Intermission T: Hallowed Insight
This whole heroic matter wasn’t going as planned, thought the High Priestess-elect, as she sipped on wine. Since the divine dreams continued to pressure her with that humongous figure, she was sure that this was the right direction to take. Even her mentor approved of this, and found two previous instances where such figures arose by themselves or were elevated by the Church. Except that those cases were from ages ago, almost mythic times when adventurers and battle monks would roam across the lawless lands. Fighting monsters, participating in wars, discovering treasures in ancient ruins and even slaying dragons would elevate them to the ranks of living legends worthy of the lofty title “hero”.
Today, there were simply no opportunities for an individual to earn such merits. The monsters were long since exterminated, wars were fought by too many people at once for any warrior to stand out, dragons sightings were a once in a lifetime event, and the ruin explorations got taken over by guilds. It may have been possible to raise a hero from scratch, but there was never any reason to do so. Was the nomad threat this time truly so dire as to require such a figure? Then, why did the Transcendent One not warn them earlier? Was a potential hero already out there somewhere? Or did she misunderstand the vision’s message yet again?
One thing was for sure, there was certainly a good reason why the new High Priest-elect needed to be trained by the current one for some years before assuming office. Interpreting the visions, leading the clergy, overseeing the Temple, dealing with secular rulers, it was a daunting task. Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by an out-of place smell coming from the window, and she stood up to investigate. The scorching hot midday sun was gone, and a gentle breeze carried that odor from the distant cliffs. Looking up, she understood the reason for this, a rain front was approaching! The change of seasons did not only come far too early, but the clouds looked unusually dense. While this was a happy occasion, on the other hand, such a quick onset of the temperate season also meant that the nomads could attack sooner than usual.
Wait, could this be an omen, and the visions were tied to that?! She nearly dropped the ornate goblet with the exquisite wine. What if the Warlord had already managed to unite and organize the barbarians? Then they would have to face not just the annual raids, but a full-scale invasion instead, a year earlier than expected. Since the efforts to sabotage their unification efforts had failed, and all Church spies were eliminated, the only source of information she had left were the Divine One’s visions. A truly mighty aid, as she had experienced during the initiation, yet also an unfocused and often vague one.
This was of course not God’s fault, understood the Priestess. Its insight was simply far beyond any mortal’s faculties. Even the Holy Vessel which allowed them to partake of Its might, a mere sliver of Its true power, was already overwhelming. More so, for the God to sacrifice a part of Its own Divinity to protect and guide the lowly mortals, this was an act of infinite Grace they could never hope to repay. Instead, they simply had to do their best in order to live up to Its expectations and properly interpret the holy visions. She gulped down the rest of the wine, and immediately left for the Inner Temple. Somehow, she felt the need for divine guidance right about now.
The hallowed song of the Vestige was audible even on the stairs to the Sanctum. She quickly opened the doors and knelt in front of the altar, forgoing lighting the incense burners. Not that she needed them, the melody was already filling her very being, connecting her with the Divine One. Her perception deepened beyond the mundane world, opening her mind towards the Transcendent One’s infinite wisdom. A multitude of possibilities was laid out before her, and now, she understood, as she applied the sorting techniques taught to her. Since the endless strings of information were impossible to process, the priests had to weave through them by using the strongest impression as a beacon. So, instead of desperately looking for a candidate based on a vague impression, she had to sort the numerous visions through the concept of a hero. As if reacting to this, the currents seemed to calm down and allowed her to have a much clearer sight. Both of the best possible course of action, and of the prospective hero. Yes, it would need a true monster to fight against another one.
[Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
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Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXXI: A hidden gem
Another weird dream, thought Emberwing, as she trudged off to the bathroom. Was that a part of some virtual world which she merged with her own nightmare? It being based on real events was rather unlikely, after all. Could she have inserted herself into Alexander Jardin’s dream instead, and was he even aware of it? Probably not, it didn’t feel the same as their previous interaction, and mulling over this whole issue wouldn’t get her anywhere. Rather, countless tasks were waiting for her, she should at least go over all the reports and commit them to memory in order to access the data anytime. Looking at the image in the mirror, she noticed the early signs of her getting out of shape. For a proper Loroi warrior, this simply couldn’t be overlooked any longer.
“Beryl, what’s the schedule of the training facility?” Therefore, she decided to do something about it immediately.
“That room is exclusively for our use anyway.” replied the Listel, “Fireblade should be in there right now.”
“Then, I shall join her.” This could help clear up her mind.
The gym was a medium-sized room down the corridor, filled with familiar equipment. After all, they did have almost the same physiology. She began inspecting the instructions, which were written in Trade.
“It’s an honor for the Captain to join me.” Fireblade put down the weights, and rose up from the bench. “Usually, it’s just me alone killing time in here.”
“I simply needed a break.” She adjusted the counterweight, “There’s a gigantic pile of reports waiting for me, and I don’t even know where to start, or how to properly distribute the tasks.”
“Then, start at the beginning?” Amused by her confession, the Teidar lifted an eyebrow, “We can’t possibly hope to process all of this data, anyway. Just stick with your idea of doing some preliminary analyses. Once we’d get back, there will be enough specialists to take care of it. You are a command officer, not a scientist.”
“I know, but it would be great if I could contribute something.” Emberwing leaned back, and started the exercise, “I’m not even in control of my own dreams, some great command ability that is.”
“Neither am I, so what?” Fireblade shrugged, “I’ve learned to live with it. But I guess that you wanted to hear some advice instead?”
“Maybe?” Somehow, she had trouble to focus her thoughts after the latest dream. At least, the exercise brought about a modicum of tranquility. “Actually, I’d appreciate it if you could impart some.”
“You are simply overthinking the whole matter by an order of magnitude or even two.” The Teidar was as always pretty straightforward, “Just challenge whatever is troubling you the most.”
She wanted to reply that it wouldn’t be as easy as that. Instead, Emberwing found herself looking at a ringed planet, a yellow and green world with several small, shallow seas. A section of the starry sky below her seemed to distort, and a gigantic ship, utterly black and shaped like a sphere, simply materialized there. Upon a closer look, however, it looked completely ruined, and could no longer be described as a vessel. Shattered by some cataclysmic event, this was merely an assortment of huge fragments floating together on roughly the same vector. Not everything on board was entirely dead, though, since a few silvery specks were launched towards the distant planet.
As if having exhausted its last sliver of strength with the deed, the shipwreck then collapsed on itself and disappeared in a powerful outburst of radiation. It instantly vaporized the sizable chunks of ice which the planet’s ring consisted of. Next, the blast blew off the thin cloud cover, and scorched the surface below. Before the mighty detonation could finish off the planet altogether, and against all common sense, the shockwave suddenly began retreating inwards. The iridescent explosion bubble gradually compressed, while turning ever dimmer, going beyond light, beyond color, transforming into an impossibly dark wound in the fabric of space. Finally, the absurd un-thing simply vanished, as if the whole spectacle never happened in the first place. Just a few debris pieces remained, but even those were drawn in by the planet’s gravity. Raining down on the surface, they painted fiery streaks through the turbulent atmosphere, and caused huge plumes of dust upon impact.
Emberwing jerked up, waking from whatever that was. Somebody’s fantasy? A daydream? Apparently, she was out for a mere heartbeat, since Fireblade seemed to be oblivious to her absence. Still, she now picked up her confused emotional undertone, “Are you even listening?”
“Boldly challenging it, right? I did just that in confronting the Human Captain two days ago. It was somewhat successful, even though you all criticized me for it later.” She tried to calm down, “Given all the circumstances, I’ll probably need to speak with him soon enough.”
“Better make you more presentable, then.” The Teidar grinned mischievously, “We can’t have a princess being all smelly and unkempt to appear before a male.”
“While I intend to make a name by myself, I also cannot stop being a princess, so what?” She replied in a powerful tone, copying that previous statement. “But thank you for the advice.”
“I didn’t do anything of note.” Fireblade saw her off with a faint smile. “You’re welcome, though.”
While going back, and then, submerging herself into the bath, Emberwing continued to mull over those strange dreams. Was the first one a figment of her imagination, or perhaps truly an invitation by the Human Captain? But, to what? The second vision was even weirder. Her brain, however, was already processing the images, and came up with an unexpected theory. William Steele had once mentioned that the Soia ships, whose debris pieces they found in their system, must’ve been powered by singularity generators, which collapsed upon failure. Judging from how it perished and the immense size, that spherical ship may have been a Soia dreadstar! Suppressing the urge to jump out of the tub right away, she quickly finished up and rushed out of the bath.
“Beryl, when is Tempo expected to come back?” She vaguely sensed the Mizol at a great distance.
“In two hours.” The Listel looked up from the console. “Did something happen?”
“Perhaps,” She wasn’t even sure what actually happened, “I’ll need to analyze my dream with Oasis first.”
The counselor was still busy, “I’m about half-way done with the preliminary psychological profile, but I’ve also hit a snag. What is the true significance of those virtual worlds for the Humans? The answer to this question is also quite important regarding how they manage to sustain such an absurdly high population density.”
“Then, my issue could be tied into that.” Emberwing stretched out her hand, “I’ve had yet another interesting dream. Two, actually.”
“While I don’t know the usual Human dream patterns, this doesn’t seem like a virtual world? It is strangely symbolic, untypical for us Loroi, but perhaps normal for the Humans?” The Tiret was puzzled about that temple scene as well, “Maybe it’s something you two constructed together?”
“From what and why?” It didn’t make much sense.
“It could be a representation of his goals and aspirations.” Even the counselor could only guess, “Or, judging by the metaphor of becoming the next Dragon after slaying one, perhaps anxiety? In Human fiction, those creatures generally represent an obstacle.”
“Anxiety? Yes, I have heaps of that to contribute.” She had to consider this interpretation as well, “Anyway, there was also a daydream of sorts.”
“Now, this is more akin to imagery I’d expect from a story.” Oasis seemed to recognize it, “Something like that may have happened during the planetfall on the Sister-Worlds as well. After all, if our ancestors still had their ships, then it would be unlikely for them to devolve into savages.”
“But why did I see it as a waking dream?” While the explanation was logical enough, something was still amiss, “And where could the Humans have gotten this idea from?”
“We did send them a cultural package, so maybe there were also such myths in there. I’m not particularly well-versed in those ancient legends or history, though.” The Tiret looked at her tablet, “Which brings us back to the virtual worlds issue. Did they already incorporate this trope into their fantasies? Why such a hurry?”
“Rather, when could they even manage to do it? The Humans should've been too busy for such frivolities.” The sense of incongruity within her was growing stronger. “What if the dream came from a different source?”
“The Zulotchi?” Oasis raised an eyebrow, “I’m still unconvinced that they actually exist.”
“No, not them, either.” Emberwing burst out in frustration. “I simply don’t know!”
“Let us look at this from a logical point of view.” The Tiret attempted to calm her down. “It is pretty obvious that you have a connection with the Humans, most probably with the Captain. However, if they can share skills among themselves, maybe dreams can be shared as well, even if only subconsciously?”
“This won’t help us, on the contrary.” Any dream could then be an absurd amalgam of countless fragments, doing nothing but to confuse her. “Still, if it’s merely jumbled together, why do most of my dreams follow a storyline or take place at the same, highly detailed and consistent location? This was still happening in that strange city.”
“I’m not a dream healer, unfortunately, to reach this level needs half a lifetime of training.” Oasis sounded apologetic. “Even such an expert wouldn’t be able to help you there, since they are specialized in handling rare mental disorders, not unraveling alien mysteries.”
“You don’t need to apologize, this is my challenge.” Emberwing recalled Fireblade’s advice. “I’ll simply ask Alexander Jardin. Maybe there are more parts to this dream, which he remembers.”
“This could be risky.” Came the sensible objection.
“After conferring with Tempo, of course.” She could sense the Mizol returning. “Tempo, I need to speak with you.”
“Does it have anything to do with dreams?” Asked the Parat as she entered the room. “Or the Human Captain?”
“Yes, but why would you ask?” This couldn’t be a coincidence.
“Alexander Jardin wants to speak with you pertaining to an important matter.” She said this in an official tone, “And he wants the rest of us to attend as well.”
“Did something happen?” It sounded important, “Were Midnight and Eight Eye already informed?”
“Yes, they were called as well.” Tempo showed a troubled expression, “I was discussing the matter of recording an informal greeting with the Operative, then, he suddenly proposed for a change of plans. Did you do anything strange in a shared dream?”
“The dream was strange indeed.” Emberwing sent the mental image of the masked figure transforming into the Captain, “Maybe it is related to that, so let us see what he wants to talk about. Although I hope it’s not about those Zulotchi.”
After picking up the others, the six Loroi entered the elevator, and Tempo commanded: “Observatory.”
“What are we going to observe?” Beryl sounded intrigued, “We’ve never been to such a facility.”
“The Humans explained that it has a better holo-projector.” The Mizol was rather wary, “They said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and invited us there.”
The lift capsule opened on a different deck, and Zarjow, together with Midnight and Eight Eye, was already awaiting them, “I apologize for calling you all of a sudden, but this matter couldn’t be staved off any longer.”
They walked through a door only to find themselves in open space. Emberwing realized that this was a fully holographic environment with an astonishing level of immersion. “Interesting, this is the observatory?”
“Rather, a multipurpose chamber, but for now, it shall serve as an interstellar vantage point.” Alexander Jardin was standing in the middle of the vast starfield, a red dwarf star behind him. “I need to explain a few things about the system we’re currently in.”
“Is there anything special to warrant such a spectacle?” Was this perhaps aiming at impressing them with their superior level of technology?
“Of course, or I wouldn’t have bothered.” The view switched to show a schematic of the entire system. Contrary to the starmap she saw in the amplifier, the distinctive particle ring wasn’t there. “This is how the system should've been according to our maps provided by the Orgus. No anomalies or planets, just a lone gas giant orbiting an ordinary red dwarf.”
“What about the cloud of ice particles?” It was a slightly unusual formation, but not enough to warrant any interest outside a purely scientific one.
“It was spotted by our long-range telescopes during the routine pre-jump sweep.” The projection now displayed the adjusted image. “This prompted us to investigate the system closely, including the attempt to try out an amplified farsensing.”
“I see, that’s the reason for the sudden offer.” So, the anomaly made them wary, but it shouldn’t be dangerous. “Was there any rationale to be on guard?”
“Let’s just say that I had a strange dream, and decided to be rather safe than sorry. The farsensing didn’t pick up any signatures, and all physical scans confirmed that the discrepancy wouldn’t affect our jump, so we proceeded. It's the only path, anyway. However, from there, the mystery only grew.” The simulation began to change, highlighting his points. “After our arrival, we noticed that all the system’s water is concentrated in that belt. Everything else, the gas giant’s moons and its upper atmosphere, the various comets and planetoids, even the outlying Oort cloud, were swept clean.”
“A terraforming project!” Beryl understood it instantly, “There should be a planet, then.”
“You are right, there is a planet, it was merely hidden.” Magnifying a sector of the belt revealed a faintly visible anomaly deep in the silvery cloud, a small vortex which trailed long, diffuse swirls behind it. “Given the system’s remote location, and the position of this belt relative to the galactic plane, it effectively cloaked the planet from common long-range detection. Well, due to its inaccessibility, I doubt that anyone would waste time to observe this system closely anyway.”
“Did you ever sense something there?” Confirming the absence of life-signs with the farseer, Emberwing asked the Captain. “Can I assume that your dream was about the presence of ships, or even the system being inhabited, hence the wariness?”
“That’s what I wanted to discuss with you.” The planet enlarged further to fill the entire view, and Alexander Jardin gestured at the image. “You see, we’re already in orbit, and there are indeed signs of life.”
“Life?” It didn’t look particularly welcoming. Only some parts of the northernmost plateau, especially those around a small polar sea, had any green coloring. The rest looked utterly barren, an endless desert swept by powerful dust storms. Was the native fauna perhaps below a recognition threshold? “Is it even intelligent?”
“As much as you and me, albeit a bit more barbaric.” The imagery switched to show a primitive settlement as seen from high above. Despite the low resolution, those were definitely crude tents grouped together around a small watering hole.
“I sincerely hope that you’re not playing any pranks on me!” There were shapes moving about, but unfortunately, far too small to recognize anything specific. “Who are the inhabitants?”
“Deploying low-orbit satellites and launching aerial reconnaissance drones will take more time. This is the best we can do for now, since I don’t want to get too close.” He turned to her, “Interestingly enough, we can’t sense whoever those lifeforms might be. Can you?”
“No, we cannot detect anyone either.” Was this whole spectacle’s main intention to test them? “I don’t even know if this is not an elaborate trick of yours!”
“Of course, we need to build up more trust, I understand completely.” The holographic simulation switched back to a planetary overview, while retaining that feed in a separate window. A dot on the surface flashed green, and the Captain pointed at it. “How about something we have in common, I think that you will recognize this scenery?”
What she saw in a new window was a green valley with large-scale farmlands, intersected by a river and surrounded by steep cliffs. A familiar-looking walled town sat in the middle of it, the red roofs and the general layout being instantly recognizable. This was definitely that fantastical city from her dreams! “Did your habit of creating fake worlds finally spill out of its virtual boundaries? Or have you forgotten that such a boundary even exists?”
“While such an excuse may conveniently explain all of this nonsense, everything you see is very much real.” He stroked his beard as he looked at the orbital view, “I would like to inspect this world in more detail. If that dream was true, and there are Humans and Loroi living there, how come that we can’t sense their signatures? Or, why are all of them together on this godforsaken dust ball of a failed planet in the middle of nowhere? With a bunch of elves straight out of legends, to boot? Unfortunately, any major delay might jeopardize our current, very important mission.”
“If you so insist, then a delay of a day or two may be permissible.” Emberwing decided to believe him for the time being, mostly because a lie would gain the Humans absolutely nothing. More than just discovering a lost colony, studying the apparent mind-shield could aid them against the Shells. “We should at least find the reason for that planet-wide lotai.”
“I expect a Soian-era artifact, there is a faint layer of debris with distinct physical properties in orbit. Also, we can detect numerous impact craters on the surface, as well as massive radiation glassing across the southern hemisphere. It looks like the planet was subjected to severe orbital bombardment a long time ago, probably related to the Fall.” The planet was shown from multiple angles to demonstrate this. “What I’m not getting is the reason all this ice was brought there, and then dispersed across a four lightseconds-broad belt. The particles are far too small for it being anything but a deliberate act. It will take the planet’s gravity millions of years to catch them all, so could this be truly called terraforming? Or, was someone perhaps trying to hide the planet? Still, it would only work against superficial scans by low-tech adversaries, even with the psionic shielding.”
“No, it wasn’t intentional.” Looking at the numerous images of the planet closely, Emberwing recognized it as the one from the daydream. The shape of the plateaus, or rather, former continents, was definitely the same. The rest seemed logical as well, the blast damage, the craters, the ruined terraforming process, and even the primitive inhabitants. “I also had a strange dream, precisely about this planet. A vision of how the survivors escaped their doomed ship and landed there. It was the shockwave from the vessel’s foundering which scorched the planet and dispersed the accumulated ice.”
“I see, you had a similarly interesting dream about the past.” The Operative eyed her with great curiosity, “Do you perchance have any idea about its possible source?”
Then, it finally dawned on Emberwing and a shiver ran down her spine. If the dreams about that fantastical city were based on real events, and not on Human imagination, how did she manage to receive them across half a sector? Most importantly, just who or what was down there to possess such frightful psionic powers as to broadcast them?
Another weird dream, thought Emberwing, as she trudged off to the bathroom. Was that a part of some virtual world which she merged with her own nightmare? It being based on real events was rather unlikely, after all. Could she have inserted herself into Alexander Jardin’s dream instead, and was he even aware of it? Probably not, it didn’t feel the same as their previous interaction, and mulling over this whole issue wouldn’t get her anywhere. Rather, countless tasks were waiting for her, she should at least go over all the reports and commit them to memory in order to access the data anytime. Looking at the image in the mirror, she noticed the early signs of her getting out of shape. For a proper Loroi warrior, this simply couldn’t be overlooked any longer.
“Beryl, what’s the schedule of the training facility?” Therefore, she decided to do something about it immediately.
“That room is exclusively for our use anyway.” replied the Listel, “Fireblade should be in there right now.”
“Then, I shall join her.” This could help clear up her mind.
The gym was a medium-sized room down the corridor, filled with familiar equipment. After all, they did have almost the same physiology. She began inspecting the instructions, which were written in Trade.
“It’s an honor for the Captain to join me.” Fireblade put down the weights, and rose up from the bench. “Usually, it’s just me alone killing time in here.”
“I simply needed a break.” She adjusted the counterweight, “There’s a gigantic pile of reports waiting for me, and I don’t even know where to start, or how to properly distribute the tasks.”
“Then, start at the beginning?” Amused by her confession, the Teidar lifted an eyebrow, “We can’t possibly hope to process all of this data, anyway. Just stick with your idea of doing some preliminary analyses. Once we’d get back, there will be enough specialists to take care of it. You are a command officer, not a scientist.”
“I know, but it would be great if I could contribute something.” Emberwing leaned back, and started the exercise, “I’m not even in control of my own dreams, some great command ability that is.”
“Neither am I, so what?” Fireblade shrugged, “I’ve learned to live with it. But I guess that you wanted to hear some advice instead?”
“Maybe?” Somehow, she had trouble to focus her thoughts after the latest dream. At least, the exercise brought about a modicum of tranquility. “Actually, I’d appreciate it if you could impart some.”
“You are simply overthinking the whole matter by an order of magnitude or even two.” The Teidar was as always pretty straightforward, “Just challenge whatever is troubling you the most.”
She wanted to reply that it wouldn’t be as easy as that. Instead, Emberwing found herself looking at a ringed planet, a yellow and green world with several small, shallow seas. A section of the starry sky below her seemed to distort, and a gigantic ship, utterly black and shaped like a sphere, simply materialized there. Upon a closer look, however, it looked completely ruined, and could no longer be described as a vessel. Shattered by some cataclysmic event, this was merely an assortment of huge fragments floating together on roughly the same vector. Not everything on board was entirely dead, though, since a few silvery specks were launched towards the distant planet.
As if having exhausted its last sliver of strength with the deed, the shipwreck then collapsed on itself and disappeared in a powerful outburst of radiation. It instantly vaporized the sizable chunks of ice which the planet’s ring consisted of. Next, the blast blew off the thin cloud cover, and scorched the surface below. Before the mighty detonation could finish off the planet altogether, and against all common sense, the shockwave suddenly began retreating inwards. The iridescent explosion bubble gradually compressed, while turning ever dimmer, going beyond light, beyond color, transforming into an impossibly dark wound in the fabric of space. Finally, the absurd un-thing simply vanished, as if the whole spectacle never happened in the first place. Just a few debris pieces remained, but even those were drawn in by the planet’s gravity. Raining down on the surface, they painted fiery streaks through the turbulent atmosphere, and caused huge plumes of dust upon impact.
Emberwing jerked up, waking from whatever that was. Somebody’s fantasy? A daydream? Apparently, she was out for a mere heartbeat, since Fireblade seemed to be oblivious to her absence. Still, she now picked up her confused emotional undertone, “Are you even listening?”
“Boldly challenging it, right? I did just that in confronting the Human Captain two days ago. It was somewhat successful, even though you all criticized me for it later.” She tried to calm down, “Given all the circumstances, I’ll probably need to speak with him soon enough.”
“Better make you more presentable, then.” The Teidar grinned mischievously, “We can’t have a princess being all smelly and unkempt to appear before a male.”
“While I intend to make a name by myself, I also cannot stop being a princess, so what?” She replied in a powerful tone, copying that previous statement. “But thank you for the advice.”
“I didn’t do anything of note.” Fireblade saw her off with a faint smile. “You’re welcome, though.”
While going back, and then, submerging herself into the bath, Emberwing continued to mull over those strange dreams. Was the first one a figment of her imagination, or perhaps truly an invitation by the Human Captain? But, to what? The second vision was even weirder. Her brain, however, was already processing the images, and came up with an unexpected theory. William Steele had once mentioned that the Soia ships, whose debris pieces they found in their system, must’ve been powered by singularity generators, which collapsed upon failure. Judging from how it perished and the immense size, that spherical ship may have been a Soia dreadstar! Suppressing the urge to jump out of the tub right away, she quickly finished up and rushed out of the bath.
“Beryl, when is Tempo expected to come back?” She vaguely sensed the Mizol at a great distance.
“In two hours.” The Listel looked up from the console. “Did something happen?”
“Perhaps,” She wasn’t even sure what actually happened, “I’ll need to analyze my dream with Oasis first.”
The counselor was still busy, “I’m about half-way done with the preliminary psychological profile, but I’ve also hit a snag. What is the true significance of those virtual worlds for the Humans? The answer to this question is also quite important regarding how they manage to sustain such an absurdly high population density.”
“Then, my issue could be tied into that.” Emberwing stretched out her hand, “I’ve had yet another interesting dream. Two, actually.”
“While I don’t know the usual Human dream patterns, this doesn’t seem like a virtual world? It is strangely symbolic, untypical for us Loroi, but perhaps normal for the Humans?” The Tiret was puzzled about that temple scene as well, “Maybe it’s something you two constructed together?”
“From what and why?” It didn’t make much sense.
“It could be a representation of his goals and aspirations.” Even the counselor could only guess, “Or, judging by the metaphor of becoming the next Dragon after slaying one, perhaps anxiety? In Human fiction, those creatures generally represent an obstacle.”
“Anxiety? Yes, I have heaps of that to contribute.” She had to consider this interpretation as well, “Anyway, there was also a daydream of sorts.”
“Now, this is more akin to imagery I’d expect from a story.” Oasis seemed to recognize it, “Something like that may have happened during the planetfall on the Sister-Worlds as well. After all, if our ancestors still had their ships, then it would be unlikely for them to devolve into savages.”
“But why did I see it as a waking dream?” While the explanation was logical enough, something was still amiss, “And where could the Humans have gotten this idea from?”
“We did send them a cultural package, so maybe there were also such myths in there. I’m not particularly well-versed in those ancient legends or history, though.” The Tiret looked at her tablet, “Which brings us back to the virtual worlds issue. Did they already incorporate this trope into their fantasies? Why such a hurry?”
“Rather, when could they even manage to do it? The Humans should've been too busy for such frivolities.” The sense of incongruity within her was growing stronger. “What if the dream came from a different source?”
“The Zulotchi?” Oasis raised an eyebrow, “I’m still unconvinced that they actually exist.”
“No, not them, either.” Emberwing burst out in frustration. “I simply don’t know!”
“Let us look at this from a logical point of view.” The Tiret attempted to calm her down. “It is pretty obvious that you have a connection with the Humans, most probably with the Captain. However, if they can share skills among themselves, maybe dreams can be shared as well, even if only subconsciously?”
“This won’t help us, on the contrary.” Any dream could then be an absurd amalgam of countless fragments, doing nothing but to confuse her. “Still, if it’s merely jumbled together, why do most of my dreams follow a storyline or take place at the same, highly detailed and consistent location? This was still happening in that strange city.”
“I’m not a dream healer, unfortunately, to reach this level needs half a lifetime of training.” Oasis sounded apologetic. “Even such an expert wouldn’t be able to help you there, since they are specialized in handling rare mental disorders, not unraveling alien mysteries.”
“You don’t need to apologize, this is my challenge.” Emberwing recalled Fireblade’s advice. “I’ll simply ask Alexander Jardin. Maybe there are more parts to this dream, which he remembers.”
“This could be risky.” Came the sensible objection.
“After conferring with Tempo, of course.” She could sense the Mizol returning. “Tempo, I need to speak with you.”
“Does it have anything to do with dreams?” Asked the Parat as she entered the room. “Or the Human Captain?”
“Yes, but why would you ask?” This couldn’t be a coincidence.
“Alexander Jardin wants to speak with you pertaining to an important matter.” She said this in an official tone, “And he wants the rest of us to attend as well.”
“Did something happen?” It sounded important, “Were Midnight and Eight Eye already informed?”
“Yes, they were called as well.” Tempo showed a troubled expression, “I was discussing the matter of recording an informal greeting with the Operative, then, he suddenly proposed for a change of plans. Did you do anything strange in a shared dream?”
“The dream was strange indeed.” Emberwing sent the mental image of the masked figure transforming into the Captain, “Maybe it is related to that, so let us see what he wants to talk about. Although I hope it’s not about those Zulotchi.”
After picking up the others, the six Loroi entered the elevator, and Tempo commanded: “Observatory.”
“What are we going to observe?” Beryl sounded intrigued, “We’ve never been to such a facility.”
“The Humans explained that it has a better holo-projector.” The Mizol was rather wary, “They said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and invited us there.”
The lift capsule opened on a different deck, and Zarjow, together with Midnight and Eight Eye, was already awaiting them, “I apologize for calling you all of a sudden, but this matter couldn’t be staved off any longer.”
They walked through a door only to find themselves in open space. Emberwing realized that this was a fully holographic environment with an astonishing level of immersion. “Interesting, this is the observatory?”
“Rather, a multipurpose chamber, but for now, it shall serve as an interstellar vantage point.” Alexander Jardin was standing in the middle of the vast starfield, a red dwarf star behind him. “I need to explain a few things about the system we’re currently in.”
“Is there anything special to warrant such a spectacle?” Was this perhaps aiming at impressing them with their superior level of technology?
“Of course, or I wouldn’t have bothered.” The view switched to show a schematic of the entire system. Contrary to the starmap she saw in the amplifier, the distinctive particle ring wasn’t there. “This is how the system should've been according to our maps provided by the Orgus. No anomalies or planets, just a lone gas giant orbiting an ordinary red dwarf.”
“What about the cloud of ice particles?” It was a slightly unusual formation, but not enough to warrant any interest outside a purely scientific one.
“It was spotted by our long-range telescopes during the routine pre-jump sweep.” The projection now displayed the adjusted image. “This prompted us to investigate the system closely, including the attempt to try out an amplified farsensing.”
“I see, that’s the reason for the sudden offer.” So, the anomaly made them wary, but it shouldn’t be dangerous. “Was there any rationale to be on guard?”
“Let’s just say that I had a strange dream, and decided to be rather safe than sorry. The farsensing didn’t pick up any signatures, and all physical scans confirmed that the discrepancy wouldn’t affect our jump, so we proceeded. It's the only path, anyway. However, from there, the mystery only grew.” The simulation began to change, highlighting his points. “After our arrival, we noticed that all the system’s water is concentrated in that belt. Everything else, the gas giant’s moons and its upper atmosphere, the various comets and planetoids, even the outlying Oort cloud, were swept clean.”
“A terraforming project!” Beryl understood it instantly, “There should be a planet, then.”
“You are right, there is a planet, it was merely hidden.” Magnifying a sector of the belt revealed a faintly visible anomaly deep in the silvery cloud, a small vortex which trailed long, diffuse swirls behind it. “Given the system’s remote location, and the position of this belt relative to the galactic plane, it effectively cloaked the planet from common long-range detection. Well, due to its inaccessibility, I doubt that anyone would waste time to observe this system closely anyway.”
“Did you ever sense something there?” Confirming the absence of life-signs with the farseer, Emberwing asked the Captain. “Can I assume that your dream was about the presence of ships, or even the system being inhabited, hence the wariness?”
“That’s what I wanted to discuss with you.” The planet enlarged further to fill the entire view, and Alexander Jardin gestured at the image. “You see, we’re already in orbit, and there are indeed signs of life.”
“Life?” It didn’t look particularly welcoming. Only some parts of the northernmost plateau, especially those around a small polar sea, had any green coloring. The rest looked utterly barren, an endless desert swept by powerful dust storms. Was the native fauna perhaps below a recognition threshold? “Is it even intelligent?”
“As much as you and me, albeit a bit more barbaric.” The imagery switched to show a primitive settlement as seen from high above. Despite the low resolution, those were definitely crude tents grouped together around a small watering hole.
“I sincerely hope that you’re not playing any pranks on me!” There were shapes moving about, but unfortunately, far too small to recognize anything specific. “Who are the inhabitants?”
“Deploying low-orbit satellites and launching aerial reconnaissance drones will take more time. This is the best we can do for now, since I don’t want to get too close.” He turned to her, “Interestingly enough, we can’t sense whoever those lifeforms might be. Can you?”
“No, we cannot detect anyone either.” Was this whole spectacle’s main intention to test them? “I don’t even know if this is not an elaborate trick of yours!”
“Of course, we need to build up more trust, I understand completely.” The holographic simulation switched back to a planetary overview, while retaining that feed in a separate window. A dot on the surface flashed green, and the Captain pointed at it. “How about something we have in common, I think that you will recognize this scenery?”
What she saw in a new window was a green valley with large-scale farmlands, intersected by a river and surrounded by steep cliffs. A familiar-looking walled town sat in the middle of it, the red roofs and the general layout being instantly recognizable. This was definitely that fantastical city from her dreams! “Did your habit of creating fake worlds finally spill out of its virtual boundaries? Or have you forgotten that such a boundary even exists?”
“While such an excuse may conveniently explain all of this nonsense, everything you see is very much real.” He stroked his beard as he looked at the orbital view, “I would like to inspect this world in more detail. If that dream was true, and there are Humans and Loroi living there, how come that we can’t sense their signatures? Or, why are all of them together on this godforsaken dust ball of a failed planet in the middle of nowhere? With a bunch of elves straight out of legends, to boot? Unfortunately, any major delay might jeopardize our current, very important mission.”
“If you so insist, then a delay of a day or two may be permissible.” Emberwing decided to believe him for the time being, mostly because a lie would gain the Humans absolutely nothing. More than just discovering a lost colony, studying the apparent mind-shield could aid them against the Shells. “We should at least find the reason for that planet-wide lotai.”
“I expect a Soian-era artifact, there is a faint layer of debris with distinct physical properties in orbit. Also, we can detect numerous impact craters on the surface, as well as massive radiation glassing across the southern hemisphere. It looks like the planet was subjected to severe orbital bombardment a long time ago, probably related to the Fall.” The planet was shown from multiple angles to demonstrate this. “What I’m not getting is the reason all this ice was brought there, and then dispersed across a four lightseconds-broad belt. The particles are far too small for it being anything but a deliberate act. It will take the planet’s gravity millions of years to catch them all, so could this be truly called terraforming? Or, was someone perhaps trying to hide the planet? Still, it would only work against superficial scans by low-tech adversaries, even with the psionic shielding.”
“No, it wasn’t intentional.” Looking at the numerous images of the planet closely, Emberwing recognized it as the one from the daydream. The shape of the plateaus, or rather, former continents, was definitely the same. The rest seemed logical as well, the blast damage, the craters, the ruined terraforming process, and even the primitive inhabitants. “I also had a strange dream, precisely about this planet. A vision of how the survivors escaped their doomed ship and landed there. It was the shockwave from the vessel’s foundering which scorched the planet and dispersed the accumulated ice.”
“I see, you had a similarly interesting dream about the past.” The Operative eyed her with great curiosity, “Do you perchance have any idea about its possible source?”
Then, it finally dawned on Emberwing and a shiver ran down her spine. If the dreams about that fantastical city were based on real events, and not on Human imagination, how did she manage to receive them across half a sector? Most importantly, just who or what was down there to possess such frightful psionic powers as to broadcast them?
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXXII: A clash of legends
Emberwing immediately suppressed her emotions, or, at least any outward expressions of such. After all, the Humans were most probably trying to analyze them with those AI systems. Then, she recalled her dreams, but there weren’t any hints regarding their mysterious source. Except for the latest one about the Zulotchi in the temple, that is. “Tempo, should I use the opportunity to ask the Humans about their possible connection with the Zulotchi?”
“Not yet, it would be too much of a stretch to do so.” There was an almost imperceptible trace of the Mizol feeling glad about being asked, “This whole setup is definitely an elaborate test. Keep your wits about you, and concentrate on evading the question. I’ll warn the others to keep quiet.”
“I don’t remember anything from my dreams which could provide a lead.” Emberwing tilted her head, “However, our legends do have certain examples of overwhelmingly powerful displays of psionic talents.”
“The flagship of Lashret Stillstorm, the Tempest, is named after such a mythical figure. She summoned the bedein, spirits of vengeance, to exact her revenge.” Tempo picked up on her tactic, “Although the legends don’t say how she obtained such an ability.”
“Or how exaggerated that story is.” What were those spirits of vengeance even supposed to be? “It is likely based on distorted accounts about the usage of some kind of Soia artifact.”
“Given your history, old legends may hold a glimpse of truth.” The Operative agreed, “Are there any which involve dreams?”
“Nothing I know of, and this may be an unintended side effect as well.” A glimpse? Her reminiscence could’ve been incomplete, so she addressed the Captain. “By the way, you said something about a dream, what was it about? We might remember different parts of it.”
“That one was the scene of a battle, if I interpret it correctly.” He tried to explain it, “The fantastical scenes could only be described as a clash of metaphors or a war of concepts. Combat at such technological levels must be simply incomprehensible.”
“I understood that it had for some reason made you wary regarding this particular system?” His explanation wasn’t one.
“Yes, the psychedelic realm was suddenly dispelled, flinging me down onto a planet.” Now, this was getting more interesting. “I really wish to be able to share the experience directly, words just don’t do it justice.”
Her perception seemed to expand, and for a heartbeat, Emberwing felt in tune with an all-encompassing melody. Then, it shattered with a terrible, dissonant chord, and she found herself falling onto a planet, wrapped in a terrible burning sensation. Yet the outward fire was nothing compared to the one which raged within. A seething wound as if her inner self was being consumed, it imparted an overwhelming sense of pain, loss, and regret.
The vision ended abruptly, causing her to stagger back. Alexander Jardin noticed her distress, and even attempted to support her, but instead, Fireblade nudged her in place with telekinesis.
“Thank you.” Emberwing shook her head and looked at the Captain reproachfully. “It's your fault.”
“That could be misunderstood in an inordinate number of ways.” He raised an eyebrow, “Some of them may be even biologically impossible.”
“Can you stop with those jokes?” Was this her own dream fragment, resurfacing at the right time? At least she could exclude it being sanzai, since the image didn’t carry the distinct undertone of someone’s psionic sending. Which meant that it couldn’t be originating from the Humans, but she decided to ask just in case. “Just now, I’ve seen some kind of vision about falling down onto a planet. Not descending in a rescue pod or crashing with a shuttle, but actually experiencing a burning sensation directly. Could it be that you managed to send to me?”
“Well, this does sound like the dream which I saw.” Alexander Jardin appeared surprised, “We didn’t send anything, though.”
“What happened? Are you hurt? Did you manage to sanzai with him?” Tempo sounded alarmed.
“It was merely a short vision, similar to my daydream before. I assumed it being sanzai from him, but there was no signature or feedback.” Emberwing shared the image, “Could anyone else see it?”
“No, I couldn’t sense even the faintest disturbance.” Midnight was slightly peeved that her abilities weren’t sufficient, “Where are you even receiving those from?”
“I wish I knew, the answer is most likely on this planet, since the dreams are now appearing regardless whether I’m sleeping or awake.” Emberwing rubbed her temples. Physically, there was nothing wrong with her, yet the suddenness did manage to startle her. “Was this scene a message for us both, then? From whom, and to what end?”
“My guess is as good as yours,” The Captain shrugged, “If the dreams are indeed trying to tell us something, then we should attempt to understand their content. Maybe the fiery fall was meant in a metaphorical sense?”
“This was far easier when we assumed the dreams to be a figment of someone’s imagination.” sent Emberwing in an angry tone. “Any ideas?”
“The dream reminds me of the legend of Testimel, who flew so high up with telekinesis, that she burned up upon reentry.” Oasis shared her memory, “I’ve read a few versions of this story in the archives.”
“Yes, it may be related, let’s work with that.” She turned back to Alexander Jardin, “There’s a legend of a powerful telekinesis user, Testimel, who used her ability to fly as high as possible. Overly curious, yet ignorant of the limitations of physics and psionics, she either over-exhausted herself, or passed out due to the lack of air. Falling down, she burned up in the atmosphere, hence her name which means Comet.”
“Oh, we do have a similar legend, that of Icarus.” Zarjow smiled faintly, “Driven by the desire to experience flight, he and his father made wings to fly in the sky. However, against his elder’s warnings, he flew too high. Once he got closer to the sun, the wax holding the contraption together melted, and the feathers the wings were made out of caught fire. Burning, he fell back down to Earth and died.”
“But it worked for the other person? Was it a problem of materials?” Beryl stared to calculate, “Given your planet’s gravity and air density, the wings…”
“Oh, don’t bother trying to verify it, this legend is most likely untrue, and it wouldn’t have worked at that technological level, anyway.” Alexander Jardin stopped her by raising a hand, “Well, somebody might have tried and failed, but that’s not the point. It is a parable, a story to warn about the dangers of forgoing advice and succumbing to hubris. Or, since the Sun was represented as a God back then, it was also a punishment for blasphemy, as no mortal could be allowed to infringe upon the domain of the Gods.”
“Yet here we are, and there weren’t any deities trying to stop us.” Zarjow chuckled, “But, instead of the Icarus legend, this whole story sounds more like the Siren myth to me. Should I get some ropes for you?”
“Siren?” Emberwing understood that it might be a trap, but still decided to ask.
“Another legend, mythical beings resembling a cross of a bird and woman who used an enchanting song to lure sailors to their doom.” The Operative pointed to the planet, “We may have been led here, one way or the other.”
“Regardless of any silly stories, we need to investigate the natives, and search the planet for traces of Soia ruins or artifacts, starting with that city.” Alexander Jardin ended the myth recital. “Unfortunately, we have just a few probes which can be repurposed as low-orbit surveillance satellites, and no atmospheric reconnaissance drones. They are being printed right now, so we should be able to begin the survey in a few hours.”
“I see, which means that the spectacle is now over?” There was no point in assembling all of them here, except to conduct a test.
“You catch on quickly. It was more of a reassurance measure, although it amounts to the same outcome.” The Captain nodded, “May I invite you to dinner as an apology?”
Emberwing now realized that she had forgotten to eat, again. Given the possibility, no, certainty of some ulterior motive, this offer was somewhat problematic, though. “Should I really accept?”
“Maybe it was sanzai after all, and he wants to try again.” Proposed Tempo, “The risk is rather low, so why not?”
“You mean that I’m a suitable sacrifice if things go wrong?” Although she was also eager to have a telepathic contact. Or this was a pretense to discuss something vis-à-vis. “You may. The same location?”
“Of course. Alexey will escort the others back.” He led her to the elevator, “It was actually his idea to perform this little play. Did you like it?”
“It was impressive enough. Did it at least serve its purpose?” She replied in a sarcastic tone.
“Maybe?” Alexander Jardin smiled, “Your reactions managed to dispel some suspicions, so in a sense, yes.”
“Good to know.” They walked into the Lounge, “So what is this invitation truly about?”
“That question is supposed to come only after we’ve eaten. You Loroi are quite straightforward.” He sat down, “The same?”
“Yes.” While eating, they talked about the legends of both worlds, and their possible origins.
“Let’s get to the main topic.” He gave the empty plates to a service bot. “Once we get enough data from flying drones and satellites, we’ll land some troops for reconnaissance. Afterwards, I’m thinking of heading there by myself. Do you want to come along?”
Emberwing wanted to blurt out, “yes”, but then paused. What the other Human had said might be true, they could’ve been led there for any kind of reason. Was it really wise to land on this planet? On the other hand, their time was severely limited, and since the mystery was likely of psionic origin, then they had no choice but to investigate it in person. “Isn’t it too hasty?”
“Most certainly.” He didn’t deny it at all, “But the rewards should outweigh the risks.”
“It is not even sure that we can find anything useful.” Although she had a feeling that the city had the answers. “And in the case when we find something, what if the natives refuse to cooperate?”
“They are already citizens of the Terran Empire from the moment I discovered the planet, so they have no other choice but to obey me.” His eyes flashed with a subdued psionic light, “Obey us.”
“That works as well.” Any Loroi commander would do the same. Securing valuable resources and artifacts, especially in wartime, had the highest priority. The Assembly was far away, and couldn’t be possibly bothered discussing the fate of a few savages. As the highest-ranking Union commander present, she only had to clarify a single point. “However, if there are any Loroi, then this arrangement has to exclude them.”
“I doubt that the population of this sand heap is significant enough to call it a Sister world, and if our dreams can be trusted, then there are Humans and those elves as well.” He made a dividing gesture with his hand, “So we’ll take those, and you can simply resettle the stranded Loroi to your territory.”
“The exact terms can be negotiated later, but it sounds reasonable enough.” The Union had no capabilities to access this planet just yet, anyway. “After the war is over, our governments will most likely establish a joint research presence here. The supply ships can then take care of their transport back home.”
“This still depends on whether the dream is true. Maybe there are some horrific monsters down there instead, and we’d have to produce kinetic ordnance next.” That would certainly delay the survey efforts. “The Charon is an exploration ship, and it doesn’t have much in terms of ground combat potential, although we can adapt a few things in a pinch.”
“Monsters? Like those Zulotchi, the so-called Dragons?” She couldn’t help but to ask this, since the opportunity seemed to be good enough.
“I’d prefer them, actually. An evil we don’t know is as dangerous as two which we do.” He leaned forwards, “I’m more concerned that the cloaking and the dreams could be caused by psi-affecting creatures. Perhaps of the same kind the Umiak might be using against you.”
“A frightening theory that certainly needs to be verified. Fine, I’ll consider accompanying you.” Emberwing decided to speak with the Mizol first. “Do you need my answer right now? I’d like to confer with my team.”
“It can wait until we’ve gathered some information.” Alexander Jardin stood up, “We will share those findings with you, of course. I’ll send a data package tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” Said Emberwing as the Human Captain escorted her to the elevator.
He nodded, “I’m looking forward to resolving this mystery.”
“Everyone, please assemble for a meeting.” She could now easily send to the Loroi on their deck, as well as the two in the cargo bay. “There’s a new development which we need to discuss.”
After everyone assembled, she told them about the plans and the Captain’s offer. “I’m thinking of accepting it. Whether it’s a Soia artifact or some psi-jamming species bred by them, this should be of great benefit to the Union war effort.”
“Assuming all of this is real, of course.” Midnight was very skeptical, “The only reason I’m tentatively believing it, is because a deception this elaborate wouldn’t make any sense. Also, the resources spend on such a spectacle are simply wasted on personnel as unimportant as us.”
“Since you’re implying that our lives are cheap, then they should be an acceptable price to pay.” Fireblade picked up on that line of thought, “I shall face any challenge for the benefit of the Union, and I’m bored, anyway.”
“I understand how eager you are, but can we at least wait until there’s more data?” Tempo stopped them, “If there are indeed Loroi down there, then we should definitely visit them. As the Human Captain said, this planet might not be at the level of a true Sister world. Still, the find itself can help boost morale, and if they are living together with Humans, it could provide a precedence to establishing an alliance between the species.”
“Good, depending on the information, I shall accept.” This was the only reasonable decision. She turned to Eight Eye, “Could you sense the inhabitants?”
“I’ve tried probing the planet, to no avail.” The Bistima shook her head, “There’s no lotai, no interference, it is simply a nothingness.”
“Can it be compared to the Shell fleet-cloak?” There could be a connection.
“I didn’t have the chance to inspect them from close-up.” Eight Eye replied with a bundle of impressions. While Emberwing could understand them, her lack of farseer training prevented her from interpreting their content in detail. “Both cases feel similar in the way that there’s nothing to feel.”
“Which makes finding the reason even more important.” Hopefully, there weren’t too many ways to apply such perfect lotai across an entire system. “Anything else I need to be aware of?”
“The tablet array managed to finish a preliminary evaluation of the sensor cap’s most recent data.” Beryl handed her the results, “The neurotransmitter levels were at an all-times high.”
“Yes, you are somehow reproducing what the farseers can only achieve with the drugs. Consistently and with a much higher precision.” Said Willpower in an astonished tone, “Normally, that’s plain impossible. It doesn’t explain your sending range, either.”
“Is it perhaps normal for the Humans?” If she was borrowing their powers, then it could provide a hint regarding the specifics. “Have they shared any data?”
“Of course not.” Tempo was slightly frustrated, “The reply was a very polite “not yet”. I couldn’t press for an answer either, since there was no logical reason to do so.”
“As expected. Maybe once we’ve solved the mystery of this planet together, the Humans might be more forthcoming with information.” Why were they so secretive? Could there really be a backer somewhere, forbidding them from sharing anything? Emberwing walked over to the cabinet to inspect the facsimile uniform. Since it showed no activity, she pulled out some casual wear. “Nothing of that accursed construct either. Fine, everyone’s dismissed. Let’s use this opportunity to have a break, tomorrow, we might need to join the landing party.”
With nothing better to do, she began reading the Human cultural archives, since the talk with the Captain made her a bit curious. Interestingly enough, there were quite a lot of familiar tropes, the legend of Icarus, various primitive religions trying to deal with the inevitability of death, even mythical beings resembling the mozeret species. Finally, she stumbled upon a rather strange rendition of the minnir legend. This immortal aerial predator, the heraldic symbol of the Empire, appeared here as the bird Phoenix. Upon reaching the end of its lifespan, it would light itself on fire, only to be reborn from the egg which was left behind.
“Beryl, is there any version of the minnir legend where it would immolate itself before a rebirth?” She asked the Listel, who was immersed in VR.
“No?” Some impressions of the virtual landscape leaked from her sending, likely belonging to that historical game Steele unlocked for them. “A minnir is always reborn, no matter what kind of death it may suffer, but it never kills itself.”
“I’m reading the Human myths, and found an interesting analogy.” She now realized that she had likely interrupted her session. “And sorry for being a distraction.”
“Don’t worry, I can multitask!” Beryl replied in a cheerful tone, “A legend involving self-destruction before reincarnation is a common trope among many species. It symbolizes the change of seasons, or the cycle of life in general.”
“A simple coincidence, then?” Emberwing found this logical enough, even though a bit disappointing.
“That’s likely.” The Listel was indeed good at multitasking, since nothing of the VR experience was now leaking through. “We don’t even know what the minnir legend is based on, but there could be a similar logic to its constant rebirth.”
“Thank you for the explanation.” The original bird was probably something from their long-lost homeworld. Not that it mattered, at least until they could find that fabled planet. She read some more, and then decided to sleep. Tomorrow would be a very busy day.
Predictably enough, her dream was about the world below, even the same scene, albeit from a slightly different angle as compared to yesterday. She could see the fireballs of the rescue pods braking in the atmosphere, and sense the emotions of the escapees within. It was that powerful feeling of loss and despair, definitely stemming from Loroi. But now, she could understand the feelings to a much better degree. This state of mind was not merely due to their defeat, it was caused by a great disaster, a failure of overwhelming proportions. The Fall? The sensation of burning up as they fell also originated from them. Possibly a backlash? The aftereffects of an unknown psionic attack?
The dream continued, and likely caused by the ship’s foundering, a flash of terrible light now scorched the planet. Following that, a shower of debris rained down on its surface, adding to the widespread destruction. A particularly large piece of wreckage stood out as it descended towards the north pole at an unnaturally slow pace, yet its impact still raised a gigantic plume of dust. The cloud grew, extending far beyond the stormy atmosphere. Then, it condensed and elongated, transforming into a familiar shape. An ephemeral, white minnir, the mythical symbol of the Empire, spread out its sky-spanning wings, and launched itself back into space.
