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?¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°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.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°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!¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°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.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    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¡­¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    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.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°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¡­¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°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 content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    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. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    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¡­ Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    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!¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    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.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, 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. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°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?¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°¡­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.  We also secured two entire nanotech containment pods; they should be arriving in the next day or two..¡±

    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.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°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.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°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 budget 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 continuous hormone therapies, 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¡­¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative 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¡­?¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    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.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please 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.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°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.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    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 opened, 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.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    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.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    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 tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    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 tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°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.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected 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 everyone else 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 disappointed, ¡°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 clung 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 quietly shuffling towards 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.  A cosmic parasite?  Some kind of¡­para-dimensional, mind-altering corruption?  We can¡¯t know¡­¡±

    ¡°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 feeling like he¡¯d just been dunked in ice-cold water.  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.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    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.¡±

    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 pointed 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 supposedly 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, followed by 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 ¨C I now realize - has been scrubbed from your archives¡­events 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 ¨C like a flickering candle-flame - 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.

    With his heart in his throat, Furion took a deep breath.  The door shifted closed again, and the office-space was quiet.  He looked at his gloved hands, eyes narrowed, ¡°¡­Idiot¡­  What were you thinking¡­¡±

 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 encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    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.The tale has been stolen; if detected 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.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    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 what the Knights did, 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, ¡°¡­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 to 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!¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    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 all three 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.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°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 came out of the warp core¡­and 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 immediately, but¡­¡± 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 can become 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. ¡­And those who don¡¯t think of us as gods don¡¯t even believe we¡¯re 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 that we made.¡±

    ¡°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, ¡°But¡­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.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°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.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°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?¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°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 all 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.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°¡­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.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°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 late 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. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    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 spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. 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.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    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.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°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?¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°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?¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°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 lead 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!?¡± Iresha 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.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°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.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    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¡­¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°¡­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, fresh out of the College ¨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 for high-ranking officials and dignitaries, 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 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.¡±

    Her right eye twitched a little in annoyance.  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 singular anger for him.  Everything from traitor to afflicted coward, he saw it all.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    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.  At least, none save the Duchess, who immediately recognized those intense - and decidedly unnatural - purple eyes.

    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.  I think I¡¯m not unnerved by the people¡¯s opinion of me specifically.¡± He nudged his head at the protesters, ¡°Was their opinion of me always like this?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a topic for later, Gabe.¡±

    ¡°¡­Leaving me in suspense, I see.¡± Gabriel shook his head, but accepted it, ¡°So, are you going to spend the whole encounter as a creature?¡±

    ¡°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; under any other circumstances, it ought to be coming down right on top of us.¡±

    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-light.  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!  I¡¯ve grown impatient waiting for you, Xanarken.  Come out!¡±

    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 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, along with all of you if you try to stop us.¡±

    ¡°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 glanced 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¡­will 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.  But don¡¯t forget; no deals can be brokered nor decisions rendered without my approval.¡±

    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 story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. 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.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°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.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°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.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°¡­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!¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°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.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    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. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    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.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°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-¡°Stolen novel; please report.

    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.