sure what I¡¯ll do with Maeve once I don¡¯t need it anymore¡­¡± Gabriel answered anxiously, ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll give it to Seth.  He can paint it purple or something so it matches his new colors.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, maybe.¡±

    The water rushed beneath them in dubious silence for a little while, but Gabriel finally got the nerve to speak, ¡°¡­I know we have a lot of other stuff to go over, but I¡­  Uh¡­  Shit¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ren wondered, holding her right leg up on the chair, foot perched on the front of it, ¡°Besides the obvious, anyway¡­¡±

    ¡°I have 80 different things I want to say and ask, and I don¡¯t know where to start.¡± He huffed pitifully, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just start with the one that¡¯ll make the rest easier¡­  What¡¯s going on with Furion right now?¡±

    Ren lifted her head a little higher, but then looked away, ¡°I don¡¯t want to speak for the man.  We¡­haven¡¯t been getting along for the last couple days.¡±

    ¡°Is it over between you?¡±

    ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s safe to say so, yeah.¡± She answered, ¡°I haven¡¯t exactly said the words, but¡­it shouldn¡¯t take a genius to understand the vibe is off.  I beat him up and left him without a good way home, then I beat him up again¡­sort of.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s brow raised, ¡°¡­You beat him up twice?¡±

    ¡°Not sure if you noticed him limping into the fight when he did finally show up.  That¡­was because of me.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­  I thought you Fafnir were practically indestructible.¡±

    ¡°I did too, until we got our asses handed to us by Scyrexian¡¯s Warp Magi hosts.¡± Ren said, her tone shifting slightly, ¡°The Fafnir are in a bad way right now.  Everything we thought we were is¡­gone.  We¡¯ve been brought to our proverbial knees, and now I¡¯m stuck with the responsibility of containing the beast that brought us here.¡±

    ¡°How did you even¡­?  I mean, I thought you guys said you beat it¡­¡±

    Ren rubbed her face; the memory of it felt sickly under her skin, ¡°The fight was over.  The others had gone to start collecting bodies¡­or whatever was left of them.¡± She started, remembering too well the sense of loss that had crept in over those initial few minutes, ¡°I had landed next to the sundered armor of one of my subordinates¡­  The next thing I knew, Scyrexian had reforged itself with a new host¡­  We thought Lord Rylen scored a direct hit with the Aegis, but it must¡¯ve taken shelter inside that armor I was holding.  It took control of one of the Inquisitors that had died nearby, and used it to¡­drag me into the ruin.  It taunted me about doing things the hard way, right as I thought I dealt the killing blow¡­but I understood what it meant only after I noticed my hair turning white later on.¡± She explained, and waved her hand to turn off the color-app, revealing that shock of white.

    Gabriel stared in worried awe, ¡°¡­Damn.  When did that start?¡±

    ¡°I saw my roots starting to go on¡­er, well¡­the morning after you got to the Aegis.¡±

    ¡°So it had already started when we¡­¡±

    Her face went red, mostly for the shame of it, ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She answered, and was a little surprised to find the man¡¯s hand reach over to offer a comforting pet to her left thigh.  He didn¡¯t pull back though after that, and just rested it there, rubbing his thumb back and forth, ¡°¡­You¡¯re not mad?¡±

    ¡°Maybe I might¡¯ve been if you hadn¡¯t already seduced me.¡± He managed to tease.

    ¡°Seduced you.¡± She echoed incredulously, ¡°How and when did I manage that?  I feel like you don¡¯t mean the goodbye peck.¡±

    ¡°The reintroduction thing you did while we were fleeing from Kitez.¡± He explained, ¡°That was actually pretty clever.¡±

    Ren stared at that one visible blue eye, peering back at her now and then while he tried to fly.  She huffed a quiet laugh, and set her hand down over his, ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that simply saying ¡®hi I¡¯m Ren¡¯ was all it took¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, there was a little more nuance than that, but¡­in essence, yeah, I guess.¡± Gabriel said, and focused forward again.  He drew in a long breath as he considered his next words, but then gave that leg a gentle squeeze to get the woman¡¯s attention back again, ¡°¡­Circumstances being what they are, I feel like I shouldn¡¯t even broach the subject, but¡­if you¡­want to give me a chance, I¡¯ll figure something out.  The Eidolon still have to sleep sometimes¡­¡±

    ¡°I had a feeling you were just using it as an excuse to avoid the topic.  Earlier, I mean.¡± Ren surmised, and managed a smile as she set her head against the crest of her upturned knee, ¡°I know it was¡­kind of shitty of me to not tell you about Furion.  I had a chance to tell him about my weird way of being before we got together, so I guess I just¡­didn¡¯t want to poison the well when the circumstances were different.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve glanced a mention of it, but nothing more.  What are you suggesting?¡±

    Ren hesitated, and sighed a grumble, ¡°I guess I should explain¡­  I¡¯m¡­polyamorous.  Or at least I thought I was, until¡­I started taking a real accounting of what was happening.  Now I just wonder if I was already over it and was looking for an out that I couldn¡¯t find.¡±

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°What about Ravan?¡±

    ¡°¡­Harmless fun that was easier to come by while hiding from Lord Rylen.¡± She explained, a bit of an edge to her voice, ¡°Dating a Captain when you¡¯re his direct subordinate is hard to keep under the radar.  Apparently, we weren¡¯t as sneaky as we thought though, because Lord Rylen said he¡¯d already known for a while when it came up recently.  I actually thought it would make things with Furion easier, because we wouldn¡¯t have to be so careful¡­maybe it just made the futility of it all clearer.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you think you would¡¯ve come to blows with Furion eventually anyway?¡± Gabriel wondered dubiously, ¡°If not for the transfer, you¡¯d still be where you were before.¡±

    ¡°I wonder¡­¡± She said, her words drifting slightly, ¡°If Scyrexian¡¯s done anything since taking-up residence inside me¡­it¡¯s taken away a lot of the inhibitions I had before.  Things I¡¯d been living with ¨C tolerating ¨C and accepting without much resistance¡­  Maybe I would¡¯ve been content to let Furion sideline me until he was good and ready to retire, but now?  ¡­It¡¯s hard to tell where Scyrexian¡¯s influence made the biggest difference, or if it was just time.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I challenged him.  ¡­I want to be Captain, and I¡¯m tired of waiting.¡±

    ¡°Ren, that¡¯s really serious¡­  To actually declare your intent to unseat someone¡­¡±

    ¡°I know.  The filter¡¯s gone.  The agreement we had¡­¡± She clasped her free had over her eyes, and rubbed down to her cheeks, ¡°He was eventually going to resign the office and recommend me as his replacement, like his father did before him, and grandmother before them¡­  The Rydells have had a chokehold on the Fafnir leadership for generations.  He¡­actually thought it was kind of funny to skirt around handing it off to anyone else by asking me to marry him as he stepped down, so I¡¯d be the next Rydell to sit the throne.¡±

    Gabriel quirked a brow, ¡°I know I¡¯m speaking from an extremely biased position right now, but¡­that actually sounds really shitty.¡±

    ¡°For the longest time, I thought it was kind of romantic¡­¡± She shook her head in disbelief at herself, ¡°I¡¯m sure he thought along similar lines.  I can¡¯t stop myself from feeling like he was trying to erase me instead, though.  I hate thinking like this¡­  It feels wrong.  I know this isn¡¯t really me¡­and I know he didn¡¯t believe that, either.¡±

    ¡°Would Scyrexian really push you in that direction though?  What purpose would it serve?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s pushing me¡­not actively, anyway.¡± Ren curled her fingers around that hand a little tighter, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­making me impatient.  It makes me constantly ask myself, ¡®what are you waiting for?¡¯ like the concept of playing the long-game is unfathomable.  And I get these flashes of things in my mind - what feel like dreams to me, are memories to it, maybe? - where I can experience these moments it¡¯s had, and I can tell that it doesn¡¯t like waiting.  It¡¯s¡­inflecting onto me, making me get on with things that get me closer to what it wants.¡±

    ¡°So, you can see what it was doing before?¡± Gabriel wondered, ¡°Can you see how others have dealt with it?¡±

    ¡°¡­No¡­¡± She looked at the man worriedly, ¡°It comes unexpectedly, and it¡­feels like the things it shows me are curated.  Scaring me with nightmares of how it killed the other Fafnir¡­or tempting me with¡­uh¡­well, dreams of you.¡±

    That just made Gabriel¡¯s face light-up like a red bulb, ¡°¡­I see.¡± He said meekly, feeling all sense of focus vanish.  He let go of the piloting stick for a second to smack his cheek and regain some semblance of wit, ¡°¡­Um¡­well¡­  Right¡­  So¡­what¡¯s it¡¯s endgame?  Do you know why it wants to get to me so bad?¡±

    ¡°¡­Not exactly.  I know as much as you do, and that¡¯s just based on what it made me say at the palace.  About it having a deal it needs to fulfill.¡± She answered, and pinched her chin with her free hand, ¡°It¡¯s mentioned the Prime Mover stuff before¡­  And what it did with your affliction¡­¡±

    ¡°That was honestly terrifying and I never want to experience it again.¡± Gabriel quickly noted, ¡°It was horrifyingly invasive.¡±

    ¡°I felt it, too¡­¡± Ren agreed, ¡°It¡¯s like it hijacked you.  But what¡¯s weirder was how it was as if it was tasting your potential.  It wants to have access to the full scope of your capabilities¡­and for that brief second when it was connected to you, it felt like I was standing on the edge of a massive abyss.  It resents the fact that you won¡¯t let it in.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean this in a bad way but to Hell with that thing.  You can keep it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Well¡­¡± She shrugged her shoulders up and held for a moment, ¡°That¡¯s¡­kind of been what I figured would happen all along.¡±

    ¡°After you left to find the medics, Furion mentioned that we had lied to Rylen about your condition.¡± Gabriel pointed out, and glanced over at her, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to speak for you, and honestly I was still in too much shock about Xanarken to form a coherent thought anyway¡­but¡­  He¡¯s not entirely wrong, either.  Keep this from Rylen¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of what he¡¯ll do if he finds out, Gabe.¡± She explained simply, ¡°I had it under control before¡­  I was able to face you without it pulling the same shit it tried at the memorial.  Right up until the second Aamin showed up, Scyrexian-¡±

    ¡°Sorry, the memorial?¡± Gabriel interrupted, ¡°Is that why you looked scared of me and booked-it?¡±

    Ren sank into herself a bit, ¡°Yeah, sorry¡­  I don¡¯t know what changed between that whole day we spent together, where it didn¡¯t do a goddamn thing, and the memorial, when it actually got close enough to the surface that I lost sight of myself¡­but I haven¡¯t felt it since.  Not until Aamin.¡±

    ¡°¡­Everything about this creature is confusing and messy.¡±

    ¡°It had a piece of Scyrexian inside him.¡± Ren explained, ¡°I could feel it, like a heat-lamp.  But it¡­wasn¡¯t the same as me.  It was more like a sliver that had been broken-off inside him that festered out of control.  Scyrexian rejected him outright because of it.  I didn¡¯t know it was possible to feel that level of disgust, but¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­What did it make me do to him?¡±

    Ren hesitated a second, but then simply stated the fact, ¡°You compressed reality around him; made a space that¡¯s normally person-sized and changed it to the size of a bean.  It¡¯s just like I was trying to figure out before¡­  You don¡¯t just cut stuff.  You can manipulate space like it¡¯s clay in your hands; splitting things was just one facet of the whole.¡±

    ¡°I tried calling you the other day about it¡­I think I figured out something else about it, too.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing.  Feeling at things on the other side of the room from myself, like you told me.¡± He started, ¡°But at one point I had actually been able to pull something towards myself, more than I would¡¯ve been able to normally, like if I¡¯d picked the thing up with my real hands.  At first, I didn¡¯t know how to describe it, because it happened when I wasn¡¯t looking¡­but then at the palace, just the other day, I think I teleported.¡±

    Ren leveled a look at him, ¡°¡­Come again?¡±

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the wrong word¡­  I think¡­I swapped places with the thing I was holding?  Or went to it?  Whatever it was, it caused the heel of my boot to get stuck in the floor!¡± He said, and gestured at his right foot, momentarily dissipating the nanotech replacement he¡¯d been using, ¡°I had to replicate a fake one so I wouldn¡¯t have to explain why I suddenly had new ones!¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s¡­honestly incredible.¡± She ascribed, ¡°¡­My Fafnir mind is going crazy right now, trying to figure you out on the fly.  I honestly don¡¯t think we¡¯d be able to take you down if you ever went rogue.¡±

    Gabriel scoffed, ¡°Don¡¯t say that!  I could never.  Everything I¡¯ve ever known and loved is with the Council.¡±

    Ren blinked at him.

    Gabriel felt all the blood leave his face as a dread worry settled in, ¡°¡­Sorry, is that coming off heavy-handed?  I feel like I¡¯ve done that twice now.  I have such serious whiplash about everything at the moment¡­¡±

    She just puffed a quiet laugh and turned where the man¡¯s hand was still resting on her thigh, and slipped her fingers through his before pulling the whole thing up to kiss his knuckles, ¡°It¡¯s¡­the kind of thing I¡¯ve been wanting to hear for a long time.  I just didn¡¯t expect to hear it from you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Maybe we¡¯ve both been a little neglected for a while.¡±

    ¡°A couple of love-starved fools.¡±

    ¡°Just in time for me to take Xanarken¡¯s place as the Fourth Eidolon¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, I knew that was coming.¡± Ren offered what comfort she could, rubbing the man¡¯s thumb with her own, ¡°Like you said, we¡¯ll figure something out.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t even feel real.¡± Gabriel said, that whiplash really biting him now, ¡°I know I heard the words, but¡­I¡¯ve seen Xanarken disappear a million times before, and he always comes back.  That flash of light¡­I couldn¡¯t see through it, so whatever happened to him completely escaped me.  How do I accept that the man is really dead if I¡­don¡¯t even have a body to look at¡­?  He¡¯s just¡­gone now?  And all I have to go by is that notification from the Eidolon System that he¡¯s offline?  Rylen went offline once, and he came back¡­¡±

    ¡°For the sake of your wellbeing, I¡¯d suggest not thinking about it for now.  Let yourself have the mental space to deal with what¡¯s going to happen in ¨C or rather, to Kitez.¡± Ren recommended, ¡°You¡¯ve got to get ready to tell the whole Hadiran Accord what just took place in Trazad, and¡­I imagine you might be the one to tell the kid¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah¡­¡±

 Book I â€“ Chapter 86 â€“ Trickles Can Often Be A Precursor To A Deluge

    Seeing the massive military presence around Oceanside had made Iresha extremely nervous. Between the three Magistrates bringing their flagships to bear, surrounded by dozens of smaller ships, and the ominous and massive repurposed colony ship ¨C with the Eye of Kitez emitting that subtle green glow as it waited for an excuse ¨C it looked as though the city was expecting to go to war. When the Sargonian skiff he was on finally landed, and the doors were opened to allow him out, he found his own entourage swiftly taken into custody as if they were criminals.

    Iresha himself wasn¡¯t manhandled quite so stiffly, but those Kitezan soldiers weren¡¯t ready to take attitude from him either. Guns were pointed at him, and he was told ¨C with no uncertain terms ¨C that if his eyes so much as flickered, he¡¯d be taking a concussive round straight to the chest. He swallowed a nervous lump in his throat, and held his hands up slightly in a gesture of complacency.sette

    Spotting the Duchess a short distance away from the bottom of the stairwell, the nerves crept all the way up the Prince¡¯s spine all over again, ¡°¡­Your Grace.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Your Majesty.¡±

    He tilted his head, ¡°¡­That¡¯s¡­not my title.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you come down from there?¡± Far¡¯nah cooed, and gestured warmly, ¡°We have so much to catch-up on. I haven¡¯t seen you since¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Since I was 14.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ve grown into quite the young man.¡± She countered, ¡°You must be tired from your long journey. There¡¯s a room ready for you.¡±

    ¡°Why is your entire army in the sky?¡± The Prince wondered, and gestured up into the night, ¡°And that big ship? That¡¯s the one the Luminaries are all angry about, right?¡±

    ¡°Your first question is informed by the second.¡±

    The Kitezan soldiers nudged the Prince forward with rifle-muzzles at his back, and he finally descended. Boots touched to the cobblestone ¨C the ship was far too large to land on just one section of grass, and had laid itself across the entire front half of the courtyard ¨C and the enormity of the situation really became apparent. He watched his three guards shoved away towards the Duchy¡¯s household, ¡°¡­Why are you being so aggressive with my people? This was an agreed-upon exchange.¡±

    ¡°We agreed to you.¡± The smarmy woman answered, ¡°Hostages don¡¯t get a personal guard.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hostage!?¡±

    ¡°What else did you think this was, Your Majesty?¡± Far¡¯nah quipped, ¡°You weren¡¯t sent here to be married. You have no need for hand-maids to attend to you and remind you of the home you left behind. You are here purely for the sake of a particular kind of diplomacy.¡±

    Iresha narrowed his eyes slightly, ¡°¡­Then let me guess, my room is a cell?¡±

    ¡°Astute. It¡¯s only temporary, though, so worry not.¡±

    The Prince felt himself getting jostled forward again, and resisted irritably, ¡°My father wouldn¡¯t be treating Duke Mardu like this!¡±

    The Duchess just glanced tepidly, ¡°Your father won¡¯t be doing a lot of things. Go on then, take him.¡±

    ¡°¡­What does that mean?¡± Iresha growled as the soldiers took his arms. He was surprised by how roughly they moved him then, but he defiantly twisted back anyway, ¡°What does that mean!?¡±

    .

    The Buckler was still a 20min flight away when Gabriel got the notification from Rylen that the Hadiran Accord was about to go into emergency session. With nothing but open water in every direction, Gabriel gave a needy look to the woman next to him, ¡°Can you take over the controls? Looks like it¡¯s happening right now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, of course.¡±

    He lifted up from his seat as Ren took the flight-stick, and moved out of the way as she fluidly hopped over into his spot. With a quick breath to try and calm his nerves, Gabriel made his way to the back of the ship, and ¨C while careful not to run into the intimidating red armor crouched there ¨C turned the skiff¡¯s third seat around, sat, and mentally prepared to give the worst announcement of his life.

    ¡°¡­And we are joined now by Lord Gabriel Lugios, Eidolon of the Fourth¡­¡± Rylen was already saying.

    ¡°Holy fucking Hell they¡¯re throwing me right into the middle of it.¡± He complained loudly, and cleared his throat before connecting, his overlay giving his eyes a subtle glow as his sights were completely replaced, ¡°¡­Sorry if I¡¯m delayed? I only just received the notice to join. Where are we with the talk right now?¡±

    ¡°The Accord would like to know what happened at the palace in Trazad. The part you witnessed.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± He voiced awkwardly, ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t there the whole time. Is the Accord already aware of our losses?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Hence your introduction being what it was.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡± Gabriel lowered his head; to his sights, the anonymous faces of everyone in that coliseum-shaped hologram were facing him, ¡°¡­Very well¡­¡± He cleared his throat nervously, and recounted the unfortunate tale of what he saw¡­with asterisks, ¡°I came in as former-Prince Aamin was attacking Dame Ren of the Fafnir. With my affliction, I was able to put an end to him. Both her and Captain Furion Rydell escaped the attack without severe injury. When Dame Ren and I departed to dock with the Buckler, the Sargonians were still putting out the fire. Emperor Iresha¡­Duke Mardu¡­everyone in the blast radius¡­ I don¡¯t know if there will be much of them to find.¡±

    ¡°Duke Mardu was there? Why? And what about Prince Iresha?¡± The representative from Stonebroken Isles asked, ¡°We know the Sargonian flagship brought him home from Agartha only the day before!¡±

    Gabriel made a face and spoke quietly to himself, ¡°He told them about Xanarken but not about why there was an explosion?¡± He shook his head, ¡°Ren, I¡¯m about to say some stuff that can¡¯t leave this space unless or until Rylen mentions it to you.¡±

    ¡°Roger that.¡±

    He reconnected, ¡°Let me start over¡­seems there are some pieces of information that haven¡¯t been disseminated yet. The Fourth had been in talks with Duke Mardu and was aware of his desire to leave Kitez. The Emperor had also been involved, and had subsequently offered to act as a proxy, and was willing to take him in, since the Duke was his distant cousin. On his own accord, and without the involvement of the Council, Emperor Iresha arranged a deal with Duchess Far¡¯nah¡­Duke Mardu in exchange for the Prince. It wasn¡¯t an ideal situation and the Emperor was not happy about it, but the Prince apparently got ahead of him while observing the meeting and volunteered himself to go. In any case¡­the exchange began this morning, but when the Kitezan vessel bearing the Duke arrived at Trazad, it exploded, killing both the Duke and the Emperor, who had been there to receive him. The Prince is presumably unharmed and has likely arrived ¨C or is close to arriving ¨C at Oceanside. Our intent must be to get him back.¡±

    Ren made a face as she glanced around at the back of the seat Gabriel was in, ¡°¡­They sent the Prince away? What would an exchange like that hope to accomplish?¡± She whispered to herself, ¡°¡­And for the Duchess to send a bomb to Trazad, she had to have done that with the full awareness that it would kill both men. Our response is anticipated. She¡¯s walking us nose-first into something big¡­¡±

    The Accord was awash with angry murmuring and whispers, but Rylen held his hand up to bring order again.

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    ¡°But what happened to Lord Xanarken?¡± The representative from Gesh¡¯ko asked, ¡°An Eidolon being killed¡­! That¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t even want to say unheard of because it sounds too clich¨¦, for the fact that the Eidolon don¡¯t even have physical bodies present to be attacked.¡±

    ¡°Something about Aamin¡¯s corruption made it possible for him to reach into an Eidolon¡¯s mantle and damage the user. We saw this once before, but it didn¡¯t leave lasting damage. This time¡­whatever happened, it created an explosive pillar of light, and when I got my vision back, Xanarken was¡­gone¡­¡± He lowered his head; Ren turned back to look at him worriedly, but stayed quiet.

    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t actually see what happened to him.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a very explicit inference based on ¡®he was there before the light shone, and gone after it went out.¡¯ I found out from Lord Rylen himself that Xanarken had passed away.¡± Gabriel chided, ¡°I take the man at his word.¡±

    Rylen ¡®looked up¡¯ from where his normal-appearing mantle stared at the large anonymous shape that Gabriel had taken in that meeting-space, and sighed quietly to himself, ¡°We¡¯ll go back through the footage later and see if either of the Fafnir didn¡¯t catch something that can help explain what actually happened.¡± He turned his attention back to the Accord, ¡°All told, Lord Gabriel is correct; we need to get into Kitez to bring Prince Iresha back. He¡¯s the future of Sargon, and when I¡¯m done with the place, Kitez as well.¡±

    ¡°¡­You would make the Prince an Emperor of two nations?¡± Mayrain questioned.

    Rylen simply gestured towards the Fourth, and Gabriel realized he was on the spot to make it make sense, ¡°¡­The¡­people of Kitez would respond better to a familiar ruler than to a conqueror.¡± He said cautiously, ¡°The Council will not be kind of the Duchess when we arrive at Oceanside, but Prince Iresha has been coming of age with us at his side. I know him fairly well. He¡¯s headstrong enough to look like he¡¯s making choices of his own volition, but pliable enough that he would agree with us if put to task. Kitez would know calm and peace far sooner if he were to take the reigns after the defeat we¡¯re about to hand them, than if we were to install a puppet to govern.¡±

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t intend to apprehend her? This is a premeditated killing?¡± Chiron¡¯Thule asked stiffly, ¡°Just as she accused the Council of previously. You¡¯re not doing yourself any favors by making her story seem more credible.¡±

    ¡°Duchess Far¡¯nah must be held accountable for the pain she¡¯s unleashed on Sargon; that, I think we can all agree on. There is no doubt whatsoever that the ship she sent to Trazad was rigged, and detonated only when it arrived at its destination. Prince Aamin was even protected by the blast by something of a sarcophagus, which opened to let him out after, as though she intended for him to survive the conflagration and inflict more pain on whoever arrived to pick up the pieces. Dame Ren and I just went over her footage.¡± Gabriel explained; one particular thorn in his side ¨C the imagery of Xanarken approaching to take Ren¡¯s helmet off - had to go unmentioned, ¡°How the Duchess chooses to conclude her arc is up to her. We will take her into custody if she surrenders, but if she doesn¡¯t¡­we will take any necessary measures to end this swiftly.¡±

    ¡°¡­That is to say, she will not be Duchess of Kitez by noon tomorrow either way.¡± Rylen finished, ¡°This assembly was called upon not to ask permission, but to see which of you stands beside us. My fleet is already moving into the country. Oceanside effectively has until sunrise to make peace with its fate. Every city and military installation we pass will be afforded one chance to stand-down. I don¡¯t want to give the Prince a ravaged countryside, but I no longer have patience for this resistance.¡±

    Murmurs spread throughout the meeting hall.

    Gabriel felt his heart fluttering wildly; nerves, grief, worry, and the fact that Rylen was throwing grenades at him to dodge on the fly, were forcing a cognitive reflexiveness that he wasn¡¯t used to. A grim recollection settled on him, If I hadn¡¯t been trying to get involved at the palace, I would¡¯ve been talking to Rylen about all this before the session started¡­ He really isn¡¯t waiting around for me to be available¡­ I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a sign of his trust that I can jump right in, or a dare for me to screw up so he can take it all over¡­ His brow wrinkled slightly, Or maybe this is just how he¡¯s dealing with his own grief over Xanarken¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m arranging a relief-force to head to Trazad.¡± Rylen started again, ¡°Lady Etienne of the Fifth will be attending to them herself before following into Kitez. The Escutcheon of the First will be heading that way as well. All nine Sixth Wing SkyFortresses ¨C who, until now, have been maintaining a secure perimeter around Kitez ¨C are moving inward, all on a course towards Oceanside. Moving at different speeds, there will be two primary waves for the frontal-assault, followed by the First and the Fifth¡¯s joint recovery operation. Lord Gabriel is, as he stated, on his way now to the Buckler, and from there will he proceed ahead of the fleet to attempt one last negotiation with the Duchess; total and unconditional surrender, or napalm. The Tuonela is still currently stationed at Oceanside and all 70,000+ passengers will be recovered by tomorrow. If Gesh¡¯ko, Chiron¡¯Thule, and Mayrain want to participate, you may still be able to catch up. The rest of you, we will be glad to accept any assistance in restoration efforts after the invasion is over.¡±

    ¡°Mayrain stands ready to send a cavalry.¡± Their representative announced, ¡°We agree with sitting Prince Iresha to lead both countries.¡±

    ¡°Gesh¡¯ko will also provide offensive capabilities.¡± That one added, ¡°Lord Xanarken was a friend to us. We will not allow his killing go unpunished.¡±

    ¡°¡­Chiron¡¯Thule will offer recovery aid, but we will not participate in a violent coup.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± Rylen acknowledged, ¡°Under the authority vested to me as the Eidolon of the First and Sixth Wings of the Luminary Council, I, Rylen Vor¡¯antiss, hereby disable the World Cloud border-barrier protocol with Colony-territory: Kitez. ¡­And with that done, we are concluded for now. I need to go speak with my Captains.¡±

    The First vanished from the meeting-space, and Gabriel quickly left as well, heaving a tense breath as his vision finally clarified back to the imagery of Maeve¡¯s interior. He could only stare forward blankly for a moment, and cast his eyes towards Ren¡¯s armor again as the weight of it settled on his shoulders. He made his way to the front again and took Ren¡¯s former seat, ¡°¡­He just let the Cloud into Kitez. And I think I¡¯m going straight into a meeting once we get to the ship. I was just volunteered to go ahead of the fleet for one last performance.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alone? As your normal, fleshy, and quite-killable self?¡± Ren surmised warily, ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡±

    ¡°Well, Arbelos said two weeks when he scanned me, so¡­I don¡¯t know that I have any other options. If I¡¯m going into Kitez as I am, then I¡¯m not diverting to Agartha to get my mantle.¡±

    ¡°Do you want controls back?¡±

    Gabriel hugged his arms around himself and set a finger over his lips contemplatively, ¡°¡­Nah.¡±

    ¡°You better not be thinking of your last words right now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not, I¡¯m not¡­¡± He waved his other hand dismissively, ¡°I¡¯m just thinking¡­if I¡¯m going to be leading this charge, then I would be-¡±

    ¡°A sitting duck.¡±

    ¡°¡­And also potentially in a position to find the kid. Far¡¯nah could end up using him as a meat-shield to protect herself.¡± He suggested, ¡°That might be the whole reason she asked for him, unlikely as it was that she¡¯d have gotten the Emperor to agree. Although¡­having Aamin could have tipped the scales. Iresha might¡¯ve been forced to agree either way.¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t like this plan.¡± Ren commented, ¡°You¡¯ve just been given the Fourth Wing because Lord Xanarken got zapped, and now Lord Rylen¡¯s sending you ahead? There must be something else.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking there probably is¡­but we need to get to the Buckler first to find out.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s right there, so¡­hopefully we find out soon.¡± She nudged her head towards the blip of light ahead of them in the sky, barely visible against the arrival of the stars, ¡°That¡¯s the ship Ravan¡¯s been stationed at. I¡¯ll hang out with her while you¡¯re dealing with the Captains¡¯ meeting.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you broke up with her? Wouldn¡¯t she be upset to see you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Ren glanced over, ¡°Oh, no¡­our relationship was never one of emotional attachment. We¡¯re still friends¡­there were just perks for a while. All I did was say we shouldn¡¯t do that part anymore. She actually teased the idea of bringing you into things a couple times.¡±

    Gabriel just covered his face with both hands, ¡°¡­Man¡­"

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Oh, nothing¡­you know, I¡¯m just a guy who spent most of my life terrified of the Fafnir, and now I¡¯m not only involved with one, but another apparently recommended a threesome.¡± He shook his head and clasped the flats of his palms together, ¡°I am conflicted.¡±

    Ren puffed a laugh; the Buckler was starting to loom as they neared, ¡°Would you have, though?¡±

    Eyes narrowed slightly as he considered, but then answered the question with one of his own, ¡°¡­Am I a man or a joke?¡±

    ¡°Gods, she would absolutely go wild if she knew. Furion would never¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go revealing all my dirty laundry to her so quick.¡± Gabriel resumed his crossed-arm disposition, ¡°That answer was only valid until around an hour ago. I¡¯m too wrapped-up in my head to consider much more than us right now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡±

    The Buckler¡¯s hangar was already open, and Ren piloted the little red skiff to land. It was no surprise at all to see Rylen there waiting for them, with the armored visage of the ship¡¯s solitary Fafnir beside. Maeve came to rest, and the circular platform it rested on started to rotate to face the back of the vessel towards the waiting entourage.

    Gabriel stood by the rear exit, a hand out to open the door, but hesitated. Ren came around as well, but since she didn¡¯t immediately get into her armor, it was clear they both had the same thing on their minds. They each turned toward one another and stepped close, his arms over her shoulders as hers went around his sides.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be over soon.¡± The Fourth offered, ¡°I¡¯ll reach out when we¡¯re done.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Ren answered, and pulled back from the man¡¯s chest to find an expected kiss. She reactivated the black coloration to her hair as she moved to reequip her armor, and once she was ready, the larger of Maeve¡¯s two exits slid up and open, and they stepped out into the hangar.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 87 â€“ Let The Truth Speak For Itself

    ¡°Eidolon of the Fourth on deck!¡±

    Salutes went out, and Gabriel looked around skeptically.  Ren stayed slightly behind him and on his right, and as he approached the First, he looked on carefully, ¡°Where to?  Your usual meeting room?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s coming as well.¡± Rylen nudged his head towards Ren, ¡°You¡¯re acting Captain and I need you in.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡± She answered with a stoney demeanor; Gabriel had no doubt she was screaming internally.

    Ravan looked a bit surprised, ¡°¡­Where¡¯s Captain Rydell?¡±

    Ren just waved a hand down to make her be quiet, and the woman grumbled slightly.

    ¡°By the time the meeting is over, Sirs Jense and Corbin should be close.¡± Rylen added, then turned slightly, ¡°I¡¯ll meet you two up there.¡±

    Gabriel turned to look over his shoulder, ¡°Shall we?  Captain Nibasai.¡±

    She practically vibrated with excitement, ¡°Wait, wait¡­¡± She frantically enabled her wing-effects, and squealed with delight when she saw that her wings had updated already; the two massive extremities were now joined by a second smaller pair lower on her back, ¡°Oh my god it¡¯s happening.¡±

    ¡°What happened to the Captain though?¡± Ravan asked again, ¡°Why won¡¯t anyone even mention him?¡±

    Ren stepped closer and set a hand to her friend¡¯s arm, ¡°It¡¯s bit of a story, but he¡¯s fine¡­he just can¡¯t fly or fight right now.  Armor was damaged.¡±

    Ravan could only blink in confusion, ¡°¡­What?  His armor is broken but he¡¯s fine?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t explain it in detail, I gotta go!¡± Ren puffed, and quickly followed after the Fourth to find Rylen¡¯s meeting-room on the bridge-deck.  She kept her wings on as long as she could before finally turning off the solid-light effect, ¡°It¡¯s going to take a minute to get used to the second set¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned before that you can move them like they¡¯re extensions of your physical body, right?¡± Gabriel wondered, an arm over her shoulders as they went up the elevator.

    ¡°Yeah!  They can be really emotive, too, like a cat fluffing-up its fur when startled.¡± She answered, ¡°But I have no concept for the second pair yet.  They¡¯ll follow-along with the big ones until I do.¡±

    The elevator opened again and the duo made their way along that familiar path; although most SkyFortresses had a unique external design, the core floor-plan within was largely the same, making it easy for crew to get around no matter which ship they found themselves stationed aboard.  The meeting room itself was identical on every ship, and when Gabriel stepped through, he glanced back at Ren with a tense ¡®here we go¡¯ kind of look.  She pressed a hand to his lower back to nudge him through, and followed after.

    Rylen was there waiting, with the holograms of every Captain ¨C save the Buckler, who was there in person ¨C already present.  To their surprise, Ren immediately made her way to the Aegis¡¯ empty spot, and the light above it dimmed to indicate the system¡¯s recognition of her rank.

    ¡°Dame Ren is acting for the Aegis while Captain Rydell is out of commission.¡± Rylen explained, ¡°He will be coming to the Buckler soon but is still presently in Trazad. In any case¡­there are some other updates to give before we discuss the plan for specific movements.  First, Lord Xanarken is dead; Lord Gabriel is now the full and sole Eidolon of the Fourth.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for reactions; the Captains were fairly disciplined, even if Tarrock Gallifey ¨C on the diagonally-opposite end of the horseshoe-table from Ren¡¯s spot ¨C sneered disapprovingly the whole time, ¡°Second, both Emperor Iresha the Elder of Sargon, and Duke Mardu of Kitez, are also dead.  As noted in the pre-meeting summons, Prince Iresha is a hostage of Duchess Far¡¯nah and is a top priority for retrieval.  The Fafnir will be moving out solo in an effort to retrieve him before the main host arrives.  Third, Lord Gabriel will be going shortly ahead of the fleet to give Far¡¯nah one last chance for unconditional surrender ¨C of both Kitez and the Tuonela.¡±  He looked directly at Gabriel, ¡°Unconditional surrender being the operative terminology here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s understood.¡± He answered.

    Rylen stared for a moment anyway, and his eyes narrowed in brief skepticism, but he turned back to the Captains, ¡°The World Cloud has already been allowed to flow into Kitez, and will flood the country within hours.  We shouldn¡¯t have any issues with accessibility as we follow it.  The primary target is Oceanside; any resistance fielded along the way will be dismantled and bases destroyed.  If the Magistrates and their subordinates unconditionally surrender, then we will deposit a token force to secure them and their vessels until the conflict is over.  Lethal force is preauthorized throughout this campaign.  You need not make the offer to any of them twice.  Hold nothing back and offer no quarter.  If we are successful in retrieving Prince Iresha, he will be crowned Emperor Iresha of both Sargon and Kitez, and we¡¯ll be leaving him a clean slate.  I¡¯m not taking anymore bullshit from this place.¡±

    Gabriel and Ren listened quietly as the First ¨C rather, the Sixth ¨C made his battle-plans clear to all present.  Maps of attack trajectories were shown, locations of all known hostilities marked, and reminders of the capabilities of the Kitezan fleet given.  Finally though, Rylen turned his attention back to Ren, ¡°The Fafnir¡¯s advance-role will be to locate and secure the Prince.  Unfortunately, because of the size of the Tuonela and its position sitting above the palace, we couldn¡¯t tell what happened with him once his ship passed beneath the shadow.  You¡¯ll need to go in stealth-mode and report back whatever you find as you¡¯re looking for him.  Can you four manage?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just normal people with artillery, sir.  We can do this easily.  The hard part will be navigating the palace; we¡¯ve never been inside, so we don¡¯t know the layout, and if the Fafnir depart immediately, we¡¯ll arrive there before the World Cloud does.  A cartography node will be rather obvious.¡±

    ¡°We can safely assume the Duchess is going to hold the Prince captive.¡± Gabriel interjected, ¡°Keeping the Tuonela parked above the palace, and leaving us in the dark about where the Prince is located inside, she¡¯s creating a double-layer of security redundancy.  It seems insane to me, but it looks like she¡¯s ready to sacrifice most of the rest of the Kitez in order to protect Oceanside.¡±

    ¡°Sir, if I may¡­¡± Ren jumped back in, and stood up from her seat, ¡°I believe the Duchess is setting a trap.  She¡¯s practically rolled-out a red carpet for the Council¡¯s invasion¡­and kicked it off with a spectacular display.¡±

    ¡°What could she have possibly arranged that could withstand against the Sixth?¡± Rylen wondered, ¡°We¡¯ve kept abreast of their technological developments this whole time.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe the Tuonela is as benign as appears; I have serious doubts that they¡¯re simply using it as a shield.  We know it¡¯s flight-capable because it¡¯s been outfitted with Kitezan anti-gravity drives, but I think it stands to reason that it¡¯s been given a weapons system of some kind, too.¡±

    ¡°One that would only be useful once we¡¯re in range of Oceanside.¡±

    ¡°Even so¡­I think we should be cautious about sending too many SkyFortresses at the same time.¡± Ren noted, ¡°The application of waves is sound, but we should consider holding ships back until we know what she wants to do with that thing.  The Duchess is expecting us to just throw the fleet at her¡­we probably shouldn¡¯t give her what she wants.¡±

    Rylen stared at her for a moment, unsure whether to be offended at her suggestion that he was being short-sighted, or heed the advice.  He glanced briefly to Gabriel between them, and the obvious, resolute agreement he had with the comments.  For a change, the Sixth didn¡¯t argue, and looked instead to his strategy-maps again, ¡°¡­Then we¡¯ll bottleneck the approach a little.  Spread the assault out a bit and make our forces harder to pin-down.  The Guardian will approach first from the north, followed by the Conservator and the Crusader.  From the east, since it¡¯s already in the lead, the Ward will lead the charge, followed by the Buckler and the Dreadnought.  Coming in over the Exclusion Zone, the Rampart will advance, followed by the Warden and the Fulcrum.  The First will trail a ways behind at equal distance and go in at the same time, protecting the rear line so the Fifth can come in.  I¡¯ll send out co-op orders once we get a list from our allies about who and what they¡¯re sending.  They may end up in the second wave if they don¡¯t get here quickly enough.  The point of this spear will pierce whatever defensive line-up the Kitezans have mustered, and the second will crush whatever is left behind.  If we can extract the Prince quickly, then we can disable Oceanside in short order.¡±

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    ¡°What about the Tuonela?¡± Captain Greenseer wondered.

    ¡°An Inquisition ship is coming from the north and will advance with the second wave.  I want that colony vessel boarded, commandeered, and moved out of the way, so they¡¯ll take care of that.  The sooner, the better.  If I can get a clear shot with the orbital, we may not need the rest of the fleet to get too close.¡±

    ¡°What if they can¡¯t get aboard?¡± She followed, ¡°We have to consider that the Duchess is actively going to protect that ship from whatever we do to take it away from her.¡±

    ¡°¡­What could she have possibly done with a civilian colony-ship?¡± Rylen wondered, somewhat aghast that it could be perverted that way.

    Eyes at the table warily turned towards Ren; every Captain in the Sixth may have had tactical training and insight, but Ren was the one sticking her neck out to challenge the Eidolon.  She was up for it, however, ¡°I would approach that ship as though it¡¯s the most dangerous weapon she has at her disposal, sir.  Shielded, armed, and waiting for the right moment.¡± She said simply, ¡°The Duchess will count on us either focusing on it, or ignoring it completely because of our worry for the passengers.  I¡¯m certain that part of her scheme is to make use look inhumane or inept.  There¡¯s a very real image-problem we¡¯re going to have when things start to get messy, and there are ¨C unfortunately - far too many unknowns and variables for us to come up with a single strategy against her.¡±

    ¡°Then we advance and adjust.¡± Rylen acknowledged, ¡°Everyone here needs to be paying close attention to everything that happens as we begin to engage.  There¡¯s roughly an hour before our first wave makes it far enough into the country to start seeing major population-centers, which is where we¡¯re seeing the biggest build-up of Kitezan resistance.  Get whatever rest you can; it may be the last chance you have before we¡¯re seeing combat.  ¡­Dismissed.¡±

    The images of the hologram-Captains started to flicker out, until only Captain Landon and acting-Captain Nibasai were left.  Gabriel stepped back to get around the chair Ren rose from, but just as he was about to follow her and Landon out, Rylen commented for him to stay.  The Fourth looked back quizzically, but Captain Landon grabbed Ren¡¯s attention rather quickly, and they left, putting Gabriel alone with the Sixth, ¡°¡­What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°You said to the Accord that you used your affliction to stop Aamin.¡± Rylen said simply, staring at that large, horse-shoe-shaped table, ¡°But I didn¡¯t see a body.  What did you do, exactly?¡±

    Gabriel felt a pit open in his gut, ¡°¡­I¡­crushed him.¡±

    ¡°There was no blood.¡±

    ¡°There was.  It was on my face, as you may recall, before the Sargonians let me clean up a little.¡±

    ¡°It was his?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.  It was.¡± He answered, and felt his shoulders tighten a little, ¡°I know you never wanted me to use it, and I get it¡­because now that I am, it¡¯s amazing to me the difference in potential that I have compared to any other Limitless user I¡¯ve seen or heard about.¡±

    ¡°The overwhelming majority of those who develop an affliction in the womb do not see the day of their own birth.¡± Rylen explained carefully, ¡°One doesn¡¯t need a vivid imagination to understand why.  Those who do, often don¡¯t see the end of their own childhoods, for the same reason.  The odds of someone making it to adulthood without any of those tragedies befalling them¡­is so astronomically small, that in spite of the billions of people who¡¯ve been born in that timeframe, only two in the last 370 years have come of age.  You¡­and-¡±

    ¡°¡­Caeros.¡±

    Rylen gave a subtle nod, ¡°When I first heard from the previous Captain Rydell that they¡¯d found a boy with the affliction in the Exclusion Zone, I wondered if he himself had been put under the influence of some illusion, just as Dame Ren had been some decades later.  Seeing you with my own eyes ¨C seeing your eyes glowing with that bright golden light, as only the affliction does ¨C put me at such unease, that Xanarken and I didn¡¯t speak for weeks after he took you in.  I still don¡¯t really understand why he wanted to keep you.¡±

    Gabriel was completely unsure about the line of dialogue Rylen was drawing, He¡¯s either about to say he¡¯s proud of me, which is extremely unlikely, or he¡¯s going to talk me down¡­

    ¡°Xanarken died because he didn¡¯t properly respect the threat the Limitless poses.¡± The Sixth continued, ¡°That void-power that Seth is convinced fuels both the Limitless and Scyrexian.  If it¡¯s true what Dame Ren said at the very start of that fight ¨C that Aamin¡¯s state of being was a gift from Scyrexian - then it stands to reason that he was somehow involved in Scyrexian¡¯s escape from the Magistrate Laurier¡¯s research facility.  We know it¡¯s where the beast came from, and we know it¡¯s the last place Prince Aamin went after he escaped through the Connington Fragment.  Perhaps he got in the creature¡¯s way, perhaps he was used somehow¡­whatever the case may be, the Duchess clearly knew the devastation he could inflict, and packaged him up to gift back to his brother.  ¡­You have at your disposal a truly terrifying power, Gabriel.  I¡¯ve warned you for most of your life that you shouldn¡¯t try to develop it, lest you walk the same path Caeros did.  You clearly haven¡¯t listened to me, so I need to know¡­right here, right now¡­what are you capable of?¡±

    That set the man¡¯s nerves on edge, and he shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m¡­apparently capable of manipulating physical reality?  I guess?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to describe¡­  I can¡¯t control it expertly, but my accidents are proving the point more than I ever could.¡± Gabriel held his hands out helplessly, ¡°Ever since I cut the arm off Laurier¡¯s mecha, I¡¯ve been wondering what I could do¡­  I know I can cut things, but I had always needed to be touching what I was cutting in order to do so.  I didn¡¯t have to do with him; I just reached, and it happened, even from that distance.  Now I can manipulate objects from different sides of the same room¡­pick them up, move them around, and¡­break them.  With Aamin, I can¡¯t fully explain what it was that I did¡­but I crushed him so completely that his body was encased in a space no bigger than a chickpea.  Only that one spatter of blood got out¡­from the initial pressure¡­¡±

    ¡°And you can¡¯t do that on command.¡±

    Gabriel shook his head, ¡°No¡­  Most of what I¡¯ve been able to do lately has been unintended.  I only noticed after the fact and have tried to understand it.¡±

    ¡°So, if you saw the Duchess when you get out there to offer our terms of her surrender, you wouldn¡¯t just be able to reach out and crush her the same way.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­only managed to do it with Aamin because of external factors.  I could not guarantee the same results on demand, least not if she isn¡¯t directly in front of me.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    The Fourth crossed his arms, ¡°Is that disappointment I hear on your voice?¡±

    ¡°Opportunity lost.  Get some rest, Gabriel.¡± Rylen said, and turned away to start pacing, contemplating everything to come.

    Gabriel wasn¡¯t quite ready to go yet though, ¡°¡­Rylen, can I¡­¡±

    Those orange eyes glanced back curiously.

    ¡°¡­How exactly did Xanarken die?¡± He asked, ¡°I know Aamin got a hand through his mantle, but¡­his real body¡­?  Did he suffer?¡±

    The Sixth pulled his arms away from where he¡¯d wrapped them across his chest, ¡°You don¡¯t want to know those details.  It¡¯s unfortunate enough as it is.¡±

    ¡°I know, but¡­how am I supposed to accept that he¡¯s really gone if all I have to go by is the fact that he never signs-on again?¡± The Fourth noted soberly, ¡°You can¡¯t just leave him to rot in his pod, either¡­will I be allowed to see him when you get him out?¡±

    ¡°That chamber hasn¡¯t been opened in 300 years, Gabriel.  It¡¯ll take a long time to open.  His pod is set to cryo-sleep right now, so he¡¯ll just¡­remain that way.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh¡­¡± Gabriel could feel his whole body sag where he stood, ¡°¡­Okay¡­¡±

    Rylen stared for a moment, but his expression betrayed him, and he put his hands on his hips, ¡°Wait a moment.  I¡¯ll share my sights with you.  If you really want to see him¡­¡±

    Those eyes looked up, and Gabriel nodded.

    ¡°Very well¡­¡± Rylen said, and dissolved his mantle.

    A few seconds later, Gabriel saw the invitation from the Sixth, and with an anxious swallow, accepted it.  His sights completely exchanged ¨C as though he was in a meeting with the Accord all over again ¨C and he watched through Rylen¡¯s own eyes as the man stood in the Eidolon System¡¯s pod-room.  Rylen didn¡¯t spend much time looking around though, and had his eyes down on just the one container.  It was already frosted-over, and Rylen put his hand against the glass to clear the fog.  It was barely enough to make-out a shape underneath, but the Sixth leaned down slightly, propped up on his elbows as he looked carefully down into that frozen stasis-fluid.  Gabriel could see the faint, pale image of a face, eyes half-open and staring straight back up, as though looking back at the eyes staring down at him.  Other than the gauntness left by three centuries of atrophy, and black hair instead of dark purple, the man within that frozen space looked identical to the mantle he once wore.

    Gabriel could feel the breath leave him, and he collapsed to his knees, ¡°¡­Xanarken¡­¡±

    Rylen looked on for a few more seconds before ending the visual-feed, and pushed back up, hands on the pod¡¯s edges, ¡°Etienne did what she could, but there was nothing we knew to do that could save him.¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand.¡± The Fourth answered, unable to wrest himself from where he¡¯d found himself.  The shock hit him all over again, but this time, with that vacant, unmoving face as evidence, the truth of it really stuck, ¡°Uhm¡­thank you, for¡­showing me.¡± He managed, before he completely disconnected the call.

    Gabriel saw the drops of red fall from the tips of his hair before he realized he¡¯d even begun weeping.

 Book I - Chapter 88 â€“ The Past Is Always With Us

    The palace fire was nowhere near contained when Seth finally managed to get to the top of the cliff.  He fought his way through the security barrier and rushed for his brother when he spotted the man, and it took everything he had not to burst into tears just for the sight of him, ¡°What happened to you!?¡± He asked in a panic, gesturing at the top-naked figure with his chest bound ¨C again.

    With his flight-suit peeled to the waist, and the sleeves tied to keep them out of the way, Furion looked at himself again.  There were bandages holding a large pad to his left side, and it was obvious that the wound was a heavy bleeder, ¡°I took a direct hit.  It¡¯s fine now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine!?¡± The teen gestured at the state of the Captain¡¯s armor not too far away, ¡°It has a dent.  Do you know how hard you had to have been hit for this to get a dent?¡±

    Furion deadpanned, ¡°Yeah.  I do, actually.¡±

    ¡°Why does it smell like pond-scum?¡±

    ¡°Cuz I was knocked into the lake and it took a minute for me to figure out what direction to go to resurface.¡± The elder Rydell answered, and shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m just waiting for a ride to take me and my armor to the Buckler.¡±

    ¡°What happened up here?  Everything was normal and then it all just blew up!¡± Seth asked frantically, getting himself worked-up all over again, ¡°Does this have anything to do with that meeting Iresha went to yesterday!?¡±

    ¡°Probably?¡±

    ¡°Is he okay!?  He won¡¯t answer my calls!¡±

    Curious Sargonian eyes were watching, and quite-obviously eavesdropping.  Furion was well-aware of them, and pulled his brother close to whisper to the teen¡¯s ear, ¡°¡­I can¡¯t explain much.  The only thing I can tell you for sure is that Prince Iresha wasn¡¯t here when the blast happened.  If he¡¯s not answering your calls, it¡¯s because he¡¯s chosen not to.¡±

    Seth stared incredulously, ¡°What do you mean, wasn¡¯t here?  Where was he?  Where IS he?¡±

    ¡°I like I said, I can¡¯t explain much.  I probably shouldn¡¯t have even told you THAT. Everyone here thinks the whole royal family just got wiped out.¡± Furion stood upright again, and pressed a hand to the sting of his wound, ¡°Just keep your head down for a little while.  There¡¯s going to be a lot happening really quickly.¡±

    ¡°What about Miss Ren?  And Mr. Gabriel?  And Mr. J¡¯ard¡­?  They were all here, weren¡¯t they?¡±

    There was a subtle give-away in Furion¡¯s eyes as he heard those first names, but he refused to acknowledge it, ¡°If you were kicked out of the palace, then J¡¯ard would¡¯ve been, too.  He¡¯s probably in the city somewhere, wondering what the Hell happened.  Lugios and Ren are probably on the Buckler already; they left a while ago.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why is everyone heading to the Buckler?  What¡¯s happening?¡±

    The Captain could only look on quietly, and reached his free hand to pet the teen¡¯s head.  A blue-colored skiff similar to Maeve came down nearby, and Furion realized that was his ride, ¡°Sorry, Seth.  I really can¡¯t say.  When you do find out, you¡¯ll wish you appreciated the time before more.  Try to do that while you still have time.¡±

    ¡°Captain!¡± A voice called out; the skiff¡¯s pilot had opened the door to get his attention.