Emberwing immediately suppressed her emotions, or, at least any outward expressions of such. After all, the Humans were most probably trying to analyze them with those AI systems. Then, she recalled her dreams, but there weren’t any hints regarding their mysterious source. Except for the latest one about the Zulotchi in the temple, that is. “Tempo, should I use the opportunity to ask the Humans about their possible connection with the Zulotchi?”
“Not yet, it would be too much of a stretch to do so.” There was an almost imperceptible trace of the Mizol feeling glad about being asked, “This whole setup is definitely an elaborate test. Keep your wits about you, and concentrate on evading the question. I’ll warn the others to keep quiet.”
“I don’t remember anything from my dreams which could provide a lead.” Emberwing tilted her head, “However, our legends do have certain examples of overwhelmingly powerful displays of psionic talents.”
“The flagship of Lashret Stillstorm, the Tempest, is named after such a mythical figure. She summoned the bedein, spirits of vengeance, to exact her revenge.” Tempo picked up on her tactic, “Although the legends don’t say how she obtained such an ability.”
“Or how exaggerated that story is.” What were those spirits of vengeance even supposed to be? “It is likely based on distorted accounts about the usage of some kind of Soia artifact.”
“Given your history, old legends may hold a glimpse of truth.” The Operative agreed, “Are there any which involve dreams?”
“Nothing I know of, and this may be an unintended side effect as well.” A glimpse? Her reminiscence could’ve been incomplete, so she addressed the Captain. “By the way, you said something about a dream, what was it about? We might remember different parts of it.”
“That one was the scene of a battle, if I interpret it correctly.” He tried to explain it, “The fantastical scenes could only be described as a clash of metaphors or a war of concepts. Combat at such technological levels must be simply incomprehensible.”
“I understood that it had for some reason made you wary regarding this particular system?” His explanation wasn’t one.
“Yes, the psychedelic realm was suddenly dispelled, flinging me down onto a planet.” Now, this was getting more interesting. “I really wish to be able to share the experience directly, words just don’t do it justice.”
Her perception seemed to expand, and for a heartbeat, Emberwing felt in tune with an all-encompassing melody. Then, it shattered with a terrible, dissonant chord, and she found herself falling onto a planet, wrapped in a terrible burning sensation. Yet the outward fire was nothing compared to the one which raged within. A seething wound as if her inner self was being consumed, it imparted an overwhelming sense of pain, loss, and regret.
The vision ended abruptly, causing her to stagger back. Alexander Jardin noticed her distress, and even attempted to support her, but instead, Fireblade nudged her in place with telekinesis.
“Thank you.” Emberwing shook her head and looked at the Captain reproachfully. “It's your fault.”
“That could be misunderstood in an inordinate number of ways.” He raised an eyebrow, “Some of them may be even biologically impossible.”
“Can you stop with those jokes?” Was this her own dream fragment, resurfacing at the right time? At least she could exclude it being sanzai, since the image didn’t carry the distinct undertone of someone’s psionic sending. Which meant that it couldn’t be originating from the Humans, but she decided to ask just in case. “Just now, I’ve seen some kind of vision about falling down onto a planet. Not descending in a rescue pod or crashing with a shuttle, but actually experiencing a burning sensation directly. Could it be that you managed to send to me?”
“Well, this does sound like the dream which I saw.” Alexander Jardin appeared surprised, “We didn’t send anything, though.”
“What happened? Are you hurt? Did you manage to sanzai with him?” Tempo sounded alarmed.
“It was merely a short vision, similar to my daydream before. I assumed it being sanzai from him, but there was no signature or feedback.” Emberwing shared the image, “Could anyone else see it?”
“No, I couldn’t sense even the faintest disturbance.” Midnight was slightly peeved that her abilities weren’t sufficient, “Where are you even receiving those from?”
“I wish I knew, the answer is most likely on this planet, since the dreams are now appearing regardless whether I’m sleeping or awake.” Emberwing rubbed her temples. Physically, there was nothing wrong with her, yet the suddenness did manage to startle her. “Was this scene a message for us both, then? From whom, and to what end?”
“My guess is as good as yours,” The Captain shrugged, “If the dreams are indeed trying to tell us something, then we should attempt to understand their content. Maybe the fiery fall was meant in a metaphorical sense?”
“This was far easier when we assumed the dreams to be a figment of someone’s imagination.” sent Emberwing in an angry tone. “Any ideas?”
“The dream reminds me of the legend of Testimel, who flew so high up with telekinesis, that she burned up upon reentry.” Oasis shared her memory, “I’ve read a few versions of this story in the archives.”
“Yes, it may be related, let’s work with that.” She turned back to Alexander Jardin, “There’s a legend of a powerful telekinesis user, Testimel, who used her ability to fly as high as possible. Overly curious, yet ignorant of the limitations of physics and psionics, she either over-exhausted herself, or passed out due to the lack of air. Falling down, she burned up in the atmosphere, hence her name which means Comet.”
“Oh, we do have a similar legend, that of Icarus.” Zarjow smiled faintly, “Driven by the desire to experience flight, he and his father made wings to fly in the sky. However, against his elder’s warnings, he flew too high. Once he got closer to the sun, the wax holding the contraption together melted, and the feathers the wings were made out of caught fire. Burning, he fell back down to Earth and died.”
“But it worked for the other person? Was it a problem of materials?” Beryl stared to calculate, “Given your planet’s gravity and air density, the wings…”
“Oh, don’t bother trying to verify it, this legend is most likely untrue, and it wouldn’t have worked at that technological level, anyway.” Alexander Jardin stopped her by raising a hand, “Well, somebody might have tried and failed, but that’s not the point. It is a parable, a story to warn about the dangers of forgoing advice and succumbing to hubris. Or, since the Sun was represented as a God back then, it was also a punishment for blasphemy, as no mortal could be allowed to infringe upon the domain of the Gods.”
“Yet here we are, and there weren’t any deities trying to stop us.” Zarjow chuckled, “But, instead of the Icarus legend, this whole story sounds more like the Siren myth to me. Should I get some ropes for you?”
“Siren?” Emberwing understood that it might be a trap, but still decided to ask.
“Another legend, mythical beings resembling a cross of a bird and woman who used an enchanting song to lure sailors to their doom.” The Operative pointed to the planet, “We may have been led here, one way or the other.”
“Regardless of any silly stories, we need to investigate the natives, and search the planet for traces of Soia ruins or artifacts, starting with that city.” Alexander Jardin ended the myth recital. “Unfortunately, we have just a few probes which can be repurposed as low-orbit surveillance satellites, and no atmospheric reconnaissance drones. They are being printed right now, so we should be able to begin the survey in a few hours.”
“I see, which means that the spectacle is now over?” There was no point in assembling all of them here, except to conduct a test.
“You catch on quickly. It was more of a reassurance measure, although it amounts to the same outcome.” The Captain nodded, “May I invite you to dinner as an apology?”
Emberwing now realized that she had forgotten to eat, again. Given the possibility, no, certainty of some ulterior motive, this offer was somewhat problematic, though. “Should I really accept?”
“Maybe it was sanzai after all, and he wants to try again.” Proposed Tempo, “The risk is rather low, so why not?”
“You mean that I’m a suitable sacrifice if things go wrong?” Although she was also eager to have a telepathic contact. Or this was a pretense to discuss something vis-à-vis. “You may. The same location?”
“Of course. Alexey will escort the others back.” He led her to the elevator, “It was actually his idea to perform this little play. Did you like it?”
“It was impressive enough. Did it at least serve its purpose?” She replied in a sarcastic tone.
“Maybe?” Alexander Jardin smiled, “Your reactions managed to dispel some suspicions, so in a sense, yes.”
“Good to know.” They walked into the Lounge, “So what is this invitation truly about?”
“That question is supposed to come only after we’ve eaten. You Loroi are quite straightforward.” He sat down, “The same?”
“Yes.” While eating, they talked about the legends of both worlds, and their possible origins.
“Let’s get to the main topic.” He gave the empty plates to a service bot. “Once we get enough data from flying drones and satellites, we’ll land some troops for reconnaissance. Afterwards, I’m thinking of heading there by myself. Do you want to come along?”
Emberwing wanted to blurt out, “yes”, but then paused. What the other Human had said might be true, they could’ve been led there for any kind of reason. Was it really wise to land on this planet? On the other hand, their time was severely limited, and since the mystery was likely of psionic origin, then they had no choice but to investigate it in person. “Isn’t it too hasty?”
“Most certainly.” He didn’t deny it at all, “But the rewards should outweigh the risks.”
“It is not even sure that we can find anything useful.” Although she had a feeling that the city had the answers. “And in the case when we find something, what if the natives refuse to cooperate?”
“They are already citizens of the Terran Empire from the moment I discovered the planet, so they have no other choice but to obey me.” His eyes flashed with a subdued psionic light, “Obey us.”
“That works as well.” Any Loroi commander would do the same. Securing valuable resources and artifacts, especially in wartime, had the highest priority. The Assembly was far away, and couldn’t be possibly bothered discussing the fate of a few savages. As the highest-ranking Union commander present, she only had to clarify a single point. “However, if there are any Loroi, then this arrangement has to exclude them.”
“I doubt that the population of this sand heap is significant enough to call it a Sister world, and if our dreams can be trusted, then there are Humans and those elves as well.” He made a dividing gesture with his hand, “So we’ll take those, and you can simply resettle the stranded Loroi to your territory.”
“The exact terms can be negotiated later, but it sounds reasonable enough.” The Union had no capabilities to access this planet just yet, anyway. “After the war is over, our governments will most likely establish a joint research presence here. The supply ships can then take care of their transport back home.”
“This still depends on whether the dream is true. Maybe there are some horrific monsters down there instead, and we’d have to produce kinetic ordnance next.” That would certainly delay the survey efforts. “The Charon is an exploration ship, and it doesn’t have much in terms of ground combat potential, although we can adapt a few things in a pinch.”
“Monsters? Like those Zulotchi, the so-called Dragons?” She couldn’t help but to ask this, since the opportunity seemed to be good enough.
“I’d prefer them, actually. An evil we don’t know is as dangerous as two which we do.” He leaned forwards, “I’m more concerned that the cloaking and the dreams could be caused by psi-affecting creatures. Perhaps of the same kind the Umiak might be using against you.”
“A frightening theory that certainly needs to be verified. Fine, I’ll consider accompanying you.” Emberwing decided to speak with the Mizol first. “Do you need my answer right now? I’d like to confer with my team.”
“It can wait until we’ve gathered some information.” Alexander Jardin stood up, “We will share those findings with you, of course. I’ll send a data package tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” Said Emberwing as the Human Captain escorted her to the elevator.
He nodded, “I’m looking forward to resolving this mystery.”
“Everyone, please assemble for a meeting.” She could now easily send to the Loroi on their deck, as well as the two in the cargo bay. “There’s a new development which we need to discuss.”
After everyone assembled, she told them about the plans and the Captain’s offer. “I’m thinking of accepting it. Whether it’s a Soia artifact or some psi-jamming species bred by them, this should be of great benefit to the Union war effort.”
“Assuming all of this is real, of course.” Midnight was very skeptical, “The only reason I’m tentatively believing it, is because a deception this elaborate wouldn’t make any sense. Also, the resources spend on such a spectacle are simply wasted on personnel as unimportant as us.”
“Since you’re implying that our lives are cheap, then they should be an acceptable price to pay.” Fireblade picked up on that line of thought, “I shall face any challenge for the benefit of the Union, and I’m bored, anyway.”
“I understand how eager you are, but can we at least wait until there’s more data?” Tempo stopped them, “If there are indeed Loroi down there, then we should definitely visit them. As the Human Captain said, this planet might not be at the level of a true Sister world. Still, the find itself can help boost morale, and if they are living together with Humans, it could provide a precedence to establishing an alliance between the species.”
“Good, depending on the information, I shall accept.” This was the only reasonable decision. She turned to Eight Eye, “Could you sense the inhabitants?”
“I’ve tried probing the planet, to no avail.” The Bistima shook her head, “There’s no lotai, no interference, it is simply a nothingness.”
“Can it be compared to the Shell fleet-cloak?” There could be a connection.
“I didn’t have the chance to inspect them from close-up.” Eight Eye replied with a bundle of impressions. While Emberwing could understand them, her lack of farseer training prevented her from interpreting their content in detail. “Both cases feel similar in the way that there’s nothing to feel.”
“Which makes finding the reason even more important.” Hopefully, there weren’t too many ways to apply such perfect lotai across an entire system. “Anything else I need to be aware of?”
“The tablet array managed to finish a preliminary evaluation of the sensor cap’s most recent data.” Beryl handed her the results, “The neurotransmitter levels were at an all-times high.”
“Yes, you are somehow reproducing what the farseers can only achieve with the drugs. Consistently and with a much higher precision.” Said Willpower in an astonished tone, “Normally, that’s plain impossible. It doesn’t explain your sending range, either.”
“Is it perhaps normal for the Humans?” If she was borrowing their powers, then it could provide a hint regarding the specifics. “Have they shared any data?”
“Of course not.” Tempo was slightly frustrated, “The reply was a very polite “not yet”. I couldn’t press for an answer either, since there was no logical reason to do so.”
“As expected. Maybe once we’ve solved the mystery of this planet together, the Humans might be more forthcoming with information.” Why were they so secretive? Could there really be a backer somewhere, forbidding them from sharing anything? Emberwing walked over to the cabinet to inspect the facsimile uniform. Since it showed no activity, she pulled out some casual wear. “Nothing of that accursed construct either. Fine, everyone’s dismissed. Let’s use this opportunity to have a break, tomorrow, we might need to join the landing party.”
With nothing better to do, she began reading the Human cultural archives, since the talk with the Captain made her a bit curious. Interestingly enough, there were quite a lot of familiar tropes, the legend of Icarus, various primitive religions trying to deal with the inevitability of death, even mythical beings resembling the mozeret species. Finally, she stumbled upon a rather strange rendition of the minnir legend. This immortal aerial predator, the heraldic symbol of the Empire, appeared here as the bird Phoenix. Upon reaching the end of its lifespan, it would light itself on fire, only to be reborn from the egg which was left behind.
“Beryl, is there any version of the minnir legend where it would immolate itself before a rebirth?” She asked the Listel, who was immersed in VR.
“No?” Some impressions of the virtual landscape leaked from her sending, likely belonging to that historical game Steele unlocked for them. “A minnir is always reborn, no matter what kind of death it may suffer, but it never kills itself.”
“I’m reading the Human myths, and found an interesting analogy.” She now realized that she had likely interrupted her session. “And sorry for being a distraction.”
“Don’t worry, I can multitask!” Beryl replied in a cheerful tone, “A legend involving self-destruction before reincarnation is a common trope among many species. It symbolizes the change of seasons, or the cycle of life in general.”
“A simple coincidence, then?” Emberwing found this logical enough, even though a bit disappointing.
“That’s likely.” The Listel was indeed good at multitasking, since nothing of the VR experience was now leaking through. “We don’t even know what the minnir legend is based on, but there could be a similar logic to its constant rebirth.”
“Thank you for the explanation.” The original bird was probably something from their long-lost homeworld. Not that it mattered, at least until they could find that fabled planet. She read some more, and then decided to sleep. Tomorrow would be a very busy day.
Predictably enough, her dream was about the world below, even the same scene, albeit from a slightly different angle as compared to yesterday. She could see the fireballs of the rescue pods braking in the atmosphere, and sense the emotions of the escapees within. It was that powerful feeling of loss and despair, definitely stemming from Loroi. But now, she could understand the feelings to a much better degree. This state of mind was not merely due to their defeat, it was caused by a great disaster, a failure of overwhelming proportions. The Fall? The sensation of burning up as they fell also originated from them. Possibly a backlash? The aftereffects of an unknown psionic attack?
The dream continued, and likely caused by the ship’s foundering, a flash of terrible light now scorched the planet. Following that, a shower of debris rained down on its surface, adding to the widespread destruction. A particularly large piece of wreckage stood out as it descended towards the north pole at an unnaturally slow pace, yet its impact still raised a gigantic plume of dust. The cloud grew, extending far beyond the stormy atmosphere. Then, it condensed and elongated, transforming into a familiar shape. An ephemeral, white minnir, the mythical symbol of the Empire, spread out its sky-spanning wings, and launched itself back into space.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Intermission U: For whom the bell tolls
The young warrior was crouching on the roof of a building close to the city wall, well-hidden by night and lotai. She spread out her senses, both mundane and psionic, confirming that there was nobody patrolling this section of the battlements right now. With a telekinetically-powered leap, she landed on the broad wall, then, jumped again, down into the darkness. Since there was no commotion, she continued running away from the city, her mission fulfilled.
After a while, she heard the faint sounds of the flowing river. The tiny leather boat was still in its hiding place, and so, she set off downstream. Paddling all night, and hiding during the day, evading the small farming settlements by carrying the boat overland, she proceeded until the river became too shallow. From there, it was only half a day’s journey through the crags.
“Come to me immediately.” The Warlord’s sending reached her before she could even sense the camp, which was hidden in this labyrinth of snaking valleys.
“Yes, mother.” The warrior was actually trying to suppress her presence, but this was apparently futile before the Crown’s sight. She entered the central tent, and knelt before the throne. “I have completed my scouting mission. As you’ve surmised, the Tastadi didn’t expect our attack to come so soon. Their preparations are still incomplete, and not all allied troops have arrived yet.”
“Were you discreet?” The inquiry came with considerable pressure. “Could they have shadowed you? Intercepted your thoughts? Did anyone notice your escape?”
“They had simply let me in, as it is their custom. Getting out was also rather easy thanks to my talents.” The city did not raise any alarm, after all. “The mission remained a secret. Nobody wants to deal with a supposed exile, anyway.”
“Good.” The Azerein nodded in approval, as she received the rest of her report. “A pity that you couldn’t find out more about those new weapons.”
“It was far too dangerous to do that.” Whatever the secret was, they guarded it very well. “Without someone in the know, just plain impossible. I’d need to find a suitably high-ranked traitor inside the temple. However, most city-dwellers despise us, it’d take at least several seasons to slowly gain anyone’s trust.”
“I wouldn’t trust a long-standing enemy either. It couldn’t be helped, then.” Her mother leaned back. “What of their rulership and the succession issue?”
“The old High Priest has recently selected an heir, but that girl is still inexperienced.” She couldn’t help, but leak some disdain, “Her training process is quite slow and is rumored to take at least two more seasons.”
“Never underestimate your enemy, girl!” The Warlord’s admonishment came with a telepathic pulse which made her stagger, “This is the greatest mistake that a warrior can ever make, and is usually her final one as well.”
“Forgive me for my lack of experience.” She needed to train her shielding even more, “I still have much to learn.”
“Indeed. Belittling your foe serves no purpose, but to dishonor yourself.” The Azerein projected a mental image of the city, mixing in anticipation and the joy of a worthy challenge. “This enemy is not one to be taken lightly. So many of my forebears made such an arrogant mistake, and our people paid the heavy price.”
“Forgive me this question, but why do we actually need to capture this city first?” It would surely bring them great prestige and many supplies, yet all previous attempts to take it had failed. “We could begin with the eastern trade towns instead, they don’t have this level of defenses.”
“I’d rather punish you for not asking enough questions. Wits and knowledge are an important consideration when choosing a successor, remember this well, my daughter.” Her mother smirked at the following short outburst of emotions. “Do you still think that I unified so many tribes for something as trivial as a raid? No, this city has always been the pivoting point, the key to our future, my predecessors had surely felt its importance as well. Destiny is calling out to me, and I must answer, for all our sake. I will heed the message, and make this city my new seat of power. From there, all shall bow to our new order.”
The young warrior was crouching on the roof of a building close to the city wall, well-hidden by night and lotai. She spread out her senses, both mundane and psionic, confirming that there was nobody patrolling this section of the battlements right now. With a telekinetically-powered leap, she landed on the broad wall, then, jumped again, down into the darkness. Since there was no commotion, she continued running away from the city, her mission fulfilled.
After a while, she heard the faint sounds of the flowing river. The tiny leather boat was still in its hiding place, and so, she set off downstream. Paddling all night, and hiding during the day, evading the small farming settlements by carrying the boat overland, she proceeded until the river became too shallow. From there, it was only half a day’s journey through the crags.
“Come to me immediately.” The Warlord’s sending reached her before she could even sense the camp, which was hidden in this labyrinth of snaking valleys.
“Yes, mother.” The warrior was actually trying to suppress her presence, but this was apparently futile before the Crown’s sight. She entered the central tent, and knelt before the throne. “I have completed my scouting mission. As you’ve surmised, the Tastadi didn’t expect our attack to come so soon. Their preparations are still incomplete, and not all allied troops have arrived yet.”
“Were you discreet?” The inquiry came with considerable pressure. “Could they have shadowed you? Intercepted your thoughts? Did anyone notice your escape?”
“They had simply let me in, as it is their custom. Getting out was also rather easy thanks to my talents.” The city did not raise any alarm, after all. “The mission remained a secret. Nobody wants to deal with a supposed exile, anyway.”
“Good.” The Azerein nodded in approval, as she received the rest of her report. “A pity that you couldn’t find out more about those new weapons.”
“It was far too dangerous to do that.” Whatever the secret was, they guarded it very well. “Without someone in the know, just plain impossible. I’d need to find a suitably high-ranked traitor inside the temple. However, most city-dwellers despise us, it’d take at least several seasons to slowly gain anyone’s trust.”
“I wouldn’t trust a long-standing enemy either. It couldn’t be helped, then.” Her mother leaned back. “What of their rulership and the succession issue?”
“The old High Priest has recently selected an heir, but that girl is still inexperienced.” She couldn’t help, but leak some disdain, “Her training process is quite slow and is rumored to take at least two more seasons.”
“Never underestimate your enemy, girl!” The Warlord’s admonishment came with a telepathic pulse which made her stagger, “This is the greatest mistake that a warrior can ever make, and is usually her final one as well.”
“Forgive me for my lack of experience.” She needed to train her shielding even more, “I still have much to learn.”
“Indeed. Belittling your foe serves no purpose, but to dishonor yourself.” The Azerein projected a mental image of the city, mixing in anticipation and the joy of a worthy challenge. “This enemy is not one to be taken lightly. So many of my forebears made such an arrogant mistake, and our people paid the heavy price.”
“Forgive me this question, but why do we actually need to capture this city first?” It would surely bring them great prestige and many supplies, yet all previous attempts to take it had failed. “We could begin with the eastern trade towns instead, they don’t have this level of defenses.”
“I’d rather punish you for not asking enough questions. Wits and knowledge are an important consideration when choosing a successor, remember this well, my daughter.” Her mother smirked at the following short outburst of emotions. “Do you still think that I unified so many tribes for something as trivial as a raid? No, this city has always been the pivoting point, the key to our future, my predecessors had surely felt its importance as well. Destiny is calling out to me, and I must answer, for all our sake. I will heed the message, and make this city my new seat of power. From there, all shall bow to our new order.”
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXXIII: As history repeats itself
She wasn’t fond of metaphors, just as most Loroi were, thought Emberwing while getting out of bed. However, this particular one was known to any warrior. The immortal minnir, which would be always reborn anew, just as the Empire prided itself as the rebirth of the Soia dominion, this most ancient legend was one of the main reasons why the mythical figure became its heraldic symbol. Someone of their kind on the planet was definitely calling out to her, since only other Loroi would be able to come up with this analogy. The biggest problem was that preserving the reminiscences of eons old events with such level of detail should’ve been impossible, even with eidetic memories. Who could've sent it, then? It felt like she was witnessing the events directly.
A rather unorthodox theory formed in her mind. Not who, but when? If the dreams ignored the constraints of distance, reaching across many lightyears, then what about time? Hopefully, the myth database could deliver another hint. “Oasis, were there any legends about sanzai transcending temporal limitations? Foresight, forewarning, possibly contact with ancestors? Anything of the sort?”
“I take that you’ve seen another strange dream?” The Tiret quickly shut out any thoughts pertaining to her current activity, eating, from her sending. “I’m no tribal soothsayer to deal with such nonsense, you know?”
“Nonsense? I can’t deny that. Still, please have a look at the legends.” Emberwing quickly finished the morning chores, including a meal. Since there was no new information about the planet, she went to see the counselor. “Anything interesting?”
“Let’s see, in ancient times, the primitive hunter-gatherer tribes had something akin to spiritual guides, the male Mystics, early predecessors of the Philosopher caste.” Oasis was analyzing her dream, and at the same time, continued to search for information on a tablet device. “A very long story short, they took care of all the mysterious stuff our barbaric, superstitious ancestors had to face. Ancestor deification to cope with the fear of death, future-telling rituals to deal with the unknown, early telepathic healing methods, and so on. The exact roles differed from tribe to tribe, and later, everything was unified as the male monastic orders were founded. All the useless by-catch was removed, and only the useful practices got incorporated into the Nedathan’s current repertoire. Just the name remained, it is now reserved for rare specialists who apply the more esoteric techniques, the dream healing, for example.”
“Like the Stormcalmer technique?” Emberwing remembered that it was named after the legendary sage Stormcalmer, who invented it after analyzing her clan’s founder, Starsword’s, ordeals. Those sessions also gave birth to quite a number of daughters, the first generation of the new clan.
“Yes, it is still an effective, if somewhat brutal approach.” Oasis let go of her hand, and continued, “I’ve found a few references. There weren’t any minnirs on the scale of a planet. However, there is a connection with whatever you’ve seen and the Mystics, just as I’ve guessed. A story of Prophet Minnir-Born, who was said to have the ability to perceive the currents of time.”
“What a ridiculous name.” Emberwing received the tablet. This mythical figure, a very rare instance of a male clan leader, could apparently receive visions of both the past and the future. With this awesome power, he managed to defeat enemies, find food, evade disasters, and even received sacred knowledge from hallowed pre-Fall times, enabling him and his followers to survive against impossible odds. “Did he find a Soia artifact? Perhaps an advanced equivalent of this tablet device?”
“No idea. Although the artifact theory does sound likely. The legend ends at them founding a city and establishing a cult with him as a high priest, but there’s no continuation, and no such settlement was ever discovered. Maybe the power source of that artifact ran out, so they perished.” The Tiret waved her hand, “This is the best match I could find in the short amount of time. Beyond that, there’s nothing even remotely resembling what you’ve seen or any references to temporal anomalies.”
“A city, that is indeed interesting.” This was no mere coincidence. “Charon, is there any new information regarding the planet?”
“Affirmative.” Finally, something useful. “An officer will contact you in a short while.”
“Before you think that this is too much of a coincidence, remember, there are countless legends about establishing all kinds of settlements, something was bound to match.” Oasis dampened her enthusiasm. “The stories regarding the founding figures are often wildly exaggerated as well.”
“It still may help us out.” Their conversation was interrupted by a buzzing at the door. “Come in!”
Ellen Jardin entered the room. “Would you please come along? There’s new data which you should see. You can take your diplomatic advisor along as well.”
“Of course.” She probably meant the Mizol, “Tempo, the Humans want to tell us more about the planet.”
“An advance team landed on the surface just now.” Explained the Human as the three were riding the elevator. “The dreams were right, our drones found out that there are humans, Loroi, and even beings resembling elves down there.”
“What are those elves supposed to be?” There shouldn’t be any possibility for a true hybrid, after all.
“We haven’t yet secured a specimen.” She led them into the Observatory. The holographic planet was now surrounded by numerous multicolored points, and even more moved about on the surface.
“As you can see, we were quite busy surveying this world.” The Captain was standing in the middle of the room facing the world’s projection, arms crossed behind his back. He turned around, “Where should I begin?”
“Are there really Loroi down there?” This would be the most important question.
“Yes, a primitive, nomadic culture of what looks like Loroi inhabits the less welcoming outer edges of the northernmost continent. Or rather, plateau.” The migration regions, presumably, were highlighted on the surface, then the view changed to an aerial perspective. “Most of them are now concentrated in this camp here.”
Hidden in a long, narrow valley, countless leather tents grouped around a particularly big one. The high-resolution video showed a lot of Loroi warriors dressed in primitive armors, wandering about, sparring, or standing guard. However, there weren’t any civilians, children, or males present there. Emberwing was almost sure about having seen this somewhere. Of course. “Desert fury?!”
“Yes, it does look like a congregation of nomad clans before a massive raid.” Tempo recognized this historical picture as well. On Deinar, desert tribes were usually insular, constantly warring among themselves for scarce resources. Without any population control measures, their numbers periodically grew to unsustainable levels, prompting an all-out war for survival. This in turn, could only lead to two outcomes. Either a massive culling, or the rise of a Warlord, who would unify the hungry savages to have them raze any and all progress the budding civilization had made.
“Can I see where this camp is, relative to the settlements?” She had a bad premonition.
“Right here, and further northwards, around the small inner sea, lies a chain of fortified cities, which are inhabited by humans and those elves, with a few Loroi mixed in.” There were only twenty-six dots of varying sizes, clinging to the polar lake, or placed along the few rivers springing from it. “Everything else is covered in sand, and the southern pole is a glassed wasteland, polished by the storms into a gigantic mirror hellscape.”
“Zoom in on this southernmost city, please.” He did so, and Emberwing could recognize it as the one from her dreams. “That’s far too close to the camp! They are definitely targeting it! We need to stop those barbarians.”
“And do what, have an alien male drop kinetic ordnance on Loroi? We are trying to establish an alliance, I won’t let it begin with a genocide.” Tempo objected vehemently. “However, the time will be definitely too short to convince them of stopping.”
“An interesting admission, coming from a Mizol.” Emberwing did also realize that resolving it peacefully would be almost impossible, but giving up was not an option, either. “Perhaps if we could collapse the valley’s exit?”
“Ahem, may I participate in this conversation?” Alexander Jardin cleared his throat. “Let me guess, you are discussing how to stop those Loroi?”
“Yes, but how did you know?” Emberwing eyed him with suspicion.
“Don’t worry, we can’t sense your thoughts. This is simply obvious, our history also had their fair share of nomads raiding settlements.” He waved her off, “Additionally, while we can’t intercept your telepathy, AI pattern recognition enables us to do lip-reading. The city inhabitants speak a version of Trade, and the imminent raid is the topic number one.”
“Trade? That’s interesting.” Not very surprising, though. The timing, however, couldn’t have been worse. “How many days do we have left?”
“Not nearly enough, so we have to hurry. Obtaining information during a siege would be rather difficult.” The image switched again, showing a landed shuttle in a field of greenish-brown, partially wilted vegetation. Twelve Humans clad in matte gray spacesuits, heavily armored and even without visors, were disembarking from it. One of the faceless helmets was replaced with a projection of Zarjow’s head. The Captain turned to him. “How is the situation down there?”
“Landing site secured. No dangerous pathogens or wildlife. The air is thin, but breathable. A full report will be uploaded in twenty minutes.” The Operative was reporting in curt and precise statements. “The drones surrounded a small bandit camp nearby. We can catch some specimens.”
“Proceed.” The Humans ran off, causing the camera to swing around to follow them. Emberwing now saw two more shuttles, and a great number of those eight-legged robots, which were now carrying sizable containers on their backs. “Those are simple multipurpose spideroids, by the way, reconfigured for a combat role.”
“I see, but why specifically bandits?” And how did they find them so quickly?
“Because we needed to target a suitably small group where there wouldn’t be any witnesses nearby, and nobody will ask any questions were a few outlaws to disappear without trace.” Answered Ellen Jardin, “We may have to spend them all during interrogation.”
The video feed switched to show a small village among empty farmlands, a few shabby huts surrounded by a low earthen wall. Rough-looking humans armed with primitive weapons tried to man the simple defenses, only to be mowed down by blaster shots from all sides. It didn’t take long for everyone to be subdued, and now, drones jumped straight into the settlement to inspect every house. Alexander Jardin was looking at this unmoved, until Zarjow arrived at the scene and contacted him again. “Target taken. 14 captured, two killed. No losses. Interestingly enough, we can sense them perfectly from a normal distance.”
“Good, interrogate and inspect them thoroughly, I expect a report in two hours.” Alexander Jardin turned back to the Loroi, “After receiving more information, we can think about landing there, as well as strategies how to deal with those nomads. Do you have any questions?”
“Were there any of those elves?” She refrained from commenting on this assault. “I’m curious about what they are.”
“We all are.” He smirked, “Two females, apparently the only surviving original inhabitants of this hamlet, were held captive. We’ve secured them as well.”
“Are they capable of telepathy?” The apparent physical similarity couldn’t be a coincidence.
“No, but it is at least possible to read them.” Answered the Tactician in his stead. “There is also a sufficient number of rather fresh corpses for us to dissect. We’ll have our answers soon.”
“Enough with the macabre, let’s go back to the city. It is called the City of Pillars, and is housing the central shrine of the predominant religion. The priesthood is mostly composed of those elves, Tastadi, as they are referring to themselves, and they worship something called the Transcendent One.” The holographic projection returned to show the settlement in question, “The other inhabitants are Humans, a few Mozeret, and also a number of Loroi living in a slum.”
“It matches my dreams exactly!” Could this Athedil figure also be a real person, and not a figment of someone’s imagination? But, who was responsible for the dreams? “Those Founders, Tastadi, are any of them telepathic?”
“Hmm, hard to say without getting close, most speak verbally, but there were a few instances of wordless communication between them.” Alexander Jardin ruminated for a moment. “The AI calculates the possibility of at least some of them being telepathic at 73%.”
“I thought that it were Loroi who sent me the dreams, but what if those Tastadi could do so as well.” Emberwing had an inkling. A telepathic species, outwardly identical to them, but not of Soia-Liron biochemistry. “Wait, could they be our original forms? Or, is this planet possibly our lost homeworld?!”
“Even the Humans being our template is more likely, and why would the homeworld need any terraforming.” Tempo denied this, but then added, “Rather, I’m very interested in this religion and its shrine. On ancient Perrein, a few cults worshiped Soia artifacts, so what if they also have one, something actually useful? Perhaps it is projecting that lotai, or sends dreams.”
Oasis was indeed wrong, just as she thought. This had far too many similarities with that Deinar legend. Could dreams or visions truly reach so far, possibly even transcending time? Whether this was the effect of an artifact or someone’s ability, it could certainly aid the war effort. “Something that can enable us to send across half a sector? We need to secure it immediately.”
“If the Humans decide to share, of course.” Tempo smiled at the Captain, “Forgive us, the discovery of a yet another related species is quite the surprise.”
“Imagine my astonishment to see elves, then?” Alexander Jardin looked at Ellen, “Alexey will greatly enjoy unraveling the mystery of a myth becoming reality. Or perhaps the other way around?”
“Yes, most certainly.” The Tactician nodded and addressed the Loroi, “We will send you the data once he’s finished. For now, I can guess that you want to discuss this matter among yourselves?”
“Yes, we will do so. Please share the information once it’s available.” Agreed the Mizol. “It seems that the spectacle is over.”
“They are certainly fond of those. Then let us head back, I need to explain something else as well.” The video feed which kept switching between different parts of the city, had shown a huge structure in the middle of it from multiple angles. It looked awfully similar to the one out of her most recent dream, with Alexander Jardin as the unmasked Zulotchi. “I’m looking forward to seeing this city with my own eyes.”
“It can be arranged for, do not worry.” Alexander Jardin smiled reassuringly. “We won’t leave you out.”
“Thank you.” The Loroi left the Observatory and headed back. “Charon, could you inform the others of my team to return to their quarters?”
“Certainly.” Emberwing decided to refrain from using long-range telepathy. Instead, she sent Tempo a mental image. “This central building, probably the temple, I’ve seen it in my dream.”
“Again with those Zulotchi?” The Mizol could only frown. “This makes even less sense than those elves.”
“Then we have to unravel this mystery until it does.” Back on their deck, she asked everyone to gather, and recounted the events. “The answers are finally within our reach.”
“Or just a small part, that the Humans will allow us to see.” The other Mizol was, as usual, not easily convinced. “We are led around by them. Whether this is a matter of amusement, or something far more nefarious, remains to be seen.”
“While I do agree, we are in no position to issue demands. At least, they offered to include us in the landing party.” Hopefully, not as a sacrifice, thought Emberwing, as she remembered a particularly vivid nightmare. No, that wouldn’t make any sense. “Oasis, you said that the dream about Alexander Jardin revealing himself as the one under that Zulotchi mask was an expression of his inner turmoil, anxiety, or even desires?”
“It is likely, although without a proper psychological profile, backed by the necessary telepathic scans, impossible to ascertain.” The Tiret simply shrugged, “I’m merely guessing that their psyche may favor symbolism, especially in the dreamworld.”
“They are most certainly hiding something of great importance, that’s what I think.” Fireblade joined in as well, “All those demonstrations, the Humans simply want to gauge our reaction to refine their lies.”
“You’ve just described what the Mizol always do.” Willpower looked at the Parats impishly, “Let them earn their keep and counteract those tricks.”
“Quite the challenge without telepathy.” Emberwing smirked as well, “Eight Eye, could you sense anything from the planet?”
“Still nothing.” The Bistima shook her head. “I can’t sense even the faintest lifesign, here or anywhere around us. It is truly an Empty Quarter.”
“Maybe it is those Tastadi, who project a lotai.” Emberwing turned to the Listel, “Do you know any legends about something resembling them?”
“The legends I remember do not feature any such beings.” Beryl frowned, “Unless they are invisible to us as well, then they might be the actual source of those melor myths.”
“Fine, let us stop with the wild guesses, it amounts to absolutely nothing. I really hate to admit it, but we might need that construct’s help. It’s been some time since our last contact, anyway.” Emberwing walked over to the dresser to pull out that facsimile uniform. As expected, it spoke to her.
“We greet you once more, Torret Emberwing. It is of course a pity that you decided to ignore our warnings and proceeded to cooperate with the Humans, but this is still within what we had anticipated.”
“I’m the commander of this mission, not your subordinate.” This thing’s condescending attitude was infuriating. “Also, you still haven’t explained the reason we have to be so wary of the Humans, at least beyond any normal measures.”
“We apologize for not being able to find out more about their possible backers or any goals.” It now spoke in a deferential tone. “However, we managed to acquire something of interest. The Humans were very hasty with establishing the surveillance network, giving us opportunity to connect to it. Have they explained anything regarding the nature of the debris field around the planet?”
“No, but you are surely going to tell me.” Could this puppet-thing be capable of glee as well?
“Of course, we shall transfer the data to you. The most striking feature is the chemical composition of the debris pieces.” It wasn’t outright glee, perhaps superiority. Subdued, yet still noticeable, most probably deliberately so. “Besides the usual Soia ceramics, the field also contains a surprising amount of amplifier materials.”
She wasn’t fond of metaphors, just as most Loroi were, thought Emberwing while getting out of bed. However, this particular one was known to any warrior. The immortal minnir, which would be always reborn anew, just as the Empire prided itself as the rebirth of the Soia dominion, this most ancient legend was one of the main reasons why the mythical figure became its heraldic symbol. Someone of their kind on the planet was definitely calling out to her, since only other Loroi would be able to come up with this analogy. The biggest problem was that preserving the reminiscences of eons old events with such level of detail should’ve been impossible, even with eidetic memories. Who could've sent it, then? It felt like she was witnessing the events directly.
A rather unorthodox theory formed in her mind. Not who, but when? If the dreams ignored the constraints of distance, reaching across many lightyears, then what about time? Hopefully, the myth database could deliver another hint. “Oasis, were there any legends about sanzai transcending temporal limitations? Foresight, forewarning, possibly contact with ancestors? Anything of the sort?”
“I take that you’ve seen another strange dream?” The Tiret quickly shut out any thoughts pertaining to her current activity, eating, from her sending. “I’m no tribal soothsayer to deal with such nonsense, you know?”
“Nonsense? I can’t deny that. Still, please have a look at the legends.” Emberwing quickly finished the morning chores, including a meal. Since there was no new information about the planet, she went to see the counselor. “Anything interesting?”
“Let’s see, in ancient times, the primitive hunter-gatherer tribes had something akin to spiritual guides, the male Mystics, early predecessors of the Philosopher caste.” Oasis was analyzing her dream, and at the same time, continued to search for information on a tablet device. “A very long story short, they took care of all the mysterious stuff our barbaric, superstitious ancestors had to face. Ancestor deification to cope with the fear of death, future-telling rituals to deal with the unknown, early telepathic healing methods, and so on. The exact roles differed from tribe to tribe, and later, everything was unified as the male monastic orders were founded. All the useless by-catch was removed, and only the useful practices got incorporated into the Nedathan’s current repertoire. Just the name remained, it is now reserved for rare specialists who apply the more esoteric techniques, the dream healing, for example.”
“Like the Stormcalmer technique?” Emberwing remembered that it was named after the legendary sage Stormcalmer, who invented it after analyzing her clan’s founder, Starsword’s, ordeals. Those sessions also gave birth to quite a number of daughters, the first generation of the new clan.
“Yes, it is still an effective, if somewhat brutal approach.” Oasis let go of her hand, and continued, “I’ve found a few references. There weren’t any minnirs on the scale of a planet. However, there is a connection with whatever you’ve seen and the Mystics, just as I’ve guessed. A story of Prophet Minnir-Born, who was said to have the ability to perceive the currents of time.”
“What a ridiculous name.” Emberwing received the tablet. This mythical figure, a very rare instance of a male clan leader, could apparently receive visions of both the past and the future. With this awesome power, he managed to defeat enemies, find food, evade disasters, and even received sacred knowledge from hallowed pre-Fall times, enabling him and his followers to survive against impossible odds. “Did he find a Soia artifact? Perhaps an advanced equivalent of this tablet device?”
“No idea. Although the artifact theory does sound likely. The legend ends at them founding a city and establishing a cult with him as a high priest, but there’s no continuation, and no such settlement was ever discovered. Maybe the power source of that artifact ran out, so they perished.” The Tiret waved her hand, “This is the best match I could find in the short amount of time. Beyond that, there’s nothing even remotely resembling what you’ve seen or any references to temporal anomalies.”
“A city, that is indeed interesting.” This was no mere coincidence. “Charon, is there any new information regarding the planet?”
“Affirmative.” Finally, something useful. “An officer will contact you in a short while.”
“Before you think that this is too much of a coincidence, remember, there are countless legends about establishing all kinds of settlements, something was bound to match.” Oasis dampened her enthusiasm. “The stories regarding the founding figures are often wildly exaggerated as well.”
“It still may help us out.” Their conversation was interrupted by a buzzing at the door. “Come in!”
Ellen Jardin entered the room. “Would you please come along? There’s new data which you should see. You can take your diplomatic advisor along as well.”
“Of course.” She probably meant the Mizol, “Tempo, the Humans want to tell us more about the planet.”
“An advance team landed on the surface just now.” Explained the Human as the three were riding the elevator. “The dreams were right, our drones found out that there are humans, Loroi, and even beings resembling elves down there.”
“What are those elves supposed to be?” There shouldn’t be any possibility for a true hybrid, after all.
“We haven’t yet secured a specimen.” She led them into the Observatory. The holographic planet was now surrounded by numerous multicolored points, and even more moved about on the surface.
“As you can see, we were quite busy surveying this world.” The Captain was standing in the middle of the room facing the world’s projection, arms crossed behind his back. He turned around, “Where should I begin?”
“Are there really Loroi down there?” This would be the most important question.
“Yes, a primitive, nomadic culture of what looks like Loroi inhabits the less welcoming outer edges of the northernmost continent. Or rather, plateau.” The migration regions, presumably, were highlighted on the surface, then the view changed to an aerial perspective. “Most of them are now concentrated in this camp here.”
Hidden in a long, narrow valley, countless leather tents grouped around a particularly big one. The high-resolution video showed a lot of Loroi warriors dressed in primitive armors, wandering about, sparring, or standing guard. However, there weren’t any civilians, children, or males present there. Emberwing was almost sure about having seen this somewhere. Of course. “Desert fury?!”
“Yes, it does look like a congregation of nomad clans before a massive raid.” Tempo recognized this historical picture as well. On Deinar, desert tribes were usually insular, constantly warring among themselves for scarce resources. Without any population control measures, their numbers periodically grew to unsustainable levels, prompting an all-out war for survival. This in turn, could only lead to two outcomes. Either a massive culling, or the rise of a Warlord, who would unify the hungry savages to have them raze any and all progress the budding civilization had made.
“Can I see where this camp is, relative to the settlements?” She had a bad premonition.
“Right here, and further northwards, around the small inner sea, lies a chain of fortified cities, which are inhabited by humans and those elves, with a few Loroi mixed in.” There were only twenty-six dots of varying sizes, clinging to the polar lake, or placed along the few rivers springing from it. “Everything else is covered in sand, and the southern pole is a glassed wasteland, polished by the storms into a gigantic mirror hellscape.”
“Zoom in on this southernmost city, please.” He did so, and Emberwing could recognize it as the one from her dreams. “That’s far too close to the camp! They are definitely targeting it! We need to stop those barbarians.”
“And do what, have an alien male drop kinetic ordnance on Loroi? We are trying to establish an alliance, I won’t let it begin with a genocide.” Tempo objected vehemently. “However, the time will be definitely too short to convince them of stopping.”
“An interesting admission, coming from a Mizol.” Emberwing did also realize that resolving it peacefully would be almost impossible, but giving up was not an option, either. “Perhaps if we could collapse the valley’s exit?”
“Ahem, may I participate in this conversation?” Alexander Jardin cleared his throat. “Let me guess, you are discussing how to stop those Loroi?”
“Yes, but how did you know?” Emberwing eyed him with suspicion.
“Don’t worry, we can’t sense your thoughts. This is simply obvious, our history also had their fair share of nomads raiding settlements.” He waved her off, “Additionally, while we can’t intercept your telepathy, AI pattern recognition enables us to do lip-reading. The city inhabitants speak a version of Trade, and the imminent raid is the topic number one.”
“Trade? That’s interesting.” Not very surprising, though. The timing, however, couldn’t have been worse. “How many days do we have left?”
“Not nearly enough, so we have to hurry. Obtaining information during a siege would be rather difficult.” The image switched again, showing a landed shuttle in a field of greenish-brown, partially wilted vegetation. Twelve Humans clad in matte gray spacesuits, heavily armored and even without visors, were disembarking from it. One of the faceless helmets was replaced with a projection of Zarjow’s head. The Captain turned to him. “How is the situation down there?”
“Landing site secured. No dangerous pathogens or wildlife. The air is thin, but breathable. A full report will be uploaded in twenty minutes.” The Operative was reporting in curt and precise statements. “The drones surrounded a small bandit camp nearby. We can catch some specimens.”
“Proceed.” The Humans ran off, causing the camera to swing around to follow them. Emberwing now saw two more shuttles, and a great number of those eight-legged robots, which were now carrying sizable containers on their backs. “Those are simple multipurpose spideroids, by the way, reconfigured for a combat role.”
“I see, but why specifically bandits?” And how did they find them so quickly?
“Because we needed to target a suitably small group where there wouldn’t be any witnesses nearby, and nobody will ask any questions were a few outlaws to disappear without trace.” Answered Ellen Jardin, “We may have to spend them all during interrogation.”
The video feed switched to show a small village among empty farmlands, a few shabby huts surrounded by a low earthen wall. Rough-looking humans armed with primitive weapons tried to man the simple defenses, only to be mowed down by blaster shots from all sides. It didn’t take long for everyone to be subdued, and now, drones jumped straight into the settlement to inspect every house. Alexander Jardin was looking at this unmoved, until Zarjow arrived at the scene and contacted him again. “Target taken. 14 captured, two killed. No losses. Interestingly enough, we can sense them perfectly from a normal distance.”
“Good, interrogate and inspect them thoroughly, I expect a report in two hours.” Alexander Jardin turned back to the Loroi, “After receiving more information, we can think about landing there, as well as strategies how to deal with those nomads. Do you have any questions?”
“Were there any of those elves?” She refrained from commenting on this assault. “I’m curious about what they are.”
“We all are.” He smirked, “Two females, apparently the only surviving original inhabitants of this hamlet, were held captive. We’ve secured them as well.”
“Are they capable of telepathy?” The apparent physical similarity couldn’t be a coincidence.
“No, but it is at least possible to read them.” Answered the Tactician in his stead. “There is also a sufficient number of rather fresh corpses for us to dissect. We’ll have our answers soon.”
“Enough with the macabre, let’s go back to the city. It is called the City of Pillars, and is housing the central shrine of the predominant religion. The priesthood is mostly composed of those elves, Tastadi, as they are referring to themselves, and they worship something called the Transcendent One.” The holographic projection returned to show the settlement in question, “The other inhabitants are Humans, a few Mozeret, and also a number of Loroi living in a slum.”
“It matches my dreams exactly!” Could this Athedil figure also be a real person, and not a figment of someone’s imagination? But, who was responsible for the dreams? “Those Founders, Tastadi, are any of them telepathic?”
“Hmm, hard to say without getting close, most speak verbally, but there were a few instances of wordless communication between them.” Alexander Jardin ruminated for a moment. “The AI calculates the possibility of at least some of them being telepathic at 73%.”
“I thought that it were Loroi who sent me the dreams, but what if those Tastadi could do so as well.” Emberwing had an inkling. A telepathic species, outwardly identical to them, but not of Soia-Liron biochemistry. “Wait, could they be our original forms? Or, is this planet possibly our lost homeworld?!”
“Even the Humans being our template is more likely, and why would the homeworld need any terraforming.” Tempo denied this, but then added, “Rather, I’m very interested in this religion and its shrine. On ancient Perrein, a few cults worshiped Soia artifacts, so what if they also have one, something actually useful? Perhaps it is projecting that lotai, or sends dreams.”
Oasis was indeed wrong, just as she thought. This had far too many similarities with that Deinar legend. Could dreams or visions truly reach so far, possibly even transcending time? Whether this was the effect of an artifact or someone’s ability, it could certainly aid the war effort. “Something that can enable us to send across half a sector? We need to secure it immediately.”
“If the Humans decide to share, of course.” Tempo smiled at the Captain, “Forgive us, the discovery of a yet another related species is quite the surprise.”
“Imagine my astonishment to see elves, then?” Alexander Jardin looked at Ellen, “Alexey will greatly enjoy unraveling the mystery of a myth becoming reality. Or perhaps the other way around?”
“Yes, most certainly.” The Tactician nodded and addressed the Loroi, “We will send you the data once he’s finished. For now, I can guess that you want to discuss this matter among yourselves?”
“Yes, we will do so. Please share the information once it’s available.” Agreed the Mizol. “It seems that the spectacle is over.”
“They are certainly fond of those. Then let us head back, I need to explain something else as well.” The video feed which kept switching between different parts of the city, had shown a huge structure in the middle of it from multiple angles. It looked awfully similar to the one out of her most recent dream, with Alexander Jardin as the unmasked Zulotchi. “I’m looking forward to seeing this city with my own eyes.”
“It can be arranged for, do not worry.” Alexander Jardin smiled reassuringly. “We won’t leave you out.”
“Thank you.” The Loroi left the Observatory and headed back. “Charon, could you inform the others of my team to return to their quarters?”
“Certainly.” Emberwing decided to refrain from using long-range telepathy. Instead, she sent Tempo a mental image. “This central building, probably the temple, I’ve seen it in my dream.”
“Again with those Zulotchi?” The Mizol could only frown. “This makes even less sense than those elves.”
“Then we have to unravel this mystery until it does.” Back on their deck, she asked everyone to gather, and recounted the events. “The answers are finally within our reach.”
“Or just a small part, that the Humans will allow us to see.” The other Mizol was, as usual, not easily convinced. “We are led around by them. Whether this is a matter of amusement, or something far more nefarious, remains to be seen.”
“While I do agree, we are in no position to issue demands. At least, they offered to include us in the landing party.” Hopefully, not as a sacrifice, thought Emberwing, as she remembered a particularly vivid nightmare. No, that wouldn’t make any sense. “Oasis, you said that the dream about Alexander Jardin revealing himself as the one under that Zulotchi mask was an expression of his inner turmoil, anxiety, or even desires?”
“It is likely, although without a proper psychological profile, backed by the necessary telepathic scans, impossible to ascertain.” The Tiret simply shrugged, “I’m merely guessing that their psyche may favor symbolism, especially in the dreamworld.”
“They are most certainly hiding something of great importance, that’s what I think.” Fireblade joined in as well, “All those demonstrations, the Humans simply want to gauge our reaction to refine their lies.”
“You’ve just described what the Mizol always do.” Willpower looked at the Parats impishly, “Let them earn their keep and counteract those tricks.”
“Quite the challenge without telepathy.” Emberwing smirked as well, “Eight Eye, could you sense anything from the planet?”
“Still nothing.” The Bistima shook her head. “I can’t sense even the faintest lifesign, here or anywhere around us. It is truly an Empty Quarter.”
“Maybe it is those Tastadi, who project a lotai.” Emberwing turned to the Listel, “Do you know any legends about something resembling them?”
“The legends I remember do not feature any such beings.” Beryl frowned, “Unless they are invisible to us as well, then they might be the actual source of those melor myths.”
“Fine, let us stop with the wild guesses, it amounts to absolutely nothing. I really hate to admit it, but we might need that construct’s help. It’s been some time since our last contact, anyway.” Emberwing walked over to the dresser to pull out that facsimile uniform. As expected, it spoke to her.
“We greet you once more, Torret Emberwing. It is of course a pity that you decided to ignore our warnings and proceeded to cooperate with the Humans, but this is still within what we had anticipated.”
“I’m the commander of this mission, not your subordinate.” This thing’s condescending attitude was infuriating. “Also, you still haven’t explained the reason we have to be so wary of the Humans, at least beyond any normal measures.”
“We apologize for not being able to find out more about their possible backers or any goals.” It now spoke in a deferential tone. “However, we managed to acquire something of interest. The Humans were very hasty with establishing the surveillance network, giving us opportunity to connect to it. Have they explained anything regarding the nature of the debris field around the planet?”
“No, but you are surely going to tell me.” Could this puppet-thing be capable of glee as well?
“Of course, we shall transfer the data to you. The most striking feature is the chemical composition of the debris pieces.” It wasn’t outright glee, perhaps superiority. Subdued, yet still noticeable, most probably deliberately so. “Besides the usual Soia ceramics, the field also contains a surprising amount of amplifier materials.”
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXXIV: Divine guidance
“Amplifiers? How much is there?” The Loroi never had the opportunity to salvage the remains of a dread-star, so she knew nothing of its composition.
“Currently, the Humans have scanned about five-eights of the field, and estimate the amount of amplification materials to be at least 1024 metric tons.” The puppet-thing returned to a more neutral tone, “It is spread rather uniformly throughout an equatorial belt, with 11 pieces exceeding a shuttle’s length.”
“What would they even need such gigantic amplifiers for?” This should be enough for about a fleet’s worth of farseer-class amplifiers. “The Humans haven’t told us anything about this find.”
“Certainly, since they are currently preparing to bring one of the larger pieces onboard.” The Construct was emphasizing this part to prove its point, “It would seem that they are not willing to share.”
“Just like you do.” Emberwing suppressed her retort, ”Beryl, were there any other finds of amplification materials in such a quantity?”
“Nothing on this order of magnitude. The biggest cache, the only remains of a farseer-class amplifier on Mezan, was about three tons in total. Usually, the finds are limited to personal amplifiers or just shards.” The Listel was quick to provide information. “Interestingly enough, we never found anything in space.”
“Those pieces may be also mere shards.” According to her dream, most of the dread-star vanished in that surreal collapse. “Thank you for providing us with this information. Although, we cannot ask the Humans about it without revealing your existence.”
“We have not contacted the Humans, so this is very much appreciated.” It understood her implied question. Maybe she was getting better at diplomacy. “Until we can ascertain their goals, remaining hidden seems to be the best option.”
“I shall postpone asking this question, while keeping the information in mind.” Yes, the Humans were indeed behaving strange. There were a lot of tests, set-ups and demonstrations, aimed at getting more information out of them. Alexander Jardin also simply admitted to doing it, and that they were also using AIs as lie detectors. Still, what bothered her was not this. If the situation was to be reversed, then they would do it as well, and even more. Rather, she had a growing suspicion that the Humans were not merely collecting all available data in general, but tried to ascertain something they already had a lead on. “Since you managed to link into their communication channels, was there anything noteworthy? Search patterns, sensor specifications, perhaps scan priorities?”
“This was far too obvious.” Immediately, she got berated by Tempo. “We want to have some hints to lead the talks with the Humans towards this fact, a leverage in order to force them to admit salvaging the amplifier pieces.”
“Completely understandable, we shall provide you with an analysis regarding this matter.” The puppet-thing agreed, or perhaps played along. “There is not much time left, do you have any other questions?”
“Should I ask about those elves? It may have information on them.” Emberwing opted to consult with the Mizol first.
“A good idea, just let me do it this time.” Tempo’s sending was gentle, yet carried some hidden pressure. “We would appreciate it if you could share any data regarding that mysterious new race, unless it violates some kind of secret agreement between our governments.”
“Telling you about the possibility of psionic dampeners was already a significant exception. However, there are no such secrets in this case.” The Historian refuted it in a calm voice, “We have absolutely no knowledge about those beings.”
“This mystery will be cleared up soon enough.” The Mizol quickly moved onto the next question, “I suppose you also know nothing about this world?”
“Unfortunately, no. Our expeditions never reached so far.” Then, the Historian continued in a very polite tone. “We would like to request something as well. Specifically, to be brought along onto the surface, in secret.”
“How?” Emberwing frowned in disgust. “You mean I should put this uniform on?!”
“That would be the easiest way to be inconspicuous.” Insisted the Construct. “We could facilitate communication, collect data and continue to offer you advice, as the need for such is surely to arise.”
“Fine, I’ll think about it.” She picked up the armor and put it back.
The suit took the hint, turning silent. “That is truly an outrageous proposal.”
“I think that the Construct is most likely curious about the planet.” Judging from her sending tone, the Listel was so as well. “Maybe it can indeed offer more information, something that is yet kept secret.”
“And in turn, the puppet-thing may collect data which it would not necessary share with us, so this arrangement should still be in its favor.” Scowled Midnight, while setting up a separate console. “Anyway, let us examine the information it sent us first.”
According to the package, the Humans were predominantly looking for amplifier materials, but this could also be explained with the knowledge they had learned recently. What stood out was the speed and efficiency of the search pattern, it almost seemed as if they already knew where to look. Currently, three shuttles were underway to recover a cylindrical piece the length of a Highland. “I’d really like to get my hands on that.”
“Except that we’re not supposed to know of its existence.” Replied Emberwing to the Bistima. Actually, she wished to get hold of it herself, there was a desire to touch this eons-old column directly. She suppressed the sudden urge, “Maybe the Humans will reveal it to us in time.”
“I’ll try to weave in a remark, should an opportunity present itself.” Tempo didn’t seem to be too confident in her success. “Still, it is very strange how they were able to find those pieces so quickly.”
“Maybe they can sense them?” Emberwing turned to Eight Eye, but the farseer simply shook her head. “This is probably related to whatever information the Humans already have. I doubt that the Captain will reveal anything, though, even if I confronted him again.”
“Please, don’t. The last time was already critical enough.” Tempo frowned ever so slightly. “We need to reach a good bargaining position where it would be possible to strike a deal.”
“Captain Emberwing, please come to the Observatory.” Charon’s sudden voice nearly startled her. “You can bring along an advisor.”
“Of course!” Judging by the time, this was most certainly about the landing party. “Tempo, it seems like you can start bargaining right away.”
The elevator was already awaiting them, and in the Observatory, both Jardins greeted the Loroi. The Captain pointed to the projection which showed the snaking valley with the nomad camp. “The most important thing first. Since the invasion is imminent, we must do something about it. Otherwise, the important people in the city will be too preoccupied to deal with us.”
“I hope you’re not proposing an orbital strike.” He had mentioned kinetic ordnance before. “They may be barbarians, but still Loroi.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not keen on slaughtering our dear cousins. Hopefully, this sentiment will be reciprocated. On all levels, mind you.” His image of the Loroi was still not very favorable, it seemed. “Those raiders think themselves oh so clever by hiding in this valley, so let’s turn the terrain against them. Drones have already deposited a number of charges, and we can collapse the steep walls near the exit, thus forcing them to make a detour of at least a week.”
The Human snapped his fingers and the narrow end of the long canyon disappeared in a cloud of dust. To compensate, the projection switched to a schematic overview, showing that this entire area was now completely blocked by rubble. What a show-off, thought Emberwing, but simply nodded. “It seems that this is taken care of. What of the landing party?”
“The advance team has finished their preliminary analysis, and we can share the data.” Alexander Jardin nodded as well. “To sum it up, it is possible to operate on this planet freely, even without spacesuits or some other special preparations. There are no dangerous pathogens, and the air may be thin and dry, but entirely breathable. Highly advanced terraforming microorganisms in the atmosphere are still producing oxygen, plenty enough given the few inhabitants. Even the food is edible, there is a surprising variety of engineered crop plants suitable for all three biochemistry patterns, Humans, elves and Loroi.”
“What is the plan? We can’t simply walk into that city.” With the nomads nearby, the inhabitants would be definitely on guard against foreigners. “Given how primitive they are, I also doubt that they could understand what visitors from space even means, if we chose to reveal ourselves.”
“You’re forgetting that we look the same, and even speak a similar language, so with a little bit of disguise and a few psionic tricks, it is indeed possible to just stroll in.” The Captain showed a daring smile. “The only problem would be to bring in Loroi. While the city’s customs allow exiles and refugees to enter, this is certainly a bad time to test their hospitality. But since I and Zarjow will be there, we can get a single one in. Or should we perhaps exclude you?”
“I remember this setting from my dream.” Or was it truly a dream? “You have certainly a lot of confidence in your abilities, but I shall trust you on that, if you’re prepared to go by yourself. Can you create a disguise for me as well, preferably a set of armor?”
“That’s the spirit expected from a fellow Captain.” He clapped his hands. “We shall add you to the team, then.”
“Going there all alone? I don’t know whether this is daring or foolish.” Sent Tempo with disapproval. “How big of a group are we speaking about?”
“Ten people are to enter one by one from multiple gates, and they shall wait nearby to support your group of three.” Ellen Jardin explained further. “Additionally, a quick response team with a shuttle will be on stand-by in the vicinity, two Loroi are free to join that one.”
“Why not sneak in? With advanced technology, this should pose no problem.” Tempo was not convinced, or rather, wanted to know their goals. “We could contact somebody of importance in secret.”
“Judging from what we learned, the Priesthood is able to see through any deceptions and unravel all secrets.” The Captain was talking about such miraculous things in a completely normal tone. “If those abilities are the real deal, then they will find such an irregularity as us soon enough. But, in the case where the tales are wildly exaggerated, then we shall first collect enough data to determine when and whom to contact. What we won’t do, is to force the matter, since confronting unknown powers may be too risky.”
“What powers? Did you learn something about those elves you secured?” Hinging it all on some outlandish legends was even more risky, thought Emberwing.
“Powers bestowed upon the clergy by their God, or at least that’s how everyone described it. The priests apparently know all that happens in their city and even far beyond.” Ellen Jardin chuckled. “The bandits were genuinely awed of such magics, terrified even, and that’s why they operated so far away from the city. The elves, on the other hand, were reverent of whatever this Deity might be, and thought us to be agents of said God, sent to rescue them in response to their prayers. Truly a fascinating example of a successful religion, don’t you think so, too?”
“Yes, I’m looking forward to meeting with the Priesthood, but I’ll abstain from playing the role of a divine messenger.” Alexander Jardin appeared to be amused as well, not taking this matter seriously enough. “In the case where it won’t work, then we’ll simply treat it all as a nice vacation with some exotic sightseeing.”
“You are rather relaxed, what if the inhabitants decide to see us as enemies?” Tempo was also annoyed at their attitude, yet removed any traces of it from her tone. “They may see you as anathema to their beliefs.”
“Unlikely, since they already have enough foes as it is. We also prepared some contingency plans, just in case.” Alexander Jardin crossed his arms. “Although I’m sure that it will go smoothly, the Priesthood does not seem to be a crazed zealots kind of religion. Our shuttles will be departing in twelve hours. Please read the information we have already sent to you, and make sure to get enough sleep.”
“Then, until tomorrow morning.” Before exiting the room, Emberwing had an idea, and turned around. “Since you want to prepare some native equipment as disguise, would it be possible to craft a sword out of metal from the debris belt? My clan, Starsword, was named after a weapon forged of metal that fell down from the sky.”
“Sky-Metal, huh, a very interesting request.” The Human Captain laughed, “I’ll relay it to William, but I can’t make any promises.”
“Don’t worry, this was just a whim of mine.” She smiled, and walked out.
“That was quite cunning.” The Mizol seemed amused. “We may be able to steer the conversation towards the debris belt every time this sword is mentioned.”
“Every bit helps.” They arrived at their deck, and Emberwing explained the plan to the others.
“Finally, some action. I will obviously come along.” The Teidar’s decision was non-negotiable.
“I’ll volunteer, too.” Surprisingly enough, Midnight spoke up next. “My sanzai range is the longest, excluding the Bistima, of course. This will be surely of use.”
“Then it is decided. Let us study the information about the planet next.” The Humans have provided them with a lot of data, yet it excluded the debris field or amplifiers. This world, Dellar, as the inhabitants called it, meant an oasis. The genesis myth was likely the reason for such a name, claiming that an entity referred to as the Transcendent One sacrificed a part of its divine essence to carry the people here, to the sole remaining bastion of life amidst the endless wastes of death.
“Does it refer to this area being the only habitable region of the planet, or perhaps to those rescue pods of the ruined dread-star you saw in the dream? Maybe both?” The Tiret looked up from her tablet, “To have an entire world named after me, this is a rather funny coincidence.”
“Calling it an oasis is a huge stretch. The biosphere barely survived a massive cataclysm, it is only thanks to the highly advanced Soia terraforming technologies that life was able to persevere.” Willpower was going through the biological data. “The native organisms are mostly gone, but whatever remained has no resemblance to known genetic structures. This confirms it, the planet cannot be our lost homeworld. Besides, those elves have nothing in common with the local lifeforms either. They resemble Humans for the most part, down to biochemistry.”
“What is even more amazing is the state of the civilization, they did not fall to the level of hunter-gatherers as we did.” Beryl was greedily devouring all information. “After a rather short period of conflicts, the elves founded the Church, which managed to establish a settled agricultural civilization, and even uphold it despite the nomad raids or hostile environmental factors.”
“But it also pushed the Loroi out of the more welcoming inner areas into the wastes.” The elves, Tastadi, somehow managed to hold onto civilization, pulling the Humans along, but the Loroi quickly regressed just the same as on Deinar, thought Emberwing. After a series of wars, the remaining barbarized, nomadic Loroi were expelled to the periphery. There, they eked out a harsh living among the desert sands, conducting raids or fighting each other over scarce resources. “What makes those elves so special? They are far closer to the Humans, with few telepathically active, having neither our longevity nor the proper gender ratio for a warrior species.”
“The Church teaches that the Loroi were punished by God for their treachery, while the devoted were rewarded with divine guidance.” Midnight shook her head. “Again with this nonsense, at least there are no references to the Zulotchi.”
“That God apparently shares its insight and wisdom with the Church. Whatever this means does not seem to be empty propaganda, though.” Sent Beryl in an astonished tone. The inhabitants managed to hold onto technology as well, systematically replacing all advanced equipment they were unable to maintain with newly produced tools, quickly adapting to local materials. “All Sister Worlds failed at those crucial steps.”
“And this world is an exception, since the Church and their God managed to save civilization again and again.” Emberwing was not religious, as most Loroi were. However, here, extraordinarily lucky victories or incredibly well-timed inventions, all spearheaded by the Priesthood, were always able to prevent the worst outcome. Not once, but every single time a large-scale conflict or an environmental disaster threatened their very survival. This was utterly improbable, far more unlikely than even that Deinar legend about a future-telling prophet. “I’m almost tempted to believe that this God actually exists. Presumably in the form of an entire cache of Soia artifacts.”
“Unfortunately, they exhausted those advanced supplies ages ago.” Beryl sounded somewhat disappointed. Eventually, the overall technological level still dropped as low as iron-working and animal power. The struggle for survival on this inhospitable world was a terrible drain of resources and lives, experiencing many ups and downs. Progress was set back countless times, and yet, civilization was never lost entirely. It always recovered thanks to the Church, with the current era seeing a re-discovery of primitive chemical explosives, printing and steel-making. Were it not for the limited habitable area and harsh climate, this planet would surely have returned to the stars ages ago, far earlier than any Sister World. “Impressive, that Priesthood is not to be underestimated.”
“Yes, especially since this deity had left a manifestation of its divine powers with the clergy.” Tempo was filtering her sending well, but some agitation still leaked through. “This may be a reference to a Soia artifact. We need to secure it, in the case where it’s still active.”
“Provided they want to give it up, which seems unlikely. What if this device is the one cloaking the entire planet? I don’t want to challenge such powers unprepared.” Trying to establish contact first would be wise indeed. “Besides, we could benefit from their expertise on how to handle the artifact.”
“Do your best winning them over, then.” Sent Willpower teasingly. “Although I think that the Humans have already contacted the locals somehow, and this is yet another spectacle or a test they seem to like so much.”
“I had a similar idea as well.” Tempo sighed. “The Captain was treating this expedition far too casual.”
“Rather, he was overly confident in their powers,” Emberwing also had a strange feeling regarding this expedition. But the chance of learning more about Human capabilities or the mysterious locals was worth the sacrifice of a single Loroi. Or even eight. “I shall exercise utmost caution.”
“Please do, I’m suspecting that the Humans could have lied about not being able to perceive the inhabitants.” Midnight sounded doubtful of them. “Maybe they are sanzaiing with those elves right now, or have the locals already developed radio?”
“We’re drifting off into paranoia, again. If anything, this may be their main goal.” Emberwing stopped this fruitless discussion. “It’s getting late. I’ll compile a list of supplies and equipment, then head off to sleep. Midnight and Fireblade, rest as well, we need to be ready for tomorrow. The others can continue to study the data, just give me an overview before departure.”
“Amplifiers? How much is there?” The Loroi never had the opportunity to salvage the remains of a dread-star, so she knew nothing of its composition.
“Currently, the Humans have scanned about five-eights of the field, and estimate the amount of amplification materials to be at least 1024 metric tons.” The puppet-thing returned to a more neutral tone, “It is spread rather uniformly throughout an equatorial belt, with 11 pieces exceeding a shuttle’s length.”
“What would they even need such gigantic amplifiers for?” This should be enough for about a fleet’s worth of farseer-class amplifiers. “The Humans haven’t told us anything about this find.”
“Certainly, since they are currently preparing to bring one of the larger pieces onboard.” The Construct was emphasizing this part to prove its point, “It would seem that they are not willing to share.”
“Just like you do.” Emberwing suppressed her retort, ”Beryl, were there any other finds of amplification materials in such a quantity?”
“Nothing on this order of magnitude. The biggest cache, the only remains of a farseer-class amplifier on Mezan, was about three tons in total. Usually, the finds are limited to personal amplifiers or just shards.” The Listel was quick to provide information. “Interestingly enough, we never found anything in space.”
“Those pieces may be also mere shards.” According to her dream, most of the dread-star vanished in that surreal collapse. “Thank you for providing us with this information. Although, we cannot ask the Humans about it without revealing your existence.”
“We have not contacted the Humans, so this is very much appreciated.” It understood her implied question. Maybe she was getting better at diplomacy. “Until we can ascertain their goals, remaining hidden seems to be the best option.”
“I shall postpone asking this question, while keeping the information in mind.” Yes, the Humans were indeed behaving strange. There were a lot of tests, set-ups and demonstrations, aimed at getting more information out of them. Alexander Jardin also simply admitted to doing it, and that they were also using AIs as lie detectors. Still, what bothered her was not this. If the situation was to be reversed, then they would do it as well, and even more. Rather, she had a growing suspicion that the Humans were not merely collecting all available data in general, but tried to ascertain something they already had a lead on. “Since you managed to link into their communication channels, was there anything noteworthy? Search patterns, sensor specifications, perhaps scan priorities?”
“This was far too obvious.” Immediately, she got berated by Tempo. “We want to have some hints to lead the talks with the Humans towards this fact, a leverage in order to force them to admit salvaging the amplifier pieces.”
“Completely understandable, we shall provide you with an analysis regarding this matter.” The puppet-thing agreed, or perhaps played along. “There is not much time left, do you have any other questions?”
“Should I ask about those elves? It may have information on them.” Emberwing opted to consult with the Mizol first.
“A good idea, just let me do it this time.” Tempo’s sending was gentle, yet carried some hidden pressure. “We would appreciate it if you could share any data regarding that mysterious new race, unless it violates some kind of secret agreement between our governments.”
“Telling you about the possibility of psionic dampeners was already a significant exception. However, there are no such secrets in this case.” The Historian refuted it in a calm voice, “We have absolutely no knowledge about those beings.”
“This mystery will be cleared up soon enough.” The Mizol quickly moved onto the next question, “I suppose you also know nothing about this world?”
“Unfortunately, no. Our expeditions never reached so far.” Then, the Historian continued in a very polite tone. “We would like to request something as well. Specifically, to be brought along onto the surface, in secret.”
“How?” Emberwing frowned in disgust. “You mean I should put this uniform on?!”
“That would be the easiest way to be inconspicuous.” Insisted the Construct. “We could facilitate communication, collect data and continue to offer you advice, as the need for such is surely to arise.”
“Fine, I’ll think about it.” She picked up the armor and put it back.
The suit took the hint, turning silent. “That is truly an outrageous proposal.”
“I think that the Construct is most likely curious about the planet.” Judging from her sending tone, the Listel was so as well. “Maybe it can indeed offer more information, something that is yet kept secret.”
“And in turn, the puppet-thing may collect data which it would not necessary share with us, so this arrangement should still be in its favor.” Scowled Midnight, while setting up a separate console. “Anyway, let us examine the information it sent us first.”
According to the package, the Humans were predominantly looking for amplifier materials, but this could also be explained with the knowledge they had learned recently. What stood out was the speed and efficiency of the search pattern, it almost seemed as if they already knew where to look. Currently, three shuttles were underway to recover a cylindrical piece the length of a Highland. “I’d really like to get my hands on that.”
“Except that we’re not supposed to know of its existence.” Replied Emberwing to the Bistima. Actually, she wished to get hold of it herself, there was a desire to touch this eons-old column directly. She suppressed the sudden urge, “Maybe the Humans will reveal it to us in time.”
“I’ll try to weave in a remark, should an opportunity present itself.” Tempo didn’t seem to be too confident in her success. “Still, it is very strange how they were able to find those pieces so quickly.”
“Maybe they can sense them?” Emberwing turned to Eight Eye, but the farseer simply shook her head. “This is probably related to whatever information the Humans already have. I doubt that the Captain will reveal anything, though, even if I confronted him again.”
“Please, don’t. The last time was already critical enough.” Tempo frowned ever so slightly. “We need to reach a good bargaining position where it would be possible to strike a deal.”
“Captain Emberwing, please come to the Observatory.” Charon’s sudden voice nearly startled her. “You can bring along an advisor.”
“Of course!” Judging by the time, this was most certainly about the landing party. “Tempo, it seems like you can start bargaining right away.”
The elevator was already awaiting them, and in the Observatory, both Jardins greeted the Loroi. The Captain pointed to the projection which showed the snaking valley with the nomad camp. “The most important thing first. Since the invasion is imminent, we must do something about it. Otherwise, the important people in the city will be too preoccupied to deal with us.”
“I hope you’re not proposing an orbital strike.” He had mentioned kinetic ordnance before. “They may be barbarians, but still Loroi.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not keen on slaughtering our dear cousins. Hopefully, this sentiment will be reciprocated. On all levels, mind you.” His image of the Loroi was still not very favorable, it seemed. “Those raiders think themselves oh so clever by hiding in this valley, so let’s turn the terrain against them. Drones have already deposited a number of charges, and we can collapse the steep walls near the exit, thus forcing them to make a detour of at least a week.”
The Human snapped his fingers and the narrow end of the long canyon disappeared in a cloud of dust. To compensate, the projection switched to a schematic overview, showing that this entire area was now completely blocked by rubble. What a show-off, thought Emberwing, but simply nodded. “It seems that this is taken care of. What of the landing party?”
“The advance team has finished their preliminary analysis, and we can share the data.” Alexander Jardin nodded as well. “To sum it up, it is possible to operate on this planet freely, even without spacesuits or some other special preparations. There are no dangerous pathogens, and the air may be thin and dry, but entirely breathable. Highly advanced terraforming microorganisms in the atmosphere are still producing oxygen, plenty enough given the few inhabitants. Even the food is edible, there is a surprising variety of engineered crop plants suitable for all three biochemistry patterns, Humans, elves and Loroi.”
“What is the plan? We can’t simply walk into that city.” With the nomads nearby, the inhabitants would be definitely on guard against foreigners. “Given how primitive they are, I also doubt that they could understand what visitors from space even means, if we chose to reveal ourselves.”
“You’re forgetting that we look the same, and even speak a similar language, so with a little bit of disguise and a few psionic tricks, it is indeed possible to just stroll in.” The Captain showed a daring smile. “The only problem would be to bring in Loroi. While the city’s customs allow exiles and refugees to enter, this is certainly a bad time to test their hospitality. But since I and Zarjow will be there, we can get a single one in. Or should we perhaps exclude you?”
“I remember this setting from my dream.” Or was it truly a dream? “You have certainly a lot of confidence in your abilities, but I shall trust you on that, if you’re prepared to go by yourself. Can you create a disguise for me as well, preferably a set of armor?”
“That’s the spirit expected from a fellow Captain.” He clapped his hands. “We shall add you to the team, then.”
“Going there all alone? I don’t know whether this is daring or foolish.” Sent Tempo with disapproval. “How big of a group are we speaking about?”
“Ten people are to enter one by one from multiple gates, and they shall wait nearby to support your group of three.” Ellen Jardin explained further. “Additionally, a quick response team with a shuttle will be on stand-by in the vicinity, two Loroi are free to join that one.”
“Why not sneak in? With advanced technology, this should pose no problem.” Tempo was not convinced, or rather, wanted to know their goals. “We could contact somebody of importance in secret.”
“Judging from what we learned, the Priesthood is able to see through any deceptions and unravel all secrets.” The Captain was talking about such miraculous things in a completely normal tone. “If those abilities are the real deal, then they will find such an irregularity as us soon enough. But, in the case where the tales are wildly exaggerated, then we shall first collect enough data to determine when and whom to contact. What we won’t do, is to force the matter, since confronting unknown powers may be too risky.”
“What powers? Did you learn something about those elves you secured?” Hinging it all on some outlandish legends was even more risky, thought Emberwing.
“Powers bestowed upon the clergy by their God, or at least that’s how everyone described it. The priests apparently know all that happens in their city and even far beyond.” Ellen Jardin chuckled. “The bandits were genuinely awed of such magics, terrified even, and that’s why they operated so far away from the city. The elves, on the other hand, were reverent of whatever this Deity might be, and thought us to be agents of said God, sent to rescue them in response to their prayers. Truly a fascinating example of a successful religion, don’t you think so, too?”
“Yes, I’m looking forward to meeting with the Priesthood, but I’ll abstain from playing the role of a divine messenger.” Alexander Jardin appeared to be amused as well, not taking this matter seriously enough. “In the case where it won’t work, then we’ll simply treat it all as a nice vacation with some exotic sightseeing.”
“You are rather relaxed, what if the inhabitants decide to see us as enemies?” Tempo was also annoyed at their attitude, yet removed any traces of it from her tone. “They may see you as anathema to their beliefs.”
“Unlikely, since they already have enough foes as it is. We also prepared some contingency plans, just in case.” Alexander Jardin crossed his arms. “Although I’m sure that it will go smoothly, the Priesthood does not seem to be a crazed zealots kind of religion. Our shuttles will be departing in twelve hours. Please read the information we have already sent to you, and make sure to get enough sleep.”
“Then, until tomorrow morning.” Before exiting the room, Emberwing had an idea, and turned around. “Since you want to prepare some native equipment as disguise, would it be possible to craft a sword out of metal from the debris belt? My clan, Starsword, was named after a weapon forged of metal that fell down from the sky.”
“Sky-Metal, huh, a very interesting request.” The Human Captain laughed, “I’ll relay it to William, but I can’t make any promises.”
“Don’t worry, this was just a whim of mine.” She smiled, and walked out.
“That was quite cunning.” The Mizol seemed amused. “We may be able to steer the conversation towards the debris belt every time this sword is mentioned.”
“Every bit helps.” They arrived at their deck, and Emberwing explained the plan to the others.
“Finally, some action. I will obviously come along.” The Teidar’s decision was non-negotiable.
“I’ll volunteer, too.” Surprisingly enough, Midnight spoke up next. “My sanzai range is the longest, excluding the Bistima, of course. This will be surely of use.”
“Then it is decided. Let us study the information about the planet next.” The Humans have provided them with a lot of data, yet it excluded the debris field or amplifiers. This world, Dellar, as the inhabitants called it, meant an oasis. The genesis myth was likely the reason for such a name, claiming that an entity referred to as the Transcendent One sacrificed a part of its divine essence to carry the people here, to the sole remaining bastion of life amidst the endless wastes of death.
“Does it refer to this area being the only habitable region of the planet, or perhaps to those rescue pods of the ruined dread-star you saw in the dream? Maybe both?” The Tiret looked up from her tablet, “To have an entire world named after me, this is a rather funny coincidence.”
“Calling it an oasis is a huge stretch. The biosphere barely survived a massive cataclysm, it is only thanks to the highly advanced Soia terraforming technologies that life was able to persevere.” Willpower was going through the biological data. “The native organisms are mostly gone, but whatever remained has no resemblance to known genetic structures. This confirms it, the planet cannot be our lost homeworld. Besides, those elves have nothing in common with the local lifeforms either. They resemble Humans for the most part, down to biochemistry.”
“What is even more amazing is the state of the civilization, they did not fall to the level of hunter-gatherers as we did.” Beryl was greedily devouring all information. “After a rather short period of conflicts, the elves founded the Church, which managed to establish a settled agricultural civilization, and even uphold it despite the nomad raids or hostile environmental factors.”
“But it also pushed the Loroi out of the more welcoming inner areas into the wastes.” The elves, Tastadi, somehow managed to hold onto civilization, pulling the Humans along, but the Loroi quickly regressed just the same as on Deinar, thought Emberwing. After a series of wars, the remaining barbarized, nomadic Loroi were expelled to the periphery. There, they eked out a harsh living among the desert sands, conducting raids or fighting each other over scarce resources. “What makes those elves so special? They are far closer to the Humans, with few telepathically active, having neither our longevity nor the proper gender ratio for a warrior species.”
“The Church teaches that the Loroi were punished by God for their treachery, while the devoted were rewarded with divine guidance.” Midnight shook her head. “Again with this nonsense, at least there are no references to the Zulotchi.”
“That God apparently shares its insight and wisdom with the Church. Whatever this means does not seem to be empty propaganda, though.” Sent Beryl in an astonished tone. The inhabitants managed to hold onto technology as well, systematically replacing all advanced equipment they were unable to maintain with newly produced tools, quickly adapting to local materials. “All Sister Worlds failed at those crucial steps.”
“And this world is an exception, since the Church and their God managed to save civilization again and again.” Emberwing was not religious, as most Loroi were. However, here, extraordinarily lucky victories or incredibly well-timed inventions, all spearheaded by the Priesthood, were always able to prevent the worst outcome. Not once, but every single time a large-scale conflict or an environmental disaster threatened their very survival. This was utterly improbable, far more unlikely than even that Deinar legend about a future-telling prophet. “I’m almost tempted to believe that this God actually exists. Presumably in the form of an entire cache of Soia artifacts.”
“Unfortunately, they exhausted those advanced supplies ages ago.” Beryl sounded somewhat disappointed. Eventually, the overall technological level still dropped as low as iron-working and animal power. The struggle for survival on this inhospitable world was a terrible drain of resources and lives, experiencing many ups and downs. Progress was set back countless times, and yet, civilization was never lost entirely. It always recovered thanks to the Church, with the current era seeing a re-discovery of primitive chemical explosives, printing and steel-making. Were it not for the limited habitable area and harsh climate, this planet would surely have returned to the stars ages ago, far earlier than any Sister World. “Impressive, that Priesthood is not to be underestimated.”
“Yes, especially since this deity had left a manifestation of its divine powers with the clergy.” Tempo was filtering her sending well, but some agitation still leaked through. “This may be a reference to a Soia artifact. We need to secure it, in the case where it’s still active.”
“Provided they want to give it up, which seems unlikely. What if this device is the one cloaking the entire planet? I don’t want to challenge such powers unprepared.” Trying to establish contact first would be wise indeed. “Besides, we could benefit from their expertise on how to handle the artifact.”
“Do your best winning them over, then.” Sent Willpower teasingly. “Although I think that the Humans have already contacted the locals somehow, and this is yet another spectacle or a test they seem to like so much.”
“I had a similar idea as well.” Tempo sighed. “The Captain was treating this expedition far too casual.”
“Rather, he was overly confident in their powers,” Emberwing also had a strange feeling regarding this expedition. But the chance of learning more about Human capabilities or the mysterious locals was worth the sacrifice of a single Loroi. Or even eight. “I shall exercise utmost caution.”
“Please do, I’m suspecting that the Humans could have lied about not being able to perceive the inhabitants.” Midnight sounded doubtful of them. “Maybe they are sanzaiing with those elves right now, or have the locals already developed radio?”
“We’re drifting off into paranoia, again. If anything, this may be their main goal.” Emberwing stopped this fruitless discussion. “It’s getting late. I’ll compile a list of supplies and equipment, then head off to sleep. Midnight and Fireblade, rest as well, we need to be ready for tomorrow. The others can continue to study the data, just give me an overview before departure.”
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Intermission V: Shattered plans
The Warrior was resting in her tent, a privilege she had earned with the recent success of her investigation. Sleeping during the hottest midday hours was great, yet the strange dreams were spoiling this reward. Ever since coming back from that city they kept haunting her, and right now, she was standing before an abyss, a sea of perfect darkness. The surface flickered, and a myriad of stars appeared on it, forming unfamiliar constellations. Those were not merely a reflection, they were entities on their own, alive, calling out, drawing her in. She experienced a strange sensation of falling down into the void, but also upwards, flying towards the tiny dots of light. Passing through, she emerged in a space of most eminent nothingness. There were only voices, countless whispers merging into a strange tune. Were they trying to tell her something? Could this be one of the fabled ancestral visions, and not a curse of that vengeful demon?
Suddenly, her dream was interrupted by a powerful tremor of the earth, and a low, booming sound shook the tent. Grabbing a weapon, she stumbled outside to see a huge column of dust rise up where the valley’s exit would be.
Were they under attack? Through the telepathic network, she received images from the guards at the canyon’s mound. The tall walls had collapsed, blocking the passage completely. This was most certainly not the aftermath of an earthquake.
“Daughter, you assured me that nobody followed you!” The powerful, and at the same time, sleepy-sounding sending from a nearby tent assailed her.
“No, I am absolutely sure!” She tried her best to resist its strength. “And even if, the Tastadi cannot possibly command such powers!”
“The new weapon, you silly girl.” The Azerein was now fully awake, and her sanzai returned to a normal level. “But you’re right, a group big enough to cause such devastation would be spotted early.”
“The Binzer might’ve tunneled their way through the cliffs.” Her sister, who stood guard at their mother’s tent, sent with disdain. “They used your carelessness, found us, and set up an ingenious trap.”
“I! was! not! followed!” She lashed out at her rival, causing her to flinch. “They may have learned of our location from that demon they worship! Otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough time to prepare something this elaborate.”
“Stop bickering in my presence, you impertinent fools! I need to think.” Judging from the images, there was absolutely no way to clear this obstacle in time. To climb up the ravine while carrying supplies and equipment would be impossible as well. The Azerein seemed to come to the same conclusion. “Fine, I admit that they have won this round. Everyone, break up the camp, we shall make a detour.”
Realizing that she had nothing on, the warrior wanted to return to the tent, yet was stopped by her mother. “And you! There’s no evidence of any wrongdoings on your part, so you get to keep your honor. But I need to dispatch a scout. You will volunteer. Bring me precise information about that new weapon.”
“Yes, my Azerein.” She made a very rude gesture towards another sister who dared to gloat. Her face turned dark blue and she retreated. “I shall not disappoint.”
“Be quick about it. We need nine days to approach the city from a different valley, have the report ready by then.” She had to succeed, her sisters would certainly use the time to damage her reputation. “Oh, just shut up, I’m not gullible enough to fall for their stupid schemes. Go, with my blessings.”
She sneered at the two sisters one last time, and ran off to get ready. With her telekinesis, it would still be possible to scale that obstacle. Since the outlying villages were likely evacuated due to their approach, she could now travel by day, which should speed up her arrival in the city. The only problem would be how to get inside, unnoticed. If that demon was truly so powerful as to locate them here, could it also find her if she sneaked in? Was her lotai sufficient? The Loroi deliberately rejected all those stories about the supposed god as lies and propaganda, yet what if they were at least partially true? No, mulling about it served no purpose. She checked her equipment one last time, strapped the magnificent sword, her pride, to her back, and set off towards the city. It would be an arduous three days' journey.
The Warrior was resting in her tent, a privilege she had earned with the recent success of her investigation. Sleeping during the hottest midday hours was great, yet the strange dreams were spoiling this reward. Ever since coming back from that city they kept haunting her, and right now, she was standing before an abyss, a sea of perfect darkness. The surface flickered, and a myriad of stars appeared on it, forming unfamiliar constellations. Those were not merely a reflection, they were entities on their own, alive, calling out, drawing her in. She experienced a strange sensation of falling down into the void, but also upwards, flying towards the tiny dots of light. Passing through, she emerged in a space of most eminent nothingness. There were only voices, countless whispers merging into a strange tune. Were they trying to tell her something? Could this be one of the fabled ancestral visions, and not a curse of that vengeful demon?
Suddenly, her dream was interrupted by a powerful tremor of the earth, and a low, booming sound shook the tent. Grabbing a weapon, she stumbled outside to see a huge column of dust rise up where the valley’s exit would be.
Were they under attack? Through the telepathic network, she received images from the guards at the canyon’s mound. The tall walls had collapsed, blocking the passage completely. This was most certainly not the aftermath of an earthquake.
“Daughter, you assured me that nobody followed you!” The powerful, and at the same time, sleepy-sounding sending from a nearby tent assailed her.
“No, I am absolutely sure!” She tried her best to resist its strength. “And even if, the Tastadi cannot possibly command such powers!”
“The new weapon, you silly girl.” The Azerein was now fully awake, and her sanzai returned to a normal level. “But you’re right, a group big enough to cause such devastation would be spotted early.”
“The Binzer might’ve tunneled their way through the cliffs.” Her sister, who stood guard at their mother’s tent, sent with disdain. “They used your carelessness, found us, and set up an ingenious trap.”
“I! was! not! followed!” She lashed out at her rival, causing her to flinch. “They may have learned of our location from that demon they worship! Otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough time to prepare something this elaborate.”
“Stop bickering in my presence, you impertinent fools! I need to think.” Judging from the images, there was absolutely no way to clear this obstacle in time. To climb up the ravine while carrying supplies and equipment would be impossible as well. The Azerein seemed to come to the same conclusion. “Fine, I admit that they have won this round. Everyone, break up the camp, we shall make a detour.”
Realizing that she had nothing on, the warrior wanted to return to the tent, yet was stopped by her mother. “And you! There’s no evidence of any wrongdoings on your part, so you get to keep your honor. But I need to dispatch a scout. You will volunteer. Bring me precise information about that new weapon.”
“Yes, my Azerein.” She made a very rude gesture towards another sister who dared to gloat. Her face turned dark blue and she retreated. “I shall not disappoint.”
“Be quick about it. We need nine days to approach the city from a different valley, have the report ready by then.” She had to succeed, her sisters would certainly use the time to damage her reputation. “Oh, just shut up, I’m not gullible enough to fall for their stupid schemes. Go, with my blessings.”
She sneered at the two sisters one last time, and ran off to get ready. With her telekinesis, it would still be possible to scale that obstacle. Since the outlying villages were likely evacuated due to their approach, she could now travel by day, which should speed up her arrival in the city. The only problem would be how to get inside, unnoticed. If that demon was truly so powerful as to locate them here, could it also find her if she sneaked in? Was her lotai sufficient? The Loroi deliberately rejected all those stories about the supposed god as lies and propaganda, yet what if they were at least partially true? No, mulling about it served no purpose. She checked her equipment one last time, strapped the magnificent sword, her pride, to her back, and set off towards the city. It would be an arduous three days' journey.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXXV: The Departure
The matter of the supplies and equipment was finished quickly enough, and Emberwing could now head to bed. A warrior needed to know how to fall asleep whenever or wherever necessary, irrespective of any other factors, and wake up in time, well-rested for battle. She attempted just that, hoping to learn more about the planet and its inhabitants in the dream. Instead, Emberwing found herself floating in outer space, facing a massive black pillar decorated with intricate golden patterns. It was emanating a tune far more elaborate than anything she had ever heard before. The song carried an enormous power, calling out to her, promising strength beyond any common boundaries. The desire to touch the column was simply irresistible, and the prickling sensation of doing so sent a mighty current through her very being.
Immediately, the strange flickers from the amplifier experience surrounded her. Far too many to count, they danced in tune to the song, slipping in and out of existence. Emberwing tried to touch them, yet the ephemeral lights simply passed through her hand, vanishing and then reappearing at random. What were those? She attempted to empower her perception by synchronizing with the psionic melody.
With this, came greater understanding. Those wisps were not transient, there was an unfathomable profoundness to their existence, an abyss of unknown concepts lurking just below the rippling surface. The tempting emanations from deep below lured her to dive further in, and spellbound, she complied. Now, surrounded by a perfect darkness, she could somehow perceive it as a myriad of interconnected patterns, stretching out into eternity. Yet, before being able to explore this strange realm, she found out that outsiders were not welcome here. A sudden, searing outburst of light blinded her, and she was flung out of the vision, with a similar burning sensation as before. Midway in the fiery descent, however, she was caught by the Human Captain.
“I see that you’ve now experienced the same dream.” Alexander Jardin was holding her with both arms as they were standing in the cargo bay of his ship. Unsurprisingly enough, that massive pillar was already there as well. Weathered, silent, and with the golden patterns dulled by eons, yet still majestic, it stood there, supported by a scaffold. “This feeling of transcendence is quite exhilarating, but I suppose you don’t know where it comes from, or what that flash might’ve been?”
“I’d like to know as well.” The physical link, even though it was just a dream, enhanced their connection. Through it, she could sense that he was genuinely curious. There was also a rather strange undertone. Perhaps even suggestive, related to how she was being held. “Could you let me down?”
“No. Not until you tell me why you don’t seem to be fazed after seeing this amplifier piece here.” He laughed. The link apparently worked both ways. “Don’t try to deceive a telepath, you know that I know, and all that, ad infinitum.”
“We have our secrets as well.” Emberwing shielded her mind and suppressed any runaway emotions. “Just as you’ve kept this artifact hidden from us.”
“And here I thought that we may trade some secrets. Fine, no deal then.” He simply dropped her, and she woke up.
What a rude way to threat her, grumbled Emberwing as she got out of bed. No, that wasn’t her own line of reasoning, but a Human’s way of thinking, so she discarded this residual notion. Looking at the clock, it was a bit earlier than the alarm was set for, but going back to sleep was out of question. As soon as she finished all morning chores, and sat down to eat, the computer’s voice addressed her politely. “The Captain wants to speak with you.”
“Not now, I’m eating.” She would see him soon enough, anyway. Selecting something delicious had priority.
“Are you angry, by chance?” The food menu was suddenly replaced with the Captain’s holographic projection. Fortunately, she already managed to order.
“Not in particular. Maybe disappointed.” Emberwing turned around to get her food from the chute. “It was to be expected, given your penchant for secrecy.”
“I didn’t mean the artifact.” He chuckled. “But if this matter is that important, do you want to see the real thing, as an apology? We do have a bit of time left before departure.”
Was he toying with her? Judging from his expression, certainly, and even Beryl followed this exchange with amusement. As soon as the Captain mentioned the artifact, though, she immediately perked up. At least she had enough restraint and didn’t jump out of the bathroom. “I want to see it as well!”
“Don’t get caught up in their schemes.” Emberwing sighed. “I have no idea what you’re up to, but it would be impossible to waste such an opportunity. Just let me finish my meal.”
“Of course, the lift will be waiting for you.” The projection disappeared.
“Anything new from the information analysis?” This unusually tasty dish was apparently made from the eggs of domesticated animals. Or, at least, the original one would be. “Primarily, I need the language and customs of the locals.”
“Midnight has compiled a language database.” The Listel sent her a telepathic report. “And I studied the culture. This settlement, the City of Pillars, is the most important holy site of the Church, housing their main shrine and something called the Vestige. An annual harvest festival is held in honor of the Deity’s blessings right around this time, attracting many visitors and pilgrims. Unfortunately, the nomad raid came earlier than usual or expected, disrupting the celebrations.”
“If the city is so well-frequented, then it would make our infiltration easier.” The naming was a bit strange, could it be related to a similar artifact? She sent her the mental image from the latest dream. “Why is it called the City of Pillars, and what’s the vestige?”
“We don’t have enough data. One of the bandits was a deserter from the city’s garrison, and he provided some general information and rumors. That’s simply what everyone had called the settlement for as long as it existed. But the Vestige is in the central shrine which only a selected few are permitted to enter, so he had no idea what it actually is.” The Listel paused for a moment, processing the dream. “I see what you mean, it may be a coincidence, but there’s probably more to it. We’d need to compare both artifacts to be sure.”
“Then, I’ll head out to see it.” As expected, the elevator was awaiting her. “To the Captain, please.”
“Certainly, he is in cargo bay 2.” Answered the computer.
“Over here!” Stepping out, she was called by Alexander Jardin. He led her to the otherwise empty bay, and pointed at the massive pillar erected there. “What a sight, don’t you agree? Touch it, if you’d like.”
“May I?” As she approached the artifact, Emberwing could hear an almost inaudible whisper of a song, incomparably weaker than the overwhelming tune from the dream, or even an amplifier.
“Feel free to.” Alexander Jardin said assuredly. “We’ve dusted it off, ran several security checks, and I’ve already touched it, there’s no danger.”
“It’s not the matter of being afraid.” Tersely, she put her hand on the uneven surface, ready for anything. The cautiousness was in vain, however, since nothing happened. No psionic tune, no vision, or any other reaction, for that matter. Upon concentrating to the best of her abilities, she noticed that even the whisper did not seem to originate from the pillar. The tune simply slipped away from her attempts to sense it, the source being too fleeting to pinpoint. Emberwing opened her eyes, which she did not even remember closing. “I cannot feel any response, only the general idea of something present in the room.”
“Quite the disappointment after that grandiose dream.” Alexander Jardin was touching the pillar as well. “We couldn’t get this psionic machine to work either. There’s indeed a faint, diffuse reaction, but it doesn’t seem to do anything or provide feedback.”
“Machine?” She switched her focus from trying to locate the whisper’s source back to the Human. “What can you sense?”
“Well, you’ve told us that amplifiers are magnifying glasses of sorts. Or, perhaps levers? A broken one, as you can see, and this may be the reason we cannot grasp it.” The Captain pointed at the lower end, which was sheared off. Certainly, comparing her own height to the column, this piece was indeed much shorter than the one in the dream. The Human let go of the surface, and made a gesture encompassing the artifact. “But what powers does it work upon? Or how? If it is merely a passive enhancer, then those abilities must be already present in us.”
“Whatever I saw in the dream was definitely beyond anything we are capable of, far too alien to even comprehend.” And yet, strangely fascinating. “Just as with the previous dreams, could all those visions be remnants of stored memories?”
“Whose, of the Soia? Interesting theory, although I have no idea how that would be possible. Well, any sufficiently advanced technology should be indistinguishable from magic.” He knocked on the pillar muttering something. “Not opening, huh? It seems we need to find an active or at least an intact one. Let’s hope that the artifact in the city is still working, I have a feeling that it should be able to answer our questions.”
“Wait, why are you so sure that there’s one, or that it’s active?” She eyed him with suspicion. “You also didn’t answer my question about your impression of the pillar here.”
“Of this column? It’s simply old.” The Captain raised an eyebrow. “Regarding your inquiry, let’s start with a counter-question, how do you know that we had collected anything? A secret for a secret, remember? But to answer your question as a measure of goodwill, it was the usual, we saw a guiding dream and followed its hints.”
“What a coincidence, I saw this in a dream as well.” Emberwing had a distinct feeling that he was not outright lying, yet certainly withholding information. This was merely an inkling, not at the level of the inherent honesty of the sanzai sub-channel, but she was still somehow sure of his deception, and decided to pay in kind. “Let’s visit that temple, then.”
“Still no deal?” He smirked. “We even made a Sword of the Stars for you, princess.”
“I’m not a siirrin and this word is no longer being used in such a way.” Was he trying to rile her up as a distraction? “A trade you seem so keen on may be commenced once we know what the goods actually are supposed to be.”
“The trust issue, again, I understand. Hopefully, the mission will be able to convince you of our good intentions, as well as the benefits of cooperation. We also shall include your specialists in the study of this object.” He then pointed at a bag lying by the exit. “Inside are the sword and a suit of armor. The shuttles for the infiltration and the extraction teams will both depart in three hours, please make sure to be on time.”
“Of course. Thank you for the blade.” She picked up the equipment and returned to her cabin.
“How was the artifact?” Beryl was brimming with curiosity.
“Inactive.” She sent her the mental picture. “Well, at least he said that we may inspect it. Tempo, can you work out the details?”
“Certainly, I will oversee the team personally.” The Mizol nodded. “The Bistima’s abilities would make more sense of it.”
“I’ll do my utmost.” The Farseer had received the transmission as well. “That echo you’ve heard could mean that the artifact is damaged, but not destroyed entirely. It should still be possible to analyze it. “
“We will refrain from sharing any data on this matter with the away teams over the comm channels.” Decided Emberwing. “Giving the Construct or the Humans more information without recompense would be unwise. Give me the report once I return.”
“I agree completely, the Humans are far ahead of us regarding information anyway.” The other Mizol was still studying the planet’s data. She looked up, and gave Emberwing a tablet device. “I’ve made a linguistic comparison, it may help you blend in better.”
“Thank you.” Emberwing spent the next hours adapting to this version of Trade, and learned more of the inhabitant’s common sense. Apparently, it was indeed possible for Loroi to freely enter and even live in the city. They weren’t well-liked, and mostly confined to the slums, but this was still better than their reception in all other towns. Exiled warriors, escaped civilians, or simply any Loroi who fled from the harsh climate and the even harsher clan system found here a new home. Were her unusually detailed and accurate dreams somebody’s else memories, then?