    Furion gave a wave to let the man know he¡¯d been heard, and let go of his brother¡¯s head, ¡°I have to go.  I may be out of contact for a day or two.  Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it?¡± Seth echoed, and stepped out of the way as the white and gold armor came to life to hobble-hover after its pilot, and disappeared inside the small ship, ¡°Furion!¡±

    ¡°For once, just roll with it!¡± He called back, ¡°I really can¡¯t say anything else!  I¡¯ll call you as soon as I¡¯m able.¡± Furion pushed the door closed, and the skiff lifted off into the sky, leaving the perplexed teen behind.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Seth kicked the ground in annoyance.

    .

    Waiting in the Captain¡¯s office across the hall, Ren busied herself with theory-crafting the coming battles with her Buckler counterpart.  Since her armor had gotten its second set of wings, it stood to reason that her actual uniform had been updated as well, and so she¡¯d stepped out to find out if that was the case.  She was certain that her giddiness over the fact that it was ¨C in spite of the seriousness of the death of an Eidolon, and a looming war ¨C could potentially make her affect seem inappropriate.  She did her best to keep it to herself, in that case, and simply attempted to blend into her role as acting Captain as if it would become a permanent fixture.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯ll take 7 hours for the World Cloud to penetrate deep-enough into Kitez to fully map it.¡± Landon was saying, ¡°It would honestly be a simple thing for Lord Rylen to just wait for it and then manifest his mantle in front of the Duchess, and take her out himself.¡±

    ¡°Would that it was so easy¡­¡± Ren commented.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Lord Xanarken try it though?  Crews were ravenous with gossip after the border-incident a couple months back.¡±

    ¡°It was just a scare tactic.¡± She explained, ¡°Granted, I wasn¡¯t there for it myself, but¡­given that it would be an actual war-crime to use nanotech to off someone, I imagine Lord Rylen would rather avoid it.  Lord Xanarken was just trying to make a point.¡±

    ¡°So, we¡¯d prefer instead to ravage a country and kill people with bombs and drones and other more-conventional means, than to simply us the Cloud in an unconventional way.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Ren nodded and turned to face the man, ¡°We should never set-aside the fundamental laws of civilized warfare just to make victory easier.  We¡¯re already going to be facing criticism over this fight¡­the last thing we need is to make people afraid of the very air around them.  We don¡¯t use poisonous gas, we don¡¯t target hospitals or civilians, we don¡¯t starve the populace, we don¡¯t take hostages, and we definitely don¡¯t use nanotech as a weapon.¡±

    Captain Landon crossed his arms, ¡°The Duchess already took a hostage; it was her first act of war, even before sending the explosives.  And that¡¯s a war-crime, too; deception and betrayal under the guise of cooperation.¡±

    ¡°¡­Perfidy.  Yes.¡±

    ¡°And if it¡¯s true that Prince Aamin was corrupted by something, and she sent him knowing the state he was in, then there may be a case made for her use of biologics, which could count as a third war-crime.  All of these things, she did before war was even declared by anyone.  Us using the Cloud to bring a swift end to this fight would only be an eye for an eye.¡±

    ¡°An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.¡± Ren paced a little, looking up at the map of Kitez as it showed the approach of the Luminary fleet, slow as it was given how massive the country was, ¡°But just because she went low, doesn¡¯t mean we do.  We have to win this legitimately.  Lord Rylen may have had it up to his eyeballs with this place, but he¡¯s always played by the rules.¡±

    ¡°Except in the case of using you Fafnir into the Exclusion Zone.¡± Landon puffed.

    Ren gave him a look, ¡°Chasing-down known Limitless threats that repeatedly retreat into the E.Z. because they count on the belief that we won¡¯t follow is a slightly different case.  Kitez has been highly criticized in the past for their refusal to allow the Council to patrol the area, given they know how much it¡¯s used by unsavory elements.¡±

    ¡°¡­When this thing is done, I really hope we can take care of all that.¡±

    ¡°Me too, honestly.¡± She agreed easily, and looked up at the map again.  There was a subtle line racing inward to demarcate the forward-edge of the World Cloud as it poured over the landscape, like a wave bringing the Council towards Oceanside, ¡°The E.Z. has always been a point of contention¡­  Once we control this territory, I¡¯m certain that we Fafnir will have our hands full with it.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re going to rebuild?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re already working on it.  Former-Captain Rydell Sr. is in Agartha looking at soldiers who¡¯d previously applied.¡±

    ¡°What about current-Captain Rydell?¡±

    Ren shook her head, ¡°Incapacitated until he gets his armor fixed.  I¡¯m all-but certain he¡¯s probably under review for his handling of the conflict that led to so many Fafnir losing their lives.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re challenging him for the pauldrons?  What would you have done differently?¡±

    ¡°¡­I wouldn¡¯t have sent everyone in at the same time, to start.¡± She explained, only for her focus to drift as she heard something out in the hall.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Shht.¡± Ren held a finger up, and listened again.  The shuffling-sound was more obvious then, and she moved towards the door, ¡°Something¡¯s weird.  No one walks like that¡­¡± She whispered, and put her back to the wall, carefully slipping outside before peering around the corner into the concourse.

    It was Gabriel.

    And there was blood absolutely everywhere.

    ¡°Gabe!¡± She yelped, and quickly hopped out to rush those last paces between them, ¡°What happened!?  I left you alone for like 15 minutes, tops!¡±

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Ren, help¡­  I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°L-Lord Gabriel!¡± Captain Landon added to that surprised chorus, and leaned to see the trail of blood-spatter on the floor leading out of the meeting room.

    The Fourth had pulled his ponytail over his shoulder ¨C the end of it was absolutely sopping-wet ¨C but even though he cradled it in his arms, the whole thing dripped with red like he¡¯d slit an artery open somehow, and was bleeding-out all over the floor.  His left eye looked swollen for how much blood had pooled in it, making him half-close it, though the vitae still flowed freely down his face.  His bangs ¨C even if they weren¡¯t tipped in red themselves ¨C were covered in it, smearing it everywhere they touched.

    Ren looked him over carefully; she¡¯d known from Seth¡¯s investigation weeks back that the red in Gabriel¡¯s hair was, in fact, real blood, even if it normally wasn¡¯t wet.  The fact that it was, and with such heavy flow, reminded her of the footage she¡¯d seen from Lequerion¡¯s sights so long ago, when the color had first appeared, ¡°Gabe¡­it¡¯s your tell¡­¡±

    ¡°Rylen showed me Xanarken¡¯s face¡­  I can¡¯t make the bleeding stop¡­¡± He explained, a pleading tone in his voice; that in itself was raw, and it was as evident as anything that his sorrow was the cause of it all.

    The Fafnir looked back, ¡°Can we get him a room?  We can¡¯t send him into the field like this.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, of course¡­right away.¡± Captain Landon said, and quickly turned away to seek out an open apartment.

    Ren waved a hand to dismiss her Captain¡¯s regalia ¨C leaving her with just her flight-suit again - and reached her arms up to thread them around the back of the Fourth¡¯s head.  She pulled his eyes down to her shoulder, ¡°Is that what you stayed behind for?  To get your proof?¡±

    He nodded and snuffled, but then lifted his head up again in worry, ¡°You¡¯re gonna get it all over you¡­¡±

    ¡°Just hug me if you want to, damnit.¡± She scolded, hands still up against the sides of his neck, and rubbed his jaw with one thumb, ¡°It¡¯s gotten everywhere already anyway.¡±

    His one good blue eye looked on skeptically ¨C though it was a bit red in its own right ¨C and Gabriel found himself upset all over again.  Ren¡¯s assessment was on-point, since even just from that one brief hug, the red had gotten all over her left cheek and the front of her body-suit.  There was no point in trying to prevent it getting worse, so he leaned in closer and let go of the ponytail, wrapped his arms around her small frame instead, and pressed his eyes to the crook of her neck.  He barely had a few seconds of grief there before Captain Landon intervened to get their attention again.

    ¡°There¡¯s a room open that you can have.  Follow me.¡±

    There was nothing to be done to stop the continuous drip Gabriel left in his wake, though Ren did her best by gathering-up the folds of the man¡¯s Eidolonic robe-like garb to give the red something else to collect in.  The path was thinner, at least, and when they made it to the door, she shoved the man straight into the bathroom, ¡°Just get undressed; I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She instructed, and went back to the still-open door.  Captain Landon was in the hall, and Ren stuck her head out, ¡°I¡¯ll come get my armor as soon as he¡¯s cleaned-up.  Thanks for the company earlier.¡±

    ¡°If you or the Fourth need anything¡­?¡±

    Ren nodded, and the door slid shut.  She hastily made her way back towards the bathroom again, but instead of finding a half-naked Eidolon there, she just saw a proverbial crime-scene all over the floor and vanity, and the Eidolon was splayed in the bathtub, ¡°¡­I mean, I guess that¡¯s one way¡­¡±

    Gabriel just stared up in despair, one foot hanging off the edge as the other was perched upright against the tiled corner, ¡°What am I going to do?¡±

    ¡°You just need to calm down a little, condescending as that sounds.¡± She answered, and made her way to sit on the edge, only to spot how much vitae had gotten on herself as she turned to face the wall-length mirror, ¡°Damn, it really did get everywhere.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s completely fine, just¡­stay there and relax a second.¡± She said, and rose back up to her feet.  She rummaged around in the room¡¯s sparsely-supplied linen closet, but found a few towels and grabbed them.  Water in the standing-shower was turned on, and Ren quickly hosed-off her flight-suit.  Crimson swirled around into the drain between her feet, but once it ran clear, she toweled-off and peeled the whole suit off, leaving her with just her small-clothes and a thin undershirt.  Towels were used to clean-up the vanity a little, and Ren wrapped-up the flight-suit to leave it in the solitary sink.  When she crouched beside the bathtub again, she found Gabriel had mostly spaced-out, though at least ¨C it appeared ¨C that his left eye had ceased to look as swollen as before, and the blood on his face had dried a little.  She moved her right hand closer to peel a few strands of hair from where it had gotten stuck to his skin, and those bicolored eyes finally looked at her, ¡°There¡­all things with time.¡±

    ¡°¡­I would never have asked him to show me if I knew it would go like this¡­¡± The Fourth said pitifully, ¡°I should¡¯ve waited until after we¡¯re done in Kitez¡­¡±

    ¡°You and Lord Xanarken may not have been related by blood, but he was still your dad.  It¡¯s only natural to want to know what happened to him.¡± Ren reassured, ¡°I envy you for that¡­¡±

    ¡°How could you envy this¡­?¡±

    ¡°Because you got to know.¡± She answered, and reached into the tub to find one of the man¡¯s hands, and pulled it to set over her knee, ¡°I don¡¯t really know what happened to my parents.  They just¡­kind of ceased to exist one day.  I think I was probably 11 or so¡­I¡¯d been kind of a Hell-child, and was sent off to a boarding school.  Summer break came, I went home, and no one was there.  I didn¡¯t know how to find them, and by the time I was old enough to try, I no longer cared.  That was about the same time I caught-wind of your story.  Losing everything I had, everyone I knew, getting uprooted and taken somewhere I didn¡¯t know¡­I guess I felt like I connect to you in that way.  In my dumb, young, twisted little brain, I decided that I¡¯d become a Fafnir Knight, like the ones in the reporting.  Except, instead of being a force for creating more kids like us, I¡¯d be the Fafnir that prevented it from happening in the first place.  I don¡¯t know that I ever managed to do that, of course¡­but, I got into the unit, and I never stopped looking up to you.¡±

    Gabriel just pulled his hand back, and with the other, used them to cover his face in shame, ¡°And then I was such an asshole to you when you got stuck with me¡­¡± He lamented.

    ¡°You actually weren¡¯t that bad.¡± Ren insisted, ¡°You were just¡­distant, and a bit abrasive.  Maybe too much to the point, and aloof, like mentoring was someone else¡¯s job and you were just stuck filling in.  For four months.¡±

    He sank further into the tub, practically flat on his back, and whined loudly.

    Ren couldn¡¯t help but find that sadly funny, and reached for the retractable shower-head, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to change out of wet clothes, I suggest you start taking them off.¡±

    ¡°This wasn¡¯t how I wanted to get naked in front of you again¡­  This is awful¡­¡±

    The water-knob was turned just enough to make the pipes rattle in the walls, and Ren watched as the man finally got his act together¡­a little bit.  He bent awkwardly to find his one actual boot, and pulled it off as he released all the nanotech assembled to his person, leaving just the base Luminary uniform clinging to his frame.  With the boot off though, he pulled his legs into the tub and crossed them, and peeled the form-fitting top off.  Ren cast her eyes around the off-white coloration of the acrylic basin, and the bloodbath that had been smeared on every inch of its surface, ¡°¡­Gabe¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡­sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize for your grief.¡± She said simply, and realized the man refused to undress further than he already had.  She wouldn¡¯t press him on his pants though, and finished turning the water on, spraying it off to the side briefly as the temperature came up.  As it warmed, she reached across the small space to the vanity and grabbed for one of the smaller towels, and wet it a little before offering it to the wretched figure.  He took it and pressed his face into it, and Ren shook her head, ¡°You¡¯re gonna waterboard yourself that way.¡±

    ¡°Mrphmeh ifoermig.¡±

    ¡°Heh?¡±

    ¡°Just get it over with.¡± He translated, and let the part of the towel covering his nose and mouth fall free.

    Ren did as bid, and lifted the showerhead over to start rinsing the blood from that long golden hair.  The saturation was intense, like he¡¯d literally dipped the tips into a vat of the stuff, and the entirety of the bottom of the tub filled with dark red as she went about her task.  It was on like that for several minutes, and after a while, Gabriel did his best to at least clean his own face, wiping away whatever he could and rinsing the small towel several times as he tried to clear his left eye.

    ¡°I think the only color left is actually coming off your clothing.¡± Ren assessed, threading her fingers through the tips of his long hair against his back.  His bangs had long-since been pushed back, and since that meant they were no longer the ¡®ends¡¯ of his hair, the red washed completely away, leaving nothing but the blonde he¡¯d been born with, ¡°Your tell is really interesting¡­  If I¡¯m allowed to even say something like that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s definitely a word that you can use¡­¡± He answered, staring down at the slight crimson residue that continued to flow past his legs, ¡°Would you mind if I asked to finish on my own?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.  I¡¯ll go see if there¡¯s any clothes here that you can change into.  If you can rinse yours off, the refresher will work faster.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    Ren offered the showerhead to him, and when he took it, she leaned in to kiss the top of his head, ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡±

    Gabriel watched quietly as she gathered-up her wet flight-suit, and stepped back out of the room, pulling the door to as she went.  Still, he sat there for a moment longer before finally standing up, and finished the chore of actually showering.  He squeezed as much of the water out of his hair and clothes as he could before toweling down and wrapping himself up, and when he finally stumbled out, he spotted Ren on the far side of the living-room area, with her back towards him, but pacing idly.

    ¡°¡­Yeah, no, if your brother didn¡¯t tell you anything, I can¡¯t either.¡± She was saying, apparently on a call, ¡°Yes, I know you¡¯re Lord Rylen¡¯s favorite little guy, but that doesn¡¯t mean you have any authority.  No, you definitely are not the Vice Eidolon of the First.  ¡­I can¡¯t say.  Yes, I¡¯m completely fine.  Your brother was the only one between us who took any damage.  Yeah, I know he¡¯s on his way.¡± As she paced, she turned around, and spotted the Fourth watching her in confusion.  She quickly scrambled to end the call, ¡°Seth, I gotta go.  You¡¯ll have to keep your eyes on the news for updates for now.  Yeah...yeah, I know, bye!  Bye.¡±

    Gabriel had already wandered off to find the refresher ¨C a hamper-like slot in the wall where Knights could put their lightly-used clothes for a quick dry-clean ¨C and added his garments to the hangers within.  It was a little bit of a challenge, as one hand was occupied with trying to keep a towel on his hips, but he eventually got it, and slid the door across again to let it work.

    Ren had patiently watched him from a spot she¡¯d sat upon at the foot of the bed.  It wasn¡¯t a particularly high bed ¨C unlike the one in the Captain¡¯s quarters, which was 2ft tall at the flat-top, this was only 2/3<sup>rds</sup>  that height ¨C and she stretched her crossed legs out in front of her as the man approached, ¡°Feel better?¡±

    ¡°¡­A little bit¡­¡± Gabriel answered quietly, about to sit by her left side, but instead, simply set his hand on the edge of the mattress and went down to sit on the floor by her knees instead.  He kept his elbow on top of the thin blanket, and moved to rest his chin on top of her lap, ¡°Sorry again¡­  I really didn¡¯t know my tell would cause a scene like that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, really.¡± She replied, and moved her hand to softly pet his damp hair, ¡°Felt more useful helping clean you up than I have at anything else for a while.  I¡¯m sure Captain Landon feels differently, but¡­we¡¯ll both be leaving soon enough anyway.¡±

    ¡°Rylen asked about how I killed Aamin.¡± He admitted, and lifted his head again to look up at her, ¡°I¡­just said it was basically an accident.  You may want to consider dying your hair with actual pigment.  I know you like to shut your tech off entirely sometimes¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She answered, and lifted her left hand again to brush a few strands of hair back over the man¡¯s ear.  She watched those eyes drift slightly, looking from her face to the now-barely-visible scars on her arm; if not for the color difference between her original skin and the transplant, it would be difficult to notice the difference, ¡°Hard to tell anything happened anymore, right?¡±

    Gabriel didn¡¯t really have an answer to that, and instead just sat a bit more upright so he could brush the back of his fingers against the dividing-line.  Ren wouldn¡¯t let him linger on it though, and he felt that hand move closer to nudge his face up again.  Relief poured through his whole frame as he found her gaze, and felt the soft stroke of a thumb on his cheek.  She leaned over him slightly, hesitated for a second, but then closed her eyes and offered a kiss.

    One became two, and with the third, she had both hands cupped to his face.  Arms went over his shoulders as he rose up to his knees, and both of hers parted around his sides, wrapping around to draw him closer.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 89 â€“ Dawn Is Not The Only Light Breaking Across The Western Sky

    The Buckler was still descending over the western foothills and into Kitez-proper when Jense, Corbin, and the Sixth Wing skiff carrying their Captain arrived.  Ravan was quick to notice their approach, and went to the hangar to meet them as they landed.  Furion had swapped from his lake-soaked flight-suit to a normal uniform by the time he hopped out, and did his best not to react to any of the stinging twinges from his wound as he moved.

    ¡°Sir!¡± The three lower-ranks lined up and saluted.

    ¡°At ease.  Where¡¯s Dame Ren?¡±

    The duo pulled their helmets off as Ravan answered, ¡°Not sure about right now, but Lord Rylen had her attend the briefing earlier.  Apparently, she¡¯s acting-Captain.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Furion said stiffly, ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what Lord Rylen wants¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Why is Ren the acting Captain?  You¡¯re standing right here.¡± Corbin wondered dubiously, though it seemed the woman was practically waiting for the question, since he spotted her coming ¨C in full regalia ¨C just as soon as the words left his lips.

    ¡°Because the Captain is grounded until further notice.¡± Ren answered, and pulled her gloves a little tighter on her hands as she approached, ¡°But you¡¯re welcome to offer moral support, if you¡¯re here anyway.¡±

    To say the three Fafnir watching were tense would be an understatement, as eyes went from one Captain to the other awkwardly.  Jense asked the obvious question, ¡°¡­Who are we taking orders from right now?¡±

    ¡°Me.¡± Ren declared clearly, ¡°This is my mission.  And I wouldn¡¯t get too comfortable since we¡¯re about to deploy.  I¡¯m having some nanotech pods brought down here for each of us to connect to before we go; Lord Rylen and Captain Landon are already connected to monitor our progress.  We¡¯ll be flying ahead of the barrier in an effort to get the Prince.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we had an easy mission.¡± Corbin gave a relieved bit of a sigh, ¡°Covert, stealthy, find a kid and nab him?¡±

    ¡°We definitely need a win after all the losses.¡± Ren agreed as she was manifesting the mission brief above her hands; Furion crossed his arms and gave quite the look, though it went unnoticed.  Ren held her palms up, and a focused map of Oceanside appeared, highlighting the administrative district, and the palace at the back of it, bordering the water.  Though it was only satellite footage from above, it was enough to get them started, ¡°The outline of the Tuonela covers this entire area, unfortunately.  We assume the Prince¡¯s ship brought him directly to the palace, since there¡¯d be no other place to take him under the shadow, but where he is inside the palace is what we have to try and find out.¡±

    In the 10 minutes it took for Ren to convey the mission brief, the nanotech pods she¡¯d requested arrived and were presented to the group.  Arriving with them, however, was a whole Eidolon, as the Sixth was there personally to see them off, ¡°I cannot stress the importance of the stealth required for this task.¡± He started, looking at each of the four who were about to go, ¡°I don¡¯t want you giving yourselves away if you can¡¯t find Prince Iresha.¡±

    Ren closed the map-window, ¡°We have full authority to take out the Duchess if we run into her, however.  No other targets are permitted.¡±

    Rylen gestured to the pods that were assembled on a hovering trolley, but looked to Ren, ¡°Where¡¯s your armor?¡±

    ¡°Up in Captain Landon¡¯s office.  I stepped out of it while waiting for Gabriel, and we had an unexpected crisis, so I had to leave it there.¡±

    All ears were perked, ¡°A crisis?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine now; he just had a bit of a visceral reaction to¡­seeing the body.¡±

    ¡°What body?  Whose body?¡± Ravan asked quietly, mostly to Corbin and Jense, who to that point had no idea either.

    Ren stepped closer to the three and spoke quietly, ¡°I¡¯ll explain on the way.  For now, just go ahead and connect to the pods.¡± She said, and did just so herself, ¡°If you guys want to head up top, I¡¯ll meet you there, and we¡¯ll get on with it.¡±

    The three Fafnir gave their acknowledgements and, after briefly glancing at their actual Captain, departed anyway.  Furion watched them go quietly, then turned to see Ren leave the other way.  Everything inside him wanted to say something, but with Rylen still there, the words failed to come out, and Ren got beyond ear-shot quickly.

    It was the Eidolon who got the better of him, ¡°I don¡¯t mean this as an insult, Captain.¡± Rylen began, and turned that gaze towards the Rydell, ¡°I just needed someone to lead the mission, and I¡¯d already agreed to let her have it, since you were incommunicado when it came up before.  A variation of this was supposed to happen tomorrow morning, without a war looming overhead.¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand, sir.¡±

    ¡°But since you¡¯re here, I must ask.¡± The Sixth continued carefully, ¡°This¡­request of hers, for review and consideration, came out of left-field.  Am I about to regret allowing you your liberties?¡±

    ¡°¡­No, sir.  Those liberties are no longer necessary.¡±

    ¡°Mh, I see.¡±

    Surrounded on all sides by the bustle and noise of the anxious crew, making whatever last-minute assessments and preparations they could in anticipation of the coming conflict, Furion made his decision, ¡°¡­Sir, there¡¯s something about Dame Ren you need to know.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not just trying to sabotage her chances because you¡¯re worried about being usurped, are you?  It won¡¯t look good on your performance review.¡±

    ¡°No, sir.  This is legitimate.¡± He started, and maneuvered carefully, ¡°She has Scyrexian contained inside her.  She didn¡¯t kick me by accident; she kicked me because Scyrexian took hold and wanted me out of the way.  Lord Xanarken was struck by Aamin but it was the creature inside Ren that dealt the killing blow.¡±

    ¡°¡­How do you know this?¡± Rylen asked, dangerously serious.

    Furion tried to keep to business, though he didn¡¯t doubt his personal feelings leaked into his words, ¡°Because for the last few days, we¡¯ve been trying to find a way to get it out of her.  She¡¯s using nanotech to augment her hair color because it¡¯s gone completely white.  She took off from the memorial because she could feel the beast trying to surface in Lord Gabriel¡¯s presence; I¡¯ve seen it come out with my own eyes on no less than two occasions now, and I¡¯m all but certain I saw a third instance, when Seth and I picked her up after we left the Aegis.¡±

    ¡°Why are you only just saying this now?  After I¡¯ve given her command of one of the most important aspects of this coming conflict.¡±

    The Captain¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, ¡°Because I think we need to prepare for the inevitability that it¡¯s going to come out again¡­and she¡¯s crippled me to the point where I can¡¯t follow and keep an eye on her.  She thinks she has it under control, and while I¡­I believe that, to an extent, she does¡­we can¡¯t completely trust that belief.  If it comes down to it¡­the only thing we can do is lock it inside her, and render her fully inert.  I think it would be wise to keep S.D. Helmets on standby.¡±

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Rylen stared incredulously, ¡°And what am I do to about the mission?  I need her out there.¡±

    ¡°She and I spoke at length about its behavior, and¡­we believe it¡¯s likely that Scyrexian is influenced by the values of its host.  That¡¯s part of why it swapped out of Sir Ianori and into the Warp Magi right away; Ianori wouldn¡¯t let it kill our people¡­but the Magi had no such inhibition.¡± Furion explained, ¡°I believe the Fafnir are safe so long as Ren is the one it inhabits, and it will not leave her for anything less than Lord Gabriel himself.  That remains its ultimate goal.¡±

    The Sixth scoffed and crossed his arms, ¡°¡­Safe?  She kicked the absolute shit out of you.¡±

    ¡°But she didn¡¯t kill me.¡± Furion noted, ¡°Ren¡¯s experience and knowledge informed it exactly how hard it could hit me without causing fatal harm, and then it left me alone.¡±

    Rylen rubbed his face, ¡°¡­I can¡¯t deal with anymore of these surprises¡­Xanarken was already enough¡­¡±

    ¡°My apologies, sir¡­¡±

    The Eidolon thought for a moment, but then made his decision, ¡°You¡¯re still the Captain.  I want you on standby with the failsafe, in case she starts to turn.  If push comes to shove, you take her somewhere safe until we can get there with the helmet.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have the failsafe interface here, sir.  That¡¯s only aboard the Aegis.¡±

    ¡°Incorrect.  Every Captain in the First and Sixth has an interface in their seat.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sir?¡±

    ¡°There are 15 Fafnir and 15 Captains.  That was not an accident.¡± The Eidolon explained, ¡°Never create a super-soldier without a remedy for their power.  The armor is stronger than all of you.¡±

    ¡°¡­The 15<sup>th</sup> Captain is the Captain of the Fafnir though.¡±

    ¡°And if you succumbed to something as well, then I would take the reins myself.¡± Rylen explained, ¡°You will be issued an order of reprimand for keeping this information from me, but for now, I appreciate your candor.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yessir.¡±

    .

    On the bridge-deck of the Buckler, Ren hastily returned to Captain Landon¡¯s office to retrieve her armor.  Expectedly, Gabriel was there waiting with it, comfortably reassembled in his now-clean uniform.  He perked-up when he spotted her, and just as they approached one another, they felt the first rumbles of the war coming to them.  The ship shuddered slightly as flare-like bolts were shot-out in sequence from either side of the hull, and Ren hesitated in her steps.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s here.¡± Gabriel said aloud, ¡°I thought the rear-guard wouldn¡¯t see much action.¡±

    ¡°The Fafnir are deploying.¡± Ren added, and waved away her uniform, revealing the flight-suit beneath it once again, ¡°I¡¯ll be off comms until the Cloud catches up, so¡­this is it for now.¡±

    ¡°I know I scolded you before for formally challenging Furion for command, but¡­seeing you in that uniform, sporting those pauldrons¡­I can¡¯t help but beam with pride anyway.¡± Gabriel noted, and pulled the women into a fond hug, ¡°I have no doubt, you¡¯re going to be one Hell of a Captain.¡±

    ¡°And I know you¡¯ll be the same as the Fourth.¡± She replied, ¡°It¡¯ll be a few hours yet before you have to do anything.  You should probably try to get some sleep while you can.¡±

    The Buckler shuddered again; from the office, they could see the glow where the SkyFortress¡¯ shields were holding against whatever was being lobbed at it from below, ¡°¡­Unlikely, but I appreciate the gesture.¡±

    Ren looked into those worried eyes, but nodded, and gave her parting kiss.  As she came down off her tip-toes, she held the man¡¯s face between her hands, and gave him a serious look, ¡°Try not to get too deep into your head.  I know it¡¯ll be harder not to think about your losses when I¡¯m not around to remind you of your gains, but¡­keep your eyes on the prize, and we¡¯ll have time to decompress when we¡¯re done.  It¡¯ll all be over soon.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He agreed, and pulled her in for one more tight hug, ¡°Be really careful.  I know it¡¯s just humans we¡¯re expecting to deal with, but if Aamin came outta there, who knows how many more weird creatures the Duchess has?¡±

    ¡°I will.  You do the same.¡±

    One last kiss, and Ren pulled away, stepped into her armor, and made her way out.  Gabriel waited exactly where he was until he spotted all four Fafnir fly up past that side of the ship, and disappeared into the night sky.  From there, the Fourth could only wait and worry.  He supposed the best use of his time then would be to head down the hall towards the bridge, and wait for the order to move-out himself.

    .

    The Ward and the Guardian were seeing the strongest resistance from Kitez so far, leading the charge over populated areas.  The entire Conclave had been assembled for this fight, and most of them had set-up defensive walls aside the major cities of their districts.  Reports of strange phenomena were already reaching the Sixth, as each of those massive, top-shaped vessels appeared like voids on radar, completely unpenetrated by the World Cloud.

    Still, the overwhelming force the Council was bulldozing through.  Smaller ships were being shot down by advanced targeting systems, and larger ones were swiftly engaged and struck by manually-piloted skirmishers.  The concern came from how some of the biggest vessels had acquired weapons that were getting through the SkyFortress¡¯ shields, leaving smoking pock-marks in the hulls as they moved through.

    Regulus kept a close eye on the conflict from within his Sovereign Shadow.  Ground-based weaponry was being turned into craters as the fleet passed overhead.  Wide sections of the forward line were starting to fall, and he called back to the Duchess, ¡°Your Grace, they¡¯re here.  They¡¯re pincering from the north and east.¡±

    ¡°Right on time, then.¡± She answered, and looked to her personal guard, ¡°Bring him.  We¡¯re going up.¡±

    Iresha couldn¡¯t tell his cell-door had been opened; though Kitez didn¡¯t have the same kind of S.D. Helmet technology that the Council did, they still had muting systems.  The hapless Prince had found himself with blinders and sound-cancelling headphones on, which to his experience was slightly worse.  He was taunted with the fact that he knew what direction was up, but was unable to do anything about it.  He felt the rifle-muzzles against his ribs and spine, and could only guess where to move his feet as he was dragged out.

    Given the change in the feeling of the air as he was pulled from the indoors to the out, he could bet as to what was happening.  Not wanting to be taken somewhere, he started fighting with his captors, pushing and thrashing with the barest of flames sparking around him.  For his trouble, he got a beanbag shot into his stomach, right shoulder, and left flank, which dropped him and ceased the struggle immediately.

    Far¡¯nah just shook her head at him, ¡°I had hopes for this one¡­¡± She sighed, and nodded at the group to drag him instead.

    ¡°You¡¯re only going¡­to make this harder for yourself¡­!¡± Iresha grumbled as he struggled for breath, ¡°If you wanted¡­to die so badly, you should¡¯ve¡­just done it already!  You didn¡¯t have to drag the rest of us into it!¡±

    The Duchess knew there was no point answering; the teen wouldn¡¯t hear her words anyway, so they just kept moving.  A skiff was ready on the courtyard, and the group quickly made their way up and inside.  Iresha felt himself get stuck into a seat, and soon after, the inertia of the vessel lifting off, but whoever was keeping tabs on him seemed to know that the more anxious he got, the more likely he¡¯d lash out.  A gun-barrel stayed pressed to the center of his chest, as if daring him to try a second time¡­and he didn¡¯t.

    The little ship just went up, and up, and up, straight into the belly of the Vindicator, where it emerged into a stadium-sized open space.  Dozens of empty rows of heavy metallic tracks were illuminated by what seemed like pin-lights, given the enormity of the scale, where building equipment and other large machinery was once locked-down with huge chains for transport.  Thick support-beams rose like sentinels, some bearing catwalks and stairwells where they expanded for grated flooring, diving the vertical space into multiple levels.  The small ship had to fly within the body just to get to the dock it was seeking, and the Duchess eagerly disembarked once it landed.

    The bridge was still some distance away ¨C up a massive industrial elevator and across a railway-like horizontal corridor ¨C but when she finally arrived, the reception was excitable.  Applause rained-down from all side ¨C three Magistrates, a dozen more soldiers, and of course, the dubious bridge-crew ¨C and Far¡¯nah greeted them with celebration.

    ¡°We¡­are¡­here!¡± She called out, ¡°The moment we¡¯ve all been waiting for has arrived.  Ladies and gentlemen¡­please; fire away.¡±

    .

    At supersonic, the Fafnir were cruising above the clouds, and as near as they were to Oceanside at that point¡­the eerie image of five green flares making the horizon glow was cause for immediate concern.  The four of them were already in stealth when they saw it, and Ren called back to her Eidolon, ¡°Lord Rylen¡­you want to see this.¡±

    The glow of those flares became like missiles rising into suborbital space, leaving smoke in their wake¡­and they began to arc north.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 90 â€“ Let My Wrath Be Known, And Set Loose The Dogs Of War

    ¡°¡­Are those¡­ICBMs?¡± The Sixth Eidolon asked himself aloud, standing on the bridge of the Ward.

    ¡°Sir?¡± Captain Hernandez asked warily.

    Rylen couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing, ¡°Get closer to the Tuonela as you pass above.¡± He directed to Ren, then looked to the ship¡¯s commander, ¡°Several long-range ballistic missiles appear to have been launched from Oceanside.  I need trajectories and potential targets now.¡±

    The man was already getting communications from outside, ¡°Sir¡­if it¡¯s the same shots that were just reported by the orbital team watching the Tuonela, they appear to be heading straight to Agartha.¡±

    ¡°¡­A-Agartha!?¡± The Sixth echoed in disbelief.  His mind immediately went to Xanarken, and he grit his teeth in a quiet, seething anger, ¡°How could Kitez have developed this kind of technology without anyone knowing!?¡±

    Beyond the forward screen, light flitted throughout the sky as swarms of drones and firepower seethed against one another.  The Ward¡¯s shield strobed with every impact, blocking most of the incoming attacks, but every time they saw a green line of light, the ship¡¯s crew braced for an actual strike.  The hull outside was like the face of a large, abyss-dwelling whale; scratched and clawed by the myriad creatures of the deep.

    One such line manifested, pointing directly at the bridge, and with reckless abandon, several drones quickly flew into the path of fire and took the brunt of the shot themselves.  A flicker of the beam still hit the shield and pierced through, and it left a 27ft gash along the exterior.  The area shuddered, but held, and a few seconds later, the Ward fired back, sending three large pulses towards the darkened source of the beam.  If the target had a shield capable of resisting, it burnt-up from the sheer size of the energy-ball, like a comet evaporating in the heat of a star.

    ¡°We need quicker response-times on counter-fire!¡± Rylen barked, ¡°Medium-range cannons, focus on identifying and disabling those ships before they can set sights!¡±

    The fleet pressed on.

    .

    The four Fafnir crested the cloud-cover as they homed-in on the source of the lights and smoke, and came down and out of high-speed flight to an approach-velocity.  Barely visible but for the shadows they cast in front of the moons, they spotted the full and terrible sight of the Tuonela ¨C the Duchess¡¯ Vindicator ¨C hovering over the city like a massive cloud of steel and trepidation.

    ¡°Jense and Ravan, coast overtop of the launch silos.  Get the Sixth his visual.  Corbin, with me.¡± Ren ordered, and with a quick ¡®ma¡¯am!¡¯ from all three, they divided into pairs.  The former veered up slightly to go overtop of the vessel while the latter descended to go under it, getting the mission¡¯s first glance at the administrative and palatial districts since the behemoth had parked above them.  Spotlights shone up at the underside of the metal beast, revealing the literal field of anti-gravity arrays that had been installed along it like so many barnacles.  The Fafnir wove carefully to avoid being caught directly in the light, ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like anything on the ground has recently been altered, but the lack of people is weird.  How¡¯s it look above?¡±

    Ravan lifted a hand to the side of her helmet ¨C not that anyone could see it, ¡°There aren¡¯t any silos up here.  But¡­¡± She started, looking down at the massive, rotating, satellite-dish array that was opened to the sky at the upper-front of the ship.  At the center of the dish was a large, green, glassy orb, the size of a large van, and just as Ravan passed above it, it began to glow.  She immediately veered off to the side, and watched dubiously as multiple lines of green light converted on the orb, blinding and brilliant.  The sound of it alone, charging up in pulses, created a vibration that made the Fafnir cloaking mechanism destabilize in waves, rippling and penetrating through to the Knights themselves.  Ravan shrieked in pain and surprise, and quickly darted away, with Jense following after her.  He paused only long enough to turn around and watch five star-like pulses of energy get launched into the sky, this time arcing slightly east as they vanished into the clouds.  The eerie sight of that green glow, passing above the canopy, was like watching the approach of a fel-meteor, careening off to crash somewhere far afield.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s heading for the southern advance!¡± Jense called out, ¡°Ren!¡±

    ¡°Lord Rylen, the next volley is coming your way!  If they aren¡¯t targeting you, they¡¯ll pass directly overhead!¡± She forwarded.

    ¡°I see them.  The orbital above Oceanside has changed assignments until the Tuonela is out of the way.¡± He answered, ¡°Carry on with your primary mission.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    There was a slight delay in further communication as Rylen focused on a report being given to him by someone else, but when he returned, his tone had shifted to a particular sense of urgency, ¡°All Fortresses with the northern and southern groupings; redirect long-range cannons towards those ICBMs.  Intercept before they can go by.  They¡¯re heading for Agartha and Trazad.  They cannot be allowed to reach."

    Ren was stunned, ¡°She¡¯s shooting at Agartha?  From all the way out here?¡± She said, mostly to herself.  The line to the others wasn¡¯t open, and she wasn¡¯t about to distract them with the possibilities by spreading rumors.  She saw that Rylen had muted the call after that ¨C likely to avoid distracting her himself ¨C and continued that descent towards the palatial grounds.

    ¡°Ren, shouldn¡¯t we ask if he wants us to try and break the array?¡± Jense asked cautiously.

    ¡°No, we aren¡¯t to deviate from our directive under any circumstances.  The Duchess cannot know we¡¯re here.  The Prince¡¯s life is entirely in our hands; let the fleet take care of the rest.¡± She answered, ¡°Everyone head to your preassigned landing spots.  Avoid high-visibility areas and report back if your sites aren¡¯t suitable.¡±

    The palace was, from above, a single-story building, with a number of surface-level gardens, segmented courtyards, and covered walkways.  It was widely-known, however, that most of that sprawling gothic complex was beneath the ground, with a rear section that opened up overlooking the rocky beach.  The throne room itself was directly in the center, on the middle floor, with a long staircase that came down from the higher front entrance.  The Fafnir hovered around different access points, moving quietly in the dark, though the prevailing eeriness of the lack of people was giving each of them the creeps.

    ¡°I¡¯m in position on the northern terrace.  No activity.¡± Ravan noted, ¡°There¡¯s something super wrong about all this¡­¡±

    ¡°Not entirely.¡± Corbin answered, and carefully came down along an exterior wall, keeping his shadow as small as possible, ¡°If I knew Lord Rylen had an orbital cannon and I was about to kick a hornet¡¯s nest at him, I¡¯d probably retreat underground, too.¡±

    ¡°Touch¨¦.¡±

    ¡°Clear comms.¡± Ren interrupted, coming down along the middle-rear side.  The opening into the palace was like a neatly-designed cave, with pillars that seemed to be carved directly from naturally-forming speleothems.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready at the front.¡± Corbin said instead, ¡°No activity.¡±

    ¡°Southern side is also quiet.¡± Jense added, ¡°I can see two rooms deep; I don¡¯t see any guards posted, no servants, nothing at all.¡±

    ¡°Making entry.¡± Ren said, and stepped quietly around a delicately-forged rock column.

    Lights still flickered in the wall-sconces, but for the most part, the area looked as though it had been rather carefully picked-up, like the tenants had moved away and had been planning to do so for some time.  The overlay on her eyes flashed through a few different view-types ¨C infrared, thermal, ultraviolet, among others ¨C each trying to find any potential form of security barrier.  Nothing was being picked-up though.

    The sound of the Vindicator shooting-off another volley was enough to make Ren twitch though, and she glanced up, seeing the reflection of those green orbs dancing on the water before quickly vanishing.  She turned her focus back to the task at hand, and yet¡­with one more step, she suddenly felt a shudder go through her, and her overlay completely shut off.  The sconces seemed to flicker a little, and Ren looked down towards the ground, seeing the distinct image of a fine dust wafting around her now-exposed bright-scarlet boots like the smoke of dry ice, ¡­Shit¡­was that an EMP?  Why would they use one now?  The World Cloud¡¯s nearest edge is still a couple of hours away¡­ She looked around quickly, Do they somehow know we¡¯re here already?

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    High above, Far¡¯nah was escorted to an above-bridge observation deck, where she could easily track the progress of her campaign on a wide floor-to-ceiling screen.  She approached a large, round, table-like apparatus close to the front of the room, and with a familiar button-click, she reached down to the bridge, ¡°Did it work?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± She heard in response, ¡°The Fafnir are exposed.¡±

    ¡°Very good.  Let¡¯s keep them occupied.  No doubt, they¡¯re here for the Prince.¡± She answered, and let the line go.  She loosely clasped her hands together as she awaited the next phase, ¡°Those arrogant pricks are so easy to predict.  Rylen really needs to let others strategize for him¡­¡±  She set those hands onto the ridged edge of that table then, and peered within, seeing a holographic image of the Vindicator above her city, and zoomed out to see the whole of the country.  The approaching three fleets were easy to spot and assess, and so too were her own forces in response to them.  She singled-out one of her Magistrates, and put a call directly to him, ¡°Reg, you were right.  The Fafnir came here in advance.  Your idea to wait until they arrived to turn on the shield was too clever by half.  Now¡­you said you were looking for one of them in particular?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± Regulus answered, ¡°A woman with red armor.¡±

    Far¡¯nah patched the footage of Ravan getting zapped, ¡°Is it this one?¡±

    ¡°No, Your Grace.  But I¡¯ll kill that one all the same.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re at the palace.¡±

    Ren¡¯s futile attempts at restarting her HUD were abandoned, and she pressed against a wall, I have to assume the others were struck as well, and we¡¯re basically radio-silent¡­  Proceeding with the mission.  She stepped carefully away from the wall and moved through the open dining-hall to where it led within the rock at the rear.  Stone was cut into elaborate carvings ¨C though Ren didn¡¯t have time to stop and admire them, they depicted Kitez¡¯s founding and honored its past rulers ¨C and eventually tapered towards a wall of black metal and clear-glass windows, with an archway and a door.

    The glass itself was distorted, making it granular and difficult to see through, even up close.  Being that those windows and door faced towards the rising sun every morning, scattering the light would make it less intense to look through.  In that moment, however, it just made Ren¡¯s job a little harder, and she made her way towards the door.  To her surprise, it did not appear locked.  A cursory glance around informed her that the entryway was typically guarded, as there were two spaces ¨C one on each side ¨C where the stone flooring had a slightly smoother texture than that of the areas closer to the walls; soldiers who normally stood at their posts had worn it down over the centuries.

    Ren carefully opened the door and pulled it out towards herself, and stuck her head just far enough through as to get a look around.  As before, there wasn¡¯t a soul to be seen amidst the sights of recent habitation, although the large indoor dining area had looked more like a theater-set piece for its lack of being set-up in any meaningful way.  For all its elaborate intent, it was rather bland now, all the finery taken away.

    She pulled the door closed and latched it quietly behind her, then carefully tip-toed through.  She knew that if anyone was looking at her, it was game-over for the element of surprise, but as long as she still had walls around her, she maintained the concept of sneaky infiltration.  Without nanotech though, she was blind, and the task became to figure out the lay of the land without any kind of A.I. assistance.

    Kitez¡¯s palace was once more of a fort or stronghold than a residence, so it stands to reason that there are holding-cells at the bottom of this place, she thought, looking around for anything that might indicate a stairwell or other kind of vertical passage.

    At the front-end of the palace, Corbin was having a slightly different experience.  As soon as his HUD went offline, and his stealth went with it, the front-doors off the estate opened, and he found himself in the sights of the first line of defense.

    Or offense, as he was about to find out.

    ¡°Land, Fafnir!¡± Corbin heard, though from which of the infantry-drones, he wasn¡¯t sure.  Hands went up, but he was sure to reactivate the solid-light paneling of his wings as he descended; if he was going to get shot-at, he was going to look good while it happened.  Armored feet touched-down to the long, wide stairs of that palatial entry-hall, and Corbin took stock of his targets.  There were two humanoid-looking drones, four hovering copter-droids, and two large cannon-like ballistae pointed directly at him.  Someone was watching what they were seeing, but whether they were close by or further afield was the question.

    Corbin stared for a moment longer, but as soon as he spotted that each of the drones was locking onto him, he was a blur of silver-grey and dark blue.  Laser-fire and pulsars shot forward, but so too did the wide, arcing slashes of a pair of plasma-edged sword-blades.  Infantry ¨C mechanized or not ¨C was no match for a Fafnir Knight, and Corbin made short-work of the preliminary assembly.  The corridor was a ruin from the friendly-fire, but the Fafnir could only look back in dire awe, The way the Kitezans are behaving is really starting to feel like a big trap¡­  It was one thing to evacuate the surface levels in case of an attack from the orbital, but to be this eager to fire on their own territory?  He thought to himself, and glanced up at the cracked roof.  Bits of it were starting to come loose and fell around him, Why do I have a feeling the Prince isn¡¯t even going to be here?  If we don¡¯t start finding more resistance on the lower levels, we should pull back in case drawing us down there was the point.

    From the ¡®sides¡¯ of the palace ¨C at the northern and southern ends of that western-facing complex ¨C Ravan and Jense were both quickly-able to find ways lower into the ground.  Ravan was the first to find one of the side-entrances to the throne room¡­and the Sovereign Shadow waiting therein.  She gasped quietly at the sight of it.

    .

    ¡°This is Magistrate Regulus Laurier.¡± Ren had explained on the way over, and showed the trio imagery from her stint in the Connington Fragment, ¡°This is the guy that beat the ever-living Hell out of me when I was trying to help get Seth out of Kitez.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the guy who tore your arm off?¡± Jense asked darkly.

    ¡°He¡¯s also the guy that former Captain Rydell faced-off against in the Exclusion Zone, 22 years ago.  He is not to be underestimated.  He¡¯s Kitez¡¯s foremost warrior, and that mech is one of a kind.  Even in close-quarters, with movement restrictions impeding such a big machine, he was still damn near impossible to attack directly.  The armor is thick¡­and after encountering him twice now, I have to wonder if it wasn¡¯t specifically designed to fight us.¡±

    .

    Ravan felt a pit in her gut, ¡®Whatever you do,¡¯ Ren¡¯s voice echoed in her mind, ¡®Do not fight him alone.¡¯

    Did he see me come in!?  The older Fafnir wondered frantically, and was answered rather quickly in the affirmative.  The Sovereign Shadow¡¯s strange, thin, angular head lifted and turned her way, the black, glassy face highlighting a bright-blue ripple across it, as though a radar seeking something.

    ¡°Welcome to Kitez, Fafnir.¡±

    Plasma kukris came out in a blink, and Ravan took a defensive posture with both blades up, ¡°You¡¯re bigger in person.¡±

    The throne-room was rather dimly lit, the Fafnir noticed.  Eyes quickly darted around at what was barely-visible, but for the most part, it was shadows and amorphous shapes.  What little had been reported from the Fourth¡¯s brief meeting at the palace, she knew there was a pergola in the middle of the room, with the throne-platform between it and the western wall, but with such a massive mecha parked inside, every inch counted.  To her surprise, that dark blue metal slowly began to glow, until the entire room was bathed in a light cerulean, giving it an eerie, dream-like ambiance.

    One of those massive new arms came up, and its claws expanded, revealing the muzzle of a cannon in its palm¡­as well as that fel-green illumination as it powered up.

    The rumble of that explosion could be felt throughout the palace, but with each of them being in such wildly different places, it was hard to pin down where it came from or what had caused it.  With comms down, it was that much more anxiety-driving, as none of them could tell who it was that had likely borne witness to whatever the attack was.

    Ren had at least found a descending passageway, but the maze seemed to be leading her away from where she wanted to go, and she quietly cursed herself.  Another rumble passed through the ground, and the wall-sconces flickered, threatening to plunge the halls into complete darkness.

    And then, frightfully, made good on that threat.

    .

    Gabriel stood vigil nervously on the bridge of the Buckler, listening quietly as the invasion went on all around him.  Not knowing what was going on with the Fafnir was starting to feel like a stick in his craw, though, and he turned towards Captain Landon, ¡°Is there some specific reason why Rylen took himself over to the Ward when he was here earlier?¡±

    Careful eyes glanced up at the new Eidolon, ¡°With respect, Lord Gabriel¡­it¡¯s because of you.¡±

    That earned a look, and Gabriel frowned before turning back towards the main screen, ¡°Because of me.¡± He echoed, ¡°Rude.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he meant it as a slight, sir.¡± Captain Landon explained, keeping track of the ICBM-pulses that were about to come into view in the skies overhead, ¡°Consider it an acknowledgement of your station; he¡¯s leading the charge on the Ward so you can come safely behind.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in range now, Captain.¡± A crewman announced, ¡°Ready on your order.¡±

    ¡°Shoot everything.¡±

    Every middle-range cannon on the dorsal hull was already aimed towards the sky, and with that, started firing rapidly.  Pulses of white-hot energy led the ICBMs on an intercept-course.  Crew held their breath as they waited for the outcome.

    Cloud-cover shimmered with a subtle illumination, like lightning echoing off the heavens.  The echoes intensified as the sound of crackling filled the night, followed by a deep, resonating boom, and the clouds abruptly burst outward.  A massive, mile-wide gap opened above the Ward far in the distance, making the area brighten as if the sun itself had suddenly come out.  Four starbursts in succession rampaged over the ship, making it ¨C and everyone aboard ¨C shake from the impact.  The whole thing listed to its starboard, feeling each push like it was being shaken in the wind as nothing more than a leaf.

    When it finally ended¡­the fifth blast landed.

    The green orb hit the ground with the fury of a nuclear weapon, flashing brightly as everything within a half-mile of the epicenter just¡­vanished.  The ground itself shattered and became like molten glass, and the shockwave ¨C rushing out from the center of the triangle that the trio of SkyFortresses made for their advance ¨C hit all three like a rockslide.

 Book 1 â€“ Chapter 92 â€“ Scorched Earth Can Work Both Ways

    Ren dodged backward into the previous room, then into the one prior to that as well as the walls came crashing down ahead of her.  The cause of the demolition was easy to spot at that point, as the ¡®gentle¡¯ light-blue hue from that glowing armor pierced through the dark and smoke.

    ¡°¡­L-Laurier!?¡± She blurted in surprise, and immediately brought up her forearm-cannons.  She nearly fired when she spotted two of her subordinates doing the same thing from the other side, and she immediately lowered her arms again.

    Rubble cascaded onto the Sovereign Shadow¡¯s hull, striking the thick metal as it fell.  The face-plate rippled with that blue light again, and it suddenly turned straight towards Ren, ¡°¡­Well now, look at you.¡±

    All four wings lifted up and spread wide, and both Ravan and Corbin held-off their next volleys, diverting instead to create a united front with their commander, ¡°¡­We have unfinished business.¡±

    ¡°That we do.¡± Regulus answered, and turned that massive metallic beast to face the trio through the hole in the wall, ¡°I¡¯d congratulate you, but I think it would only be embarrassing.  Every fight we¡¯ve had has been a loss for you.  It would be odd to celebrate such failure.¡±

    ¡°Tech is down for you two as well, I take it?¡± Ren asked quietly.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Corbin answered, ¡°Ravan found this guy in the throne room.  I heard the fight and was able to find her to help.  We haven¡¯t seen Jense yet.¡±

    Ravan chimed in, ¡°We can keep this freak busy if you want to go find him.¡±

    Regulus wasn¡¯t going to give them much time to convene, and once he¡¯d pushed the last of the large debris out of the way, both upper arms swung forward through the gaping hole and began to glow with that eerie green light.  The three Fafnir scattered like spooked cats, and the blasts tore through the carved stone walls like it was no more than burning paper.  Rock smoldered and glowed red-hot, blasting through two more rooms before finally ceasing.  Regulus felt the onslaught come from the sides after that, and was quick to spin to push them back.  To his disappointment, the pair of Fafnir he¡¯d been fighting to that point were the only ones who reappeared to his sights, Where¡¯d the girl go?

    Ren had taken off through the destruction and was flying quickly ¨C but carefully ¨C back the way the fight had come.  The devastation was incredible ¨C it looked like a bomb had gone off through those maze-like halls and chambers.  The higher she flew through the holes that the Sovereign Shadow had created, the more ¡®lived in¡¯ the palace¡¯s ruins appeared, as rock walls gave way to more typical construction.  The skeleton of the palace was starting to become clear as certain holes through the walls and floor revealed solid rock behind them, blocking further trespass in that direction.  She emerged into the ruined throne-room soon after, and looked at the destroyed space with awe, If he¡¯s doing this with the Duchess¡¯ knowledge, then securing Oceanside was never the point of parking the Tuonela above it.  This is really bad¡­

    The Sovereign Shadow was audibly getting closer ¨C the sound of Fafnir weaponry, response-fire, melee assaults, and the hulking mecha banging into the rock sounded roughly ¨C and Ren quickly traversed the ruin to get to the southern side.  The pergola was a pile of rock, glass, and the vegetation that had once decorated it.  Water-channels in the floor were broken, creating large puddles where debris had fallen through to block the flow.  Some of the stone still smoldered from where the fight began, and Ren could barely make-out the sight of streaks in the walls where laser-weaponry had chased after their targets.  She quickly approached the doors at the side-exit, and delicately went through, sure to close them behind her, Hopefully he expects me to blast my way through any doors and goes to the main entrance¡­

    Even if he hadn¡¯t, Corbin and Ravan were driving him towards the eastern hall anyway, firing at and literally shoving the big machine towards the huge doors that Corbin himself had originally come through.

    If Regulus was aware of the attempt, none of them would ever know, but he abruptly refused to go any further.  Instead, he backed-up into the throne-room until the mech parked on top of the collapsed pergola.  Deep gouges had been cut into the armor of the Sovereign Shadow, but when that green glow began again in the palms of those large, clawed, hand-like graspers, the damage was evidently superficial.  Ravan and Corbin both darted, and the twin blasts shot out with devastating effect, chasing them into the northern and southern cubbies of the broken room.  Perhaps it was Regulus doing the corralling then, as those arms continued to fire even as the gleaming blue mech started to move forward again.

    The two Fafnir had dodged behind the throne-platform, and had formed a shield around themselves with their wings.  It was shocking to watch the pair of large, tube-like beams suddenly fan out to create a literal wall of devastation¡­and it kept coming.  Shields held, but the singular remaining throne was blown apart with devastating effect, sending wood and metal blasting away in every direction.  Those massive green energy-fans stayed focused on the Fafnir, even as the reaction to hitting their wings sent sparks and recoil through the air.

    The warmachine moved into the eastern exit-hall, and just before crossing through, it shut the energy-weapon off and quickly turned around.  Without hesitation, he aimed those cannons towards the floor instead and opened-fire all over again.  Rock broke away and embers glowed with the heat, and in an unusual move, the mecha not only sped-off in reverse, it did so with a spin, causing those green beams to leave screw-like spirals of damage in every wall between the throne room and the broken exit doors.  The fel-light only went out when Regulus rammed the mech into each side of the wide corridor, turned again, and quickly escaped, leaving the space to collapse on itself in his wake.

    The Fafnir weren¡¯t quick enough to get through as the way out was blocked, and they could hear the hall continuing to collapse all the way back.  Ravan looked to her cohort, ¡°¡­We can¡¯t blast our way through this.  He¡¯s destroyed the entire path.¡±

    ¡°Trapping us down here without actually defeating us¡­¡± Corbin said warily, ¡°We have to find another way out.  Do you remember the path you took to get here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡± She answered, and they both darted for the northern exit.

    Ren had found herself going deeper into the southern-half of the complex, ¡°Jense!?  Jense!¡± She called out.  A large corridor around the throne-room had also led towards a much narrower descending staircase, and that¡¯s where she was when she felt the entire palace shake.  Wings came up protectively, creating a cocoon-like barrier around her, and after what felt like several minutes, the shuddering ceased.  The quiet that followed was surreal, and Ren lifted her head dubiously, ¡°¡­What was that¡­?¡±

    The Sovereign Shadow¡¯s hull-glow terminated, leaving it a dark shape in the night sky, softly reflecting the illumination from the spotlights.  He cast his eyes upward, and saw that the Tuonela had dramatically increased its elevation, and appeared to be turning slightly.  He reached out to the Duchess, ¡°¡­Your Grace, I only saw three, but they spoke amongst each other about a fourth.  Ready now.¡±

    ¡°Well done.¡± She answered.  Though the Magistrate couldn¡¯t see her, the words she spoke told him enough and he listened carefully as she reached out to the assembled members of the Conclave who¡¯d accompanied her to the Vindicator, ¡°This is Duchess Far¡¯nah of the nation of Kitez, giving consent to override protective operations protocols to the security system of the residential palace.  Access code: ginger, unicorn, updraft, Cornelius.  The palace has been lost.  Activate self-destruct sequence.¡±

    Regulus backed up a little further into the sky, and opened a data-panel with a single button labeled [Detonate.]  The button was initially greyed-out, and a counter appeared at the top of the window.  Aboard the Vindicator, those three other Magistrates all began putting in their own consent codes, and one by one, the counter increased, until only Regulus¡¯ own was necessary.  He took one last look at the palace ¨C so normal-appearing from the outside, despite knowing the ruination he¡¯d brought within ¨C and opened his own consent panel, ¡°Magistate Regulus Laurier of the Eastern District, adding my consent to the override.  Access code: Pomeranian, walnut, circuit, sunrise.  ¡­The palace has been lost.  Activating self-destruct sequest¡­now.¡±

    After a tense moment, he saw the 5 of 5 tally, and the greyed-out button flickered to life.  A finger tapped it ¨C the button shone red ¨C and the palace began to explode from the inside out.  Floor by floor, with the northern and southern wings going first, wall-sconces flickered and went dark¡­followed by fire.

    The Fafnir didn¡¯t know what hit them, and the labyrinthine cavern lit-up with volcanic force.

    .

    Gabriel sighed impatiently as the Fifth carried out her duties, doing a scan on his left flank where he¡¯d been slammed against the bridge controls.  All he could do was lay there on his side as lukewarm nanotech fingers poked and prodded at him.  One spot that definitely got a reaction from him was when she pressed on the protrusion of his hip-crest, and he winced fitfully, ¡°Ow!  Damn!¡±

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    ¡°I don¡¯t think you broke anything but you¡¯ll be feeling like shattered glass by tomorrow.¡± Etienne answered, ¡°I¡¯ll give you something for the pain, and send you on your way.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me anything that¡¯ll make me sleepy.¡± He insisted, ¡°I need to keep on top of what happens with this invasion.¡±

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s nothing you can do except take care of yourself though.¡± She answered, taking a device from a nearby tech ¨C it looked like a electric nose-hair clipper, with a narrow tube at the end.  She¡¯d already moved it towards the Fourth¡¯s exposed left arm, but he quickly pulled away and twisted to sit up¡­though he cringed terribly in doing so, ¡°Gabe.¡±

    ¡°Give me something local if you have to give me anything at all.¡± He countered, a palm on that hip-crest as he winced against the pain, ¡°I can¡¯t be the only one sleeping on the job.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a job here right now¡­  Even if Rylen finished right this second, it would still be another day or two before you get called in.¡± The Fifth reminded.

    ¡°You know damn well what I mean.¡±

    ¡°Gabe¡­¡±

    He shook his head and grumbled quietly, ¡°¡­Sorry.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re all worried and grieving.¡± She explained, and returned the device to get it exchanged for something else, ¡°It¡¯s¡­harder to see it on our faces because we¡¯re using expression modulators right now, but believe me¡­  What¡­happened with Xanarken was a blow to all of us.  You can¡¯t be reckless, even if we would understand why.¡± She took a new item from the assistant ¨C a large blue patch ¨C and as she opened the package it was kept in, she nudged the back of the Fourth¡¯s arm to get him to move it out of the way.  He grudgingly responded, and the patch was placed, ¡°This¡¯ll help take the edge off, but it¡¯s not a long-term solution.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.  ¡­And it¡¯s not just Xanarken.¡± Gabriel said stiffly, and pulled the physical part of his uniform back into place, ¡°I have to know Ren is¡­the Fafnir¡­are safe¡­before I can rest.  There are no good explanations for why their private nanotech would be offline, especially Ren¡¯s, since she¡¯s the mission lead¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not helpless without it, you know.¡± Etienne reminded, watching that elaborate purple halo remanifest behind the Fourth¡¯s head, and she went around the exam table to see him better, ¡°I¡¯ve looked after generations of Fafnir, and this would hardly be the first time any of them have fought without nanotech support.  You¡¯ve spent the entire time I¡¯ve known you being afraid of and angry at the Fafnir¡­you don¡¯t know a thing about them.¡±

    ¡°Enlighten me then.¡± He grunted, pushing off the table to stand up, though that felt miserable, ¡°Give me some reason to have hope that their tech isn¡¯t off because they¡¯re all dead.¡±

    ¡°Their tech wouldn¡¯t shut off because of death, for one.¡± The Fifth answered, ¡°You know that as well as anyone.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t making me feel any better.¡±

    ¡°Just trust in them!¡± Etienne fussed, ¡°It¡¯s like Rylen said¡­until or unless we find bodies, we presume they¡¯re still fighting.  They train offline, too, exactly in case something like this happens.  Now, let me walk you down to Maeve¡­  The Buckler has held back a little to give you some space to fly, but they¡¯ve gotta catch up soon to cover the Dreadnought.  The World Cloud will get to Oceanside in about three hours.  We¡¯ll know more then, if they don¡¯t reconnect to their own supply beforehand.¡±

    ¡°What about the Ward?¡± Gabriel wondered then, even if he was still moody about all the rest, ¡°What¡¯s their status?¡±

    ¡°¡­Critical.¡±

    Gabriel stared bitterly for a moment, looking at that all-but-vacant look on the woman¡¯s face, ¡°¡­I really hate it when you guys use the expression nullifiers.  It feels like you¡¯re covering for a lie.¡± He said resentfully, and pushed past to get into the next hall.

    Etienne followed him out quickly, but the Fourth was walking with a mission, ¡°I know it¡¯s not ideal, but there¡¯s so much going on.  If you could see half of what I¡¯m-¡± She started, only to stop and watch him go instead.  With a growl, she quickly reshaped herself to the massive, multi-tailed forest-spirit kitsune-mantle, and leapt out in front of the man with a muzzle-snap, ¡°You may be an Eidolon now but that doesn¡¯t mean you can be rude!¡±

    Gabriel was stunned at the sight of it ¨C and somehow, despite how big that vulpine god-like form already was, it seemed to be getting bigger ¨C but with a step back, he finally relented.  His whole body seemed to sag, and he reached up to rub at the sore side of his head.

    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one dealing with a lot right now!¡± Etienne continued, nanotech fur bristling like it was electrified, ¡°I came here because the Eidolon are all my primary patients!  You¡¯re the most vulnerable of the bunch though because your body isn¡¯t safe in a pod somewhere!  With the Ward down and the Dreadnought and Buckler both having myriad casualties, my Wing is spread really thin!  I¡¯m not lying though, so take it back!  This is just how we prevent unrest from spreading to others!  Panic only begets panic!¡±

    There was chaos all around them; MedBay workers bringing in patients to be triaged, soldiers with bandages and splints, others with burns and open wounds who hadn¡¯t been assessed yet.  Cries of pain and fear sounded from every angle, and Gabriel could only stand there, quietly and belligerently realizing how lucky he was that he¡¯d only been so ¡®gently¡¯ hurt.  Holographic imagery of Luminary medical specialists appeared in front of different people according to need, able to use the World Cloud to provide the barest form of First Aid before a real provider could see them; the triage was painful, and many with severe injuries shrieked at the ministrations.

    The sight of those agonized faces ¨C lined up along the walls as they waited for someone to look at them ¨C and the worry they bore for the words they¡¯d just heard, truly made it sink in.

    ¡°¡­The Ward is gone¡­?¡±

    ¡°The Eidolon are panicking¡­?¡±

    ¡°Dreadnought casualties¡­?  How many were hurt¡­?¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s brow furrowed, and he lowered his head.  He heard the impatient growl from ahead of himself, and he slouched his shoulders.  With a step closer, he set his arms around the massive fox¡¯s head, and hugged the fuzzy brow to his chest, ¡°¡­You¡¯re right¡­  I¡¯m¡­worried about Ren and I¡¯m making it everyone¡¯s problem¡­¡± He said quietly, heard only by those nearby ears, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll get out of your hair.  Focus on saving other lives.  You shouldn¡¯t have to worry about mine at all.¡±

    Etienne was dumbfounded, but she didn¡¯t know how to question it, so when Gabriel let go and moved off again, she could only quietly look back to watch him leave.  The alerts she¡¯d been dismissing were too numerous to put aside anymore though, and with Gabriel stable, she no longer had the excuse to tend to him.  She grumbled and dissolved her vulpine mantle, restoring her ¡®normal¡¯ self before turning to look at the soldiers who¡¯d witnessed the whole exchange.

    .

    The collapse of the Kitezan royal household sent aftershocks through the city as deeper detonations continued to reverberate through the rocky ground.  Ren lifted her head slightly, looking around the remains of the stairwell she¡¯d found herself buried under.  With her wings out, she¡¯d been able to create a pocket, but it was small and disorienting, and completely black.  Anxiety welled in her chest, but she took a few calming breaths, and reached for her hip to find one of her melee weapons.  There was just enough space to extend the plasma-blade, and she was able to see just how trapped she was.

    ¡°¡­Shit, shit shit¡­how deep is this?¡± She asked herself worriedly.  There was a tiny hole through the rubble, but it wasn¡¯t nearly large enough to fit through nor get a good view of what the rest of the corridor looked like.  The ground and broken walls shuddered with another shockwave, and Ren braced against the solid basalt, arms up over her head and wings wrapped around for the shield.  Little bits of stone and dust fell and bounced off of her, but the rumbling soon stopped again, and the quiet crept in to replace it.

    She pawed around for what felt like ages, when she abruptly felt her right arm moving against her intent.  For the briefest of seconds, she was convinced it was Scyrexian again somehow, but when she felt a little closer, she realized, ¡°¡­F-Furion!?  Quit it!¡± She barked, though knowing the Captain couldn¡¯t hear her at all.  She wrenched her arm back so hard that it had to have sent a message, and to her surprise, the strange movement stopped right away¡­for a few seconds.  Her left arm started to move instead, and that side was no where near strong enough to resist.  She was forced to her knees, and watched as her own hand felt at the ground, but just as she reached over with her right to brace against the puppeteering, she watched her fingers clasp into a fist-shape, and her thumb extended slightly.  It gouged hard into the stone floor, and four letters appeared.

    WAIT

    Ren¡¯s eyes opened wide, and Furion disconnected; he reached up to the neural-interface sitting atop his head, and lifted it off.  With a relieved sigh, he leaned back in Captain Landon¡¯s office-chair, and set the crown to his lap, ¡°¡­They¡¯re all alive, sir.¡±

    Rylen was relieved as well, and he glanced over at the man from where he was keeping up with updates from the fleet, ¡°¡­Good.  Once the World Cloud gets there, we can help get them out.¡±

    .

    Gabriel made it to the hangar, and looked around in helpless worry as skiffs were being loaded with some of the worst of the casualties.  The cries of anguish never ceased, but what was worse was the echo of Rylen saying Ren was offline even to him.

    That mission was supposed to be stealthy¡­and they need nanotech to stay hidden¡­  If it¡¯s off, something must have happened¡­ Gabriel thought to himself.  He found himself suddenly shoved aside as a gurney was pushed by, and the sight of that Sixth Wing soldier ¨C a woman with long black hair and a bleeding left arm ¨C caught him by surprise.  The image of it alone was enough to raise his hackles, and sent a shiver down his spine.  It wasn¡¯t even a conscious thought at that point; he darted down a different corridor, back into the belly of the Buckler.

    It took a while to get through the chaos of the ship¡¯s scramble to tend their wounded ¨C finding them, extracting them, assessing and finally transporting them to wherever they were going to go ¨C and Gabriel found himself being jostled the whole way.  Lights flashed.  Holograms of Fifth Wingers drifted in and out of sight.  Cries for help sounded from every direction.  He finally made it to the nanotech-orb depot, and pressed his way through the security-door, access granted only for the fact of his new station.  He quickly grabbed one in each arm - and a third that he pinned between the first two - then hustled back to the hangar as fast as he could.

    Maeve was just where he¡¯d left it, and he quickly hopped in, dumping the orbs onto the floor and grabbing for the controls.  With the hangar door already wide open for the evacuation of the casualties, he slipped right out.

    The small red skiff arced directly up into the night sky, and veered west.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 93 â€“ Hurry Up And Wait

    Time seemed to crawl as Ren waited ¡®patiently¡¯ in that pocket of debris.  Eyes kept turning to the letters scrawled into the stone-floor, but it didn¡¯t change anything.

    There¡¯s a war going on outside, and here I am¡­here we ALL are¡­trapped who-knows-how-deep under a destroyed fort.  And all I need to get out of here is a heading¡­ She grumbled to herself, Gotta hand it to the Kitezans¡­  As much as we thought they were nothing but country-bumpkins, they really pulled one over on us.  All this time, Lord Xanarken was trying to get us in the peaceful way, and they were planning this¡­

    She tapped the back of her helmet against the basalt wall behind her, eyes closed as she listened to the sound of the silence.  Every now and then, she could hear something far-off ¨C a section of the palace crumbling on itself, no doubt ¨C but for the most part¡­it was as quiet as a tomb.

    Eyes opened, and she looked at the broken rock, What could they possibly want, if they¡¯re going to destroy their own home on the way out?  ¡­I¡¯m sure Gabe would have figured it out by now.  Hmph¡­  Such is the privilege of not being stuck under a thousand tons of shit¡­

    .

    They¡¯re going to take Sargon instead, Gabriel answered, watching the bleak sight of the devastated ground pass by like it was some terrible doomsday movie.  The nanotech containers rattled-around at the back of the skiff, That¡¯s why she wanted Iresha, and had no qualms about killing his father.  That¡¯s¡­why the pulses from that energy weapon came down on the southern advance instead of passing by; she¡¯s going to clear the way forward.  She doesn¡¯t want to ruin Sargon before she gets there.  Rylen¡¯s going to have to think about how much the Tuonela means to him in a big hurry; he could end this in a heartbeat if he was willing to shoot at it with the orbital.  One shot through the bridge, and it¡¯s over¡­  But what¡¯s the price for killing 70,000 people with your own ha-

    His whole thought-process came to a screeching halt when he saw a new volley of five green pulses screaming through the sky overhead, ¡°¡­Oh shit¡­¡±

    .

    The fleet¡¯s spread was getting too wide; more shots were getting through.  The northern grouping had to call in back-up support from the First Wing ships further back at the border, throwing everything they all had at the onslaught to stop it from getting through to Agartha.

    An hour of anti-ICBM tactics had left the over-casted skies pock-marked with massive gaps.  Older craters in the heavens were starting to streak, as winds high above carried those clouds back across the open voids.  Another hour, and the Guardian was as much a ruin as the Ward, crashed to the ground with the rear half of it entirely missing; one of those devastating green comets had managed to strike the ship directly.  Every window had been shattered and the metal twisted like taffy before it hit the ground, and whatever was still left just burned.

    And there were still two hours to go for the remaining fleet to get to Oceanside, even at top speed.

    But one little red ship had managed to get through, speeding ahead of the rest of it with reckless abandon.  Already beyond the forward wave of the approaching World Cloud, Gabriel was in the dark.  If Rylen had ever noticed he was gone, he¡¯d never said anything.

    That would change quickly though.

    Gabriel set Maeve to auto-pilot, staying safely above the clouds on that last part of the approach.  He nervously let go of the controls and rose from his seat, heading to the back of the skiff to where the pods were bouncing around.  He grabbed the nearest one, sat on the floor in front of it, and brought up the access panel.

    It took a little while to find the particular network that the Fafnir had connected to; between theirs and Rylen¡¯s I.D.s being encrypted, it wasn¡¯t as simple as just looking for their names or ranks in the lists.  However, his own rank now let him see hidden systems, and it was only a matter of deduction to find the one that had six users connected; one for each of the Fafnir, one for the Sixth, and one for their Captain.  Nervously, he connected himself to it, and watched the pod open the small spigot that let nanotech spew-out like a gas leak.

    And, as expected, it took less than 15 seconds for Rylen to notice and manifest aboard the little ship, ¡°What in the actual shit are you doing.¡± The Eidolon asked, manifesting that same old-school mantle that he¡¯d been teased for on the Sterling Rose.

    Gabriel stared up at him from his spot on the floor, ¡°Every second counts, and I¡¯m tired of waiting.  You don¡¯t know why the Fafnir are offline and I¡¯m sick of hoping for the best.  So, I¡¯m taking pods to them.¡±

    ¡°You are actually insane.  You could get shot out of the sky any second!  Oceanside is swarming and the Tuonela is heading this way!¡± Rylen argued ¨C losing another SkyFortress had set him on-edge like nothing else, ¡°You have to turn back!¡±

    ¡°Not without dropping these off first!¡±

    ¡°Gabriel!¡±

    He stood up and looked on defiantly, ¡°I¡¯m not coming back until I¡¯ve kicked these out the door.  If you¡¯re really that worried about me getting shot down, then either pilot the goddamn ship so we can do this on the move, or punt them out the open door yourself while I fly it.  We need to be able to talk to the Fafnir, and we can¡¯t wait another hour for the Cloud to get here.¡±

    Rylen just stared in confusion, but blinked hard and shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to pilot these small ships.¡±

    ¡°Then stand by and get ready.  The palace is huge so I¡¯m going to go in low and you can punt one into each wing.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re not going to like what you see when the palace comes into view.¡± Rylen warned tepidly.

    ¡°The Hell is that supposed to mean?¡± The Fourth wondered, heading back to his seat to retake the controls.

    ¡°It¡¯s gone.  The Duchess blew it up.¡±

    ¡°The Duchess WHAT!?¡±

    Maeve swerved, and Gabriel frantically tried to stabilize it ¨C Rylen¡¯s mantle was thrashed around, having to reform itself several times before the ship finally leveled out again.  The Sixth just shook his head, ¡°Do you know how to pilot these?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know how to pilot my own ship!  You can¡¯t just say the Duchess blew up the place Ren was supposed to be inside and expect me to react like it¡¯s no big deal!  Explain!¡±

    ¡°Relax, they¡¯re fine.  We¡¯ve confirmed it with the failsafe.  I just don¡¯t want you doing that while we¡¯re above Oceanside.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to have a bloody stroke before we ever get there.¡± Gabriel grumbled, and pinched the bridge of his nose for the migraine he already had, ¡°How can you connect the failsafe without nanotech?  How come you can¡¯t just talk to them through it?  If this whole venture turned out to be pointless then I swear, I¡¯ll find and shit on your pod when we get back.¡±

    Rylen hadn¡¯t looked so offended in decades, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t test me!¡±

    ¡°The failsafe is a completely separate system from the World Cloud.¡± The Sixth glowered irritably, ¡°It¡¯s half of what makes the Eidolon System work the way that it does.  This is the aspect that redirects neural input and output onto a different pathway.  In other words, it¡¯s the thing that translates how the brain issues orders for physical movement to the body¡­and makes it happen somewhere else.  For the Fafnir, it¡¯s the failsafe on their armor, letting the Captain pilot them in case of unconsciousness or mutiny.  For the Eidolon, it¡¯s what lets us use our mantles without walking around the pod-room, mirroring every gesture and footstep in tandem.¡±

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Gabriel didn¡¯t have an answer for that; his quiet in the wake of the explanation was strange.

    ¡°¡­What?  Did that go over your head?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s the Tuonela¡­up here¡­¡± He explained, and pointed towards the northwest.  Though at a distance, the vessel was still clearly a massive construct, and it was still shooting-off the green meteor-like energy blasts.

    Rylen came up to the pilot¡¯s seat to get a better look, ¡°¡­It¡¯s intimidating, up close like this.  From the orbital, it¡¯s just a piece on a board.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it was obvious earlier, but¡­knowing she blew up the palace, it¡¯s crystal clear that the Duchess is salting the earth as she leaves this place.  She doesn¡¯t intend to come back, and I¡¯m certain she¡¯s going to head straight for Trazad with that thing.¡±

    ¡°That would certainly explain the new heading.¡± The Sixth agreed, ¡°She¡¯s taken out two SkyFortresses now, and ruined probably a hundred square miles of her own countryside.  If this hair-brained plan of yours works¡­I¡¯m sicking the Fafnir straight onto that thing.¡±

    ¡°¡­And you¡¯re certain they¡¯re okay?¡±

    Rylen huffed as he went back towards the door, and corralled the pods with his feet, ¡°Yes, all four of them resisted the movement take-over per the protocol.¡±

    ¡°I wish I understood half of what you said sometimes.¡±

    ¡°And if I wrote a book on all the reasons why we each stay in our own lanes, you not knowing Sixth Wing protocols would be a chapter of its own.¡± Rylen countered, ¡°¡­I wish I could cloak this ship.  You¡¯re going to start seeing resistance any second.¡±

    ¡°You should be ready to shoot that damn thing down with the orbital if it gets hairy.¡±

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s too many innocent people aboard.  I can¡¯t.  Especially not now that it¡¯s above the cloud-line.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s taken out two of your SkyFortresses and who-knows-how-many others.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not multiplying the body-count ten-fold on our side to save time.¡±

    Gabriel sneered back at him, ¡°How many of our own people have to die before you shoot that thing down?¡±

    ¡°At least another 15,000.¡±

    ¡°You could try taking Far¡¯nah out yourself.  Do to her like Xanarken tried before; make good on your alternative approach.  The Tuonela¡¯s right there¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a way of getting over there until the Cloud permeates the area.¡±

    ¡°Just upload your owl-mantle to this network!  Ren put the entire Fafnir training-suit onto Seth¡¯s before!¡±

    ¡°Gods, fine¡­but if this nanotech goes offline just like theirs did before, you¡¯ll be down a pod to supply them.¡±

    ¡°Just fuckin¡¯ do it!  They only need enough for communications anyway!¡± Gabriel barked, ¡°And get ready; we¡¯re heading down!¡±

    Rylen was aghast, but there was no time to argue, and he grudgingly started the process of moving the avian mantle¡¯s data to the lower system.  He took-hold of one of the door-side handlebars as Maeve began the dive, and Gabriel ¨C without a single second of evasive maneuvers training ¨C summoned every ounce of willpower in his body to ignore his fear of heights so he could keep an eye on the screen.

    The sky was alight with firepower; artillery shot at the little skiff from all angles.  They were still far enough away from the ground that most of those shots missed by a mile, even those leading the ship, but Gabriel soon pulled-up on the controls to avoid splattering against the ground, and found Maeve being shot-at from above instead.  Streets and buildings were exploding all around him, and Maeve shook terribly, but onward it went, ¡°Get ready!  Dump them all quickly but only one at a time!  I see the palace, or¡­whatever¡¯s left of it!¡± He hollered, and reached up towards the ceiling to manually release the emergency oxygen mask stored above him.  He pinned the joy-stick between his knees so he could pull the mask on, and set a finger to the hatch-door button after.

    Rylen crouched with a shoulder against the rear door¡¯s lip, and kept two pods pinned behind himself as he took position with the first.  That vertical sliding gate opened ¨C the cabin filled with wind, sucking the air straight out of it.  The Sixth¡¯s mantle looked dusty as the maelstrom ripped away a fine layer of its surface.

    Maeve came up from the south, and Gabriel signaled, ¡°Now!¡±

    The Eidolon let the first tech-orb fly, and it plummeted to the smoldering rubble at the south end.  The second went out, landing roughly on top of the throne-room¡¯s crater.  Finally, the third pod was launched, bouncing off the ruins and landing in the burning northern overlook.  Maeve launched out of the smoking pyre over the high rocky hills, and climbed quickly to avoid getting shot.

    Rylen looked back at the Fourth, silver hair whipping around violently, ¡°Now get the Hell out of here!  Don¡¯t stop for anything, and don¡¯t come back this way!¡±

    ¡°Bye!¡±

    The Sixth dissolved, the dusty puff of nanotech getting sucked out the back of the ship as the hatch closed, and outside, that large owl appeared.  It took a second to regain its bearings ¨C and took a shot through the center of its body for the trouble ¨C but as soon as Rylen knew what direction he was facing, he took off for the Tuonela.  It was hard to see through the smoke and clouds, especially in the dark, but the behemoth gave itself away with more of those green shots.

    Deep beneath the rubble, Ravan was the first to find her HUD coming back online, and she immediately called out for help, ¡°Cap-Captain!  The whole palace blew up!  We¡¯re stuck!¡±

    Back on the Buckler, Furion paused in his unsettled pacing, ¡°Dame Ravan!  You¡¯re back online?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it either!  My HUD just came up!  My leg though¡­I¡¯m trapped!

    Corbin was next, ¡°Shit, man¡­¡±

    Then Jense, ¡°¡­Oof¡­¡±

    Gabriel listened-in, heart pounding in his chest, ¡°C¡¯mon, Ren¡­¡±

    ¡°Someone tell me where the Hell I am and what direction to shoot so I can get out from under this crap-pile!¡±

    He nearly melted out of his chair for the relief of it, ¡°Ren!¡±

    ¡°¡­Gabe?  When did you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Not important!  You can thank me for the care-package later!  I¡¯m figuring out where you are now¡­¡± He answered, again setting Maeve to autopilot as the skiff darted swiftly out over the western waters.  When he knew, he puffed a breath, ¡°It feels a bit illegal to have access to this, but¡­you¡¯re under the southern pile.  If you shoot up and about 65 degrees north, you¡¯ll find the sky.  Be careful though, the city¡¯s-¡±

    Ren was the one worried about the sudden cut after that, and immediately pointed her forearm-cannons in the direction she¡¯d been told.  The air screamed and whistled as those beams cut through the debris ¨C sparks and fire broke off as the rock went molten and splintered apart from the stress.  The way the rock gave way suddenly was enough for Ren to feel she¡¯d punched through, and like a missile, she shot through that narrow tunnel.  Literal lava and molten metal clung briefly to her armor as she squeezed out, and she unfurled those massive red wings as she burst from beneath the ground, ¡°Gabe!?  Gabriel!¡±

    ¡°He went west over the water!¡± Rylen answered, barely half-way up to the colony-ship by then.

    She took off like a shot, bits of debris flaking off of her as she went.

    ¡°The rest of you need to get out of the pile and get to the Tuonela!  Take out the array!¡± The Sixth added, ¡°I¡¯m going to try and take the Duchess out myself.¡±

    Jense had been nearly flat on his stomach, buried under the rubble with a number of heavy ceiling-panels crushing down onto his armor.  Still, he managed to grumble, ¡°I fucking said we should take out the weapon¡­but no one listens to me¡­¡± to himself.  His overlay finally pulled up a map and his orientation upon it, and he ¨C like the others ¨C was able to find a good path up and out.

    Corbin spoke as he and Ravan realized how close they were to one another, ¡°Lord Rylen, sir, the colony ship is equipped with some kind of E.M.P. device.¡± He started, and Ravan was able to blast her way into the space he was in; her left leg¡¯s armor was dented slightly where the rock had pinned her before.  Together, they continued ¡®digging¡¯ their way out, ¡°Being close to the array was enough to distort our stealth capabilities, and in quick succession, they did something that knocked all of our tech out completely.  Not just offline either¡­the nanotech collapsed around us like sand.¡±

    Rylen continued his ascent, ¡°Great¡­  Understood.  Get up here and let¡¯s figure it out.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    Ren was surprised how far Maeve had gotten in such a short period of time, but that surprise quickly changed the rage as she spotted the ship being held under the water by the Sovereign Shadow, ¡°Don¡¯t you ever quit!?  Get off him!¡±

    The little red ship had taken a number of punches to the roof, with those large clawed arms pinning the vessel beneath the waves.  The thin head lifted and rippled, and Regulus turned to see the angry acting-Captain come barreling after him, ¡°There she is¡­¡± He said to himself, a half-smirk crossing his face.  With the wings of the skiff still in his grasp, he twisted it around, and forced the nose up to breach.

    Ren was quick to adjust; flying low to the surface, she arced upward and ricocheted off the hull to hurl herself at the ¡®face¡¯ of the mech.  The impact was enough to dislodge it from Maeve, and Ren pulled the head back hard enough to flank it like a rodeo-calf, flipping it over before kicking it at the water upside-down.  She knew it would only buy her a few seconds, but the splash of the massive mech hitting the surface was enough to obscure her retreat towards her partner.  She quickly dove beneath the waves as well, and chased after the sinking skiff.  Hands clamped to the front where the windshield ought to have been, and the line-gaps in her wing-arms glowed brighter as she put on the after-burners to keep the vessel from sinking further, ¡°Gabriel!¡±

    She heard the subtle groan of a man who¡¯d been whacked three-times-too-many in the head that day, but when he finally opened his eyes again and spotted her ¨C underwater and trying to pull the whole ship upward ¨C he quickly sobered-up and grabbed the controls with one hand as he clutched his head with the other, ¡°I got it¡­I¡¯m up¡­¡±

    ¡°Hit the thrusters!  He¡¯s coming!¡±

    Gabriel didn¡¯t need to be told twice, and as Ren dipped out of the way.  The bright white lights behind Maeve¡¯s curved wings lit-up again, and the ship started to rise.  Ren gave it a quick kick in the rear-end as she pushed it from the back to get it moving faster, and turned it north instead of west.  Water sprayed off of it as it breached the surface, and Maeve finally got airborne again, ¡°I¡¯ve got it from here!¡±

    ¡°Get moving!  I¡¯ll cover you!¡± Ren barked, and quickly turned as Regulus came rushing at her from behind.  Metal banged as Ren was pushed up, and was abruptly turned down towards the water again, pinned by the mech¡¯s head and small arms like a seal in the jaws of a massive shark.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 94 â€“ A Black Sun Rises On A Dark Day

    The ferocity with which Ren repeatedly punched the mech¡¯s faceplate was unparalleled, but the durability of the machine was like oobleck, resisting every strike with matching energy.  It only finally let her go when Regulus heard the glass-like sound of shattering, and shoved her beneath the water with a barrage of firepower to follow.  It was easy to spot her escape-course by watching the red glow beneath those dark waves, but she was still quick and evasive, and found her way back into the air with her own explosive response.

    Maeve¡¯s tail-lights were still visible even over the distance it had traveled, and Ren could tell that every movement from the Sovereign Shadow was trying to go after it.  The machine¡¯s faceplate had a web of cracks through it though, and she could only hope that meant some of the Magistrate¡¯s vision was impaired.  If it was, it wasn¡¯t easy to notice, and the mech came charging directly at her again.

    The larger upper-arms were as outstretched as the smaller ones protruding from the machine¡¯s chest, and a rapid-fire of small white orbs came pulsing out from them.  Ren braced, wings ahead of her protectively, and when she felt the clasp of those metallic ¡®fingers¡¯ around her torso ¨C shoving her back with enough force to knock a normal person unconscious ¨C she knew she had her opportunity.  The hilts of both blades were in her hands, and she pressed the ends to the wrist-joins of those thin arms.  Regulus didn¡¯t have time to see and react before Ren flicked the ¡®on¡¯ switch to each of those weapons, and held hard to drive the extending plasma-blades into the joints.

    The metal was hard and tempered, resilient even against those high temperatures, but no known metals could withstand for long.  The persistence of the young Fafnir finally paid off, and with a yell to keep those blades from flying out of her hands, Ren finally made them drive through.  One each shot out past her sides, plasma fusing with the molten liquid and shooting off into the water with a boil and a hiss, and those ¡®claws¡¯ went limp.  Ren quickly extricated herself from their grasp, and vaulted up over the broken faceplate to clamber for the back.  As she moved, blades retracted into their hilts again, and the grips whipped to her hips as if drawn by strong magnets.

    Regulus heard the thump of metal boots on the roof overhead, but kept cool as he piloted the mech to try and buck her off.  She refused to budge though; fingers had managed to get a hold on the flat, donut-shaped porthole, and held on tightly.  The big arms thrashed on their pivots, but they simply didn¡¯t have the range of motion to grasp at something clinging so tightly to the Shadow¡¯s back.  Regulus felt his heart in his throat for the first time in decades when he heard the sound of one of those plasma-blades being driven into the port-seam.

    Out over the water, there wasn¡¯t a damn thing he could do about it, either.  Ren clung like a baby monkey, and all the while, forced the knife¡¯s-edge deeper into the groove.  Without any recourse, Regulus turned his shattered sights towards the shoreline, and with a jarring spin, made for the rocks; Ren could choose to let go or she could get crushed.

    Within the rubble of the palace, Jense was able to finally get free, buried under the least amount of debris but also the most risky and unstable.  One wrong move and several tons of broken stone would come down on him, and unlike Ren, he couldn¡¯t just tunnel through solid rock without risk of collapsing the whole thing on top of himself.  When the night sky finally came into his sights though, he burst out of the ground without a glance back, and immediately took to the air to chase after his Eidolon.  Spotting that desperately-ascending owl wasn¡¯t hard ¨C there was only one ¡®ally¡¯ target in his field of vision ¨C and his HUD narrowed-in on it.

    There wasn¡¯t enough nanotech to activate stealth-mode again, so he made sure to keep his wing-optics off, and quickly caught-up with the avian mantle, ¡°Need a lift?¡± Jense asked, dodging a few near-hits as he came up behind the mantle.

    ¡°Get me in front of the bridge, now!¡±

    ¡°Yessir!¡± He answered, and the owl carefully latched its talons to one of those wing-arms and a shoulder.  Not wanting to go so fast that the mantle would disintegrate around his armor, Jense ascended vertically at a slower pace to get into the clouds.

    The Tuonela was like a great beast, rising high into the heavens, sending off more of those green meteor-shots every few minutes.  Every single blast was a devastating threat, but sending off five at a time on each pass seemed like overkill.  Being all but a city in itself, getting around it when it was flying forward took a little while, and by the time the duo crested over the widest section, both Ravan and Corbin had finally caught up.

    Flustered, Rylen looked to the pair with that sharp gaze, ¡°Do whatever you have to do; destroy the array!¡±

    ¡°Shut down your overlays before you go!¡± Jense harped, ¡°If that E.M.P. thing happens again, we¡¯ll be down that supply of nanotech entirely!  But if you leave it with me, you can come back for it!¡±

    ¡°Roger that.¡± The two answered, and immediately did so, then quickly darted off.

    Though still bearing that strigine face, Rylen wondered the obvious, ¡°How high off the ground was the ship when they hit you with it before?¡±

    ¡°It hadn¡¯t moved yet, sir.¡± Jense answered, and looked down at the behemoth as it hovered below him, ¡°So¡­a little further than we¡¯re at right now.¡±

    The Sixth narrowed his eyes slightly, ¡°Hold here a moment.  Stop completely.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    Rylen waited a moment in silence as Ravan and Corbin vanished towards the head of the vessel, and ¨C unknown to Jense ¨C finished uploading a simple schematic to that closed system.  When it was done, he gave-up a portion of their limited supply to form a small sphere of light in front of them, ¡°Watch it closely.  Dropping now.¡±

    The orb plummeted like if it was made of solid iron, but to both their curiosity, it was visible well beyond the expected threshold.  When it did finally explode against the shield, it was maybe only 20ft above the hull, ¡°¡­That¡¯s way closer.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve been able to access the Warp Core.¡± The Eidolon surmised, ¡°Those Magi¡­are either still alive somehow, or Far¡¯nah¡¯s replaced them with new ones.  Either way, I¡¯m not getting aboard like this¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do, sir?¡± Jense glanced back over his shoulder at the white avian mantle.

    Rylen thought for a few seconds, but looked resolute, ¡°¡­Still to the bridge.  If she woke up some of the crew to fly this thing, then I know who¡¯s under her thumb.  You should have enough nanotech to go stealth now; let me know when you¡¯re in sight of that window.  I need to look something up.¡±

    ¡°Yessir!¡± The Fafnir answered, and quickly vanished, along with the Eidolon he once carried like a pet.

    Back on the ground, Regulus had finally been able to shake Ren from his mech¡¯s back, but the damage she¡¯d left was unmistakable.  They seemed to be in a bit of a stalemate, neither able to deal a lethal blow at the other, though Ren could at least take credit for leaving the most visible damage.  The ¡®wrists¡¯ of the small arms were fused into position, leaving them as little more than strange-looking clubs.  Two claws from the right large arm had been hacked off.  The porthole door was so badly mangled that the pilot would need to be cut out.

    Regulus was actually puffing for breath by then, and even with the offensive stance he¡¯d taken, actually took a moment to comment at his nemesis, ¡°I can see why they promoted you.  If this is what you were capable of before¡­I was truly missing out.¡±

    ¡°Such are the handicaps of protecting more than just one¡¯s self.¡± Ren answered, one blade pointed forward in her right hand as the other was held in reverse in the left, ¡°You¡¯re not half-bad either.  For an old man with a war-machine that does half the fighting for him.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s yours?¡± Regulus countered, ¡°Old man, I mean.  I know I saw a Rydell before.  Seems a family tradition to dual-wield two-handed blades.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know?¡± She said, feeling her muscles tense as she readied for another vault, ¡°Tell you what¡­answer my question and I¡¯ll answer yours.¡±

    ¡°One each sounds fair.¡±

    ¡°What was the point of all this?¡± Ren posed, and nudged her head at the smoldering crater where the palace had imploded, ¡°Your country won¡¯t get the recognition it¡¯s asking for if there¡¯s no country left to recognize.  Or people¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Regulus shook his head, ¡°If your liege lord didn¡¯t send you on a fool¡¯s errand to try and kill the Duchess, then he probably sent you here to secure the Prince.  No doubt, he intends to install the boy as Emperor - now that there¡¯s a vacancy ¨C and put him onto the seat of Kitez as well.  A well-groomed puppet, raised in the shadow of the Luminary Council, with a misplaced sense of obligation to it for saving him from his own curse.  ¡­We were simply going to beat the man to it.  Now your turn.¡±

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Ren¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, ¡°¡­One is with the southern fleet.  The other is back in Agartha.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a strange way of saying that neither of them are here to help you.¡±

    She gripped the blade-hilts a bit tighter, ¡°I don¡¯t need either of them to finish this.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, Fafnir?  If you¡¯re going to die here, I¡¯ll at least know who you are first.¡±

    ¡°My name won¡¯t matter to a dead man.¡± She answered simply, and twisted her back-foot slightly¡­then launched.

    Metal banged against metal as the two clashed violently.  Small and large arms both came crashing down and swinging from every direction, and Ren dodged and pivoted, moving between the strikes like a choreographed dance.  She stabbed at the ¡®neck¡¯ of the Shadow, finding the material there easier to penetrate than the thicker armor protecting the pilot.

    If I can cripple it enough to make it inoperable, I won¡¯t need to kill him to stop the fight¡­  I¡¯ll pry him out with my own two hands¡­  I want to see the look in his eyes when he realizes I¡¯ve won!  She thought, repeatedly striking at the same spot under the ¡®jaw¡¯ of the machine.  Soon enough, she was able to thrust the entirety of a sword-blade through it, right to the hilt.  The left blade came up quickly to defend against one of the small-arm jabs, but a wide swing from one of the larger arms collided with her, sending her flying off with a clang that reverberated like a stuck bell.

    Even the inertia-modulators couldn¡¯t completely negate the effect of such an abrupt strike, and Ren¡¯s head was still spinning when the rest of her came to a stop.  She was quick enough to get back up again before the full-force collision of the Sovereign Shadow - dropping onto the spot she once lay - missed by only a hair, but both big arms slammed down on her instead.  She hit the hard ground chest-first, feeling both of her own arms pinned right away.  Ren struggled for a moment, but when she saw the unmistakable glow of that green light spreading around her, she felt her heart stop in her chest.  For half an instant, time seemed to stand still, a lifetime flashed in front of her mind¡¯s eye.

    Ren twisted hard, and to her surprise, despite the doubt that she¡¯d be able to wrench free, she found herself on her feet again.  The green blast hit the ground between those smaller blue-metal limbs, but from within the kicked-up dust, Regulus had seen her escape.  Annoyed but impressed, that large, elongated face-plate peered through, and the Sovereign Shadow flung itself forward again, catching the Fafnir a second time.

    Somehow.

    What¡­just happened? Ren asked herself, and became painfully aware of the fact that the mech had her pinned to a slanted section of solid wall, arms out like she¡¯d held them there on purpose.  She could only look on in horror as the warmachine loomed over her.

    High above, Jense had been waiting on standby a few hundred yards from the bridge-level of the Tuonela.  Ravan and Jense had been peppering the Eye of Kitez with everything they had, but the shields deflected them like water droplets on a mirror.  Jense was starting to get nervous, ¡°Sir, if you can hear me, they can¡¯t get through!  The shields are holding against everything they¡¯ve got!¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m ready.¡± Rylen finally answered, ¡°Get as close as you can¡­and fly steady.  I¡¯m going to use your nanotech to superimpose my image onto your armor.¡±

    That sounded weird, but he glided forward as ordered.  With a quick breath, he dropped stealth, and appeared in full sight of the crew¡­though at a mild distance. The sight of him immediately caught everyone¡¯s attention, and though Jense braced for the potential of being shot at right there, he held firm, and opened-up the full spread of his wings for emphasis.

    He saw the dust-like accumulation manifest over his visor, and the inside of that mantle completely blocked his sight¡­but he could definitely hear the exceptional boom of the Eidolon¡¯s voice coming from out of his armor.

    ¡°This is Commander Rylen Vor¡¯antiss of the NeoSol Colony-fleet mission to Proxima Centauri Tau, hereby hailing SSCF Tuonela.¡±

    Four of the dozen bridge-crew were up on their feet in shock, including the original Captain, ¡°C-Commander!?¡±

    ¡°Why is he floating in the sky like that?¡±

    ¡°¡­How did he just appear out of nowhere?¡±

    The Kitezans and trio of Magistrates looked confused, ¡°¡­Commander Rylen Vor¡¯antiss?  Not Lord?¡±

    The Sixth¡¯s mantle was unlike his normal visage; the silver-haired, orange-eyed drow had been replaced by the rather normal appearance of his original, fleshy self¡­albeit in a less atrophied state.  He bore a slightly-more-regal variant of their same plain white uniforms, with a golden sash from one shoulder to the opposite hip, and an eagle-like pin that denoted his station, ¡°Captain Ronan Dalcassian, and all able-bodied crew¡­by my authority as mission-leader, I hereby relieve you of duty.  Given the extremely unusual circumstances, I give you my proof of identity; U.S.U.N.88429.  I say again, I hereby relieve you of duty.  Vacate the bridge and await boarding.¡±

    The Captain was the first to pack it up, and even under threat of being shot by his Kitezan guards, he still fled the command-deck.

    Rylen continued, whether or not the crew had heard or heeded him, ¡°I now formally address Duchess Far¡¯nah of Kitez¡­if you value your life, you¡¯ll surrender.  Fully, unconditionally, and immediately.  This charade has gone on long enough, and too many lives have been lost.¡±

    Aboard her observation deck, Far¡¯nah was surprised and amused at the sight, ¡°Well, well¡­how bold of him to appear as his original self.¡± She mused quietly, and decided to play along, activating a communication relay to the outside, ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to come all this way until the end, Rylen.  I do believe it ought to be you giving unconditional surrender to me.¡±

    ¡°You have no path to victory.¡± He answered, ¡°Land now and release the Prince.  You have crimes to answer for.¡±

    One of the last crewman to leave the bridge was the communications officer¡­and she made the very clear decision to activate the ship¡¯s intercom on the way out.  Everyone could hear the exchange now¡­except for the aforementioned Prince, who still had that unfortunate sound-blocking helmet on.

    ¡°History is written by the victors, and I know for a fact that at least one of my shots made it to Agartha.¡± Far¡¯nah continued, ¡°Not to mention, I¡¯ve taken down two of your SkyFortresses.  If you consider that an advantage to press, you have a strange way of admitting defeat.¡±

    ¡°Mine¡¯s the side that hasn¡¯t committed war crimes, to start.¡± Rylen answered, that mantle being gently pulled backwards by Jense¡¯s steady rearward drift, ¡°You started this war by murdering the Emperor of Sargon, and your own husband.¡±

    Iresha¡¯s guards were extremely confused, looking around and at each other, ¡°¡­What¡¯s all this about?  Where¡¯d the intercom coverage come from?¡±

    ¡°You ignored the normal conventions of appropriate behavior between nations by sneaking a bomb into a peaceful celebration.¡± The Sixth continued, ¡°You¡¯re holding hostage the sovereign heir to another country¡¯s leadership, and have plunged the entire world into chaos.  All for what?  Your hatred of the Council is unparalleled in its lack of rationality.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you understand our motives, Eidolon.¡± Far¡¯nah countered, ¡°The fact of the matter is that your fleet is wearing down¡­your stamina dwindled, and your defenses are being worn to the bone.  Yet here I stand, as strong as ever and making you go to desperate measures to try and ask me nicely to stop.  Well, I refuse¡­  Fire again!¡±

    The Eye of Kitez was silent for the lack of operators, and one of the Magistrates went down into the fire control center and examined the command-board.  Such old technology was somewhat lost in translation though, and none of them could figure out that they needed another person to set the target for them at another workstation.

    In the rear halls, the dozen-or-so crew who¡¯d abandoned the bridge were mutinying against their captors.  Captain Dalcassian had taken a shot to the left shoulder before it was done, and they were able to capture one of the soldiers, forcing the man to his knees with his own rifle pointed at his throat, ¡°That boy!  He¡¯s the Prince that Commander Vor¡¯antiss mentioned, right!?  Where is he!?¡±

    There was resistance, even with a gun-butt to the cheek, and the guard was slain without an admission.

    ¡°Find him!  They can¡¯t have taken him too far!  I¡¯ll take that bitch down myself if I must¡­¡± He grunted, and the group fanned out.  He looked the weapon over, holding it up against his one good shoulder, ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t enough that she refused to tell us what was going on¡­but she lied to our faces when she did speak, too¡­¡±

    Rylen lifted his head a little bit, as if looking down his nose at the Duchess, wherever she was, ¡°Having a little trouble, Your Grace?¡±

    Far¡¯nah couldn¡¯t understand, and she paged down to the bridge, ¡°What¡¯s going on?  Why aren¡¯t you firing?¡±

    A Magistrate answered, ¡°Your Grace, my apologies¡­the bridge-crew abandoned their stations as soon as Rylen ordered them away.  We¡¯re trying to figure out-¡±

    Far¡¯nah was incensed, but tried to play it cool, and paged to the outside again, ¡°We¡¯re pressing forward, Lord Rylen.  Any hope to stop my Vindicator will be for nothing.  You can either get out of my way or be forced from it.  I won¡¯t warn you again¡­¡±

    ¡°Neither will I.¡±

    Ren couldn¡¯t understand what was going on.  One moment, she was in fighting form, and the next, she¡¯d felt every bone in both of her arms shatter like dry sticks.  Even then, the massive mecha kept her pinned to that broken wall by the twisted armor that now encased the bloodied limbs, and the smaller arms at the base of it were pounding so hard against her midsection that she could feel blood in her throat.  Her ears were ringing, but she heard her own voice speak then, like someone was playing-back a recording she¡¯d made before the battle.