Regardless of their status as de-facto second class citizens, not all Loroi were completely destitute. Most found jobs, usually rough manual labor, or in the case of warriors, work as sellswords. That would be her cover-story as well, a member of a team of ruin explorers coming back from a very long expedition. In a sense, this was not even entirely untrue. Such a dangerous profession attracted all kinds of misfits, who would venture away from civilization for months or even years. Employing Loroi, being unacquainted with the latest happenings, or simply standing out would be then easy to explain. On the other hand, the explorers brought back valuable artifacts from lost cities or even Soia ruins, and therefore, commanded a certain amount of respect and awe.
If necessary, the Humans would use their powers to make the gate guards believe this setup, and afterwards, they could head straight to the shadier part of the city where nobody asked too many questions. Several prospective locations for a temporary base of operations were already selected as well. Somehow, the Humans were very adept at this kind of work, especially the speed and efficiency with which they had extracted information was noteworthy. “Tempo, can you analyze their methods as well? The Humans had obtained and systematized so much data in a very short amount of time.”
“Of course, it seems that they had brought along very capable personnel.” The Mizol sounded slightly amused. “Be wary.”
“Was that professional praise? I suppose that the Construct would be a good hidden piece to counteract them.” It was about time to depart, so she retrieved the facsimile uniform. Yet this time, it kept silent. “Not even deigning to answer me? Maybe we should leave the puppet-thing here.”
“I’ve received a message just now.” Midnight kept her face expressionless. “It says that the Historian is ready, but cannot secure a proper conversation. However, it can link into the normal comm channels, and hide its activity between our messages.”
“This puppet-thing really tries its best to be brought along. I wonder what hidden agenda is driving it.” She put the suit on. “Anyway, if we can get something out of this cooperation, then the better.”
Fireblade, who was already wearing full combat gear, helped her equip the disguise. This armor consisted of reinforced leather clothing, with woven-in metal plates protecting the upper body. On the outside, at least. While it was made to look primitive, the actual material was highly advanced. There were also a great number of hidden pockets, so she used them to store a blaster pistol, several scanners, and other equipment. “First the proficiency in interrogation, now the quality of this disguise. Why are the Humans so well-versed in infiltrating a savage world?”
“Probably because they are still savages themselves.” Midnight put on combat gear as well. “Unfortunately, we have to play along with their whims.”
“Never underestimate your foe, this is the first and often last mistake a foolish warrior can make.” Fireblade sounded unusually stern. “My instructor was very throughout in beating this into our skulls.”
“Our mission is to make them into allies, remember? I will keep this advice in mind, of course.” Emberwing drew the sword to inspect it. The blade was single-edged and slightly curved, with a wavy pattern to simulate a simple way of making steel. Upon a closer look, this alloy was definitely far above such crudeness. She tried to cut a spare ceramic armor plate, and it sliced through the material with frightening ease. “I hope we don’t run into a situation where I have to use it, my rusty skills probably won’t match this magnificent eides. Anyway, the planet awaits.”
As they approached the elevator, a lift capsule with Ellen Jardin in it arrived just in time. She looked at them and grinned. “Now you actually look the part. Is the armor to your liking?”
“Yes, it is similar enough to what ancient Loroi warriors on Deinar had worn.” This design offered sufficient protection, and provided enough freedom of movement, while making the best use of the likely rare processed metal. “The Loroi here wear this?”
“This armor is what the higher-ranking ones have.” The woman nodded. “We removed the colored sash, though, it should signify clan allegiance, which your character no longer has.”
“I see.” Even this part was very similar to Deinar traditions. “What kind of leather is this supposed to mimic?”
“The best one, a native creature resembling a cross between a tortoise, a crocodile, and a snake.” The Tactician paused. “The locals call it a dragon, by the way.”
Before she could ask what those animals were, or why the dragons had surfaced yet again, they arrived in the cargo bay. Twenty Humans, clad in gray armored suits with the faceless helmets, were awaiting them there.
Among them stood Alexander Jardin, wearing a disguise as well. Equipped in chainmail armor with a blackened steel breastplate and covered by a rough leather mantle, he looked utterly out of place in a spaceship. Not to mention that the sight of a male warrior was plenty ridiculous, too. Nonchalantly ignoring the discrepancy, he addressed her in an exaggerated way. “Ready to conquer yet another world with magic and blade, elven princess?”
“I’m neither an elf nor a princess.” Was he treating this expedition like one of those virtual games? “Let’s get going.”
“Certainly.” Together with eight troopers, they boarded a shuttle, and the other two Loroi a second one. The Captain began explaining. “We shall land out of sight on a plateau, descend into the valley in a vehicle, then use a boat to get close to the city, and finally, walk the rest of the way.“
“You seem to be very confident, especially given the uniqueness of this operation.” Or maybe they regarded any casualties as an acceptable sacrifice?
“I’m confident in my preparations.” He said this in a serious tone. “We have thoroughly interrogated the locals, established a dense surveillance net and processed all the data with AIs. The only wildcard left is the Priesthood and their artifact. But, if approached carefully and without hostility, we should be able to establish a means of communication. Besides, I’m simply sure that we will succeed.”
“Is this merely a way to assuage yourself, or do you have actual powers enabling foresight?” Emberwing frowned.
“Maybe a little of both?” He smirked. “Perhaps a demonstration of what we can do will provide a better understanding, once we can secure a few volunteers to act as targets.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” The shuttle began vibrating, they were likely entering the atmosphere. “Won’t the inhabitants be alarmed by our descent?”
“We’re flying in on a steep trajectory following the day-night boundary.” Despite this aggressive landing maneuver, the shaking was far weaker than even in a Highland. “This should make us invisible and shorten up the journey.”
“Good, we don’t have any time to waste.” The detour was already frustrating enough. Hopefully, this planet’s secrets would make up for that.
“Don’t worry, we have already launched the courier drones with all the information. Fast ships will head towards your Empire soon enough to establish contact.” He exchanged looks with another Human and nodded. “Our mission right now is probably even more important. Let us make history.”
The shuttle shuddered once, they had finally landed.
The matter of the supplies and equipment was finished quickly enough, and Emberwing could now head to bed. A warrior needed to know how to fall asleep whenever or wherever necessary, irrespective of any other factors, and wake up in time, well-rested for battle. She attempted just that, hoping to learn more about the planet and its inhabitants in the dream. Instead, Emberwing found herself floating in outer space, facing a massive black pillar decorated with intricate golden patterns. It was emanating a tune far more elaborate than anything she had ever heard before. The song carried an enormous power, calling out to her, promising strength beyond any common boundaries. The desire to touch the column was simply irresistible, and the prickling sensation of doing so sent a mighty current through her very being.
Immediately, the strange flickers from the amplifier experience surrounded her. Far too many to count, they danced in tune to the song, slipping in and out of existence. Emberwing tried to touch them, yet the ephemeral lights simply passed through her hand, vanishing and then reappearing at random. What were those? She attempted to empower her perception by synchronizing with the psionic melody.
With this, came greater understanding. Those wisps were not transient, there was an unfathomable profoundness to their existence, an abyss of unknown concepts lurking just below the rippling surface. The tempting emanations from deep below lured her to dive further in, and spellbound, she complied. Now, surrounded by a perfect darkness, she could somehow perceive it as a myriad of interconnected patterns, stretching out into eternity. Yet, before being able to explore this strange realm, she found out that outsiders were not welcome here. A sudden, searing outburst of light blinded her, and she was flung out of the vision, with a similar burning sensation as before. Midway in the fiery descent, however, she was caught by the Human Captain.
“I see that you’ve now experienced the same dream.” Alexander Jardin was holding her with both arms as they were standing in the cargo bay of his ship. Unsurprisingly enough, that massive pillar was already there as well. Weathered, silent, and with the golden patterns dulled by eons, yet still majestic, it stood there, supported by a scaffold. “This feeling of transcendence is quite exhilarating, but I suppose you don’t know where it comes from, or what that flash might’ve been?”
“I’d like to know as well.” The physical link, even though it was just a dream, enhanced their connection. Through it, she could sense that he was genuinely curious. There was also a rather strange undertone. Perhaps even suggestive, related to how she was being held. “Could you let me down?”
“No. Not until you tell me why you don’t seem to be fazed after seeing this amplifier piece here.” He laughed. The link apparently worked both ways. “Don’t try to deceive a telepath, you know that I know, and all that, ad infinitum.”
“We have our secrets as well.” Emberwing shielded her mind and suppressed any runaway emotions. “Just as you’ve kept this artifact hidden from us.”
“And here I thought that we may trade some secrets. Fine, no deal then.” He simply dropped her, and she woke up.
What a rude way to threat her, grumbled Emberwing as she got out of bed. No, that wasn’t her own line of reasoning, but a Human’s way of thinking, so she discarded this residual notion. Looking at the clock, it was a bit earlier than the alarm was set for, but going back to sleep was out of question. As soon as she finished all morning chores, and sat down to eat, the computer’s voice addressed her politely. “The Captain wants to speak with you.”
“Not now, I’m eating.” She would see him soon enough, anyway. Selecting something delicious had priority.
“Are you angry, by chance?” The food menu was suddenly replaced with the Captain’s holographic projection. Fortunately, she already managed to order.
“Not in particular. Maybe disappointed.” Emberwing turned around to get her food from the chute. “It was to be expected, given your penchant for secrecy.”
“I didn’t mean the artifact.” He chuckled. “But if this matter is that important, do you want to see the real thing, as an apology? We do have a bit of time left before departure.”
Was he toying with her? Judging from his expression, certainly, and even Beryl followed this exchange with amusement. As soon as the Captain mentioned the artifact, though, she immediately perked up. At least she had enough restraint and didn’t jump out of the bathroom. “I want to see it as well!”
“Don’t get caught up in their schemes.” Emberwing sighed. “I have no idea what you’re up to, but it would be impossible to waste such an opportunity. Just let me finish my meal.”
“Of course, the lift will be waiting for you.” The projection disappeared.
“Anything new from the information analysis?” This unusually tasty dish was apparently made from the eggs of domesticated animals. Or, at least, the original one would be. “Primarily, I need the language and customs of the locals.”
“Midnight has compiled a language database.” The Listel sent her a telepathic report. “And I studied the culture. This settlement, the City of Pillars, is the most important holy site of the Church, housing their main shrine and something called the Vestige. An annual harvest festival is held in honor of the Deity’s blessings right around this time, attracting many visitors and pilgrims. Unfortunately, the nomad raid came earlier than usual or expected, disrupting the celebrations.”
“If the city is so well-frequented, then it would make our infiltration easier.” The naming was a bit strange, could it be related to a similar artifact? She sent her the mental image from the latest dream. “Why is it called the City of Pillars, and what’s the vestige?”
“We don’t have enough data. One of the bandits was a deserter from the city’s garrison, and he provided some general information and rumors. That’s simply what everyone had called the settlement for as long as it existed. But the Vestige is in the central shrine which only a selected few are permitted to enter, so he had no idea what it actually is.” The Listel paused for a moment, processing the dream. “I see what you mean, it may be a coincidence, but there’s probably more to it. We’d need to compare both artifacts to be sure.”
“Then, I’ll head out to see it.” As expected, the elevator was awaiting her. “To the Captain, please.”
“Certainly, he is in cargo bay 2.” Answered the computer.
“Over here!” Stepping out, she was called by Alexander Jardin. He led her to the otherwise empty bay, and pointed at the massive pillar erected there. “What a sight, don’t you agree? Touch it, if you’d like.”
“May I?” As she approached the artifact, Emberwing could hear an almost inaudible whisper of a song, incomparably weaker than the overwhelming tune from the dream, or even an amplifier.
“Feel free to.” Alexander Jardin said assuredly. “We’ve dusted it off, ran several security checks, and I’ve already touched it, there’s no danger.”
“It’s not the matter of being afraid.” Tersely, she put her hand on the uneven surface, ready for anything. The cautiousness was in vain, however, since nothing happened. No psionic tune, no vision, or any other reaction, for that matter. Upon concentrating to the best of her abilities, she noticed that even the whisper did not seem to originate from the pillar. The tune simply slipped away from her attempts to sense it, the source being too fleeting to pinpoint. Emberwing opened her eyes, which she did not even remember closing. “I cannot feel any response, only the general idea of something present in the room.”
“Quite the disappointment after that grandiose dream.” Alexander Jardin was touching the pillar as well. “We couldn’t get this psionic machine to work either. There’s indeed a faint, diffuse reaction, but it doesn’t seem to do anything or provide feedback.”
“Machine?” She switched her focus from trying to locate the whisper’s source back to the Human. “What can you sense?”
“Well, you’ve told us that amplifiers are magnifying glasses of sorts. Or, perhaps levers? A broken one, as you can see, and this may be the reason we cannot grasp it.” The Captain pointed at the lower end, which was sheared off. Certainly, comparing her own height to the column, this piece was indeed much shorter than the one in the dream. The Human let go of the surface, and made a gesture encompassing the artifact. “But what powers does it work upon? Or how? If it is merely a passive enhancer, then those abilities must be already present in us.”
“Whatever I saw in the dream was definitely beyond anything we are capable of, far too alien to even comprehend.” And yet, strangely fascinating. “Just as with the previous dreams, could all those visions be remnants of stored memories?”
“Whose, of the Soia? Interesting theory, although I have no idea how that would be possible. Well, any sufficiently advanced technology should be indistinguishable from magic.” He knocked on the pillar muttering something. “Not opening, huh? It seems we need to find an active or at least an intact one. Let’s hope that the artifact in the city is still working, I have a feeling that it should be able to answer our questions.”
“Wait, why are you so sure that there’s one, or that it’s active?” She eyed him with suspicion. “You also didn’t answer my question about your impression of the pillar here.”
“Of this column? It’s simply old.” The Captain raised an eyebrow. “Regarding your inquiry, let’s start with a counter-question, how do you know that we had collected anything? A secret for a secret, remember? But to answer your question as a measure of goodwill, it was the usual, we saw a guiding dream and followed its hints.”
“What a coincidence, I saw this in a dream as well.” Emberwing had a distinct feeling that he was not outright lying, yet certainly withholding information. This was merely an inkling, not at the level of the inherent honesty of the sanzai sub-channel, but she was still somehow sure of his deception, and decided to pay in kind. “Let’s visit that temple, then.”
“Still no deal?” He smirked. “We even made a Sword of the Stars for you, princess.”
“I’m not a siirrin and this word is no longer being used in such a way.” Was he trying to rile her up as a distraction? “A trade you seem so keen on may be commenced once we know what the goods actually are supposed to be.”
“The trust issue, again, I understand. Hopefully, the mission will be able to convince you of our good intentions, as well as the benefits of cooperation. We also shall include your specialists in the study of this object.” He then pointed at a bag lying by the exit. “Inside are the sword and a suit of armor. The shuttles for the infiltration and the extraction teams will both depart in three hours, please make sure to be on time.”
“Of course. Thank you for the blade.” She picked up the equipment and returned to her cabin.
“How was the artifact?” Beryl was brimming with curiosity.
“Inactive.” She sent her the mental picture. “Well, at least he said that we may inspect it. Tempo, can you work out the details?”
“Certainly, I will oversee the team personally.” The Mizol nodded. “The Bistima’s abilities would make more sense of it.”
“I’ll do my utmost.” The Farseer had received the transmission as well. “That echo you’ve heard could mean that the artifact is damaged, but not destroyed entirely. It should still be possible to analyze it. “
“We will refrain from sharing any data on this matter with the away teams over the comm channels.” Decided Emberwing. “Giving the Construct or the Humans more information without recompense would be unwise. Give me the report once I return.”
“I agree completely, the Humans are far ahead of us regarding information anyway.” The other Mizol was still studying the planet’s data. She looked up, and gave Emberwing a tablet device. “I’ve made a linguistic comparison, it may help you blend in better.”
“Thank you.” Emberwing spent the next hours adapting to this version of Trade, and learned more of the inhabitant’s common sense. Apparently, it was indeed possible for Loroi to freely enter and even live in the city. They weren’t well-liked, and mostly confined to the slums, but this was still better than their reception in all other towns. Exiled warriors, escaped civilians, or simply any Loroi who fled from the harsh climate and the even harsher clan system found here a new home. Were her unusually detailed and accurate dreams somebody’s else memories, then?
Regardless of their status as de-facto second class citizens, not all Loroi were completely destitute. Most found jobs, usually rough manual labor, or in the case of warriors, work as sellswords. That would be her cover-story as well, a member of a team of ruin explorers coming back from a very long expedition. In a sense, this was not even entirely untrue. Such a dangerous profession attracted all kinds of misfits, who would venture away from civilization for months or even years. Employing Loroi, being unacquainted with the latest happenings, or simply standing out would be then easy to explain. On the other hand, the explorers brought back valuable artifacts from lost cities or even Soia ruins, and therefore, commanded a certain amount of respect and awe.
If necessary, the Humans would use their powers to make the gate guards believe this setup, and afterwards, they could head straight to the shadier part of the city where nobody asked too many questions. Several prospective locations for a temporary base of operations were already selected as well. Somehow, the Humans were very adept at this kind of work, especially the speed and efficiency with which they had extracted information was noteworthy. “Tempo, can you analyze their methods as well? The Humans had obtained and systematized so much data in a very short amount of time.”
“Of course, it seems that they had brought along very capable personnel.” The Mizol sounded slightly amused. “Be wary.”
“Was that professional praise? I suppose that the Construct would be a good hidden piece to counteract them.” It was about time to depart, so she retrieved the facsimile uniform. Yet this time, it kept silent. “Not even deigning to answer me? Maybe we should leave the puppet-thing here.”
“I’ve received a message just now.” Midnight kept her face expressionless. “It says that the Historian is ready, but cannot secure a proper conversation. However, it can link into the normal comm channels, and hide its activity between our messages.”
“This puppet-thing really tries its best to be brought along. I wonder what hidden agenda is driving it.” She put the suit on. “Anyway, if we can get something out of this cooperation, then the better.”
Fireblade, who was already wearing full combat gear, helped her equip the disguise. This armor consisted of reinforced leather clothing, with woven-in metal plates protecting the upper body. On the outside, at least. While it was made to look primitive, the actual material was highly advanced. There were also a great number of hidden pockets, so she used them to store a blaster pistol, several scanners, and other equipment. “First the proficiency in interrogation, now the quality of this disguise. Why are the Humans so well-versed in infiltrating a savage world?”
“Probably because they are still savages themselves.” Midnight put on combat gear as well. “Unfortunately, we have to play along with their whims.”
“Never underestimate your foe, this is the first and often last mistake a foolish warrior can make.” Fireblade sounded unusually stern. “My instructor was very throughout in beating this into our skulls.”
“Our mission is to make them into allies, remember? I will keep this advice in mind, of course.” Emberwing drew the sword to inspect it. The blade was single-edged and slightly curved, with a wavy pattern to simulate a simple way of making steel. Upon a closer look, this alloy was definitely far above such crudeness. She tried to cut a spare ceramic armor plate, and it sliced through the material with frightening ease. “I hope we don’t run into a situation where I have to use it, my rusty skills probably won’t match this magnificent eides. Anyway, the planet awaits.”
As they approached the elevator, a lift capsule with Ellen Jardin in it arrived just in time. She looked at them and grinned. “Now you actually look the part. Is the armor to your liking?”
“Yes, it is similar enough to what ancient Loroi warriors on Deinar had worn.” This design offered sufficient protection, and provided enough freedom of movement, while making the best use of the likely rare processed metal. “The Loroi here wear this?”
“This armor is what the higher-ranking ones have.” The woman nodded. “We removed the colored sash, though, it should signify clan allegiance, which your character no longer has.”
“I see.” Even this part was very similar to Deinar traditions. “What kind of leather is this supposed to mimic?”
“The best one, a native creature resembling a cross between a tortoise, a crocodile, and a snake.” The Tactician paused. “The locals call it a dragon, by the way.”
Before she could ask what those animals were, or why the dragons had surfaced yet again, they arrived in the cargo bay. Twenty Humans, clad in gray armored suits with the faceless helmets, were awaiting them there.
Among them stood Alexander Jardin, wearing a disguise as well. Equipped in chainmail armor with a blackened steel breastplate and covered by a rough leather mantle, he looked utterly out of place in a spaceship. Not to mention that the sight of a male warrior was plenty ridiculous, too. Nonchalantly ignoring the discrepancy, he addressed her in an exaggerated way. “Ready to conquer yet another world with magic and blade, elven princess?”
“I’m neither an elf nor a princess.” Was he treating this expedition like one of those virtual games? “Let’s get going.”
“Certainly.” Together with eight troopers, they boarded a shuttle, and the other two Loroi a second one. The Captain began explaining. “We shall land out of sight on a plateau, descend into the valley in a vehicle, then use a boat to get close to the city, and finally, walk the rest of the way.“
“You seem to be very confident, especially given the uniqueness of this operation.” Or maybe they regarded any casualties as an acceptable sacrifice?
“I’m confident in my preparations.” He said this in a serious tone. “We have thoroughly interrogated the locals, established a dense surveillance net and processed all the data with AIs. The only wildcard left is the Priesthood and their artifact. But, if approached carefully and without hostility, we should be able to establish a means of communication. Besides, I’m simply sure that we will succeed.”
“Is this merely a way to assuage yourself, or do you have actual powers enabling foresight?” Emberwing frowned.
“Maybe a little of both?” He smirked. “Perhaps a demonstration of what we can do will provide a better understanding, once we can secure a few volunteers to act as targets.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” The shuttle began vibrating, they were likely entering the atmosphere. “Won’t the inhabitants be alarmed by our descent?”
“We’re flying in on a steep trajectory following the day-night boundary.” Despite this aggressive landing maneuver, the shaking was far weaker than even in a Highland. “This should make us invisible and shorten up the journey.”
“Good, we don’t have any time to waste.” The detour was already frustrating enough. Hopefully, this planet’s secrets would make up for that.
“Don’t worry, we have already launched the courier drones with all the information. Fast ships will head towards your Empire soon enough to establish contact.” He exchanged looks with another Human and nodded. “Our mission right now is probably even more important. Let us make history.”
The shuttle shuddered once, they had finally landed.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXXVI: A leap into the Unknown
Alexander Jardin was handed a spear by a subordinate, then headed towards the airlock. After they gathered inside, he pressed on the controls, and with a popping sound, the shuttle doors opened, letting in the planet’s atmosphere. It was somewhat thin, dry, and with a weak, unfamiliar, slightly spicy scent. At least the air wasn’t hot, still carrying the early morning’s coolness.
“I’ll go first.” The Captain stepped out, holding that lance high. Suddenly, with a flick of his wrist, a blue flag expanded from the pole, and he rammed it into the ground. “I claim this system in the name of the Terran Empire!”
Emberwing followed him next. The rocky plateau they landed on was desolate, colored in a uniform dusty-brown hue, and almost devoid of any vegetation. “A rather rustic domain.”
“This was just something I’ve always wanted to do.” He turned around, and spread out his arms. “With some terraforming, this wasteland may become the garden world the Soia intended.”
“That can be staved off until later. We have an important task before us, and a severe shortage of time.” She shook her head, this was not a leisure trip!
“No problem, we’ll take the express route.” He pointed towards a camp to their right. Two shuttles stood there, and a number of Humans were operating various pieces of equipment. Judging from the many antennas and sensors, this was probably a comm station. There were also numerous weird, open hovercars standing in rows, nothing more than a framework, but with a weapon mounted on top. “With one of those speeders, we’ll drive to the river, where Zarjow awaits us with a boat. Others will enter by different means.”
The second shuttle made a low pass to land a short distance away. Stirred up by the engines, a gust swept by, intensifying the alien odors. Yet, there was something else in the air as well. Not exactly a tingling sensation or an audible whisper, the desert wind carried an ever so faint foreboding of something she couldn’t even assign a concept to. Were her senses playing a trick on her?
Emberwing pulled out a handheld scanner, and ran a quick test. But the results regarding the atmospheric composition matched what the Humans submitted. There were also no unknown patterns in the air vibrations, no unusual residue of the engines, or any radiation sources. Could those emanations be of psionic nature? Emberwing looked at the Captain, who was staring at her with slight amusement. “There is nothing dangerous here, the unusual smell you’re likely noticing is coming from the dust’s unique composition.”
“I was checking it as per standard protocol.” She decided not to mention her theory. “Midnight, Fireblade, can you sense something that’s out of order?”
“Nothing in particular, there’s also no one else we can detect.” The two Loroi disembarked from the shuttle and headed over. The Mizol addressed the Human, “Captain Alexander Jardin, I hope that we can join up with Torret Emberwing once a base of operations is secured.”
“Yes, this can be arranged for after we’ve ascertained the Temple’s ability to locate us, and gauged their reaction towards Loroi.” Alexander Jardin put a hand on the sword’s handle. “In the meantime, I can protect her, so your Teidar guard doesn’t need to worry.”
As expected, this statement caused Fireblade to frown, although she refrained from saying anything out loud. “A male wants to match my powers!? Should I probe his mettle?”
“Please don’t provoke anyone, we have no idea whether they can hold back.” She had heard about certain Teidar traditions of testing others. A light push someone of sufficient skill should be able to sense and avoid, or a mental probe which could be blocked, given enough vigilance. But aliens wouldn’t understand this as it was meant to, or, understand it too well? Between the psionic output of Humans as hinted at by his bonding partner, and the rumored strength of the Beast of Seren, a clash could have disastrous consequences. “I can protect myself just fine.”
“Or are you actually looking forward to being protected by a male?” Sent the Mizol with a teasing undertone. “We shall refrain from interfering, then.”
“Can anyone here take the whole matter seriously?” That would certainly be a very weird preference to have. “With the major nomad raid looming over the city, bringing in additional Loroi may be even more of a security risk. My presence as a representative should be sufficient for the time being.”
“I will contact you once we’ve deemed it safe. Until then.” He marched off towards the vehicles, and Emberwing followed him. “There shouldn’t be any risks, you could trust me at least a little bit.”
“It does look like a dangerous operation, with quite the number of unverifiable premises.” Oh, right, among the Humans, males were the predominant war-fighters, so did they insult his honor by chance? “I shall defer to your judgment, and express my thanks to you for including me in the survey team.”
“Don’t read too much into it.” As if sensing something, he smiled and shook his head. “Here, strap yourself in, it’s the same mechanism as in the shuttle.”
The Captain drove the four-seater personally, and five other vehicles followed them. “This plateau is well-known for frequent storms, our approach will be regarded as just another dust plume.”
“What a bleak world.” There was simply nothing there, but crumbling rock.
“It is a testament to the abilities of the Soia that life managed to endure even after the cataclysm. The refugees were also lucky enough. If this world were to be less terraformed, they couldn’t have survived, and an already inhabited planet would be subjected to the usual orbital bombardment, possibly destroying the biosphere altogether.” Alexander Jardin did not sound discouraged. “Despite the desertification and the frequent climatic shifts, the descendants still persevere.”
“Probably thanks to that mysterious God they worship.” There were simply too many well-timed interventions for it being a mere coincidence. “I wonder what kind of artifact this so-called Deity actually is.”
“We’ll be there soon enough.” He grinned. “Hold tight!”
The speeder was quickly approaching the end of the plateau, then simply flew over the edge. No normal hovercar could compensate for such height differences, were those special ones? Most likely, since after a brief sensation of weightlessness, their fall began to slow down. Startled by the sharp whistling sound accompanying their flight, Emberwing looked around, only to notice that the Captain’s eyes were glowing with a psionic light. So the descent was done with telekinesis instead?
He noticed her gaze, and spoke in a slightly weird tone, probably due to the strain. “We are using our powers to make a shortcut.”
“We?” Emberwing looked around, and saw the other vehicles flying beside them. While such levels of strength were not entirely uncommon among Teidar, few had the fine control necessary as not to rip the hulls apart. But the Humans were doing this unamplified, had the endurance to uphold the effect for a few bimas and could even sustain a formation. “I am sufficiently impressed.”
“This wasn’t done to show off.” The hovercars were now low enough to use their engines, and they dispersed. “Although it might’ve been a welcome bonus.”
“Is this normal for you, or was the mission given especially capable personnel?” Asking that might be risky, but she chose to prioritize gauging their strength.
“Both.” His voice returned to normal. “This was rather fun, right?”
“You have really strange ideas regarding amusement.” Admittedly, this was somewhat fun. “That’s the kind of courage tests foolish diral youths may enjoy.”
“I’m glad that it was to your liking.” He steered the vehicle towards a small group of shrubs. “We’re here, the boat is awaiting us.”
They got out of the vehicle, and descended a small slope to arrive at the river. Zarjow, dressed in an unassuming gray robe, was already there, as well as a primitive boat made of wood and leather. He bowed slightly, “Yer ship be ready, sire.”
“What a magnificent cruise liner.” The boat swayed as they got inside, then stabilized on its own. “A submerged drone will propel us, but we should pretend to row, at least near the city.”
The river was gently meandering through a mostly flat, monotone landscape. Shallow, yet with clean water, the slow current produced faint gurgling sounds around their boat. A short time after, Emberwing spotted what should be a riverside settlement and spread out her senses. “I can’t locate anyone in that village. In my dream, it was possible to sense those elves, or are they not often living out there?”
“We can spot them just fine, there’s simply no one in the vicinity. The hamlets downstream are evacuated completely by now.” The Captain was trying to accustom himself to rowing with a paddle. “The elves, please call them Tastadi, don’t have any special standing, unless they happen to display supernatural powers. In such cases, the Temple usually takes them in.”
“You mean telepathic abilities? How widespread are those?” What were the Tastadi even supposed to be, a defective offshoot?
“Seldom enough, about one in twelve, and even fewer have useful levels of strength.” Zarjow began explaining. “Most awakened Tastadi usually have only an incomplete set of telepathic talents. However, there are also exceptionally rare cases where just a single ability is uniquely powerful. Those are the ones the Church covets. The elves we secured told us that such a blessed child was born in their village some time ago, and in recognition, they had their taxes waived for a whole year.”
“Do they have to awaken their telepathy forcefully like you do?” Among the Loroi, everyone had at least a basic set of abilities right from birth, the number of mutes due to birth defects was very low.
“No, it develops all on their own, typically during maturation. Since the parents often don’t have any talents or know-how, the children are taken to a Temple-run facility for training.” The Operative smiled faintly, “This world may be a great boon for our purposes.”
“Oh, and what are those goals?” This was likely not a careless remark, but she decided to ask anyway.
“To find better unlocking methods and have more of us awaken.” Zarjow looked at her with an indescribable gaze, “And to solve the grand puzzle the Soia had left behind.”
“We’ll have our fill of hints soon enough, Alexey.” Alexander Jardin handed him the paddle, and lowered another one into the water. “The city is just ahead.”
In the distance, Emberwing could see the mighty walls upon a lone hill. Both Humans were now earnestly trying to row the boat, and with the drone’s assistance, they safely reached the docks. The Captain climbed onto the pier, then stretched out a hand towards her. She waved it off, and disembarked by herself.
“My bad, oh proud warrior.” He secured the boat with a rope. “Put up your hood, the natives may stir up trouble.”
They walked towards the end of the docks, but were intercepted by an old, bearded Human. He raised up an arm to stop them, and began speaking Trade with a very strange accent. “Nevar seen yer face before. Berthing foh da boat is twoh coppers a week!”
“I want to sell it instead, dockmaster.” Alexander Jardin replied in a jovial tone, “Seven pieces of silver.”
“We ‘ready haf too many of dem. Four.” The official raised as many fingers.
“For the finest vessel this side of the Lake?” The Captain laughed, “Six.”
“Leaf de jokes to da merrymakers.” He put his hand into a pouch on his waist, and pulled out several coins. “Five. Take dat or scram.”
“Any bandit is less of a cutthroat that you are, but fine.” The Captain accepted the coins. “What by the Unholy Fire is going on? All the villages looked deserted, even the watchtowers are empty.”
“Which hole were you lot in?” The old Human eyed him suspiciously, but then smiled a partially toothless grin. “Oh, yer explorers? Guess it was a hole indeed. Anyway, da nomads are raiding earlier dis year, and in big numbers. Everyone fled behind de city walls.”
“Great, just my luck.” Alexander Jardin shook his head. “The inns will rip us off, then.”
The dockmaster harrumphed and trudged off, so they headed towards the city. The gates up ahead were guarded by two Mozerets, which radiated alertness, especially towards such a suspicious hooded figure as her. Making sure as not to stare, Emberwing inspected the four-legged aliens with great curiosity. Both had an impressive build, short bluish-gray fur, were clad in shiny breastplates and held a long lance. There were only a few travelers in front, and their turn to enter came soon enough. However, the left guard raised its right hand to stop them, and spoke in a deep, booming voice. “Halt! You may not pass without an inspection!”
Alexander Jardin simply walked up to the tall Mozeret warrior, and greeted it in a low voice. “Hail, Guardian Larraloj. I understand that the times are now tense, but my companions and I need to get inside without drawing too much attention.”
Emberwing sensed wariness and surprise at the Captain's statement. However, the Human waved his hand, lightly brushing aside the cloak, and then put his palm on the white pommel of the strange sword. The Mozeret's emotions seemed to tremble, replacing the cautiousness with respect. “Certainly, honored P…”
“Right now, I'm but an ordinary traveler you two wouldn’t even bat an eye at.” He smirked, and both Mozerets nodded in understanding, letting them in. Alexander made some ritual gesture as he passed by, eliciting a sense of reverence from the warriors, and whispered. “The Divine One protects.”
The townscape behind the walls was almost familiar. Narrow streets, the crowds of passersby dressed in colorful clothing, the chaos of swirling thought fragments, the plethora of strange odors, or all the noises of the busy inhabitants, somehow this felt exhilarating instead of oppressive. However, what was even more interesting, would be the matter with the guard. Telepathy wasn’t able to probe this deep without preparation, or work so fast. “How did you manage to trick the Mozeret? And where do you know its name from?”
“Micro-drones were listening to the conversations at the gates and all guard barracks for the past two days.” Zarjow followed them a step behind. “The Captain simply told that Mozeret something extraordinary, yet also entirely plausible, and I gave his reasoning a small nudge.”
“All that based upon a sword?” Or were the Humans truly adept at manipulating minds?
“You see, the Temple Guards are equipped with swords inlaid with white glass plates, and the high-ranking member's weapons are further decorated with white pommels.” Alexander Jardin was now hiding the weapon under his cloak. “So, why would such an illustrious figure trying to enter incognito, and with a suspicious hooded person in tow?”
Emberwing understood what he was saying. Some matters seemed to be universal. “It has to be something far above his rank?”
“Indeed. Once we piqued his curiosity, and opened a gap in his vigilance, making him believe our argument was but a trifle task.” The Captain led them through the crowds as if he was accustomed to this city. “People are far easier to manipulate if you place them in such a situation where they are bound to jump to the right conclusions all by themselves, like the dockmaster before.”
This mostly coincided with what she knew of Mizol techniques, except for a single issue. “But this sword was made in advance based on a dream, yet the guard recognized it?”
“Steele didn’t have an exact recollection of the dream where he forged it, only that the blade was of great importance. Dreams usually aren’t something exact.” But some were. “Still, we are running picture correlation scans to see if any of the local smithies match with the one William was in.”
“You are trying to evade my question.” The how was not as important as the why.
This elicited a chuckle from him. “Perhaps partially. Was it pure coincidence? A mere fragment of something else? Or a helpful hint? With the limited information we have, this question is impossible to answer.”
“I’ve also dreamt about that sword, there might be even more to it.” She had used it to slay that apparition. Monster? Dragon! “My dream may be important, we should talk about it later.”
“This could be interesting, I’m looking forward to it.” He turned into a back alley.
“By the way, where are we heading to?” This passage didn’t look particularly welcoming.
“To the pleasure quarter, it is what explorers would aim for anyway, and not asking questions seems to be common sense there.” The Captain rebuked a hawker who tried to approach them as they exited into another busy street. “Besides, that area is next to the slums, so a Loroi, even a warrior, wouldn’t stand out.”
“You spoke of making a temporary base?” They weaved through the crowds, and Emberwing made sure not to bump into someone out of habit. No, on second thought, this behavior would make her conspicuous, so she began to mimic the Humans.
“The city is chock-full with pilgrims, refugees and troops, but we’ve found a few expensive inns with room to spare.” He rubbed two fingers together. “With enough money, something successful explorers should have plenty of, it is possible to rent out an entire floor.”
“No, I mean what will we be doing?” As a guest on board, she went along with their whims, but this insistence on going into the city was somewhat weird.
“For starters, collecting information. Drone surveillance, no matter how great it might be, still loses out to telepathy. We might also be contacted by the Priesthood, if the rumors are true.” He shrugged, “Finally, this is the pleasure quarter, any vice can be satisfied here. Speaking of that, I can give you those silver coins.”
“This is not a vacation!” Admittedly, this was rather tempting, yet her sense of duty won over.
“Don’t be so serious, that was merely a joke. We’ll be using the money to buy information instead.” Zarjow made a ragged kid who attempted to intercept them trip and fall, then kicked him aside. “Damn pickpockets. Anyway, I’m not particularly keen on testing out just how good our inoculations are.”
As they proceeded deeper into the maze consisting of houses, stalls and winding streets, one by one, other Humans joined their group. Dressed in a variety of disguises, they appeared to be walking casually, yet Emberwing still noticed a semblance of a protective formation. Was it centered on her, or the Captain? Both? Alexander Jardin was meanwhile explaining the local history. “This city is one of the first permanent settlements, and the oldest still existing. Even when the climate fluctuations made the area less hospitable, it was never abandoned entirely. The reason is probably the Temple over there.”
The group entered a small plaza, which offered an unobstructed line of sight to the tall structure in the middle of the city. This building looked somewhat different to what she remembered from her dream, but it was still drawing her attention. That strange sensation she had after the landing returned as well, and Emberwing was now almost sure that it was a distant, vague murmur.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the Captain, who leaned in and whispered. “Try to act natural. We are being tailed. Rather amateurish, I’d say. By a single male Tastadi, no less.”
“Someone from the Temple?” Emberwing spread out her senses, trying to find anyone focusing their attention on them. “Or another pickpocket?”
“Not sneaky enough, although it might be somebody providing distraction.” There was a very faint glow in his eyes. “But in the case where he’s playing bait for Temple agents, we shall refrain from probing him. Let us disengage instead.”
Of course, being read should be avoided for the time being, so Emberwing immediately retracted her detection attempts. Still, something brushed one of her tendrils of thought, a vaguely familiar signature she wasn’t able to identify, and the sensation was gone before any attempt to probe further could be made.
Alexander Jardin was handed a spear by a subordinate, then headed towards the airlock. After they gathered inside, he pressed on the controls, and with a popping sound, the shuttle doors opened, letting in the planet’s atmosphere. It was somewhat thin, dry, and with a weak, unfamiliar, slightly spicy scent. At least the air wasn’t hot, still carrying the early morning’s coolness.
“I’ll go first.” The Captain stepped out, holding that lance high. Suddenly, with a flick of his wrist, a blue flag expanded from the pole, and he rammed it into the ground. “I claim this system in the name of the Terran Empire!”
Emberwing followed him next. The rocky plateau they landed on was desolate, colored in a uniform dusty-brown hue, and almost devoid of any vegetation. “A rather rustic domain.”
“This was just something I’ve always wanted to do.” He turned around, and spread out his arms. “With some terraforming, this wasteland may become the garden world the Soia intended.”
“That can be staved off until later. We have an important task before us, and a severe shortage of time.” She shook her head, this was not a leisure trip!
“No problem, we’ll take the express route.” He pointed towards a camp to their right. Two shuttles stood there, and a number of Humans were operating various pieces of equipment. Judging from the many antennas and sensors, this was probably a comm station. There were also numerous weird, open hovercars standing in rows, nothing more than a framework, but with a weapon mounted on top. “With one of those speeders, we’ll drive to the river, where Zarjow awaits us with a boat. Others will enter by different means.”
The second shuttle made a low pass to land a short distance away. Stirred up by the engines, a gust swept by, intensifying the alien odors. Yet, there was something else in the air as well. Not exactly a tingling sensation or an audible whisper, the desert wind carried an ever so faint foreboding of something she couldn’t even assign a concept to. Were her senses playing a trick on her?
Emberwing pulled out a handheld scanner, and ran a quick test. But the results regarding the atmospheric composition matched what the Humans submitted. There were also no unknown patterns in the air vibrations, no unusual residue of the engines, or any radiation sources. Could those emanations be of psionic nature? Emberwing looked at the Captain, who was staring at her with slight amusement. “There is nothing dangerous here, the unusual smell you’re likely noticing is coming from the dust’s unique composition.”
“I was checking it as per standard protocol.” She decided not to mention her theory. “Midnight, Fireblade, can you sense something that’s out of order?”
“Nothing in particular, there’s also no one else we can detect.” The two Loroi disembarked from the shuttle and headed over. The Mizol addressed the Human, “Captain Alexander Jardin, I hope that we can join up with Torret Emberwing once a base of operations is secured.”
“Yes, this can be arranged for after we’ve ascertained the Temple’s ability to locate us, and gauged their reaction towards Loroi.” Alexander Jardin put a hand on the sword’s handle. “In the meantime, I can protect her, so your Teidar guard doesn’t need to worry.”
As expected, this statement caused Fireblade to frown, although she refrained from saying anything out loud. “A male wants to match my powers!? Should I probe his mettle?”
“Please don’t provoke anyone, we have no idea whether they can hold back.” She had heard about certain Teidar traditions of testing others. A light push someone of sufficient skill should be able to sense and avoid, or a mental probe which could be blocked, given enough vigilance. But aliens wouldn’t understand this as it was meant to, or, understand it too well? Between the psionic output of Humans as hinted at by his bonding partner, and the rumored strength of the Beast of Seren, a clash could have disastrous consequences. “I can protect myself just fine.”
“Or are you actually looking forward to being protected by a male?” Sent the Mizol with a teasing undertone. “We shall refrain from interfering, then.”
“Can anyone here take the whole matter seriously?” That would certainly be a very weird preference to have. “With the major nomad raid looming over the city, bringing in additional Loroi may be even more of a security risk. My presence as a representative should be sufficient for the time being.”
“I will contact you once we’ve deemed it safe. Until then.” He marched off towards the vehicles, and Emberwing followed him. “There shouldn’t be any risks, you could trust me at least a little bit.”
“It does look like a dangerous operation, with quite the number of unverifiable premises.” Oh, right, among the Humans, males were the predominant war-fighters, so did they insult his honor by chance? “I shall defer to your judgment, and express my thanks to you for including me in the survey team.”
“Don’t read too much into it.” As if sensing something, he smiled and shook his head. “Here, strap yourself in, it’s the same mechanism as in the shuttle.”
The Captain drove the four-seater personally, and five other vehicles followed them. “This plateau is well-known for frequent storms, our approach will be regarded as just another dust plume.”
“What a bleak world.” There was simply nothing there, but crumbling rock.
“It is a testament to the abilities of the Soia that life managed to endure even after the cataclysm. The refugees were also lucky enough. If this world were to be less terraformed, they couldn’t have survived, and an already inhabited planet would be subjected to the usual orbital bombardment, possibly destroying the biosphere altogether.” Alexander Jardin did not sound discouraged. “Despite the desertification and the frequent climatic shifts, the descendants still persevere.”
“Probably thanks to that mysterious God they worship.” There were simply too many well-timed interventions for it being a mere coincidence. “I wonder what kind of artifact this so-called Deity actually is.”
“We’ll be there soon enough.” He grinned. “Hold tight!”
The speeder was quickly approaching the end of the plateau, then simply flew over the edge. No normal hovercar could compensate for such height differences, were those special ones? Most likely, since after a brief sensation of weightlessness, their fall began to slow down. Startled by the sharp whistling sound accompanying their flight, Emberwing looked around, only to notice that the Captain’s eyes were glowing with a psionic light. So the descent was done with telekinesis instead?
He noticed her gaze, and spoke in a slightly weird tone, probably due to the strain. “We are using our powers to make a shortcut.”
“We?” Emberwing looked around, and saw the other vehicles flying beside them. While such levels of strength were not entirely uncommon among Teidar, few had the fine control necessary as not to rip the hulls apart. But the Humans were doing this unamplified, had the endurance to uphold the effect for a few bimas and could even sustain a formation. “I am sufficiently impressed.”
“This wasn’t done to show off.” The hovercars were now low enough to use their engines, and they dispersed. “Although it might’ve been a welcome bonus.”
“Is this normal for you, or was the mission given especially capable personnel?” Asking that might be risky, but she chose to prioritize gauging their strength.
“Both.” His voice returned to normal. “This was rather fun, right?”
“You have really strange ideas regarding amusement.” Admittedly, this was somewhat fun. “That’s the kind of courage tests foolish diral youths may enjoy.”
“I’m glad that it was to your liking.” He steered the vehicle towards a small group of shrubs. “We’re here, the boat is awaiting us.”
They got out of the vehicle, and descended a small slope to arrive at the river. Zarjow, dressed in an unassuming gray robe, was already there, as well as a primitive boat made of wood and leather. He bowed slightly, “Yer ship be ready, sire.”
“What a magnificent cruise liner.” The boat swayed as they got inside, then stabilized on its own. “A submerged drone will propel us, but we should pretend to row, at least near the city.”
The river was gently meandering through a mostly flat, monotone landscape. Shallow, yet with clean water, the slow current produced faint gurgling sounds around their boat. A short time after, Emberwing spotted what should be a riverside settlement and spread out her senses. “I can’t locate anyone in that village. In my dream, it was possible to sense those elves, or are they not often living out there?”
“We can spot them just fine, there’s simply no one in the vicinity. The hamlets downstream are evacuated completely by now.” The Captain was trying to accustom himself to rowing with a paddle. “The elves, please call them Tastadi, don’t have any special standing, unless they happen to display supernatural powers. In such cases, the Temple usually takes them in.”
“You mean telepathic abilities? How widespread are those?” What were the Tastadi even supposed to be, a defective offshoot?
“Seldom enough, about one in twelve, and even fewer have useful levels of strength.” Zarjow began explaining. “Most awakened Tastadi usually have only an incomplete set of telepathic talents. However, there are also exceptionally rare cases where just a single ability is uniquely powerful. Those are the ones the Church covets. The elves we secured told us that such a blessed child was born in their village some time ago, and in recognition, they had their taxes waived for a whole year.”
“Do they have to awaken their telepathy forcefully like you do?” Among the Loroi, everyone had at least a basic set of abilities right from birth, the number of mutes due to birth defects was very low.
“No, it develops all on their own, typically during maturation. Since the parents often don’t have any talents or know-how, the children are taken to a Temple-run facility for training.” The Operative smiled faintly, “This world may be a great boon for our purposes.”
“Oh, and what are those goals?” This was likely not a careless remark, but she decided to ask anyway.
“To find better unlocking methods and have more of us awaken.” Zarjow looked at her with an indescribable gaze, “And to solve the grand puzzle the Soia had left behind.”
“We’ll have our fill of hints soon enough, Alexey.” Alexander Jardin handed him the paddle, and lowered another one into the water. “The city is just ahead.”
In the distance, Emberwing could see the mighty walls upon a lone hill. Both Humans were now earnestly trying to row the boat, and with the drone’s assistance, they safely reached the docks. The Captain climbed onto the pier, then stretched out a hand towards her. She waved it off, and disembarked by herself.
“My bad, oh proud warrior.” He secured the boat with a rope. “Put up your hood, the natives may stir up trouble.”
They walked towards the end of the docks, but were intercepted by an old, bearded Human. He raised up an arm to stop them, and began speaking Trade with a very strange accent. “Nevar seen yer face before. Berthing foh da boat is twoh coppers a week!”
“I want to sell it instead, dockmaster.” Alexander Jardin replied in a jovial tone, “Seven pieces of silver.”
“We ‘ready haf too many of dem. Four.” The official raised as many fingers.
“For the finest vessel this side of the Lake?” The Captain laughed, “Six.”
“Leaf de jokes to da merrymakers.” He put his hand into a pouch on his waist, and pulled out several coins. “Five. Take dat or scram.”
“Any bandit is less of a cutthroat that you are, but fine.” The Captain accepted the coins. “What by the Unholy Fire is going on? All the villages looked deserted, even the watchtowers are empty.”
“Which hole were you lot in?” The old Human eyed him suspiciously, but then smiled a partially toothless grin. “Oh, yer explorers? Guess it was a hole indeed. Anyway, da nomads are raiding earlier dis year, and in big numbers. Everyone fled behind de city walls.”
“Great, just my luck.” Alexander Jardin shook his head. “The inns will rip us off, then.”
The dockmaster harrumphed and trudged off, so they headed towards the city. The gates up ahead were guarded by two Mozerets, which radiated alertness, especially towards such a suspicious hooded figure as her. Making sure as not to stare, Emberwing inspected the four-legged aliens with great curiosity. Both had an impressive build, short bluish-gray fur, were clad in shiny breastplates and held a long lance. There were only a few travelers in front, and their turn to enter came soon enough. However, the left guard raised its right hand to stop them, and spoke in a deep, booming voice. “Halt! You may not pass without an inspection!”
Alexander Jardin simply walked up to the tall Mozeret warrior, and greeted it in a low voice. “Hail, Guardian Larraloj. I understand that the times are now tense, but my companions and I need to get inside without drawing too much attention.”
Emberwing sensed wariness and surprise at the Captain's statement. However, the Human waved his hand, lightly brushing aside the cloak, and then put his palm on the white pommel of the strange sword. The Mozeret's emotions seemed to tremble, replacing the cautiousness with respect. “Certainly, honored P…”
“Right now, I'm but an ordinary traveler you two wouldn’t even bat an eye at.” He smirked, and both Mozerets nodded in understanding, letting them in. Alexander made some ritual gesture as he passed by, eliciting a sense of reverence from the warriors, and whispered. “The Divine One protects.”
The townscape behind the walls was almost familiar. Narrow streets, the crowds of passersby dressed in colorful clothing, the chaos of swirling thought fragments, the plethora of strange odors, or all the noises of the busy inhabitants, somehow this felt exhilarating instead of oppressive. However, what was even more interesting, would be the matter with the guard. Telepathy wasn’t able to probe this deep without preparation, or work so fast. “How did you manage to trick the Mozeret? And where do you know its name from?”
“Micro-drones were listening to the conversations at the gates and all guard barracks for the past two days.” Zarjow followed them a step behind. “The Captain simply told that Mozeret something extraordinary, yet also entirely plausible, and I gave his reasoning a small nudge.”
“All that based upon a sword?” Or were the Humans truly adept at manipulating minds?
“You see, the Temple Guards are equipped with swords inlaid with white glass plates, and the high-ranking member's weapons are further decorated with white pommels.” Alexander Jardin was now hiding the weapon under his cloak. “So, why would such an illustrious figure trying to enter incognito, and with a suspicious hooded person in tow?”
Emberwing understood what he was saying. Some matters seemed to be universal. “It has to be something far above his rank?”
“Indeed. Once we piqued his curiosity, and opened a gap in his vigilance, making him believe our argument was but a trifle task.” The Captain led them through the crowds as if he was accustomed to this city. “People are far easier to manipulate if you place them in such a situation where they are bound to jump to the right conclusions all by themselves, like the dockmaster before.”
This mostly coincided with what she knew of Mizol techniques, except for a single issue. “But this sword was made in advance based on a dream, yet the guard recognized it?”
“Steele didn’t have an exact recollection of the dream where he forged it, only that the blade was of great importance. Dreams usually aren’t something exact.” But some were. “Still, we are running picture correlation scans to see if any of the local smithies match with the one William was in.”
“You are trying to evade my question.” The how was not as important as the why.
This elicited a chuckle from him. “Perhaps partially. Was it pure coincidence? A mere fragment of something else? Or a helpful hint? With the limited information we have, this question is impossible to answer.”
“I’ve also dreamt about that sword, there might be even more to it.” She had used it to slay that apparition. Monster? Dragon! “My dream may be important, we should talk about it later.”
“This could be interesting, I’m looking forward to it.” He turned into a back alley.
“By the way, where are we heading to?” This passage didn’t look particularly welcoming.
“To the pleasure quarter, it is what explorers would aim for anyway, and not asking questions seems to be common sense there.” The Captain rebuked a hawker who tried to approach them as they exited into another busy street. “Besides, that area is next to the slums, so a Loroi, even a warrior, wouldn’t stand out.”
“You spoke of making a temporary base?” They weaved through the crowds, and Emberwing made sure not to bump into someone out of habit. No, on second thought, this behavior would make her conspicuous, so she began to mimic the Humans.
“The city is chock-full with pilgrims, refugees and troops, but we’ve found a few expensive inns with room to spare.” He rubbed two fingers together. “With enough money, something successful explorers should have plenty of, it is possible to rent out an entire floor.”
“No, I mean what will we be doing?” As a guest on board, she went along with their whims, but this insistence on going into the city was somewhat weird.
“For starters, collecting information. Drone surveillance, no matter how great it might be, still loses out to telepathy. We might also be contacted by the Priesthood, if the rumors are true.” He shrugged, “Finally, this is the pleasure quarter, any vice can be satisfied here. Speaking of that, I can give you those silver coins.”
“This is not a vacation!” Admittedly, this was rather tempting, yet her sense of duty won over.
“Don’t be so serious, that was merely a joke. We’ll be using the money to buy information instead.” Zarjow made a ragged kid who attempted to intercept them trip and fall, then kicked him aside. “Damn pickpockets. Anyway, I’m not particularly keen on testing out just how good our inoculations are.”
As they proceeded deeper into the maze consisting of houses, stalls and winding streets, one by one, other Humans joined their group. Dressed in a variety of disguises, they appeared to be walking casually, yet Emberwing still noticed a semblance of a protective formation. Was it centered on her, or the Captain? Both? Alexander Jardin was meanwhile explaining the local history. “This city is one of the first permanent settlements, and the oldest still existing. Even when the climate fluctuations made the area less hospitable, it was never abandoned entirely. The reason is probably the Temple over there.”
The group entered a small plaza, which offered an unobstructed line of sight to the tall structure in the middle of the city. This building looked somewhat different to what she remembered from her dream, but it was still drawing her attention. That strange sensation she had after the landing returned as well, and Emberwing was now almost sure that it was a distant, vague murmur.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the Captain, who leaned in and whispered. “Try to act natural. We are being tailed. Rather amateurish, I’d say. By a single male Tastadi, no less.”
“Someone from the Temple?” Emberwing spread out her senses, trying to find anyone focusing their attention on them. “Or another pickpocket?”
“Not sneaky enough, although it might be somebody providing distraction.” There was a very faint glow in his eyes. “But in the case where he’s playing bait for Temple agents, we shall refrain from probing him. Let us disengage instead.”
Of course, being read should be avoided for the time being, so Emberwing immediately retracted her detection attempts. Still, something brushed one of her tendrils of thought, a vaguely familiar signature she wasn’t able to identify, and the sensation was gone before any attempt to probe further could be made.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Intermission W: By mere chance
The bard Athedil was aimlessly strolling through the busy streets of the City of Pillars. Normally, this would be the time of the Festival, the main money-making opportunity for anyone in his profession. Peasants delivering their harvest before the rainy season, pilgrims coming for the grand procession, explorers returning with loot, merchants aiming to buy artifacts, the city should be brimming with activity. Alcohol and money had to flow through the taverns like a mighty river and bards would have their share of both, with some fame on top.
Unfortunately, everything was spoiled by the accursed nomads. They should’ve been confined in the wastelands by the summer heat, and then, by the storms of the rainy season, only being able to strike when the weather allowed for it in a month or two. Yet, the Temple warned about an unusually early and likely very powerful raid, so many villagers had fled behind the city walls. Reinforcements gathered as well, most festivities were called off, and on top of it all, the refugees managed to infect the inhabitants with a sense of worry. In this tense situation, few patrons were willing to tip generously. His income withered as if hit by the scorching desert winds. Worse, even his girl broke up with him all of a sudden. For that arrogant, cunning, haughty bitch, a lowly bard was apparently no longer pleasing, and this had dealt a severe blow to his already dwindling inspiration. Perhaps it was time to cut losses, and leave the city for good.
Yet, traveling during the upcoming rainy season would be foolish, so he simply roved about to kill time. Among the masses, a group of three somehow caught his eye. An armored warrior walking boldly as if he owned the place, beside him, a hooded figure, and an unassuming, robed guy following them a step behind. The companion was probably female, he, being an expert in women, was sure of this. The leader didn’t look like a common soldier or guard, so perhaps an officer, a mercenary, or most probably, an explorer heading for the pleasure quarter? One after the other, new members joined up with the three and integrated into a loose formation centered on the warrior. Judging by how well-coordinated they moved through the crowds, all of them must’ve worked with that leader for a long time. This level of wordless communication was normally reserved for tight-knit mercenary bands, or experienced explorers, yet neither would march in such a formation reminiscent of the military. A foreign noble with his bodyguards going incognito to the pleasure quarter? A common enough story, however, he was far too knowledgeable about the streets, taking ingenious shortcuts like a native.
A pickpocket thought them to be good pickings, and tried to have a go at their purses, but the robed man wasn’t having any of that. With a flowing motion, he stepped aside to evade the grubby hand, tripped the victim, then, with a hidden dagger... No, he merely kicked the urchin away. This flawlessly executed maneuver had simply caused a rather unpleasant memory to resurface. He had seen such levels of skill only once before, a merchant was stealthily killed in the street, without anyone nearby be none the wiser. By mere chance, he managed to catch a glimpse of the act from afar, and being curious enough to investigate the matter, stumbled upon a juicy rumor that the dead guy was a member of a secret cult. Worse, the murderer was likely a Temple agent hunting for apostates, since his snooping immediately led to an inordinate amount of trouble, forcing him to flee from that eastern city. Would it be wise to get entangled into something problematic yet again? Most definitely, because his bardic instincts screamed out that whatever those three were up to, it had the makings of a great story. Any dangers along the way were merely an occupational hazard, so he followed them with utmost caution.
Having observed the group for a while, they certainly gave off a sense of incongruity. Someone like a knight, well-acquainted with the city, having both a retinue and an assassin around him? Of course, there was only one possible explanation. The Paladins of the Temple Guard did have their private squads. An illustrious, yet secretive order, they answered only to the High Priest and administered his will throughout the City of Pillars. Who was the woman accompanying him? Or, most likely, the other way around? He seemed to talk to her all the way, as if showing her around and answering questions.
The group entered a small plaza, where the knight guy pointed to the Temple in the distance, then leaned in to whisper something to the woman. Immediately, an intangible wave touched his spirit, only to retreat in an instant. Was she actually a Priestess? That probing also left a strange sense of familiarity, confusing him for a moment. He had been apparently spotted as well, since the group used the opportunity to disappear. A pity, although there was still a chance for his luck to facilitate a second encounter. After all, leaving any mystery unresolved would be an utter disgrace to bardendom and his own boredom.
The bard Athedil was aimlessly strolling through the busy streets of the City of Pillars. Normally, this would be the time of the Festival, the main money-making opportunity for anyone in his profession. Peasants delivering their harvest before the rainy season, pilgrims coming for the grand procession, explorers returning with loot, merchants aiming to buy artifacts, the city should be brimming with activity. Alcohol and money had to flow through the taverns like a mighty river and bards would have their share of both, with some fame on top.
Unfortunately, everything was spoiled by the accursed nomads. They should’ve been confined in the wastelands by the summer heat, and then, by the storms of the rainy season, only being able to strike when the weather allowed for it in a month or two. Yet, the Temple warned about an unusually early and likely very powerful raid, so many villagers had fled behind the city walls. Reinforcements gathered as well, most festivities were called off, and on top of it all, the refugees managed to infect the inhabitants with a sense of worry. In this tense situation, few patrons were willing to tip generously. His income withered as if hit by the scorching desert winds. Worse, even his girl broke up with him all of a sudden. For that arrogant, cunning, haughty bitch, a lowly bard was apparently no longer pleasing, and this had dealt a severe blow to his already dwindling inspiration. Perhaps it was time to cut losses, and leave the city for good.
Yet, traveling during the upcoming rainy season would be foolish, so he simply roved about to kill time. Among the masses, a group of three somehow caught his eye. An armored warrior walking boldly as if he owned the place, beside him, a hooded figure, and an unassuming, robed guy following them a step behind. The companion was probably female, he, being an expert in women, was sure of this. The leader didn’t look like a common soldier or guard, so perhaps an officer, a mercenary, or most probably, an explorer heading for the pleasure quarter? One after the other, new members joined up with the three and integrated into a loose formation centered on the warrior. Judging by how well-coordinated they moved through the crowds, all of them must’ve worked with that leader for a long time. This level of wordless communication was normally reserved for tight-knit mercenary bands, or experienced explorers, yet neither would march in such a formation reminiscent of the military. A foreign noble with his bodyguards going incognito to the pleasure quarter? A common enough story, however, he was far too knowledgeable about the streets, taking ingenious shortcuts like a native.
A pickpocket thought them to be good pickings, and tried to have a go at their purses, but the robed man wasn’t having any of that. With a flowing motion, he stepped aside to evade the grubby hand, tripped the victim, then, with a hidden dagger... No, he merely kicked the urchin away. This flawlessly executed maneuver had simply caused a rather unpleasant memory to resurface. He had seen such levels of skill only once before, a merchant was stealthily killed in the street, without anyone nearby be none the wiser. By mere chance, he managed to catch a glimpse of the act from afar, and being curious enough to investigate the matter, stumbled upon a juicy rumor that the dead guy was a member of a secret cult. Worse, the murderer was likely a Temple agent hunting for apostates, since his snooping immediately led to an inordinate amount of trouble, forcing him to flee from that eastern city. Would it be wise to get entangled into something problematic yet again? Most definitely, because his bardic instincts screamed out that whatever those three were up to, it had the makings of a great story. Any dangers along the way were merely an occupational hazard, so he followed them with utmost caution.
Having observed the group for a while, they certainly gave off a sense of incongruity. Someone like a knight, well-acquainted with the city, having both a retinue and an assassin around him? Of course, there was only one possible explanation. The Paladins of the Temple Guard did have their private squads. An illustrious, yet secretive order, they answered only to the High Priest and administered his will throughout the City of Pillars. Who was the woman accompanying him? Or, most likely, the other way around? He seemed to talk to her all the way, as if showing her around and answering questions.
The group entered a small plaza, where the knight guy pointed to the Temple in the distance, then leaned in to whisper something to the woman. Immediately, an intangible wave touched his spirit, only to retreat in an instant. Was she actually a Priestess? That probing also left a strange sense of familiarity, confusing him for a moment. He had been apparently spotted as well, since the group used the opportunity to disappear. A pity, although there was still a chance for his luck to facilitate a second encounter. After all, leaving any mystery unresolved would be an utter disgrace to bardendom and his own boredom.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXXVII: Déjà vu
The Humans moved as one, and quickly entered another back alley. As expected from a telepathic command structure, thought Emberwing, since she now realized that everyone assumed a formation arranged to shield her. They took a few more shortcuts through narrow passages, and emerged in a more run-down part of the city. Here, she could finally sense other Loroi for the first time. Judging from the thought patterns of weariness, and not resignation, the source wasn’t slum dwellers. Although, those were definitely not a warrior’s emotions, either. Quickly blocking a particularly distracting outburst, she turned to the Human Captain. “It seems that we have entered an unsavory part of the city.”
“That’s what the pleasure quarter is all about.” He pointed at his right eye, “Don’t worry, we have the entire city map in our lenses, it’s impossible to get lost.”
Their technology was advanced in this regard as well, the Loroi had to project such information onto their helmet’s visor, or connect to the intrusive machine interfaces of the liquid suits. “This area doesn’t look like it would contain a high-class inn.”
“On the contrary, the Palace is over there.” Zarjow pointed to a very gaudy facade at the end of the street, “Anything can be obtained here, for the right price.”
The group passed by two sturdy-looking Human guards, and entered the building. Inside, there was a spacious, surprisingly clean dining area equipped with well-crafted furniture. A Tastadi woman wearing an elegant dress approached them, and recognizing Alexander Jardin as the leader, spoke to him in a polite tone. Her Trade had a strange accent, which was still perfectly understandable, thanks to the cultural data she had read before. “Welcome to the Palace, dear guests! Lunch will be served soon, or do you want to rent a room?”
“We’d like to rent an entire floor for our party.” The Captain smiled at her, “Let’s say, for four days, then we’ll see.”
“Of course, dear customer, this is certainly possible, the third floor is currently available.” As they negotiated the price, Emberwing attempted to probe the woman. There was no telepathic response, and only a few of the surface emotions could be felt. At least there was no hostility, maybe a little bit of curiosity instead.
“Let’s go.” The Captain had finished the negotiations, and the clerk led them to their rooms. “It was fortunate that you had en entire vacant floor.”
“Yes, because those are our best rooms.” The employee opened the doors to a rather opulent suite with a big bed. “Would you and your companion like this one?”
“Oh, no, thanks.” Alexander Jardin peeked at Emberwing, shook his head, and laughed. “We’re not in that kind of relationship.”
“I apologize for presuming.” She bowed. “There’s a single room just beside this one.”
“Yes, we shall manage the distribution ourselves.” He handed her a coin and she retreated.
“What was this all about?” Emberwing had an inkling, and decided to verify it.
“More often than not, the male leader of a mercenary band, or an adventuring party, would have a very close associate of the opposite sex. Or multiple ones.” He raised an eyebrow. “For the obvious purposes, of course.”
“I see. The Delrias have a similar societal structure, except that it is the females who stand at the top of a clan.” A reversal of this system seemed weird, but this was a different culture which followed their own logic.
“Some species on our homeworld are also matriarchal. No, were, since the climatic catastrophe had wiped them out.” There was a tinge of regret in this statement. “Let’s get back on track. We shall now collect as much information as possible, both by telepathic and mundane means. Is there something you’d like to observe?”
“Telepathic?” Emberwing tilted her head. “Maybe I should assist you instead.”
“Then, what were your impressions about that Tastadi woman?” He beckoned her to enter the room and take a seat.
“It is possible to read them to a certain extent, albeit to a far lesser degree than other aliens.” It seemed like her mind was more distant, almost as if out of reach, yet not entirely so. Unlike the strange, diffuse signature pattern of the Mannadi, caused by their distributed neural network, this one was both familiar and alien. “There were only some surface emotions which I could sense.”
“I see, it was the same for us as well.” The Human Captain leaned back. “Actually, we wanted to try, and connect to you through a Tastadi. A few preliminary tests revealed that this wouldn’t work as intended. The common ones appear to be psionically inert to a large degree, even if not completely silent, more akin to a narrow one-way street. We might attempt it again with an awakened specimen.”
“You’ve told me that those are forced to join the Church.” Abducting and experimenting upon them might lead to unwanted consequences, which they were trying to avoid.
“Not everyone, people with an incomplete set of abilities or low power levels aren’t worth the effort.” He shrugged. “They might even go unnoticed entirely, and some try to skip church service for various selfish reasons.”
“Then, how are you going to find someone willing to participate?” Emberwing leaned back as well. “Or to obtain an unwilling participant inconspicuously?”
“Oh, there are plenty of ways.” The Human grinned. “If nothing else, I could simply buy one.”
“A female one, I presume?” She wasn’t sure if he was joking, but decided to reply similarly.
“Of course. Maybe I should finally build that elf harem which my crew is constantly joking about.” Alexander Jardin slapped the hand-rest of his seat and chuckled.
“I have no idea what a harem is.” The elf part was certainly referring to their resemblance to those mythical beings. The other term should be something from Human culture, and she made a mental note to look it up at the next opportunity. Judging from the context, though, it wasn’t something she should involve herself with. “I’m also not interested in it.”
“Please forgive this little jest.” He waved it off. “Do you want something to eat? Perhaps some local beverage?”
“I’d appreciate a nollir or an equivalent of it.” It seemed like the Human Captain decided to entertain her for a while.
“That one is a mild stimulant, right? Then let’s go with coffee.” He nodded. “Surprisingly enough, or maybe not entirely so, this Earth plant is grown here, and it even has a similar effect on Loroi biochemistry.”
“I wonder why the Soia had brought Humans to this planet.” A different Tastadi woman brought a plate with a meal for the Captain, and Emberwing received a mug filled with an almost black, hot liquid. This coffee had an interesting taste, bitter, and with a tinge of added sweetness to mask the astringency. “Very different to nollir, what is this made from?”
“Roasted beans ground to a powder.” Judging from the smell, the Captain was drinking something slightly alcoholic, perhaps wine. “I’m not particularly surprised by finding Loroi and Humans together, and if that particular dream is accurate, a crash landing here was not intentional. The only question is whether those Tastadi are an offshoot with a different aim, some sort of experiment, or simply your prototype.”
“Let’s go back to what I said earlier.” Emberwing forcefully changed the topic. "I wanted to talk about those strange dreams."
"An interesting topic, that's for sure." Alexander Jardin used telekinesis to pour more wine into his goblet. "Something about this sword and dragons, right?"
"Yes," She described the dream, while omitting her sister's role in it. "Did you see anything similar to it?"
"Definitely not." He looked at the sword, then back to her. "So now, you're a dragonslayer as well. Congratulations. However, I recall that your culture doesn't feature such monsters?"
"Exactly, and that's when I first realized that the dream was not entirely my own." She glanced at the weapon as well. "This sword seems to be a recurring piece in our dreams, what significance does it hold?"
"I have absolutely no idea." The Human scratched his head. "Magic, swords, dragons, princesses and even old gods. It feels like we stumbled into a completely different genre, this adventure was supposed to be about starships. Well, that's how dreams usually work, there are rarely any clear answers."
"Did you see this sword in any of your dreams?" She retold him her first two dreams about the voyages in this very city. "Or could we find the locations?"
"The location issue has to wait until we've mapped the city, or until you could transfer the pictures directly." He tapped his head. "But this sword, no, nothing comes to mind. Only Steele did dream about making it. Those wanderings of yours are quite intriguing, though. Did somebody give you a guided tour of the city?"
"Maybe those were somebody's memories, although I see absolutely no reason why they were transmitted to me. Or to you." Was it the artifact? "Or why we were chosen as the recipients in the first place."
"The history of this world suggests some sort of guidance, so we can assume will and intention. There's surely a message in there." The Human looked into his goblet. "Perhaps it is too alien for us to understand?"
"No, I did see a decidedly Loroi-centered image." Emberwing told him about the minnir dream and its meaning. "Now that I think about it, this might have been the descent of that divine artifact."
"You still assume that the Loroi were the Soia." The Captain smiled. "Or that your ancestors were on a level where you, having experienced a nearly complete reset, could even comprehend them."
"We still have the same language, and many of the legends, as well as significant parts of our culture, were preserved through telepathic retelling." Perhaps the dream issue needed another angle. "Let us go a step back, does your culture place any significance on dreams and their meanings?"
"That's a really broad topic." He stroked his beard, "How about a counter-question first. Do Loroi see any significance in dreams?"
"No." She did not mention the telepathic dream healing techniques, since that seemed unrelated. Another case would be those legends Oasis dug up. "There are some old stories about sharing dreams or emotions between especially close individuals, even though they were far apart. Nothing of the sort was ever proven true."
"Oh, that. We know this phenomenon well." Alexander Jardin nodded, "Nearly every family has such a story. My grandmother, for example, felt the death of her first husband, despite him being on the other end of the planet."
"Were they telepathic?" Was there more to that legend?
"Neither of them were, but I am. There were no lies or discrepancies in her statement. Everything, including the time and date, did fit." He shrugged. "If you want to know about the how, those cases are still being investigated, so far, with little results."
"Do I have to assume that your sensitivity and output can't accomplish those feats?" Perhaps there were even more hidden powers, still locked inside those mysterious Humans.
"Not even a small fraction of it. I can't provide exact numbers, of course." There was that annoying smile the Humans used when they evaded questions. "You see, before the advent of telepathy, such stories weren't even taken seriously. At best, it was regarded as an anecdote, at worst, it would be seen as crazy. Now, there's an entire field of study, Psychohistorics, tasked to find the grains of truth in the ocean of several millennia's worth of fiction, analyzing possible underlying mechanisms in all kinds of mysteries and legends."
"In dreams as well? Operative Zarjow did mention that there are cases of deriving inspiration from them." Emberwing pressed on. "We do not seem to have such stories."
"That is one of the most elusive cases, and the whole magic thing is still very new to us. Are we merely further processing whatever we did while awake? Is there more to it? In the past, some claimed this to be divine inspiration." He waved it off in an exaggerated manner. "Judging from how the Tastadi here were able to restart civilization numerous times, perhaps their god is indeed real and actually helpful."
"Seeing your speed of progress, maybe someone or something is helping you, too?" She decided to risk inserting this question.
"Do I hear envy? Everything we did was accomplished by ourselves, both the downfall and the rebirth. There were no gods to help us, no mysteriously benevolent supernatural entity deigned to pull us out of our misery. No matter how much we begged for the miracle of salvation, nothing of the sort ever came." He smiled that annoying smile yet again. "Well, there was a bit of delayed assistance from the Soia, but we can call that reparations, or perhaps legacy."
"I am merely hoping that we could share this legacy." Were they truly achieving everything by themselves? While there seemed to be something behind his words, she wasn't trained to find such hidden meanings in the spoken language. Maybe she should confer with the Historian and ask it for any updates, since it was listening in any way. "And unravel the mystery of this planet together."
"The matter of technology transfers has to wait until we get back to Loroi space and establish a proper alliance." She sincerely hoped that there would be a Union by the time they came back. "The secrets here, well, we are trying to uncover them right now. Or maybe the other way round?"
"You mean how we received dreams from halfway across the sector?" If only she knew why or how. "Perhaps we were actually led here."
"I don't believe that, although the number of coincidences is indeed intriguing." Tapping his chin, he ruminated for a moment. "We even saw a few waking dreams. Do you sense anything right now?"
"There were no visions since the landing." She expanded and refined her senses, but couldn't pick up anything extraordinary. Except for a strange feeling of... Foreboding? Yes, there was something in the back of her mind, ever since the landing. She simply couldn't assign a meaning to it, likely because the phenomenon was outside any common concepts. "Merely some restlessness."
"Exactly, it is as if we're in the eye of the storm. I'm just wondering when the winds start to blow." Alexander Jardin tilted his head. “Ah, yes. Enough about lofty matters, let me inform you regarding our planned activities."
"Please do." That was likely a telepathic message, which she still couldn't sense. "I'm unsure about my role as well."
"You are primarily an observer on behalf of the Loroi Empire. This whole voyage is so far outside of the diplomatic protocol anyway, that we might as well abandon all the formal parts for the sake of convenience." The Human pulled out a small crystal device, and placed it on the table. It immediately projected a three-dimensional map of the city in the air between them. "Let me show you, we are finishing setting up an impromptu surveillance network. Government buildings, barracks, and the Temple are already covered, we are now moving towards extending the data collecting activities in places of social gatherings, homes of the influential and especially hubs of illegal activities. The locals don't have any technology to interfere with our drones, so we can proceed somewhat recklessly."
"How many places are linked?" The map was displaying way too many dots to count, and there were also new ones appearing at a rapid pace. "Or how long will it take to analyze the data?"
"Currently, a thousand, and we will try to double that number until nightfall. The microdrone printers are hard at work." He stroked his chin, "The AIs can process this much in realtime, we have already gained valuable intelligence. "
"Could you share the findings?" If that statement was true, then their surveilance and data processing capabilities were highly advanced. Unusually so. Another matter which she needed to discuss with the Mizol or even the Construct.
"We'll send your intelligence officers a summary." Alexander Jardin nodded, and the projection changed, showing two Tastadi, an old male and a younger female, "Those are the local leaders. The High Priest is both the head of the Church and the nominal ruler of the city, although the day-to-day matters are administered by a council drawn from the local guilds. He is scheduled to retire soon, and is currently training one of his disciples as replacement. We are yet to determine who is now the real power and to what degree."
The male was apparently very old, although she had no proper point of reference as to what exactly was considered old among this unknown species. His disciple, a woman of probably the same age as her, had an expression befitting a warrior, a determined, even somewhat haughty attitude. "Once the leader is singled out, how are we to proceed?"
"Let's test the supposed omniscience of their god first, while we continue to gather data. If they don't contact us in the next day or two, we will try to get an audience through the official channels, which in our case, would be a generous donation of an artifact. As a last resort, we could also show off a little to get their attention." The Human stroked his beard again, this was definitely some subconscious action they made when thinking, "Do you agree with this timetable? It may be hasty, but we don't have that much time to spare."
"Yes, of course, we do have to hurry." She had no idea how the Shell invasion was progressing, and not being able to do anything about it was giving her even more anxiety. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Actually, yes. While we were talking, Zarjow worked out something interesting. We want to mingle with the locals to probe them directly, and you can cover any Loroi we may encounter." He drank the rest of his wine and stood up. "Technological intelligence gathering does have its limits, given how primitive the locals are, and telepathic probing takes time with so few of us around. Therefore, we'll speed things up through more old-fashioned means, by buying information."
Joining up with Zarjow, they exited the inn and took some shortcuts through small streets. The Operative was guiding them deftly, stepping aside to evade garbage piles or puddles of filth without even looking. "We shall visit a tavern which was determined to be a major hotspot for illegal activities. Representatives from all kinds of underground organizations meet at this place to negotiate various deals, trading everything from information to artifacts and even slaves."
"What kind of lawless place is that?" Emberwing checked her blaster in its hidden holster, and set the selector slider from stun to kill.
"Not lawless, merely outside the law, it is regarded as a neutral ground of sorts and has its own rules. We will listen, we will probe, and we may spend a bit of money to learn where to probe and listen next. Or where to acquire suitable test subjects. Maybe we'll even find some unofficial channels to the Priesthood." Zarjow stopped talking as they passed by some suspicious, hooded figures, half-hidden in the shadows, then resumed as if nothing happened since they didn't even move. "There could be a good reason, aside from the usual corruption, why the officials let such an infamous place be."
The establishment they arrived at looked rather nondescript. Built of the omnipresent light brown bricks, slightly worn, it was still properly maintained as not to appear run-down. The Captain now took the lead. "Yes, the Thirsty Fountain. What a silly name. At least it's supposed to have good drinks and live music."
Past the thick wooden door, the tavern was clean and properly lit, although the low ceiling and the crude, sturdy furniture certainly gave the impression of a lower-class establishment. There weren't many people inside, mostly humans, who sat in small groups, talking in hushed tones. Gradually, a strange feeling that this scenery felt faintly familiar rose up. She tried to find matches in the depths of her eidetic memory, only to be interrupted by a voice she could most certainly recognize: "The woman of my dreams!"
The Humans moved as one, and quickly entered another back alley. As expected from a telepathic command structure, thought Emberwing, since she now realized that everyone assumed a formation arranged to shield her. They took a few more shortcuts through narrow passages, and emerged in a more run-down part of the city. Here, she could finally sense other Loroi for the first time. Judging from the thought patterns of weariness, and not resignation, the source wasn’t slum dwellers. Although, those were definitely not a warrior’s emotions, either. Quickly blocking a particularly distracting outburst, she turned to the Human Captain. “It seems that we have entered an unsavory part of the city.”
“That’s what the pleasure quarter is all about.” He pointed at his right eye, “Don’t worry, we have the entire city map in our lenses, it’s impossible to get lost.”
Their technology was advanced in this regard as well, the Loroi had to project such information onto their helmet’s visor, or connect to the intrusive machine interfaces of the liquid suits. “This area doesn’t look like it would contain a high-class inn.”
“On the contrary, the Palace is over there.” Zarjow pointed to a very gaudy facade at the end of the street, “Anything can be obtained here, for the right price.”
The group passed by two sturdy-looking Human guards, and entered the building. Inside, there was a spacious, surprisingly clean dining area equipped with well-crafted furniture. A Tastadi woman wearing an elegant dress approached them, and recognizing Alexander Jardin as the leader, spoke to him in a polite tone. Her Trade had a strange accent, which was still perfectly understandable, thanks to the cultural data she had read before. “Welcome to the Palace, dear guests! Lunch will be served soon, or do you want to rent a room?”
“We’d like to rent an entire floor for our party.” The Captain smiled at her, “Let’s say, for four days, then we’ll see.”
“Of course, dear customer, this is certainly possible, the third floor is currently available.” As they negotiated the price, Emberwing attempted to probe the woman. There was no telepathic response, and only a few of the surface emotions could be felt. At least there was no hostility, maybe a little bit of curiosity instead.
“Let’s go.” The Captain had finished the negotiations, and the clerk led them to their rooms. “It was fortunate that you had en entire vacant floor.”
“Yes, because those are our best rooms.” The employee opened the doors to a rather opulent suite with a big bed. “Would you and your companion like this one?”
“Oh, no, thanks.” Alexander Jardin peeked at Emberwing, shook his head, and laughed. “We’re not in that kind of relationship.”
“I apologize for presuming.” She bowed. “There’s a single room just beside this one.”
“Yes, we shall manage the distribution ourselves.” He handed her a coin and she retreated.
“What was this all about?” Emberwing had an inkling, and decided to verify it.
“More often than not, the male leader of a mercenary band, or an adventuring party, would have a very close associate of the opposite sex. Or multiple ones.” He raised an eyebrow. “For the obvious purposes, of course.”
“I see. The Delrias have a similar societal structure, except that it is the females who stand at the top of a clan.” A reversal of this system seemed weird, but this was a different culture which followed their own logic.
“Some species on our homeworld are also matriarchal. No, were, since the climatic catastrophe had wiped them out.” There was a tinge of regret in this statement. “Let’s get back on track. We shall now collect as much information as possible, both by telepathic and mundane means. Is there something you’d like to observe?”
“Telepathic?” Emberwing tilted her head. “Maybe I should assist you instead.”
“Then, what were your impressions about that Tastadi woman?” He beckoned her to enter the room and take a seat.
“It is possible to read them to a certain extent, albeit to a far lesser degree than other aliens.” It seemed like her mind was more distant, almost as if out of reach, yet not entirely so. Unlike the strange, diffuse signature pattern of the Mannadi, caused by their distributed neural network, this one was both familiar and alien. “There were only some surface emotions which I could sense.”
“I see, it was the same for us as well.” The Human Captain leaned back. “Actually, we wanted to try, and connect to you through a Tastadi. A few preliminary tests revealed that this wouldn’t work as intended. The common ones appear to be psionically inert to a large degree, even if not completely silent, more akin to a narrow one-way street. We might attempt it again with an awakened specimen.”
“You’ve told me that those are forced to join the Church.” Abducting and experimenting upon them might lead to unwanted consequences, which they were trying to avoid.
“Not everyone, people with an incomplete set of abilities or low power levels aren’t worth the effort.” He shrugged. “They might even go unnoticed entirely, and some try to skip church service for various selfish reasons.”
“Then, how are you going to find someone willing to participate?” Emberwing leaned back as well. “Or to obtain an unwilling participant inconspicuously?”
“Oh, there are plenty of ways.” The Human grinned. “If nothing else, I could simply buy one.”
“A female one, I presume?” She wasn’t sure if he was joking, but decided to reply similarly.
“Of course. Maybe I should finally build that elf harem which my crew is constantly joking about.” Alexander Jardin slapped the hand-rest of his seat and chuckled.
“I have no idea what a harem is.” The elf part was certainly referring to their resemblance to those mythical beings. The other term should be something from Human culture, and she made a mental note to look it up at the next opportunity. Judging from the context, though, it wasn’t something she should involve herself with. “I’m also not interested in it.”
“Please forgive this little jest.” He waved it off. “Do you want something to eat? Perhaps some local beverage?”
“I’d appreciate a nollir or an equivalent of it.” It seemed like the Human Captain decided to entertain her for a while.
“That one is a mild stimulant, right? Then let’s go with coffee.” He nodded. “Surprisingly enough, or maybe not entirely so, this Earth plant is grown here, and it even has a similar effect on Loroi biochemistry.”
“I wonder why the Soia had brought Humans to this planet.” A different Tastadi woman brought a plate with a meal for the Captain, and Emberwing received a mug filled with an almost black, hot liquid. This coffee had an interesting taste, bitter, and with a tinge of added sweetness to mask the astringency. “Very different to nollir, what is this made from?”
“Roasted beans ground to a powder.” Judging from the smell, the Captain was drinking something slightly alcoholic, perhaps wine. “I’m not particularly surprised by finding Loroi and Humans together, and if that particular dream is accurate, a crash landing here was not intentional. The only question is whether those Tastadi are an offshoot with a different aim, some sort of experiment, or simply your prototype.”
“Let’s go back to what I said earlier.” Emberwing forcefully changed the topic. "I wanted to talk about those strange dreams."
"An interesting topic, that's for sure." Alexander Jardin used telekinesis to pour more wine into his goblet. "Something about this sword and dragons, right?"
"Yes," She described the dream, while omitting her sister's role in it. "Did you see anything similar to it?"
"Definitely not." He looked at the sword, then back to her. "So now, you're a dragonslayer as well. Congratulations. However, I recall that your culture doesn't feature such monsters?"
"Exactly, and that's when I first realized that the dream was not entirely my own." She glanced at the weapon as well. "This sword seems to be a recurring piece in our dreams, what significance does it hold?"
"I have absolutely no idea." The Human scratched his head. "Magic, swords, dragons, princesses and even old gods. It feels like we stumbled into a completely different genre, this adventure was supposed to be about starships. Well, that's how dreams usually work, there are rarely any clear answers."
"Did you see this sword in any of your dreams?" She retold him her first two dreams about the voyages in this very city. "Or could we find the locations?"
"The location issue has to wait until we've mapped the city, or until you could transfer the pictures directly." He tapped his head. "But this sword, no, nothing comes to mind. Only Steele did dream about making it. Those wanderings of yours are quite intriguing, though. Did somebody give you a guided tour of the city?"
"Maybe those were somebody's memories, although I see absolutely no reason why they were transmitted to me. Or to you." Was it the artifact? "Or why we were chosen as the recipients in the first place."
"The history of this world suggests some sort of guidance, so we can assume will and intention. There's surely a message in there." The Human looked into his goblet. "Perhaps it is too alien for us to understand?"
"No, I did see a decidedly Loroi-centered image." Emberwing told him about the minnir dream and its meaning. "Now that I think about it, this might have been the descent of that divine artifact."
"You still assume that the Loroi were the Soia." The Captain smiled. "Or that your ancestors were on a level where you, having experienced a nearly complete reset, could even comprehend them."
"We still have the same language, and many of the legends, as well as significant parts of our culture, were preserved through telepathic retelling." Perhaps the dream issue needed another angle. "Let us go a step back, does your culture place any significance on dreams and their meanings?"
"That's a really broad topic." He stroked his beard, "How about a counter-question first. Do Loroi see any significance in dreams?"
"No." She did not mention the telepathic dream healing techniques, since that seemed unrelated. Another case would be those legends Oasis dug up. "There are some old stories about sharing dreams or emotions between especially close individuals, even though they were far apart. Nothing of the sort was ever proven true."
"Oh, that. We know this phenomenon well." Alexander Jardin nodded, "Nearly every family has such a story. My grandmother, for example, felt the death of her first husband, despite him being on the other end of the planet."
"Were they telepathic?" Was there more to that legend?
"Neither of them were, but I am. There were no lies or discrepancies in her statement. Everything, including the time and date, did fit." He shrugged. "If you want to know about the how, those cases are still being investigated, so far, with little results."
"Do I have to assume that your sensitivity and output can't accomplish those feats?" Perhaps there were even more hidden powers, still locked inside those mysterious Humans.
"Not even a small fraction of it. I can't provide exact numbers, of course." There was that annoying smile the Humans used when they evaded questions. "You see, before the advent of telepathy, such stories weren't even taken seriously. At best, it was regarded as an anecdote, at worst, it would be seen as crazy. Now, there's an entire field of study, Psychohistorics, tasked to find the grains of truth in the ocean of several millennia's worth of fiction, analyzing possible underlying mechanisms in all kinds of mysteries and legends."
"In dreams as well? Operative Zarjow did mention that there are cases of deriving inspiration from them." Emberwing pressed on. "We do not seem to have such stories."
"That is one of the most elusive cases, and the whole magic thing is still very new to us. Are we merely further processing whatever we did while awake? Is there more to it? In the past, some claimed this to be divine inspiration." He waved it off in an exaggerated manner. "Judging from how the Tastadi here were able to restart civilization numerous times, perhaps their god is indeed real and actually helpful."
"Seeing your speed of progress, maybe someone or something is helping you, too?" She decided to risk inserting this question.
"Do I hear envy? Everything we did was accomplished by ourselves, both the downfall and the rebirth. There were no gods to help us, no mysteriously benevolent supernatural entity deigned to pull us out of our misery. No matter how much we begged for the miracle of salvation, nothing of the sort ever came." He smiled that annoying smile yet again. "Well, there was a bit of delayed assistance from the Soia, but we can call that reparations, or perhaps legacy."
"I am merely hoping that we could share this legacy." Were they truly achieving everything by themselves? While there seemed to be something behind his words, she wasn't trained to find such hidden meanings in the spoken language. Maybe she should confer with the Historian and ask it for any updates, since it was listening in any way. "And unravel the mystery of this planet together."
"The matter of technology transfers has to wait until we get back to Loroi space and establish a proper alliance." She sincerely hoped that there would be a Union by the time they came back. "The secrets here, well, we are trying to uncover them right now. Or maybe the other way round?"
"You mean how we received dreams from halfway across the sector?" If only she knew why or how. "Perhaps we were actually led here."
"I don't believe that, although the number of coincidences is indeed intriguing." Tapping his chin, he ruminated for a moment. "We even saw a few waking dreams. Do you sense anything right now?"
"There were no visions since the landing." She expanded and refined her senses, but couldn't pick up anything extraordinary. Except for a strange feeling of... Foreboding? Yes, there was something in the back of her mind, ever since the landing. She simply couldn't assign a meaning to it, likely because the phenomenon was outside any common concepts. "Merely some restlessness."
"Exactly, it is as if we're in the eye of the storm. I'm just wondering when the winds start to blow." Alexander Jardin tilted his head. “Ah, yes. Enough about lofty matters, let me inform you regarding our planned activities."
"Please do." That was likely a telepathic message, which she still couldn't sense. "I'm unsure about my role as well."
"You are primarily an observer on behalf of the Loroi Empire. This whole voyage is so far outside of the diplomatic protocol anyway, that we might as well abandon all the formal parts for the sake of convenience." The Human pulled out a small crystal device, and placed it on the table. It immediately projected a three-dimensional map of the city in the air between them. "Let me show you, we are finishing setting up an impromptu surveillance network. Government buildings, barracks, and the Temple are already covered, we are now moving towards extending the data collecting activities in places of social gatherings, homes of the influential and especially hubs of illegal activities. The locals don't have any technology to interfere with our drones, so we can proceed somewhat recklessly."
"How many places are linked?" The map was displaying way too many dots to count, and there were also new ones appearing at a rapid pace. "Or how long will it take to analyze the data?"
"Currently, a thousand, and we will try to double that number until nightfall. The microdrone printers are hard at work." He stroked his chin, "The AIs can process this much in realtime, we have already gained valuable intelligence. "
"Could you share the findings?" If that statement was true, then their surveilance and data processing capabilities were highly advanced. Unusually so. Another matter which she needed to discuss with the Mizol or even the Construct.
"We'll send your intelligence officers a summary." Alexander Jardin nodded, and the projection changed, showing two Tastadi, an old male and a younger female, "Those are the local leaders. The High Priest is both the head of the Church and the nominal ruler of the city, although the day-to-day matters are administered by a council drawn from the local guilds. He is scheduled to retire soon, and is currently training one of his disciples as replacement. We are yet to determine who is now the real power and to what degree."
The male was apparently very old, although she had no proper point of reference as to what exactly was considered old among this unknown species. His disciple, a woman of probably the same age as her, had an expression befitting a warrior, a determined, even somewhat haughty attitude. "Once the leader is singled out, how are we to proceed?"
"Let's test the supposed omniscience of their god first, while we continue to gather data. If they don't contact us in the next day or two, we will try to get an audience through the official channels, which in our case, would be a generous donation of an artifact. As a last resort, we could also show off a little to get their attention." The Human stroked his beard again, this was definitely some subconscious action they made when thinking, "Do you agree with this timetable? It may be hasty, but we don't have that much time to spare."
"Yes, of course, we do have to hurry." She had no idea how the Shell invasion was progressing, and not being able to do anything about it was giving her even more anxiety. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Actually, yes. While we were talking, Zarjow worked out something interesting. We want to mingle with the locals to probe them directly, and you can cover any Loroi we may encounter." He drank the rest of his wine and stood up. "Technological intelligence gathering does have its limits, given how primitive the locals are, and telepathic probing takes time with so few of us around. Therefore, we'll speed things up through more old-fashioned means, by buying information."
Joining up with Zarjow, they exited the inn and took some shortcuts through small streets. The Operative was guiding them deftly, stepping aside to evade garbage piles or puddles of filth without even looking. "We shall visit a tavern which was determined to be a major hotspot for illegal activities. Representatives from all kinds of underground organizations meet at this place to negotiate various deals, trading everything from information to artifacts and even slaves."
"What kind of lawless place is that?" Emberwing checked her blaster in its hidden holster, and set the selector slider from stun to kill.
"Not lawless, merely outside the law, it is regarded as a neutral ground of sorts and has its own rules. We will listen, we will probe, and we may spend a bit of money to learn where to probe and listen next. Or where to acquire suitable test subjects. Maybe we'll even find some unofficial channels to the Priesthood." Zarjow stopped talking as they passed by some suspicious, hooded figures, half-hidden in the shadows, then resumed as if nothing happened since they didn't even move. "There could be a good reason, aside from the usual corruption, why the officials let such an infamous place be."
The establishment they arrived at looked rather nondescript. Built of the omnipresent light brown bricks, slightly worn, it was still properly maintained as not to appear run-down. The Captain now took the lead. "Yes, the Thirsty Fountain. What a silly name. At least it's supposed to have good drinks and live music."
Past the thick wooden door, the tavern was clean and properly lit, although the low ceiling and the crude, sturdy furniture certainly gave the impression of a lower-class establishment. There weren't many people inside, mostly humans, who sat in small groups, talking in hushed tones. Gradually, a strange feeling that this scenery felt faintly familiar rose up. She tried to find matches in the depths of her eidetic memory, only to be interrupted by a voice she could most certainly recognize: "The woman of my dreams!"
Last edited by Cthulhu on Sun Jun 23, 2024 8:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXXVIII: To be, or to philosophy
"Wait!" Emberwing was called out by someone sounding far too familiar. Turning around, she spotted that bard from her dream, now, in the flesh! He rapidly approached her. "The woman of my dreams!"
However, the Captain stepped forward to intercept him. "She's with me. Scram."
"No, I mean she is the woman I saw in a dream." Confronted by the taller, armored and armed Human, the bard appeared flustered. "I just want to talk to her!"
"That was the worst pick-up line I've heard in the last 20 years." Alexander Jardin put a hand on his sword under the cloak, establishing a threatening silhouette. "Or are your goals even more nefarious?"
"This was just a misunderstanding!" Athedil retreated a step, but stopped before he could bump into Zarjow who somehow appeared right behind him, "Would you mind calling back your assassin? I shall explain everything then."
"That expression is such a biased word, which I strongly object to," The Operative smiled in a most vicious manner as he circled around the potential victim. "I prefer being called an advisor, since my specialty lies in dealing with sources of inconvenience. At their very roots."
"Point taken," The bard gulped, "ehrm, might I be allowed to use this phrase in my next ballad?"
"Certainly, if there is going to be an author to compose it," Zarjow nodded, and pointed to a table, "But for that to happen, start singing about what we want to hear."
"I'd need to parch my throat first," Athedil sat down in an exaggerated manner and attempted to order something, yet was stopped by another vicious smile, "On a second thought, that can wait. Fine, where should I start?"
Alexander plopped down on the opposite stool, "At the very beginning, of course. Otherwise, I'll interpret your crude approach as a disgrace to bardendom and this would force me to annul your license."
"There's no such thing as a permit, though?" He paused, "Oh. You mean that kind of annulment. Ha-ha. Ha. But, this wasn't a lie, I did see her in a dream! I'm sorry if this infringed upon your relationship."
"She's simply part of my team." The Captain frowned, "We only arrived today, and she had never visited this city before. Unless you possess truly extraordinary abilities, how could you have seen her?"
"I only have the ability to Mindtalk, nothing else." The bard raised up his arms, "Are you from the Church?"
"Do you really think I would answer that?" Alexander Jardin chuckled, "Oh no, right now, I'm merely an explorer. Tell me, how can you explain that occurrence?"
"Well, if you were from the Church, then I'd say, uhm, divine vision? In a dream, as the story usually goes?" Athedil returned to his flippant attitude.
The Captain wagged a finger, "Well, if that would be the truth, then I could arrest you on charges of blasphemy. Do not attempt to deceive me. We have our ways to see past any falsehood."
"Is that the reason there's a clan-folk on your team?" The bard blinked, "Your kind doesn't have any abilities."
"We have all the abilities that we could possibly need." The Captain tapped the table with a finger, emphasizing his command. "Talk. Now."
"Fine!" Athedil leaned in, "I had the dream right after I broke up with my last girl. She's quite the big deal at the Church, and we've usually met in secret. The catacombs that run under the temple complex provide enough hidden passages which allowed her to sneak out. One night, she wanted to speak in private all of a sudden, so I had to sneak in instead."
"Interesting, and then, the Divine One pointed you to a different girl as a recompense?" Zarjow sniffed on a mug that he got from somewhere, "While this smells somewhat like piss, it is still the best medicine for a heartbreak. You can have it."
"I agree wholeheartedly on the second part, but the first one is utter blasphemy!" Nevertheless, he grabbed the mug and took a big swig, "Hopefully, there wasn't some slow-acting poison in there? No, I'm actually inclined to count on that, you know, or I wouldn't have touched it. Anyway, that girl said that she was chosen to be some kind of really big shot, so she can't meet me, a lowly bard, any longer, in secret or otherwise. We had a heated argument, she got mad and stormed off. I ran after her, but immediately got lost in that damn labyrinth and wandered through the dark passages for some time. The bottle of the fancy wine that I had brought along was far too heavy to be carried around, so it had to go. Then, I got tired, fell asleep and saw a very vivid dream."
"Now, that sounds like some magnificent wine indeed, does this fine establishment serve it as well?" Alexander Jardin chuckled, "Anything else about that dream?"
"It costs 4 gold coins! I had to save up for weeks!" The bard shook his head, "Before I fell asleep, there was some humming, but it could've been the wine getting into my head as well."
The Humans exchanged a nod, and the Captain placed 5 gold coins on the table, "Good, this will help us out a lot, you have our gratitude."
"While she's an ambitious, cold-hearted, manipulative, and arrogant bitch, I wouldn't want to see her fall." The bard eyed the coins with suspicion, "What did I even stumble in?"
"Don't worry, this won't affect her in any negative way, quite the opposite. The real problems are on a much grander scale," The Captain smiled mysteriously, "The world will see change soon."
"You mean, like the rumors that there's more to this year's raid?" Athedil appeared shocked, "I've heard stories about a new clan-folk warlord, so..."
Zarjow put a finger on his lips, "The Divine One protects."
"Got it." The bard nodded energetically.
"Then we are done here." Alexander Jardin stood up. "Don't waste everything on wine and women, leave some for gambling as well."
Screened by Zarjow, they quickly exited the tavern and disappeared into a side alley.
"As expected, that fool tries to follow us. Not that I'd allow him to." Alexander Jardin was definitely amused, "It seems that you're worthy enough for him to risk his life."
"Maybe he's simply curious." Somehow, a mischievous idea entered her mind. "Or are you perhaps jealous?"
Zarjow chuckled, "That was a good one. But no, he's not, otherwise I would've poisoned the idiot's drink. We actually counted on him following us, based on his psychological and psionic profile."
"What did you read?" She had blocked that Athedil completely, "Does he realize who we are?"
"No, he merely thinks that we're from the Church, just as intended. Perhaps he can provide a shortcut to the Priesthood." Alexander looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "I'm rather interested in that dream of yours."
"I saw that bard, but surmised that it was someone from your crew dreaming of virtual worlds." Or not, in hindsight, it was way too strange for such a convenient explanation. "Maybe we should capture him for an interrogation."
"That may be unnecessarily risky." Interjected Zarjow. "I've picked up an image of that girl he was talking about, and managed to identify her. It's the next High Priestess."
"How did you?" Their abilities were getting ever more ridiculous.
"Oh, he broadcasted a very vivid and highly detailed picture of her, and as you know, we've already infiltrated the Temple with microdrones, profiling anyone of importance. Since he spoke of a prominent person, connecting the information bits wasn't difficult." The Operative noticed her confusion. "You mean the how? That's a trade secret of mine, but you are free to guess."
"I assumed you'd be amazed by the improbability of this coincidence instead. If it's a coincidence." Alexander stroked his beard. "When did you have that dream?"
"Nine, then five and finally, four days ago." And that was before their arrival here, even before the long jump, which means that this Athedil somehow transmitted thoughts across a tremendous distance. Or was he actually the one sending? "There's no way that he can be this powerful and have such an improbable range. Something else must be at work here."
"Certainly, none of the Tastadi are that powerful, even remotely so, according to a teaching manual we've copied." Zarjow began stroking his beard as well. "But he was in, or, rather, under the temple, which houses some kind of a supposedly divine artifact. Whatever that is, seems to be active, although I don't see why it chose to broadcast that fool's dream."
"As the saying goes, a god always works in mysterious ways." The Captain's eyes flashed with an intense psionic light. "I made him stop looking for us, and he is now running towards the Temple. It seems like he wants to warn his ex-girlfriend. How cute."
"I've directed a couple of drones to follow him. For now, let's retreat." Zarjow pointed to an alley. "Others can investigate the tavern, we have things to discuss."
"The Palace should be serving dinner soon." Alexander Jardin started heading back to the inn. "We can talk over a meal."
"Of course, I also have some questions." The rapid development nearly caught her off-guard.
"There's some casual clothing if you want to get out of that armor." Offered the Captain as they dispersed to their rooms. "We'll meet downstairs."
A version of that gown Ellen Jardin had created was awaiting her. She quickly fixed herself up, and descended into the dining hall on the lower floor. There, Alexander Jardin was already waiting for her. "I hope the clothes are to your liking?"
"I must thank you, since I hadn't packed anything for the occasion." Going through the Human cultural files proved to be useful at last, since it helped her understand the logic here.
"I've reserved a private room for us." He led her to a separate area. "We've also checked the food here, it is safe for consumption."