    ¡°Gabe¡­can you come back and get me?¡± She said calmly, like she hadn¡¯t vomited the edge of a hemorrhage into her broken helmet already.  Her face and neck were sticky with blood, yet somehow, her words were as normal as ever, even if a bit monotone, ¡°I¡¯ve won, but I need a lift.¡±

    Gabriel heard the request, but something sounded wrong about it, and though he pulled back on the control-stick to halt Maeve¡¯s retreat ¨C far enough out to sea that no one was shooting at him anymore ¨C he looked up at the screen, and Ren¡¯s blank video-feed, in confusion, ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°My target disabled by wings.  I can¡¯t fly.¡± That puppeteered voice answered.  The line muted for some reason then ¨C Gabriel could see the icon for it change ¨C and Ren coughed another glut of blood.  Regulus let go of her pulverized arms, and she collapsed to her knees, only to get grabbed by the head instead.  The visor on the front of her helmet cracked on the first smash into the wall, and shattered on the second, but the worst part was looking up through that unfiltered void to where the anti-gravity drive under the Shadow¡¯s chassis had moved into her sights.

    Whoom whoom whoom¡­

    Ren couldn¡¯t move.  All the energy had drained from her body already, but the pressure from the engine above her now made her unable to breathe, too.  She couldn¡¯t even muster the air in her lungs ¨C as her ribs broke from the pressure ¨C to scream, as she felt both of her eyes rupture and dribble down her temples.

    Everything went black after that, and she didn¡¯t hear the sound of an explosive crash just above her.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 95 â€“ The Reaper Does Not Weep For Its Grim Harvest

    Sitting in the brig of the Aegis was a harrowing moment of introspection.  Ren could hardly believe it, but what was worse was the knowing.  Only the night before, she¡¯d been living her best life as Wing Commander One, but now, she was a prisoner aboard her own ship, with the heavy weight of insubordination and mutiny looming over her head.  There was nothing for it, though; she knew what had happened.  Her Captain tried to force her to kill children, and when she refused, he commandeered her armor with an override that she barely remembered existing.

    She¡¯d heard them ¨C the Captain and her Eidolon ¨C speaking about the charges, and their frustrated manner while trying to understand why she¡¯d done it.  ¡®You made me kill kids,¡¯ kept coming out of her mouth, but neither of them seemed to understand her, and so into the cell she went.

    Three days she spent in that little room, with nothing but the walls to keep her interest.  The Aegis had been turned around entirely ¨C apparently just for her ¨C so it made landing back in Agartha outside of schedule really unusual.  What was worse was being escorted off the ship by the First Wing himself, and handed over into the custody of the Fourth.

    She wasn¡¯t even bound, nor made to wear prisoner fatigues.  She¡¯d just been handed some clothing from her own room and tossed a bag of her effects, like she was being forced on leave.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening.¡± She commented carefully, ¡°Sir¡­?  I thought I was going to be taken through a military tribunal.¡±

    Rylen cast his eyes towards her briefly, but then looked to Xanarken, ¡°I¡¯ll let you explain.  She doesn¡¯t react well when I speak.  Maybe you¡¯ll have better luck.¡±

    The Fourth nodded, and gestured to the exit at the far end of the landing spire.

    .

    That same spire was now in ruins; the only part of Agartha that had been hit by the Eye of Kitez.

    .

    Ren followed after the Eidolon with her heart in her throat.  Xanarken didn¡¯t speak a word for a while though, seemingly reviewing all the documents that Rylen had transferred to him.  When they finally exited the elevator and stepped out into the lower ship dock, the Fourth led her out and into an open landing-area.

    That¡¯s when he finally said something, ¡°Dame Ren, what you¡¯ve done is a serious offense.¡±

    She stayed as quiet as death ¨C it wasn¡¯t what he actually said, but she couldn¡¯t have known otherwise at the time.  The afflictive illusion was too fresh, and she heard only what she worried to hear when anyone spoke of the incident directly.

    ¡°But, my brother has a lot of respect for your capabilities, and while they do an internal review within the Sixth, he¡¯s entrusted your care to me and the Fourth.¡± He continued, looking at those nervous green eyes, ¡°It may take some time for them to make a decision about what will happen with you, but for now, you¡¯re grounded.  No combat, no drills, no armor to fly in¡­you¡¯ll be demoted to the lowest rank the Fourth has outside the Academy.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yessir¡­¡± She answered with a cold sense of dread.

    ¡°I have a few Mediators who are available to take on new mentees, so I¡¯m going to assign you to someone.¡± Xanarken added, ¡°But I must make one thing absolutely and unequivocally clear to you before that Mediator arrives.¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°For the next 30 days, you are hereby ordered ¨C forbidden ¨C from speaking about your origins or previous line of work.¡± He explained simply, ¡°Knowing you came from the Sixth alone will probably set certain expectations about your willingness to learn how to negotiate, so don¡¯t poison the well before you drink from it.  Worse still, the guy who¡¯s coming has a particular problem with the Fafnir Knights, so knowing you were one of them ¨C led them, even ¨C will probably cause problems between you.  So¡­until he¡¯s had some time to get to know you, don¡¯t tell him anything.  Maybe, by the time these 30 days are up, he¡¯ll have learned enough about you that finding out the truth won¡¯t sour him to the possibility that Fafnir aren¡¯t as bad as he thinks.¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand, sir.¡±

    ¡°Questions?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m entitled to any right now, sir.¡± She said timidly, ¡°I don¡¯t really understand why I¡¯m being transferred to another Wing when I should be moving to a military prison.  I don¡¯t¡­want to punch a gift-horse in the mouth.  ¡­Sir.¡±

    Xanarken puffed a laugh, ¡°You¡¯ve been moved because Rylen can¡¯t stand the idea of losing you to a mistake.  You earned your wings by putting the Captain on his ass the first time you met, and you were fresh from boot.  No one has ever gotten to try out for the Fafnir that early in their career with the Council before¡­no one except the Rydells themselves, anyway.  Normally there¡¯s a few years of putzing around as a lower rank first, then you apply internally.  Someone saw something in you though¡­  Maybe they were sincere, or maybe they thought this would be a funny way of putting you down, but you proved yourself with such reckless abandon that Captain Rydell immediately wanted you.  You¡¯d think he would¡¯ve been embarrassed, but¡­apparently it really impressed him.¡±

    Ren scoffed quietly, ¡°He only looked down on me as this lightweight waif of a woman and let his guard down.  ¡­Sir.¡±

    ¡°Either way,¡± Xanarken laughed, ¡°You¡¯ve continued to rise even when put to the real tests.  You became Wing Commander in record time.  I think your spar-session was legitimate.  Everyone speaks extremely highly of you.  I can think of no better representative of the Fafnir Knights to prove to my doubting son that you¡¯re better than he thinks.¡±

    That made Ren¡¯s cheek twitch, ¡°¡­Sir?¡± She managed, and felt all the blood drain from her face, ¡°¡­I have so many questions suddenly, I don¡¯t even know where to start¡­¡±

    ¡°Go ahead.  Pick any.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re assigning The Negotiator¡­THE Gabriel Lugios as my mentor?  And I¡¯m somehow supposed to prove that the Fafnir aren¡¯t so bad when I got kicked out for rebelling against them¡­?¡± She asked in disbelief, feeling her knees tremble for the nerves.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t kicked out.  You were put on an extended leave of absence.  And in a month, when he¡¯s allowed to read your file, he¡¯ll be able to see the circumstances of it himself.  By then, hopefully you¡¯ve endeared yourself to him enough that he¡¯s willing to look past it.  Do that, and your return to the Fafnir is half-secured.¡±

    ¡°¡­Half-secured, sir?¡±

    ¡°Well, my brother has to conclude the review and agree to take you back, too.¡±

    ¡°Yessir¡­¡±

    ¡°Honestly, this is the perfect storm.¡± Xanarken noted, and turned to cross his arms, eyes looking around the vaulted garage for the image of the little red skiff that was supposed to be arriving, ¡°I need Gabriel to let go of his grudge against the Fafnir, and I¡¯ve heard wonderful things about your ability to connect with your team-mates.  There isn¡¯t a soul aboard the Aegis that had a negative thing to say about you¡­except maybe Sir Jense, who was apparently still upset that you one-shot him during a demonstration last year.¡±

    Ren stammered, ¡°He put that into an actual peer-review?¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    The Fourth snorted, ¡°Yes.  Anyway, if anyone can help with this situation, it¡¯s you.  And if not, I know we gave it our best shot, and Gabe will just be a hopeless cause with a chip on his shoulder.  ¡­And, there he is.  Remember; one month.  Not a peep.¡±

    She nodded emphatically, and turned to spot Maeve come into view.  The hissing-hum of the ship¡¯s hovering thrusters echoed through the concrete corridors, and when it finally landed, Ren could feel a thousand ravenous butterflies dart through her stomach.  She leaned and took a step back, ¡°Sir¡­can I admit something really quick before he gets out?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve had a tiny bit of a celebrity-crush on that guy since I was a pre-teen.  He¡¯s the whole reason I wanted to be a Fafnir.  I wanted to be one of the good ones, who didn¡¯t kill kids and their families.  I¡­don¡¯t know if I can do this.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this be the perfect time to make your case, then?¡±

    ¡°But I did kill kids!¡± She countered, and eeped as the skiff¡¯s side-door broke its flight-seal, ¡°Oh my god.¡±

    Xanarken just chuckled and pet her shoulder, ¡°Your crimes are not what you think they are, Dame Ren.  You¡¯ll see.¡±

    Ren clenched her hands around the strap of her ruck-sack, and watched as that familiar blonde head popped out of the vessel.  She could feel her face turning as red as the tells in his hair, and couldn¡¯t force herself to blink as he approached.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?¡± Gabriel asked tepidly, eyes on the petite woman standing next to the Fourth, looking as mortified as a teenager having their birthday celebrated rather publicly at a restaurant.  Those infamous bicolored eyes looked to Xanarken, ¡°You¡¯ve never brought a client to me before.¡±

    ¡°Not a client.  She¡¯s your new partner.¡± The Fourth beamed.

    ¡°What.¡± Gabriel stammered flatly.

    Ren just waved meekly.

    ¡°You know; a mentee.  Those things you hate.¡±

    Ren could¡¯ve dropped from the embarrassment, but somehow held her ground.

    Gabriel looked between them a few times, but then reached his hands out and spun the Eidolon around to shove him forward.  Once out of ear-shot, it looked like he was making his case against the situation, but Ren couldn¡¯t hear it.  Xanarken got the final word though, and Gabriel slouched, then walked past, and gestured for the woman to follow without even looking at her, ¡°Fine.  Looks like we¡¯re stuck.¡±

    Xanarken approached as well, but before Ren could even take a step, the Eidolon bent into her line of sight, ¡°Don¡¯t let him bully you.  He¡¯s great with politicians and schmoozers, but he doesn¡¯t have friends.  Gets exhausted by the bullshit after a while and might be slightly jaded.  Be genuine and he¡¯ll eventually realize you¡¯re not trying to pull one over on him.¡±

    ¡°¡­Y-yessir¡­¡± She answered worriedly, and took-off to catch up with the ornery Negotiator.  She paused outside the ship though and turned back, ¡°¡­What if he recognizes my name?  Not that he even asked what it was¡­¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t know it; that I can guarantee.¡±

    Ren nodded and swallowed a hard lump in her throat, but finally hopped up into the ship¡­only to scold herself for it, since a normal person would¡¯ve needed to pull themselves in with the hand-holds.  She made a mental note not to flaunt her augments after that, and looked around the interior.  There was an oval-shaped track in the floor where the ship¡¯s three seats sat, and only the pilot¡¯s chair was set to the front.  It was possible for two seats to be up at the controls, but Gabriel had set it so the rear seats were behind him, so he couldn¡¯t even see Ren when she went to find a spot.

    Maeve¡¯s side-door closed, and Gabriel made a few curt comments, ¡°Not many people make it through the program when they¡¯re stuck with me, so I¡¯ll make some things clear upfront so you don¡¯t have to bother with small-talk that I don¡¯t want to engage in anyway.  First, don¡¯t call me Sir; my name is Gabriel, use it.  Second, no, I can¡¯t do anything about the red coloration in my hair or eye; it¡¯s not nanotech and I can¡¯t explain it.  Third, don¡¯t hassle me about the way I talk to the Eidolon.  Lastly, no, I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re nervous about the fact that I¡¯m afflicted.  You¡¯ll never see it active anyway so you can pretend it doesn¡¯t exist.¡±

    Ren could hardly believe how abrasive he was, and clutched her bag to her chest as she sat down, ¡°¡­Oh.  Okay.  So, the game is you¡¯re going to try to make want to leave, is it?¡±

    ¡°Try?  No.  It¡¯s just inevitable.¡±

    .

    The eeriness with which Ren spoke those words set Gabriel¡¯s teeth on edge, but something told him he had to go back anyway.  Maeve kicked-up a wave of water as he veered the whole thing around and started heading back towards the shoreline under the ruined palace.

    It took four months and a mission gone horribly wrong for Gabriel to finally accept a proper introduction to and by the woman he¡¯d largely been leaving to her own devices, and only a few weeks after for him to realize what he¡¯d been ignoring.  Finding out she was a Fafnir ¨C and not just any Fafnir, but a unit-commander ¨C caused a bit of a foundational upheaval, but he found himself completely smitten by her anyway.

    Having his chance with her, too¡­it was like the tectonics of his mind tilted back the other way.  The warmth, the affection, the ¨C he didn¡¯t want to call it passion but he couldn¡¯t think of anything better, so¡­ - passion, and everything in between.  That night began with a depth of attachment he had never known he could form with another person¡­and was about to end with a pain he didn¡¯t know was possible to experience.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to spot the dread sight of the Sovereign Shadow once Gabriel had gotten back near the beach, but the fact that it was just hovering there was concerning.  Gabriel kept quite a distance while he scouted it out, certain to keep the faint light of the ship¡¯s rear thrusters towards the open water so Maeve wouldn¡¯t be so easily seen.  However, when he spotted the downed Fafnir ¨C and, worse still, the amount of blood that had been smeared all over the rock-wall she¡¯d once been pinned against ¨C time stood still.

    ¡°¡­Ren¡­?¡±

    There was no answer that time; he opened every channel in an effort to find her somewhere.

    ¡°Ren?  Ren, say something!¡± He pleaded, feeling the weight in his gut starting to grow.

    Each of the Fafnir ¨C including Furion back on the Buckler ¨C heard that particular tone in the Fourth¡¯s voice, and it set them all on edge.  Rylen was still busy with the Tuonela, and hadn¡¯t heard it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of that.¡± Ravan commented, ¡°Captain, permission to investigate?  We can¡¯t get through this shield anyway.¡±

    ¡°Yes, go.  Corbin, you too.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    The longer those quiet seconds went on, the more Gabriel could feel the futility sinking in.  He didn¡¯t really notice how he leaned into the controls, nor the way his eyes started to spark with a particular golden light.  Maeve was back up to its top speed within a few seconds, and Regulus finally caught sight of the approach.

    ¡°¡­Back again?  Saves me the trouble of chasing after you.¡± He commented quietly.  The big arms of the mech, even without a few of its fingers, turned and readied their green beams¡­but Maeve abruptly vanished, ¡°¡­Where did¡­?¡±

    He had enough time to blink when the entire ship reappeared ¨C flying at him at nearly 600mph ¨C only a dozen feet away.  It hit him with such incredible force that it exploded around him as it pushed the Shadow back, smashing it into a section of collapsed exterior rooms, and launched it ¨C and all the debris that it and Maeve had blown into ¨C another hundred feet back.  The ravaged blue mech landed with a hollow metallic crunch ¨C all but the front small right arm had been viciously ripped off ¨C and watching it from the beach¡­was Gabriel, eyes flashing with furious golden light.

    There was no purple aura now, it was just pure effect, and Gabriel reached out with one open hand, clasping around the warmachine angrily.  He wrenched his arm back, and the mech was dragged forward with surreal force, rubble and debris breaking in its path until it was flung halfway into the oncoming surf.  Both hands came up then, and tense fingers gripped hard together¡­slowly crushing the Sovereign Shadow like a small, hollow can.  There was no room for screaming or pleading¡­blood spurted out of the gaps as the mech¡¯s frame imploded, then gushed out like a broken hospital bag.  The softly rolling tide brought red to the pebbled shore, but Gabriel turned away from the sight, and let the mech drop into the shallow water like a rock.

    Walking over to Ren¡¯s battered body was a nightmare.  The sounds of the deeply-burning fires within the ruin were the only thing Gabriel could hear, and everything was a sickly shade of monochrome, splashed with crimson.  Ren¡¯s armor was dented in ways that made his stomach churn ¨C the abdominal wall was pushed in too far, the chest-plate was broken, both arms were twisted like bread, with bone and flesh sticking out, and the helmet was smashed.  Blood pooled under her, still dripping down where the wing-arms kept her up at a slight angle.  Gabriel¡¯s steps slowed as he neared, and he released the miasma from his eyes as he collapsed to his knees.

    ¡°¡­R-Ren¡­?¡± He begged quietly.  Shaky hands reached forward, hesitating for a moment before finally unlatching the shattered helmet from around her head.  Black hair, sticky with blood, fell out to hang slightly before finally dropping to the wet stone beneath her.  Her head drooped down, and he saw the horrifying image of what Regulus had left of her face.  Skin was clawed by the shattered glass, eyelids sagged where the orbits had been ruptured, and red trickled down her cheeks, past her ears.  The neck of her flight-suit was saturated.  She was barely recognizable now, and though Gabriel pressed his fingers against the side of her throat, there wasn¡¯t a single spot where could feel even the most febrile of pulses.

    She was gone.

    The cry that came out of him then cut through the whole team like a jagged, rusty knife, and he collapsed forward against her.  He hugged his arms around her head regardless of the blood, and pulled her close, cheek pressed to her skin as he begged her to speak.

    There was no answer though, and on that beach, none would ever come.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 96 â€“ Victoryâ€¦But At What Cost?

    The Kitezan soldiers were easy to pick off, found by the angry Tuonelan crew as they pored through the halls in search of Prince Iresha.  Two guns became 12 in a hurry, and they soon found a singular guard willing to say something to spare his own life; not that it actually helped, since he was shot in the chest as soon as he gave them what they wanted.

    Five of the ¡®mutineers¡¯ peeled off to head to the upper decks, above where their Captain was heading, and were easily able to find where the Kitezans had stowed their hostage.  They¡¯d stuck him into the crew¡¯s singular rec-room, where the proverbial graveyard shift could go during down-time.  The two guards who¡¯d been posted inside the door were caught by surprise, and only had enough time to turn around in shock before being gunned down.  One collapsed backward and banged into the young Prince¡¯s leg, startling him enough to nearly knock him off the ottoman-bench he¡¯d been waiting on.

    The blinding, deafening helmet was unceremoniously yanked off his head, and Iresha ¨C in confused anger ¨C nearly lit the room aflame just for the insult.  However, when he spotted those distinctively non-Kitezan white overalls, he realized he wasn¡¯t looking at his captors¡­but rather, his fellow hostages.

    ¡°¡­Are you the Prince that the Commander is talking about?¡± The communications officer asked quickly.

    Iresha blinked; eyes were still adjusting to the light, and he squinted terribly, but the faces of those five people were becoming clearer, ¡°¡­Maybe?  Probably?¡±

    ¡°Come with us!¡±

    He wasn¡¯t quite dragged out, but there was definitely some haste in their insistence.

    Captain Dalcassian had made it his personal mission to bring the whole scheme tumbling down.  He and three others had gone up to the above-bridge observation deck, killed both guards standing outside of it, and forced their way inside.

    Duchess Far¡¯nah was appalled to see the bunch of them, more so when she saw the blood of her men pooling beyond the door.  Guns were drawn on her, and she sneered at the group angrily, ¡°¡­How dare you¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been lying to us all this time¡­¡± The older man growled, that long weapon held towards her with his one good arm, ¡°You told us that you were going to bring the Tuonela to the surface so we could deboard the survivors¡­  We stayed here, working diligently to ensure the stasis systems held while repairs were done, never once suspecting you were installing a super-weapon under our hull¡­  This is our ship!  It was a mission of hope and growth, of discovery!  You¡¯ve poisoned all of it with your filthy machinations!¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ve just taken the word of a flying, winged man who just appeared outside the ship from literally nothing.¡± She countered, staying where she was defiantly, ¡°It¡¯s ludicrous.¡±

    ¡°Only the fleet¡¯s command structure knows the I.D. codes of the leadership.  I don¡¯t care if he appeared as a pink unicorn out there¡­if he knows that code, he¡¯s either the Commander, or he¡¯s God!¡± He snarled bitterly, and took a step closer with that gun, flanked by his crew, ¡°You told us they were all dead.  You told us it had only been a few years since we crashed¡­  We believed you because we had no way of doubting you.  We doubted ourselves instead¡­  But the second you brought us up above the water, and we saw that city¡­  All those smaller ships flying around, the technology you¡¯d developed¡­  But to see Commander Vor¡¯antiss with my own eyes¡­  If you have the kind of technology we¡¯ve seen, why would he not have his own?  All you ever wanted was to use us as a means to an end¡­¡±

    ¡°You could never hope to understand what I wanted.¡±

    Captain Dalcassian just looked at her with skeptical fury, but just as he lifted his stolen rifle to point it at her, he heard a commotion from behind.  Without warning, the wall-bases around the entire room lit-up with flame, as though a gas-fed stove had been turned on.  The fire licked its way up the walls, and both the Captain and Duchess looked on at it with distracted concern.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve let him out.¡± Far¡¯nah realized, ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done.¡±

    ¡°I think they know exactly what they¡¯ve done.  And what they¡¯ve said.  ¡­And what it means for you.¡± Iresha¡¯s voice sounded, and he stepped through the open doorway, eyes golden and bright with his anger, ¡°¡­It feels wrong to call this mutiny when you shouldn¡¯t be here in the first place, but it¡¯s time to give the ship back to its rightful crew.¡±

    The communications officer ushered her Captain back into the hall, gesturing frantically, like she knew some secret that was about to become public.  He looked between the figures, but that miasma pouring from the Prince¡¯s eyes whipped like the tails of a pair of angry cats, and with the blaze growing, he knew vengeance was well in-hand.  He quickly lowered the long-gun and stepped back towards the door, and the crew closed it per Iresha¡¯s instruction.

    Far¡¯nah took a half-step back, ¡°¡­Stand down, boy.¡± She said defiantly anyway, even with those fires growing all around her.

    Iresha just narrowed his eyes a little, and lowered his face as he sneered at her, ¡°¡­They told me you killed my father.¡± He started, ¡°¡­That Lord Rylen is right outside, chomping at the bit to get in here, and that you started a war with - what sounded like - a malicious sabotaging of the Dawn of Ages celebration.  So go on¡­explain it.  Lay out your grand scheme.  Tell me with your own voice that my father is dead.¡±

    ¡°You want to be Emperor, don¡¯t you?¡± She wondered, ¡°Before the Council sinks its claws so deeply into Sargon that your Empire is reduced to a colony, as the Eidolon are so fond of calling us.¡±

    The miasma flared brighter, spilling out to a wide range around him, dancing like the fires he was threatening to unleash, ¡°Of course I do¡­but never like this.¡± He said, his voice threatening to crack already; it was harder to speak the fact of it himself, than it was to hear it from strangers, ¡°My dad¡­he was the only family I had left.  What could you have possibly believed you¡¯d gain by killing him?  I would never be a subservient puppet for you.  I would never be grateful for my rule if it came to me as garnish on a platter serving my own father¡¯s head.¡±

    ¡°The Eidolon were strangling your father themselves.¡± Far¡¯nah insisted, ¡°I merely put him out of his misery.  He¡¯d been the walking dead since the day your affliction manifested, and he was forced to allow their detritus into his borders.¡±

    The fires roared and licked the ceiling, and Far¡¯nah was starting to feel the heat from it.  Embers started to peel away from the walls as centuries-old paint and wallpaper started to immolate, fluttering between the two as Iresha did everything he could to hold onto his sense of reason, ¡°¡­That¡¯s just like you.  Putting the blame on everyone but yourself.  I knew you hated me, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d let it get to you this badly.  Is that why you taunted me about not needing the hand-maids when I first arrived?  Killing leaders doesn¡¯t seem so farfetched for you anymore, now that you have practice¡­  You must¡¯ve been planning some sick and twisted political marriage just so you could crown me, kill me, and assume the throne yourself as Empress.  It¡¯s the only way you could¡¯ve possibly maintained any kind of control¡­¡± He could feel the pain his throat creeping up to his voice-box, and the ache was getting unbearable.

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re not as na?ve as it seemed when you volunteered for the exchange.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re disgusting¡­¡± He said quietly, voice croaking from the pain.  He sneered at the woman, and flames began to nip at her regalia, and though she quickly reacted, realized it wasn¡¯t burning her.  Not yet.  Iresha took a step closer, the tips of his hair starting to smolder as it, too, caught flame.  Tears in his eyes evaporated before they could ever escape the cover of the light, ¡°You really must¡¯ve thought you were going to win when I said I¡¯d come¡­  What a long-shot, right?  My father was right to call me stupid for jumping into the middle of it¡­he would¡¯ve never agreed¡­¡±

    ¡°He would have eventually.  I had his brother, after all.¡±

    Iresha forced his head up, and glowered down at the slightly shorter woman, ¡°¡­Aamin is half the reason my mom is dead¡­  If you think he¡¯d trade me, his heir, for a half-baked traitor¡­  Well¡­  I guess that¡¯s why you¡¯re about to lose.¡±

    Far¡¯nah backed up another half-step, though the map-table got under her back, and she realized she had no where to go.  She leveled the Prince a dire look, ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe that you and my husband were related, even if distantly.¡±

    The teen¡¯s gaze twisted, and a deep resentment started to creep in from beneath the rage, ¡°Mardu was a kind man.  Completely unlike you, too¡­  It¡¯s time to end this, though.  I understand now why Lord Xanarken told me to burn you, even while my dad was still defending you instead. ¡­You are beyond reason; beyond reach¡­and I will never forgive you for what you¡¯ve done¡­¡±

    The Duchess could feel the prickle of the fire then, and it walked up her arms, spreading across her silks like they¡¯d been soaked in accelerant.  She refused to react though, gritting her teeth against the heat and sting, and closed her eyes to bear-down against it.

    ¡°Scream for me.¡±

    Eyes widened in shock¡­and from outside the ship, beyond the barrier, Rylen¡¯s attention was suddenly grabbed by the explosive blow-out of an entire floor.  The conflagration made the entire front-end of the Tuonela shudder, and as the Eidolon had his bearer bring him higher to get a better look, he spotted the shimmer of the shield coming down.  Jense was desperate to know what was going on, and finally got his first look at the consequences of their nightlong war as the Sixth¡¯s mantle shook away from him.  The nanotech coalesced forward, reshaping in its normal image on the utterly destroyed observation-deck.  Rylen looked around carefully ¨C the room was unrecognizable as a space that could¡¯ve once been occupied by anyone ¨C and the Eidolon stepped around the scorched table to find the Prince on its opposite side.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve closed¡­the circle.¡± Iresha said grimly, the glow in his eyes having faded with the initial detonation, ¡°¡­She murdered my father, and so I¡­  What started with an atrocity has been ended by another¡­¡±

    The Eidolon looked at the immolated flesh lying in a heap at the Prince¡¯s feet ¨C the air was filled with the unsettling smell of charred meat, and that crackled flesh still boiled and wept with red.  He had no words to speak about the woman¡¯s fate, ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything.  And¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Jense landed just within the ruined exterior, and crouched on a knee as he waited for an order.  It came quickly, and he followed after his Eidolon, passing by the devastated teen.  He paused though, and gestured an arm around him in a wordless suggestion that the Prince follow, and Iresha snuffled a breath before turning to go.

    The only thing that remained of the Duchess was the antler-crown and the anti-nanotech medallion she wore.  Fingers and facial-features were so thoroughly burned that the ashes were white, and crumbled away with the vibration of the departing footsteps.

    .

    Finding the Fourth on the rocky beach wasn¡¯t hard; the pair of Fafnir needed only follow the path of destruction he¡¯d swept through the rubble.  They landed nearby just as the man had realized the ugly truth, and was completely inconsolable.  Ravan couldn¡¯t make herself get any closer ¨C even just seeing the legs of that distinctive red armor, unmoving, was enough ¨C and she actually took a few steps back before she fell to her knees in the tide.  Corbin stayed where he was, the both of them in disbelief at what they were seeing.

    Aboard the Buckler, Furion stared with wide eyes as he watched the live-streamed footage from both of their points of view, ¡°¡­Ren¡­?¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s despair was subtly audible, but clear to see.  He kept his cheek pressed to hers, until he realized he wasn¡¯t alone, and he lifted his head to spot the first of the pair.  Corbin was the first to see that those bicolored eyes were now both the same blood-red color, and it didn¡¯t take much to guess that the second was now there for the fallen; one crimson iris for each of the women Gabriel had loved and lost.

    It was when they started to glow that Corbin got concerned.

    Furion, despite the stupor of that trauma, was able to form one, singular coherent thought about the moment; there were only two reasons why an afflicted person¡¯s eyes would suddenly flutter with that golden light, and one of them was being held in Gabriel¡¯s arms.  He forced the pain down, and focused on his duty, much as he knew how Ren hated it, ¡°¡­You have to get them apart.  It¡¯s not safe!¡±

    ¡°¡­Sir?¡±

    Furion quickly grabbed for the neural-interface, and threw himself back into Captain Landon¡¯s office-seat again, ¡°Do it!  Get him away from Ren!  NOW!¡±

    Corbin was shaken by the sound in the man¡¯s voice, and though he apologized repeatedly for his efforts, began what he knew would be a fight to get the Fourth Eidolon away from that armored body.

    Gabriel wasn¡¯t having it though, and thrashed angrily, ¡°You can¡¯t take her from me!  Get away!  Leave her alone!¡± He yelled, flailing his left arm around as he tried to punch Corbin away; Ravan was too catatonic to react.  At least, until Furion yelled at her, too, and she forced herself to move, helping push Ren¡¯s body down and out of Gabriel¡¯s remaining arm as Corbin yanked the man away.  Fafnir strength was far beyond anything Gabriel could resist, and despite his efforts, found himself up on his feet and dragged into the surf.  He fought as hard as he could, but Corbin had his arms pinned back, and the only thing that stopped the Eidolon was the sight of Ren standing up.

    The armor was slow to move at first, and it struggled as the new pilot realized she had no working arms to help get her upright.  The image of that pulverized body being forced to rise was the stuff of nightmares, especially as it struggled and stumbled¡­turned slightly¡­and the thready sinew of the right snapped, leaving the arm to tear off and fall to the ground at the crush-point above the elbow.  Even Ravan yelped a horrified-startled scream, and she pushed back away as blood trickled from that ravaged limb-stump.

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes flickered with that light as he beheld that terrible sight, but he quickly realized, ¡°Furion, don¡¯t¡­don¡¯t take her¡­not like this!  I¡¯LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!  DON¡¯T TAKE HER!¡± He begged, fighting all over again to get free.  The longer it took though, the more his eyes flared.

    Ren¡¯s listless head drooped forward as her armor moved, and Furion gave the order for Ravan to swap with Corbin in holding Gabriel back, so Corbin could put Ren¡¯s helmet back on.  It was gruesome work, moving that blood-soaked black hair so the helmet would seal, and Corbin felt sick to his stomach doing it.  With all the red smeared to her face, it was impossible to see the creeping black veins rising up her neck and jawline, and out from her empty eye-sockets.  Furion activated those big red quad-wings, and took one last glance at the absolutely hateful look on Gabriel¡¯s face before he forced Ren¡¯s armor into the sky.

    Corbin watched it go, then turned briefly to bow his head at the Eidolon before making the ugly maneuver to grab the disembodied arm from the ground, and went up after the glowing reddish streak making its way across the sky.

    ¡°FURIOOONNN!!!¡± Gabriel screamed, the glow in his eyes settling-down again as the body was moved out of range.  He collapsed against the Fafnir holding onto him, both arms tight around his core as she tried to keep him grounded.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so so sorry¡­¡± Ravan pleaded, weeping behind that visor.

    They both dropped down to their knees in that red tide; the shock and trauma of it was all the more potent, now that the only thing left was the crime-scene.  The broken shoreline, the crimson splatters against the rocky walls, the ruins and devastation¡­and the crumbled blue mech that was still polluting the tide.  Ravan couldn¡¯t stand to hold Gabriel down now that the others were gone, and he easily pulled free when he tried again.

    It was surreal timing then that the World Cloud poured over Oceanside in that moment, and the full Eidolonic raiment reappeared on Gabriel¡¯s frame.  He didn¡¯t care though; every alert was dismissed, and every notice ignored.  Nothing mattered anymore.  He thought he knew what sorrow was when he saw the image of Xanarken¡¯s frozen face¡­but this was enough to seep into his bones.  It was an awful, paralyzing pain that seized in his throat and choked him, and the red that seeped from both eyes blinded him.

    .

    The Tuonela was landed on the outskirts of Oceanside, and Rylen ¨C along with only Etienne ¨C met with the awakened crew, bringing them up to speed on the truth of their circumstances.  First Wing ships joined what remained of the Sixth in the recovery effort, along with the smaller ships of the Fifth, and the allies who had sent support.

    Iresha made the horrid journey back to Trazad, leaving behind the horrid, destroyed ruins of the Kitezan palace, only to be met with those of his own home.  The salve of being able to reunite with his only friend was short-lived, as Furion arrived shortly after to give Seth the bad news about Ren¡­and then Seth was the one who needed to be consoled.

    The announcement came a day later, of the losses that had been experienced by both sides of the conflict.  That the Emperor of Sargon was murdered, that the Duke of Kitez had been sacrificed, that the Duchess had been executed as a war criminal ¨C though not specifically by who ¨C and finally, that the Eidolon of the Fourth Wing himself, Xanarken Tellan, had been lost alongside them all.

    Phexides was the first of the Wanderer¡¯s vigil trio to find out, and reactions were varied as he gave the news.  Kourin was stunned to silence, retreated to her room, and refused to come out for days.  Tallus was initially shocked, but it was quickly replaced with anger, as everything they¡¯d worked for had come to nothing.

    ¡°¡­What are we supposed to do then?¡± Phexides wondered, ¡°Xanarken was the keystone to everything.¡±

    Tallus could only think for a moment, ¡°¡­We go back.¡±

    ¡°¡­Back?  To what?  Kitez is in ruins.  There¡¯s nothing to go back to.¡±

    ¡°The Council.¡± He clarified, which only made the younger figure tilt his head.  Tallus rubbed his face with both palms, then combed them back up over his head and through his hair, ¡°¡­All three of us.  And we¡¯re not coming back until we have what we need.¡±

    The southernmost docking-spire in Agartha had been shredded by the explosive power of the one attack that had been able to slip through, standing like a morbid monument amidst the ruins of the city around it.  Flattened and pulverized, tens of thousands were dead.

    Lequerion was there to aid in the debridement of that massive wound, but even he had to take time to himself when his sons called.  The loss was like getting the news of the death of his own daughter, but like many of the Rydell warrior lineage, and much to the chagrin of the scholar¡¯s side, he wouldn¡¯t let his grief show on his face.  His eyes, though¡­just like Furion¡¯s, lost a bit of life in them.  They were half like ghouls, shambling through whatever they needed to do to get by.

    Furion brought to bear whatever strength he had left in him, and took his brother aboard a ship bound for the capitol.  In the days that followed the end of the conflict, there were few and less words to be spoken, just the mutual sense that a cloud of sorrow hung over them.  And, knowing they were bound for Agartha on the same ship that was going to take Gabriel there, made that sorrow all the more prescient.

    The man who would be the new Fourth Wing hadn¡¯t shown his face since the day Ren died, save the brief moment the Rydell brothers witnessed him boarding after them, albeit from a distance.  Furion couldn¡¯t forget the utter loathing in Gabriel¡¯s voice as he had flown into the pre-dawn night; no matter his reasons, no matter the excuses, he knew if the two of them saw each other again anytime soon, Gabriel would probably kill him¡­and probably not as quickly as they learned he¡¯d killed the Magistrate.

    They were halfway back to the Council¡¯s foremost city when Gabriel faced himself in a mirror in his cabin, seeing for the first time how both of his eyes were now crimson.  The dark circles under them made the red coloring even more vivid.  He hadn¡¯t slept in days.  He hadn¡¯t spoken to anyone in that time either.  Rylen had begun to wonder if it was still rational to make him replace Xanarken in the Eidolon System, but the announcement had already been made, and Gabriel could only ruminate on his fate.

    Ren¡¯s face haunted him.  The last time he saw her alive - and the last time he saw her at all - switching between one another in his memories like he¡¯d just been there to watch a dead woman walking.  The sun was high in that noon sky when Gabriel decided to leave the cabin entirely, and slowly made his way down to the hangar.  Though he was sure there were people he¡¯d passed, he was lost in his own mind, and had nothing to say in return if he¡¯d been spoken to in the first place.

    The docking-bay had a number of smaller, personal skiffs parked there, and the door out the back was not nearly the size of the ones at the back of a SkyFortress, so opening it took only around half a minute.  Whatever fear he once had for looking out from so high up seemed like such a distant concept, that now, as he stood only a few paces from the open ledge, he no longer felt it.  If his heart beat at all anymore, he was sure it was only a symbolic gesture; he¡¯d died on the shores of Oceanside, and all that remained inside him was a void that left him in agony.  The hollow voices of worried crew called out to him, but he didn¡¯t care.

    One step closer to the edge¡­two¡­

    .

    .

    ¡­and he was gone.

 Book I â€“ Chapter 97 - Epilogue

    The flight back to Trazad was one of the longest Iresha had ever taken.  It was bad enough what he was leaving behind, but already knowing what he was going to find when he got home again¡­that made the seconds tick on into hours.  They made a brief pit-stop to collect the elder Rydell brother from the Buckler as they passed by, but otherwise, it was directly back to Sargon.

    The devastation Iresha saw as they passed over Kitez¡¯s long and mostly-flat countryside was¡­disappointing.  Smaller towns were hit in the attacks, and thousands of people were injured and displaced, to say nothing of how many others had died.  The criticism he heard quietly made to the side of him was enough to draw his eyes back from the window, and he spotted the Fafnir Captain there.

    ¡°It was all pointless, in the end.¡±

    Iresha blinked, but he¡¯d recognize that spiky blonde hair anywhere, and he immediately knew who¡¯d come up to him and why, ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I know you probably don¡¯t care to hear it, but since we¡¯re both heading to the same place, I¡¯ve been asked to act as an escort until you can get back to your people.¡± Furion noted; there was a rawness to his voice that even the unfamiliar Prince could hear, and Iresha just went back to the window.

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you have to do.¡±

    Furion took the seat opposite him ¨C a pair of inward-facing seats that shared a fold-down table ¨C and looked outside as well.  The ruin was easier to comprehend in the daylight of that following morning, ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything if you don¡¯t want to, but it would mean a lot to Seth if you told him you were okay.¡±

    ¡°¡­I had to leave my glasses back at home.  If it¡¯s all the same to you, I¡¯d rather tell him in person anyway.  I kind of ditched him without saying goodbye first, so I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get an earful¡­¡±

    ¡°I was going to call him for you, but okay¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you going to get him or something?¡± Iresha wondered, ¡°I can¡¯t think of any other reason you¡¯d be on this same ship.¡±

    Furion gave a solemn nod, ¡°I guess I¡¯m in a similar boat you¡¯re in.  I have news that I¡¯d rather give to my brother in person.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about Ren, right?¡±

    The older figure lifted his head, a stabbing pain in his throat catching him by surprise, but he cast his eyes away and nodded again, ¡°One final atrocity for me to commit in service to this absurd conflict.¡±

    The Prince kept his silence then, brows furrowed slightly as he felt the weight of those words sit on his shoulders like sandbags.

    .

    As news broke across Hadira that the ¡®Nightlong War¡¯ had ended, and the pieces were starting to get picked up, Rylen prepared to give the worst announcement he¡¯d ever made ¨C second only to telling his people at the original crash-site that they would never be going home.  It was the first time he¡¯d been back to Agartha since the fighting began, and he stood at the edge of the disaster-zone where Far¡¯nah¡¯s singular successful volley had made it through the Council¡¯s defenses.

    He looked up solemnly at the image of the ravaged spire; it looked like it had been sand-blasted, set on fire, and then left on ¡®tumble dry¡¯ for days on end.  Bits of it were still flaking off in the high-altitude winds, and the landscape that surrounded it fared little better.  They were perhaps 8 miles away from the epicenter of the destruction, so while most of the buildings were still standing, every window had been shattered, every door blown off its hinges, and the streets were littered with rubble and broken vehicles.  It was surreal ¨C post-apocalyptic, in a way ¨C to see the normality of the emergency response pouring through those sundered streets, perfectly well and normal against a backdrop of such destruction.

    ¡°¡­With casualty numbers still coming in, we have hit a grim milestone of 500,000 lives lost in the blast that struck the south of the city.¡± Rylen listened to the local broadcaster as he looked over the aid distribution maps on his overlay.  Of the nearly 115 square miles that had been destroyed by the attack, roughly half of it was actually within the city¡¯s boundaries, while the rest of it was suburbs and parkland.  Still, hitting the spire was dumb, blind luck, and now it was a proverbial beehive of activity, with hundreds of small ships carefully approaching to get loaded-up with whoever they could find.

    ¡°We¡¯re ready for you, Lord Rylen.¡± A familiar voice messaged, and the Eidolon lifted his head, taking one last look around before dissolving.

    When he reappeared, he was near to Captain Landon, and stepped forward to a wide podium, with a rather large audience out ahead of him, waiting with baited breath for him to speak.  He nervously set his hands to the lip of the stand, and took a breath, ¡°¡­I am sorry to have to be the one to bring this to all of you.  No doubt, many of you are wondering why it isn¡¯t Xanarken of the Fourth up here.¡±  He began, with Captains Faust, Carjeelin, and Martell beside Captain Landon ¨C commanders of the eastern and northern advances whose ships had survived, though not unscathed - in the background, ¡°Let me be forward, then¡­  On the night of the Dawn of Ages, as we were all celebrating¡­a terrible calamity was rendered against Trazad in Sargon.  A ship from Kitez, bound for the city and expected by the Emperor, Iresha the Elder¡­landed, exploded, and killed both the Emperor and the Kitezan Duke, his cousin, Mardu.  In the ensuing chaos¡­Xanarken attempted to render aid, but something vexing came out of the wreckage¡­and as many of you may have already seen, there was a pillar of light that rose from the palatial cliffside during the blaze.  That light¡­caused a feedback loop through the Eidolon System that¡­killed him.¡±

    Etienne looked on worriedly as she listened to Rylen tell the lie¡­from the pod-room, at Xanarken¡¯s side.  The pod gave off a cold aura, with a white mist fogging all around it, and the Fourth¡¯s frozen face stuck ¨C barely visible ¨C within the ice.

    The announcement didn¡¯t go unheard by the Wanderer¡¯s crew, who were equal-parts anxious about Scyrexian¡¯s absence as they were for Xanarken¡¯s.  Phexides was the first to find out, and reactions were varied as they watched the Sixth¡¯s speech.  Kourin was stunned to silence, retreated to her room, and refused to come out for days.  Tallus was initially shocked, but it was quickly replaced with anger, as everything they¡¯d worked for had come to nothing.

    ¡°¡­What are we supposed to do then?¡± Phexides wondered, ¡°Xanarken was the keystone.¡±

    Tallus could only think for a moment, ¡°¡­We go back.¡±

    ¡°¡­Back?  To what?  Kitez is in ruins.  There¡¯s nothing to go back to.¡±

    ¡°The Council.¡± He clarified, which only made the younger figure tilt his head.  Tallus rubbed his face with both palms, then combed them back up over his head and through his hair, ¡°¡­All three of us this time, too.  No more splitting up, no more going out of contact for months at a time.  And we¡¯re not coming back until we have what we need.¡±

    .

    The ship¡¯s arrival in Trazad was a somber affair; on the one hand, the last surviving member of Sargon¡¯s royal family was finally home.  On the other, however, he was returning to cinders.  The ship¡¯s dock and cliffside access-road were untouched by the blast, and Iresha exited to the despairing welcomes of his late father¡¯s counselors and advisors, and a number of the household¡¯s surviving staff and protectors.  At a distance, beyond the tall metal gates that divided the private residential parts of the palace from the public side, Iresha could see the swollen crowds trying to catch a glimpse.

    The teen¡¯s brows crinkled a little; part of him was glad to see so many of his people would even bother showing up to see his arrival, but another part was just upset that there was any need for it.  He raised one of his hands to acknowledge them, and they cheered, even if there was a melancholy to it.

    ¡°We¡¯re so relieved that you¡¯re alive¡­¡± The minders commented, drawing the Prince¡¯s attention back again, ¡°We were certain that you were with your father when the blast occurred¡­¡±

    ¡°We were told by the First that you had been sent to Oceanside but no one could tell us why.  All of our pleas to the Fourth have gone unanswered¡­¡±

    ¡°We must carry-out the crowning ceremony as soon as possible, Prince Iresha¡­¡±

    ¡°IRESHAAAAA!¡±

    That got his attention in a hurry, and he looked immediately away from the counselors to the fence again.  He couldn¡¯t figure out exactly where the call had come from, but when he heard it a second time, he zeroed-in on that pale face within the writhing mass of people, ¡°Seth?¡±

    ¡°OVER HEEEERE!  IRESHAAAAA!¡±

    None of those crusty old men could stop him fast enough, and the Prince took off, weaving through and over the pulverized gardens and charred landscaping, until he got to the fence.  Seth held to those bars like a prisoner on the wrong side, ¡°You¡¯re¡­how did you know I was¡­?¡±

    The screaming and grief-stricken wailing from the nearby crowd made it impossible to hear whatever the younger Rydell was trying to say, and even the Prince¡¯s own request for the mass of people to simmer-down went unheard and unheeded.  It was providence ¨C the way they suddenly shrieked and tumbled back on one another ¨C when a whole man suddenly leapt up on top of the fence, perched precariously between the pointed spokes.

    ¡°Everyone, get back!¡± Furion barked, and finished the maneuver by landing on the other side.  Seth was flummoxed by his brother¡¯s unexpected appearance, but was grateful for it all the same, even as he had the wind knocked out of him by the grab-and-jump that took him over the top.  The landing was near as hard as the inertia from the launch, but Furion set then younger teen down and dusted him off, then gestured to let him say what he¡¯d been trying to before.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Words didn¡¯t need to be said¡­not at first, anyway, as Iresha¡¯s hope for a less-than-gloomy reception were dashed by a sudden swat across the top of his head.  He didn¡¯t even have a chance to complain about it before Seth glomped onto him with a worried hug.

    ¡°You scared the shit out of me.¡± Seth scolded, and let go again just as the Prince¡¯s face went red in confusion, ¡°You didn¡¯t say bye, you didn¡¯t even say you were leaving, and then you wouldn¡¯t answer my calls while the literal whole gods-damned palace was on fire!¡±

    ¡°¡­You saw it¡­?¡±

    ¡°Of course I saw it!  What did you think happened to me after I got kicked out!?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Iresha noted, even as Seth flailed him back and forth by his tightly-grasped arms, ¡°S-s-s-s-o-o-o-rr-rr-rr-y-y-y-y-y-y¡­¡±

    ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re as bad as Miss Ren, just disappearing without saying anything¡­  Only reason I didn¡¯t smack her was because she¡¯d be probably have put me in the ground for it.¡± Seth continued, not noticing the subdued affect from his brother for mentioning the name, ¡°Though I guess you could probably do the same to me, if¡­  Oh¡­oh, shit, I¡¯m sorry, I was being selfish and overbearing.¡± Seth gave a rather deep and dramatic bow, ¡°Forgive me!¡±

    Iresha shook his head to get his bearings back, but then stepped forward to force his friend upright again, ¡°You bow to no one here.  I won¡¯t have it.¡±

    ¡°Even so, you just¡­  I mean, your¡­  The Emperor¡­¡± Seth blabbered anyway.

    The Prince just gave a strange, sad look, ¡°Seth¡­  You¡­  It¡¯s fine.¡± He sank into himself a little bit, unsure how to say ¡®we¡¯re about to be mutuals in grief¡¯ without actually saying it that way.  He just shook his head slightly and took a step back, and gave a subtle gesture to the elder Rydell, ¡°I¡¯m glad you came up here to catch my landing.  But¡­you should talk to your brother¡­¡±

    Seth turned, ¡°¡­Furion?¡±

    The elder was a bit surprised ¨C he hadn¡¯t expected such a quick segue ¨C but he bowed his head slightly and raised an arm to guide the younger teen away from the prying eyes and ears of the crowd.  Once they were far enough away, and Seth¡¯s heart was high enough in his throat to choke him from the nerves¡­Furion turned, and lowered down until he was sitting on his knees.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Was all he could manage to say at first, and he reached into his jacket to withdraw a small velvet box.  He set his fingers atop the lid, ¡°¡­Ren didn¡¯t make it¡­¡±

    To hear the words come from Furion¡¯s mouth, Seth wasn¡¯t sure he could hear at all anymore.  He didn¡¯t believe it at first, even as the little box was opened and a pure-white lock of hair - bound by a navy-blue ribbon for the Sixth - was presented to him.  His hands trembled as he took it, and his breath caught in his chest.  He thought he¡¯d pass out on his feet, but collapsing to his knees shocked him enough to remember how to breathe again, and he let out the most haggard cry.

    Begging, pleading, threatening¡­none of it helped.  The sadness wormed its way deeply, and even when Iresha succumbed to his own finally, and stumbled down to the ragged ground to give what comfort his aching frame could offer, Seth couldn¡¯t stop himself from sobbing.  He leaned into Iresha¡¯s shoulder, and brought a free hand up to cover his eyes as the other held to the little box.

    Furion trembled where he knelt, tears streaming down his own face, but refusing to let himself make a sound.  He just clenched his eyes shut and bent his head down, fists clamped tightly over his thighs, feeling everything come crashing down around him.

    By the time they were able to call their parents about the loss, they could only do so by written message.  Lequerion saw it as he was helping guide ships towards the broken spire, and had to land to read it again.  Even the veteran had to stop what he was doing to process what the words meant, and he, too, collapsed to his knees for the despair of it.

    .

    The ship that would take Gabriel back to Agartha finally departed from Oceanside around three days after the fighting ended.  Boarding it felt like a procession, as all those faces watched him and offered that unfortunate deference to the soon-to-be fully-fledged Eidolon.  His eyes felt heavy with exhaustion and grief though; every time he looked up, he could swear he saw Ren in the crowd somewhere, only to blink and she¡¯d be gone again, so he just kept them down.

    He was a mess.  He hadn¡¯t changed his clothes or showered since he was made to watch Ren¡¯s armor disappear into the pre-dawn clouds, and his hair was still matted from the blood ¨C his own and hers.  He was little more than a shadow of himself, and needed help just to get to the cabin he¡¯d been given for the trip.  Blank eyes stared forward at nothing; the world was passing him by, and all he noticed was the blur.

    He wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d fallen asleep from the sheer exhaustion, or if he¡¯d just gone into some half-lucid trance, but he became aware of his surroundings suddenly, and he was on his side.  His whole body felt 10x heavier than it ever did, and it was a struggle to get back upright.  When he finally got there though, he collapsed forward, elbows on his knees as a pained gasp escaped him.  Hands extended, and he looked at the way the red-brown crust was starting to flake away from his skin.  It dried into every crease of his fingers and under his nails, and made his half-gloves dirty.

    Gabriel could hardly believe the nerve it took for whoever it was that had just pinged his door in that moment.  Even after he tried to ignore it, the ping came again¡­and again¡­until it was so annoying that he was forced to get up and stumble over.  He was ready to hit someone after three days of torpor, but when he opened the door¡­no one was there.  Except for a cat, who trilled and let itself in between his ankles.

    The feline went quite a ways into the room before pausing to sit and look back, casting those bright orange eyes up at the ragged Fourth.  Words were wasted in that moment, so the cat only meowed loudly, and Gabriel grudgingly closed the door again.  Boots shuffled across the floor, and Gabriel made his way slowly back to the room he¡¯d come from before so he could sit back down on the narrow bed.

    Rylen hopped up onto the blankets and sat down a couple feet away, examining the figure carefully before saying anything.  Gabriel looked as much like death as Rylen had ever seen, and those grey ears went back slightly, ¡°I¡¯ve been told you haven¡¯t spoken a word to anyone since you got picked up.¡± He started, and leaned his head slightly to see if the man would react, but nothing happened, ¡°¡­You won¡¯t eat, sleep¡­take care of yourself¡­  The Fourth Wing is scrambling to pick up the pieces where Xanarken left them.  They need you.¡±

    Red eyes lifted slightly to look at the glowing portal-like window ahead of him, and cracked lips moved, ¡°¡­She¡¯s haunting me¡­¡±

    The First lowered down to the blanket and tucked his paws under his chest, ¡°I know what that¡¯s like.  Probably more than you know.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­know this kind of pain existed¡­¡± Gabriel continued, voice weak and raspy, ¡°My whole body hurts¡­my head hurts¡­my throat is raw¡­  It¡¯s like someone took a hammer to every nerve coursing through me¡­  And my heart¡­it¡¯s so empty¡­  The void inside¡­I feel like I¡¯ll just implode on myself and fall into it¡­¡±

    ¡°Grief is a special kind of agony, and only those who¡¯ve gone through it will understand.¡± Rylen said quietly, ¡°And it never really goes away, either¡­  You just make room for it.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t take Xanarken¡¯s place¡­not like this¡­¡± Gabriel added grimly, ¡°I¡¯m completely useless¡­  I can¡¯t think about anything except¡­that moment¡­¡±

    The feline lifted his head again, ¡°You and I are a lot more alike now than we were before.  But I can safely say, as an expert on the matter¡­if you give yourself time and room to go through the process, you¡¯ll find your way back to a place where you can feel close to normal again.¡±

    ¡°How do I manage that when I¡¯ve got you guilt-tripping me about taking the reins of the Fourth already?¡±

    ¡°Part of the process is finding routine to stick to.¡± Rylen answered, and pushed up again.  He walked a few steps closer to the side of the bed that Gabriel had sat against, and sat close beside him that time, ¡°Routine and structure will help you keep your thoughts organized.  I know what you¡¯re going through right now, and I know it¡¯s putting you into a self-perpetuating cycle that¡¯s slowly killing you.  This moment, right now, is probably the more conscious you¡¯ve been since¡­that moment.¡±

    ¡°Furion took her from me¡­  I didn¡¯t even have a chance to say goodbye; he just¡­made her body stand up, right in front of me, and took her away.  I¡­¡± Gabriel drew in a few shaken breaths, and lowered his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know that I¡¯ll be able to stop myself from killing him if I ever see him again¡­¡±

    ¡°Killing Captain Rydell won¡¯t bring Dame Ren back though.¡± The First countered, ¡°I know about what happened.  Before.  What he did¡­had to be done.  ¡­That¡¯s part of why he¡¯s Captain; he¡¯s one of those kinds of people who can completely divorce himself from his personal feelings and still do what¡¯s necessary.  So, you can hate him all you want¡­but, he did the right thing.¡±

    Gabriel could only hiccup a few agonized breaths, and he lifted a hand to cover his eyes.

    Rylen looked on quietly for a little while, but for the time being, he knew there wasn¡¯t much more he could do.  He put a paw on the man¡¯s thigh, ¡°I¡¯ll have Etienne check on you in a while.  There¡¯s still four hours left to get to the city.  There¡¯s a lot of freedom that comes with using a mantle, you know?  ¡­So, if you need, just take a few days to get used to things before you talk to anyone.  You¡¯ll feel better once you don¡¯t have to think about the chores of keeping yourself alive on purpose, too.  Although you should try to eat something before you drop.  ¡­Okay?¡±

    No answer came.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Rylen said again, and pulled the paw back before dubiously letting his mantle dissolve.

    Gabriel just sat there in agonizing silence for a few minutes, holding his face in the palms of his hands as the rage and helplessness pulsed through him like arcs of jolting electricity.  There was food on a table in the previous room, but he ignored it as he went to the restroom instead, dropping his nanotech raiment as he went.

    The words echoed in his head unbidden, ricocheting like a rock inside a cup, gnawing at every last nerve.  Even when he pulled his gloves off and let his hands soak under the warm water from the sink-faucet, it did little to soothe him.  He could only bring some of that water up to his face and hold there, feeling it hot against his skin like¡­  Gabriel parted his fingers just enough to look through them, and he saw for the first time his own reflection¡­and how his right eye was now as red as the left.

    But also, the visage of Ren ¨C battered, broken, bleeding, and defeated ¨C standing behind him in the mirror¡­and staring at him with those empty eye-sockets, ¡°Let me in¡­¡±

    Gabriel gasped a scream as he jumped and spun around, painfully jamming his back against the vanity before realizing there was nothing there.  Still, he slid down to the ground, his whole body trembling in terror.  He pulled his knees up, and bent his arms up over his bowed head, sobbing all over again as he collapsed to his side.

    .

    Some of that little escort-ship¡¯s crew were perplexed by the sight of a little blood-trail going through the corridors.  It was like someone had cut their hand, and just let it drip as they took a stroll.  Two of them decided to follow it, and found their way directly in front of the Fourth Eidolon¡¯s cabin door.  Immediately concerned, they hauled-ass the other way, and followed it down into the hangar on the lowest floor.

    The docking-bay had a number of smaller, personal skiffs parked there, and the door out the back was not nearly the size of the ones at the back of a SkyFortress, so opening it took only around half a minute.  Whatever fear Gabriel once had for looking out from so high up seemed like such a distant concept, that now, as he stood only a few paces from the open ledge, he no longer felt it.  If his heart beat at all anymore, he was sure it was only a symbolic gesture; there was so much pain and tightness in his chest that he didn¡¯t think there was room for anything else.  The hollow voices of worried crew called out to him, but he couldn¡¯t hear them anymore.

    He could swear he saw Ren out there in the sky, flying freely and happily.  Maybe it was a hallucination, or wishful thinking¡­or her ghost, he wasn¡¯t sure¡­but she came closer to the open door, and held her hands out.  There was warmth, even in that high, biting wind¡­and Gabriel reached back.

    One step closer to the edge¡­two¡­

    .

    .

    ¡­and he was gone.

 Book II â€“ Chapter 1 â€“ A New Dawn Of Ages Begins

    -One Year Later-

    The Eastern Royal Memorial in Trazad sat where the palace once did.  The residence had been completely taken down, the ground repurposed, and a grand statue of the late Emperor erected to face the western skies.  Were one curious enough to inquire, one would learn that those marble eyes were looking directly towards Oceanside, thousands of miles away.

    Surrounding the Sargonian memorial were hundreds of people from the public, as well as the country¡¯s leadership¡­but not a single Eidolon, soldier, nor any of the imagery of Kitez.  When now-Emperor Iresha the Younger arrived with the memorial wreath, people looked on quietly.

    Though Kitez¡¯s iconography had been entirely banned by then, at least from official proceedings, Iresha had taken it upon himself to incorporate some of their design-choices into his new government.  His own Imperial regalia ¨C though mostly Sargonian in influence, with the two-layer pauldrons, cape, and decorative armor ¨C now also bore a similar overlapping weave-pattern to the chest-plate, and he carried something akin to the Kitezan antler-crown atop his head.  With that long, spikey black hair poking through it, the crown itself began at a downward-facing point at his brow, and gradually curved up and back above his ears before finally rising up above his head with the beams, tines, and hanging chimes.

    The ceremony¡¯s moment of silence carried throughout the crowd, and as soon as it was over, the public began to disperse.  Iresha stayed where he was though, and merely made his way around to the front of the statue so he could better see his father¡¯s face.  It didn¡¯t take long for him to notice someone approaching from the side ¨C someone who hadn¡¯t been part of the official retinue ¨C but he supposed he knew who it was based on the dark coloration it bore, ¡°I didn¡¯t think the Council would be sending anyone.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not here on their behalf.¡±

    Iresha turned where he stood, and spotted that familiar face.  Though there was a melancholy to his smile, he still managed one, ¡°So you came after all.  Was starting to think you were avoiding me.¡±

    Seth shook his head ¨C he looked more and more like his elder brother as he grew taller, but he never let his bangs grow past his cheeks, and unlike Furion¡¯s sharper maternal-line features, Seth retained the softer ones of his father¡¯s side.  Though he didn¡¯t have a formal uniform of the First on, his more-casual attire did reference back to them, with its dark greys and navy blues.  He stepped closer, well-enough known by Iresha¡¯s guard that they didn¡¯t need to always be told to let him through, and they gave one another that greeting hug.  Seth was easily four inches taller than the Emperor by then, and had to look down a little to see him better, ¡°How are you holding up?¡±

    ¡°Guess I can¡¯t complain.¡± The Emperor answered, and the two started walking along the refurbished gardens.  Iresha glanced out past the cliff, towards the lake, ¡°Hard to believe it¡¯s already been a year since it all happened.  Feels like such a blur.¡±

    ¡°Me, too.¡± Seth agreed, ¡°I hardly recognize the places I go¡­all the faces are new¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that why you came here instead?¡±

    Seth nodded, and stuffed his hands into his coat pockets, ¡°Today¡¯s the Dawn, but because it¡¯s also the anniversary of Lord Xanarken¡¯s passing, the mood is¡­really dour.  Not to mention, all the new Fafnir¡­  I dunno, I just can¡¯t connect with them the way I did the last group.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised.¡± Iresha answered, clasping his hands loosely behind his back.

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°You grew up with the others.  This new crop, you¡¯ve met after already being an adult.  Not to mention¡­it¡¯s probably harder to want to form attachments to people after you lost so many last year.¡± The Emperor noted, and glanced back over his shoulder to look at the statue as it got further away¡­and spotted the guard keeping a cozy distance as they followed, ¡°I only lost my father¡­you lost nearly everyone.¡±

    Seth went quiet, feeling the sting in his eyes, and he reached up to rub the heel of his palm across them, ¡°¡­I thought I¡¯d be okay today, but I guess you¡¯re right.  I kind of envy my dad and brother for how they¡¯re holding up¡­  I can tell they¡¯re hurting, especially Furion, but¡­they¡¯re both so much better at carrying-on than I am.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m perpetually surrounded by people who had no emotional attachment to the family I lost.¡± Iresha added quietly, ¡°¡­It¡¯s hard being the only one left.  Everyone else is so down to business, it¡¯s like my grief is just an inconvenience for them.  I get a break from the work only for today because the date is significant for the country, but¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh, is that what you finally decided to do?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Seth shrugged his shoulders up, ¡°You said country, but I feel like you meant Kitez, too, since¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­yeah.¡± Iresha looked west over the water, ¡°It¡¯s all Sargon now.  Kitez is just the biggest province.  I¡¯m supposed to meet the new Conclave later tonight to figure out if I want to break it down into the original districts, like East and West Oriban¡­but, yeah¡­  Just a province, now.¡±

    ¡°I heard you weren¡¯t going to come back once you get to Oceanside.  What¡¯s up with that?¡±

    ¡°Time-sharing.¡± Iresha answered simply, ¡°Sargon is so big now, and the Kitezan people still so devastated, that I agreed to rule from Oceanside for a year.  Make them feel like I¡¯m paying attention to them specifically, rather than as an afterthought.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about founding a new capitol in the mountains, but I don¡¯t know if the logistics make sense.  Trazad and Oceanside are really inconveniently far from each other¡­¡±

    ¡°When are you supposed to leave?¡±

    Iresha huffed half a laugh and nudged his head back towards the following retinue, ¡°As soon as they can corral me towards the flagship.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­am I getting in the way?¡±

    ¡°Nah.¡± Iresha shook his head, but paused in their walk, and Seth paused as well.  He reached out to set a hand onto the taller teen¡¯s arm, ¡°You should come.  If you don¡¯t want to go back to the Aegis right now, you¡¯re welcome to attend the western memorial ceremony.  I¡¯d be glad for some non-stuffy company anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­think I¡¯d like that.¡±

    .

    The most direct route from Trazad to Oceanside was now over the Exclusion Zone, rather than a long, curving arc southwest around the bottom of it.  The mountains and forests were endless, it seemed, and Seth could only look out one of the ship¡¯s many windows to behold it, ¡°¡­And you still won¡¯t let Lord Rylen in there?  It¡¯s just woods, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Spooky woods that, for whatever reason, Kitez was Hellbent on keeping secure and empty for as long as we knew they were trying.¡± Iresha answered, looking out the next window over, ¡°I have my people in there trying to figure out its secrets, but it¡¯s such a huge place, it¡¯ll probably take years.¡±

    ¡°And lots of dangerous people hide in there¡­¡±

    ¡°Mmmh¡­¡±

    Seth glanced up, looking a bit sheepish, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not, though¡­  Mr. Gabriel came from there, too, and he-¡±

    ¡°Hmph, you still call him that?¡± Iresha teased, and leaned back in his seat again, ¡°Even after he got promoted?¡±

    ¡°¡­It feels weird to say anything else.¡±

    ¡°I guess I understand.  You never changed how you spoke to me either.¡± Iresha puffed, and crossed one leg over the other as he leaned against the curled knuckles of his upturned fist, elbow on the armrest, ¡°So what¡¯s Lord Rylen doing today anyway?  Or do you even know?¡±

    ¡°I do¡­¡± Seth curled his hands onto his lap, and looked at them intently, ¡°He¡¯s doing a tour of the crash-sites, honoring the fallen with their own little ceremonies, and then¡­he¡¯ll go back to Agartha for the memorial to Lord Xanarken.  I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s going to do anything for the Dawn this year though.  Seems kind of a mum occasion, and no one in the Council is particularly keen for the whiplash of going from honoring the dead to celebrating the miraculous survival of our ancestors.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but give air-quotes for that, and shook his head as he set his balled-up hands to his lap again, ¡°He is still pretty upset about¡­well, Trazad, though.¡±

    Iresha looked on with a stoney expression, ¡°Xanarken didn¡¯t die in Trazad.  That memorial site is for my people.¡±

    ¡°I know, but¡­it¡¯s the spot where his mantle was attacked.  I just¡­think it would¡¯ve been better if you¡¯d let the Council have something there.¡±

    ¡°They got the spot at Oceanside.  There¡¯s still a lot of hostility towards the Council about the fact that any of the fighting happened at all, so I took it under advisement that we keep the Trazad memorial for us exclusively.¡± The Emperor explained, though he could tell it wasn¡¯t well-received, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°¡­I get it, but you don¡¯t have to sound so mean about it.¡± The teen noted quietly, ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be your friend, not a Fourth Wing mediator you¡¯re arguing with.¡±

    Iresha grumbled to himself and leaned forward, setting his elbows onto his knees as he tried to get into the Rydell¡¯s line of sight, ¡°Sorry.  It¡¯s been a month since we spent any time together¡­I guess I got so used to standing my ground against the stiffs that I forgot how to turn Imperial-mode off.¡±

    Seth turned his eyes up briefly, but then looked back to his fists again, ¡°¡­Yeah¡­¡±

    That didn¡¯t settle well, and Iresha sat back up again, unsure what more to say for a little while.  He crossed his arms and turned his attention back out the window, watching those myriad, endless forests pass by.

    Arriving at Oceanside closer to dusk, the same memorial service carried out as had before, this time placing the wreath at the feet of an eastern-facing statue of the murdered Duke Mardu.  The entire New Conclave that Iresha had spoken about was there, standing in front of the public like sentinels, and though they bore similar uniforms ¨C still the dark grey with lighter trim, and their white cloaks ¨C they now also bore small shoulder-caps to remind them whose Empire they were working in.

    The palace had been completely demolished, leaving something of a pit where it once overlooked the western ocean.  It had been filled-in with dirt and rock, and allowed the waters to reach into an artificial bay.  At the eastern crest, the statue of Mardu stood, symbolically putting the Duchy of Kitez behind him.

    It was unmistakable when Seth caught-sight of a group of five particular lights on the sunsetting-sky, and while surprised at when they appeared, wasn¡¯t surprised that they appeared, ¡°¡­They¡¯re here.  I should go.¡±

    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Iresha answered, and could only watch as the teen departed.

    It wasn¡¯t a far distance to go ¨C the beachhead beneath the ruins of the palace only took a few minutes to get to when walking through the original halls ¨C but Seth still had to meander around the reconstructed layout, and followed a path around the rim of the crater that safely led him to the rocky shores.  The distinctive mechanical hiss of the Fafnir flying overhead was easy to make-out as the group got closer to the ground, only flying as fast as they had to, and no more, to get to that somber site.  Seth was able to catch-up to them only a short while later.

    Wing-optics had already been turned off, but Seth still knew who they each were from just their armor.  His father and brother were the most obvious, but also Corbin, Ravan, and Jense were there; the only survivors of the previous generation.  They were in the process of taking their helmets off when Seth appeared on the beach with them, and were surprised to see him.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°¡­Where in the world did you¡­?¡± Lequerion stammered, and came back through the pack to greet his kid, ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to be part of anything today.¡±

    Seth let go of the hug, and looked around, giving a bit of a wave to the others, ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t want to be on the Aegis, that¡¯s all.  I went to keep Iresha company instead.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re welcome to sit with us if you want.  You know why we¡¯re here¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    There was still a little bit of the palace left-over, scattered across the shore like the ruins of some ancient temple, half-reclaimed by the tide.  The water-level was high at that time of the evening, licking at the remnants of the veranda¡­and the broken wall that the Fafnir had gathered for.  The red stain from the fight had largely faded, though was still evident even after a year, seeped into the porous rock to leave a ruddy brownish tint in place of what was once fresh.

    Lequerion couldn¡¯t help but sigh, and approached the slanted section of ruin.  He pulled out a small candle from a satchel he¡¯d brought, set it at the base ¨C where a placard had been installed, reading [Here fell a Captain of the Fafnir Knights; Ren Nibasai.  Loyal friend, skilled warrior, and desperately missed] ¨C and lit the wick.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been here four times since last year and it never gets easier.¡± Furion commented quietly, and set a hand around his brother¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°¡­I couldn¡¯t stand to come here at all.¡± The teen answered, feeling his eyes starting to water already as his father came back towards them, and they all crouched on the flat of the stone flooring, shattered as it was, ¡°I should¡¯ve come sooner¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re here now.¡± Lequerion answered, and though Seth nodded, they all fell quiet, bowing their heads.

    The little flame flickered, casting a faint light onto the metal nameplate.  Each of the Fafnir grieved in their own way ¨C Ravan had been brought to tears as quickly as Seth had, but the others were able to maintain a grudging stoic demeanor ¨C and Seth felt for the bauble he¡¯d kept hidden under his shirt.  Withdrawing it revealed a locket-like resin stone, within which was a part of the lock of hair Furion had brought to him.  He looked at it quietly, keeping it in the palm of his hand before pressing it against the center of his chest as he tried to keep his sadness quiet.

    Furion pulled him close to his side ¨C in part, a subtle reminder not to let the others see the keepsake ¨C and offered what comfort he could.  They stayed there until the sun had completely set, and each of them approached the broken wall to give some private comment before taking off into the sky again.  Furion wasn¡¯t sure what to say on his own, and simply pressed his hand to the stains with a sad look and a solemn apology, then stepped back so Seth could have his turn.

    Lequerion got his attention quietly, ¡°The Aegis will be staying at the wreckage of the Ward for a couple days to help get the Core out.  You can hang out here for a while if you want.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    He pat the man on a shoulder before reactivating his wing-optics, turned to look one last time at the little memorial, and finally went after the others.  The two brothers stayed a little while longer though, and sat back down again in front of the shattered wall.

    Furion sat in contemplative silence as his younger brother grieved, and lifted his knees to rest his arms above them, fingers looped into one another.  The imagery of Ren¡¯s P.O.V. lingered in his mind, as well as that haunting monotone voice that spoke later.  His eyes narrowed grimly, She was already gone when Scyrexian started taunting Lugios¡­and yet, even after he came back, it didn¡¯t speak again.  ¡­Why not?  It would¡¯ve been such a simple thing to lie that Ren¡¯s life would be saved if Lugios took it in like it wanted¡­  All these opportunities it had to bargain for a swap, and it kept missing them¡­  I don¡¯t understand that creature¡­  Maybe¡­even in death, Ren was protecting him¡­  He could only bow his head down against his folded thumbs as the questions raced.

    ¡°¡­When can I tell the others about what happened to her¡­?¡± Seth¡¯s voice cut through the fog in Furion¡¯s head, and the man looked up, ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping this peace for a year.  Surely, I can say something now¡­?  Lord Rylen had her cremated and put into the memorial like all the others¡­  Scyrexian can¡¯t hurt anyone anymore¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want them to remember her as she was, not as what she became?¡± Furion answered with his own question, ¡°Dying as Scyrexian¡¯s vessel ¨C losing a fight only because it literally stopped her moving ¨C wouldn¡¯t sit well with any of them.¡±

    ¡°¡­They all know she should¡¯ve won.¡± Seth argued bitterly, clasping the bauble tighter in his palm, ¡°They all just assume Laurier played dirty somehow at the end.  Or that Mr. Gabriel came back too early, and distracted her like at the Connington Fragment¡­¡±

    ¡°You and I both know you¡¯re not supposed to know the details about that mission.  They don¡¯t, so don¡¯t go putting opinion in their heads that they can¡¯t have.¡±

    Seth clenched his whole body in annoyance, but twisted in his seat so he could ¡®walk¡¯ closer to the wall on just his knees.  He sat back once there, and put his free hand on the dusty, rough surface, ¡°¡­It¡¯s hard to keep track of all the things I know that they don¡¯t.  It¡¯s¡­probably for the best that I don¡¯t hang-out on the Aegis anymore.  I¡¯d spill the beans by mistake sooner or later.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome aboard the ship anytime, Seth.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to go anymore¡­¡± He answered, his voice strained, ¡°Every inch of that place¡­it just reminds me of her.  I don¡¯t know how you can stand being there now.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t.  Why do you think dad¡¯s Captain again and I¡¯m not?¡±

    Seth turned back slightly, ¡°I thought you lost rank because of lying to Lord Rylen.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s only the official reason.¡± Furion sighed, ¡°After Ren died, having to pilot her body back was the worst thing I¡¯ve ever done.  She hated my guts for commandeering her the first time, and then I had to do it again.  I told pops after that, that I couldn¡¯t be trusted to make decisions for the team anymore¡­¡± He parted his knees to sit cross-legged instead, and bent down over the gap, sagging in defeat, ¡°Ren was right to challenge me for command.  But for two days, that plaque ought to read ¡®The Captain,¡¯ not just ¡®a Captain.¡¯  I¡¯m barely fit to return to the Wing Commander rank.  We¡¯re damn lucky dad was willing to come back¡­  I can wander around that tomb of a fortress and not think about being responsible for anyone.¡±

    Seth slouched in his spot as well, and reached up to rub his nose, ¡°¡­Mom is still mad about it.¡±

    ¡°Still mad at me for it, you mean.¡±

    ¡°No¡­just mad in general.¡± He corrected back, ¡°Dad was supposed to stay home and help raise Suzu.  Then he volunteered to get back in the Captain¡¯s seat, and no one knows when he¡¯ll be able to leave.¡±

    ¡°¡­Because I¡¯m not sitting in it anymore.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine¡­mad at you.¡± Seth twisted around and lurched forward, holding to the bauble with one hand as he pointed at his older brother with the other, ¡°If you don¡¯t want me telling the others the truth about what happened to Miss Ren, then for the same reason, you have to be content to let mom believe you got demoted for lying to your Eidolon.  The day you come clean to her has to be the same day I¡¯m allowed to talk, too.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fair, I guess.  Which will be never.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll both just have to ruminate in our vows of uncomfortable silence.¡±

    And in said silence, they ruminated until the candle went out, and Seth grudgingly fumbled his way towards the beach.  Furion reactivated his wing-optics ¨C only the singular pair now ¨C and bathed the entire area in a subtle white light, ¡°¡­Let me at least fly you back up.  It¡¯s a long trek by foot in the dark.¡±

    ¡°You can walk me back if you want, but I¡¯m not getting carried anywhere.¡± Seth countered, still going.

    The former Captain gave a somewhat pained look, but glided over to catch up, and landed beside the teen.  The walk all the way back up the hill took quite a while longer than it took for Seth to come stumbling down it, and by the time they were within sight of the statue, they could also hear something of an argument happening.  The brothers glanced at each other before quickly trotting closer to find out what was going on.

    Iresha was being put on blast, though he didn¡¯t seem to be taking it all that personally, simply sitting back on one of the memorial park¡¯s benches as the New Conclave members lit him up over the presence of a certain figure.

    ¡°It¡¯s disrespectful for him to be here!¡±

    ¡°Send him away!  This is still sovereign territory, even if you allow the Council to come and go!¡±

    ¡°A conqueror has no need to rub the noses of the conquered in the dirt.¡±

    Iresha finally lost patience and threw his hands up to silence the group, then slapped them down onto his knees, ¡°Everyone just shut up.  Lord Rylen can go wherever he wants.  Sargon may not have joined the Accord still, but I never told them they couldn¡¯t come here.  The same agreement stands now as did a year ago¡­the Council can enter and leave from Sargonian airspace freely.  My only adage was that they couldn¡¯t hold a memorial service on top of ours.¡±

    ¡°Much to my chagrin.¡± Rylen grumbled quietly, unheard by the group as he looked up at the statue.

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±

    ¡°¡­Need you all be reminded¡­¡± Came a rather uncomfortably familiar voice, ¡°¡­That the only reason any of you are Magistrates right now is because of being grandfathered in from the Old Guard?¡±

    Those elderly former Magistrates ¨C now reinstated ¨C took a skittish step back from the Emperor, who remained sat upon his bench, unmoved by the new arrival.  He didn¡¯t need to look back to see the man as he heard the telltale sound of nanotech coming together to form yet another mantle, and the sound of the footsteps that followed.

    ¡°You were phased out by the Duchess by virtue of the fact that you weren¡¯t fanatically in favor of her approach.¡± The voice continued, and Rylen turned slightly to watch the other Eidolon manifest, ¡°Which makes you barely-ideal to serve in the positions you now hold.  Soon, you¡¯ll be phased out again¡­so never let yourselves believe that you are anything more than an acting Conclave.¡±

    ¡°¡­L-Lord Gabriel¡­¡±

    Seth felt his heart in his throat to see the man there ¨C short blonde hair, without a drop of red to speak of streaking the tips, and two very blue eyes ¨C and he backed-up a little where he and Furion had arrived at the edge of the concourse.  Furion just about snatched his brother and took off flying anyway, but Seth seemed to sense his arm coming around and swatted it away.

    ¡°Your Conclave is temporary.¡± The Fourth continued sternly, and stopped walking only when he came to stand beside Iresha, ¡°The moment your replacements are trained and in position, your merry little gang will be disbanded.  You are not here to tell the Emperor what to do or what decisions he should make.  You are not executing the will of a conquered, defeated, and dissolved nation.  You are only here to carry out his will in your districts.¡±

    ¡°¡­Y-yessir¡­Lord Gabriel¡­¡±

    Those cool azure eyes narrowed slightly, ¡°Then we understand each other.  Go back to your posts.  The Emperor has no need for harassment on this of all nights.¡±

    The Conclave scuttled away like wet cats, and Iresha tilted his head slightly to watch them go.  He sat up and back again, and with one leg crossed over the other, he set his arms over the back-rest, and looked up at the Eidolon, ¡°You aren¡¯t doing your reputation any favors when you act like that, you know.¡±

    ¡°The Mad Dog of the Empire.¡± Rylen quipped as he returned, though that only earned a steely, middling sneer from the Fourth, ¡°Fitting that he¡¯d be so well-intended to defend what you¡¯ve gained.¡±

    ¡°The scolding was unnecessary.¡± Iresha shrugged, ¡°Sometimes I just like to watch them squirm.¡±

    ¡°Have you given any further thought to my request?¡± The First wondered, ¡°You¡¯ve been stonewalling me for a year on this.¡±

    ¡°¡­And it continues to be denied.¡± The Emperor leaned forward to get back up to his feet, and looked at the Eidolon directly, ¡°My forces will secure the Exclusion Zone before you gain access.  That¡¯s been the case from the start.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any sense though.¡±

    ¡°Every ruler of Kitez has worked tirelessly to keep the Council out of those woods.  I intend to find out its secrets myself.  Whatever it is they¡¯ve been hiding in there, I want to know what it is before I cut you loose.¡± Iresha argued, ¡°That¡¯s the agreement I came to with Lugios after my coronation last year, when this whole thing first came up.¡±

    Rylen glared at the Fourth, but Gabriel said nothing; instead, he just walked by, and headed for the foot of the statue.

    ¡°If it makes the sting hurt any less, however¡­I do have something for you that you might be interested in.¡± Iresha continued, and from his hand, he formed a data-nodule, offering it to the drow, ¡°Another Void Scar has opened, this time close to where the Ward went down.¡±

    Rylen looked at the nodule dubiously, but extended his hand to ¡®absorb¡¯ the information into his mantle, ¡°You seem to be enjoying the luxuries of the Council.  It¡¯s such a shame you refuse to reciprocate.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve given you everything else you asked for, Lord Rylen.¡± Iresha countered, ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck.¡±  He then turned, and waved at where he knew Seth had been hiding at the outskirts, ¡°Oi!  C¡¯mon!  We¡¯re going!¡±

    Seth nearly jumped out of his skin, but skulked over anyway, keeping a wide berth from the Fourth, ¡°¡­Please don¡¯t say you waited all this time for me to come back.  You could¡¯ve left a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I wait?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the Emperor.  Your schedule comes first, not mine.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a schedule today.  It¡¯s freestyle.  Invite your brother if you want, too.¡±

    Seth could feel his heart burst, and he nervously looked towards Lord Gabriel as the man slowly rose back up to standing, having knelt before to pay his respects.  He then looked back towards where Furion was standing a moment before, only to see that the Fafnir had shut his wing-optics off and turned his back to the scene.  Gabriel came walking back after that, and paused beside the First.  For a moment, Seth was certain those eyes were staring straight at him, and he gave a meek wave, but the Fourth turned away almost immediately, gave some kind of acknowledgement to Rylen, and then vanished without another word.

    ¡°Seth, back to the Aegis you go.¡± Rylen suddenly ordered, ¡°You have a Void Scar to investigate.  Your Majesty.¡± He gave a subtle bow towards the Emperor, then disappeared as well.

    The blonde heaved a breath and sat down on the bench before he could collapse, though that only earned a scolding from Iresha, ¡°¡­You really shouldn¡¯t let him make you feel that way.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± Seth panted, clutching at his chest, and the keepsake hidden in his clothes, ¡°He¡¯s a completely different person now¡­  Ever since Miss Ren¡­he¡¯s been¡­¡±

    Iresha could only cross his arms and look at the spot where the Fourth had vanished from, ¡°¡­I guess everyone mourns in their own way.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back to the Aegis¡­¡± Seth whined worriedly, and heard the sound of his brother¡¯s armored bootsteps coming closer.  He slouched and pushed back up to his feet, his heart slowly climbing out of his throat as it calmed down again.

    ¡°This is the third Scar that¡¯s opened in as many months.  Kitez must¡¯ve always been rich with these things.¡± Iresha commented as Furion got closer, ¡°Maybe they just didn¡¯t care enough to investigate.  That one that got you sent here before was the only one I knew about before taking control, and that¡¯s only because of the massive shitstorm it turned out to be.¡±

    Seth swallowed a painful lump in his throat, but nodded, ¡°It¡¯s¡­probably because of proximity to the Exclusion Zone¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you start.  You¡¯re too cozy with Lord Rylen for that to not turn into a request for reconsideration.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying¡­¡± Seth countered, voice feeling hoarse all over again.  He looked over at the other teen, ¡°¡­I guess I have no choice though.  Maybe I¡¯ll see you again sometime soon.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.  Soon.  Be careful out there.¡±

 Book II â€“ Chapter 03 â€“ A Return To The Foot Of Calamity

    Flying to the Void Gate took only a few minutes, as the Fafnir go, and they found it sitting in a narrow creek-bed, surrounded by rocky-pebble banks, and a bramble-patch of tall but thin trees.  If not for the cattle that had clearly been through, based on the paths they¡¯d gouged through the shrubbery to get to the water, it¡¯s possible no one would¡¯ve ever known the Gate was there at all.

    The cattle themselves were still lingering, but with the arrival of those winged warriors, quickly spooked and fled.  Furion stayed above the canopy for a moment longer, keeping an eye on the Inquisition ship that had parked in the sky nearby.  Once he saw that distinctive blue light appear from it, he lifted his right arm, and saw the same blue light manifest from the end of his vambrace-cannon, ¡°We¡¯re synchronized.  Coming down now to drop the anchors.¡±

    Being the only two fully-equipped Fafnir, it was incumbent on him and Ravan quickly dropped the barrier-spokes ¨C the same as what they deployed around the Sterling Rose the year before, though on a far smaller scale ¨C and when enough of them had been deployed to make a dome-shape, stood ready at one side.

    ¡°Everyone get in position.¡± Furion said simply, looking ominously at that strange opening above the water.  He¡¯d seen it a few times already, but it never stopped being odd.  As it always had, it seemed to ¡®face¡¯ whoever was looking at it, no matter how many people were looking at it, and its edges moved like burning paper, only to regenerate and burn again.  Within, it was dark, with unmistakable veins of red, exactly like the oily tendrils that flailed from the eyes of Scyrexian¡¯s hosts.

    It immediately brought back unwanted memories of the last time he¡¯d seen one¡­of her.

    .

    The Buckler¡¯s hangar had been evacuated for the arrival of the body, and though Furion had landed it safely enough, something was already changing about it.  By the time he¡¯d been able to come down himself ¨C disconnected from the neural-interface that paralyzed him so he could move Ren¡¯s armor instead ¨C ¡®she¡¯ seemed to be ¡®awake¡¯ and was thrashing around.

    ¡°You¡­are all vermin¡­!¡± Scyren snarled, empty eyes flaring with that ichor, ¡°Let me¡­out¡­!¡±

    The fact that Scyren was strong enough to resist the armor-locks that should have kept the Fafnir stationary was already enough, but speaking with Ren¡¯s voice made it far worse.

    Corbin was beyond confused when he landed, ¡°What the Hell is this?  She¡¯s still alive¡­!?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen!  It¡¯s not her anymore!¡± Furion forced himself back to his senses, and darted for the S.D. Helmet that Rylen had left on a cart for him.  He tucked it under one arm as he got closer to remove the broken visor that Ren wore for the flight back.  Every threat Scyren barked at him as it was lifted away left black blood on the hangar floor, more still as those same tendrils that spilled from Ren¡¯s eyes were starting to come from the ravaged stumps of her arms.  Even the disembodied limb that Corbin carried was starting to react, and Corbin threw it down in horror and disgust.  Furion took a few steps back to avoid it, and was fully exposed to the horrifying sight of Ren¡¯s disfigured face.

    ¡°When I get¡­free¡­mark my words, Captain¡­¡± Scyren growled angrily, ¡°You will not be safe¡­  Her anger and resentment¡­all of her despair¡­it¡¯ll come down on you¡­  I swear it¡­  Your suffering will be endless¡­!¡±

    Furion gathered what he had left of his courage and rushed at the beast, even as it screamed at him to stop.  It screamed those same words that Ren had said on that fateful mission months earlier, but soon, the helmet locked into place, and Scyren¡¯s thrashing calmed.  Furion held there, arms wrapped around it like Scyren might throw it off if he let go, until every last residual twitch finally gave out, and the helmet beeped to signify it had a seal and was working.

    He only let go when he heard the very subtle sound of nanotech moving, and he saw the black coloration fade from Ren¡¯s hair, leaving just the shock of white that Scyrexian had turned it to.  He knew then, Ren had officially been declared dead and her tech shut down, and he felt his heart seize in his chest.  Furion lowered down to his knees on the floor, and looked up, seeing only the faceplate of the S.D. Helmet there to look back at him, and the red and black armor that bore it.  He raised a hand towards Corbin, ¡°¡­Sword¡­¡±

    The Fafnir didn¡¯t question, and he grabbed for one of his hip-hilts, spinning it around to offer it.  He watched quietly as Furion found a length of that white hair that hadn¡¯t been soaked with blood, and cut it free, then finally took a few steps away before offering the blade back, ¡°¡­What¡­happened here¡­?¡±

    ¡°What happened is irrelevant¡± Rylen¡¯s voice came, and the mantle manifested as it walked closer.  He only went near enough to be able to see the dead look in Furion¡¯s eyes, holding to that lock of hair like he¡¯d kill anyone who tried to take it, and turned his gaze over to the downed Fafnir, ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry it came to this.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yessir¡­¡± Furion choked.

    ¡°Sir Corbin,¡± Rylen continued, looking to the confused soldier, ¡°You are hereby sworn to silence.  What you saw here today will never be spoken of again.  Am I understood?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yessir.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll command her armor myself.  Let¡¯s get her out of it.¡± The Sixth continued, ¡°I¡¯ll have one of these skiffs take her to a secure location.¡±

    .

    Needless to say, the Void Gate gave Furion the creeps.

    Ravan stood at the next spoke over, clockwise, from where her Wing Commander was, and the five greenbloods who¡¯d followed there approached their own.  With everyone in place, Ravan began, ¡°Activating.¡±

    Each Fafnir in succession thus turned their own sections on, and Furion completed it, manifesting that blue dome over the Scar, ¡°Area secure.  No anomalies.  No signs of other activity.  Everyone up and create the wider perimeter.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we have secured the wider area first and then narrowed down?¡±

    Ravan felt a twinge, and before she could even get her feet off the ground, she planted them down again, eyes warily at the former Captain.  She did have one critique though, ¡°There should be a ¡®sir¡¯ at the end of that, recruit.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sir.¡±

    Furion looked back at the five, ¡°In hostile territory, maybe, but we are under the protection off the Emperor, so we do things a little differently.  A dangerous target that we can¡¯t just neutralize must be rendered inert before we risk anything else.¡± He explained, ¡°Void Gates are unnatural and unpredictable.  You¡¯ve been fortunate to have seen two prior that did nothing before evaporating.  Sir Setharion¡¯s first Void Gate erupted, killed a man, and turned out to be a catalyst for far worse later.  We secure the Gate first to protect ourselves and those who are inbound.  Move out.¡±

    Ravan just mentally shook her head, and took off after that, watching the ground for any sign that something other than errant cattle might be around.  Even they, however, had to be corralled away, and she dropped a flare onto the entry-path they¡¯d created into the bramble-patch.  In the hour it took to create and secure the perimeter, Ravan kept a close eye on the recruits¡¯ movements, wondering if any of them were sending out private missives to one another.  She dared to send one of her own to Furion though, ¡°¡­Commander?¡±

    ¡°What is it, Dame.¡± He answered curtly.

    ¡°Are you paying any attention to these new folks or is it just me, sir?¡±

    ¡°Not sure what you mean.¡±

    ¡°Three of them keep grouping up, leaving gaps in the perimeter.  Yet, I haven¡¯t heard you tell them to break it up.¡±

    Furion hesitated to respond, but then gave a simple answer, ¡°Stay focused on your duty.¡±

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Her ears proverbially perked-up to hear it, and looked back into the distance, wondering what was going to happen.  It seemed like a whole lot of nothing for a little while, and Ravan just watched her overlay in frustration as the big circle that they were supposed to be maintaining around the Gate was left half-unprotected, These damn newbies aren¡¯t taking this seriously at all¡­  I wouldn¡¯t trust them to protect a carnival¡­

    Smoke-stacks started to rise though, and Ravan looked on at them curiously.  They weren¡¯t just normal grey smoke either, but colored.  For every orange pyre that rose into the sky, it was an indication of failure, and six were already wafting.  Ravan dared not linger on it though; if the far side of the barrier was being tested, then any side of it could be, and soon enough, she spotted one of Corbin¡¯s recruits circling around¡­with an arm up, pointing directly at her slice of the area.

    A quintuple-volley was fired off, and the Fafnir was quick to intercept every one of them, slicing one in half before shooting the other four, and the rookie darted away without a word.  The smoke that billowed from the remains was black ¨C she passed.  Five black pillars had risen from the next section over, and she knew Furion had been tested as well.  The next section was guarded by one of the applicants; one black smoke-stack to one orange.  The final area was the same; one black and one orange.

    Lequerion was having none of the failures.  His normal greatswords were reforged with the nanotech training-blades, but he was still slicing like it was a real fight.  Veiled by that curtain of orange smoke, the only eyes that witnessed this ¡®simulation¡¯ were Wing Commander Two, Corbin D¡¯Shay, and Jense Dmitry.

    ¡°Dead.  Dead.  Twice-over, dead.  Perimeter penetrated, civilians killed, target lost.¡± The Captain said simply, looking down at the lackadaisical trio that he¡¯d brought to heel.  The sinister appearance of his older-generation armor did nothing to soften the blow, and he pointed one of those enormous blades at the three, ¡°Do you think this exercise is a joke?¡±

    ¡°N-No sir!¡± One of them answered.

    Corbin turned away slightly where he hovered, and watched his last recruit fly by with the confirmation, ¡°All simulacrums have been deployed, sir.  Commander Rydell and Dame Ravan cleared all five discharges; pass.  Sirs Rhonan and Westin were able to defend against one each; pass.¡±

    ¡°Then why did all three of you fail to defend against the simulacrums?¡± Lequerion asked, ¡°You were all so busy chatting over here that I took you down before you even knew I was here.  You broke protocol, left the area undefended, and half of my perimeter was left vulnerable.  Moreover¡­I thought I heard something that sounded close to insubordination.  You think I can¡¯t hear you when you¡¯re deployed?¡±

    There was silence within the three.  Corbin¡¯s five trainees returned and hovered behind him, though not quite as elegantly as the two more experienced fliers, wobbling a bit where they tried to remain still.

    Lequerion turned to them, ¡°Let this be a demonstration to everyone.  The rest of Wing Team One, come to my location.¡±

    ¡°Yessir!¡± They all answered.  They were there within seconds, flying quickly.  Furion landed behind the downed trio, and the remains of his team followed-suit.

    ¡°This team has been trying to come together for half a year now.¡± The Captain commented, and let the nanotech blades dissolve as he put his hilts back to his hips, though he kept those menacingly-pointed wings high, ¡°You new recruits were all recommended by your prior Captains, so I can¡¯t understand why the three of you were so determined to make those Captains look like fools for it.  Helmets and wings off.  Now.¡±

    The wing-packs and helmets were the only physical parts of their armor that didn¡¯t dissolve with the nanotech when Lequerion dismissed them, and the trio were left with just their flight-suits otherwise.  One, in the center, was the same scruffy half-ox of a man that Seth had been stuck beside during the briefing, and he looked disgruntled.  On each side of him ¨C two other men, younger than him and probably more na?ve as a result ¨C looked extremely nervous.

    ¡°This perimeter is ridiculous.¡± Lequerion played from a recording, ¡°What are we even doing here?  This so-called Commander is a joke.  Everything he does is backwards.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you do these same kind of exercises at boot?¡±

    ¡°Of course, but we actually had targets to look-out for.  This is just a circle.  No wonder this guy got demoted.  Lying was probably the last straw.¡±

    If anyone was making anxious expressions, their visors protected them from being outed for it.  The recordings continued.

    ¡°Most of the entire previous unit got wiped out by a single enemy.  How bad do you have to be at your job to let nearly a dozen people die in a span of 30 minutes?  No wonder Dame Ren challenged him for command.  I¡¯d be livid with his record, too.  Then he didn¡¯t even go to the Nightlong War, staying behind on the Buckler like some old-timey General who didn¡¯t have to get his hands dirty.  In my unit on the Bastion, I would always go out first an-Ggkkkgbchchhh.¡±

    The recording ended in violent static, and Lequerion turned it off.  There was awkward silence throughout the squad, but that burly man in the middle looked on defiantly.  The Captain released the visor on his helmet and let it rise overtop so he could see the trio with his own naked eyes, ¡°Running your mouth about the results of a mission you weren¡¯t even on is pretty bold.  Assuming you know how to command a unit you¡¯ve barely joined is also classic.  I don¡¯t even know where to begin.¡±

    Ravan side-eyed Furion, Did he know this was going to happen¡­?  No, he couldn¡¯t have¡­  The Captain may be his father but the Rydells have always prided themselves on getting where they are legitimately¡­  He¡¯d never give Furion a heads up about something like a surprise attack.

    ¡°I came out here today thinking I¡¯d just be testing your reflexes; see how your flying skills have come along since you got your training wings.  This was a lot more than I expected.¡± The Captain continued, ¡°When Sir Setharion¡¯s skiff arrives, it¡¯ll take all three of you back to the Aegis, where you will await transfer to Agartha.  You¡¯re off my unit.  I¡¯ll leave it to Lord Rylen to decide whether or not you go back to your home-ships.  Sir Rhonan, Sir Westin; well done on the simulacrums you broke.  You¡¯ll get more flying experience soon, and then two smoke-bombs will be nothing.  Wing Team Two also did well.¡±

    ¡°Yessir!¡± They all answered.

    Lequerion pushed the visor back into place and shook his head, but then turned to the group hovering behind him, ¡°Wing Team Two, take over the perimeter detail as planned.  The smoke will clear in a few minutes.  Wing Team One, follow Commander Rydell to the Ward.  I¡¯ll stay here until the skiff arrives.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡± They answered again, and all 11 of them deployed quickly.

    Once they were high enough into the air, Ravan turned backwards to watch the Captain disappear into the distance, but flipped right-side-up again soon after, and looked instead to Furion.  She was about to say something, but Furion beat her to it.

    ¡°In the interest of squad cohesion, I¡¯ll tell you two things.¡± He started, ¡°First, my absence from the frontline during the Nightlong War was not a decision I made.  My armor was damaged prior and was incapable of flight; I would have been out there if not for that.  Second, the reason we take these Void Gate protocols so seriously is because a Gate set-off the sequence of events that led to the former team¡¯s massacre.  In time, once ¨C and if ¨C you clear the rest of the requirements to becoming fully-fledged Fafnir, you¡¯ll be debriefed on what happened.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡± The pair of recruits answered dubiously.

    Ravan glanced at Furion warily, and asked on a closed channel, ¡°Can¡¯t you explain to them why you¡¯re Wing Commander instead of Captain?  It¡¯d probably make things easier for everyone in the long run.¡±

    ¡°Lord Rylen¡¯s decision to keep me on should speak for itself.¡± He answered.

    ¡°It¡¯s not, though¡­  Just listening to what that goon was saying before¡­¡± She answered, ¡°I trust you, but even I sometimes find my faith shaken by being in the dark, and I was there!¡±

    Furion held quiet for a few seconds while he thought, but then visibly seemed to relent, ¡°Fine¡­¡±  He opened the channel back up to the other two, ¡°Three things, actually.  The circumstances surrounding my demotion are not what people believe.  I wasn¡¯t demoted for lying to Lord Rylen; I was given an order of reprimand for that, and Lord Rylen himself only issued it out of protocol obligations.  He understood why I did it, and it¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m still Wing Commander and not in front of a military tribunal somewhere.  I stepped down of my own volition.  It was important to me that the team be led by clear heads, and in the aftermath of the Nightlong War, mine wasn¡¯t.  I¡¯m much better suited to my current role, under Captain Rydell Sr.¡¯s command, for the time being.  If you still take issue with it, you should forward your concerns to him rather than gossiping with each other.¡±

    Ravan was relieved to hear it, and put a hand to her chest, ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Can I ask one thing, sir?¡±

    Furion¡¯s brow crinkled slightly, ¡°Go ahead, Sir Rhonan.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t the unit just say that in the first place?¡± He wondered, hands out as he tried to keep his flight level, ¡°Letting people believe otherwise just makes us all wonder who we¡¯re taking orders from¡­¡±

    Ravan puffed and crossed her arms, ¡°See?¡± She taunted privately; the Ward was coming into their sights by then.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± He answered, and opened the channel again, ¡°The report about my change in rank never actually laid-out that it was because of the order of reprimand.  One merely preceded the other, and people assumed, since the file was marked classified.¡±

    ¡°So, you just let us believe wrongly without correction?¡±

    ¡°How many excuses and explanations will you accept before you begin to question whether the Fafnir even have their shit together?¡± Furion countered, glancing back at the novice flier, ¡°Lord Rylen kept me on as Second-in-Command despite it all.  I had hoped that would be enough for everyone.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell us anything about what makes those Void Gates so dangerous, sir?¡± Westin wondered after, ¡°If full understanding of a situation is any indication¡­¡±

    ¡°The Gates are a portal.  Where to, we¡¯re not sure, but there¡¯s an extremely dangerous intelligence beyond it that can and will seep into this plane if we aren¡¯t careful.¡± He explained pensively.

    ¡°An intelligence, sir?  You¡¯ve encountered it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.  The point of these investigations from the Inquisition is to find a way to close the Gates before anything can come through.  That¡¯s all I can say on the matter for now.¡± Furion said stiffly, and slowed his pace as they passed overtop of the nearly-fully skeletonized SkyFortress, ¡°We¡¯re here.  Let¡¯s focus-up.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

 Book II â€“ Chapter 04 â€“ You Can Still Find Unicorns In The Wild

    ¡°What in the world is taking so long?¡± Seth wondered idly as he sat at the back of the escort skiff.

    ¡°Looks like the Fafnir are having to wrangle some cows, sir.¡± The pilot commented, ¡°The cows are not cooperating.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should just go wait back on the Aegis then.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, sir, we are to wait here.  Captain¡¯s orders.¡±

    Seth grumbled and sank into his seat.  It took another 20 minutes for the all-clear to be given and the ship moved forward again.  Once landed though, he was eager to jump out and survey the area, and Seth spotted his father¡¯s armor not too far away¡­with three familiar faces sitting on their knees before him, ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?¡±

    The soldiers who had come with him poured out of the skiff as expected, but their behavior immediately after was unexpected.  Three went to collect the wing-packs and helmets that had been set on the ground behind the Captain, and two each went to take the former-recruits into custody.  Seth could only watch in perplexed silence as they went by again, bringing those rebels past him.

    Seth stepped out of the way quickly when he realized they were heading his way, and went over to his father¡¯s side instead, ¡°What happened?  You¡¯ve only barely deployed.¡±

    ¡°Shame, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lequerion answered, and pulled his helmet off for a breath of fresh air, ¡°No surprise that we didn¡¯t get the best produce on the first pass of the market.  We¡¯ll just have to keep looking.¡±

    ¡°Dad?¡±

    ¡°Just some trouble-makers.  Don¡¯t you worry about it.¡± He said vaguely.

    ¡°But three of them?¡±

    ¡°Misery loves company.  Head to the flare Ravan dropped earlier.  It¡¯ll take you to the Gate.  I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡± Lequerion pointed, and Seth could only go as directed.

    The Inquisition ship¡¯s own skiff landed soon after, and the teen looked on anxiously as the door opened.  The unsettling sight of those Inquisitors made Seth¡¯s stomach wretch, and he had to close his eyes and pause his march for a moment so he could reassure himself, It¡¯s fine, they¡¯re only gonna make me deal with one¡­  It¡¯s fine¡­  It¡¯s fine¡­

    He quickly made his way down the cattle-trail and into the creek-bed after that, getting the group out of his line of sight.  The hazy blue barrier met his sights after that, and he made his way around it as he inspected the Scar warbling in the center of it.  The creek had already been diverted by the barrier, making a big pool on the opposite side as it went by, but otherwise, everything seemed to be on the up and up.  Now, he only needed to wait for someone to open a gap in said barrier so he could get his data-panels through.

    Instead of his father though, as he¡¯d hoped, it was the lone Myrmidon who turned up first, and Seth groaned quietly as he turned away from the sight.  He heard those footsteps getting closer though, trudging through the loose stone banks of the creek-bed, until they seemed to be right beside him.