"Good to know." Emberwing waited for the server girl to retreat, then asked him straight away. "You wanted to discuss something?"
"Let's start with the dreams about this Athedil fellow." He poured some wine for them both. "It seems that you had contacted him in some way."
"Or he contacted me, likely through whatever mysterious force is at work here." Despite coming from a primitive world, this was one of the best dishes she ever had. Especially since for a warrior, indulging in luxury during wartime was seen as dishonorable. "As already said, initially, I assumed this to be a dream leak from your crew."
"Well, he actually showed up in my dream as well, although you weren't in there." Suddenly, he started singing, "All hands turned to murder, and weapons were created!"
"Finally, the swords were forged, master of war, wielders of magic!" Emberwing immediately remembered the line, and then, stumped. "You did use that expression in the Darlock spoof! Do you assume that this is referring to us Loroi?"
"Yes, oh Sword of the Ancients. This expression is actually featured in many ballads." He smirked. "I tried to check if the Umiak know it as well, but they don't seem to be interested in anything besides mindless expansion."
"Wait, who or what supposedly forged us?" Again with that theory of them having a template species. While there were some arguments in its favor, she refused to acknowledge it. Besides, there were always far more pressing matters than debating philosophy. "And for which purpose?"
"The song is pretty straightforward, though. As weapons for that Godswar, of course." He picked up a knife. "However, unlike this cutlery, you seemed to have had two edges."
"The bard also said that this ballad had various versions, and that the local Loroi reject the official one." Maybe they should've asked him for the others. "The story may have been deliberately distorted."
"We are currently compiling all lore and legends, especially the Church teachings. Soon enough, the AIs will be able to begin cross-referencing them to find common patterns." He finished his meal, and put the cutlery aside. "Dessert?"
"Certainly." She suppressed sounding too enthusiastic. "What makes you think that those ballads are even truthful in the first place?"
"Because they fit into the grand puzzle which the Soia had left behind. This deity also saw fit to transmit them across tremendous distances, so there should be a hidden message." He rang a bell, and the server girl brought dessert. "This is a local specialty, and is safe to consume as well."
"Thank you." Whatever that was, tasted delicious. "If you have found some kind of pattern, does that mean that you already had enough previous information to build upon?"
"Yes, and I am rather amazed that you have so little. We were looking forward to discussing this with you and to compare the various versions." He shook his head. "Most of your senior officers didn't react to any allegories we've made."
"Did you try your mind games on them as well?" What were the Humans even up to?
"Of course, and only Torimor Silvermist seemed to have understood our aim right away." The Human smiled faintly. "I was looking forward to a debate with her, but the Umiak spoiled the occasion."
“I'm sure that she looked forward to it as well.” Silvermist might've dug up her caste's archives partially to prepare herself. Too bad. "I may be able to substitute for her. What did you want to discuss?"
"The most fundamental question, what was the Soia's goal. They arrived in this sector, created a number of species, then razed everything and simply disappeared. Or even self-destructed!" He swung around the dessert spoon. "For supposedly almost god-like entities, there should be an equally grand legacy, and yet, what was left behind? A couple ruins, some scraps, and a few forsaken, pitiful survivors bombed back into barbarism?"
"They did not disappear without a trace, we, the Soia-Liiron races, are still there." Though the Mozeret were presumed extinct. "We intend to reestablish the Soia dominon."
"For what purpose? Or why did you lose it so thorughly?" Frankly, she never thought about such topics, not that she'd admit it to an alien. "Even if we assume that only a few survived the Fall, and got stranded on a devastated world with no industrial base, why did you devolve into savages? I might understand that the Barsam or Neridi did, but a race of telepaths should've recollected itself. Yet on all three Sister Worlds, or even this fourth one, the development was almost exactly the same. A complete reset."
"I'm not that well-versed in the legends, forgive me for not having the time in the middle of a war." Eating together with a male was actually close enough to the first stage of an extended encounter, which might be the reason why she'd played along to the Human's sudden whim. Debating philosophy, however, would be reserved for the most distinguished and highest-ranking warriors. Emberwing now realized that she was not only lacking in rank, but most importantly in knowledge, and would definitely embarrass herself if paired up with a senior Nedathan. Well, she was nowhere close enough to have earned such honor in the first place. "We'd need to consult with the loremasters."
"Then I'm looking forward to it." It seemed like the dinner was now over.
No, not yet. Standing up, the shimmer of her gown caught her eye. Why she even agreed to this meeting without a second thought, and why it felt so familiar to her. It wasn't because of the Human cultural database or her desires, but instead, the culprit was likely that dream about inserting this Human into her first encounter reminiscence! "Let me clarify something, this gown I'm wearing, it is not a coincidence?"
"Just a little payback for dragging me into your fantasies." Alexander Jardin laughed. "I had to dig through quite the peculiar part of your culture to understand the context."
"How could I've dragged you over? You were on your ship at that time!" The Tiret counselor was puzzled about this issue as well, especially the distance. "Is that your sending range?"
"Normally, no." Unsurprisingly, he refused to elaborate.
"Then what about extraordinary cases?" Now, a picture began forming in her mind. If that bard was likely affected by the Church's artifact, could the Humans have one as well? "Possibly something about your singing ship?"
"Good deduction, but that device doesn't work this way." The Human nodded in acknowledgement. "And before you ask, no, I can't elaborate on it just yet. You are free to guess, though."
"Fine, keep your secrets. I can already guess what it is." The device was most probably what allowed them to perform the long jump. "We are done here, then?"
"Yes, it is getting late." He escorted her back to her room.
"Would it be possible to connect with my team?" Emberwing decided to consult with the others.
"Of course, simply use the system link connection protocol." The Human left for his room. "Goodnight."
After closing the door, Emberwing pulled a tablet out of her armor's pocket. Immediately, the Historian decided to meddle in, and a message appeared on the screen. "The situation is far worse than we assumed. You are in grave danger."
"Through what exactly?" She typed impatiently. "What kind of danger?"
"The bandwidth is not sufficient to explain it at length, and there's barely any time." She'd rather consult it about a few things, not listen to more vague warnings. "This vestige was only supplied with the bare minimum of information. All we can say is that the supposed God which the Humans are seeking is immensely dangerous for you, it is actually a weapon aimed against your kind. Do not let the Humans, or especially the Zulotchi gain mastery over it!"
"How is that a weapon? What does it do? Why do you know that?" Another ominous, yet useless warning. "You are constantly withholding critical information, only to reveal it at the last moment."
"We are bound by certain regulations, which we now decided to ignore on our own accord." The need for rules implied that there was enough information to warrant them. Interesting. "There's unfortunately not much data on this weapon, since it was deployed shortly before the Fall, likely being one of its causes. Allegedly, it could bind, entrap or even steal your psionic talents, with lethal consequences."
"What can I possibly do, then?" She never heard of anything like that in the legends. "What else do you know? I need answers!"
"You have seen the Human's psionic strength, and unrefined as it may be, imagine what they will be able to achieve with an artifact. Yet if the Zulotchi gain control over it, and manage to replicate the weapon, then it will be your downfall, since you have no way to defend yourself. Destroy it, before it can enslave you all." Following this warning, the tablet switched off by itself.
"Stupid piece of refuse." No, she would instead secure it for the Union. The puppet still hadn't provided any proof that the Zulotchi were even involved, and that soulless thing had no idea about telepathy anyway. The Loroi had ages to refine their psionic skills and knowledge, some upstarts would be no match for them, artifact or not. Reactivating the tablet, she wrote a short, inconspicuos report for her team. There were two messages for her as well, Tempo compiled her preliminary analysis of the artifact from the orbital debris field. It was kept intentionally vague, the only interesting point was that while the column was definitely some kind of amplifier, its crystalline structure seemed to be warped on a microscopic level, rendering it useless. The Humans had also recovered a second pillar, which was unfortunately just as silent.
Beryl went through the Zulotchi data the Humans had provided. Judging from the level of detail, it was improbable that this was made up, at least not on the spot. A particularly intriguing information was the supposed mind-terror. The Zulotchi were highly susceptible to telepathy, and would display a strange reaction in the vicinity of psi-enabled Humans. A ferocious craze at a moderate distance, which would turn into a catatonic state once the Humans drew close. Because of this, the few survivors were kept on a remote outpost. Why was the Historian Construct so utterly insistent on their involvement? It made no sense, so she decided to worry about that tomorrow, and went to sleep.
"Wait!" Emberwing was called out by someone sounding far too familiar. Turning around, she spotted that bard from her dream, now, in the flesh! He rapidly approached her. "The woman of my dreams!"
However, the Captain stepped forward to intercept him. "She's with me. Scram."
"No, I mean she is the woman I saw in a dream." Confronted by the taller, armored and armed Human, the bard appeared flustered. "I just want to talk to her!"
"That was the worst pick-up line I've heard in the last 20 years." Alexander Jardin put a hand on his sword under the cloak, establishing a threatening silhouette. "Or are your goals even more nefarious?"
"This was just a misunderstanding!" Athedil retreated a step, but stopped before he could bump into Zarjow who somehow appeared right behind him, "Would you mind calling back your assassin? I shall explain everything then."
"That expression is such a biased word, which I strongly object to," The Operative smiled in a most vicious manner as he circled around the potential victim. "I prefer being called an advisor, since my specialty lies in dealing with sources of inconvenience. At their very roots."
"Point taken," The bard gulped, "ehrm, might I be allowed to use this phrase in my next ballad?"
"Certainly, if there is going to be an author to compose it," Zarjow nodded, and pointed to a table, "But for that to happen, start singing about what we want to hear."
"I'd need to parch my throat first," Athedil sat down in an exaggerated manner and attempted to order something, yet was stopped by another vicious smile, "On a second thought, that can wait. Fine, where should I start?"
Alexander plopped down on the opposite stool, "At the very beginning, of course. Otherwise, I'll interpret your crude approach as a disgrace to bardendom and this would force me to annul your license."
"There's no such thing as a permit, though?" He paused, "Oh. You mean that kind of annulment. Ha-ha. Ha. But, this wasn't a lie, I did see her in a dream! I'm sorry if this infringed upon your relationship."
"She's simply part of my team." The Captain frowned, "We only arrived today, and she had never visited this city before. Unless you possess truly extraordinary abilities, how could you have seen her?"
"I only have the ability to Mindtalk, nothing else." The bard raised up his arms, "Are you from the Church?"
"Do you really think I would answer that?" Alexander Jardin chuckled, "Oh no, right now, I'm merely an explorer. Tell me, how can you explain that occurrence?"
"Well, if you were from the Church, then I'd say, uhm, divine vision? In a dream, as the story usually goes?" Athedil returned to his flippant attitude.
The Captain wagged a finger, "Well, if that would be the truth, then I could arrest you on charges of blasphemy. Do not attempt to deceive me. We have our ways to see past any falsehood."
"Is that the reason there's a clan-folk on your team?" The bard blinked, "Your kind doesn't have any abilities."
"We have all the abilities that we could possibly need." The Captain tapped the table with a finger, emphasizing his command. "Talk. Now."
"Fine!" Athedil leaned in, "I had the dream right after I broke up with my last girl. She's quite the big deal at the Church, and we've usually met in secret. The catacombs that run under the temple complex provide enough hidden passages which allowed her to sneak out. One night, she wanted to speak in private all of a sudden, so I had to sneak in instead."
"Interesting, and then, the Divine One pointed you to a different girl as a recompense?" Zarjow sniffed on a mug that he got from somewhere, "While this smells somewhat like piss, it is still the best medicine for a heartbreak. You can have it."
"I agree wholeheartedly on the second part, but the first one is utter blasphemy!" Nevertheless, he grabbed the mug and took a big swig, "Hopefully, there wasn't some slow-acting poison in there? No, I'm actually inclined to count on that, you know, or I wouldn't have touched it. Anyway, that girl said that she was chosen to be some kind of really big shot, so she can't meet me, a lowly bard, any longer, in secret or otherwise. We had a heated argument, she got mad and stormed off. I ran after her, but immediately got lost in that damn labyrinth and wandered through the dark passages for some time. The bottle of the fancy wine that I had brought along was far too heavy to be carried around, so it had to go. Then, I got tired, fell asleep and saw a very vivid dream."
"Now, that sounds like some magnificent wine indeed, does this fine establishment serve it as well?" Alexander Jardin chuckled, "Anything else about that dream?"
"It costs 4 gold coins! I had to save up for weeks!" The bard shook his head, "Before I fell asleep, there was some humming, but it could've been the wine getting into my head as well."
The Humans exchanged a nod, and the Captain placed 5 gold coins on the table, "Good, this will help us out a lot, you have our gratitude."
"While she's an ambitious, cold-hearted, manipulative, and arrogant bitch, I wouldn't want to see her fall." The bard eyed the coins with suspicion, "What did I even stumble in?"
"Don't worry, this won't affect her in any negative way, quite the opposite. The real problems are on a much grander scale," The Captain smiled mysteriously, "The world will see change soon."
"You mean, like the rumors that there's more to this year's raid?" Athedil appeared shocked, "I've heard stories about a new clan-folk warlord, so..."
Zarjow put a finger on his lips, "The Divine One protects."
"Got it." The bard nodded energetically.
"Then we are done here." Alexander Jardin stood up. "Don't waste everything on wine and women, leave some for gambling as well."
Screened by Zarjow, they quickly exited the tavern and disappeared into a side alley.
"As expected, that fool tries to follow us. Not that I'd allow him to." Alexander Jardin was definitely amused, "It seems that you're worthy enough for him to risk his life."
"Maybe he's simply curious." Somehow, a mischievous idea entered her mind. "Or are you perhaps jealous?"
Zarjow chuckled, "That was a good one. But no, he's not, otherwise I would've poisoned the idiot's drink. We actually counted on him following us, based on his psychological and psionic profile."
"What did you read?" She had blocked that Athedil completely, "Does he realize who we are?"
"No, he merely thinks that we're from the Church, just as intended. Perhaps he can provide a shortcut to the Priesthood." Alexander looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "I'm rather interested in that dream of yours."
"I saw that bard, but surmised that it was someone from your crew dreaming of virtual worlds." Or not, in hindsight, it was way too strange for such a convenient explanation. "Maybe we should capture him for an interrogation."
"That may be unnecessarily risky." Interjected Zarjow. "I've picked up an image of that girl he was talking about, and managed to identify her. It's the next High Priestess."
"How did you?" Their abilities were getting ever more ridiculous.
"Oh, he broadcasted a very vivid and highly detailed picture of her, and as you know, we've already infiltrated the Temple with microdrones, profiling anyone of importance. Since he spoke of a prominent person, connecting the information bits wasn't difficult." The Operative noticed her confusion. "You mean the how? That's a trade secret of mine, but you are free to guess."
"I assumed you'd be amazed by the improbability of this coincidence instead. If it's a coincidence." Alexander stroked his beard. "When did you have that dream?"
"Nine, then five and finally, four days ago." And that was before their arrival here, even before the long jump, which means that this Athedil somehow transmitted thoughts across a tremendous distance. Or was he actually the one sending? "There's no way that he can be this powerful and have such an improbable range. Something else must be at work here."
"Certainly, none of the Tastadi are that powerful, even remotely so, according to a teaching manual we've copied." Zarjow began stroking his beard as well. "But he was in, or, rather, under the temple, which houses some kind of a supposedly divine artifact. Whatever that is, seems to be active, although I don't see why it chose to broadcast that fool's dream."
"As the saying goes, a god always works in mysterious ways." The Captain's eyes flashed with an intense psionic light. "I made him stop looking for us, and he is now running towards the Temple. It seems like he wants to warn his ex-girlfriend. How cute."
"I've directed a couple of drones to follow him. For now, let's retreat." Zarjow pointed to an alley. "Others can investigate the tavern, we have things to discuss."
"The Palace should be serving dinner soon." Alexander Jardin started heading back to the inn. "We can talk over a meal."
"Of course, I also have some questions." The rapid development nearly caught her off-guard.
"There's some casual clothing if you want to get out of that armor." Offered the Captain as they dispersed to their rooms. "We'll meet downstairs."
A version of that gown Ellen Jardin had created was awaiting her. She quickly fixed herself up, and descended into the dining hall on the lower floor. There, Alexander Jardin was already waiting for her. "I hope the clothes are to your liking?"
"I must thank you, since I hadn't packed anything for the occasion." Going through the Human cultural files proved to be useful at last, since it helped her understand the logic here.
"I've reserved a private room for us." He led her to a separate area. "We've also checked the food here, it is safe for consumption."
"Good to know." Emberwing waited for the server girl to retreat, then asked him straight away. "You wanted to discuss something?"
"Let's start with the dreams about this Athedil fellow." He poured some wine for them both. "It seems that you had contacted him in some way."
"Or he contacted me, likely through whatever mysterious force is at work here." Despite coming from a primitive world, this was one of the best dishes she ever had. Especially since for a warrior, indulging in luxury during wartime was seen as dishonorable. "As already said, initially, I assumed this to be a dream leak from your crew."
"Well, he actually showed up in my dream as well, although you weren't in there." Suddenly, he started singing, "All hands turned to murder, and weapons were created!"
"Finally, the swords were forged, master of war, wielders of magic!" Emberwing immediately remembered the line, and then, stumped. "You did use that expression in the Darlock spoof! Do you assume that this is referring to us Loroi?"
"Yes, oh Sword of the Ancients. This expression is actually featured in many ballads." He smirked. "I tried to check if the Umiak know it as well, but they don't seem to be interested in anything besides mindless expansion."
"Wait, who or what supposedly forged us?" Again with that theory of them having a template species. While there were some arguments in its favor, she refused to acknowledge it. Besides, there were always far more pressing matters than debating philosophy. "And for which purpose?"
"The song is pretty straightforward, though. As weapons for that Godswar, of course." He picked up a knife. "However, unlike this cutlery, you seemed to have had two edges."
"The bard also said that this ballad had various versions, and that the local Loroi reject the official one." Maybe they should've asked him for the others. "The story may have been deliberately distorted."
"We are currently compiling all lore and legends, especially the Church teachings. Soon enough, the AIs will be able to begin cross-referencing them to find common patterns." He finished his meal, and put the cutlery aside. "Dessert?"
"Certainly." She suppressed sounding too enthusiastic. "What makes you think that those ballads are even truthful in the first place?"
"Because they fit into the grand puzzle which the Soia had left behind. This deity also saw fit to transmit them across tremendous distances, so there should be a hidden message." He rang a bell, and the server girl brought dessert. "This is a local specialty, and is safe to consume as well."
"Thank you." Whatever that was, tasted delicious. "If you have found some kind of pattern, does that mean that you already had enough previous information to build upon?"
"Yes, and I am rather amazed that you have so little. We were looking forward to discussing this with you and to compare the various versions." He shook his head. "Most of your senior officers didn't react to any allegories we've made."
"Did you try your mind games on them as well?" What were the Humans even up to?
"Of course, and only Torimor Silvermist seemed to have understood our aim right away." The Human smiled faintly. "I was looking forward to a debate with her, but the Umiak spoiled the occasion."
“I'm sure that she looked forward to it as well.” Silvermist might've dug up her caste's archives partially to prepare herself. Too bad. "I may be able to substitute for her. What did you want to discuss?"
"The most fundamental question, what was the Soia's goal. They arrived in this sector, created a number of species, then razed everything and simply disappeared. Or even self-destructed!" He swung around the dessert spoon. "For supposedly almost god-like entities, there should be an equally grand legacy, and yet, what was left behind? A couple ruins, some scraps, and a few forsaken, pitiful survivors bombed back into barbarism?"
"They did not disappear without a trace, we, the Soia-Liiron races, are still there." Though the Mozeret were presumed extinct. "We intend to reestablish the Soia dominon."
"For what purpose? Or why did you lose it so thorughly?" Frankly, she never thought about such topics, not that she'd admit it to an alien. "Even if we assume that only a few survived the Fall, and got stranded on a devastated world with no industrial base, why did you devolve into savages? I might understand that the Barsam or Neridi did, but a race of telepaths should've recollected itself. Yet on all three Sister Worlds, or even this fourth one, the development was almost exactly the same. A complete reset."
"I'm not that well-versed in the legends, forgive me for not having the time in the middle of a war." Eating together with a male was actually close enough to the first stage of an extended encounter, which might be the reason why she'd played along to the Human's sudden whim. Debating philosophy, however, would be reserved for the most distinguished and highest-ranking warriors. Emberwing now realized that she was not only lacking in rank, but most importantly in knowledge, and would definitely embarrass herself if paired up with a senior Nedathan. Well, she was nowhere close enough to have earned such honor in the first place. "We'd need to consult with the loremasters."
"Then I'm looking forward to it." It seemed like the dinner was now over.
No, not yet. Standing up, the shimmer of her gown caught her eye. Why she even agreed to this meeting without a second thought, and why it felt so familiar to her. It wasn't because of the Human cultural database or her desires, but instead, the culprit was likely that dream about inserting this Human into her first encounter reminiscence! "Let me clarify something, this gown I'm wearing, it is not a coincidence?"
"Just a little payback for dragging me into your fantasies." Alexander Jardin laughed. "I had to dig through quite the peculiar part of your culture to understand the context."
"How could I've dragged you over? You were on your ship at that time!" The Tiret counselor was puzzled about this issue as well, especially the distance. "Is that your sending range?"
"Normally, no." Unsurprisingly, he refused to elaborate.
"Then what about extraordinary cases?" Now, a picture began forming in her mind. If that bard was likely affected by the Church's artifact, could the Humans have one as well? "Possibly something about your singing ship?"
"Good deduction, but that device doesn't work this way." The Human nodded in acknowledgement. "And before you ask, no, I can't elaborate on it just yet. You are free to guess, though."
"Fine, keep your secrets. I can already guess what it is." The device was most probably what allowed them to perform the long jump. "We are done here, then?"
"Yes, it is getting late." He escorted her back to her room.
"Would it be possible to connect with my team?" Emberwing decided to consult with the others.
"Of course, simply use the system link connection protocol." The Human left for his room. "Goodnight."
After closing the door, Emberwing pulled a tablet out of her armor's pocket. Immediately, the Historian decided to meddle in, and a message appeared on the screen. "The situation is far worse than we assumed. You are in grave danger."
"Through what exactly?" She typed impatiently. "What kind of danger?"
"The bandwidth is not sufficient to explain it at length, and there's barely any time." She'd rather consult it about a few things, not listen to more vague warnings. "This vestige was only supplied with the bare minimum of information. All we can say is that the supposed God which the Humans are seeking is immensely dangerous for you, it is actually a weapon aimed against your kind. Do not let the Humans, or especially the Zulotchi gain mastery over it!"
"How is that a weapon? What does it do? Why do you know that?" Another ominous, yet useless warning. "You are constantly withholding critical information, only to reveal it at the last moment."
"We are bound by certain regulations, which we now decided to ignore on our own accord." The need for rules implied that there was enough information to warrant them. Interesting. "There's unfortunately not much data on this weapon, since it was deployed shortly before the Fall, likely being one of its causes. Allegedly, it could bind, entrap or even steal your psionic talents, with lethal consequences."
"What can I possibly do, then?" She never heard of anything like that in the legends. "What else do you know? I need answers!"
"You have seen the Human's psionic strength, and unrefined as it may be, imagine what they will be able to achieve with an artifact. Yet if the Zulotchi gain control over it, and manage to replicate the weapon, then it will be your downfall, since you have no way to defend yourself. Destroy it, before it can enslave you all." Following this warning, the tablet switched off by itself.
"Stupid piece of refuse." No, she would instead secure it for the Union. The puppet still hadn't provided any proof that the Zulotchi were even involved, and that soulless thing had no idea about telepathy anyway. The Loroi had ages to refine their psionic skills and knowledge, some upstarts would be no match for them, artifact or not. Reactivating the tablet, she wrote a short, inconspicuos report for her team. There were two messages for her as well, Tempo compiled her preliminary analysis of the artifact from the orbital debris field. It was kept intentionally vague, the only interesting point was that while the column was definitely some kind of amplifier, its crystalline structure seemed to be warped on a microscopic level, rendering it useless. The Humans had also recovered a second pillar, which was unfortunately just as silent.
Beryl went through the Zulotchi data the Humans had provided. Judging from the level of detail, it was improbable that this was made up, at least not on the spot. A particularly intriguing information was the supposed mind-terror. The Zulotchi were highly susceptible to telepathy, and would display a strange reaction in the vicinity of psi-enabled Humans. A ferocious craze at a moderate distance, which would turn into a catatonic state once the Humans drew close. Because of this, the few survivors were kept on a remote outpost. Why was the Historian Construct so utterly insistent on their involvement? It made no sense, so she decided to worry about that tomorrow, and went to sleep.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Intermission X: A terrible countenance
The High Priestess-elect knelt before the Holy Vessel, praying for guidance. The nomad raid was now imminent, and yet, nowhere enough troops arrived to repel the barbarians, making a lengthy siege likely. The divine visions did not offer any more hints as well, merely showing the same patterns again and again. The colossal figure, the radiant sword, a shadowy monster. Was this a test for her, and she was simply not good enough to pass it? Judging from all the reports and omens, a turning point was approaching rapidly. Her position obliged her to take control of the situation, instead, she couldn't even grasp it. Finally, being way too tired, she dozed off, her consciousness slipping away into a dream.
She found herself sitting in the corner of a tavern located in the pleasure quarter, an establishment she visited on a few occasions. Of course to meet that slimy bastard of now ex-lover, who was also right there, performing his bardic craft. After singing a highly heretical ballad and stepping off-stage, he ignored her completely. Instead, the lusty idiot seemed to have spotted a pretty girl and immediately approached her. Despite the fact that she was a Burned, even a warrior, he began spouting some flowery drivel, but this was immediately cut short. An imposing Human intercepted him, and another one appeared from behind. Likely being explorers, they cornered Athedil for his audacity of trying to seduce away their girl. The first Human, probably the party leader, began interrogating the bard, but this quickly turned into an unexpected development.
Somehow, they had a rather lively discussion, and the Human paid the bard, with gold coins, no less! As he stood up, she could catch a glimpse of his sword's white pommel, which meant that it definitely belonged to a Paladin. What was this exchange supposed to be? Did a rival faction stage a honeytrap to force Athedil to divulge some incriminating information about her? No, there were no longer any such factions, and this seemed to be a chance encounter, but then, what about the money? Even a single coin was way too much for a mere tip. Most importantly, she didn't recognize that Human, despite having spoken with the Paladins only recently. He had to be one of them, though, no one else would dare to equip that characteristic sword in the holy city, no explorer and not even a foreign noble.
Wait, this was just a dream, conjured up by her stress and anxiety. All the recent memories somehow fused into this cacophony of utter nonsense, and maybe, just maybe, she longed for the simpler times when she visited this tavern in the past. Which no longer befitted her station, so she attempted to force herself to wake up, feeling angry for sullying the Transcendent One's presence with her silly dreams about that damn jester. There was no time for such frivolities, even her sleep should be reserved for visions. The dream, however, refused to budge nor to provide any guidance, and merely continued at its own pace. The explorer party exited the tavern, took refuge in a side alley to evade the bard, and began discussing something. The leader seemed agitated as he spoke, his face scrunching with a frown.
What was this dream even supposed to be? Belated regret? Ill-placed jealousy? As if to answer her question, the Human's eyes flashed with intense Spiritsight, and as those seemed to stare directly into her soul, she felt his presence. Hidden beneath the armor was no Mute, not even a mortal, and certainly not a paladin, quite the opposite. Something straight out of a legend, this monster in human guise radiated a colossal, intense, raw energy, far beyond anything she'd ever witnessed. Strings of its essence connected him with others of their ilk, and even the clanfolk woman seemed to be entrapped in the weave. The far-strung net pulsed with otherworldly power, just how many of them were already in the city?!
What a fortunate turn of events, realized the Priestess as she woke up, lying on her side before the Vessel. This dream was a guiding one, after all, and with the creatures' arrival, all previous vision fragments fell into place. The Divine One, in its infinite wisdom, saw fit to summon an entire cohort of Shadowwalkers, its most dreadful champions, demonic beings from the boundary between worlds. It would be her greatest challenge and holiest of duties to parlay with them. If the legends were to be believed, nothing else inspired as much fear among the clanfolk as the terrible Melor. She stood up and dusted herself off. It would be prudent to appear as majestic as possible before them. As she stepped out of the sanctum, her attendant was already awaiting her. The girl explained that the guards at the entrance had caught Athedil, who had the audacity to seek an audience with her.
"I shall grant him the honor", answered the Priestess with a chuckle as she walked down the stairs. Even a fool could be useful for once.
The High Priestess-elect knelt before the Holy Vessel, praying for guidance. The nomad raid was now imminent, and yet, nowhere enough troops arrived to repel the barbarians, making a lengthy siege likely. The divine visions did not offer any more hints as well, merely showing the same patterns again and again. The colossal figure, the radiant sword, a shadowy monster. Was this a test for her, and she was simply not good enough to pass it? Judging from all the reports and omens, a turning point was approaching rapidly. Her position obliged her to take control of the situation, instead, she couldn't even grasp it. Finally, being way too tired, she dozed off, her consciousness slipping away into a dream.
She found herself sitting in the corner of a tavern located in the pleasure quarter, an establishment she visited on a few occasions. Of course to meet that slimy bastard of now ex-lover, who was also right there, performing his bardic craft. After singing a highly heretical ballad and stepping off-stage, he ignored her completely. Instead, the lusty idiot seemed to have spotted a pretty girl and immediately approached her. Despite the fact that she was a Burned, even a warrior, he began spouting some flowery drivel, but this was immediately cut short. An imposing Human intercepted him, and another one appeared from behind. Likely being explorers, they cornered Athedil for his audacity of trying to seduce away their girl. The first Human, probably the party leader, began interrogating the bard, but this quickly turned into an unexpected development.
Somehow, they had a rather lively discussion, and the Human paid the bard, with gold coins, no less! As he stood up, she could catch a glimpse of his sword's white pommel, which meant that it definitely belonged to a Paladin. What was this exchange supposed to be? Did a rival faction stage a honeytrap to force Athedil to divulge some incriminating information about her? No, there were no longer any such factions, and this seemed to be a chance encounter, but then, what about the money? Even a single coin was way too much for a mere tip. Most importantly, she didn't recognize that Human, despite having spoken with the Paladins only recently. He had to be one of them, though, no one else would dare to equip that characteristic sword in the holy city, no explorer and not even a foreign noble.
Wait, this was just a dream, conjured up by her stress and anxiety. All the recent memories somehow fused into this cacophony of utter nonsense, and maybe, just maybe, she longed for the simpler times when she visited this tavern in the past. Which no longer befitted her station, so she attempted to force herself to wake up, feeling angry for sullying the Transcendent One's presence with her silly dreams about that damn jester. There was no time for such frivolities, even her sleep should be reserved for visions. The dream, however, refused to budge nor to provide any guidance, and merely continued at its own pace. The explorer party exited the tavern, took refuge in a side alley to evade the bard, and began discussing something. The leader seemed agitated as he spoke, his face scrunching with a frown.
What was this dream even supposed to be? Belated regret? Ill-placed jealousy? As if to answer her question, the Human's eyes flashed with intense Spiritsight, and as those seemed to stare directly into her soul, she felt his presence. Hidden beneath the armor was no Mute, not even a mortal, and certainly not a paladin, quite the opposite. Something straight out of a legend, this monster in human guise radiated a colossal, intense, raw energy, far beyond anything she'd ever witnessed. Strings of its essence connected him with others of their ilk, and even the clanfolk woman seemed to be entrapped in the weave. The far-strung net pulsed with otherworldly power, just how many of them were already in the city?!
What a fortunate turn of events, realized the Priestess as she woke up, lying on her side before the Vessel. This dream was a guiding one, after all, and with the creatures' arrival, all previous vision fragments fell into place. The Divine One, in its infinite wisdom, saw fit to summon an entire cohort of Shadowwalkers, its most dreadful champions, demonic beings from the boundary between worlds. It would be her greatest challenge and holiest of duties to parlay with them. If the legends were to be believed, nothing else inspired as much fear among the clanfolk as the terrible Melor. She stood up and dusted herself off. It would be prudent to appear as majestic as possible before them. As she stepped out of the sanctum, her attendant was already awaiting her. The girl explained that the guards at the entrance had caught Athedil, who had the audacity to seek an audience with her.
"I shall grant him the honor", answered the Priestess with a chuckle as she walked down the stairs. Even a fool could be useful for once.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXXIX: Pandemonium
In the dream, Emberwing found herself in an endless room, filled with an infinite number of hooded shades. An imposing, masked figure seemed to greet her cordially, but there were no words. She was led around without actually moving, and the mysterious host introduced everyone, yet there was never a reply, as if they were dead. The mask-bearer appeared to know every single being personally, treating them like the closest of friends, but to her, all of them were indiscernible shadows. She tried to speak, yet couldn't bring out her sanzai nor speech. Finally, the stranger reached for its elaborate face cover to remove it, and she woke up, not remembering what was underneath.
She had definitely recognized the face, why couldn't she recall it? Was it the Human Captain, like in her other dream? A Zulotchi? Or was there any face at all? No, dream interpretations certainly weren't her forte. One thing was clear enough, the masked figure, or the robed beings seemed to be recurring characters, there was definitely some kind of message. The dream also had an uncomfortable connection with what the Construct had said yesterday, why were the hooded beings sometimes dead Loroi, and the masked stranger a Zulotchi? Or was her own mind making those connections up by itself?
The Humans had an advantage here, since they could compare their dream fragments telepathically and find common patterns. Unfortunately, she was still excluded from it. Revealing all her dreams to the Humans could yield more insights, but she had no guarantee that they would reciprocate her honesty, and she had probably revealed too many fragments already. Especially yesterday, maybe she needed a proper encounter. With a properly sized, properly colored, and properly telepathic male. However, duty came first, and discussing the latest dream shouldn't be an issue. The Human Captain had already seen something similar as well, since he even incorporated this imagery into that weird spoof for the Umiak. She quickly put on some casual wear, and knocked on his door.
"Come in!" The Human was already up and busy. Sitting at the table, he was operating twelve holographic windows which were projected by several crystal devices. "Good morning, you slept for quite a long time, but there isn't anything critical going on, don't worry."
"I had a rather strange dream." She quickly recounted the scenery. "Did anybody else see that, or can you make some sense of it?"
"Masked beings and hooded figures? No, not this time. I remember a similar dream from a while ago, albeit in a different configuration. The masked thing was addressing its hooded followers, but I couldn't understand what was being said. Only the sensation of its arrogance and superiority could be felt. You've seen my Zulotchi spoof, it was based off of that. No idea what it means, though, or why all this is being sent to us." He frowned. "Now that I think about it, I'm not even sure why I assumed it to be a Zulotchi. Most probably my own... specters of the past."
"I understand." So that dream about him sitting on the Zulotchi's throne may have been her barging into his nightmare, although he didn't seem to remember it. Perhaps this was for the best. The whole shared dream issue was already awkward enough, and there might be cultural pitfalls she'd rather not deal with. "In my dream, the masked figure didn't have a tail. It is probably a manifestation of something else, taking up different forms. We may be able to understand more after referencing it with local legends. How is that compilation progressing?"
"A preliminary version should be finished by nightfall. For a full picture, we need the Apocrypha as well, the Temple's hidden writings. Which means getting in contact with them." From under the table, he pulled out a wooden box and opened it. Inside, there was the crown! The one from that very dream! Its golden sheen dulled and weathered, this was still a magnificent artifact. "Among the nobles and explorers, there is a practice of donating such treasures to the Temple to earn their favor and receive a blessing."
"What is that thing? How did you acquire it?" The Human seemed to be ignorant regarding the resemblance. "Is that a Soia artifact?!"
"It appears to be a relict amplifier." He handed her the box. "We got some pretty good information from that tavern visit. A smuggler boss was bragging about his merchandise for an upcoming dark auction, so we raided his base. Such artifacts are quite rare, and command high prices."
"What will be our benefit in donating it?" Even though the crown seemed to be silent, she felt an irrational urge to keep it. "Does it actually work?"
"The benefit is getting an audience with the higher-ups of the Temple. As to the artifact," Alexander Jardin shrugged. "it doesn't seem to work. From the composition, we identified it as an amplifier. Unfortunately, the crystalline microstructure is warped, similar to the big pillars, even if not as prominent. We already tested it, but couldn't make any sense of whatever this was supposed to be. Try it, if you want."
"I never refuse a challenge." She took a deep breath and put it on. Yes, there was a very faint feedback melody, somehow fragmented and distorted. The multiple conflicting echoes made adjustments very difficult, so lacking training, she simply grasped them all and concentrated on harmonizing the chaotic chorus. This seemed to have some effect, and the tune became louder. Colors grew dimmer, sounds became distant, and her perspective shifted as the room stretched out. Impossibly long shadows crept up to her, and in their darkest corners, she could see something. Or hear something? Faces? Whispers? Unfortunately, even committing all her willpower to synchronization was insufficient to reach into those shadows. This was likely just some weird malfunction. Disappointed, she removed the amplifier. "It doesn't seem to work in any useful way. I only see strange shadows and hear whispers in them."
"Did you peek beyond the mortal veil?" The Captain chuckled. "We weren't even able to bring out that much. It is probably too decayed, considering its chaotic warping patterns."
"Mortal?" Well, if a barbaric Loroi were to put it on, she might mistake the faulty amplifier echoes for the melor or any other superstitious nonsense. "Then the Temple can have it, together with the spirits."
"Much appreciated." The Human took the amplifier back and put it into the box. "Speaking of the dead and the Temple, those hooded figures from our dreams seem to be a recurring theme. Perhaps the Church has more information regarding visions about any melor."
"Why did you call them melor!?" Emberwing stared at the Human, who appeared to be puzzled about her outburst.
"No, you called them undead." He stared back. "Wait a moment. Why do I even know what a melor is. Did you get into my head yet again?"
"I only thought about them in a different context! I did not speak that word out loud!" She could not sense the Human. "Can you actually read us?"
"We still can't. It has to be that damn thing." He reached for the box and quickly equipped the amplifier. "One. Two. Three. TEST. Can you hear me?"
"Do you sense me?" There was no response. "I can't perceive you at all."
"Work, will you?!" His eyes began glowing with intense psionic light, and Emberwing could hear a faint hum. Fearing the amplifier shattering, she stepped back, but the ancient original proved to be far sturdier than modern copies. The tune rapidly increased in strength, producing a cacophonic chorus, and the Human kept channelling more power through the crown. Her sight tunneled on his eyes, which were pulsating with a strange, multihued glow, and even the effect from before slowly crept into the corners of her vision. All other colors faded, shadows seemed to elongate, and she began hearing whispers. Yet, there was no sanzai, no signature, not even the faintest trail of a subchannel, merely an eerie sensation of pressure. Akin to an echo of something colossal passing by, just beyond her perception range, it was still terrifying in its raw potential. Then, his concentration simply dispersed and everything returned to normal. Alexander Jardin calmly removed the amplifier to stare at it, puzzled. "What are you even supposed to be?"
Emberwing suppressed asking, shouting out the same question at him. Perhaps the Construct's warning was not entirely unfounded. If this power could be directed at her, she'd have no way to protect herself. For the time being, whatever abilities the Humans wielded were incompatible with the Loroi, as they didn't seem to be able to sense or target her. Still, it would be most prudent to reunite with the others, especially Fireblade, for when they finally could.
The Human appeared to have noticed her unease. "You've stepped back, does that mean there was a reaction?"
"I feared the amplifier exploding, just as with your partner." She forced herself to sound calm. "There was no reaction, only some jarring, cacophonic humming. Perhaps caused by the chaotic warping patterns of the amplifier."
"Oh, yes. She extends her apologies for destroying it." Captain Jardin tilted his head. "A hum. Well, that's at least some sort of progress, since the audio sensors didn't pick up anything. And then, cacophony. Fascinating, perhaps we can work off of that premise."
"Have you sensed something?" His reaction was far too calm. "The fact that I specifically mentioned a hum doesn't seem to surprise you."
"Okay, you got me there." He winked. "Let's just say that as the Captain of a singing ship, I might understand what you're talking about. We're looking forward to hearing the tune of the main artifact. The Priesthood describes it as truly divine."
"Can you finally stop with your games?" So whatever contraption they had was likely of psionic nature. Combined with their raw strength, this was certainly a worrying combination. Or was there really just a single device? "What else are you hiding?"
"Probably about as much as you. Please don't forget that you are still only an observer, we don't even have proper diplomatic relations yet." The Human turned serious. "I see. Zarjow thinks that you should observe this as well. The Church is onto us."
What an abrupt change of topic, thought Emberwing as she looked at a holographic window projected before her. "Are they friendly?"
"Judging from how they sent a whole unit, I'd say, wary." There were 18 soldiers marching past the street at which end the inn was, and the Human walking in front had a sword with a shiny pommel strapped at his side. "That's a paladin, they rarely appear here in the pleasure quarter, at least so openly."
"It seems that they don't know our location." The group turned into a parallel side alley, then stopped. "Can you zoom further in?"
"Here you go." Two new windows appeared in the air, showing them from new angles and in greater detail. A single figure in the middle of the formation was definitely not a soldier, this was a woman wearing a hooded robe. "You're probably curious about that one standing out? She's likely a priestess, a psi-enabled Tastadi, who's searching for us."
"The Tastadi can sense you?" Perhaps even read them!
"So far, she had only reacted whenever any of us used this amplifier. Let me demonstrate." Alexander Jardin put the crown back on, and she could again hear a faint hum. It rose in intensity, albeit at a much gentler pace, and was also less dissonant. Soon enough, some strange undertones became audible. Almost as if multiple murmurs were converging upon the tune, a wordless song began filling the room. The priestess also seemed to have noticed it. She raised an arm, and the formation stopped. Then, after a moment, she turned around and pointed in their general direction, so the group marched off towards the inn. Satisfied with his experiment's success, the Human removed the amplifier. "I guess she won at hide-and-seek, so it is now time to meet them."
"Can I come along as well, just as a humble observer?" She crossed her arms and stared at the other Captain.
"How about as a cousin instead?" He offered her a radiant smile. "After all, this will be an important meeting, since that Tastadi is actually the next High Priestess."
"Fine." The window now showed a snapshot, and she could recognize the face under the hood. "What will we tell them?"
"For now, let's see how they found us, and what they know. According to Temple teachings, there isn't supposed to be any life left outside this world. The idea of aliens and starfaring could be anathema. Or we'd be seen as gods." The Human got up. "You should equip your disguise, I'll do it as well, and then we'll meet downstairs."
Emberwing rushed back into her room to get ready. As she got down the stairs, seven Humans, including Zarjow, were already assembled there. The dining room was mostly empty, all tables were moved to the sides and the inn's staff was nowhere to be seen. At a second glance, the furniture piles seemed to hide something. Those eight-legged drones? Certainly, and their fire lines converged on the entrance, the Humans weren't taking any chances.
"Don't worry, all blasters are set to stun." Alexander Jardin entered the room, with that box under his arm. "Better pull up your hood, they should be here any moment now."
Finally, the doors opened and the Church delegation walked in. With the paladin in front, the Priestess behind him, and the soldiers in two rows to the sides, they moved in perfect formation. As soon as they stopped, about halfway across the room, the Priestess stepped forward, and removed her hood. She was tall, had long, blonde hair and steely blue eyes. Her whole being radiated willpower and confidence. She also projected a powerful lotai, but it wasn't perfect. From the telepathic background leaks, Emberwing could discern that the Priestess seemed restless, anxious even. Overall, though, her psionic profile was surprisingly mundane, very similar to a Loroi. She strengthened her own lotai, a telepathic contact at this time seemed unwise.
The Priestess addressed the Captain with a clear, dignified voice, "I welcome you to the City of Pillars, whose High Priestess I am by the grace of the Divine One. Most terrible Envoy, have you come to help us in these dire times, as guided by Its transcendent will?"
"That I do." The Captain stepped forward, "What would you ask of us?"
"To help us against our enemies." The Tastadi took another step and stretched out her arms. "To crush the invading savages!"
"I know of your plight, and we already delayed their advance." The Human smiled maliciously. "Yet to remove them completely? That would require recompense."
Some soldiers shuddered. The Priestess, however, remained steadfast. "Yes, oh dreadful Envoy, we will pay any price."
"ANY?" One of the soldiers dropped his spear. Were the Humans playing their silly games, again? Actually, she suspected that the Mizol would most likely do something similar as well. Or not, since she didn't expect his next line: "I demand but a kiss."
"Yes?" The Tastadi sounded perplexed, so Alexander Jardin took her right hand and kissed it. Emberwing could feel something tremble. No, it wasn't her own jealousy, no way she'd have such an emotion. Instead, it was this woman's lotai. That's what he was aiming for!
"Then our pact is sealed." The Captain handed the Priestess the wooden box. "Let this token signify its importance."
"Thank you?" She opened it and became wide-eyed, apparently recognizing the crown. "Thank you!"
"Let us proceed to the Temple, then." He nodded, "Lead on."
Flanked by the soldiers, they departed from the inn. Emberwing found herself walking with Zarjow, who gave her an almost invisible headset. "This is actually a hilarious misunderstanding, they think us to be demons, the melor, to be precise. The Priestess interpreted her visions in such a way that their god had summoned us to aid them."
"Perhaps this is true." Maybe even the demon part of it. "What happens now?"
"The poor soldiers are terribly afraid of us, only the Priestess' presence is what keeps them in line, so she is rather glad to head straight for the Temple before they run off." Zarjow sounded slightly amused. Finally, he got his wish to be seen as a legendary monster. "She is also hesitant to converse telepathically with us, Alexander might've overdone it."
"So it is possible?" The Tastadi could serve as a relay or buffer. "Can I connect to her, and through her to you?"
"Let's wait a bit until we can better gauge their reactions. Explaining the idea of starfaring might be too shocking for them." But the idea of monsters wasn't? "We need to be very careful about what we reveal, and telepathy is too truthful for that."
"You have a point." Emberwing suppressed her desire to reach out. Telepathy would be so much more preferable than having to whisper into this headset, but also less safe. "Still, I want to try that as soon as possible."
"Of course, we are arranging a meeting with the old High Priest, in private." They now entered one of the main streets, and the crowds dispersed at the sight of their formation. The soldiers used the opportunity to gain more distance to them. "An impromptu grand parade, how forthcoming of them."
"For monsters?" There were no Loroi among the masses, which consisted of mostly Humans, with roughly a quarter Tastadi among them. The citizens looked at the procession with apparent curiosity. Some even waved at them.
"On the contrary." Zarjow waved back. "The most sincere accolades are not granted to the conquerors, but to saviors."
"Saviors from whom?" Emberwing carefully opened her lotai to get a feeling of the prevalent emotions. Whatever she could sense from the elves was genuine awe and hope, likely directed at the Church. "From Loroi?"
"Don't worry, we will leave you in charge of the negotiations with the local Loroi." Surprised, she looked at the Human, only to notice that his lips weren't moving despite his voice sounding in the headset. He looked at her and smirked. "We are monsters for them as well."
"Thank you, I will do my utmost to convince them." That would be a great challenge indeed. "Could you compile their legends and culture as well? I also require the assistance of my colleagues."
"That can be arranged for, but let us postpone this matter for now." They entered a plaza in front of the temple, which was cluttered up with stalls. "Do you want to observe the talks with the High Priest?"
"Most certainly!" From up close, the complex was somewhat impressive, at least for primitives. Across the plaza, which was surrounded by presumably high-class buildings, sat an entire walled compound. Its tall spires reminded her of an ancient Loroi monastery, although the red roofs were an unusual color pattern. Looming over them was an even more impressive structure, a large step pyramid built of dark gray stone. A wide stairway led from the monastery all the way to the top, ending in a broad balcony. Finally, there was a rather small, colorfully shining building placed at the very summit. "Do you know where they keep the artifact?"
"It should be in the shrine at the top, since only the High Priest is permitted entry." As the procession marched across the square, the merchants tried their best to get out of the way. The soldiers seemed to have found a way to vent their stress, shooing the bystanders away with colorful curses, although Emberwing did not understand most of them. "The artifact might be inside the pyramid as well. Or the pyramid is the artifact."
"I had hoped that it would be portable." Judging from the gatehouse they now passed through, this complex was definitely built as a fortress.
"What if it doesn't want to be removed." Beyond the walls was a broad, but short street, which led to a grand building with huge doors, likely the main temple. The arched side galleries had many smaller entrances, where the soldiers quickly disappeared into. Their group, guided by the paladin and the Priestess, also headed towards one of the secondary doors.
In the dream, Emberwing found herself in an endless room, filled with an infinite number of hooded shades. An imposing, masked figure seemed to greet her cordially, but there were no words. She was led around without actually moving, and the mysterious host introduced everyone, yet there was never a reply, as if they were dead. The mask-bearer appeared to know every single being personally, treating them like the closest of friends, but to her, all of them were indiscernible shadows. She tried to speak, yet couldn't bring out her sanzai nor speech. Finally, the stranger reached for its elaborate face cover to remove it, and she woke up, not remembering what was underneath.
She had definitely recognized the face, why couldn't she recall it? Was it the Human Captain, like in her other dream? A Zulotchi? Or was there any face at all? No, dream interpretations certainly weren't her forte. One thing was clear enough, the masked figure, or the robed beings seemed to be recurring characters, there was definitely some kind of message. The dream also had an uncomfortable connection with what the Construct had said yesterday, why were the hooded beings sometimes dead Loroi, and the masked stranger a Zulotchi? Or was her own mind making those connections up by itself?
The Humans had an advantage here, since they could compare their dream fragments telepathically and find common patterns. Unfortunately, she was still excluded from it. Revealing all her dreams to the Humans could yield more insights, but she had no guarantee that they would reciprocate her honesty, and she had probably revealed too many fragments already. Especially yesterday, maybe she needed a proper encounter. With a properly sized, properly colored, and properly telepathic male. However, duty came first, and discussing the latest dream shouldn't be an issue. The Human Captain had already seen something similar as well, since he even incorporated this imagery into that weird spoof for the Umiak. She quickly put on some casual wear, and knocked on his door.
"Come in!" The Human was already up and busy. Sitting at the table, he was operating twelve holographic windows which were projected by several crystal devices. "Good morning, you slept for quite a long time, but there isn't anything critical going on, don't worry."
"I had a rather strange dream." She quickly recounted the scenery. "Did anybody else see that, or can you make some sense of it?"
"Masked beings and hooded figures? No, not this time. I remember a similar dream from a while ago, albeit in a different configuration. The masked thing was addressing its hooded followers, but I couldn't understand what was being said. Only the sensation of its arrogance and superiority could be felt. You've seen my Zulotchi spoof, it was based off of that. No idea what it means, though, or why all this is being sent to us." He frowned. "Now that I think about it, I'm not even sure why I assumed it to be a Zulotchi. Most probably my own... specters of the past."
"I understand." So that dream about him sitting on the Zulotchi's throne may have been her barging into his nightmare, although he didn't seem to remember it. Perhaps this was for the best. The whole shared dream issue was already awkward enough, and there might be cultural pitfalls she'd rather not deal with. "In my dream, the masked figure didn't have a tail. It is probably a manifestation of something else, taking up different forms. We may be able to understand more after referencing it with local legends. How is that compilation progressing?"
"A preliminary version should be finished by nightfall. For a full picture, we need the Apocrypha as well, the Temple's hidden writings. Which means getting in contact with them." From under the table, he pulled out a wooden box and opened it. Inside, there was the crown! The one from that very dream! Its golden sheen dulled and weathered, this was still a magnificent artifact. "Among the nobles and explorers, there is a practice of donating such treasures to the Temple to earn their favor and receive a blessing."