    ¡°¡­Oh, I guess I¡¯m the one who has to open the door for you.¡± The Myrmidon commented, looking around for anyone else who might be coming, ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please, just one section.¡± Seth answered grimly, feeling his skin twitch from the whole thing.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like the masks your division wears.  The eyes are too close together on the face-plate, too small, and give massive uncanny-valley vibes.  I don¡¯t know why but it¡¯s really unnerving to me.¡± He answered, ¡°Didn¡¯t they tell you that?¡±

    ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t think it was that bad.  That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll just take it off.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to leave it-¡± He wondered, dubiously turning as he steeled himself for the unsightly visage¡­only to spot the face of a rather unexpectedly-cute girl to be there, ¡°¡­on?¡±

    She pulled the hood of her cloak back after that, revealing a head of white hair with a subtle lavender tint, tied up in a thick ponytail.  A braid was tied behind each ear, up into the band at the back of her head, and linked into it.  Cool blue-grey eyes adjusted to the light, and she smiled, ¡°That better?¡±

    Seth could feel his whole body turn red, ¡°Y-yeahhhhh.  I mean, yes, very much so.¡±

    ¡°Great, these masks are kinda stuffy anyway.¡± She huffed a laugh, and tucked the helm under her left arm, ¡°There¡¯s no one who¡¯ll see me down here but you, so no harm, no foul.¡±

    It was only then that Seth noticed how shockingly little the woman was, and he looked her over cautiously, able to say only what stupid words came to his brain first, ¡°You are, without a doubt, the tiniest Myrmidon I¡¯ve ever seen.  How did you even get in?¡±

    She just pointed an accusing finger at him, ¡°You may be tall but I¡¯m older than you!¡±

    ¡°Psheheh¡­what does that do for you?  Senior discounts at the commissary?¡± He teased through a laugh.

    ¡°Rude!  You don¡¯t even know my name yet and you¡¯re already making fun of me!¡±

    Seth could only deadpan at her through the unexpected amusement, but then stood upright normally and extended a hand, ¡°Sorry.  I¡¯m Seth.  I guess we¡¯re buddies for this excursion.¡±

    The waif looked on at him skeptically, arms crossed, but she finally reached back with her unoccupied hand, ¡°Officially I¡¯m Mikkela.¡±

    ¡°Hi, officially Mikkela.¡±

    ¡°My friends call me Kourin, though.¡± She noted as she held onto that hand, and gave it one proper shake before letting go again, ¡°Guess I¡¯ll open the way for you, then.¡± She added, and briefly lifted up the helmet so she could see the display on the interior, and made a gesture towards the dome.

    Beyond the brambles, Lequerion watched the skiff containing his rebels rise into the air and head back towards the Aegis.  With that unfortunate business tended to, he glided over towards the cattle-path and into the creek-bed, spotting the pair already getting to work.  A singular panel in the dome had been released, and Seth¡¯s data panels were manifesting on the interior.  When the Captain got closer and landed, he, too, had a similar assessment of the petite Inquisitor, ¡°They make you guys fun-size?¡±

    Kourin could only flip around in dramatic shock, fists on her hips, ¡°Rude!¡±

    Seth just laughed, ¡°I had the same reaction.  Kourin, that¡¯s my dad.  Dad, this is Kourin.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so we¡¯re friends already, huh?¡± She puffed, and was immediately thrown off by how large Lequerion was as he landed a few paces ahead of her, ¡°Man, you Rydells are built different.¡± She commented, and held her hand out a second time anyway, ¡°Captain.¡±

    ¡°Dame.¡± He could take her whole palm around just a few fingers, and pressed gently with a thumb so as not to squish her hand before letting her pull back again, ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys supposed to keep your masks on?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯m probably safe in the presence of a Fafnir and Lord Rylen¡¯s favorite pet.¡± She teased, and glanced back over a shoulder at Seth, who could only give a pink-cheeked nod of acknowledgement, ¡°And if it makes him feel better, then I¡¯ll break protocol for a little while.  Easier to see if the Gate acts up, right?¡±

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re fully apprised of your role here then.¡± Lequerion commented, and set his own helmet atop one wing, ¡°Your predecessors seemed oblivious.¡±

    ¡°Probably because Lord Rylen didn¡¯t want them spooked away.  The only requisite for being a Myrmidon is being afflicted, after all, not smart.¡± Kourin explained, ¡°I¡¯m not easily scared though.  I know what you guys have encountered before.¡±

    ¡°If only you knew the half of it.¡±

    Kourin could only give a smile, ¡°Such as it is.¡±

    Seth could only listen as he focused on the placement of his equipment-pieces, setting them down around the underside of the dome like he was playing a housing-sim.  Once he was done, however, there were four post-like nanotech sensors surrounding the Scar, ¡°Think that should do it.  The Inquisitors will bring the rest down soon hopefully.  Never know how long these things will stay open.¡±  He turned and pointed downstream, ¡°I¡¯m gonna step off while they do their thing.¡±

    Kourin was surprised, ¡°¡­The masks really do bother you that much?¡±

    ¡°Enough-so that I can¡¯t join your team, even though I technically supervise you.¡± He answered, and started walking.  He heard her trotting to catch up though, and watched her point at herself.

    ¡°What if every Inquisitor is as cute as me though?  You¡¯ll never know.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s kind of the point, isn¡¯t it?  You¡¯re the only one who¡¯s ever shown me their real face.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, you¡¯re right.  I hardly ever see them either.¡± She agreed, but then shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s mostly guys anyway though, so you probably wouldn¡¯t care even if you did.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Seth gave her a weird look; Lequerion stayed behind to make sure the Inquisitors got there.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you know?  The affliction hits more guys than ladies.¡± She answered, ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen one other woman besides me this whole time.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I ever realized.¡± Seth considered it, ¡°Iresha, Mr. Gabriel, the guy that zapped Miss Ren¡­those three Myrmidon that came with us to the Sterling Rose¡­I¡¯m pretty sure they were all male¡­¡±  He looked back at the petite woman, ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right.  Do women-afflicted have special powers or something?¡±

    ¡°Dunno, never really compared notes that way.  Everyone¡¯s too worried about having an affliction, they never really delve into what they¡¯re capable of.  As soon as it turns on, it¡¯s all hands on deck to make it turn off, and then keep it off forever.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so sad.  I wish I was afflicted, and I keep hearing that you guys all hate it.¡±

    Kourin paused, finding a rock to sit on now that they were far enough away that the masks couldn¡¯t possibly bother anyone.  Seth stayed standing, but watched her carefully, ¡°You wish it?  How come?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to study something you can¡¯t really interact with.¡± He explained, and gestured back at the Void Gate, ¡°Mr. Gabriel told me once that he could see and hear things that none of my sensors have ever picked-up on¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t mean Lord Gabriel, do you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we met before he got the role.¡± Seth answered, a hint of regret in his voice, ¡°I haven¡¯t talked to him in a year now though.  I used to really admire him, now I just¡­feel bad for him, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­  Yeah¡­  He and Lord Xanarken were close, right?  It must be hard to fill those shoes.¡±

    ¡°We had a mutual friend who also died back then.¡± He continued, and crossed his arms protectively across himself, ¡°I think that one hit him harder than Lord Xanarken¡¯s passing, though¡­  Or maybe it was just different, because Lord Xanarken was an Eidolon, and there was always that¡­impersonal divide between them, with those mantles.  But with Miss Ren, they were together in person for months before she was¡­  Well¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand¡­¡± Kourin answered, ¡°Sorry to bring it up.  I didn¡¯t realize you guys were tight that way.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.  The one-year anniversary was yesterday, is all.  It¡¯s still a bit raw.¡± Seth said, and suddenly realized his fists were clenching against his ribs.  He quickly released them and shook his fingers out.

    ¡°You looked kinda angry there for a second.  You okay?¡±

    ¡°I think it just hit me how mad I am that he never showed up to Miss Ren¡¯s memorial.¡± He explained, and rubbed his knuckles for a bit of relief, ¡°Or maybe he went in his own time.  I don¡¯t know.  I never saw him there, but he was up at the Mardu statue a while later, and paid respects to him, but not her.  Those spots are only a few hundred yards away from each other.  It would¡¯ve taken nothing for him to take a moment¡­¡± He could feel his anger rising again, and forced himself to stop, ¡°No, no¡­I can¡¯t think about that.  I was only there for half an hour myself.  He literally could¡¯ve manifested any other time that whole day.  Maybe he even went at the actual time, since that would¡¯ve been super early this morning, rather than last night¡­¡±

    ¡°You still have a lot of feelings for back then¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to unload on you.  We literally just met.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay¡­  I lost someone I loved during the Nightlong War, too.¡± Kourin explained, and glanced back at the dome, ¡°¡­Someone I likened to a father.  He wasn¡¯t really my dad, but¡­he took me on when I¡¯d been alone for a long time, so I got attached to him like he was.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­I¡¯m so sorry.  Was he on one of the SkyFortresses that got taken down?¡±

    ¡°No¡­  He was at the palace in Trazad when it got blown up.¡± She answered, and pulled her legs up on the rock so she could wrap her arms around her knees, and set her chin atop them, ¡°I didn¡¯t even find out until a few days later.¡± She could feel herself getting sad all over again, and buried her eyes against her crossed arms, ¡°Sorry.  Guess it¡¯s still raw for me, too.¡±

    Seth could only empathize, and went over to sit on the backside the big rock, offering a comforting hand to her back, ¡°I find grief to be a really strange thing.  It¡¯s always there, you know?  Lurking under everything¡­usually harmless, just kind of muddying the water a little bit¡­  But then at the slightest reminder, it comes out swinging, and just punches you straight in the chest.  I think that¡¯s probably been the hardest part to deal with.  You¡¯re fine one minute, and then just lose total control of yourself¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Kourin snuffled, and rubbed her cheeks on the side of her arm.  She glanced back up the creek though, ¡°¡­Looks like they¡¯re done¡­¡±

    ¡°Seems so.¡± Seth agreed, and pushed to stand up before offering his hand, ¡°Back to work we go.¡±

    Hers was the face to get red then, but she accepted the gesture and let the teen help her back up.  They returned just as Corbin had arrived to relieve the Captain.

    Lequerion got the status report, and turned to catch his kid¡¯s attention, ¡°Seth, time for me to go.  Stay out of trouble, and if Kourin¡¯s eyes do weird stuff, get back as quick as you can.  No heroics, no dumb shit, just haul ass.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡± The teen gave a half-assed but well-meant salute, ¡°Cya later, dad.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and did Furion tell you about what I meant earlier?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­it¡¯s fine.  I¡¯ll meet up with him later.¡±

    ¡°Figured.  Alright, I¡¯m out.  Kourin.¡± The Captain gave a subtle head-bow, and she waved as he put his helmet back on.  Those massive wings took him back towards the canopy, vanishing up through it, and Lequerion was off like a shot, back to the Aegis.

    Seth watched briefly, but turned his attention to the still-open gap in the dome, then to Kourin, ¡°So, what¡¯s your skill anyway?¡± He wondered as he stepped through; the half-bubble gave around 20ft of clearance between the Gate on every side, making it easy to get out in a hurry without having to risk too much on running.

    ¡°Oh, my affliction?¡± She wondered, ¡°I can turn myself or things around me invisible.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oof, you must get into loads of trouble with that.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± She pointed at herself again, a finger on each cheek, and made an adorable face, ¡°Naahhh.¡±

    Seth puffed a laugh, ¡°Are you good with it?¡± He asked, moving things around slightly from where the Inquisitors had set things up.

    ¡°Define good?¡±

    ¡°I dunno, can you close a Void Gate?¡± He nudged his head at the one nearby.

    ¡°¡­Do you want me to try?¡±

    Seth stopped where he was and stood upright, and gave a shrug, ¡°I¡­uh¡­  I mean¡­  Okay?¡±

    Kourin shrugged too and let her eyes light-up, which only made Corbin completely lose his shit on the outside and come bursting in.  Seth found himself rather far away in a hurry, and Kourin burst out laughing.

    ¡°Put me down, damnit!¡± The teen fussed, ¡°She did that on purpose!  I asked her to!¡±

    ¡°You gotta warn me before you do crap like that!¡± The Fafnir argued, ¡°You know we¡¯re on high-alert!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d actually do it.¡±

    ¡°Then why¡¯d you ask her to!?¡±

    ¡°Ugh just take me back!¡± Seth huffed, and tried to straighten his hair out where the rush had made him look wind-blown.  By the time he got back into the bramble-patch, Kourin had come out from the dome, though she was still laughing and had to wipe a tear from her eye, ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°You absolutely asked for that.¡± She teased, ¡°I couldn¡¯t not take the opportunity.¡±

    Corbin was still hovering with him, arms around his chest, those lanky legs dangling under him, ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± Seth said again, face flushed.  He wiggled until the Fafnir let him go, and he went back down to the pebbles, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be more careful next time.  Can you do it, though?  None of the other Myrmidon would take requests.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to do some other kind of research on it first?  Closing it this soon would kinda ruin that.¡±

    Seth considered, and pinched his fingers around his chin, ¡°¡­Well, if you¡¯re willing to take requests¡­it¡¯d definitely help me get some info that I can¡¯t get on my own.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure.  What first?¡±

    He could hardly believe his luck, and stared at the petite woman like she was some kind of mythical creature.  With a stunned blink, Seth quickly summoned his data-panels back, and manifested a nanotech chair just outside the open octagon in the dome, ¡°Okay, okay¡­.okay¡­  Whew¡­  Right, so¡­tell me everything you see and hear, and¡­everything else.¡±  He pointed at Corbin, ¡°Do not yank me away when her eyes glow again.¡±

    ¡°¡­I know now.¡±

    Kourin snorted another laugh.

 Book II â€“ Chapter 05 â€“ Some People Are Defined By Their Grudges

    Three shift-changes seemed to happen before Seth paid any attention to the time that had passed, and that was only ¨C mostly ¨C because of the void that gurgled in his stomach after a while.  A hand went to his gut, and he grumbled, ¡°¡­Hmph, maybe I should aspire to be the Second just on account of how the Eidolon don¡¯t have to eat¡­¡±

    Kourin had dressed-down from most of her uniform-accessories by this point - removing the full cloak and cowl, gloves, and boots ¨C and enjoyed wading in the pond that had formed under the Rift.  Tadpoles nibbled at her pasty-white ankles, and as she bent down to dip her fingers under the icy cold water, she could see the reflection of the light in her eyes flitting in the ripples.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s all we¡¯ll get from this distance.¡± Seth commented, ¡°If you¡¯re sure about getting closer¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine.¡± She answered, wiggling her fingers as some minnows came by, and she stood upright again, looking at the Scar, ¡°It feels pretty sedate right now.¡±

    Seth was manic with taking notes about everything, and he quickly jotted that bit down as well, ¡°Can you feel it even when you don¡¯t have your affliction active?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.  It¡¯s like a vibration in the air.¡± Kourin explained, and flicked her hands to dry them a little.  She took a few steps closer in that murky, rock-bottomed pond, ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel hostile or anything.¡±

    ¡°How would you know if it does though?¡±

    ¡°Did Mr. Gabriel comment on it before?¡± She mused, ¡°When yours went berserk.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t even notice that his eyes had lit-up at the time.¡±

    ¡°How did he not notice his own eyes glowing?¡±

    Seth looked up from his infographics and gave a shrug, ¡°Does it feel like something?  Is it super obvious?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like a tickle of warm air blowing through them.¡± Kourin explained, and lifted her arms so she could gently comb her fingers through the floating, misty miasma, ¡°It has a density, you know?  But maybe I¡¯ve just had more practice.¡±

    That earned her a skeptical look.

    ¡°What?¡±

    He just lounged back in that nanotech chair he¡¯d made and gestured his hands out, ¡°I dunno, you said you¡¯re older than I am, and I believe that, but¡­older than Mr. Gabriel, too?  You don¡¯t look it.¡±

    She gave a nervous laugh, ¡°I¡­uh, I meant generally, like¡­the hours actually spent working on it.  He probably didn¡¯t.  My power is kinda fun, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh.  ¡­Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell on you to Lord Rylen.¡± Seth teased, and went back to his floating keyboard, resting the heels of his palms on the forward lip of the little platform, ¡°You¡¯re probably right though.  Before I started bugging him about it last year, he hadn¡¯t touched it much.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what his skill was?  You must¡¯ve learned a lot about it.¡±

    Seth got a bit morose at the question, and his brows betrayed him with a worried expression, ¡°Only at the start.  Miss Ren tried to help him figure it out ¨C she was fascinated by the affliction, too, but more from a ¡®how would I kill a guy with that power if I had to fight it¡¯ perspective than from my approach ¨C but when I last looked at it, he only knew he could cut through any kind of material.  By the end¡­well, I¡¯m not sure what he was capable of.  I know he used it to kill a Magistrate, but in that case¡­it was more like¡­he crushed the man, like a wad of paper.  He tore the whole war-machine clean in half after¡­and he never even touched the thing.¡±

    Kourin gave a weird look, ¡°War-machine?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­it was this special Magistrate.  I forget his name.  I know my dad fought against him way back in the day, and he was a General or something in Kitez¡¯s military before going the judicial route.¡±

    ¡°Regulus Laurier.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the guy.¡± Seth snapped his fingers as he pointed at the Myrmidon, ¡°Wait, how do you know¡­?  What would the Inquisition have to do with Kitez?¡±

    Kourin looked away, ¡°¡­No particular reason.  Guess I just remembered it from the reports after the fighting ended.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­yeah, I guess that makes sense.¡± Seth went back to his data-panels, and continued typing, ¡°In any case¡­  Mr. Gabriel said the Gate made him feel uneasy the whole time he was around it.  Right before his eyes lit-up, he said it was whispering something, and that¡¯s when he confirmed he didn¡¯t realize his affliction had activated on its own.  We used that trick later on at another site; made Mr. Gabriel use his power as an early-warning system.  If his eyes lit-up, we bailed.  It kinda worked¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not whispering right now, and my affliction is active because I did that myself.¡±

    ¡°Right.  Is there a big vortex above us?¡±

    ¡°A what?¡±

    ¡°Vortex.  Made of light.  ¡­Trying to remember exactly what he said.  I lost all my data on the escape-path back to Sargon.¡± Seth rubbed his temples as he lounged backward again, though as he looked upward in so doing, he realized the canopy would get in the way, ¡°Oh¡­  Well, if we have to step out of the gully to look anyway, might as well break for lunch or something.¡±

    Gabriel knows about the vortex¡­?  But¡­how? Kourin thought grimly, Here I thought only Tallus and I could see it, and that was only because-

    ¡°You coming?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± She blinked a few times and realized Seth had somehow gotten up and wandered off a short ways already.  Her eye-lights went off, and she turned, trying not to slip on the moss-slimy stones at the bottom of the creek-bed, ¡°Oh, sure¡­one sec.¡± Once feet were dried and boots put back on, Kourin quickly followed up and out of the little ravine via the cattle-path ¨C passing one of the Fafnir recruits who¡¯d gotten shifted in for watch-duty - and shielded her eyes as she glanced up at the early afternoon sky, ¡°No¡­nothing above here.¡±

    ¡°What about over there?¡± Seth wondered, and Kourin looked to see him pointing north¡­towards the Exclusion Zone.

    And there the vortex was ¨C faint in the daylight, but still evident ¨C slowly moving around in its slow but constant spiral, ¡°¡­No, nothing.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay.  Maybe it only showed up cuz the Gate was acting-up, then.  Mr. Gabriel didn¡¯t mention it before that.¡± Seth commented, sounding a little disappointed, ¡°Ah well¡­some answers aren¡¯t worth it, I guess.¡±

    ¡°That didn¡¯t sound ominous or anything.¡± Kourin puffed, and pulled her cowl back over her shoulders, ¡°I have to put the mask back on for a little while, by the way.¡±

    ¡°¡­If you must.¡±

    The skiff that had departed with the greenblood-rebels had returned some time later, setting-up shop as it originally intended, with passenger-seats folded into the floor paneling so other amenities could be set-up in their place.  The soldiers who¡¯d left had also returned, creating a more local security-perimeter to protect the actual site and supporting personnel, while the Fafnir kept an eye on things further afield¡­including the nosey cows, who kept trying to come back.

    ¡°Hopefully there¡¯s still something left at this point¡­¡± Seth noted, stepping up the ramp of the rear-door as he made his way over towards the tables.

    Kourin had gotten to the top of the ramp before the sound of another skiff incoming caught her attention, and she looked back to watch a purple ship land ¨C someone from the First had decided to come down, ¡°¡­What are they doing out this way?¡± She wondered aloud, that digitized, monotone-voice catching Seth¡¯s attention.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    The much-taller teen came back, looking out as well ¨C though with a half-eaten fingerling sandwich in his hand, ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡± He mumbled as he chewed.  Even weirder though was when the door opened, two Captains came out, and Lord Rylen Vor¡¯antiss himself manifested to greet them, ¡°¡­Oh.  Well, shit.¡± Seth puffed, and quickly shoved the rest of the little sandwich into his mouth before hopping down into the field again.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m telling you, if Lord Gabriel wasn¡¯t stalling, we¡¯d have had the whole Exclusion Zone mapped and detailed already.¡± Captain Gallifey was saying as he exited, ¡°There must be something he¡¯s protecting or hiding from us out there.  ¡­I think we should do something to get around him.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t disagree.¡± Rylen answered, and glanced over at the flare that marked the entry-way into the gully, ¡°Although Iresha certainly isn¡¯t helping either.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s only Emperor because you made him so, Lord Rylen.¡± Gallifey added, ¡°This territory was conquered, and it¡¯s only by your good graces that he can claim any kind of leadership over it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it was the wrong move to install him, but if only for this reason¡­then I suppose I¡¯ll figure something else out.¡± The Eidolon continued, and the trio ¨C along with Captain Torbu of the Armada ¨C started making their way towards the creek.

    Seth panicked and took off running to catch up, footsteps swishing in the tall field-grass as he rushed through to get around and ahead of them, ¡°L-Lord Rylen!  Captains!  What an¡­uh¡­unexpected surprise?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Seth, there you are.¡± The First lifted his head and looked on kindly at the teen, ¡°These two were curious about the work that¡¯s going on here, so I decided to bring them down.  Hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°No sir!¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the Myrmidon that¡¯s supposed to be here?¡± Rylen looked around, ¡°You didn¡¯t send them away again, did you?¡±

    ¡°Noooo sir, she¡¯s here!¡±

    The Eidolon turned to look towards where Seth was waving ¨C and spotted the petite Inquisitor slowly making their way towards them - then back to him, ¡°¡­You know they¡¯re a she?  Why?¡±

    Seth balked, ¡°Uhhhhh well¡­  Besides the fact that she¡¯s built like the Myrmidon-factory ran out of parts, and came up with a runt with what was left-over?  She may have also taken her mask off, for my sake¡­¡±

    As Kourin inched her way closer, Rylen was already inspecting her credentials, seeing her profile pull-up on his overlay, ¡°Mikkela Hennison, Myrmidon 1<sup>st</sup> Class.  Joined the First less than a year ago and already trusted enough to come out to one of my top-level projects.  You must be something special.¡± He said aloud, then dismissed the window, and turned those discerning eyes down towards that petite figure, ¡°Either you¡¯ve proven to be something of a Limitless prodigy, or you were volunteered because no one else was willing to come.¡±

    Seth listened carefully ¨C and not without a little curiosity.

    ¡°Probably a mix of both, Lord Rylen, sir.¡± She said as she finally arrived, and saluted, the wind carrying her cape out to the side.

    ¡°Bold.¡± He mused, then turned back towards his prot¨¦g¨¦, ¡°Anything interesting?¡±

    ¡°Yessir!¡± Seth answered eagerly, ¡°Miss Mikkela¡¯s been a huge help, honestly!  The other Gates didn¡¯t stay open long enough for me to do much more than re-discover what I already knew, and get the data stored in the Cloud, but with Miss Mikkela, I¡¯ve been able to find out a whole bunch of stuff that Mr. Gabriel once tried to help me with.¡±

    Rylen started walking ¨C and the Captains et al followed ¨C as Seth continued.

    ¡°There¡¯s a general area of effect that creates a kind of vibratory sensation to the afflicted, which can be felt whether their abilities are active or not.  This one hasn¡¯t done any of the whispering or ¡®aura of menace¡¯ like the one I investigated last year¡­so far.  It¡¯s definitely an opening though, and those new sensors you got for me are picking up some pretty neat stuff.  The energy radiating off the Gate is exactly the same as what comes out when the afflicted turn their eye-lights on.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re basically on the edge of proving that the two are connected, it sounds like.¡±

    ¡°Yessir!  The question on my mind now is why it¡¯s like that.  Why do certain people have an affliction while others don¡¯t, why does it manifest in adolescence, why does it apparently manifest more in males than females ¨C as Miss Kou-, er Miss Mikkela made clear to me earlier ¨C and why the effects come out of the eyes, rather than from the whole body, for example.¡± Seth carried on excitedly, and as they came through the brush to see the creek-bed, Seth hopped-out in front of them, arms outstretched, ¡°This is probably as close as anyone should get, to be safe.¡±

    ¡°How do you make that determination?¡± Captain Torbu wondered, and she gestured at the dome, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the barrier be enough?¡±

    ¡°The barrier is only a symbolic gesture until a Rift acts-up and we can confirm that it actually gets repelled, ma¡¯am.¡± He answered, ¡°The previous two evaporated naturally without incident, and this one has been stable since we arrived.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re still not sure what actually got it to lash-out the first time?¡± Rylen asked, keeping his distance even further than what Seth recommended.

    ¡°Unfortunately, no¡­  The only variable this whole time has been Mr. Gabriel himself.  The whole ¡®being a Prime Mover¡¯ thing is the only I can slap an asterisk on.¡±

    ¡°Prime Mover.¡± Tarrock scoffed and crossed his arms, ¡°The only Prime thing he is, is a Prime Pain in the Ass.¡±

    The fact that Rylen wasn¡¯t stopping the shit-talk was enough to set Seth¡¯s teeth on edge.

    ¡°There¡¯s so many more Rifts that open in Kitez.¡± Captain Torbu diverted, and stepped closer to Seth¡¯s personal perimeter to get a better look through the singular open part of the dome, ¡°In all our time on Hadira, other than the Calamity that brought the original fleet down, I think I can count on two hands the number of Gateways that we¡¯ve seen in our own territories.  Yet, they seem to be quite commonplace here.  I wonder why that is?¡±

    ¡°Proximity to the Exclusion Zone, is my guess.¡± Seth answered, still giving a bit of a sneaky stink-eye to the Bulwark¡¯s Captain before finally turning to the more reasonable one, ¡°Until the Emperor gives us permission to go into there, though¡­¡±

    ¡°The Emperor is just a boy.¡± Tarrock shrugged, ¡°He should only need a firm reminder of who crowned him.  We shouldn¡¯t have to wait on his permission.¡±

    ¡°Iresha isn¡¯t a child.¡± Seth finally countered directly, ¡°And he isn¡¯t some pawn you can move around.  These are his people, and it¡¯s his land¡­  The values of Sargon and Kitez were interlinked for two hundred years.  Expecting him to throw all that away because we showed up three years ago completely defeats the purpose of making him the Emperor at all.¡±

    ¡°You impudent-¡±

    Rylen held his arm out that time, ¡°That¡¯s enough.  This one is mine.¡±

    Tarrock twitched slightly, and gave a half-assed head-bow, ¡°Yessir.¡±

    ¡°Have you considered, however, that you may succeed where Lugios has failed?¡± The First wondered, lowering his arm again as he cast his attention onto the Rydell, ¡°Iresha may be more amenable if you were the one to bring it up to him.¡±

    Seth balked at the suggestion, ¡°¡­I could never take advantage of his trust like that.  He immediately said no when it only seemed like I was about to ask.¡±

    ¡°Then we wait on Lord Gabriel and his infinite wisdom.  I don¡¯t intend to let him stall for much longer.¡± Rylen said, and turned to take a step back from the site, ¡°Once the clean-up with the Ward and Guardian is done, I¡¯ll have no more distractions.  The Emperor is already trying me with his continued refusal to bring Sargon into the Accord.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­because he knows you¡¯ll use them to pressure him.¡± Seth explained warily, ¡°When Sargon joins, it loses its autonomy and identity.¡±

    ¡°In any case,¡± Rylen said impatiently, ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling to broach the subject with him even for your own sake, maybe just stick to what you¡¯re good at and leave the politicking to others.¡±

    Seth felt those words like a gut-punch, and he recoiled into himself like a kicked dog.  Tarrock just snorted a mocking half-breath at him as he and Captain Torbu turned to follow their Eidolon back out of the bramble-patch.

    She, however, paused a moment and gave some reassurance, ¡°You¡¯re doing a great job with these Rifts, kid.  The Inquisitors love the data you¡¯re bringing in, and it¡¯s going to good use.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­  Okay¡­¡±

    Captain Torbu tilted her head at him slightly, but then just pet his shoulder and went to catch-up.  Rylen paused half-way up the trail and looked back, only to dissolve his mantle right there and then.  Seth could feel the sneer creeping across his face unwillingly as he stared at Captain Gallifey¡¯s back.  The man had made steady progress up the incline and was near to the bright light of the exit through the brush when Seth made up his mind.  Boots trampled over loose stones as the teen rushed to catch up, and shoved past the older man with his stupid-looking mutton-chop beard.

    When Seth turned, he put a firm knuckle into the Captain¡¯s chest, ¡°I may just be a kid to you, but I¡¯m a son of the Rydell family and I will make your life Hell if I hear you talking shit about Mr. Gabriel again.¡±

    ¡°Oh?  You will?¡± Tarrock scoffed, and smacked the arm away as he stepped fully into the open field, ¡°Will you send your daddy after me?  Think he¡¯ll risk his own reputation as a Rydell patriarch just to protect your bruised ego?  He¡¯s already dealing with enough after your brother screwed up last year.  You have no power here.  The best you can hope to accomplish is getting Lord Rylen what he wants from your paper-Emperor friend.  Save that, maybe you should just stay in your lane, boy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Iresha to open the gates when you apologize to Mr. Gabriel for all the years of grief you¡¯ve created for him.  I know you¡¯re half the reason he was so uptight before.¡±

    ¡°Shame I can¡¯t take credit for why he¡¯s that way now.¡± He growled and pushed the teen away to get by.

    Seth could feel the swing tensing in his arms, but Captain Torbu got in his way before he could make any poor choices.  She put a finger to her lips to shush him, too, and the pair left him there on the cattle-trail to chew on his frustrations.  By the time Kourin caught back up with him, he¡¯d gone back into the gully to sulk, and stared at the Void Gate through the opening like it, too, was mocking him.

    ¡°¡­You okay?¡± She wondered as she pulled the helmet away again, ¡°There¡¯s still some food up on the ship if you¡¯re hungry.¡±

    ¡°¡­I lost my appetite.¡±

 Book II â€“ Chapter 06 â€“ Fake It Till You Make It

    Though the mood had largely soured, Seth held out another hour or so before he surrendered to his inability to focus and decided to call it a day.  Kourin closed the barrier as Seth dissolved his data-panels, and she warily approached as the bulky nanotech chair vanished as well.

    ¡°You got really quiet after Lord Rylen passed through.¡± She commented, ¡°I¡¯m kinda hesitant to ask, but¡­if we¡¯re friends¡­?¡±

    ¡°It was mostly Captain Gallifey.¡± He answered, and glanced down at her briefly before starting to head for the path out, ¡°I only really knew about him from hearsay, but I knew he and Mr. Gabriel went back a ways under less than friendly circumstances.  And he just mouthed-off about Mr. Gabriel like he isn¡¯t the Eidolon of the Fourth bloody Wing.  I almost lost my cool over it¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I kind of know him¡­not personally, but¡­by proxy.¡±

    ¡°Why does Lord Rylen keep a guy like him around anyway?¡± The teen complained, ¡°Iresha had a run-in with him last year, too¡­  The guy¡¯s been a savage dick for as long as he¡¯s been a Captain, if the rumors are anything to believe.¡±

    ¡°Every leader needs a henchman, I guess.¡± Kourin supposed, and shrugged as Seth pulled a few loose branches out of their way, ¡°He must be full of Lord Rylen¡¯s ugly secrets.  You keep a guy like him close.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Henchman¡¯ sounds right¡­  With friends like him, who needs enemies?¡± Seth sighed, and as they made their way back towards the skiffs, he paused and turned, ¡°¡­Sorry to cut things short today.  I just don¡¯t have my head in the game now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your project.  You do it at whatever pace suits you.¡± Kourin answered, almost having to crane her head back just to see him, and squinted against the bright sky, ¡°You don¡¯t owe me any apologies for anything.  I¡¯m just here as your canary.¡±

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just¡­I feel like we were making good progress, and I ruined it.¡±

    ¡°So?  We¡¯ll try again tomorrow.¡±

    He was surprised to hear it, ¡°¡­You¡¯re going to be back?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?  Why wouldn¡¯t I be?  The Rosalind isn¡¯t going to leave until the Core is retrieved.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wasn¡¯t that done today though?¡±

    ¡°Huh?  No, not after the debacle with that training exercise took three of your guys out.¡±

    Seth couldn¡¯t have been more confused, ¡°¡­What.¡± He shook his head, and shifted where he stood slightly so his shadow would rest on the short woman¡¯s face, ¡°What are you talking about?  What does that have to do with the Core?  The Inquisitors never needed the Fafnir to get Cores back.  We¡­I mean, they only secure the area because of all the old Warp energy.  Jeeze, I¡¯m talking like I¡¯m a member of the Aegis crew or something¡­¡±

    ¡°Limitless energy.¡± She corrected, ¡°The residue from Caeros¡¯ link to the fleet.  It poured through all those Magi to keep the ships tethered together for the Warp, but it lingered, permeating the metal and imbuing it with a kind of supernatural oomph that can still be harnessed to this day.  There¡¯s concern that the Core might¡¯ve leaked after the crash, given how violent it was, so the retrieval unit wanted a full contingent of Fafnir to make sure nothing like the Sterling Rose happened again.  The Core¡¯s been stable though, so priority went to the Gate¡­¡±

    Those teal eyes stared like the brain behind them glitched, ¡°¡­What.¡±

    ¡°Do you not know this stuff?¡±

    He shook his head swiftly to clear the stalled thought, ¡°Of course I do, it¡¯s just¡­I didn¡¯t expect you to know.  Like you said¡­Myrmidon only need to be afflicted, not¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Maybe I should¡¯ve said brave.¡± She offered a subtle tilt of her head and a self-depreciating smile.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it in a bad way!  I just didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have had access to the information!  I mean, Myrmidon may be a subset of the Inquisitors, but it is kind of a dumping-ground for afflicted¡­¡±

    She quirked a brow, ¡°You¡¯re not helping your case.  Or point.  Or whatever it is you¡¯re trying to do.¡±

    He could only squirm where he stood, ¡°What am I trying to say?  Oh man, I¡¯m making such a mess of this.¡± He cleared his throat, ¡°One more time¡­  I-¡°

    ¡°¡­Will see you tomorrow, Setharion Rydell.¡± Kourin finished, and lifted a hand up to knock on his forehead like he was a door.

    Seth rubbed the spot in frustration at himself, but could only watch the woman go as she put the mask and cowl back on.  He practically vibrated with panic.

    .

    ¡°¡­And after all that, I just stood there!¡± He paced back and forth as Furion watched in perplexed silence, ¡°I can¡¯t believe how stupid I got at the end!  So stupid!  She probably thinks I¡¯m a damn idiot!¡±

    ¡°¡­And you spent the whole rest of the afternoon just¡­brooding on this?¡±

    ¡°What else was I supposed to do!?¡±

    Furion looked at his brother skeptically, ¡°I don¡¯t know, review your work?  You finally got a bunch of really good experimental data.  I thought I¡¯d have to pry you from it by the time I got back.¡±

    Seth scrambled over the side-arm of his couch and grabbed his older counterpart by the shoulders, ¡°She told me you guys didn¡¯t get the Core out because there weren¡¯t enough of you to secure it!  Because no one wanted a repeat of the Sterling Rose incident!  The Sterling freaking Rose!¡±

    Furion could feel the marbles in his heat rattling from the shake, ¡°Settle down, damn.¡±

    ¡°She talked about it like she was there, Furion!¡± Seth let him go and went back to his frantic pacing, ¡°Do the Myrmidon even have access to that kind of stuff!?  She mentioned knowing what we went through to dad, but in my wildest thoughts, I would¡¯ve never believed she could¡¯ve really meant it!  She¡¯s only been in the corps for like a year, per Lord Rylen!  This is top-secret information!¡±

    ¡°¡­Maybe it¡¯s another situation like with Ren going to the Fourth.  She knew a whole bunch of top-level stuff that no Mediator trainee would¡¯ve ever dreamed of.¡±

    Seth could only kneel beside the couch after that, fingers clamped to the arm-rest as he set his forehead against it with a loud groan, ¡°¡­No, I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± He lifted up slightly and folded his elbows over the ledge instead, looking on at his brother desperately, ¡°If she tells me she knows specifically about Scyrexian, I¡¯m going to actually lose my mind.¡±

    ¡°If she knows about the Sterling Rose, she probably does.¡±

    ¡°I mean about after that.¡±

    ¡°Mh¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Seth whined, and let go, rolling down to his back instead.  As he stared at the ceiling of that small two-room cabin, he curled his fists loosely over his chest, ¡°Lord Rylen said she was a Myrmidon 1<sup>st</sup> Class¡­maybe that¡¯s just part and parcel to their rank.  He was surprised she¡¯d be on-site with her timeline, but¡­not enough so to be suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Well, there you go.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still a bit odd, I think¡­¡±

    ¡°Just follow Lord Rylen¡¯s lead on this one, Seth.  You and I don¡¯t know a thing about the Inquisitor hierarchy; their turf is like another planet.  And maybe ask for this girl¡¯s contact-sync or something.  Then you¡¯ll be able to ask her about it, if it bugs you that much.¡±

    Seth lifted his head a bit, cheeks red, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be weird?¡±

    ¡°The Emperor of Sargon can¡¯t be your only friend.¡± Furion noted, ¡°And it sounds like you two really hit it off.  What¡¯s the worst that can happen?  You actually get over your unease about their masks?¡±

    The frantic teen just dropped his head back down with a thump, ¡°¡­Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Gotta hand it to you though, Seth¡­¡± Furion moved over to that side of the couch and leaned over it, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like being here these days, but it sure is easier because you are.  Your drama is way more palatable than mine is.¡±

    .

    The next day came, and Seth had mentally prepared.  He made his way back to the Gate-site, confidently went into the gully through the bramble-bushes, and¡­immediately panicked.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the Rift!?¡± He yelped, rushing towards the spot where the whole dome-barrier ought to have been.  He couldn¡¯t comprehend why the pond was still there if the barrier had been taken down already ¨C preventing the water following its original path was the only reason the water backed-up at all in the first place ¨C but he couldn¡¯t tell anything was really unusual until he got much closer.  Boots and socks were thrown off, and pant-legs rolled up, and he waded-out into the shallow pool¡­and spotted the unmistakable sight of the barrier.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    But only beneath the water¡¯s surface.

    In fact, the ripples from his trudging through had stopped there as well, as though prevented by¡­

    ¡°Kourin!¡±

    She couldn¡¯t help but laugh, and abruptly appeared at the water¡¯s edge with a cheeky wave, ¡°Morning.¡±

    ¡°You turned the whole damn Gate invisible!?¡± Seth balked and looked back again, unable to help himself as he started paddling large gluts of dark water at where the barrier should¡¯ve been.  Sure enough, the liquid cascaded off of something there, even if it was impossible to see, ¡°This is insane!  It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s like it¡¯s not even here, but clearly is!  How are you doing this!?¡± He asked frantically, and reached both hands forward instead¡­touching the solid, unseen structure, like the most perfectly-clear glass he¡¯d ever laid eyes on, ¡°¡­Incredible¡­¡±

    ¡°The Fafnir who was here earlier probably won¡¯t think so.¡± Kourin mused, and waved her arm to dissipate the golden-glowing effect from her eyes.

    ¡°¡­Do you know who it was?¡±

    ¡°Nope.  Not one of the trainees though.  This one had real armor.¡±

    ¡°What color was it?¡±

    ¡°Blue-ish?  I guess?  He took off in a hurry.¡± She shrugged.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s probably Mr. Jense¡­maybe I can call him back before he gets you into trouble.¡± Seth commented, and was already reaching out to the man.  When he got through, he could only laugh nervously, ¡°Yeah, so, about the Gate¡­  No, it didn¡¯t close overnight.  There would¡¯ve been a report.  ¡­Yeah.  A bit of a joke, mostly at my expense.  Come back.  I¡¯ll explain when you get here.¡±

    Kourin could only snicker to herself.

    Seth just shook his head, and when the call disconnected, he turned his attention back to the mysterious affect of the invisible dome, ¡°So, seriously¡­how does it work?  I can still see the part that¡¯s under the water, but the part above it¡­¡±

    ¡°Totally honest, I¡¯m not exactly sure.¡± Kourin crossed her arms and looked up in thought, ¡°If I had to hazard a guess though, I can make it possible for photons to pass through things they¡¯d normally bounce off.  Without them, the eye has nothing to perceive, so it¡¯s as though nothing is there.¡±

    ¡°¡­That actually makes a lot of sense.  If you¡¯re being selective, that would explain why I can¡¯t see the barrier, but I can still see the water under it.  You hid the Rift, too, then?¡±

    Kourin nodded.

    ¡°And you can keep the effect going even without your eyes glowing.¡±

    Again, she nodded, ¡°Until I actively choose to stop the effect.  It kind of works like a one-way mirror, too, so if you were on the inside of the barrier, you could see like normal.  It¡¯s only from the outside that you can¡¯t.  Pretty cool, huh?¡±

    Seth gave her a coy look, ¡°Am I going to discover one day that you¡¯re a famous burglar?¡±

    ¡°I would only ever use my powers for good.¡± Kourin smiled innocently, ¡°And maybe an irresistible prank, now and then.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯ve discovered.¡±

    She grinned, ¡°What¡¯s the plan for the day, then?¡± The Myrmidon wondered, and finally released the effect on the barrier, fading it back into perception.

    Seth was enamored by the sights all over again, and found himself distracted.  When Kourin repeated herself though, he just took a step back and looked at the dome from further away, ¡°I think I want to run a few more tests¡­and then we should probably try to close it.¡±

    ¡°Alright¡­well, whenever you¡¯re ready, let me know what to do.¡±

    .

    It was as far east as one could go before the hemisphere split to be called the west again ¨C a far-off territory called Kodoku ¨C and the Eidolon of the Fourth was following a rather chatty group of Mediators through the local consulate.  All things considered, a rather dull and typical affair, but when he got an unexpected message from the First, he excused himself to dissipate and reappear somewhere else.

    That ¡®somewhere else¡¯ was in Xanarken¡¯s old paper-pusher room in Agartha, a small space that looked more like a home-office than the beating heart of the entire Fourth Wing.  It had no obvious door though, and with a gesture, the entire left wall dissolved, reshaping itself from a cozy library-nook to a woodsy terrarium, ¡°¡­Yeah, I¡¯m here now.¡± He started, and waited for the rest of the message to be given.  Gabriel¡¯s expression shifted ¨C what was normally cold, or perhaps tired indifference, was now genuinely concerned, ¡°You want me to go where¡­?  What am I supposed to do?  I don¡¯t know anything about that stuff.¡±

    ¡°Just go.  Maybe you¡¯ll surprise yourself.  And try not to give him problems.¡±

    The line was cut, and Gabriel was left standing there like he¡¯d just been told to nail his hand to a table for fun.  He shook his head, ¡°¡­He finds the strangest ways to punish me.¡± He commented quietly, and sought out a name he had put into an ¡®old contacts¡¯ bin.  He hesitated to send a notification, but knowing Rylen would be watching for how long it took him to follow-through, flicked a finger at it the name and waited.

    [Gabriel Lugios is about to manifest at your location.]

    Seth nearly had a coronary on the spot, ¡°Oh no, he¡¯s already coming.¡±

    Kourin perked her head up; her mask and cowl were on a rock quite a distance away, ¡°Damn, that¡¯s fast.  Lord Rylen doesn¡¯t mess ar-¡­oh.¡± She found her words catch in her mouth as that distinctive mantle materialized not too far away.  The short blonde hair, bangs barely long enough to frame the outside of his dull blue eyes, but with that same dark uniform with its elaborate, arcane-purple ¡®halo¡¯ behind his head and shoulders.  ¡­That¡¯s really sad to see up-close like this¡­  He¡¯s like a snake that shed his skin and emerged as a whole other creature, she thought, remembering on the time she¡¯d spotted the man at the Fafnir Memorial the year before.

    Gabriel could only look around, taking in the sight of the creek and the bramble-woods that surrounded it.  Quietly, he turned his gaze towards Seth, who was extremely nervous to see him, ¡°¡­What do you want?¡±

    ¡°H-hi¡­Mr. Gabriel¡­  Long time no talk¡­?¡± Seth stammered, and gestured back at the dome with the Rift inside, ¡°We¡¯re about to try and close it, but before we did, I was wondering¡­if you remember anything about the last time?  When you and Miss Ren came to get me.¡± He tried to explain, feeling his skin twitch as his whole body subtly shook from the nerves of it, ¡°I know it¡¯s a long-shot, since it only lasted like half a minute¡­but I figured it was worth an ask¡­¡±

    The Fourth scanned the site, but what caught his attention was¡­Kourin, trying not to be noticed without her anonymizing uniform-pieces.  For the first time in a year, his expression softened briefly, and he couldn¡¯t stop himself from quietly gasping as his eyes widened.  He had to shake his head slightly to regain his train of thought, but when he forced himself to look to Seth again, he only had one thing to say before vanishing again entirely, ¡°No.¡±

    And the space returned to how it had been before he arrived¡­along with the unimpressed looks on the faces of the entire Fafnir Wing Team who¡¯d been there getting ready for the coming procedure.

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t be the only one who¡¯s glad he didn¡¯t turn around just now, right?¡± Jense asked, leaning towards Corbin, ¡°I mean, I wasn¡¯t even there when shit went down, but even I feel like I¡¯d probably spontaneously combust if he looked my way.¡±

    Corbin could only sigh, ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like time has softened his edges.  He¡¯ll probably never forgive us for what we did.  I¡¯m surprised he came at all.¡± He agreed, and stepped forward with his helm under an arm.  He still wore his long hair in a ponytail of immaculate dreadlocks, but they¡¯d developed a subtle ¡®frosted¡¯ look to their color.  He gestured for the rest of the team to spread out around the dome, ¡°Let¡¯s get into position then.¡±  He turned to Seth, who looked like he was on the verge of tears, ¡°Try not to take it personally, kid.  There¡¯s a reason half our P.O.V. footage was locked-away after the war.  It was already bad enough for us, but he wasn¡¯t even combat-trained, so he had no way to prepare for what he saw at the end¡­  It¡¯s bound to change a man.¡±

    ¡°That was so bad¡­¡± Seth complained anyway, ¡°It¡¯s worse than if he talked to me like we¡¯d never met¡­  It just sounds like he actually hates me¡­¡±

    ¡°I doubt it.  You¡¯re probably just¡­an unpleasant reminder of better times.¡± Corbin answered, and pet the teen¡¯s head reassuringly.  With that done though, he saw that the team was in place, and he bent down to get Seth¡¯s focus, ¡°Time to step behind the barricade.¡±

    He snuffled, but nodded, and turned to head towards the cattle-trail.  When he got to the bottom of it, he stopped and turned around, and looked nervously towards Kourin, ¡°If you want to stop at any time, just stop!¡± He hollered.

    ¡°Okay!¡± She called back, and got a nod from the Wing Commander to begin.

    Cautiously, Kourin stepped up as close as she could to the opening without having to wade into the creek again.  The Void Gate hadn¡¯t done anything except exist that whole time, and though even she didn¡¯t know what to expect once she actually started interacting with it¡­she could only hope for the best.

    This is what I¡¯ve been waiting for¡­ She thought, This is what we infiltrated the Council to find¡­

    With a deep breath, she activated her affliction, and she narrowed her focus.  The Fafnir all stood ready, each with a plasma-blade of some kind.  Golden miasma poured from the woman¡¯s eyes, wafting out in long tendrils, like path-seeking streams of water on drought-ravaged land.  The paths led in through the narrow opening in the barrier, and hovered trepidatiously around the Rift.

    Seth was as anxious as any of them, though still reeling from the earlier gut-punch, his frayed nerves were oiled by dreaded memory.  Every second that ticked by, he feared the Gate would writhe and thrash, sending out its terrible groping fingers to find for whoever it could grab¡­and the whole sordid tale of Ianori would play-out all over again.  When the edges of the Gate started to spark with gold though, Seth took a shocked step forward.

    Kourin looked to be in total control, hands gently forward as if in offering, palms up.  She bowed her head, and let her affliction make physical contact with Gate.  One hand came back to her chest though and she swallowed a worried knot in her throat as she heard that ominous voice¡­

    It¡¯s you again, girl.

    Eyes widened as Kourin lifted her head, You¡¯ve been missing.  We had nearly given up hope when we heard you¡¯d been incinerated¡­  The whispers echoed all around her, pressing from every side, like bodies in a crowd, oppressive in their disregard.  She waved her hand around herself though to force them to give her space, What do we need to do to get you back onto this side?  You still have your part of the bargain to carry-out.

    The Gate seemed to laugh at her ¨C a deep, sickening, mocking laugh, like one of a great dragon sitting at the bottom of an abyss ¨C and penetrative black-red ichor started to trail up into Kourin¡¯s golden light, I need a host, of course.  Someone worthy of the Prime Mover¡¯s attention.

    Kourin could feel the infiltration though, and she took a step back, I told you once before that you don¡¯t touch me!

    Then bring to me the boy, it snarled instead, He shares the next-strongest bond.

    You¡­mean Seth? She wondered reluctantly, and looked back over a shoulder at him, seeing that mesmerized expression as he watched everything¡­oblivious to the undercurrent.  No¡­  I¡¯ve seen what happens to the people you take as hosts¡­  You were a liar when you said you gave them back in the same condition you took them in!  Seth doesn¡¯t deserve that¡­!

    You¡¯re obstinate, child¡­  Were it not for these pests, no harm would have ever come to those vessels, Scyrexian¡¯s voice boomed in Kourin¡¯s mind, and she could feel the loathing aura that surrounded the Fafnir, who in turn were just waiting for an excuse, If you¡¯ll do nothing to make it easier for my return here to carry out your request, then you must find and liberate my existing form.

    Your¡­existing form?  You have another somewhere?

    She is blind, deaf, and lost¡­but somewhere, Scyrexian answered, and into Kourin¡¯s mind¡¯s-eye, it forced the terrible imagery of a wretched, four-winged beast, howling in a monstrous rage.

    Something about the imagery gave Kourin the feeling of being chained and in terrible pain ¨C her arms felt heavy at her sides, and her eyes felt like they¡¯d burst in her own skull.  She shook her head to rid herself of the feeling, Where can I find it?  Where is this vessel¡­?

    Trapped in a void; I know not where; seek her, set her free, and I will come¡­as we agreed.

    There was nothing for it; unwilling to give Seth to be a lamb of sacrifice, and refusing to allow the entity into her own body, Kourin settled into her new task, and stood resolutely at that creek-shore.  Alright¡­  She lifted her arms out, and as she closed her eyes, simply clasped her hands together.

    Kourin opened her eyes; the golden glow was gone, and so was the Void Scar.

 Book II â€“ Chapter 07 â€“ From Headache to Heartbreak

    Book II ¨C Chapter 07 ¨C From Heartache to Heartbreak

    Kourin was nearly as surprised as Seth was when she realized the Gate was gone, and she unclasped her hands in confusion, ¡°¡­That actually worked?¡±

    ¡°That was amaaaazzinnngggg!¡± Seth shrieked, and came rushing back. He quite literally snatched her off the ground with an excited hug, and swung her around before pausing, ¡°How did you do that!? It looked like you¡¯d done it a hundred times!¡±

    Her eyes spun in her head, and she found herself chest-to-chest with the Rydell, arms pinned to her sides and feet dangling off the ground, ¡°I¡­uh¡­ I dunno, I just¡­turned it off?¡±

    The Fafnir were perplexed, but no matter what angle they looked at the barrier from, they couldn¡¯t see the Gate within. Corbin reached forward and twisted his hand in a clockwise rotation, releasing the dome entirely. The Gate was, indeed, gone, and all the pooling pond-water suddenly rushed back to its normal course.

    Seth finally put Kourin down, and looked at that now-vacant air again, a hand scratching the back of his head, ¡°Honestly, whatever happened¡­I can hardly believe that actually worked.¡± He turned to the petite Myrmidon again, ¡°It seriously looked like you knew exactly what you were doing. What¡­did you do?¡±

    Kourin straightened her uniform out, but then shrugged helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain to someone who isn¡¯t afflicted¡­ The energy flows like running water, and if you just imagine the faucet turning off, it stops. When I connected to the Gate¡­it just¡­sort of felt like it was a part of me, so when I shut off the flow, the Gate went with it.¡±

    ¡°This is really great news.¡± The Rydell continued, still flummoxed by what he¡¯d seen, even while wildly impressed, ¡°Now if only I can convince Lord Rylen to let the afflicted learn how to do what you just did¡­we¡¯ll never have to worry about Scyrexian ever again.¡± He said ¨C and rather deliberately ¨C then glanced back curiously to see if the woman reacted.

    ¡°Yeah, maybe.¡±

    He narrowed his eyes curiously, ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Heh?¡±

    ¡°Were you even listening just now?¡± Seth could feel his whole frame sag a little in prepared disappointment.

    ¡°¡­Oh, maybe I got a little distracted. I figured we were done.¡±

    ¡°¡­We don¡¯t¡­have to be?¡± He said awkwardly, ¡°I mean, the Rift is gone, obviously, but¡­maybe we could¡­exchange contacts? So I can follow-up with you.¡±

    Kourin paused slightly, like she wasn¡¯t sure what he¡¯d just asked, ¡°¡­So¡­you can follow-up with me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah? Why not?

    She could only give a tiny scoff of a laugh, ¡°If you want my sync, you can just ask. No need to try and make work-excuses for it.¡±

    Seth could feel his face turn red, ¡°Y-yeah¡­no need¡­¡± He stammered, watching the petite Myrmidon head back to where she¡¯d piled her things earlier. Confused, he followed after her, ¡°So¡­can I¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, lemee just get my helmet so I can answer.¡± She explained, and lifted the thing up over her head. She made a few gestures, and then waggled her hand behind herself, trying to keep the image of the mask facing the other way, ¡°Okay, ready.¡±

    ¡°¡­What was all that for? Don¡¯t you have implants?¡±

    ¡°Huh? No, why?¡±

    Seth stared at her with a shiver as she turned around to presumably gawk at him like it was a stupid question, but could only focus on the unsightly visage. Kourin just grabbed the cloak and threw the whole thing over her head, standing there like a theme-park ghost ¨C still with her hand out ¨C and Seth felt extremely silly, ¡°¡­Now you¡¯re just making fun of me.¡± He sighed as he reached to finally accept the gesture, and bumped her fingers with his own. Immediately, he saw ¡®Mikkela Hennison¡¯ pop up in his contact list, before the notice vanished into the side-bar.

    ¡°Not trying; I just don¡¯t bring my glasses with me when I¡¯ve got my helmet.¡± She explained, and when she saw the same notice with Seth¡¯s name on her own overlay, she pulled the whole thing off again, and reached up to straighten her hair out, ¡°So, what¡¯s your plan now that the Rift is gone?¡±

    ¡°Compile all the data I collected and refer it back to the Inquisitors.¡± He answered, and turned back to where the Gate used to be, spying all the Fafnir taking the equipment down so those aforementioned Inquisitors could come collect it easier, ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure what they¡¯re doing with it, but Captain Torbus said it¡¯s going to good use, so¡­¡± He looked back to Kourin, ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m off to the Ward to be their canary while they extract the Core from the rubble.¡± She explained, ¡°Now that all the Fafnir are available, there won¡¯t be any more delays.¡±

    ¡°Oh! You can meet my brother there!¡± Seth said enthusiastically, ¡°Then you¡¯ll have met the whole set.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Fraid I can¡¯t.¡± She answered, much to his chagrin, ¡°Once I leave this little bramble-bubble, I¡¯ll have to go back to being anonymous. No exceptions to be made out in the wild. I probably should¡¯ve had my mask back on when Lord Gabriel came by earlier anyway¡­I may get in trouble for that one, especially since a whole group of Fafnir were here, too¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll put in a good word for you. It¡¯s my fault you took it off in the first place.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s sweet.¡± She said as she stepped closer, and reached a free hand to press to his forearm, ¡°But you really shouldn¡¯t stick your neck out for people you barely know.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about whether I know you that well¡­it¡¯s about paying you back for all the help you gave. You were more of a collaborator than a canary here these last two days, and you proved that the afflicted can close Void Rifts on purpose. ¡­I can¡¯t help but wonder how different things would be right now if Mr. Gabriel knew he could¡¯ve just¡­done that.¡±

    Kourin paused in her reassembly, and peeked out from the bottom of the helmet briefly, seeing that anemic smile. She practically hid in the mask after that, I¡¯m sure a lot of things would¡¯ve been different if we just knew a little bit more back then¡­

    ¡°Guess this is goodbye for now then.¡± Seth diverted, and made himself look at that uncanny valley face, ¡°Thanks again for all your help.¡±

    ¡°The pleasure was mine, Setharion Rydell.¡± She answered, and bowed her head before turning to head back to the cattle-path.

    .

    Fully releasing and extracting the Ward¡¯s Core only took a few hours once Kourin was on-site, and every single Fafnir in the squad was there on stand-by in case anything happened. Granted, only the five fully-fledged warriors were actually anywhere near the thing; the trainees watched carefully from a distance.

    Kourin stayed somewhat-close to the massive sphere as it lifted from its anchors, standing precariously at the open door of a skiff as it hovered to supervise. She couldn¡¯t help but look on those five Knights, a worried expression hidden under the mask, I never thought I¡¯d feel bad for setting Scyrexian free to come after them¡­ It was just a means to an end back then¡­ Seth would never forgive me if he knew I was involved in that though.

    Even once she¡¯d gotten back to her room aboard the Rosalind, she couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. Cowl and mask came away as she shuffled inside ¨C it wasn¡¯t much of a room; more like a large walk-in closet with room enough for a cot and a detached closet ¨C but at least she didn¡¯t have to share it.

    Perks of being afflicted, I guess¡­

    She rolled onto the cot, nudging her boots off as she lifted her legs up off the ground, and just laid there for a while, staring at the barren ceiling. She only noticed she¡¯d dozed-off when the sound of a knock at her door roused her again, and she sat up with bleary, half-open eyes, ¡°¡­Who in the world¡­?¡±

    The knock came again, and Kourin grabbed her boots before heading towards it.

    She was absolutely not expecting to find the Eidolon of the Fourth Wing standing outside, and she yelped and retreated to the ¡®far¡¯ wall in terror, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I took my mask off for Seth¡¯s sake, but I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    Gabriel looked at her in confusion, but took the retreat as enough of a welcome that he stepped just inside and let the door close behind him, ¡°Relax, you¡¯re not in trouble. Not with me, anyway¡­Kourin.¡±

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Heehh!?¡± She could feel her heart in her throat, ¡°Y-you¡¯ve got the wrong person, using that name! I¡¯m Mikkela!¡±

    ¡°A year ago, you and I stood before a demon and plotted to sacrifice Gabriel Lugios to it in exchange for a favor.¡± The Fourth explained, ¡°And now I stand before you, forced to wear Gabriel¡¯s face as punishment for my hubris.¡±

    Kourin¡¯s heart pounded so hard in her chest, she could feel the blood rushing in her ears, but when she finally caught her breath and understood the words that had been spoken, her fear suddenly changed to dread relief. The swirl of joy and heartbreak and confusion at least got her to peel herself off the wall, but when ¡®Gabriel¡¯ crouched down on his knees and bent his head down in shame, she just burst into tears and rushed for him.

    Unlike in Kitez in the past, where limited nanotech meant mantles were paper thin shells, the ones manufactured by the World Cloud actually had some substance, so when Kourin bolted for him, ¡®Gabriel¡¯ didn¡¯t just burst into dust and collapse. Thin arms wrapped around his shoulders and Kourin sobbed against him, and ¡®Gabriel¡¯ could only hug her back, ¡°¡­I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±

    Relief switched over to anger rather quickly though, and Kourin pulled back, hands tight on those same shoulders, ¡°You left us! You just disappeared! How dare you come back now!¡±

    Blue eyes blinked at her, ¡°I swear, I didn¡¯t mean for it to happen like this¡­ It would take a week to explain everything that¡¯s happened, I hardly know where to start¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, you better figure it out, and fast! I¡¯m so mad at you! We all thought you were dead!¡±

    The Fourth just shook his head, ¡°¡­I am dead¡­ This world will never know the face of Xanarken Tellan ever again.¡±

    Kourin could only collapse to her own knees before the mantle, and crossed her arms as she hiccupped her breaths, ¡°You have to tell me what happened¡­¡± She snuffled, and reached up to rub her eyes bitterly, ¡°Everything was already ruined, and now¡­¡±

    ¡°Kourin¡­¡± He sighed, ¡°When you helped Scyrexianori get out of Laurier¡¯s lab, it left Prince Aamin behind with some kind of twisted infection. I¡¯m certain we both thought that Aamin would be fatally attacked, so when the Duchess packed him up and sent him back to Trazad for that exchange¡­ He got in the way¡­ I was trying to get Scyren to take Gabriel, and Aamin attacked me¡­¡±

    ¡°So, that pillar of light¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Was the reaction of whatever Scyrexian had turned Aamin into, and my mantle, coming together. The feedback¡­it corrupted my entire profile¡­ It was fried so badly that Arbelos tried to redirect me to the second network he realized I was connected to¡­and they reforged me with¡­my other mantle.¡±

    Kourin¡¯s tearful eyes widened, ¡°You¡¯re not¡­ They couldn¡¯t have¡­ They manifested you as Latheroux¡­?¡±

    ¡®Gabriel¡¯ nodded grimly, remembering all too well the mortified look on Rylen¡¯s face when the man saw it. He reached up to his throat, ¡°Rylen tried to strangle me to death over it. Can¡¯t blame him, I guess¡­ But right as I was about to lose consciousness, he stopped. I don¡¯t really understand it still, but¡­he stopped¡­ He put me on ice instead, probably to think over how he actually wanted to punish me for what I¡¯d done, and when I woke up¡­the war with Kitez was over, and Rylen was telling me that Gabriel was gone. To save face, he forced me to replace Gabe as the Fourth ¨C we couldn¡¯t lose two Eidolon; it¡¯s unthinkable - and I¡¯ve been stuck like this ever since. My leash is so short, Kourin¡­ I didn¡¯t know how I¡¯d ever be able to contact you guys again. What in the world are you doing in the First!? Rylen will kill you on sight if he finds you¡­¡±

    She shook her head, and snuffled again, ¡°He hasn¡¯t seen my face in over 300 years¡­he couldn¡¯t possibly remember what I look like anymore. But we had to do something¡­ We were so close to getting Scyrexian to take Gabriel and get back to the Wanderer¡­! We could taste how close we were to leaving Hadira! Tallus was so certain, if we infiltrated the Council, we¡¯d eventually find a way to track down a Void Rift and get Scyrexian back so we could try again¡­ Xanarken, I love you, but¡­this revelation about you really complicates things¡­¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± He bent down far enough to set his elbows onto his legs, and lowered his head, ¡°Without the real Gabriel¡­what would Scyrexian even do¡­?¡±

    Kourin rubbed her nose on her sleeve and tried to calm herself down, taking a few long, deliberate breaths, then tried again, ¡°¡­I was able to commune with Scyrexian¡­earlier today, actually¡­¡±

    ¡®Gabriel¡¯ lifted his head in confusion, ¡°The Gate that I saw you at with Seth¡­?¡±

    She nodded, ¡°It said that it still has a host in this world somewhere. I don¡¯t even know where to begin looking for it, but-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Scyren, now.¡± He clarified, ¡°It¡­took Ren completely, in the end. Rylen¡¯s kept her locked-away at some only-he-knows-where facility, out of sight and memory, using her to test all the new weapons and shield-systems that the Inquisitors are creating.¡±

    Kourin could only tilt her head, baffled, ¡°¡­What do you mean, kept her? We all saw the Fafnir Memorial¡­we all saw her urn get put into the wall¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just an empty jar.¡± ¡®Gabriel¡¯ answered grimly, ¡°He kept her. The S.D. Helmet worked too well at keeping Scyrexian under control, so he didn¡¯t want to give up the opportunity to figure out how to protect the Fafnir against its power.¡±

    ¡°¡­So that¡¯s what it showed me¡­the four-winged creature; chained¡­blind, deaf, and lost¡­ It¡¯s Ren¡­stuck in sensory-deprivation¡­ How would I even go about finding her now¡­? What would I even do if I found her? Without Gabriel¡­¡±

    ¡°We never found a body.¡± The Fourth noted, ¡°We know he threw himself out of a ship¡¯s hangar on the way back to Agartha, but¡­Rylen personally scoured that land for days and never found so much as a hair. It¡¯s like Gabe just ceased to exi-¡± He stopped suddenly and quickly rose up to his feet, offering his hands down, ¡°Shit¡­Rylen¡¯s calling me back. I can¡¯t stay. If anyone can find Scyren, it¡¯s Seth. Find a way to get him to help you!¡±

    Kourin let the Eidolon pull her up, ¡°Xanarken!¡±

    The Fourth vanished without another word, and Kourin was left alone in that room with only her racing heart to keep her company. She took those few steps back to her cot, and dropped down to sit on it, eyes wide in her overwhelmed silence.

    ¡®Gabriel¡¯ manifested in Rylen¡¯s chosen office, feeling his own heart pounding even through the distance between mantle and body. The First¡¯s angry stare didn¡¯t bode well, ¡­Shit, was he listening? Did I just sentence Kourin to death¡­?

    ¡°What do you mean, no?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Rylen took a step forward and gestured at all the nanotech panels that opened around him, ¡°Report; Lord Gabriel was summoned to help answer some questions for Sir Setharion Rydell, but he refused, and left again. Report; Lord Gabriel declined to assist Sir Setharion Rydell about the Void Gate. I¡¯ve got a bunch of identical messages from the Fafnir from their post-mission debrief, all saying you literally showed up, did everything short of kicking Seth in the knees and spitting on him, only to leave again!¡±

    The Fourth balked slightly, his whole train of terror derailed. He blinked hard a few times to figure out what was even going on, ¡°¡­I told you before I even went there, that I had no clue about anything Seth might ask me. I wasn¡¯t there. I¡¯m not afflicted.¡±

    ¡°Surely Lugios told you something about what he experienced? Anything at all that might help.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to make things worse by leading that kid on. Even if I had a crumb of insight about what Gabe experienced back then, there¡¯d be no point saying so because I¡¯d end up saying I don¡¯t know to absolutely every follow-up question anyway.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re answer then was just no and further alienate Seth from someone he once thought was his friend.¡±

    ¡®Gabriel¡¯ could only leer, ¡°You¡¯re one to talk about building and maintaining relationships, Rylen.¡±

    That only earned the Fourth a shock so severe that it put his mantle on his knees.

    Rylen didn¡¯t even blink, and just started walking slowly as ¡®Gabriel¡¯ cringed from the pain, ¡°Were it not for the fact that Lugios threw himself out the back of a skiff when he was hours away from getting put into the Eidolon System¡­neither of us would be trapped in this Purgatory you¡¯ve invented for us.¡± He started, fingers pressed to his temples in frustration. After a moment, he just lashed out at the Fourth again, ¡°I didn¡¯t give Iresha the ¡®Keys to the Kingdom¡¯ just so you and he could continue to cause me problems in Kitez! I knew that you¡¯d be back to your old schemes the minute you made us restore the barrier-protocol around the Exclusion Zone. But all of these damned Void Rifts are opening all of a sudden, and you¡¯re not only denying me the ability to find the root of the problem, you¡¯re actively hindering the investigation into figuring out how the Hell Scyrexian got here! It destroyed the Fafnir Knights, Xanarken! Doesn¡¯t that mean anything to you!?¡±

    The Fourth writhed, and held himself up with one hand on the floor, ¡°You don¡¯t¡­get to call me that anymore¡­ You¡­declared to the whole world that I was dead¡­ Swore the others to silence¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll call you whatever I damn-well like.¡± Rylen snarled, ¡°It¡¯s barely the tip of what I¡¯m entitled to do after you lied to my face for 22 years. You stood at my side and spoke out both sides of your mouth, swearing you were doing everything you could to get Kitez to join the Accord, only to be plotting as Latheroux to keep Kitez out. I thought we were brothers! I thought we told each other everything!¡± He barked, only to go from infuriated to devastated all over again, ¡°If you wanted to do something about Kitez from within, I would¡¯ve helped you! But¡­you just lied¡­ You created a whole new identity to stab me in the back with, and you lied¡­ I can¡¯t even begin to comprehend the innumerable little betrayals you fostered in order to keep things the way they were¡­ And all I can think of to explain it, is that you were doing this specifically against me.¡±

    ¡°I never¡­wanted to lie to you. ...I was¡­trying to protect you¡­¡± The Fourth said between ragged breaths, his real body starting to bleed from the nose, the migraine hurting more intensely with every word. It was painful enough that both man and mantle reached up to clutch at his head.

    ¡°Protect me?¡± Rylen scoffed, ¡°From what?¡±

    ¡°¡­I c-can¡¯t¡­tell you¡­¡± ¡®Gabriel¡¯ collapsed forward, actually crying out from the agony.

    ¡°Oh, get up¡­I didn¡¯t shock you that strongly.¡± The First snapped.

    ¡°I¡­swore¡­¡±

    Rylen got down on a knee by the Fourth, both hands up in frustrated rage, ¡°You swore!? Swore to who? You¡¯re an Eidolon! People swear to YOU!¡±

    ¡®Gabriel¡¯ could no longer speak though; the migraine was so severe that the erratic heart-rate drew Etienne to the pod-room. Xanarken¡¯s pod was locked though, and she could only look on in helpless sorrow as the support-fluid became more tinted with the red color. Nose, eyes, and ears were bleeding by then, and she messaged out to the First, ¡°Whatever you¡¯re doing to him, please stop¡­ He can¡¯t take it anymore! You¡¯re killing him!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything to him.¡± Rylen snapped back, ¡°Unless confronting a traitor with his own crimes is suddenly so wrong.¡± He pushed back up to stand normally, and calmly folded his hands together behind his back, ¡°Keep your secrets, then. Whatever it takes, you¡¯re going to get Iresha to let us into the Exclusion Zone. I will find this font of power that feeds the potency of the afflicted who go there, and end the tyranny of these Void Gates as well. I¡¯m not losing one more soldier to this. ¡­And if it turns out that this is what you swore to protect me from, then I can¡¯t wait to revel in watching it all come crashing down around you as I march in. It¡¯s the least you deserve for what you¡¯ve done. Now, get out of my sight¡­¡± He growled, and waved his hand to break the mantle apart, leaving it as quickly-fading dust on the floor of the room.

    He went back over towards his wide desk, and set his hands on its top. His whole body trembled, and he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, I¡¯ll never forgive you, Xanarken¡­ Never¡­

 Book II â€“ Chapter 08 â€“ One Manâ€™s Headliner Is Another Manâ€™s Ruin

    Kourin had to shove half the cot into the air before she was able to find the little clamshell-shaped device she¡¯d hidden between the mattress and the base.  It jingled with the ring of a charm-laden chain ¨C brass paw-prints, mostly ¨C and she flipped it open.  Checking back at the door one last time, she let the cot fall back into place and scrambled to sit on top of it as she dialed-out a number.  The little phone made a few beeps before someone on the other end finally picked up, and Kourin sat fully upright, ¡°Tallus, you are NOT going to believe what just happened!¡±

    Far off in Gesh¡¯ko, a mid-level Mediator had his hand on the inside of a single-person bathroom door.  Like Kourin, he had a little clamshell phone up to his ear, and he listened carefully as she regaled to him the entire story.  By the time she was done, Tallus was leaning against the panel, phone pinned between shoulder and ear, fingers pinched to the bridge of his nose.

    ¡°¡­Well?¡± She asked impatiently.

    ¡°Well, shit.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s it?  Xanarken is alive and¡­you¡¯re upset?¡±

    ¡°Xanarken may have stepped into Gabriel¡¯s mantle, but he can¡¯t step into his role.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair¡­  You¡¯re so ungrateful.  He gave up everything for our sakes.¡±

    ¡°And he¡¯s just become the reason why we don¡¯t have a Prime Mover anymore.  The whole last year of work¡­it all just went up in smoke.¡± Tallus grumbled quietly, ¡°There¡¯s not even any point in tracking Scyren down if we don¡¯t have Gabriel, too.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll find him¡­  Xanarken said they never found a body¡­  Scyren might even be able to-¡±

    ¡°Be able to what?  Track down a dead guy?  Scyrexian had to set-up that whole crazy scheme last year to try and draw Lugios to it by luring that Fafnir girl he knew into its clutches.  And in the whole time since then, he hasn¡¯t turned up anywhere.  He¡¯s so perfectly gone that none of us had any idea.  Xanarken was already swapped-in before Phex even finished putting together profiles for us.¡± He complained, and banged the back of his head against the door in frustration.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d be happier about it¡­  He¡¯s done so much for us; stuck his neck out for us¡­¡±

    Tallus just looked at the phone irritably and shook his head before putting it back to his ear, ¡°I don¡¯t consider it help when I¡¯m the one who put the idea in his head.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then what am I supposed to do?  If you think it¡¯s all pointless now.¡±

    He rubbed his face as he thought, ¡°¡­Just¡­nothing.  Never mind.¡± He answered, and closed the device with a disgruntled sigh.

    Kourin just looked at the ¡®Call ended¡¯ text on her own side, ¡°Wow!  Rude!¡± She mumbled, staring at the device for a little while as she thought about what else she could do.  With an idea, she found another contact in the list, and put the phone to her ear as it dialed-out again.  Beeeep¡­  Beeeeeeep¡­  Click, ¡°¡­Phex!  You won¡¯t believe what just happened!¡±

    .

    With no other Void Scars to tinker with, and the Aegis off towards the Guardian¡¯s crash-site, Seth could only head back to Agartha.  It was a bittersweet farewell, with all five veteran Fafnir in the hangar to offer their goodbyes.

    ¡°Wish you¡¯d stay a little longer, but I understand why you¡¯d want to go¡­¡± Ravan said first, threading her arms over the teen¡¯s shoulders, ¡°Also, how dare you get so tall all of a sudden.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure not to do it again.¡± He teased, and gave a hug back.

    Jense and Corbin scuffled with him like a couple of teenagers, but then passed him along to this father, and Lequerion gave him a breath-extinguishing tight hug.

    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too, dad.¡± Seth squeaked, and finally felt his feet set back down on the hangar floor.  He caught his breath, and Lequerion smacked him on the back for good measure, nearly knocking him over in so doing.

    ¡°The Aegis is a lonelier place without you on it, kiddo.¡± He commented, and crossed his arms with a fatherly smirk, ¡°The College at Agartha is lucky to have you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, dad.¡± The anxious teen answered, and turned finally to his brother.  He gave a sad smile and stepped into a hug, ¡°Don¡¯t tell dad, but I¡¯ll probably miss you the most.¡±

    Lequerion snorted, ¡°Betrayed by my own son¡­¡±

    Furion puffed, ¡°I won¡¯t tell him anything.  Don¡¯t be a stranger on comms either.  And call me if you end up talking to that girl again.¡±

    The rest of the Fafnir team suddenly burst out into teasing coos, making Seth¡¯s face go so red, he was like to float away like some unseemly Rydell-shaped balloon.  He could only shriek and run as they chased him with insistent questions, fleeing into the skiff that was going to take him back to the big city.

    ¡°You don¡¯t mean that Myrmidon girl, do you?¡± Lequerion wondered, watching the whole scene with amusement, ¡°That would be a terrible irony.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± Furion wondered.

    ¡°Kid who¡¯s terrified of the Inquisitors ends up dating one?¡± The elder clarified.

    ¡°Oh¡­yeah, I thought the same thing about the masks.  I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that serious though.¡±

    ¡°Is that a smile?¡± Lequerion teased, nudging his eldest with an elbow, which only got his arm a dismissive swat, ¡°By the Eidolon, it is!  That¡¯s the first time your face has done that since last year.  Was starting to think you¡¯d forgotten how.¡±

    It faded quickly, and Furion went back to his typical half-sad neutral look, ¡°Hasn¡¯t been much to smile about.¡±

    ¡°Ren wouldn¡¯t want you to languish forever on her account.¡± The older man noted, ¡°How long do you think you should have to punish yourself for what happened?¡±

    Furion shook his head, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know that I¡¯ll ever atone for what I did.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re always so ominous when that comes up, yet you¡¯ve never deigned to tell me what that even was.¡±

    ¡°And hopefully I never have to.¡± He answered, and stepped away as the skiff lifted up to take his brother off the Aegis, ¡°We should make our way to the Guardian crash-site.  I¡¯m sure they¡¯re all itching to get their Core out, too.¡±

    ¡°Hmph¡­ Yessir, Captain.¡±

    Seth kept half an eye out the skiff¡¯s furthest-back windows as the Aegis came into view, more and more of it visible as he got further and further away.  He felt sad for wanting to leave, but at the same time ¨C and it only made him feel worse for thinking so ¨C relieved.  It wasn¡¯t long before the Rosalind came into his sights, too, and for that, he could only sulk.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    With a bunch of other people aboard, and it being rather antisocial to inflict one¡¯s private, wordy conversations onto others in public ¨C especially a crowd that could be called a captive audience ¨C he didn¡¯t want to just call Kourin right then.  Instead, he supposed he¡¯d send a text-based message, and hope she¡¯d answer.

    [Hey!  I¡¯m heading back to Agartha.  I¡¯ll be free for a few hours for the flight, but if you¡¯re busy, then I guess I¡¯ll talk to you later! -Seth]

    He hesitated to hit send for a few seconds, rereading the words multiple times in case he could think of anything better.  With a whine of worry, he sent it, and waited with baited breath for any kind of response.  The Rosalind disappeared into the nighttime darkness, visible only by its lights, until they too vanished into a background of stars.

    And he waited.

    And waited.

    For nearly an hour, he waited, worried that she wouldn¡¯t answer at all¡­until he was on the verge of dozing-off for the journey, and he got a badoop in his ears.  He was up so quickly, he nearly fell out of his seat, and looked to spy the little [New Message from Mikkela Hennison] pop-up on the bottom right of his overlay.

    [You don¡¯t have to sign your name lol, the message already says who it¡¯s coming from]

    Seth felt all the blood leave his face, ¡°¡­Oh.  Right.¡± He stammered, and reloaded a nanotech keyboard over his lap, [haha yea sorry]

    [So you¡¯re not staying for the other core?]

    [Nah, that¡¯s Fafnir work.  I¡¯m heading back to the college to process all the info we collected]

    Kourin made a face as she looked through her thin glasses, a nanotech keyboard over her own lap as she sat up on her cot.  She still had her clamshell phone open and pressed to one shoulder, and she heard a voice.  She switched shoulders and wrote a reply as she spoke, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s Seth.  He¡¯s leaving already.¡±

    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t he supposed to be the Commander¡¯s new apprentice or something?¡± Phexides wondered, ¡°He might be able to help us.¡±

    She could only sigh, ¡°I don¡¯t want to drag him into this though.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because Scyren used to be a good friend of his.  If she¡¯s as bad-off as that vision I had implied¡­he¡¯d probably be traumatized for life to see her that way.  On top of the fact that she died¡­¡± She answered, ¡°He¡¯s a sweet kid.  I couldn¡¯t do that to him.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Rin, he doesn¡¯t have to help you spring Scyren directly from the pokey.  He just has to help you find where the Commander might be hiding her.  He doesn¡¯t even have to know what he¡¯s looking for.¡± Phexides explained, hiding in a supply closet with both hands on his own phone, covering the mic to hide his voice as well as he could, ¡°But, like Xanarken told you, if anyone¡¯s gonna be able to find out where those black-sites are¡­¡±

    Kourin pursed her lips contemplatively, ¡°¡­Maybe.  What about you?  Why can¡¯t you do it?¡±

    ¡°Accessing common personnel files and making-up profiles is not the same as hacking into a classified First Wing database.  It¡¯s completely walled-off from other networks, like it has its own Cloud-system, and there¡¯s no bridge.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I can¡¯t stay here.  Someone¡¯s bound to start snooping if I don¡¯t get back to my station.¡±

    ¡°Alright¡­  Well, thanks for being slightly more enthusiastic about my call than Tallus was.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure.  Bye, ¡®Rin.¡±

    ¡°Bye¡­¡± She said quietly, and reached up to clamp the shell-case closed again.  Dropping it to the sheets, she stared at the messages on her overlay, and leaned back against the wall with a sigh.  Eyes went up, and she closed them with a worried look, I really don¡¯t want to involve him with this¡­  His life has barely started, and it would be over if he got caught helping us¡­  I have to try to find the sites on my own¡­

    [It sounds like you¡¯re trying to get offline though, so I¡¯ll probably just let you be.] Seth had written earlier, [Glad I caught you though]

    [Sorry I can¡¯t stay up later,] She replied, [Core-extraction will start first thing in the morning.]

    [It¡¯s okay.  It¡¯s important.] Seth wrote, feeling the disappointment in his fingertips, [When do you get some time off?  Maybe we can hang out or something. ¡­Not related to work at all!] He sent, only to scold himself, ¡°Ah, you stupid idiot, that sounds pathetic!¡±

    Kourin smiled anyway, ¡°Damn¡­you big dummy, you¡¯re gonna make it harder to avoid asking for your help if you keep making yourself available like this.  Like a carrot on a stick¡­¡±  She shook her head and wrote, [Every 10 days I get 4 off.  So¡­this weekend.]

    [Wow!  That¡¯s so soon!  I could probably make that work though¡­]

    [Don¡¯t let me get in the way of the work you¡¯re doing for Lord Rylen.  You might be on the verge of some big discovery, so don¡¯t get distracted.]

    Seth could only read the message on repeat, cheeks pink.

    [Night Seth]

    He panicked and speed-typed, [Nihhtt!]

    [Mikkela Hennison has gone Offline]

    Seth stared vacantly at his atrocious typing skills, ¡°Ni-he-he-tit!?  That¡¯s what I wrote!?¡±  Both hands went up to his face in embarrassment, and other passengers stared at him in confusion.

    The typo haunted him for days.  Getting unloaded in Agartha, getting to the College, every night in his dorm, back in the lab ¨C he felt like he was just spawning into locations like the player character in some video game, and was barely going through the motions.  Other researchers ¨C mostly First Wingers, with some guests from abroad ¨C noticed his absurd level of distraction.  Every time it was mentioned, he¡¯d double-down on his data, but after about an hour or two, he¡¯d lose focus all over again and his thoughts would wander.

    Never even mind the damn typo¡­this research suddenly feels so stalled on my own, he thought, looking over footage of Kourin closing the Gate.  Practically going through it frame-by-frame, he¡¯d made the obvious notes about her queer gestures ¨C looking at him over her shoulder, pulling her hand back to her chest like she was worried about something, just the general length of time it took between the Rift¡¯s edges starting to flicker with sparks of Limitless gold to the moment she actually closed it ¨C but the thing he could never shake was how deliberate it looked at the end.  I don¡¯t want to think she¡¯s hiding something, but¡­it definitely looked like she knew how to do it¡­  Could it really have been as simple as she made it sound?  ¡°Argghhh!!! Not being afflicted SUCKS!!¡± He yelled, making the whole lab go awkwardly quiet.

    Seth would¡¯ve hidden under his workstation if he could, but he just covered his head with his hands.

    And a few minutes later, the First Wing himself turned up in concern, ¡°¡­Seth?¡±

    ¡°L-Lord Rylen!¡± He actually fell out of his seat that point, falling a few feet to the ground from that high perch.  He could hardly believe it when that purple-hued hand came into view to offer him a way back up to his feet again, but Seth took it anyway and rubbed his elbow where he¡¯d banged it on the way down, ¡°¡­Sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m getting word that you¡¯re distracted.¡± The Eidolon commented, and crossed his arms, ¡°This is entirely unlike you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sorry, sir¡­¡± He said again, and shook his head at his own expense.  Seth looked up at the footage displayed on those huge screens, ¡°¡­I¡¯m just wishing I had Miss Mikkela¡¯s help right now.  She was fantastic in the field, and now I just¡­feel like a blind man looking at all the data on my own.  I hate it so much to know that there¡¯s pieces I can¡¯t see because I¡¯m not afflicted¡­  It feels pointless sometimes.¡±

    Rylen looked up, seeing Seth¡¯s point of view of what had happened; Kourin was only visible from mostly-behind but slightly to the side ¨C enough to get her and the Void Gate into the same shot, through the gap in the barrier.  For a moment, those orange eyes narrowed, and Rylen tilted his head slightly.

    A memory of chaos ripped through him like wildfire; the screaming, the confusion, and in the midst of it all, a tiny brunette-haired woman with blazing bright golden eyes making it all go quiet again.  Eerily quiet.

    ¡°¡­Sir?¡±

    The First blinked hard and looked away, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.  Just¡­a bit of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, is all.  Who was that again?  The Myrmidon?¡±

    ¡°Yessir¡­that¡¯s Miss Mikkela.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right¡­the one who took her mask off.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t reprimand her for it¡­  We got so much done because I could focus¡­¡±

    ¡°And now you can¡¯t focus at all.¡± The First noted, which just made Seth feel guilty, ¡°What do you need?  An afflicted to do your bidding?¡±

    Seth perked up slightly, ¡°¡­Y-yessir¡­er, well, no¡­not like that¡­  And not just any afflicted¡­  I¡¯ve worked with the Myrmidon before, but¡­I never got anywhere with them because they wouldn¡¯t talk to me.  They took their job as canaries very seriously.¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯ll permit them exemptions.¡±

    The teen could feel his whole body get heavy with worry, ¡°Sir, could I just¡­ask specifically for Miss Mikkela¡¯s help?  I feel like things would be much smoother if I worked with her in particular.  She¡¯s very smart and extremely intuitive.  It¡¯s like she knows what I¡¯m looking for when I don¡¯t know how to ask.¡±

    Rylen was surprised, ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    ¡°If¡­you could at least consider it, sir?¡± Seth continued, ¡°I can¡¯t just work with any afflicted; most of them don¡¯t know what their power is capable of and they have very little practical experience with it.  I¡¯m afraid they¡¯d be as useless as I am, not knowing what they¡¯re looking at even if they can see it right in front of them.¡±

    ¡°¡­And this Mikkela is different.¡±

    He nodded, ¡°Yessir.¡± He answered, feeling hopeful.  Rylen had gone quiet though, and Seth¡¯s optimism quickly shifted to worry.  He couldn¡¯t tell that the Eidolon was checking to see where the Rosalind was stationed and what its schedule looked like, and in particular, one of the Myrmidon aboard it.  ¡°¡­Sir?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m updating her orders.¡± The First commented, ¡°I can¡¯t take her time-off from her without good cause, but I can make it so that once she¡¯s back on duty, she¡¯ll be stationed here at the College.  I just need to find a replacement for her on that ship.¡±

    Seth was elated, ¡°Y-yessir!  Thank you so much!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me regret it.  You know how I feel about the Limitless.  It¡¯s extremely dangerous, and in the wrong hands¡­¡±

    The teen gave a strong salute, ¡°Yessir!  We¡¯ll be careful!¡±

 Book II - Chapter 09 â€“ Rest Is Also Work

    Agartha was already one of the most massive metropolitan areas on the entire surface of Hadira, but it never stopped being impressive to behold anytime Kourin arrived there.  From the skiff, she could easily see the massive, round scar that had been left by the Nightlong War¡¯s attack on the southern half ¨C and the incredible effort that had taken place to repurpose the devastated land.  The former landing spire had largely been torn-down and the base of it repurposed.  Major thoroughfares that had once travelled through the area had been redirected into a perimeter circle, and there was a clear demarcation-line where the damage to the city was salvageable versus what had to be torn down.  Of the 12-or-so-across miles that were caught in the blast, the inner eight had to be reduced to park-land and memorial space¡­and a deconstruction-zone for the recovered Tuonela.

    Though the gargantuan vessel had been covered by what could only be described as a massive pavilion-roof, there was clear evidence that it was slowly being taken apart.  Taking some 70,000 people into care though was a massive undertaking on its own, and there were still structures surrounding the ship¡¯s exterior that indicated the work was ongoing.

    Kourin let curiosity take over, and she put her glasses on so she could look up the vessel¡¯s status.  Dozens of articles had come up, with the most recent celebrating ¡®75% of the Tuonela¡¯s passengers have successfully been awoken, and integration efforts proceed apace.  Continue reading to find out more about the Council¡¯s efforts to bring them into the modern era¡­¡¯  There was a secondary article that just made her shake her head, ¡®Tuonela passenger information is available.  Click here to find a Lineage Office if you think you might have had relatives aboard¡­¡¯

    It¡¯s weird to know that these people are as old as I am, but none of them have had the same experience, so it¡¯s like the time just passed them by, Kourin thought.  They just got on board a ship one day, went to sleep, thinking they¡¯d be out for maybe a few weeks while things on Tau got started¡­and woke up 350 years later on a totally different planet.  Every one of them knows who Caeros was, too, maybe even met him at one point or another¡­  And they all know what the Earth was like when we left¡­

    She sighed and pulled her glasses off, and waited quietly for the ship to land so she could disembark.  Waiting for her was Phexides, dressed-down from the Information Officer¡¯s uniform he¡¯d been in when Kourin called him before.  She quickly jogged over and gave him a greeting half-hug as he yoinked her bag upward, ¡°Wh- Hey!  What¡¯s the big idea!  That¡¯s my stuff!  Phex!¡±

    ¡°What?  Am I not allowed to carry your stuff?¡±

    Kourin could only scoff and cross her arms, dangling half a foot in the air, ¡°Not when I¡¯m still attached to it.¡± She grumbled, both straps over her shoulders and one across her chest, ¡°Tall people¡­  Honestly¡­  Pummedown.¡±

    Phexides just snorted a laugh and did as she asked, ¡°Well unhook it, ya goof.¡±

    ¡°I can carry it!¡± Kourin insisted, and started marching off, ¡°So, where are we going?  You told me not to get a place, so¡­lead on.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re testy.  What happened?  Trip was bad?¡± The taller man wondered, and stuffed his hands into his coat pockets as he caught up with her.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you get nervous about the Tuonela people?¡± She asked, ¡°That you might get recognized?¡±

    ¡°Oh, they don¡¯t get to wander around the city like that.¡± Phex answered quietly, ¡°They¡¯re being offloaded here because the services can get to them more conveniently, but once they¡¯re awake, out, and assessed, they get sent out to calmer places ¨C purpose-built villages - where they can get used to things gradually.  They¡¯re only in Agartha for a few weeks, and they stay in the old landing spire ¨C it was converted into a full-service transfer dorm.  I don¡¯t think the first gen risers will be cut loose for another year or so.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh¡­¡± She said simply, and waited for the elevator to take them down.  She kept her words to herself until they were able to get into one of the small auto-passenger shuttles; small-occupancy pods that would take them directly to their destination without a pilot, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve been back to Agartha since I infiltrated the Fafnir Memorial last year.  I knew the Commander had landed the Tuonela here, but I guess it didn¡¯t really make a difference to me until I saw it.  Landing it on top of the ruin¡­it¡¯s kind of morbid, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I was here when the Tuonela arrived.¡± Phex explained, one long, lanky arm across the back of Kourin¡¯s seat, ¡°The clean-up and recovery effort had already been finished for a while, and the city actually approved the landing with a vote.  They¡¯re stupidly efficient here.  Guess I never appreciated it because we¡¯d been stuck in Kitez for so long.  Nearly everyone in Agartha has implants, so after the initial shockwave knocked the World Cloud out of the area, and everything rushed back into the void¡­people who still had bodies to recover were recovered quickly.¡±

    ¡°And those who couldn¡¯t be?¡±

    ¡°Everyone who went offline during the incident was declared dead.  Back-tracking their use of the Cloud made it easy to confirm if they were in the blast-zone at the time.  Last I heard, everyone had been accounted for in some form or fashion.  Agarthan people are a practical sort; if something needs to be done, it should just get done.  The Tuonela needed somewhere to land, and everyone rallied behind the Commander to make ground zero available.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound relieved at all?¡±

    ¡°Guess I¡¯m a bit distracted.  Maybe I¡¯m just taking it out on the Tuonela¡­¡± Kourin explained, and leaned her arm against the pod¡¯s interior window, watching the city fly-by as the shuttle took them on its pre-plotted course, ¡°My mission directive suddenly changed as I was about to get on the ship to bring me here.¡±

    ¡°How so?  Where are you going next?  Somewhere shitty?  Hopefully not straight back to Kitez¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m actually staying in Agartha for a while.¡± She answered, and twisted to lean her head against her arm as she looked back at the man, ¡°My Lord, Setharion Rydell, has declared that I¡¯m to stay¡­and then the Commander made it happen.¡±

    ¡°¡­Damn, don¡¯t sound so disappointed?¡±

    She swatted Phexides¡¯ leg for it, ¡°It¡¯s not like that!  But you know how Tallus¡¯ directives work!  Once you have an understanding of a thing, if it works towards the end-game, you¡¯ll feel compelled to drive it that way¡­  Being stuck around Seth, and knowing he can probably get me the information I want¡­I feel like I¡¯ll eventually ask him.¡±

    Phexides just made a face, ¡°I did give you an out¡­¡±

    Kourin gave a pleading look, ¡°I know, but even asking him could get him into trouble.  If he starts looking into it¡­the Commander might get suspicious.¡±

    ¡°So, make it not-suspicious.¡± He shrugged, ¡°Scyrexian and the Void Rifts are directly linked.  Seth should have a natural interest in knowing what the Inquisitors are doing with his research.  Innocently point one at the other.¡±

    She rubbed her lip with a finger in thought, ¡°He also has a natural dislike of the Inquisitors as a concept¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll figure something out.¡±

    ¡°I hope so¡­¡±

    .

    Seth had moved away from the video archive to the biochemical labs, arms slotted into some massive protective sleeves that fit through a special wall.  Within, on a sample tray, was the leaf of a branch that had been shoved through the Rift and brought back, and was now covered in that same strange dark-purple chitin-like shell that Seth had noted on his first trip.  There was something inherently frustrating about looking at the material though, and he pulled his arms out so he could rub his face in quiet annoyance.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°¡­So, is this where I¡¯m going to be working from now on?¡±

    Seth lifted his head quickly, and spotted a familiar face in the doorway.  He nearly kicked his chair out from under himself as he pushed off of it, ¡°Kourin!¡±

    She gave a wave, ¡°Sorry if I¡¯m intruding.  I was told you¡¯d be here.  Guess I¡¯m allowed through already.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah!  Of course!  Hi!¡± He stammered, and shuffled over once he¡¯d caught his chair.  He coughed to clear his throat and started again, ¡°Uh¡­hello!  Welcome!  This is¡­part of the bigger structure.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating.¡±

    Seth could hardly keep his thoughts in order, ¡°Sorry, I thought I¡¯d be ready for when you got here¡­you¡¯re super early.¡±

    Kourin could only puff a laugh, and poked him a few times in the center of his chest as she walked past, ¡°I dare to wonder what a prepared statement might¡¯ve sounded like.¡±

    ¡°¡­Probably¡­a little bit more articulate.¡± He answered, mostly to himself, but he quickly went after the dressed-down Myrmidon, ¡°I don¡¯t think I was mentally ready to see you out of uniform.  You look different.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully not bad different.¡± She huffed, and went up to look through the glass at whatever he¡¯d been working on.

    ¡°N-no!  No way!  Not you!  You¡¯re super cute!¡±

    Kourin looked back at him, and blinked.

    Seth could feel his face go red, ¡°Uhhhhh¡­  Good?  You¡­you look good.  Totally fine.  You are a human person who looks normal.¡±

    She could only snort a laugh, ¡°Am I really so intimidating to you?  Even in ultra-normal-mode?¡±

    ¡°Probably more-so, to be honest.¡± He staggered, his whole body sagging helplessly, ¡°At least I knew what I was nervous about when you were in costume.¡±

    That earned a blush from her, and she smiled, lifting a hand to gently pet his cheek, ¡°No worries.  Okay, well, tell me what you¡¯re doing, then.¡±

    Seth was all-but paralyzed from the gesture, and had to force himself to move again.  Looking into the specimen-room made it a little easier to sound coherent, ¡°¡­I guess I should ask you first¡­what exactly do you know about what¡¯s being researched here?  You¡¯ve mentioned the Sterling Rose¡­and that¡¯s a whole bucket of worms to unpack¡­  A lot of it is top-level that I was not expecting you to know about.¡±

    ¡°Really?  How come?¡±

    He glanced out the side of his eyes at her, ¡°¡­The¡­thing I was trying to say before, about Myrmidon not knowing stuff¡­  I was certain that the only ones who did know about the Sterling Rose had¡­well, ended up insane and then dead.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Kourin blurted, only to give an uncomfortable laugh, ¡°Well, I do¡­it¡¯s¡­a thing.  Yeah.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    She crossed an arm over herself and rubbed her lip again, ¡°How to explain¡­  There¡¯s a certain level of information that flows freely within the Inquisitor Division.  For them, having access to that kind of information is kind of standard, since they¡¯re already high-ranking researchers.¡±

    ¡°¡­But the Myrmidon are a subset, distinguished by being afflicted.¡± Seth noted, ¡°I won¡¯t repeat my ill-chosen description from a few days ago¡­¡±

    Kourin just laughed and shook her head, ¡°Yeah, that was pretty ugly, I won¡¯t lie.  The thing is though¡­Myrmidon at my level have to know.  Maybe we don¡¯t always understand what we know, but there¡¯s still a basic level of awareness so we don¡¯t muck-up missions.  What happened to the troupe that went to the Sterling Rose is¡­something of a stern lesson that the rest of us learned.  Never underestimate the power contained within the Cores, and never think you know your own limits.  It is called Limitless for a reason, after all.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­  So¡­that¡¯s why you told my dad and I that you knew what we¡¯d been through.¡±

    ¡°Kind of.¡± She retorted, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the footage from the Sterling Rose, but I did see a redacted copy of the report.  I know that the Warp Magi were active, violent, and brutal¡­but what exactly they did and how, I could only infer.  I only saw enough to make it clear why Lord Rylen wanted a Myrmidon present at every Core extraction, since¡­¡± Her words trailed a little, like she was about to say something she wasn¡¯t sure he even knew.

    ¡°¡­Since?¡±

    She gave a worried look, ¡°It¡¯s really weird to talk about stuff when neither of us knows what kind of clearance the other actually has.¡±

    Seth¡¯s brow crinkled, and he just pointed at the glass, ¡°Inside that room is material recovered from inside the Void Scars.  It grows on organic matter, including people.  There¡¯s an intelligence inside the Scars that whispers to people sometimes; it calls itself Scyrexian¡­it possessed two of my friends, and killed many more.  The whole purpose of my mission with the Rifts is to find out what they are, why they open, what the Hell Scyrexian even is, and¡­as we succeeded in doing, closing the Gates on purpose, so Scyrexian can never come through again.  It¡¯s the thing that wiped out most of the Fafnir Knights last year and it¡¯s a situation we can¡¯t have repeated.  Your purpose in helping me is to be the afflicted eyes and ears that can perceive the information I need to give Lord Rylen some of these answers.¡±

    Kourin leaned back slightly at the sudden glut of information, ¡°¡­Oh, well¡­alright.¡± She stammered, and cleared her throat, ¡°Then¡­  What you should already know about the Warp Cores is that they all, at one point or another, contained the three Warp Magi that acted as Limitless anchors for the fleet.  Every Core ever retrieved by the Council had to be opened and emptied.  However¡­all of those Magi were always very dead, never to rise again.  After what happened at the Sterling Rose, Lord Rylen had good reason to worry that any given Core might have a Gate inside it, since the implication between that and the Rose is that¡­the Magi were corrupted by Scyrexian at some point in the past.  Even without Magi actually still inside the Cores that had already been installed into SkyFortresses, just the fact that they might have open Gates was concerning.  After all¡­your guy Ianori was actively dragged into one, and spat back out, giving us our first variant of Scyrexian on this side.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right¡­¡± Seth nodded grimly, and lowered his head.

    ¡°You said two friends though.  I only know about the one.  Who else was taken?¡±

    He went pale from the implication, ¡°¡­Shit¡­  I got so worked-up in my explanation¡­¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I can say that part.¡± He answered, ¡°I can probably count on one hand the number of people who know that answer.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright, that¡¯s fine.¡± Kourin reassured, ¡°So¡­then we can say I know everything short of that.¡±

    Seth nodded, and looked back into the specimen-room, ¡°¡­The stuff that¡¯s on the leaves is a chitinous substance that also grows on the skin of the people that Scyrexian possesses.  What I can¡¯t explain right now is¡­why, on people, it manifests peripherally.  Like, beyond just covering their bodies like armor¡­it makes horns, wings even.  And they¡¯re articulate wings, not just visual accessories.  They are flight-capable.  Mr. Ianori, he¡­after Scyrexian took him, he flew all the way to the R&D facility near Sargon and broke in.  It swapped bodies after that for some reason¡­I theorize that it was attracted to the Warp Magi corpses we brought back from the Rose, because it completely abandoned Mr. Ianori as soon as it found them.  It not only transferred, it fused those Magi together into one entity¡­and its transformation after that was rapid, practically on-demand.¡±

    ¡°The Warp Magi were afflicted in life.¡± Kourin noted, ¡°If Scyrexian is a creature of the Limitless, then it stands to reason that a body directly connected to the same would be easier to manipulate than one who wasn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, my thoughts exactly.  Not only that, but¡­based on observation, Scyrexian¡¯s actions and capabilities seem to be influenced by the host it¡¯s taken.  We saw Mr. Ianori fight and defend like a Fafnir Knight even after Scyrexian took over his body, so it¡­looked like it was able to tap into his knowledge and training for its own use.  Further, when it was using Mr. Ianori as a host¡­his body kind of took on the image of his Fafnir armor, with the same style of wings and everything.  With the Magi, it was¡­completely twisted into something monstrous, and changed depending on what it was trying to accomplish.  We took to calling it a Wendigo.¡±

    ¡°¡­After the Earth-legend?¡± Kourin was surprised, Wow, I haven¡¯t heard that term since we got here¡­

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Seth nodded, ¡°Well, the pop-culture version of it anyway, with the deer-skull for a head, and murderous intent against people.  Maybe it drew from the Magi¡¯s memories and used the imagery to try and rattle the Fafnir as it hunted them.¡±

    ¡°¡­That would make sense, since the Magi would¡¯ve been much more closely-associated with Earth-legends than if Scyrexian took control of someone from Hadira.¡±

    ¡°What I don¡¯t understand is why the chitin-shell stays present on the leaves, but falls apart like dirt after it transfers out of a host.¡± Seth rubbed the side of his head, but then set that same hand against the glass, ¡°When it abandoned Mr. Ianori¡­the shape it forced onto him broke off like a shell, and dissolved into nothing.  There was nothing left of it to collect and analyze¡­it was just¡­gone.  You¡¯d think the shell here would do the same thing if the Void Scar it came from closed.¡±  He looked over his shoulder at the petite woman, ¡°Do you see anything about it that I might be missing?  To me, it just looks like I dipped the branch in molten rock and it hardened into that metallic-rubbery stone.¡±

    Kourin narrowed her eyes, ¡°Looks the same to me right now¡­¡± She started, and then activated her affliction, taking another look, ¡°¡­Nah, same¡­¡±

    Seth just made a weird face as he looked into the next room, ¡°Argh I don¡¯t get it¡­¡±

    ¡°Why not take a break?¡± Kourin wondered, ¡°I¡¯d heard you¡¯d been really off your game since you got here.  Thought I¡¯d come spring you early to help you get your head straight.  You never quit working.¡±

    He turned back towards the woman, a pink hue to his face, ¡°Uhhh¡­y-yeah¡­you¡¯re probably right¡­¡±

    ¡°Then c¡¯mon.  There¡¯s someone I want you to meet.¡±

    ¡°¡­Someone?¡±

 Book II â€“ Chapter 10 â€“ Subterfuge Is The Name Of The Game

    The whole way to the ¡®meeting-place,¡¯ Seth worried about all the myriad different kinds of people he¡¯d be subjected to.  His worst fears were realized when he saw Kourin spring into a bit of a skipping-run on her approach towards another man, and she reached her hands forward to clasp at that man¡¯s arms warmly.  He couldn¡¯t hear what was being said over the sidewalk crowd, but when Kourin gestured for him to get closer, he bit his tongue and approached.