"What is that thing? How did you acquire it?" The Human seemed to be ignorant regarding the resemblance. "Is that a Soia artifact?!"
"It appears to be a relict amplifier." He handed her the box. "We got some pretty good information from that tavern visit. A smuggler boss was bragging about his merchandise for an upcoming dark auction, so we raided his base. Such artifacts are quite rare, and command high prices."
"What will be our benefit in donating it?" Even though the crown seemed to be silent, she felt an irrational urge to keep it. "Does it actually work?"
"The benefit is getting an audience with the higher-ups of the Temple. As to the artifact," Alexander Jardin shrugged. "it doesn't seem to work. From the composition, we identified it as an amplifier. Unfortunately, the crystalline microstructure is warped, similar to the big pillars, even if not as prominent. We already tested it, but couldn't make any sense of whatever this was supposed to be. Try it, if you want."
"I never refuse a challenge." She took a deep breath and put it on. Yes, there was a very faint feedback melody, somehow fragmented and distorted. The multiple conflicting echoes made adjustments very difficult, so lacking training, she simply grasped them all and concentrated on harmonizing the chaotic chorus. This seemed to have some effect, and the tune became louder. Colors grew dimmer, sounds became distant, and her perspective shifted as the room stretched out. Impossibly long shadows crept up to her, and in their darkest corners, she could see something. Or hear something? Faces? Whispers? Unfortunately, even committing all her willpower to synchronization was insufficient to reach into those shadows. This was likely just some weird malfunction. Disappointed, she removed the amplifier. "It doesn't seem to work in any useful way. I only see strange shadows and hear whispers in them."
"Did you peek beyond the mortal veil?" The Captain chuckled. "We weren't even able to bring out that much. It is probably too decayed, considering its chaotic warping patterns."
"Mortal?" Well, if a barbaric Loroi were to put it on, she might mistake the faulty amplifier echoes for the melor or any other superstitious nonsense. "Then the Temple can have it, together with the spirits."
"Much appreciated." The Human took the amplifier back and put it into the box. "Speaking of the dead and the Temple, those hooded figures from our dreams seem to be a recurring theme. Perhaps the Church has more information regarding visions about any melor."
"Why did you call them melor!?" Emberwing stared at the Human, who appeared to be puzzled about her outburst.
"No, you called them undead." He stared back. "Wait a moment. Why do I even know what a melor is. Did you get into my head yet again?"
"I only thought about them in a different context! I did not speak that word out loud!" She could not sense the Human. "Can you actually read us?"
"We still can't. It has to be that damn thing." He reached for the box and quickly equipped the amplifier. "One. Two. Three. TEST. Can you hear me?"
"Do you sense me?" There was no response. "I can't perceive you at all."
"Work, will you?!" His eyes began glowing with intense psionic light, and Emberwing could hear a faint hum. Fearing the amplifier shattering, she stepped back, but the ancient original proved to be far sturdier than modern copies. The tune rapidly increased in strength, producing a cacophonic chorus, and the Human kept channelling more power through the crown. Her sight tunneled on his eyes, which were pulsating with a strange, multihued glow, and even the effect from before slowly crept into the corners of her vision. All other colors faded, shadows seemed to elongate, and she began hearing whispers. Yet, there was no sanzai, no signature, not even the faintest trail of a subchannel, merely an eerie sensation of pressure. Akin to an echo of something colossal passing by, just beyond her perception range, it was still terrifying in its raw potential. Then, his concentration simply dispersed and everything returned to normal. Alexander Jardin calmly removed the amplifier to stare at it, puzzled. "What are you even supposed to be?"
Emberwing suppressed asking, shouting out the same question at him. Perhaps the Construct's warning was not entirely unfounded. If this power could be directed at her, she'd have no way to protect herself. For the time being, whatever abilities the Humans wielded were incompatible with the Loroi, as they didn't seem to be able to sense or target her. Still, it would be most prudent to reunite with the others, especially Fireblade, for when they finally could.
The Human appeared to have noticed her unease. "You've stepped back, does that mean there was a reaction?"
"I feared the amplifier exploding, just as with your partner." She forced herself to sound calm. "There was no reaction, only some jarring, cacophonic humming. Perhaps caused by the chaotic warping patterns of the amplifier."
"Oh, yes. She extends her apologies for destroying it." Captain Jardin tilted his head. "A hum. Well, that's at least some sort of progress, since the audio sensors didn't pick up anything. And then, cacophony. Fascinating, perhaps we can work off of that premise."
"Have you sensed something?" His reaction was far too calm. "The fact that I specifically mentioned a hum doesn't seem to surprise you."
"Okay, you got me there." He winked. "Let's just say that as the Captain of a singing ship, I might understand what you're talking about. We're looking forward to hearing the tune of the main artifact. The Priesthood describes it as truly divine."
"Can you finally stop with your games?" So whatever contraption they had was likely of psionic nature. Combined with their raw strength, this was certainly a worrying combination. Or was there really just a single device? "What else are you hiding?"
"Probably about as much as you. Please don't forget that you are still only an observer, we don't even have proper diplomatic relations yet." The Human turned serious. "I see. Zarjow thinks that you should observe this as well. The Church is onto us."
What an abrupt change of topic, thought Emberwing as she looked at a holographic window projected before her. "Are they friendly?"
"Judging from how they sent a whole unit, I'd say, wary." There were 18 soldiers marching past the street at which end the inn was, and the Human walking in front had a sword with a shiny pommel strapped at his side. "That's a paladin, they rarely appear here in the pleasure quarter, at least so openly."
"It seems that they don't know our location." The group turned into a parallel side alley, then stopped. "Can you zoom further in?"
"Here you go." Two new windows appeared in the air, showing them from new angles and in greater detail. A single figure in the middle of the formation was definitely not a soldier, this was a woman wearing a hooded robe. "You're probably curious about that one standing out? She's likely a priestess, a psi-enabled Tastadi, who's searching for us."
"The Tastadi can sense you?" Perhaps even read them!
"So far, she had only reacted whenever any of us used this amplifier. Let me demonstrate." Alexander Jardin put the crown back on, and she could again hear a faint hum. It rose in intensity, albeit at a much gentler pace, and was also less dissonant. Soon enough, some strange undertones became audible. Almost as if multiple murmurs were converging upon the tune, a wordless song began filling the room. The priestess also seemed to have noticed it. She raised an arm, and the formation stopped. Then, after a moment, she turned around and pointed in their general direction, so the group marched off towards the inn. Satisfied with his experiment's success, the Human removed the amplifier. "I guess she won at hide-and-seek, so it is now time to meet them."
"Can I come along as well, just as a humble observer?" She crossed her arms and stared at the other Captain.
"How about as a cousin instead?" He offered her a radiant smile. "After all, this will be an important meeting, since that Tastadi is actually the next High Priestess."
"Fine." The window now showed a snapshot, and she could recognize the face under the hood. "What will we tell them?"
"For now, let's see how they found us, and what they know. According to Temple teachings, there isn't supposed to be any life left outside this world. The idea of aliens and starfaring could be anathema. Or we'd be seen as gods." The Human got up. "You should equip your disguise, I'll do it as well, and then we'll meet downstairs."
Emberwing rushed back into her room to get ready. As she got down the stairs, seven Humans, including Zarjow, were already assembled there. The dining room was mostly empty, all tables were moved to the sides and the inn's staff was nowhere to be seen. At a second glance, the furniture piles seemed to hide something. Those eight-legged drones? Certainly, and their fire lines converged on the entrance, the Humans weren't taking any chances.
"Don't worry, all blasters are set to stun." Alexander Jardin entered the room, with that box under his arm. "Better pull up your hood, they should be here any moment now."
Finally, the doors opened and the Church delegation walked in. With the paladin in front, the Priestess behind him, and the soldiers in two rows to the sides, they moved in perfect formation. As soon as they stopped, about halfway across the room, the Priestess stepped forward, and removed her hood. She was tall, had long, blonde hair and steely blue eyes. Her whole being radiated willpower and confidence. She also projected a powerful lotai, but it wasn't perfect. From the telepathic background leaks, Emberwing could discern that the Priestess seemed restless, anxious even. Overall, though, her psionic profile was surprisingly mundane, very similar to a Loroi. She strengthened her own lotai, a telepathic contact at this time seemed unwise.
The Priestess addressed the Captain with a clear, dignified voice, "I welcome you to the City of Pillars, whose High Priestess I am by the grace of the Divine One. Most terrible Envoy, have you come to help us in these dire times, as guided by Its transcendent will?"
"That I do." The Captain stepped forward, "What would you ask of us?"
"To help us against our enemies." The Tastadi took another step and stretched out her arms. "To crush the invading savages!"
"I know of your plight, and we already delayed their advance." The Human smiled maliciously. "Yet to remove them completely? That would require recompense."
Some soldiers shuddered. The Priestess, however, remained steadfast. "Yes, oh dreadful Envoy, we will pay any price."
"ANY?" One of the soldiers dropped his spear. Were the Humans playing their silly games, again? Actually, she suspected that the Mizol would most likely do something similar as well. Or not, since she didn't expect his next line: "I demand but a kiss."
"Yes?" The Tastadi sounded perplexed, so Alexander Jardin took her right hand and kissed it. Emberwing could feel something tremble. No, it wasn't her own jealousy, no way she'd have such an emotion. Instead, it was this woman's lotai. That's what he was aiming for!
"Then our pact is sealed." The Captain handed the Priestess the wooden box. "Let this token signify its importance."
"Thank you?" She opened it and became wide-eyed, apparently recognizing the crown. "Thank you!"
"Let us proceed to the Temple, then." He nodded, "Lead on."
Flanked by the soldiers, they departed from the inn. Emberwing found herself walking with Zarjow, who gave her an almost invisible headset. "This is actually a hilarious misunderstanding, they think us to be demons, the melor, to be precise. The Priestess interpreted her visions in such a way that their god had summoned us to aid them."
"Perhaps this is true." Maybe even the demon part of it. "What happens now?"
"The poor soldiers are terribly afraid of us, only the Priestess' presence is what keeps them in line, so she is rather glad to head straight for the Temple before they run off." Zarjow sounded slightly amused. Finally, he got his wish to be seen as a legendary monster. "She is also hesitant to converse telepathically with us, Alexander might've overdone it."
"So it is possible?" The Tastadi could serve as a relay or buffer. "Can I connect to her, and through her to you?"
"Let's wait a bit until we can better gauge their reactions. Explaining the idea of starfaring might be too shocking for them." But the idea of monsters wasn't? "We need to be very careful about what we reveal, and telepathy is too truthful for that."
"You have a point." Emberwing suppressed her desire to reach out. Telepathy would be so much more preferable than having to whisper into this headset, but also less safe. "Still, I want to try that as soon as possible."
"Of course, we are arranging a meeting with the old High Priest, in private." They now entered one of the main streets, and the crowds dispersed at the sight of their formation. The soldiers used the opportunity to gain more distance to them. "An impromptu grand parade, how forthcoming of them."
"For monsters?" There were no Loroi among the masses, which consisted of mostly Humans, with roughly a quarter Tastadi among them. The citizens looked at the procession with apparent curiosity. Some even waved at them.
"On the contrary." Zarjow waved back. "The most sincere accolades are not granted to the conquerors, but to saviors."
"Saviors from whom?" Emberwing carefully opened her lotai to get a feeling of the prevalent emotions. Whatever she could sense from the elves was genuine awe and hope, likely directed at the Church. "From Loroi?"
"Don't worry, we will leave you in charge of the negotiations with the local Loroi." Surprised, she looked at the Human, only to notice that his lips weren't moving despite his voice sounding in the headset. He looked at her and smirked. "We are monsters for them as well."
"Thank you, I will do my utmost to convince them." That would be a great challenge indeed. "Could you compile their legends and culture as well? I also require the assistance of my colleagues."
"That can be arranged for, but let us postpone this matter for now." They entered a plaza in front of the temple, which was cluttered up with stalls. "Do you want to observe the talks with the High Priest?"
"Most certainly!" From up close, the complex was somewhat impressive, at least for primitives. Across the plaza, which was surrounded by presumably high-class buildings, sat an entire walled compound. Its tall spires reminded her of an ancient Loroi monastery, although the red roofs were an unusual color pattern. Looming over them was an even more impressive structure, a large step pyramid built of dark gray stone. A wide stairway led from the monastery all the way to the top, ending in a broad balcony. Finally, there was a rather small, colorfully shining building placed at the very summit. "Do you know where they keep the artifact?"
"It should be in the shrine at the top, since only the High Priest is permitted entry." As the procession marched across the square, the merchants tried their best to get out of the way. The soldiers seemed to have found a way to vent their stress, shooing the bystanders away with colorful curses, although Emberwing did not understand most of them. "The artifact might be inside the pyramid as well. Or the pyramid is the artifact."
"I had hoped that it would be portable." Judging from the gatehouse they now passed through, this complex was definitely built as a fortress.
"What if it doesn't want to be removed." Beyond the walls was a broad, but short street, which led to a grand building with huge doors, likely the main temple. The arched side galleries had many smaller entrances, where the soldiers quickly disappeared into. Their group, guided by the paladin and the Priestess, also headed towards one of the secondary doors.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXXX: Ring of Fire
Inside, they took a few turns along narrow corridors, and descended a flight of stairs to arrive at a sturdy door. The paladin opened it, and assumed position to guard outside, so led by the Priestess, their group entered the opulently furnished room.
"Please, most esteemed guests, make yourself at home." The old High Priest stood up to greet them. Judging from his slightly buckled stance and wrinkled skin, he should be very old. Yet, his blue eyes radiated a powerful self-confidence, and his lotai seemed impeccable. The most eye-catching feature, however, would be the golden crown sitting on his almost bald head. Unlike the one they gifted, this amplifier looked to be in far better shape. "By the will of the Divine One, I am the current High Priest of the City of Pillars, the Foundation of the One True Faith, Speaker of Its Transcendent Wisdom, Seer of Truth and the Gardener of the Oasis. But since we're in private, Sazitadi will do."
"Guided by the Transcendent's one visions, we have come to your aid from beyond the lifeless expanse." The Human Captain introduced himself in a similarly grand-sounding, yet nonsensical manner. "I am the Captain of my warband, and you may address me with the title bestowed by fate: Ristan Enzin, Guardian of the Garden."
"Then let us discuss the fate of this Garden." They sat down at a round table, the two priests side by side, the Captain, and the Operative across them, and the rest to their sides. The old man smiled faintly. "First, though, may I ask to witness your Spirit?"
"That is only fair." The room suddenly felt cold and eerie. Emberwing sensed a tingle, which rapidly grew into an uncomfortable sensation as if she was assailed by waves of electrifying pulses, causing her to shiver. Carefully, she opened her lotai and tried to assess what was going on, only to retract her attempts immediately. The clash of psionic potentials radiated a dangerous, freezing heat, which nearly scalded her spirit. Whatever this contest was, it rose in intensity, pounding against her mental shields and producing a mysterious, alien tune. Then, the melody peaked and dissolved with a surprisingly beautiful chord. Both the Priest and the Captain seemed to be satisfied with the result, as they nodded at each other, and Alexander Jardin continued, "Did we pass your test?"
"Yes, you do possess the appropriate strength, but you are not of the Dead, are you now?" Sazitadi glanced at his disciple. "She might have jumped to conclusions due to a lack of sleep. I hope that this hadn't offended you."
"Oh, no, it was actually very amusing, so we even played along." The Captain chuckled. "What gave it away?"
"Because you are alive?" The Priest chuckled as well. "You might have the strength, plenty of it, but not the level of skill a deathless creature from beyond the veil should possess."
"Yes, we are not all-powerful." Alexander Jardin nodded at Emberwing, "We are also yet unable to bridge the gap to a cousin, and despite everyone here being telepaths, we still have to rely on speech."
"Greetings, Loroi. I presume you are also not what you appear to be." Somehow bypassing her lotai, the exceptionally clear sending of the old Tastadi surprised Emberwing. In every regard! Such an important milestone, and she had the honor to witness and remember it first! The Loroi had looked forward to the possibility of meeting fellow telepaths among the alien races ever since they resumed starfaring, and speculated about how exotic their sanzai would be. But now, the real deal felt to be rather underwhelming. This was simply too similar to the normal sanzai she knew, even the signature and the subchannel were almost exactly what she expected of a Loroi. On the contrary, the old priest was somewhat confused regarding her signature. "You seem to have overcome the stigma, I do not sense its consuming fires in you."
"I do not understand?" Despite sanzai, this strange concept eluded her completely. "What stigma?"
"Your mark is tamed, but you are not. I can sense a pathway, but no link. How curious." Sazitadi switched back to speech. "Yes, there is a gap, and in a completely different way, which I have to grasp first. Let us start from the beginning. Our oldest legends tell of the Fall, a terrible chastening which severed us from the Divine. The Loroi treachery forced the Gods to withdraw in regret, and this imprinted a terrible stigma upon the whole race. To this day, the mark of betrayal burns strong, causing the Loroi to be caught in a never-ending spiral of savagery." The Priest's tone was grave and full of conviction. "The Clans refuse to acknowledge their betrayal and reject the very idea of atonement, ever furthering their separation from the Divine. Even the Loroi which escaped the wastes are slow to adopt the ways of faith and civilization. In contrast to this, your countenance is orderly and civil, and your Gifts are strong, both in power and discipline."
"We Loroi were the Soia!" All races' legends spoke of a most profound severance, in one way or the other, as the Soia retreated through the Well of Souls in the wake of the Fall. Whoever remained was flung into barbarism, forced to survive on harsh, devastated worlds, bereft of civilization and technology. The Loroi myths, often vague and sometimes embellished, didn't explain why their ancestors were left behind, what the Fall actually was, or where the Soia retreated to. This world's legends, however, were not only more detailed and consistent, they went even further than those heretical Barsam teachings. Perhaps they had an equivalent of the Lugei archives? Such a find needed to be secured as well. Anyway, if the betrayal likely referenced the Zulotchi, the chastening the orbital bombardments, and savagery the regression to nomadic barbarians, then what about this mark he was so hung up on? Did it mean the general loss of civilization and knowledge? Religions were just way too confusing! "You still haven't answered my question about the stigma, or its relation to this incompatibility!"
"No, this is entirely related, particularly to the way you overcame it." The Tastadi looked at her intently. "Such a major leap is not something I considered possible, and you couldn't have managed it on your own."
"Please refrain from challenging any religious dogmas head-on." The Operative's warning echoed in her headset. "This stigma, as far as we were able to deduce, appears to be one of the pillars of their faith, likely constructed to fit goals we do not yet fully understand."
"You also did not consider us to be possible, and yet, here we are. What is truth, and what is fiction?" The Human Captain interrupted their argument to lead it away from the faux pas she nearly committed. Stillstorm's assessment was proven right, both about the Loroi being too direct and also regarding that diplomacy should be delegated to the Mizol. Another matter where she lacked experience.
"Your case is far more difficult to assess." The Tastadi sighed. "There are several beliefs as to what the Melor are supposed to be. The Loroi fear them as undying demons who, having no Spirit of their own, must steal it from others. Gorging themselves on plundered strength, they can reach monstrous power levels. In civilized lands, however, the Melor are regarded as the guardians of the boundary between worlds, tasked by the Gods to hunt down anyone misusing the Divine Gifts and take those back. At large, it is mostly superstition, and the underlying versions are sealed in the Apocrypha."
"I didn't know that!" Finally, the female Tastadi spoke up. She bowed to the Captain. "Again, I am sorry for assuming."
"Of course, you haven't even read half the Apocrypha. It was still the correct decision to bring them here, though." The Priest patted her shoulder. "You see, the present-day images of the Melor are an amalgam of many nonsensical folklore stories. Going way back, we can find abilities attributed to them among the earliest legends of Temple heroes, but it is unknown whether those were simply lost techniques. At the same time, ancient Loroi myths reference the Melor as well, linking them with their ancestors, although the exact context was forgotten long ago. The versions also often contradict themselves, and our limited understanding of the Divine Gifts is unable to separate lies and truth. Therefore, the Church doesn't have an official stance on the Melor, we neither affirm nor deny their existence, since it is not a prevalent myth anyway."
"I can assure you that our strength is entirely our own, and very much real." Said Alexander Jardin with gravitas. "Unfortunately, our knowledge of the Gifts is also limited, and we do not even understand why they seem to be incompatible with the Loroi."
"That is the main issue here. The Melor were supposed to be able to affect Loroi, but not vice versa." Which was understandable, thought Emberwing, or they wouldn't be much of a menace. Provided they were even real, since this Priest doubted it.
"Why is being undetectable by Loroi a hallmark of the melor?" The Captain stroked his beard. "Is it merely a coincidence that the Humans are also invisible to them?"
"The legends postulate that the Humans were the least and youngest of the races, still too immature to be eligible for Gifts, but also yet unaffected by any corruption. From this deepest and most pristine of all wells, the Gods elevated their greatest servants, the Loroi, and supplied them with the finest abilities." Another strange bit of lore, more akin to the Barsam view, except for the Human connection. "We, the Tastadi, are of a similar design, but the opposite intention. Chosen by the Divine One to be the custodians of Its Holy Vessel, we were entrusted with the mission to guide the stranded souls after the Fall. Finally, out of several unofficial theories about the Melor, the one which I find the most plausible is that they were yet another creation of the Gods, tasked to watch over the Loroi. Given most terrible powers to surpass any previous ones, those may have been too overwhelming, leading to eventual self-destruction."
"No legends of ours speak of any such tasks, though." Alexander Jardin denied this outright. Did he speak the truth, thought Emberwing with worry. The Historian construct mentioned some kind of anti-Loroi weapon, deployed just before the Fall. What if it wasn't an artifact, but the ancestors of the Humans? Or both were parts of it, and once recombined, they would become that danger the Loroi couldn't possibly defend against? She'd need to question the puppet-thing again, it was definitely withholding crucial information. Without more data, it would be too easy to succumb to paranoia, so she refocused on the Captain, who asked a very good question. "What kind of abilities were the melor supposed to have?"
"Among the various powers, three which are mentioned most often do apply to you. First, the lack of any signature the Loroi could sense, and the likely reason why the melor were regarded as unliving. Second would be their mighty psionic potential, which was in stark contrast to the previous point. The final one is somewhat ambiguous, it can be interpreted as the Melor being able to steal strength from others, or to share it among themselves, or even both." Sazitadi frowned as if concentrating. "I can hear an echo in your sending, and sense multiple facets in your countenance. Even my disciple's vision spoke of a weave, strings of essence interconnecting all members of your warband. Tell me, can you partake of each other's Spirit? Or reap it from someone?"
"Nothing as sinister! We can share abilities between members of a circle." Finally, the Human admitted to it. Perhaps they could borrow each other's strength as well, and this might explain his output with the amplifier! "Not that it helped with the incompatibility problem. But you are leading the discussion somewhere, am I right?"
"Yes, I was merely eliminating a few possibilities." The Priest smiled. "To seek the truth is a task I'm well-versed in."
"A noble endeavor." The Captain smiled back. "So, can you already guess what we are, then?"
"You have entertained me with my test, so I shall take yours. You are not of this world, that much is certain, and your powers are not of this world as well." The old Tastadi sighed heavily. "But other worlds might have different rules, far beyond my meager knowledge. What you have told me at the beginning was meant to be literal, I suppose. You did actually cross the lifeless expanse, guided by visions? Riding a star-vessel, I presume?"
"Yes, you are correct, and I'm rather impressed that you know what starships are, or that you can contradict your own teachings." Alexander Jardin raised an eyebrow. "Your disciple seems to be upset."
"Any High Priest in training must find out what is hidden, and then understand why, all by themselves. They must first fall to the depths of Knowledge, understand its Curse, and return as the next Speaker to maintain the sacred balance." He peeked at his disciple, who shuddered, then looked back at the Humans. "Yes, I understand the concept of star-vessels, and it was never explicitly stated that all life beyond this Oasis must have perished. However, since we possess no way to confirm the existence of other beings, as our Sight cannot encompass the entire universe, this matter is simply omitted."
"This deduction will make our task easier, then. We have talked around the most crucial matters for too long, even if it was a most fascinating conversation." Alexander Jardin straightened himself and spoke in an official tone. "Let me introduce myself yet again. I am Ristan Enzin, Captain of the Starship Charon, hailing from the Homeworld, on a mission to find our long-lost cousins and to unravel the mystery of the Precursors. We did find our relatives, who were in great trouble, and this forced us to make an unintended detour, which, in turn, led us to this planet. But I have to admit, the visions weren't exactly straightforward with their guidance."
"The relative is this Loroi here, then, which would explain her extraordinary abilities. The detour you speak of wasn't as unintended as you might think, the Transcendent One's will is all-encompassing, and as Its humble servant I will be happy to assist you with the interpretation of any visions. But the Homeworld." The old Priest began tapping the table, likely in contemplation. "Home-World. The Human homeworld? Yes, we were carried to this world by Its infinite mercy, so logically, our wellspring should be elsewhere. What kind of place is it?"
"Let me show you." The Human took out a crystal device, and it projected a magnificent image of their homeworld. First shown from orbit, the planet appeared as a green and blue jewel, encased in the silvery framework of artificial structures. Then, the holographic view zoomed in, through the clouds and into an aerial perspective as if flying over the surface. Towering arcologies, woodlands, rivers, and an ocean were shown in quick succession. "As you can see, we matured, even without any deities, and we also found those Divine Gifts all by ourselves. From this world, we expand our dominion and search for the legacy of the Gods."
"You found the Gifts!? I would like to say that it should be impossible, as there are no Gods left to grant them, but I am unable to refute the Gift's presence. Or they were already there all along, awakening at the appropriate time? I can only hope that you do not make the same mistake as the Loroi and fall prey to hubris." The Tastadi stared intently at the projection. He seemed fascinated, perhaps by the technology, or by all the green? Or by a telepathic message? Not being able to intercept them was utterly frustrating!
"We Loroi survived on three other worlds, and returned to the stars long before those Humans." Unwilling to concede anything, Emberwing sent him the pictures of the Sister Worlds, chiefly of Deinar. "We also never lost our mental abilities."
"This is not a contest. I was merely trying to recall if anything of what you have shown me was ever featured in my own visions." Sazitadi rubbed his nose bridge. "I do not remember seeing this particular world. Can you provide an example of your visions?"
She sent him the images of her dreams, carefully choosing various inconspicuous scenes. How she strolled through this very city, the bard's ballads, or the otherworldly vision of the pillar and its song. Judging by how his attention seemed to wax and wane, the Humans were also submitting something. Finally, the Priest raised his right hand, "I've seen enough to believe that you were guided by the Transcendent One's will. We must discuss the visions in greater detail, I'm immensely interested in their content."
"We are also interested in understanding their message." But chiefly in the artifact and its purpose, so Emberwing decided to use speech as not to betray her intentions through sanzai. "If we were actually led here, to what end?"
"There were indeed far too many coincidences. It was as if our meeting was guided by fate." Alexander Jardin glanced at her briefly and winked. "Now that we have proven ourselves, can you help us eliminate the last obstacle, our unfortunate incompatibility?"
"Fate is just another name for the Divine One's providence. As Its foremost servant, it shall be my pleasure to aid you. Let me attempt to bridge the gap." The Tastadi stretched out his arms across the table, so the Loroi and the Human Captain took one hand each. The skin contact enhanced the telepathic link, and Emberwing was now torn between deepening the connection or trying to shield important information. A gentle sending interrupted her rumination: "I shall attempt to act as a relay. Worry not, this won't require me to probe you, so your secrets shall be safe. Please, concentrate on sending through me as if I'm not even there."
"I know how this works." And normally, the link would simply appear by itself, but not this time. The Tastadi facilitated it flawlessly, eliminating all interference, except that there was nothing on the other side. The pathway, a most basic technique, wasn't working at all! "Can you actually perceive the Human?"
"Yes, I can hear them perfectly, while they are also unable to hear you." The old Priest was definitely puzzled, maybe even peeved that his skills weren't sufficient. "Perhaps it would require me to serve as an active relay point instead."
"Let me assist you as well." Alexander Jardin stretched out his other hand towards her. "We shall work together, hand in hand."
"In a purely professional sense, of course." She placed her palm upon his and by closing the circuit, a change could be felt. Her sendings seemed to slip out of one hand, race around, and return into the other. The signals came back slightly altered, echoing with different patterns, telling of new sensations and unknown techniques. The exchange began to speed up, and beads of sweat formed upon the Priest's forehead. Emberwing could also feel some sort of warmth, and it did not seem to originate from the alien's higher body temperatures. No, it were actually the returning sanzai pulses which carried the heat, infusing her with burning embers.
She closed her eyes and concentrated on this unfamiliar sensation. In the darkness, there were wisps, outlines radiating power and incandescence. Gradually, they drew closer, and began overlapping, forming a ring of flames. She was also a part of them, something deep inside her yearned for this fire, and tendrils of thought stretched out to grasp it. Instinctively, Emberwing gripped both hands with more strength, which was immediately reciprocated. The sanzai pulses quickly became fast enough for their oscillation to produce a hum, and together with the roar of the illusory flames, a melody began to form. Even the circle of fire seemed to dance to this tune. Song? Chorus!
And then, it was simply there, from one moment to another, the truly alien telepathic presence of another species.
Inside, they took a few turns along narrow corridors, and descended a flight of stairs to arrive at a sturdy door. The paladin opened it, and assumed position to guard outside, so led by the Priestess, their group entered the opulently furnished room.
"Please, most esteemed guests, make yourself at home." The old High Priest stood up to greet them. Judging from his slightly buckled stance and wrinkled skin, he should be very old. Yet, his blue eyes radiated a powerful self-confidence, and his lotai seemed impeccable. The most eye-catching feature, however, would be the golden crown sitting on his almost bald head. Unlike the one they gifted, this amplifier looked to be in far better shape. "By the will of the Divine One, I am the current High Priest of the City of Pillars, the Foundation of the One True Faith, Speaker of Its Transcendent Wisdom, Seer of Truth and the Gardener of the Oasis. But since we're in private, Sazitadi will do."
"Guided by the Transcendent's one visions, we have come to your aid from beyond the lifeless expanse." The Human Captain introduced himself in a similarly grand-sounding, yet nonsensical manner. "I am the Captain of my warband, and you may address me with the title bestowed by fate: Ristan Enzin, Guardian of the Garden."
"Then let us discuss the fate of this Garden." They sat down at a round table, the two priests side by side, the Captain, and the Operative across them, and the rest to their sides. The old man smiled faintly. "First, though, may I ask to witness your Spirit?"
"That is only fair." The room suddenly felt cold and eerie. Emberwing sensed a tingle, which rapidly grew into an uncomfortable sensation as if she was assailed by waves of electrifying pulses, causing her to shiver. Carefully, she opened her lotai and tried to assess what was going on, only to retract her attempts immediately. The clash of psionic potentials radiated a dangerous, freezing heat, which nearly scalded her spirit. Whatever this contest was, it rose in intensity, pounding against her mental shields and producing a mysterious, alien tune. Then, the melody peaked and dissolved with a surprisingly beautiful chord. Both the Priest and the Captain seemed to be satisfied with the result, as they nodded at each other, and Alexander Jardin continued, "Did we pass your test?"
"Yes, you do possess the appropriate strength, but you are not of the Dead, are you now?" Sazitadi glanced at his disciple. "She might have jumped to conclusions due to a lack of sleep. I hope that this hadn't offended you."
"Oh, no, it was actually very amusing, so we even played along." The Captain chuckled. "What gave it away?"
"Because you are alive?" The Priest chuckled as well. "You might have the strength, plenty of it, but not the level of skill a deathless creature from beyond the veil should possess."
"Yes, we are not all-powerful." Alexander Jardin nodded at Emberwing, "We are also yet unable to bridge the gap to a cousin, and despite everyone here being telepaths, we still have to rely on speech."
"Greetings, Loroi. I presume you are also not what you appear to be." Somehow bypassing her lotai, the exceptionally clear sending of the old Tastadi surprised Emberwing. In every regard! Such an important milestone, and she had the honor to witness and remember it first! The Loroi had looked forward to the possibility of meeting fellow telepaths among the alien races ever since they resumed starfaring, and speculated about how exotic their sanzai would be. But now, the real deal felt to be rather underwhelming. This was simply too similar to the normal sanzai she knew, even the signature and the subchannel were almost exactly what she expected of a Loroi. On the contrary, the old priest was somewhat confused regarding her signature. "You seem to have overcome the stigma, I do not sense its consuming fires in you."
"I do not understand?" Despite sanzai, this strange concept eluded her completely. "What stigma?"
"Your mark is tamed, but you are not. I can sense a pathway, but no link. How curious." Sazitadi switched back to speech. "Yes, there is a gap, and in a completely different way, which I have to grasp first. Let us start from the beginning. Our oldest legends tell of the Fall, a terrible chastening which severed us from the Divine. The Loroi treachery forced the Gods to withdraw in regret, and this imprinted a terrible stigma upon the whole race. To this day, the mark of betrayal burns strong, causing the Loroi to be caught in a never-ending spiral of savagery." The Priest's tone was grave and full of conviction. "The Clans refuse to acknowledge their betrayal and reject the very idea of atonement, ever furthering their separation from the Divine. Even the Loroi which escaped the wastes are slow to adopt the ways of faith and civilization. In contrast to this, your countenance is orderly and civil, and your Gifts are strong, both in power and discipline."
"We Loroi were the Soia!" All races' legends spoke of a most profound severance, in one way or the other, as the Soia retreated through the Well of Souls in the wake of the Fall. Whoever remained was flung into barbarism, forced to survive on harsh, devastated worlds, bereft of civilization and technology. The Loroi myths, often vague and sometimes embellished, didn't explain why their ancestors were left behind, what the Fall actually was, or where the Soia retreated to. This world's legends, however, were not only more detailed and consistent, they went even further than those heretical Barsam teachings. Perhaps they had an equivalent of the Lugei archives? Such a find needed to be secured as well. Anyway, if the betrayal likely referenced the Zulotchi, the chastening the orbital bombardments, and savagery the regression to nomadic barbarians, then what about this mark he was so hung up on? Did it mean the general loss of civilization and knowledge? Religions were just way too confusing! "You still haven't answered my question about the stigma, or its relation to this incompatibility!"
"No, this is entirely related, particularly to the way you overcame it." The Tastadi looked at her intently. "Such a major leap is not something I considered possible, and you couldn't have managed it on your own."
"Please refrain from challenging any religious dogmas head-on." The Operative's warning echoed in her headset. "This stigma, as far as we were able to deduce, appears to be one of the pillars of their faith, likely constructed to fit goals we do not yet fully understand."
"You also did not consider us to be possible, and yet, here we are. What is truth, and what is fiction?" The Human Captain interrupted their argument to lead it away from the faux pas she nearly committed. Stillstorm's assessment was proven right, both about the Loroi being too direct and also regarding that diplomacy should be delegated to the Mizol. Another matter where she lacked experience.
"Your case is far more difficult to assess." The Tastadi sighed. "There are several beliefs as to what the Melor are supposed to be. The Loroi fear them as undying demons who, having no Spirit of their own, must steal it from others. Gorging themselves on plundered strength, they can reach monstrous power levels. In civilized lands, however, the Melor are regarded as the guardians of the boundary between worlds, tasked by the Gods to hunt down anyone misusing the Divine Gifts and take those back. At large, it is mostly superstition, and the underlying versions are sealed in the Apocrypha."
"I didn't know that!" Finally, the female Tastadi spoke up. She bowed to the Captain. "Again, I am sorry for assuming."
"Of course, you haven't even read half the Apocrypha. It was still the correct decision to bring them here, though." The Priest patted her shoulder. "You see, the present-day images of the Melor are an amalgam of many nonsensical folklore stories. Going way back, we can find abilities attributed to them among the earliest legends of Temple heroes, but it is unknown whether those were simply lost techniques. At the same time, ancient Loroi myths reference the Melor as well, linking them with their ancestors, although the exact context was forgotten long ago. The versions also often contradict themselves, and our limited understanding of the Divine Gifts is unable to separate lies and truth. Therefore, the Church doesn't have an official stance on the Melor, we neither affirm nor deny their existence, since it is not a prevalent myth anyway."
"I can assure you that our strength is entirely our own, and very much real." Said Alexander Jardin with gravitas. "Unfortunately, our knowledge of the Gifts is also limited, and we do not even understand why they seem to be incompatible with the Loroi."
"That is the main issue here. The Melor were supposed to be able to affect Loroi, but not vice versa." Which was understandable, thought Emberwing, or they wouldn't be much of a menace. Provided they were even real, since this Priest doubted it.
"Why is being undetectable by Loroi a hallmark of the melor?" The Captain stroked his beard. "Is it merely a coincidence that the Humans are also invisible to them?"
"The legends postulate that the Humans were the least and youngest of the races, still too immature to be eligible for Gifts, but also yet unaffected by any corruption. From this deepest and most pristine of all wells, the Gods elevated their greatest servants, the Loroi, and supplied them with the finest abilities." Another strange bit of lore, more akin to the Barsam view, except for the Human connection. "We, the Tastadi, are of a similar design, but the opposite intention. Chosen by the Divine One to be the custodians of Its Holy Vessel, we were entrusted with the mission to guide the stranded souls after the Fall. Finally, out of several unofficial theories about the Melor, the one which I find the most plausible is that they were yet another creation of the Gods, tasked to watch over the Loroi. Given most terrible powers to surpass any previous ones, those may have been too overwhelming, leading to eventual self-destruction."
"No legends of ours speak of any such tasks, though." Alexander Jardin denied this outright. Did he speak the truth, thought Emberwing with worry. The Historian construct mentioned some kind of anti-Loroi weapon, deployed just before the Fall. What if it wasn't an artifact, but the ancestors of the Humans? Or both were parts of it, and once recombined, they would become that danger the Loroi couldn't possibly defend against? She'd need to question the puppet-thing again, it was definitely withholding crucial information. Without more data, it would be too easy to succumb to paranoia, so she refocused on the Captain, who asked a very good question. "What kind of abilities were the melor supposed to have?"
"Among the various powers, three which are mentioned most often do apply to you. First, the lack of any signature the Loroi could sense, and the likely reason why the melor were regarded as unliving. Second would be their mighty psionic potential, which was in stark contrast to the previous point. The final one is somewhat ambiguous, it can be interpreted as the Melor being able to steal strength from others, or to share it among themselves, or even both." Sazitadi frowned as if concentrating. "I can hear an echo in your sending, and sense multiple facets in your countenance. Even my disciple's vision spoke of a weave, strings of essence interconnecting all members of your warband. Tell me, can you partake of each other's Spirit? Or reap it from someone?"
"Nothing as sinister! We can share abilities between members of a circle." Finally, the Human admitted to it. Perhaps they could borrow each other's strength as well, and this might explain his output with the amplifier! "Not that it helped with the incompatibility problem. But you are leading the discussion somewhere, am I right?"
"Yes, I was merely eliminating a few possibilities." The Priest smiled. "To seek the truth is a task I'm well-versed in."
"A noble endeavor." The Captain smiled back. "So, can you already guess what we are, then?"
"You have entertained me with my test, so I shall take yours. You are not of this world, that much is certain, and your powers are not of this world as well." The old Tastadi sighed heavily. "But other worlds might have different rules, far beyond my meager knowledge. What you have told me at the beginning was meant to be literal, I suppose. You did actually cross the lifeless expanse, guided by visions? Riding a star-vessel, I presume?"
"Yes, you are correct, and I'm rather impressed that you know what starships are, or that you can contradict your own teachings." Alexander Jardin raised an eyebrow. "Your disciple seems to be upset."
"Any High Priest in training must find out what is hidden, and then understand why, all by themselves. They must first fall to the depths of Knowledge, understand its Curse, and return as the next Speaker to maintain the sacred balance." He peeked at his disciple, who shuddered, then looked back at the Humans. "Yes, I understand the concept of star-vessels, and it was never explicitly stated that all life beyond this Oasis must have perished. However, since we possess no way to confirm the existence of other beings, as our Sight cannot encompass the entire universe, this matter is simply omitted."
"This deduction will make our task easier, then. We have talked around the most crucial matters for too long, even if it was a most fascinating conversation." Alexander Jardin straightened himself and spoke in an official tone. "Let me introduce myself yet again. I am Ristan Enzin, Captain of the Starship Charon, hailing from the Homeworld, on a mission to find our long-lost cousins and to unravel the mystery of the Precursors. We did find our relatives, who were in great trouble, and this forced us to make an unintended detour, which, in turn, led us to this planet. But I have to admit, the visions weren't exactly straightforward with their guidance."
"The relative is this Loroi here, then, which would explain her extraordinary abilities. The detour you speak of wasn't as unintended as you might think, the Transcendent One's will is all-encompassing, and as Its humble servant I will be happy to assist you with the interpretation of any visions. But the Homeworld." The old Priest began tapping the table, likely in contemplation. "Home-World. The Human homeworld? Yes, we were carried to this world by Its infinite mercy, so logically, our wellspring should be elsewhere. What kind of place is it?"
"Let me show you." The Human took out a crystal device, and it projected a magnificent image of their homeworld. First shown from orbit, the planet appeared as a green and blue jewel, encased in the silvery framework of artificial structures. Then, the holographic view zoomed in, through the clouds and into an aerial perspective as if flying over the surface. Towering arcologies, woodlands, rivers, and an ocean were shown in quick succession. "As you can see, we matured, even without any deities, and we also found those Divine Gifts all by ourselves. From this world, we expand our dominion and search for the legacy of the Gods."
"You found the Gifts!? I would like to say that it should be impossible, as there are no Gods left to grant them, but I am unable to refute the Gift's presence. Or they were already there all along, awakening at the appropriate time? I can only hope that you do not make the same mistake as the Loroi and fall prey to hubris." The Tastadi stared intently at the projection. He seemed fascinated, perhaps by the technology, or by all the green? Or by a telepathic message? Not being able to intercept them was utterly frustrating!
"We Loroi survived on three other worlds, and returned to the stars long before those Humans." Unwilling to concede anything, Emberwing sent him the pictures of the Sister Worlds, chiefly of Deinar. "We also never lost our mental abilities."
"This is not a contest. I was merely trying to recall if anything of what you have shown me was ever featured in my own visions." Sazitadi rubbed his nose bridge. "I do not remember seeing this particular world. Can you provide an example of your visions?"
She sent him the images of her dreams, carefully choosing various inconspicuous scenes. How she strolled through this very city, the bard's ballads, or the otherworldly vision of the pillar and its song. Judging by how his attention seemed to wax and wane, the Humans were also submitting something. Finally, the Priest raised his right hand, "I've seen enough to believe that you were guided by the Transcendent One's will. We must discuss the visions in greater detail, I'm immensely interested in their content."
"We are also interested in understanding their message." But chiefly in the artifact and its purpose, so Emberwing decided to use speech as not to betray her intentions through sanzai. "If we were actually led here, to what end?"
"There were indeed far too many coincidences. It was as if our meeting was guided by fate." Alexander Jardin glanced at her briefly and winked. "Now that we have proven ourselves, can you help us eliminate the last obstacle, our unfortunate incompatibility?"
"Fate is just another name for the Divine One's providence. As Its foremost servant, it shall be my pleasure to aid you. Let me attempt to bridge the gap." The Tastadi stretched out his arms across the table, so the Loroi and the Human Captain took one hand each. The skin contact enhanced the telepathic link, and Emberwing was now torn between deepening the connection or trying to shield important information. A gentle sending interrupted her rumination: "I shall attempt to act as a relay. Worry not, this won't require me to probe you, so your secrets shall be safe. Please, concentrate on sending through me as if I'm not even there."
"I know how this works." And normally, the link would simply appear by itself, but not this time. The Tastadi facilitated it flawlessly, eliminating all interference, except that there was nothing on the other side. The pathway, a most basic technique, wasn't working at all! "Can you actually perceive the Human?"
"Yes, I can hear them perfectly, while they are also unable to hear you." The old Priest was definitely puzzled, maybe even peeved that his skills weren't sufficient. "Perhaps it would require me to serve as an active relay point instead."
"Let me assist you as well." Alexander Jardin stretched out his other hand towards her. "We shall work together, hand in hand."
"In a purely professional sense, of course." She placed her palm upon his and by closing the circuit, a change could be felt. Her sendings seemed to slip out of one hand, race around, and return into the other. The signals came back slightly altered, echoing with different patterns, telling of new sensations and unknown techniques. The exchange began to speed up, and beads of sweat formed upon the Priest's forehead. Emberwing could also feel some sort of warmth, and it did not seem to originate from the alien's higher body temperatures. No, it were actually the returning sanzai pulses which carried the heat, infusing her with burning embers.
She closed her eyes and concentrated on this unfamiliar sensation. In the darkness, there were wisps, outlines radiating power and incandescence. Gradually, they drew closer, and began overlapping, forming a ring of flames. She was also a part of them, something deep inside her yearned for this fire, and tendrils of thought stretched out to grasp it. Instinctively, Emberwing gripped both hands with more strength, which was immediately reciprocated. The sanzai pulses quickly became fast enough for their oscillation to produce a hum, and together with the roar of the illusory flames, a melody began to form. Even the circle of fire seemed to dance to this tune. Song? Chorus!
And then, it was simply there, from one moment to another, the truly alien telepathic presence of another species.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Intermission Y: Political Games
Torrai Diaderet First Strike was overseeing the biological simulation personally. Not that she needed to, the resident personnel here on the flagship was excellent enough. But the data they received on the way to Azimol far surpassed the bounds of a purely scientific analysis. A highly advanced ship, crewed by pink aliens which were immune to any kind of detection or sanzai, and even arriving precisely at this troubling time? The Diadem was in complete upheaval, debating the issue for almost an entire day. Which meant that she had to play the wise elder to a harsh Emperor yet again, and suggest a compromise. Among a race priding themselves on honesty, their rulers were often anything but.
The computer ended its final pass and Torrai Sosareil Diamond, who entered the room to stand beside her, quitted the result with a laconic: "Fascinating."
"Those squabbling old hags had to insist on a verification solely to stall for time, stubbornly refusing to admit the obvious out of misguided pride." The Councillor turned to the ancient Listel. "Shall we head back?"
"We have too much time on our hands anyway, so let those back-seat warriors have their fun. Smashing through the Shell interdiction force here at Romos was merely a warm-up exercise." While her face remained expressionless, the sending contained a multitude of sarcasm nuances. "Lead on, the Diadem has already reassembled, and the Azerein is awaiting your valuable opinion."
"My professional opinion as a medic? That's simple, whoever argues against the truth is an idiot. What Greywind really wants the Cabinet to hear, and what this cute little scheme of hers is based on, is my stance as Diaderet, which is that we cannot let such a rumor have its way." Passing by two Teidar of the Imperial Guard, they proceeded to the Council room. Sensing a familiar presence, First Strike sent with considerable strength, accurately targeting a particular Loroi in the adjacent cabin. "My personal opinion is that I am looking forward to having a laugh at the fancy cover-up lie Oirel Poisoncloack will concoct."
The Loroi in question sensed the challenge in the tone and dropped her lotai. "It's not a laughing matter!"
"If it's that important, then earn your keep in mushrooms and slime, and work faster. I've already completed my part in your games." First Strike then sent with mock anger. "And come out of hiding, will you?"
"This requires time! Patience! Finesse!" Poisoncloack sounded angry, either due to stress, or because her lotai wasn't as perfect as she assumed. "And stop shouting, you brute, you are in the presence of the Emperor."
"Just shooing the sori out of their hiding places. When on Perrein, do as the Perreins do." This was met with an inarticulate sneer, and the Oirel entered the room to sit to the left of the Azerein. First Strike walked over to take her seat as well, and then addressed Greywind, who displayed a very faint, amused smirk. "Now to the less entertaining parts. The simulation was conclusive, the Humans must be our template species. Give them Soia-Liiron biochemistry, adjust the gender ratio and sexual dimorphism, normalize their telepathy, and you'll get Loroi."
"Are you absolutely sure?" The Azerein projected this question at everyone in the Council room. All the present Diaderet, Sillatozan, Soshret and their Sosareil aides, about half of the full Diadem, were listening intently, awaiting the official answer. "This is a most important matter."
"I understand. Both me and Diamond are sure." First Strike's powerful tone underlined the matter's gravity, and carried by this momentum, she switched over to the issue which the Azerein expected of her. "I am also sure that this kind of revelation will inevitably cause unrest. Which means that we cannot let this information run free, but we can't change the facts either. For the time being, I can convince my faction to keep things quiet, and I'm sure that the illustrious Diadem members present here can do that as well. So why don't we simply silence any rumors, delegate the philosophical discussions to the males, and focus on the Enemy, as warriors should?"
Several members nodded, the Mizol ilk had most certainly used the pause to strike some deals to convince the indecisive ones. Well, not that there were any major troublemakers left in the upper ranks. Many of the premier Axis members died either on the previous flagship, or shortly afterward, following the desperate, ill-organized coup. The rest were forced to resign or chose to play by the new rules, and the sensible ones joined her Loyalist faction. Only a few remained in open and vocal, if not belligerent opposition, and out of those, nobody had the rank to attend this meeting.
"I am glad that everyone was finally able to see reason." Or else, the Emperor's tone suggested that any more debates were highly unwelcome. "We will issue a covert Imperial Order as per the Union Statutes, Article 46, Section 3, and the Martial Law Decree, Article 5. All information about Humanity shall be declared as top secret pertaining to national security and the war effort. It will be binding across the entire Union, and persist until the end of the Great War. All data will be classified on a need-to-know basis, all rumors will be suppressed, all transgressors will face punishments as per current martial law rules. Cast your votes!"
As expected, everyone agreed to it, and Poisoncloak initiated the next topic: "For anyone below Soshret level, there won't even be a need to know anything. For the highest ranks and the Sentinels, we shall prepare a detailed, but unofficial debriefing and compile guidelines on how to deal with rumors. It would also be sensible to formulate an inconspicuous, official version, should any data still leak. Especially to the Barsam!"
First Strike suppressed a sigh, this sounded like another day about to be spent on silly debates. Perhaps it would be prudent to select a successor, in about 64 years or so. She was slowly getting too old for this.
Torrai Diaderet First Strike was overseeing the biological simulation personally. Not that she needed to, the resident personnel here on the flagship was excellent enough. But the data they received on the way to Azimol far surpassed the bounds of a purely scientific analysis. A highly advanced ship, crewed by pink aliens which were immune to any kind of detection or sanzai, and even arriving precisely at this troubling time? The Diadem was in complete upheaval, debating the issue for almost an entire day. Which meant that she had to play the wise elder to a harsh Emperor yet again, and suggest a compromise. Among a race priding themselves on honesty, their rulers were often anything but.
The computer ended its final pass and Torrai Sosareil Diamond, who entered the room to stand beside her, quitted the result with a laconic: "Fascinating."
"Those squabbling old hags had to insist on a verification solely to stall for time, stubbornly refusing to admit the obvious out of misguided pride." The Councillor turned to the ancient Listel. "Shall we head back?"
"We have too much time on our hands anyway, so let those back-seat warriors have their fun. Smashing through the Shell interdiction force here at Romos was merely a warm-up exercise." While her face remained expressionless, the sending contained a multitude of sarcasm nuances. "Lead on, the Diadem has already reassembled, and the Azerein is awaiting your valuable opinion."