    ¡°Seth, this is Wyatt.¡± She said, and gingerly pointed a hand at the figure, ¡°He goes by Phex though; he works as a data information officer with the Third.  Phex, this is Seth.¡±

    They were nearly the same height ¨C pushing towards 6ft at that point ¨C but Phex had dark, raven-colored hair, streaked in grey; like he was pushing into his late 40s but physically looked to be in his mid-20s at most.  Steely eyes looked back at Seth, examining him the same way in turn, and Seth¡­felt himself lacking.

    ¡°Pleasure.¡± The older figure commented, and reached his hand out, ¡°It¡¯s always nice to put a real face to the rumor.¡±

    Seth felt a jolt go through his whole body, and he felt extremely self-conscious, ¡°Rumor?¡±

    Kourin had to move the teen¡¯s arm for him, and folded his hand into the handshake like the limb was paralyzed, ¡°Honestly¡­¡±

    Phex gave it one shake before letting go, and took a seat at one of Agartha¡¯s many little caf¨¦s, ¡°You¡¯re quite the popular guy.  At least, where I¡¯m stationed.  Bit of a teen heartthrob.¡±

    Seth wasn¡¯t sure how to process the words; they sounded like a foreign language.  Like the handshake, Kourin had to manually articulate him like a doll to make him move, and she nudged him down into a seat beside her, opposite Phexides, ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he pays attention to that kind of stuff.¡± She commented, then turned back to Seth, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.  He has nothing to listen to except gossip all day.¡±

    ¡°With the Third, huh?¡± Seth repeated skeptically, and leaned back to cross his arms, ¡°¡­So how do you two know each other, then?¡±

    Phexides snorted a laugh, but Kourin shook her head, ¡°We¡¯ve known each other since as far back as I can even remember.¡± She looked up in thought, ¡°Since I was¡­what, nine years old?¡±

    ¡°Sounds about right.¡±

    ¡°I was the last one to join the little gang we had back then.¡± Kourin continued, ¡°You guys sought me out like a heat-seeking missile.¡±

    ¡°How could we not?  Your talents were all-but tailor made for us.¡± Phex teased, and waved for a server to come over, ¡°The little shits that we were, Caer-¡± The table shook from the force of the kick, and Phex heaved to stifle his yelp.

    Kourin looked on sweetly and innocently, ¡°Oh, yeah¡­Caeden.  I remember him.  It¡¯s been a few years though.  Him and Talbott.¡±

    Phex nodded painfully, ¡°M-mhm¡­C-Caeden and Talbott.¡±

    Seth looked between them skeptically, ¡°You okay?¡±

    An agonized thumbs-up was given in answer, and Phexides gave a restrained nod, ¡°Great.¡±

    Kourin looked up sweetly at the approaching server, ¡°Can we get a coffee press and three cups?¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, right away.¡±

    She waved a thanks, but then hefted her seat up and scooted a few inches closer to Seth¡¯s side, then leaned into his space and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t mind Phex.  He¡¯s one of the dumbest smart people I know.¡±

    ¡°How come you wanted me to meet him?  Who are you to each other?¡±

    Kourin could only snort a laugh behind a cupped hand, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?  Are you jealous?¡±

    Seth could feel his soul leave his body.

    ¡°He¡¯s practically family.¡± She explained dismissively, even as Phex coddled the shin she¡¯d murdered a few moments earlier, ¡°Where we met was like¡­as you so eloquently put it before, a dumping ground¡­but for orphans.  Me and him, and Caeden and Talbott, we were all there for one reason or another.  The boys were already acquainted though by the time I showed up ¨C being the youngest and newest arrival ¨C but when Caeden heard about what my affliction could do, they tracked me down and recruited me in.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hijinks ensued, I take it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, absolutely¡­and it¡¯s 100% as bad as you¡¯re probably imagining right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­Even when you were that young?¡±

    ¡°I never actually had to go on the hijinks-raids with them, I only had to make them invisible for it.¡± She answered, ¡°They¡¯re all six or seven years older than I am, so in the beginning, I was really only there cuz I had a skill Caeden found useful.  Was like being a Myrmidon but as a kid.¡±

    Seth felt a guilty pit in his gut, ¡°¡­I hope you don¡¯t think that¡¯s all I¡¯m doing¡­¡±

    ¡°If that was the case, you wouldn¡¯t have suggested hanging out, right?¡± She supposed.

    ¡°But then why bring your other friend?¡± He whispered, and leaned in a bit closer so she¡¯d be sure to hear.

    Kourin just puffed a laugh and snuck her hand around the teen¡¯s forearm, and gave it a pat, ¡°You¡¯re funny.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯d I say that was¡­funny¡­?¡±

    ¡°Phex, will you tell him?¡± She reached her short leg across the underside of the table and nudged the older figure with the tip-toe of her boot, ¡°Why you¡¯re here with us.¡±

    Phexides winced slightly, but released his sore leg to sit normally again, and leaned his elbows onto the edge of the table¡­just in time for their server to come back with a tray of the coffee that Kourin had asked for.  A timer had already been started for the press, and continued to tick-down as all the accoutrements were set out.

    ¡°Once the timer is up, you can press down on the plunger.  Can I get you anything else?¡±

    ¡°Think that¡¯s it for now, thanks!¡± Kourin gave another sweet smile.  She looked back to her friend expectantly.

    Phex made a face, but sighed and postured again, ¡°¡­There¡¯s another friend of ours that¡¯s been missing for a little while, and we thought¡­maybe you could help us track her down.¡±

    ¡°Another friend?  Missing?¡± Seth echoed in confusion, ¡°How would I factor into this?  I¡¯m just a regular guy.¡±

    That earned him a skeptical ¡®are you serious right now?¡¯ sort of look, ¡°¡­Do you not see all these people whose gazes keep turning your way as they pass or sit nearby?¡±

    Seth looked around, ¡°¡­There¡¯s a million things happening around here.  They could be looking at anything.¡±

    ¡°And yet, they¡¯re not.  They¡¯re looking directly at the apprentice of Lord Rylen Vor¡¯antiss himself, Setharion Rydell, never mind the fact that your family is already pretty well-known.¡± Phex explained, and leaned back in his seat, ¡°Why do you think Rin is clinging to you, like a lizard on a hot rock?¡±

    ¡°Hey, no, don¡¯t you dare.¡± Kourin snapped her fingers at him, ¡°I¡¯m not on the clock right now, I can do whatever I want.  Don¡¯t take this from me.¡±

    Seth¡¯s face went red anyway, ¡°¡­Well¡­¡±

    Kourin pet his arm again, ¡°Ignore that part.¡±

    ¡°Why is this friend missing though?  Why would I be the one to know how to find her?¡± He asked pensively, ¡°I¡¯m not¡­really in the business of finding missing people.  I just do research on weird supernatural stuff.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, weird supernatural Limitless stuff, and the people who are afflicted by it.¡± Phexides clarified, ¡°You¡¯re exactly the kind of person who would know where people like that might have ended up.  Being so close to Lord Rylen¡¯s orbit, you might have access to certain kinds of information that might help us figure out where she might¡¯ve ended up.¡±

    I don¡¯t like this conversation, Seth thought, brows crinkled, ¡°You¡¯re implying something bad happened though¡­why else would this friend be missing, right?  ¡­How¡­long has she been gone?¡±

    ¡°A little more than a year.¡±

    Seth felt the bottom of his stomach drop out, ¡°¡­Oh¡­  Uh¡­I don¡¯t know, being close to Lord Rylen doesn¡¯t necessarily give me any special privileges.  And even if it did, I couldn¡¯t take advantage of it for personal gain¡­¡±

    ¡°Not even for a good cause?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not my business to judge.¡± He answered, and made the decision to extricate himself from the topic.  He lifted up from his seat just as the timer on the coffee press started beeping, ¡°It was nice meeting you, but I think¡­I should probably go.  I¡¯ve got my family¡¯s reputation to think of, after all.¡± He finished, and gently pulled his arm out of Kourin¡¯s light grasp, ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡±

    Neither of the duo protested his leaving, and once Seth was far enough away, Kourin let out a sigh of relief.  She reached over to push the plunger down, and bumped her knuckles against her friend¡¯s, ¡°You¡¯re a legend for playing along.  Enjoy the coffee!  Cya!¡±

    Phex just shook his head and laughed quietly as he watched the petite woman give chase.  Fingers eagerly started reaching for the coffee and fixin¡¯s, ¡°Hopefully that was enough, ¡®Rin.¡±

    Kourin weaved through the sidewalk traffic until she could catch up, and retook the teen¡¯s arm unexpectedly, ¡°Whew!  Sorry about that!  I told him it was gonna sound super weird and come off way too strong, but he thought it was worth a shot.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sorry I dipped like that.¡± Seth answered, ¡°I feel bad about it, but¡­I really can''t put myself on the line like that.¡±

    ¡°No, no¡­it¡¯s fine.  I told him the same thing.¡± She agreed, ¡°Him and that girl were pretty close, so¡­he¡¯d been holding out hope that there was some conspiracy or another that meant she was alive somewhere rather than¡­the obvious alternative.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway though!¡± Kourin reset to her usual bubbly self, ¡°Now that it¡¯s just us again¡­where are we going?  I have four days off, including today, before we put our noses to that grindstone.  I won¡¯t even make you talk to Phex again.¡±

    That was a relief, and Seth worried his physical reaction to hearing it was too much of a give-away.  He straightened his posture out quickly and cleared his throat, ¡°¡­I¡­hadn¡¯t actually thought that far ahead.  Part of my plan was trying to figure out what kind of stuff you like.¡±

    ¡°We already did something per my request.  It¡¯s only fair that you¡¯re up next.  What do you like?¡±

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    He pulled his free hand up to his chin contemplatively, ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s a bit far from here, but¡­there¡¯s a V.R.A. I took Iresha to last year¡­¡±

    ¡°V.R.A.?¡±

    ¡°Virtual reality arcade.  Fully immersive.¡±

    ¡°Oh!  Cool!  Yeah, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Seth beamed, Maybe the day can still be salvaged after all.  ¡°Okay, yeah!¡± He turned his eyes upward towards the airborne shuttle-pathways, and summoned a two-seater down.  Once Kourin had gotten in, Seth went around the other side and got in as well, and put in the information for the pod to start moving.  As it lifted up to rejoin the flow, Seth felt a flutter in his chest, and turned slightly in his seat, ¡°¡­I did have one question though, about that weird conversation we just had¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°¡­You said you were nine when you met them all, and they sought you out for your afflictive power?¡± He noted, ¡°That¡¯s really young.¡±

    ¡°It was the very bottom end of the bell curve, but¡­yeah.¡± She nodded, ¡°Those guys were probably most of the reason why I got so much practice with it.¡±

    ¡°¡­And it¡¯s also probably the reason you ended up in an orphanage?¡±

    The look on her face changed slightly, ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Can I ask¡­?¡±

    She gave a sad smile, ¡°I turned the family dog invisible, and¡­it was absolute bedlam.  The dog was scared, we were freaked out, and I ¨C of course ¨C couldn¡¯t figure out how to turn it off since I had no idea how I turned it on in the first place.  Family was not happy about my developing an affliction, and¡­well, off I went.¡±

    Seth sat roughly back into his seat, ¡°¡­That¡¯s so ridiculous¡­  No one in my family has ever developed the affliction for some reason, so I knew it was a long-shot when I came of age and was practically begging the universe to give me one¡­  Sometimes I wish I hadn¡¯t gotten as interested in this stuff as I did.  That I could just¡­be one of the meat-heads like my dad and brother, and join up with the Fafnir like so many of us have¡­  I couldn¡¯t be in the most ill-adapted field if I was a blind man trying to get into painting.¡±

    Kourin quirked a brow, ¡°Don¡¯t we have treatments for that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¡­the point is that I¡¯m not equipped for this job, and there¡¯s no magic augment or technology that¡¯s suddenly going to give me what I lack.¡± He sighed, ¡°I really hope that asking for your help with all of it doesn¡¯t come across badly to you.  I really do like you¡­and not just cuz I¡¯m blind and envious of your sight.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± She puffed, and reached across the little center-console to retake his elbow into hers, ¡°I like you, too, and not just cuz you¡¯re a Rydell, either.¡±

    .

    The V.R.A was packed to the rafters that afternoon, but the duo eventually found two game-pods next to one another¡­and Kourin spent the following five hours learning ¨C and then being better at ¨C every game Seth suggested.  Rhythm-games, racing, shooting¡­she even got around the creature that once took Iresha down.

    But then came the puzzle-maze, and she found herself utterly overwhelmed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it, why do I keep-¡±

    WHOOSH

    ¡°¡­missing.¡±

    Seth couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°It¡¯s a whole different experience when you have to think about jumping across platforms, right?¡±

    Kourin felt like a blow-dried cat, ¡°¡­I could never play this if I was wearing a skirt, that¡¯s for sure.  That crazy gust of air they blast at you from below when you fall would just be humiliating.¡±

    Seth¡¯s face went red, ¡°¡­Uhhh yeah, sure it would be.¡±

    ¡°I might not be able to see you from in here, but I know what that tone sounded like!¡±

    ¡°Sorry!¡± He snickered, ¡°Maybe we can go back to that dragon-riding sim?  You seemed to like that one a lot.¡±

    ¡°Ohhh yeah, that one was fantastic.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    The arcade had multiple different levels, with different kinds of pods arranged for each different kind of game.  The riding and racing simulators were on the second floor, but were a rather popular set, so the pair joined the queue to get back in.  It felt like it took forever to get to the front, and Kourin dozed on her feet for at least half of it, unintentionally leaning into Seth¡¯s side so she wouldn¡¯t just fall over ¨C not that he minded, at all.  But, finally, they made it to the end, and when one pod came available, Seth surrendered his own potential spot so he wouldn¡¯t make Kourin wait any longer than she already had, and just set-up next to hers to watch instead.

    There was one thing he noticed though, ¡°¡­You know, if you had your glasses with you ¨C or nanotech implants - you could just save your dragon-profile and load it right away.¡±

    ¡°Shht.¡± She retorted, remaking her creature from scratch, though it only took a few minutes since she already knew what she wanted.  It was a regal silver beast with blue highlights, black tiger-stripes, vivid golden eyes, and ebony horns, all on the image of a western-style, four-legged, two-winged base.  Once she had it, the mount-emulator within the pod shifted, recreating a variant of the saddle and dragon¡¯s size per the design-specs.

    Seth stepped in just long enough to help hoist her up onto the thing so she wouldn¡¯t need to fumble with the step-stool - and made sure she was strapped-in - but then moved out again to watch her have her fun.  The interior of the pod activated, and a full 360* display showed a lush forest scene ¨C nanotech assembled to complete the image of the dragon itself, covering over the physical mount and manifesting a full simulacrum that looked like real flesh and equipment.  Seth could only watch on the exterior displays as the pod closed though, living vicariously through what he could hear from her reactions inside.  The whole thing moved as an animatronic, bucking and twisting under her as the dragon-display made the motions of running and flight, and wind simulators inside gusted at her.

    Listening to Kourin¡¯s excited screams and laughs was far more fun than being in his own pod somewhere else, and Seth could only shake his head in realization, Man¡­  Maybe it is a good thing she didn¡¯t wear a dress today¡­  I¡¯d be putty in her hands if she did.

    .

    Furion looked at the Wing Commander One doors with a grudging reluctance, but with his father¡¯s orders rattling in his head, he knew he¡¯d be in for an ass-chewing if he slept anywhere else again.  With a nervous upset in his gut, he went inside, and tried to remember how the space looked like a decade prior, when it was actually still his room.  Being entirely undecorated, it still just looked like ¡®the remains of Ren¡¯s room,¡¯ after officially being emptied out following her end.

    He slumped back against the barren, factory-reset couch, and¡­was pleasantly distracted by an incoming call.  He quickly accepted it, and the image of his younger brother came onto his overlay, ¡°Hey.  You have impeccable timing.¡±

    ¡°Furion, this girl has me wrapped around her little finger.¡± The teen complained, ¡°Is this normal?  I¡¯ve totally lost my faculties.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, whoa¡­back up.  What are you talking about?¡± Furion sat upright, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Seth could only pace nervously in his dorm-room as he ranted, and the ¡®camera¡¯ followed him with each step, ¡°She showed up at the campus today and surprised me in the lab!  I thought I¡¯d have until tomorrow before she¡¯d reach out!  But then we spent most of the afternoon at the V.R.A. and it hit me hard that she¡¯s living in my head rent-free!¡±

    Furion listened, but eventually couldn¡¯t help himself, and snorted half a laugh, ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    ¡°This is serious!  I need help!¡±

    ¡°Why?  It sounds like you had a great time.¡±

    ¡°It was amazing!  I haven¡¯t had this much fun since back when Miss Ren introduced me to the place, and then spent the whole time destroying me at that rhythm-game with the swords!¡±

    ¡°Naturally¡­¡±

    ¡°What do I do!?¡±

    ¡°What?  If you like this girl, then just go for it.¡±

    ¡°But what if she doesn¡¯t think the same way!?  I just got Lord Rylen to approve having her help me at the lab for a while, and if she gets cold feet about me, then it¡¯ll just be weird!  I would spontaneously combust if I had to walk that back!¡±

    ¡°Imagine being free to just pursue the lady you¡¯re interested in¡­¡± Furion shrugged, ¡°This is going to sound like an old-man-moment, but back in my day, figuring out how to tell Ren I was interested was not only a challenge because of what you¡¯re experiencing now, but also because I was her commanding officer.  Gods, the language we had to invent just to talk to each other¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you say to someone when you¡¯re not sure!?¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sure?  Does she fake-laugh at your jokes or something?¡±

    Seth staggered in his pacing, ¡°I¡­don¡¯t think so?¡±

    ¡°Then what?¡±

    ¡°I met one of her other friends today¡­  Not for long, he was kinda weird and intense, but¡­the conversation involved Kourin being proverbially-conscripted into that friend-group just because of what she can do with her affliction. I feel like-¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­Kourin?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what?  It¡¯s her nickname.  Her real name is Mikkela.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­okay.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just not a name I thought I¡¯d hear outside of a lecture-hall.  ¡®Kourin¡¯ is the name of one of the Caeros Vor¡¯antiss¡¯ original friends.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­yeah, I knew that, but¡­it¡¯s just a name.¡± Seth tilted his head, ¡°Maybe she just liked how it sounded, or it was a total coincidence.  Her friend called her ¡®Rin¡¯ instead.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I interrupted.  Carry on.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Seth cleared his throat and tried to remember what he¡¯d been saying, ¡°So¡­  I just don¡¯t want her to think that I¡¯m only asking to be friends because of the reason we met?  I always hear that you shouldn¡¯t get involved with the people you work with¡­and she¡¯s going to be my direct colleague when she gets off her weekend¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s easy¡­don¡¯t mention anything about the affliction stuff when you¡¯re off campus.¡± Furion said simply.

    ¡°That¡¯s not easy!¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be?  There¡¯s a million other things you could be talking about.¡±

    ¡°Because it seems like everything I could ask her about ends up returning back to Limitless stuff somehow!¡± Seth whined, ¡°Can¡¯t ask about her family life because she got her affliction when she was like nine¡­and immediately got thrown into the system for it.  Can¡¯t ask about her friends because they only wanted her for her abilities¡­and that one guy I met, who couldn¡¯t wait to get to know me first before he started asking for favors¡­¡±

    ¡°What kind of favors?¡±

    ¡°I dunno, trying to find someone for them.¡± Seth grumbled and sat back at against a reclining chair, ¡°Someone who¡­is ¨C or was ¨C afflicted, and went missing during or shortly before the Nightlong War.  I got really uncomfortable with the way he was asking me to use my standing with Lord Rylen to try and find where this person might¡¯ve ended up, like they were accusing the Eidolon of holding her captive against her will for some crazy reason.¡±

    Furion quirked a brow and crossed his arms, ¡°I mean¡­that¡¯s kind of what happens when the afflicted end up on Lord Rylen¡¯s ¡®most wanted¡¯ list, but they¡¯re not enough of a threat to call the Fafnir in.¡±

    ¡°That just makes me feel worse!  I literally fled with my tail between my legs to get out of the conversation!¡±

    ¡°Would you even be able to track someone down like that?¡±

    ¡°I dunno!¡± Seth threw his arms up into the air and collapsed backward into the chair, ¡°I¡¯ve never strayed from my lane!  I wouldn¡¯t know the first thing about trying to track someone down anyway¡­  I¡¯m certain it would be suspicious if I started looking.¡±

    ¡°Guess it depends on who you¡¯re trying to find.¡± Furion pinched his fingers around his chin, ¡°In any case, if you already told the guy you couldn¡¯t help, then there¡¯s nothing more to worry about.  Did Kourin bring it up again after?¡±

    ¡°No¡­she actually apologized for it, saying she warned him against discussing it.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s a closed issue.  When do you think you¡¯re going to see her next?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow.¡± Seth answered, and sat-up a bit more normally, ¡°I have the next two days off, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Plans?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea.  I thought I had a concept of what we could do, but¡­oh my gosh, Furion, she¡¯s just¡­¡± The teen buried his face into his hands, ¡°I can¡¯t get her out of my head¡­  She¡¯s so smart and cute and fun, and she¡¯s so good at most everything she tries¡­  She¡¯s just so little, and she¡¯d probably kick my ass for saying so, but I want to hold onto her and protect her and¡­¡±

    ¡°Take it easy.  What was your concept?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s this¡­¡¯concert in the park¡¯ thing happening tomorrow afternoon and into the night.  I just don¡¯t know how to spend the day leading into it.  I can¡¯t just take her back to the arcade already¡­that¡¯ll get stale¡­  I don¡¯t really know what her interests are, either¡­¡±

    ¡°You can make that your plan, then.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Finding out what she likes to do.  You only just met her a couple days ago; it ought to be fun to learn more about her.  Ask her where she got such a specific nickname from.  Just have an open-ended conversation¡­or go on a walk somewhere interesting.  Agartha has no limit on things to do¡­you could pick something at random and see how it lands.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­  Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Seth agreed, and pushed up to stand again, feeling a little more confident, ¡°Just as long as I can manage to not get back to the Limitless topic¡­¡±

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not wrong to want to talk about something you¡¯re passionate about.  Just make sure you approach it carefully.¡±

    ¡°Whew¡­okay, okay¡­  Thanks, Furion.¡±

    ¡°Sure.  And don¡¯t forget to tell me how the concert goes.¡±

    ¡°Yessir!¡±

    .

    Kourin pushed the door open to Phexides¡¯ little apartment, ¡°I¡¯m baaaack.¡± She called, only to find the man standing rather stiffly in the den.  Kourin gave him a strange look, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± She asked as she walked forward, coming out of the little hallway that led past the bathroom and closet¡­only to spot an unexpected visitor, ¡°¡­T-Tallus?  What are you doing here?  I thought you were in Gesh¡¯ko.¡±

    ¡°I was.  But I conveniently got put on an assignment here in the city, and I arrived this afternoon.¡± He answered, leaning casually against the little kitchen-bar with his arms crossed.  He pushed off of it, still wearing his Fourth Wing uniform, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about your call.¡±

    ¡°O-Oh¡­?¡± Kourin stammered as the taller figure approached, looming over her, ¡°Are you glad our friend is okay after all?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about him.¡± He said rigidly, ¡°It¡¯s about what you said after¡­that they never found a body, and that you think Scyren might be able to help.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a slim possibility¡­?¡± She noted, ¡°Scyrexian can¡¯t track people, but¡­the whole purpose to taking Ren as a host was to force Gabriel¡¯s hand, right?  So, if Scyren starts causing a ruckus, maybe it¡¯ll lure him out.  I was certain she¡¯d been cremated before the memorial last year¡­if Gabriel¡¯s still alive, he probably thought the same, so¡­¡±

    ¡°If he¡¯s still alive.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all conjecture until we start trying¡­¡±

    ¡°It also might draw unnecessary attention to us.  We have nowhere to go if we¡¯re discovered.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing that for 350 years.  I know.¡±

    ¡°And how much closer are you to finding where Scyren¡¯s being held?¡± Tallus wondered, and reached forward to pet his hand over the petite woman¡¯s head.  She swallowed a nervous breath to feel his touch, ¡°I heard you spent most of the day with the First Wing¡¯s little prot¨¦g¨¦.¡±

    ¡°¡­He¡­can¡¯t help us.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t?  Or won¡¯t?¡± He asked, sliding a finger under her chin to lift her gaze higher, ¡°Are you trying to get around me to protect him?¡±

    Kourin could feel herself starting to shake a little, and when Tallus moved his thumb under her nose, she knew the headache wouldn¡¯t be far behind.

    ¡°Cheeky.¡± He commented, and pulled his hand away again to stop the blood-drop from going any further down his finger, ¡°Try again.  Never forget¡­your prime directive is to always do what¡¯s best for Caeros.¡±

    ¡°¡­Y-yeah¡­always¡­¡±

 Book II â€“ Chapter 11 â€“ The Wheel Continues To Turn And Grind

    The northern coast of the former-nation of Kitez was rocky and expansive, and the border-mountains that once divided it from Sargon sloped down towards the water, eventually leaving only the tops visible before disappearing beneath the waves.  The rocks and boulders gave way to a sandy beach, with evergreen-type trees clinging precariously to large stones on the eroded shore.

    At the edge of an alcove, the mantle of the First Wing manifested, feet lightly perched atop the sand just inches beyond the furthest edge of the tide.  He looked around carefully, but within seconds, he heard the unmistakable sound of a skiff inbound, and he turned his eyes out over the water.  It landed - a large, well-equipped man hopped out - and the vessel took off again.

    ¡°Lord Rylen.¡± The man started as he approached, and pulled off the wraps from his well-protected face.  He gave a polite bow with an arm across his chest.

    ¡°J¡¯ard, I appreciate your timely arrival.¡± The Eidolon commented on that quiet landscape, ¡°Did you receive it?¡±

    J¡¯ard withdrew a small cylindrical vial from his clothes, then put it back, ¡°Yessir.¡±

    ¡°That will be your only supply of nanotech as you venture in.  It¡¯ll only serve to help guide you on your whereabouts, and allow you to make annotations about your findings.  You will be entirely on your own, and help will be hours away if you get into trouble.¡±

    ¡°I understand, sir.¡± J¡¯ard nodded, ¡°What exactly is my mission, sir?¡±

    Rylen turned towards the rocky outcrops from the edge of those mountains, ¡°Lord Gabriel is incapable of giving me the least bit of wiggle-room on the Exclusion Zone from the Emperor.  But, more than ever, I¡¯m convinced there¡¯s something in there that we need to know about.  Something that will explain why the afflicted who exile themselves here come back more powerful than they ought to be¡­¡± His words trailed, and he shook his head, ¡°Something important.  Something worth laying down one¡¯s life and allegiances to protect or hide.  The Fafnir have never ventured more than a few miles in, and none of them has ever reported back anything unusual about the landscape or surrounds¡­but this isn¡¯t a mission that the Fafnir can handle, I think.  This will take a little more¡­finesse.¡±

    ¡°Any restrictions, sir?¡±

    ¡°No combat.  Defend yourself if you must but, otherwise, this is entirely under the guise of an investigation, not an apprehension.¡± The First answered, stepping a bit further up the beach.  He paused though, and reached his hand forward, watching his fingers and forearm dissolve as it tried to press through the border barrier, ¡°If and when you find something of interest, report back immediately.  I can¡¯t come to you, but I¡¯ll keep a close eye on your network.  And¡­¡±

    ¡°And, sir?¡±

    ¡°Map what you can about the communities out here.  The number of people, where they¡¯re located, the paths they may commonly travel, the kind and quantity of afflicted in their midst¡­anything else of note that you can think of.  If you find anyone on my list, especially, highlight it and I¡¯ll forward it to Captain Rydell.¡±

    ¡°Time limit?¡±

    ¡°Six weeks.  I¡¯ve notated on your map where you should go for the extraction, and you¡¯ll get more detailed information about what this mission is asking from there as well.  No sense being haphazard about it; we¡¯ll cover this territory methodically.¡±

    ¡°Yessir.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t delay you further.  Good luck out there, Hunter.¡± Rylen finished, and backed into the border barrier to disperse his mantle entirely.

    J¡¯ard looked up at the edge of that wild, untamed land, and stepped through the invisible barrier as he pulled his balaclava back on.

    .

    The awkward terror of the unexpected visit had left both Kourin and Phexides restless and paranoid, sitting up awake on the worry that Tallus might come back.  By the time Phex¡¯s morning alarm went off ¨C and scared the absolute Hell out of the both of them when it did ¨C they were both red-eyed from the lack of sleep.

    ¡°¡­I have to go to work like this¡­¡± Phex complained in a dreary tone, ¡°¡­You should try to get some sleep before you go¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­really don¡¯t want to do this¡­¡± Kourin answered, covered head-to-toe in a thin blanket, only her face visible as she pulled her knees up to wrap her arms around, ¡°It was easier when I didn¡¯t know any of them¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He agreed, and pet the woman¡¯s head as he went by, ¡°I know the place is pretty poorly lived in, but if there¡¯s anything you want, feel free¡­  There¡¯re some shitty protein drinks in the fridge.  I¡¯m gonna shower.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Phex¡­¡±

    The little apartment was barely the size of a mid-level hotel room, with the main living area serving as bedroom and mini-kitchen, too.  The only thing that had a separate room for itself was the bathroom, and with Phexides already in there, Kourin found herself alone¡­in that small open space, and in her thoughts.

    The best I can hope for now is to get the information from Seth without him finding out what I want it for¡­ She considered dubiously.  I have to find a way to convince him to find those black-sites¡­  Even if he can¡¯t figure out where Scyren actually is, if we know where she might be, then¡­that would be enough¡­

    She buried her face against her knees¡­and when she looked up, she was outside and on her way to that unfortunate meeting.  Her eyes felt heavy and she could only keep them half-open; every blink made it seem like she¡¯d lost time, and she had to reacquaint herself with the here and now all over again.  Spotting Seth felt surreal, like he was nothing more than a mirage in the growing crowd.  She wasn¡¯t even completely sure if he¡¯d actually brought the bouquet of daisies she thought she saw¡­at least not until she lifted out of where she¡¯d nearly fallen asleep into them, and awoke again with a start.

    ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± Seth wondered apprehensively, ¡°You¡¯re really out of it.¡±

    She just lifted a hand to her face, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry¡­  I don¡¯t think I slept at all¡­¡±

    ¡°I can tell.  What happened?  You were fine when I left you yesterday.¡±

    Kourin was dead on her feet, and swayed slightly.

    Worriedly, Seth stepped in to make sure she didn¡¯t drop right there on the sidewalk.  Simply pulling her into a hug at first, he glanced around cluelessly, and for complete lack of knowing what else to do, he hoisted the women up off her feet entirely.  If she was faking it just for the fun of testing him, or actually out cold, he couldn¡¯t tell, but with her head carefully set to his shoulder and her sundress tucked against his arm, he made his way over to the park entrance and went in early.

    An enormous outdoor stage was still being set up at that point in the early afternoon, but there were hundreds of other people already there to pick their preferred real-estate.  Seth just joined the process, and found a spot a moderate distance away, but up on a slight bulge of a hill, with a huge tree set on the top of it.  He did his best to lean so he could free up one hand, and finagled with his overlay to manufacture a blanket-like sheet of nanotech to set over the ground before he sat down.

    And thus passed the next two and a half hours.  The crowd grew, the stage-assembly finished, the sun passed across the sky, and Seth marveled in confusion at whatever had just happened.  He didn¡¯t dare try to wake the woman up though, he just sat still, with his back against the base of the tree and Kourin¡¯s head against his chest.  When she did finally stir again, he waited for her to do so in her own time and manner.

    With the weather as nice as it was, and the sun passing through the leaves of the tree to dapple the grassy hill, it couldn¡¯t have been a more pleasant rousing.  Kourin rubbed her eyes, and set one hand against the ground to push up to sit.  She blinked hard and yawned¡­and suddenly realized, ¡°Oh my god, I am so sorry.¡± She stammered, and quickly pulled away to perch on her knees so she could bow her head at the teen, ¡°That was so rude of me¡­!¡±

    Seth just looked at her in surprise, and only-then noticed the drool-puddle on his shirt.  Kourin looked up at him funny when he just laughed and sat up a bit straighter, ¡°Well, if anything, I must not be throwing any red flags if you feel safe enough to do that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so embarrassed¡­¡± She shook her head, and tried to comb her fingers through her bangs to straighten them out again beside her face, ¡°How long did I trap you like this¡­?¡±

    ¡°Trap?¡± He puffed, ¡°I mean¡­it was unexpected, but I didn¡¯t mind.  You looked like you needed it.  Are you good?  You were out for nearly three hours.¡±

    ¡°Three HOURS!?¡± She yelped in surprise, and got a bunch of curious looks from passing spectators.  Kourin quickly hid her face with both hands, but sighed and gave a nod from behind them, ¡°I think so¡­  Power naps, right?¡±

    ¡°Happy to be a pillow anytime.¡±

    Her face went red, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t even remember meeting-up with you¡­  Did I say anything stupid¡­?¡±

    ¡°No.  That was my job.¡± Seth answered with a nervous laugh, and reached his arms way up to stretch.  He quickly realized how sore his back and backside were from not moving, and he stretched himself out to lay down instead, ¡°Oof¡­¡±

    By then, Kourin at least let herself slide slightly to her side, rather than sitting down formally and straight on her knees.  She slouched slightly as the Rydell nudged his shoes off and reached down to rub his sides, ¡°I¡­damn¡­  What could you have possibly said that was stupid?  Compared to me earlier, an ant would be a genius.¡±

    ¡°Something along the lines of ¡®oh wow, you wore a dress, I would do anything you asked right now¡¯ or something similar.¡± He teased at himself, and pulled his arms back up to cross behind his head, one knee rising to bend upward, ¡°Probably for the best that you don¡¯t remember that part though.¡±

    She just smiled, ¡°Yeah, probably.  Who knows what I would¡¯ve asked you to do.¡±  She finally noticed the flowers ¨C again ¨C and this time raised them to her nose just to smell, not to pass-out into, ¡°These are really sweet.  You went all-out.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully it¡¯s not over the top?¡± He answered, and twisted to lay on his side, propped up on one elbow, ¡°I considered the rose-route but I figured that would be too on the nose¡­¡±

    Kourin snickered into the bouquet, but then finally turned and sat next to the teen, looking out over the growing audience.  She set the flowers across her crossed legs, ¡°There¡¯s so many more people here now than before.  You¡¯d think some main-line band was coming or something¡­¡±

    ¡°Sounds like you don¡¯t come to the city that often.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is this common?¡±

    ¡°At this time of year, yeah absolutely, at least once a week.  They do massive light-shows and put on these huge choreographed displays.  Did you bring your glasses?¡±

    Kourin reached back to tap on the little bag she¡¯d managed to remember, ¡°It¡¯s probably the only thing I did this morning that was smart.¡±

    Seth gave her a curious look, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sleep?  You sounded like you were looking forward to meeting-up for this.  Showing up like you did¡­¡±

    She felt guilty all over again, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just¡­  No, I couldn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Seth pressed, and lifted up to lean against his hand instead.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to throw Phex under a bus, but¡­he got a bit too into his feelings last night that you wouldn¡¯t help.  I spent all night consoling him.¡±

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    Seth grimaced, ¡°I¡­okay.  I didn¡¯t realize?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.  You had known him for all of 30 seconds before he threw his biggest rocks at you.  It¡¯s probably more my fault for ever agreeing to introduce you, so¡­sorry again about that.¡± She explained, ¡°And you barely know me as it is.¡±

    That earned a nervous laugh, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been a little¡­er, a lot curious¡­about why you chose the nickname that you have?¡± He finally braved to ask, ¡°Of all the names¡­and his, too¡­  If anything¡¯s a bit on the nose, it¡¯s probably that, right?¡±

    Kourin blinked in surprise, but then just lifted a hand to her cheek, ¡°Ehh¡­well¡­  You remember when I said I¡¯m officially Mikkela Hennison?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­cuz that¡¯s my nickname.  It¡¯s my Myrmidon alias.  Kourin is my real name.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding.  But his is definitely Wyatt for real, like you said¡­?¡±

    She feigned a shrug, ¡°No, not kidding¡­and yeah, for sure.  Bit of a smartass move, right?¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think too hard about it.  ¡®Kourin¡¯ is a cute name, I think.  Lots of other people probably used it over the years anyway.  Can¡¯t tell people what to name their kids just cuz of some pesky association from a thousand-million years ago.¡± She mused, but then leaned against her own hand, and teased to rest a bit closer to him, ¡°What would you even do if I was the Kourin Harrow anyway?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even know where to start.  ¡®How are you still alive after all this time,¡¯ would probably be at the top.¡±

    ¡°Well, the Eidolon are still the same people, right?¡± She proposed, and gestured out over the crowd ¨C and the wider cityscape beyond the park¡¯s treetops, ¡°They watched all this rise from the rocks, and they don¡¯t know how they kept on living all this time.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Do they?  I thought no one knew.  Given half the people in Kitez and Sargon think the Eidolon are just an A.I. with their digitized personalities¡­and the Eidolon themselves have never gone out of their way to dissuade them from the concept¡­¡±

    Seth puffed, ¡°Oh, they¡¯re definitely not artificial people.  They¡¯re very much who they claim to be.  I guess you¡¯re right though¡­no one¡¯s ever explained how or why they¡¯re effectively immortal.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever wondered?¡± Kourin asked carefully, ¡°With the Tuonela parked on Ground Zero, it must be a common question from them, at the very least.  Telling those people that, not only have 350 years passed while they were asleep, but their fleet command is still alive after all this time and they¡¯ve chosen to take funny-looking avatars?  Lord Rylen¡¯s especially¡­¡±

    Seth scoffed, ¡°You think Lord Rylen¡¯s is especially weird while knowing what Lady Etienne chose to look like?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never actually seen her, so I can¡¯t say.  Same with Lord Arbelos.¡±

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡± He stared in confusion, ¡°You¡¯ve never seen Lady Etienne?¡±

    Kourin shook her head, ¡°Is that weird?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­I guess not, but still?  Not even some pictures on the Cloud?  Lord Rylen and her were practically tied at the hip for the first 6 months after the Nightlong War, coordinating the recovery-effort here and in Kitez, and bringing the Tuonela over the strait.¡±

    She just smiled again, ¡°Sorry¡­  I don¡¯t always pay attention to the chatter online.  I was really busy for that time period.¡±

    Seth quirked a brow, ¡°¡­That would¡¯ve been right around the time you joined the First.¡±

    Kourin nodded, but tilted her head, ¡°Why did your tone take a suspicious note at the end?¡±

    ¡°Ah!  Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it that way.  When Lord Rylen mentioned that you were a Myrmidon 1<sup>st</sup> Class, but had only been in the First for a year, he sounded a bit skeptical, so maybe it stuck with me.  He didn¡¯t say or do anything about it though, so I brushed it off.  I may or may not have a blind-spot when it comes to the whole division¡­¡±

    The petite woman just chuckled quietly, ¡°You¡¯re a funny guy, Seth.  That irrational phobia of the Inquisitors¡¯ masks is gonna get you one of these days.¡±

    Seth sighed loudly at himself, ¡°Sadly, it already has¡­  Lord Rylen wanted me to join their ranks last year, and I was such a massive chicken about it that I had to turn him down.¡±

    ¡°Sheehs¡­  Were you terrorized by an Inquisitor as a kid or something?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not even really sure.  I don¡¯t remember ever interacting with them directly in a bad way¡­  Guess it makes sense to call it an irrational phobia.¡±

    ¡°Did he tell you where the Inquisitor bases were back then?¡± Kourin wondered ¨C she felt a twinge at the back of her head, and her eye twitched slightly, ¡°¡­Like, where you might be working if you agreed?¡±

    ¡°Nah¡­never got that involved with the process, so it never came up.¡± He answered, ¡°You know way more about all that than I do.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oddly enough, I actually don¡¯t.¡± She noted sheepishly, ¡°The only thing I do know is that there are two different corps within the division¡­one that goes about their business from the fleet¡¯s ships, and one that works out of the black-sites.  Only the really high-ranking folks overlap there.¡±

    Seth gave her a quizzical look, ¡°Doesn¡¯t your rank count as high?¡±

    ¡°As a Myrmidon?  No way!¡± She laughed, ¡°Being marked as 1<sup>st</sup> class only means my affliction has been assessed into that category.¡±

    ¡°¡­What does it mean?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­I thought you would¡¯ve know that scale.  The Fafnir ought to?¡±

    ¡°I think the Fafnir have their own grading system for the afflicted¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­okay, well¡­  In the Myrmidon corps, 3<sup>rd</sup> class is considered benign; being able to make yourself glow in the dark or float, turn your skin hard like rock¡­stuff that doesn¡¯t really make a big difference practically-speaking.  The 2<sup>nd</sup> class folks are those who can influence the areas around them, like being able to create fire and ice, strike with abnormal strength, electrify the air¡­that kind of thing.¡±

    ¡°I get it¡­like internal effects and external.  So, what¡¯s 1<sup>st</sup> class then?¡±

    ¡°High-danger.¡± She proffered that sweet smile again like it was no big deal, ¡°Those with the potential to do serious damage to the Council if they turned.  Telepathy, telekinesis¡­being able to turn invisible.  Things that mess with peoples¡¯ heads.¡±

    Seth was stunned, ¡°Wow¡­  Yeah, the Fafnir scale is very different from that¡­  I didn¡¯t even realize the afflicted could be classed differently.  Yours sounds like a scale of intra-organizational threat-level, while the Fafnir grade based on battlefield potential.  Being able to turn invisible would be annoying for them to deal with, but¡­they could just carpet-blast the area with their range weapons, and¡­¡±

    ¡°Spooky.¡± Kourin teased, ¡°Yeah¡­splat.¡±

    ¡°Kinda weird to think that you¡¯re considered a high-threat level¡­¡± Seth rubbed his head with his free hand, ¡°But I guess you really could cause a lot of problems if you weren¡¯t on our side.  Makes total sense that Lord Rylen would assess your rank and then not be that bothered by why you¡¯re at a Rift.  How come you only just joined a year ago though?¡±

    Kourin hesitated to answer for a moment, but then couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing.  Seth looked at her incredulously, not getting why she thought it was such a funny question.  She reached forward to pet his arm though, ¡°Gods¡­  I joined cuz the Council blew-up everything I knew.  I had no where else to go.  Being a Kitezan bumpkin does that to you.¡±

    Seth was immediately upright, ¡°You¡¯re Kitezan?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.  Where¡¯d you think I was from?¡±

    He looked on, baffled all the more, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t really think about it.  I guess I just assumed no one from Kitez would ever join-up with the Council, given we¡­well, we blew everything up on the way to Oceanside.  And what we didn¡¯t blow up, the Duchess did¡­¡±

    ¡°Not all of us cared either way about the Luminaries¡­but, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t have implants, at least.¡± She moved that hand further up and touched to the subtle nub behind Seth¡¯s left ear, ¡°Just haven¡¯t gotten around to it yet, I guess.  Does it bother you?¡±

    ¡°No¡­?  I mean, no.  No, it doesn¡¯t.  Not at all.¡± He stammered, and moved his own hand up to carefully loop his fingers around her thin wrist.  He pulled her hand forward, and just looked at those petite digits as he rubbed slowly across them with his thumb, ¡°Maybe I¡¯m more surprised that you¡¯d not be bothered.  I mean¡­being at Lord Rylen¡¯s side kind of makes me the poster-child for everything that the Council did in Kitez.  It¡­makes me a conqueror, and sometimes I¡¯m not even sure if we could call ourselves the benevolent sort.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°We annihilated a dynasty.¡± He answered simply, and let her have her hand back, ¡°¡­Maybe you don¡¯t care about that either though.  Where were you when it all happened?¡±

    ¡°Oh, far away.  I didn¡¯t even know the war had happened until a day or two later.  Funny that, though¡­I used to live in Stoneface Bluffs, which apparently got scuffed by one of the Duchess¡¯ attacks.  Close call, right?¡±

    Seth blinked at her vacantly, but the feeling of a cold-water rush went through him anyway, and he couldn¡¯t help but lay prone on his back, fingers clasped across his chest as he stared up into the tree, ¡°¡­Wow¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± She mused, and leaned right over top of him, bangs near enough to tickle his face, ¡°Like I said, I was way far away at the time.¡±

    ¡°¡­But what if you hadn¡¯t left?  Or, what if the Duchess hadn¡¯t waited until the Dawn to attack, after you¡¯d already gone?¡± He wondered, cheeks feeling tingly all over to see her loom like that.

    Kourin shrugged those bare shoulders, ¡°Who knows?¡± She then pulled a hand back and poked at his chest, ¡°Oh, look¡­my drool-puddle is gone.  You can¡¯t even tell anymore.¡±

    Seth lifted up to sit again, and rubbed the spot as well, ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°You sound so sad about it...¡± She mused, and twisted in her spot as noise from the stage caught her attention, ¡°Looks like they might be starting a pre-pre-pre-show soon.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah¡­¡± He agreed tepidly.  Seth could only look on at her with that same morose expression on his face, She was so close to being killed because of us¡­  And in spite of it all, she doesn¡¯t even hold a grudge¡­?  Not the slightest hint of malice or disgust at what we did¡­?  Not even Iresha came out of that war thinking we were entirely justified in how we did things¡­and one could argue he came out on top of it all.  He pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them.

    Even as the show began, and the small local bands evolved into more well-known performances, Seth couldn¡¯t shake that odd near-miss feeling.  The sun gradually set, and more elaborate displays came into view in the waning light ¨C nanotech storm-clouds and waves, whale-pods swimming by through the sky, full reconstructions of the singers, and, of course, the laser-light shows that could only be seen with peoples¡¯ overlays.

    Kourin wasn¡¯t oblivious to his awkward melancholy though, and a thought occurred to her, ¡°¡­You wanna see something cool?¡±

    ¡°¡­What is it?¡±

    She pulled her glasses off, and let her eyes start to glow.  Despite the public setting, and the real possibility there may be people in the crowd who wouldn¡¯t be thrilled to see such power on display, she let the auroras of golden light flutter out into the air.  They expanded out until the whole tree was engulfed, making it something of a beacon in the dark on that hill.  She quickly cut the glimmer from herself though, and just let the waves of light hover for a little while, moving subtly like a tide, ¡°Too few afflicted ever bother to learn what they can really do, so most don¡¯t know the neat little tricks they can pull off¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Seth watched the golden color gradually fade; the way the crowd reacted, it was as though they believed it was just a nanotech effect.  Once it was gone though, he turned his attention back to the woman who¡¯d made it, and she looked at him in turn.

    ¡°There¡¯s¡­one other thing that I could show you.¡± She commented as the music thumped in the background, ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone knows about it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    Kourin turned where she sat and faced him, ¡°You have to promise not to freak out.¡±

    ¡°Why would I?¡±

    ¡°It can be a bit intense the first time.  ¡­I¡¯ve never done it with someone who isn¡¯t afflicted before, but¡­maybe it will do something.¡± She laughed, ¡°Hopefully, anyway.  I¡¯d feel a little silly to make a big deal out of it and then you don¡¯t feel anything.¡±

    Seth leaned back down onto an elbow again, ¡°On my honor as a Knight of the First.¡± He said, trying to tease, and held a hand over his heart.

    Kourin looked around mischievously, but then scooted closer, and let her eyes glow again, ¡°Afflicted can blend their power together.  Depending on how synergistic their powers are, the combined effects can be really strong¡­or maybe just goofy.  If I blended with the Emperor¡¯s fire, for example, we could probably make a flame that can¡¯t be seen, but which burns just as hot as the real thing.  A real nightmare for firefighters!¡± She laughed.

    Seth was mesmerized by that golden flare, ¡°¡­What do you think will happen to someone like me though?  I have nothing to blend with it.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re about to find out.¡± She said, feeling giddy at the prospect, and moved one hand to help guide the aura closer.

    Seth watched carefully as those little waves of light made their way nearer, until his own sights were suddenly washed with gold.  He felt a strange weight on his chest, and a subtle sting at the back of his eyes, but he kept his peace so she wouldn¡¯t quit prematurely.

    ¡°Okay, here it goes¡­¡± She forewarned, ¡°Don¡¯t scream.¡±

    Seth swallowed a nervous lump in his throat, ¡°O-okay.¡±

    The feeling of the weight on his chest suddenly felt like a kick, and the sting in his eyes burned.  He grit his teeth and winced slightly, and pushed up a little higher to lean against his arm.  He drew in a quick breath, and with that inhale¡­it was like something snapped in his mind; a dry twig that broke, or a thin thread that had been cut¡­it was so subtle, it was nearly lost beneath the tidal-wave of pressure that followed.  The feeling of gnawing guilt and despair sank its teeth into him, but it, too, was lost under the unrelenting deluge.  What followed was a blanket of calm ¨C the pressure and burning-sting faded into obscurity ¨C and Seth could see again.

    It wasn¡¯t normal sight though; ahead of him, Kourin seemed to have a certain glow about her, like he could see the radiance gleaming off her soul.  It was a faded blue-silver color, with a streak of red moving through it, and the whole thing shimmered slightly like bright oil; the nervous look on her face faded to one of equal surprise.

    ¡°¡­Seth?¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you seeing¡­?¡±

    She had no answer, ¡°¡­You¡¯re¡­so warm¡­¡± She said instead, ¡°I just¡­want¡­to fall into it¡­¡±

    There was a whisper echoing quietly from that glow around her, and Seth could feel as if he had strings attached to his limbs, encouraging him to move.  The flutter in his chest was more than he knew what to do with ¨C it was like the pressure of two peoples¡¯ hearts yearning instead of only his own.  His hands then started to move ahead of him, acting out what he wanted before he was even consciously aware.  Fingers moved under those pale bangs, and he felt the warmth of her cheek in his palm.

    He had no idea a kiss could feel that way; like he¡¯d melted into her, and was cradling the very essence of her in his hand.  He felt a palm press to his chest, but then slide up over his shoulder, followed by the other arm as Kourin leaned into him.  It was pure bliss, energies blending together, thin fingers combing into his hair as the kiss turned and started anew¡­only to be cut short by what seemed like a hard yank on a chain that had been wrapped all around him, and Kourin pulled back.

    Seth felt a sharp pain in his head, and watched as Kourin made her eye-lights fade, clutching at her own head like she¡¯d felt it, too.  He felt his breath catch in his chest, and he clasped at it just as she did her own, ¡°¡­Are you okay¡­?  What was that¡­?¡±

    The look in her eyes was devastating, ¡°¡­I¡­I have to go¡­¡±

    ¡°Kourin?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She said hurriedly, and without a second thought, she vanished from sight, even before Seth could see her eyes light-up again.

    ¡°K-Kourin!?¡± He called out, looking around in a panic.  The music and crowd were so loud, no one noticed.  He yelled her name louder, but she was gone.  The only thing left was the faint silver-blue smoky trail that hurried down the hill.  That, too, faded quickly though, like mist in the morning sunlight.  Seth was left there, baffled, feeling that sickening pain start to creep in¡­and then he saw her glasses, abandoned on the blanket.