"My professional opinion as a medic? That's simple, whoever argues against the truth is an idiot. What Greywind really wants the Cabinet to hear, and what this cute little scheme of hers is based on, is my stance as Diaderet, which is that we cannot let such a rumor have its way." Passing by two Teidar of the Imperial Guard, they proceeded to the Council room. Sensing a familiar presence, First Strike sent with considerable strength, accurately targeting a particular Loroi in the adjacent cabin. "My personal opinion is that I am looking forward to having a laugh at the fancy cover-up lie Oirel Poisoncloack will concoct."
The Loroi in question sensed the challenge in the tone and dropped her lotai. "It's not a laughing matter!"
"If it's that important, then earn your keep in mushrooms and slime, and work faster. I've already completed my part in your games." First Strike then sent with mock anger. "And come out of hiding, will you?"
"This requires time! Patience! Finesse!" Poisoncloack sounded angry, either due to stress, or because her lotai wasn't as perfect as she assumed. "And stop shouting, you brute, you are in the presence of the Emperor."
"Just shooing the sori out of their hiding places. When on Perrein, do as the Perreins do." This was met with an inarticulate sneer, and the Oirel entered the room to sit to the left of the Azerein. First Strike walked over to take her seat as well, and then addressed Greywind, who displayed a very faint, amused smirk. "Now to the less entertaining parts. The simulation was conclusive, the Humans must be our template species. Give them Soia-Liiron biochemistry, adjust the gender ratio and sexual dimorphism, normalize their telepathy, and you'll get Loroi."
"Are you absolutely sure?" The Azerein projected this question at everyone in the Council room. All the present Diaderet, Sillatozan, Soshret and their Sosareil aides, about half of the full Diadem, were listening intently, awaiting the official answer. "This is a most important matter."
"I understand. Both me and Diamond are sure." First Strike's powerful tone underlined the matter's gravity, and carried by this momentum, she switched over to the issue which the Azerein expected of her. "I am also sure that this kind of revelation will inevitably cause unrest. Which means that we cannot let this information run free, but we can't change the facts either. For the time being, I can convince my faction to keep things quiet, and I'm sure that the illustrious Diadem members present here can do that as well. So why don't we simply silence any rumors, delegate the philosophical discussions to the males, and focus on the Enemy, as warriors should?"
Several members nodded, the Mizol ilk had most certainly used the pause to strike some deals to convince the indecisive ones. Well, not that there were any major troublemakers left in the upper ranks. Many of the premier Axis members died either on the previous flagship, or shortly afterward, following the desperate, ill-organized coup. The rest were forced to resign or chose to play by the new rules, and the sensible ones joined her Loyalist faction. Only a few remained in open and vocal, if not belligerent opposition, and out of those, nobody had the rank to attend this meeting.
"I am glad that everyone was finally able to see reason." Or else, the Emperor's tone suggested that any more debates were highly unwelcome. "We will issue a covert Imperial Order as per the Union Statutes, Article 46, Section 3, and the Martial Law Decree, Article 5. All information about Humanity shall be declared as top secret pertaining to national security and the war effort. It will be binding across the entire Union, and persist until the end of the Great War. All data will be classified on a need-to-know basis, all rumors will be suppressed, all transgressors will face punishments as per current martial law rules. Cast your votes!"
As expected, everyone agreed to it, and Poisoncloak initiated the next topic: "For anyone below Soshret level, there won't even be a need to know anything. For the highest ranks and the Sentinels, we shall prepare a detailed, but unofficial debriefing and compile guidelines on how to deal with rumors. It would also be sensible to formulate an inconspicuous, official version, should any data still leak. Especially to the Barsam!"
First Strike suppressed a sigh, this sounded like another day about to be spent on silly debates. Perhaps it would be prudent to select a successor, in about 64 years or so. She was slowly getting too old for this.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXXXI: Cousins Reunited
The roaring fires which formed the ring were suddenly switched for an eerie, cold, silent, blue flame, and the circle converged to take the shape of a single, roughly humanoid outline surrounded by a multihued halo. Radiating a freezing heat, but made faint and distant through the relay connection, the silhouette flickered and shifted. Emberwing had great trouble adjusting to this alien's telepathic signature, powerful and chaotic as it was. Carefully, she sent a "Hello?"
"Finally, we can hear you." The answer was distorted with hall as the relay seemed to warp under the sending's might. At least there was something resembling a sub-channel, which transmitted feelings of elation and concern. Finally, sanzai with the Humans! The link wasn't stable, though, the voice gradually frayed out. "The relay appears to be very strenuous."
"Do not worry, I can maintain the connection for some time." Sazitadi invoked an unknown technique: a faint ripple travelled along the channel for a moment and, somehow, the link now felt to be more profound. "It would help if you could tone down the strength even further."
"I've got a grasp of it now, so let me try to adjust to the tunneling." The Human's sanzai got less powerful and more focused, removing both the halo and the hall. The signature became somewhat akin to a Loroi one, except that the sub-channel was rather subdued. "Can you understand the source of our incompatibility, or how we overcame it?"
"Since I could read you from the beginning, it's hard to say. Your sending does have a unique signature, which was not unexpected, given the mysterious way you've obtained the Gifts." The Priest seemed to choose what to sanzai carefully, withholding several points of importance. "The Divine One had probably foreseen that my abilities would be sufficient."
"I prefer if you wouldn't hide any information." Emberwing interrupted their exchange. "Why can you read them, while we cannot?"
"Ah, yes, your kind values honesty above tact, even though you didn't like the truth I've mentioned earlier." The Tastadi was slightly amused by her impatience. "The Loroi were the ones most affected by the severance from the Divine. Punished for their betrayal and inflicted with the stigma, they likely lost many of their abilities. We Tastadi, on the other hand, were chosen to be the custodians of this Oasis, tasked with the guidance of lost souls. It stands to reason that the Gods have supplied us with powers to connect to both Loroi and Humans. Or even the Melor."
"Or we might've developed too far away from the template which the gods had used, because our ancestors back then weren't yet the humans we are now. Even the humans on this world may look like us, but they have notable differences, both in their psychical and physical make-up." Alexander Jardin became more adept at channeling his sanzai through the link. The bandwidth increased significantly, although the sub-channel became distorted in turn. He sent many pictures in quick succession, Humans of varying looks, sizes and colors, some of them denoted as being primitive ancestral forms. Links between them arranged the whole into a genealogical tree, and a new side branch had a single subspecies called "Dellar-Human" sitting on its end. Then, a number of older branches were highlighted differently, referenced with "template origin group". "We are certainly cousins, yet several millennia apart from each other. Also, us humans aren't a divine design, and therefore, we experience significant drift over the eons. Perhaps we developed a different telepathic language, which only the Tastadi are able to interpret."
"Don't mind me, and use the full breadth of your knowledge, we aren't as primitive or ignorant as the current circumstances may imply. I know the concept of genetics, even though the technology itself was lost due to insufficient means to implement it." The Priest interpreted the change in the sub-channel as an attempt to filter out advanced knowledge.
"Try to keep up, then. The Tastadi are rather close to Humans, although still a different species. The uplifting modifications were done very carefully, and significant parts of dormant DNA sequences were left as is. Only a few key features were improved, chiefly longevity, metabolism efficiency and a number of fail-safes against mutations or genetic diseases." The sanzai bandwidth increased even more, there were now multiple, parallel streams of accompanying data. Genetic information, comparisons, theories, various simulations, it overwhelmed Emberwing, her only fallback being her eidetic memory. When did the Humans even manage to compile this? "In the case of Loroi, everything was highly optimized, streamlined and even standardized according to an overarching biochemistry template. During this process, the gods might've removed anything not strictly necessary. Backwards compatibility was likely thrown out as well, either accidentally, or deliberately, while the Tastadi..."
"We are NOT a defective product!!!" Emberwing could not let this insult slide.
"Exactly my point, you are too perfect." His sending baffled her, it was regarded as truthful, while being both a compliment and implied insult at once. Their telepathic sub-channel had a truly alien quality to it. "A beautiful, deadly and highly specialized weapon. But still a weapon, not a translator like my new friend here."
"Much obliged. While I couldn't understand most of it, the main idea seems sound enough." The Priest had to admit that the detailed information was over his head. The concept itself, however, was not, this old male had an incredibly astute mind. "The legends describe the Loroi to be forged as Swords, there would be no need for anything else but a sharp blade. I'm inclined to believe that this omission was done deliberately, perhaps to ensure vulnerability towards the Melor, or to have a uniform weapon."
Even though Emberwing was still seething, she realized that another outburst would lead to nowhere. Instead, she remembered Stillstorms analogy, and attempted to wield her fury as a weapon instead. This seemed to accelerate her thoughts, and she recalled a particular piece of information. "The tampering in your genome! Perhaps it is a Soia failsafe, and YOU are the defective product instead!"
"Quite possible, we always suspected that it might be a parting gift." The Human's response was bereft of any grudge. "Although, even by cross-referencing it with the new data, it would still take far too long to verify this theory."
"Then what about our link? The shared dreams, especially the interactivity?" She sent her memories of several such instances. "Could our sanzai operate on different frequencies, but something attuned us?"
"I doubt that telepathy can be compared to radio." The Human replied with multihued doubt, partially addressed to the Tastadi, who, however, answered with reassurance. "The frequency aspect is indeed interesting, could you verify it?"
"We do possess knowledge of many advanced technologies, including radio, the main issue lies in very limited means to power them." Judging from what the Priest sent, this world was very poor in metals, and had almost no fossil fuels, even wood was a scarce resource. "As interesting as it might sound, I don't have the knowledge to test both the frequency and the language theory. Only the Transcendent One could, since Its unfathomable power must've facilitated this link in the first place. Likely through arcane means beyond our understanding."
"Then, can we apply for an audience and ask directly?" There was a whole bundle of meanings, cryptic references to Human faiths, fascination towards an object of study, a few hidden undertones, and suppressed skepticism towards religions in general. "After all, you did say that we were invited."
"You don't need to pretend, our faith is ours alone, and I wouldn't expect an outsider to understand it." The Tastadi answered with concern, but only parts of it were related to Alexander Jardin's agnosticism. "Nobody except a selected few are permitted in the vicinity of the Vestige, the Divine One's presence is utterly overwhelming for anyone not ready for it."
The Priest now sent with surprising strength: images of a serene room, dominated by a black pillar; impressions of an otherworldly song, a dive into the immaterial, a maelstrom of ideas, an abyss of concepts. "You should recognize the pillar from your visions. The Divine One has chosen you both, marked you by showing you the Vestige, and called you here for a certain reason."
He now targeted the Human, "I can sense an inexhaustible curiousness in you, the restless spirit of an explorer, which is fortunately bereft of a conqueror's avarice."
Then, he switched over to Emberwing, "You are unlike any Loroi I've seen, possessing a warrior's spirit, sense of duty and a codex of honor, but lacking the thirst for domination."
There was a pause, and he continued. "I consider you both worthy to appear before the Transcendent One and bask in Its presence. You've passed all my tests, now it is time for myself to be tested and to guide you through a communion, but such matters need to be prepared. There are rites to be observed, techniques which must be invoked, and the strain of the connection is beginning to take its toll."
Sazitadi let go of their palms, and the sanzai link with the Human was immediately severed. Even though their hands were still touching, there was no longer a response, so, disappointed, Emberwing retracted hers and opened her eyes. What she saw, was the face of the Tastadi, somewhat sunken and weary, and his disciple was busy wiping off the sweat off his forehead. He removed the amplifier, sighed and continued, "While I shall prepare myself for the ceremony, there are issues which you could help us out with. The barbaric Loroi are at our doorstep, and we would like to request your aid in driving them back."
"Certainly, we already did delay the host for a while." Reactivated by the Human, the projector showed the collapse of the valley's exit, where the nomads gathered. "For a more permanent solution, we will try negotiations first, and should those fail, we could block their paths, until they get the point."
"Since you refrained from simply destroying them, there must be more points to consider, so let us discuss those over a meal." Servants brought food and drink for everyone, they've probably talked for a long while without her realizing.
"There are indeed certain considerations." Alexander Jardin explained in brief terms that his Empire would claim this world as part of their sphere of influence. Sometime later, the local Loroi were scheduled to be reunited with their sisters, who were currently busy fighting a war and couldn't spare any ships. "For talks to commence, we need to bring more Loroi into the city, would this be permissible?"
"It doesn't seem that you'd even need our permission, but you shall have it." The Priest took a big swig from his goblet. "Star-spanning Empires. Interstellar wars. It doesn't surprise me, actually, there are many such examples in the legends, and without Divine guidance, the races were bound to repeat the same old follies. This might be one of the reasons why the Transcendent One decided to interfere directly. It is still a tall order to understand all that, though."
"Then, my comrade in peril, to a better understanding!" The Captain raised his cup, then he and the Priest clinked them together. Was this some kind of custom? "We've had no knowledge of this war as well, and one of my mission goals was to make sense of it. But do not worry, this world is very far from the frontline, and my Empire shall provide aid as well as protection."
"Seeing that you've made contact with one of the warring sides, can you avoid becoming part of this conflict? Or, by extension, can we?" Sazitadi tapped the table, lost in thought for a moment. "Who are the Loroi fighting against?"
"An Empire of enslaving vermin!" Emberwing sent him an image of the Enemy. "They are driven by a monomaniacal, insatiable hunger for domination!"
"To think that the Loroi would lament about anyone's thirst for domination." Just what kind of image did he have of the Loroi? Or what barbarism did the local Loroi devolve into? "But you do not seem to understand what I'm talking about, just as I have no knowledge of such creatures."
"We Loroi do not even understand why the Enemy wages war against us." Emberwing elected to switch the topic, "Let us focus on the local problems. I will be in charge of negotiations with the Loroi here. Can you provide more information about them?"
"Gladly. Following the Godswar, the Transcendent One spirited all it could save onto this Oasis. Here, the races were expected to realize their mistakes, atone for their sins, and then reconnect with the Divine. Unfortunately, the Loroi refused the merciful offer, and instead tried to continue with the war." The Priest looked into his goblet, shook his head, and drank the rest. "Only sparse accounts tell of this terrible age. Despite the Divine punishment, the Loroi were still mighty warriors, and the conflict lasted for a long time. Eventually, with the help of stalwart heroes and Divine One's aid, were the Loroi defeated, and forced to retreat to the outlying wastelands. To this day do the Clans resent us for their loss and continue to reject our civilization, while envying its fruits."
"What about their society and governmental structures?" Emberwing wondered what might've happened, were the Mozeret on Deinar still alive when the Loroi landed there. Could've they coexisted, even cooperated, or would've the two races clash over the scarce resources?
"That is the main issue, the Loroi do not have anything of the sort, not even any permanent settlements. The stigma of betrayal burns strong, preventing them from adopting the ways of civilization." Again with the stigma! She never had much interest in the legends, and now, she regretted not knowing more, perhaps they could've offered more insight in this matter. "The Loroi are divided into an ever-changing number of nomadic clans, which are constantly warring with each other. Each year, after the rainy season ends and the desert storms calm down, do the Clans attempt to raid settlements. This usually means that small warbands will try to steal food and supplies in the night. At best, they might sack a lone, poorly defended village. However, there are rare exceptions to this rule."
Sazitadi now focused on her, and sent an entire bundle of pictures, colored with a sense of resentment, and also pity. The unification of many clans, enforced through rivers of blood spilled upon the desert sands. Waves of wild Loroi warriors branding against the walls of fortified cities, spurred on by empty promises and unrealistic goals. Attempts not to raid, but to take the settlements, to conquer the ways of civilization through force. The sheer absurdity of trying to subjugate concepts, always ending in failure, internal infighting and betrayal shattering the horde's fragile unity. "The current Warlord might be more cunning than the previous ones, since she managed to overcome all our attempts at subverting the unification. Her plans are still futile, of course, civilization can only be established by overcoming savagery, not by applying more of it, and this cursed spiral can only be dispelled through atonement. Such invasions merely waste countless lives, and prolong our time of Trials until we may be reunited with the Divine."
"I will do my utmost to convince them!" Emberwing was taken aback by the vivid imagery, which reminded her of Deinar's barbaric past. There must've been countless Warlords with similar goals, trying to co-opt civilization, only to fail and be forgotten. Until Lanzatamadi, the mythical Lawbringer, managed to bring the tribes together, led them out of the desert, established the caste system, and founded the city of Menelos. Could this Warlord do the same here? Or would she need to assume such a role? No, that was a truly monumental task, far above her capabilities, it should be entirely sufficient to simply prevent this raid. And if the savages refused to talk, then she could sic the Melor upon them. Suppressing a grin, she continued. "For the talks, I'll have a diplomatic advisor and a guard with powerful telekinesis support me."
"Yes, that would be wise, above all else, the Clans respect strength." Slowly, the old male stood up. "Let us adjourn the meeting. My disciple shall take over, for now."
He refused the priestess' help and retreated through a previously hidden entrance. The Tastadi woman took a deep breath and addressed them. "Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. I do not yet have a Title, so you can call me Ellowyn. Honored Sazitadi has tasked me with the matter of repelling the advancing barbarians. Please, tell me of anything you might need, it shall be my pleasure to help you."
"Yes, once my two assistants arrive, we'd like to receive as much data about the local Loroi as you can supply." Emberwing quickly went through a few scenarios. It was obvious enough that she needed to parlay with the Warlord leading the horde, but the question was, how to initiate the talks? Should they reveal themselves and their abilities to enforce a meeting? Abduct the Warlord? Or just drop a kinetic warhead on her tent and be done with it? No, she had no knowledge about their command structure, only her own assumptions based on historical accounts. "What can you tell me about the Warlord?"
"It is a figure which the nomads revere. All their foolish desires, false hopes and empty dreams are projected upon her, creating a figure far larger than life." The Priestess finally dropped her lotai and sent several pictures. A huge shadow, looming over countless tents, a person of overwhelming charisma, a mighty warrior wearing a shining crown. "This is what the Divine One had revealed to me. Unfortunately, our spies were lost before they could provide more information."
"I suppose this crown is an amplifier? That would make a commando operation too risky." Apparently, she had sent this to Alexander Jardin as well. "Should we simply dispatch a few drones?"
"Let me handle the matter. Having some sort of central authority will be beneficial for the resettlement efforts. It would be far easier to convince a single leader, than to chase after many dispersed tribes." Especially since the planet was warded against farsight! "Although drone surveillance will be helpful as well."
"Oh, we're already far ahead in this regard." The projector device reactivated, showing the river they travelled on yesterday. A single, primitive boat could be seen, and as the view zoomed in, she recognized the lone figure inside as a Loroi. "This one left the nomad camp two days ago, right after our explosive greeting. Since nobody stopped her, I can only guess that she may be an exile who fell from grace, or most likely a spy. Either way, capturing her will be certainly beneficial."
"When will she arrive?" Emberwing inspected the half-naked warrior, who rowed with great determination.
"Given her speed, I would set the arrival time at around midnight." The view zoomed out and turned into a map. "Also, judging by the dexterity with which she scaled the ravine, I assume her being capable of telekinesis."
"I understand, she'll probably try to sneak into the city under the cover of night. With sufficiently powerful telekinesis, it is entirely possible to fly over the walls." That was certainly no exile, the warrior was likely dispatched as a spy following the explosion to scout out their enemy's capabilities. "Yes, we will capture her by ourselves. This is a matter between Loroi."
Fireblade often complained about having nothing to do, so why not letting her take care of it? Proving their superiority in the old-fashioned way would certainly speed up any talks with the primitives, and this warrior should make for a fine lab miros to gauge their abilities.
The roaring fires which formed the ring were suddenly switched for an eerie, cold, silent, blue flame, and the circle converged to take the shape of a single, roughly humanoid outline surrounded by a multihued halo. Radiating a freezing heat, but made faint and distant through the relay connection, the silhouette flickered and shifted. Emberwing had great trouble adjusting to this alien's telepathic signature, powerful and chaotic as it was. Carefully, she sent a "Hello?"
"Finally, we can hear you." The answer was distorted with hall as the relay seemed to warp under the sending's might. At least there was something resembling a sub-channel, which transmitted feelings of elation and concern. Finally, sanzai with the Humans! The link wasn't stable, though, the voice gradually frayed out. "The relay appears to be very strenuous."
"Do not worry, I can maintain the connection for some time." Sazitadi invoked an unknown technique: a faint ripple travelled along the channel for a moment and, somehow, the link now felt to be more profound. "It would help if you could tone down the strength even further."
"I've got a grasp of it now, so let me try to adjust to the tunneling." The Human's sanzai got less powerful and more focused, removing both the halo and the hall. The signature became somewhat akin to a Loroi one, except that the sub-channel was rather subdued. "Can you understand the source of our incompatibility, or how we overcame it?"
"Since I could read you from the beginning, it's hard to say. Your sending does have a unique signature, which was not unexpected, given the mysterious way you've obtained the Gifts." The Priest seemed to choose what to sanzai carefully, withholding several points of importance. "The Divine One had probably foreseen that my abilities would be sufficient."
"I prefer if you wouldn't hide any information." Emberwing interrupted their exchange. "Why can you read them, while we cannot?"
"Ah, yes, your kind values honesty above tact, even though you didn't like the truth I've mentioned earlier." The Tastadi was slightly amused by her impatience. "The Loroi were the ones most affected by the severance from the Divine. Punished for their betrayal and inflicted with the stigma, they likely lost many of their abilities. We Tastadi, on the other hand, were chosen to be the custodians of this Oasis, tasked with the guidance of lost souls. It stands to reason that the Gods have supplied us with powers to connect to both Loroi and Humans. Or even the Melor."
"Or we might've developed too far away from the template which the gods had used, because our ancestors back then weren't yet the humans we are now. Even the humans on this world may look like us, but they have notable differences, both in their psychical and physical make-up." Alexander Jardin became more adept at channeling his sanzai through the link. The bandwidth increased significantly, although the sub-channel became distorted in turn. He sent many pictures in quick succession, Humans of varying looks, sizes and colors, some of them denoted as being primitive ancestral forms. Links between them arranged the whole into a genealogical tree, and a new side branch had a single subspecies called "Dellar-Human" sitting on its end. Then, a number of older branches were highlighted differently, referenced with "template origin group". "We are certainly cousins, yet several millennia apart from each other. Also, us humans aren't a divine design, and therefore, we experience significant drift over the eons. Perhaps we developed a different telepathic language, which only the Tastadi are able to interpret."
"Don't mind me, and use the full breadth of your knowledge, we aren't as primitive or ignorant as the current circumstances may imply. I know the concept of genetics, even though the technology itself was lost due to insufficient means to implement it." The Priest interpreted the change in the sub-channel as an attempt to filter out advanced knowledge.
"Try to keep up, then. The Tastadi are rather close to Humans, although still a different species. The uplifting modifications were done very carefully, and significant parts of dormant DNA sequences were left as is. Only a few key features were improved, chiefly longevity, metabolism efficiency and a number of fail-safes against mutations or genetic diseases." The sanzai bandwidth increased even more, there were now multiple, parallel streams of accompanying data. Genetic information, comparisons, theories, various simulations, it overwhelmed Emberwing, her only fallback being her eidetic memory. When did the Humans even manage to compile this? "In the case of Loroi, everything was highly optimized, streamlined and even standardized according to an overarching biochemistry template. During this process, the gods might've removed anything not strictly necessary. Backwards compatibility was likely thrown out as well, either accidentally, or deliberately, while the Tastadi..."
"We are NOT a defective product!!!" Emberwing could not let this insult slide.
"Exactly my point, you are too perfect." His sending baffled her, it was regarded as truthful, while being both a compliment and implied insult at once. Their telepathic sub-channel had a truly alien quality to it. "A beautiful, deadly and highly specialized weapon. But still a weapon, not a translator like my new friend here."
"Much obliged. While I couldn't understand most of it, the main idea seems sound enough." The Priest had to admit that the detailed information was over his head. The concept itself, however, was not, this old male had an incredibly astute mind. "The legends describe the Loroi to be forged as Swords, there would be no need for anything else but a sharp blade. I'm inclined to believe that this omission was done deliberately, perhaps to ensure vulnerability towards the Melor, or to have a uniform weapon."
Even though Emberwing was still seething, she realized that another outburst would lead to nowhere. Instead, she remembered Stillstorms analogy, and attempted to wield her fury as a weapon instead. This seemed to accelerate her thoughts, and she recalled a particular piece of information. "The tampering in your genome! Perhaps it is a Soia failsafe, and YOU are the defective product instead!"
"Quite possible, we always suspected that it might be a parting gift." The Human's response was bereft of any grudge. "Although, even by cross-referencing it with the new data, it would still take far too long to verify this theory."
"Then what about our link? The shared dreams, especially the interactivity?" She sent her memories of several such instances. "Could our sanzai operate on different frequencies, but something attuned us?"
"I doubt that telepathy can be compared to radio." The Human replied with multihued doubt, partially addressed to the Tastadi, who, however, answered with reassurance. "The frequency aspect is indeed interesting, could you verify it?"
"We do possess knowledge of many advanced technologies, including radio, the main issue lies in very limited means to power them." Judging from what the Priest sent, this world was very poor in metals, and had almost no fossil fuels, even wood was a scarce resource. "As interesting as it might sound, I don't have the knowledge to test both the frequency and the language theory. Only the Transcendent One could, since Its unfathomable power must've facilitated this link in the first place. Likely through arcane means beyond our understanding."
"Then, can we apply for an audience and ask directly?" There was a whole bundle of meanings, cryptic references to Human faiths, fascination towards an object of study, a few hidden undertones, and suppressed skepticism towards religions in general. "After all, you did say that we were invited."
"You don't need to pretend, our faith is ours alone, and I wouldn't expect an outsider to understand it." The Tastadi answered with concern, but only parts of it were related to Alexander Jardin's agnosticism. "Nobody except a selected few are permitted in the vicinity of the Vestige, the Divine One's presence is utterly overwhelming for anyone not ready for it."
The Priest now sent with surprising strength: images of a serene room, dominated by a black pillar; impressions of an otherworldly song, a dive into the immaterial, a maelstrom of ideas, an abyss of concepts. "You should recognize the pillar from your visions. The Divine One has chosen you both, marked you by showing you the Vestige, and called you here for a certain reason."
He now targeted the Human, "I can sense an inexhaustible curiousness in you, the restless spirit of an explorer, which is fortunately bereft of a conqueror's avarice."
Then, he switched over to Emberwing, "You are unlike any Loroi I've seen, possessing a warrior's spirit, sense of duty and a codex of honor, but lacking the thirst for domination."
There was a pause, and he continued. "I consider you both worthy to appear before the Transcendent One and bask in Its presence. You've passed all my tests, now it is time for myself to be tested and to guide you through a communion, but such matters need to be prepared. There are rites to be observed, techniques which must be invoked, and the strain of the connection is beginning to take its toll."
Sazitadi let go of their palms, and the sanzai link with the Human was immediately severed. Even though their hands were still touching, there was no longer a response, so, disappointed, Emberwing retracted hers and opened her eyes. What she saw, was the face of the Tastadi, somewhat sunken and weary, and his disciple was busy wiping off the sweat off his forehead. He removed the amplifier, sighed and continued, "While I shall prepare myself for the ceremony, there are issues which you could help us out with. The barbaric Loroi are at our doorstep, and we would like to request your aid in driving them back."
"Certainly, we already did delay the host for a while." Reactivated by the Human, the projector showed the collapse of the valley's exit, where the nomads gathered. "For a more permanent solution, we will try negotiations first, and should those fail, we could block their paths, until they get the point."
"Since you refrained from simply destroying them, there must be more points to consider, so let us discuss those over a meal." Servants brought food and drink for everyone, they've probably talked for a long while without her realizing.
"There are indeed certain considerations." Alexander Jardin explained in brief terms that his Empire would claim this world as part of their sphere of influence. Sometime later, the local Loroi were scheduled to be reunited with their sisters, who were currently busy fighting a war and couldn't spare any ships. "For talks to commence, we need to bring more Loroi into the city, would this be permissible?"
"It doesn't seem that you'd even need our permission, but you shall have it." The Priest took a big swig from his goblet. "Star-spanning Empires. Interstellar wars. It doesn't surprise me, actually, there are many such examples in the legends, and without Divine guidance, the races were bound to repeat the same old follies. This might be one of the reasons why the Transcendent One decided to interfere directly. It is still a tall order to understand all that, though."
"Then, my comrade in peril, to a better understanding!" The Captain raised his cup, then he and the Priest clinked them together. Was this some kind of custom? "We've had no knowledge of this war as well, and one of my mission goals was to make sense of it. But do not worry, this world is very far from the frontline, and my Empire shall provide aid as well as protection."
"Seeing that you've made contact with one of the warring sides, can you avoid becoming part of this conflict? Or, by extension, can we?" Sazitadi tapped the table, lost in thought for a moment. "Who are the Loroi fighting against?"
"An Empire of enslaving vermin!" Emberwing sent him an image of the Enemy. "They are driven by a monomaniacal, insatiable hunger for domination!"
"To think that the Loroi would lament about anyone's thirst for domination." Just what kind of image did he have of the Loroi? Or what barbarism did the local Loroi devolve into? "But you do not seem to understand what I'm talking about, just as I have no knowledge of such creatures."
"We Loroi do not even understand why the Enemy wages war against us." Emberwing elected to switch the topic, "Let us focus on the local problems. I will be in charge of negotiations with the Loroi here. Can you provide more information about them?"
"Gladly. Following the Godswar, the Transcendent One spirited all it could save onto this Oasis. Here, the races were expected to realize their mistakes, atone for their sins, and then reconnect with the Divine. Unfortunately, the Loroi refused the merciful offer, and instead tried to continue with the war." The Priest looked into his goblet, shook his head, and drank the rest. "Only sparse accounts tell of this terrible age. Despite the Divine punishment, the Loroi were still mighty warriors, and the conflict lasted for a long time. Eventually, with the help of stalwart heroes and Divine One's aid, were the Loroi defeated, and forced to retreat to the outlying wastelands. To this day do the Clans resent us for their loss and continue to reject our civilization, while envying its fruits."
"What about their society and governmental structures?" Emberwing wondered what might've happened, were the Mozeret on Deinar still alive when the Loroi landed there. Could've they coexisted, even cooperated, or would've the two races clash over the scarce resources?
"That is the main issue, the Loroi do not have anything of the sort, not even any permanent settlements. The stigma of betrayal burns strong, preventing them from adopting the ways of civilization." Again with the stigma! She never had much interest in the legends, and now, she regretted not knowing more, perhaps they could've offered more insight in this matter. "The Loroi are divided into an ever-changing number of nomadic clans, which are constantly warring with each other. Each year, after the rainy season ends and the desert storms calm down, do the Clans attempt to raid settlements. This usually means that small warbands will try to steal food and supplies in the night. At best, they might sack a lone, poorly defended village. However, there are rare exceptions to this rule."
Sazitadi now focused on her, and sent an entire bundle of pictures, colored with a sense of resentment, and also pity. The unification of many clans, enforced through rivers of blood spilled upon the desert sands. Waves of wild Loroi warriors branding against the walls of fortified cities, spurred on by empty promises and unrealistic goals. Attempts not to raid, but to take the settlements, to conquer the ways of civilization through force. The sheer absurdity of trying to subjugate concepts, always ending in failure, internal infighting and betrayal shattering the horde's fragile unity. "The current Warlord might be more cunning than the previous ones, since she managed to overcome all our attempts at subverting the unification. Her plans are still futile, of course, civilization can only be established by overcoming savagery, not by applying more of it, and this cursed spiral can only be dispelled through atonement. Such invasions merely waste countless lives, and prolong our time of Trials until we may be reunited with the Divine."
"I will do my utmost to convince them!" Emberwing was taken aback by the vivid imagery, which reminded her of Deinar's barbaric past. There must've been countless Warlords with similar goals, trying to co-opt civilization, only to fail and be forgotten. Until Lanzatamadi, the mythical Lawbringer, managed to bring the tribes together, led them out of the desert, established the caste system, and founded the city of Menelos. Could this Warlord do the same here? Or would she need to assume such a role? No, that was a truly monumental task, far above her capabilities, it should be entirely sufficient to simply prevent this raid. And if the savages refused to talk, then she could sic the Melor upon them. Suppressing a grin, she continued. "For the talks, I'll have a diplomatic advisor and a guard with powerful telekinesis support me."
"Yes, that would be wise, above all else, the Clans respect strength." Slowly, the old male stood up. "Let us adjourn the meeting. My disciple shall take over, for now."
He refused the priestess' help and retreated through a previously hidden entrance. The Tastadi woman took a deep breath and addressed them. "Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. I do not yet have a Title, so you can call me Ellowyn. Honored Sazitadi has tasked me with the matter of repelling the advancing barbarians. Please, tell me of anything you might need, it shall be my pleasure to help you."
"Yes, once my two assistants arrive, we'd like to receive as much data about the local Loroi as you can supply." Emberwing quickly went through a few scenarios. It was obvious enough that she needed to parlay with the Warlord leading the horde, but the question was, how to initiate the talks? Should they reveal themselves and their abilities to enforce a meeting? Abduct the Warlord? Or just drop a kinetic warhead on her tent and be done with it? No, she had no knowledge about their command structure, only her own assumptions based on historical accounts. "What can you tell me about the Warlord?"
"It is a figure which the nomads revere. All their foolish desires, false hopes and empty dreams are projected upon her, creating a figure far larger than life." The Priestess finally dropped her lotai and sent several pictures. A huge shadow, looming over countless tents, a person of overwhelming charisma, a mighty warrior wearing a shining crown. "This is what the Divine One had revealed to me. Unfortunately, our spies were lost before they could provide more information."
"I suppose this crown is an amplifier? That would make a commando operation too risky." Apparently, she had sent this to Alexander Jardin as well. "Should we simply dispatch a few drones?"
"Let me handle the matter. Having some sort of central authority will be beneficial for the resettlement efforts. It would be far easier to convince a single leader, than to chase after many dispersed tribes." Especially since the planet was warded against farsight! "Although drone surveillance will be helpful as well."
"Oh, we're already far ahead in this regard." The projector device reactivated, showing the river they travelled on yesterday. A single, primitive boat could be seen, and as the view zoomed in, she recognized the lone figure inside as a Loroi. "This one left the nomad camp two days ago, right after our explosive greeting. Since nobody stopped her, I can only guess that she may be an exile who fell from grace, or most likely a spy. Either way, capturing her will be certainly beneficial."
"When will she arrive?" Emberwing inspected the half-naked warrior, who rowed with great determination.
"Given her speed, I would set the arrival time at around midnight." The view zoomed out and turned into a map. "Also, judging by the dexterity with which she scaled the ravine, I assume her being capable of telekinesis."
"I understand, she'll probably try to sneak into the city under the cover of night. With sufficiently powerful telekinesis, it is entirely possible to fly over the walls." That was certainly no exile, the warrior was likely dispatched as a spy following the explosion to scout out their enemy's capabilities. "Yes, we will capture her by ourselves. This is a matter between Loroi."
Fireblade often complained about having nothing to do, so why not letting her take care of it? Proving their superiority in the old-fashioned way would certainly speed up any talks with the primitives, and this warrior should make for a fine lab miros to gauge their abilities.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXXXII: The Pitiful Quarry
"It must be a matter of honor, then." The Human shrugged. "Suit yourself, a failure will cost us nothing."
"When will Midnight and Fireblade arrive?" She ignored his skepticism. "Where is the nomad host right now?"
"Your associates are already underway." The projector view shifted to show the mountains from high above. The half-collapsed valley with the camp was vacated, and the horde's current location, marked with an arrow, appeared at quite the distance away. "The crags here, created by the melting ice of the planet's polar cap ages ago, form an entire labyrinth. The Loroi know the paths well, since they've picked the fastest route, but it should take them at least six more days before they would emerge out in the open. Of course, we've mapped the area as well, so it would be possible to cut them off, or even trap them in there at any time."
"This will be a last resort measure. We have no idea how long their water and food reserves could last." Or if their supplies back home would even allow them to retreat. Death by starvation was a shameful end for a warrior. She'd rather grant them swift mercy. Talks would be preferable, though, their point of view should be very interesting. "I'll get them to see reason, don't worry."
"Wonderful, then let us tackle our respective tasks. You can work on that interception." Alexander Jardin switched over to the Tastadi. "And we'd like more information about your Church and this world in general. Especially regarding any pressing matters where we might be able to help."
"Yes, I'll arrange for a meeting with our scribes!" The Priestess replied energetically as she saw off the Humans. She then sat down and asked Emberwing in a very polite, perhaps even guarded tone. "Meanwhile, I can tell you more about the Loroi. How may I address you?"
"My name is Emberwing, and my title would be Torret, a Captain." Which wasn't worth much without a ship, but that's nothing this alien needed to know. "We can now use sanzai."
"Of course, forgive me for my reluctance." It seemed that she was genuinely afraid of sanzaing with the Humans. "I shall do my utmost to be worthy of the trust Honored Sazidati placed in me."
Ellowyn then dutifully recounted all she knew of the local Loroi. Living in the wastelands kept their overall numbers rather small, which were further divided into many nomadic clans. The enmity born out of a constant struggle for scarce resources made alliances unlikely, and this meant that the tribal warbands weren't anywhere strong enough to assault the bigger settlements. Furthermore, the technology level of the settled folk never dropped below a certain level, so even telekinetically gifted Loroi weren't a game changer. The raiders had to contend with outlying hamlets, caravans or just petty thefts, and were unable to topple civilization.
The sole exception was the rise of a Warlord. Once every twelve to sixteen generations, such a figure would unite all or most of the tribes by force and lead them on a grand campaign. This horde could actually endanger a city, especially if the overall development level regressed due to unfavorable shifts in the environmental factors. Sometimes, the host would be defeated in battle, or they simply failed to overcome the defenses. At other instances, the nomads actually managed to sack a city, and retreated with the loot, or they were given supplies in tribute, and returned without a fight.
On the rarest of occasions, of which there were so far only ten, did the Warlord instead aim to capture a city. Inspired by ancient legends, they tried to hold onto the conquered lands and attempted to transform the nomadic horde into a settled nation. Which never succeeded, even if they managed to take a town. The budding city-state would either succumb to internal warfare, or fail at adopting the ways of civilization. The end was always the same, the Loroi inevitably shattered into separate clans, and retreated into the deserts, or were chased off. "The current Warlord is such a leader, and she's even foolish enough to target this city, a bastion of civilization under the Divine protection of the Transcendent One."
"What kind of legends inspire them?" Emberwing suppressed any hints to her own knowledge of Deinar's past, as not to influence the information.
"Of a legacy as rulers, which is merely a lie they concocted to cover up their shame about betrayal and defeat. The ancient Loroi who succumbed to the poison of hybris tried to usurp the Divine dominion for themselves, and this is what the Warlords are trying to reenact. But with the punishment the Gods inflicted upon them, with the stigma of treason burning in their souls, it is simply impossible." The Tastadi then sent with doubt. "I'm not sensing anything of the sort in you. Are you really Loroi?"
"Most certainly, although I now have doubts whether the local Loroi are what they seem. We've overcome barbarism long ago, rebuilt our civilization and reestablished our Empire, all by ourselves. Other races joined our Union of their own free will in recognition of our abilities, or tried to attack us and ended up being subjugated instead. We are no treasonous usurpers nor savage warmongers!" She chose not to question the punishment or stigma or whatever else it was any further, and decided to end the conversation. "Thank you for the information, but I'll have to ascertain it by myself. Are the others already here?"
"Yes, they will arrive soon, please follow me." She was led through a number of corridors to emerge out in the open. It was already dark, and the small side entrance they arrived at was illuminated by just a few lamps. Shortly after, the gates opened, and a covered wagon entered the tiny plaza.
Midnight and Fireblade, as well as the two huge Human guards, disembarked from it. The Teidar dropped the lotai she projected. "I've been told you needed us for a little errand?"
"We have to capture a spy as a source of information." Emberwing quickly explained the circumstances, and then asked the Humans. "Is the target still approaching the city?"
"Yes, she is still travelling on the river." The female answered her, "Do you need our help?"
"Since that warrior is likely telekinetic, we shall handle it by ourselves." She pulled out her tablet. "Can you send me a map of the city?"
"Already done." The tall Human smiled. "Good hunting."
"You have my thanks." She bid them farewell, and the Loroi exited the compound. "A lot happened, so let me recount everything as we walk. I've finally managed to sanzai with the Humans, although indirectly, the Tastadi are able to work as a link."
"What a strange signature." Midnight sounded curious. "Did you learn how you've connected with them previously?"
"The Priest said that it was their god's doing." Which was, no matter how ridiculous it sounded, the most likely explanation. "We are to appear before its altar tomorrow."
"As a sacrifice?" Fireblade recalled her nightmare with a mischievous undertone, "Or should we offer that warrior we're about to capture instead?"
"No one is going to be sacrificed on my command." Emberwing was navigating through the sparsely lit streets with the help of her eidetic memory and the tablet's map, which wasn't as easy as Zarjow made it look like yesterday. Unfortunately, the damn puppet-thing remained silent, wasting this opportunity she created. Perhaps it had given up on them. "The Historian gave me yet another ominous warning, the artifact might be some kind of anti-Loroi weapon. The Tastadi also shared an image of this Vestige, it appears to be a still active amplifier pillar, but I wasn't able to understand its purpose or function."
"That's nothing I've ever heard about, and as a senior Farseer caretaker I have a high clearance level, especially regarding amplifier technology. Parat Tempo also has no knowledge of these pillars, or she would've included a coded message in her report." Midnight took her time ruminating the information. "Mind-terror. Psionic weapons. Even the wildest myths of Perrein do not feature anything of the sort!"
"Provided it even existed, the weapon might've been a combination of amplifiers and Humans, or why else were any of them on the Soia ship." She sent her impressions of the crown's usage. "Their psionic potential is enormous."
"So is mine." Fireblade sounded both amused and intrigued. "I'd love to test my abilities against the legendary melor."
"For now, you'll have to contend with our quarry." As per the map's notes, a narrow secondary passage of the main gate was left open, and a Human guard wordlessly waved them through after he saw their faces. Once outside, they quickly ran towards the dockside buildings. Despite the absence of a moon, the night wasn't truly dark, similar to a dim twilight. Perhaps due to light scattering in the ice belt? This would make sneaking up to the walls very difficult. "Let us postpone the mythology debate and start looking for that warrior. Fireblade, what do you think of the tactical situation?"
"Since this is downstream, I would leave my boat behind and sneak into the docks here. Then, using these buildings as cover, observe the patrol schedule of the guards on the battlements, and once I'd see an opening, quickly cross the open space and leap over the walls." The Teidar gave a quick and precise assessment. "Of course, she could make a larger detour and approach from any other direction."
"No, I've got an update, the warrior is heading straight for the docks. We will intercept her here." A blinking message announced another data stream being sent to her tablet, it marked the boat's location in real-time. "The Humans seem to be far more useful than this accursed puppet-thing. Had I known that the Historian would remain quiet, I would've accepted the Human's help straight away. Be it as it may, we three should be enough to capture a single savage."
"Perhaps the puppet-thing realized that it had failed." Sneered Midnight. "I have the distinct feeling that it tried to seed doubt and drive a wedge between us and the Humans."
"To what end?" Or was it playing the same game with the Humans as well? "Damn that construct and its seeds of paranoia! I should've left this facsimile uniform on the citadel!"
"Don't overthink it, or the Historian will win." Fireblade was apparently busy adjusting the lotai cover for them. "Can you use those wondrous abilities of yours and spot the target? Detection is not my forte."
"Let's see how good her skills are." Emberwing checked the tablet one more time, the warrior should be already in range. She extended her sight through the cover and towards the river. A few strange signatures flashed in her mind, likely belonging to native wildlife, and this one over here should be a miros, but there were no Loroi. Concentrating, she suppressed all other thoughts, looking for the specific, diffuse and slippery feeling of a lotai. Yes, there was something… High up in the air?
"There she is, she landed just over here!" Emberwing finally managed to locate the elusive signature, hidden under a skillful lotai, and they ran to intercept her.
However, the other Loroi spotted them as well. She executed a series of telekinetically powered jumps to position herself on a building behind them. With her enhanced senses, Emberwing could feel a certain ephemeral pull. That warrior was attempting a psionic targeting for an attack! "Fireblade!"
"Too easy!" The Teidar's telekinetic pulse was faster than the assailant's. The hapless warrior was swept from the roof, spun around and dropped onto a nearby building.
"You overdid it a little." Midnight sounded somewhat amused. "We could've simply stunned her with a blaster."
"I am the superior weapon." Sent Fireblade in a proud tone, perhaps she had yearned for a foe to fight. "I've even held back, she is still alive."
"Good, let me talk to her." Emberwing set her blaster from stun to heavy stun and carefully approached the half-collapsed shack. "You are my prisoner! We will talk!"
"Do whatever you wish, but I won't!" Yes, it was undeniably a Loroi, proud and stubborn. Despite some cracks in her lotai, which leaked pain and confusion, the warrior remained unyielding. Slowly, cradling her left arm which was twisted at an odd angle, she crawled out of the rubble.
"This is a weapon." Emberwing pointed the blaster at her, transmitting the clear intention of using it, given any signs of resistance. Squeezing just the bare minimum of information through her mind-shields, she commanded: "You will obey me!"
"Why would you even rely on this fire-tube." Apparently, the Loroi recognized the blaster as a primitive chemical gun instead. "You don't need it. Do me a last honor and finish me off with that power of yours."
"We can make you submit." She sent her the idea of a Mizol's psionic interrogation. "You better cooperate."
"I'd rather die fighting, you treasonous lot!" The warrior seemed to have recovered enough, since her green eyes began to glow, so Emberwing fired her blaster. The electro-stun pulse hit the target straight in the chest, and she fell back into the rubble, twitching.
"As expected, it amounted to the same outcome, so why not use it right away?" Midnight approached the collapsed figure and picked up the limp body by the scruff, holding a blaster at the ready in another hand. "Oh, was that an honor thing?"
"Yes." Fireblade agreed boisteriously. "It was still better than whatever vile Mizol sorcery you'd subject her to."
"She would've suffered injuries either way." Emberwing touched the warrior, she was alive, but definitely out cold. "Now, we have to haul her back and ask the Humans for medical assistance."
Taking turns carrying, they brought the Loroi to the Temple, and loaded her off at the prison. Anticipating trouble, the Humans had already set up a portable medical regenerator, which was modified for Soia-Liiron patterns, and the captive was patched up quickly. However, even sedated, she still proved to be highly resistant to psionic probing. Midnight had to admit, "For some wretched barbarian, she has excellent mental defenses. I can try to use some subtler techniques, but those might take a while to work."
"How about the exact opposite. It's nothing I enjoy," Sent Fireblade with grim determination. "But she WILL cease her resistance after I'm done with her."
"Doing it properly needs several Teidar, and you trying it alone is far too likely to burn her brain to cinders instead." The Mizol sighed. "We need Parat Tempo, mental subversion is her specialty, not mine."
"Getting her down here will also take too long. On the other hand, while this one is far too dangerous while awake, we can't simply keep her drugged all the time." Emberwing looked at the sleeping warrior, whose long, purple hair was surprisingly well-cared for a savage living in the desert. Perhaps due to her high standing among her clan? This meant that she was a rather valuable source of information, if only they could get her to talk. Which won't be easy, given her resistance and that she considered them being in league with her enemies. "Fireblade, can you keep her in check once she wakes up?"
"I can overwhelm her with brute force if she tries something funny. Don't count on my ability to hold back, though." The Teidar crossed her arms, "Now, psionic dampening or any other fancy techniques seem to be incompatible with my nature."
"She could also simply kill herself if she sees that the situation is hopeless." Keeping a belligerently defiant Loroi as a prisoner was an art of its own, thought Emberwing. Perhaps she had underestimated the barbarians. Or not, this one was still just a savage, and that gave her an interesting idea. "What if she is confronted with a terror surpassing death? Like the Melor! The Priest said that the nomads fear them as undying, soul-consuming demons."
"You mean to scare her into obedience with a Human?" Midnight wasn't convinced. "What if she doesn't believe the superstitions, or believes them too well, and lashes out in panic?"
"You have a point, I'll talk with Alexander Jardin about the shuttle." The Humans were surprisingly considerate, and vacated the prison after treating the captive. Emberwing had to walk to the prison's entrance, where she finally found Zarjow sitting at a table. "Thank you for the help so far. We might require further assistance."
"To interrogate the prisoner, I suppose?" The Human stood up. "We can synthesize any compound. Or is it something else?"
"We need the help of another associate, Parat Tempo." He probably already knew what the Mizol were. "To safely handle a telekinetically gifted captive, we require her skilled assistance."
"I see, we can certainly bring her here in a shuttle, although landing it anywhere near the city would be problematic." Zarjow smirked ever so slightly. "May I offer an alternative instead?"
"Let me guess, you propose making an entrance as the Melor?" This male had a truly strange penchant for the mystic.
"Oh, yes, something like that." He chuckled. "Alexander is already underway."
"Were you able to find anything interesting in the Temple archives?" The Humans couldn't read Loroi, so how would he even prove being a monster? Telekinesis? "Perhaps about the Loroi or even the Melor?"
"The archives are certainly fascinating. We will send you a preliminary information package in a short while." Zarjow stroked his beard. "This matter, however, isn't related to the archives."
"I've promised you a demonstration of our powers, didn't I?" Flanked by the two huge guards, Alexander Jardin entered the room. "Since you were forthcoming enough to secure a suitable target, we can proceed right away."
"Have you learned how to affect Loroi?" Emberwing eyed the Humans with suspicion.
"No, not yet. We simply visited a remote Loroi camp, and tested a few things." The Captain smiled, and there was something vaguely malicious in his expression. "Don't worry, we haven't harmed anyone, at least beyond giving them a good scare."
"While I might regret this decision," Emberwing sighed. This would be informative, while also definitely dangerous. At least now, she had Fireblade by her side. "Fine, you may proceed, but at your own risk."
"As I said, it is not harmful, in fact, it is meant to be the opposite." Assured her the Human.
They went back to the captive's cell, and Emberwing explained what they would do. Midnight wasn't trilled, yet understood this as a good opportunity to gauge their abilities. Fireblade simply quitted it with indifference, "I'll protect you both, and the Humans can get splattered for all I care."
"Let's hope that he knows what he's doing." They placed the warrior in a seat with restraints, and Emberwing personally administered the shot to wake her up. She then stepped back and nodded to the Humans. "She'll become lucid in about five bimas. Whatever you wish to show off with, do it now."
"Much obliged." The Humans positioned themselves before the prisoner, and then, their eyes began glowing with a powerful, iridescent light. So those twins were not just some combat-oriented breed, but also telepaths! "Observe!"
There was a soundless, intangible pulse, and in an instant, the entire room seemed to darken. An unnatural, eerie cold seeped out of the Humans, and the captive woke up with a twitch, staring wide-eyed. This numbing chill had an indescribable component to it, something she was neither taught about, nor heard of, or even considered possible. The chaotic buzzing of active jamming, the painful pressure of psi-dampening, the electrifying tingle of a broad saturation attack, nothing seemed similar. Instead, a sense of lethargy, dread and overwhelming nothingness washed over her. Despite not actually knowing what they did, she nevertheless felt that all psionic activity was now impossible, even the very notion of using it seemed somehow futile.
The captive Loroi tried to struggle against the restraints, ignoring the pain her recently healed arm surely caused. It proved to be in vain, and she finally spoke out loud, or rather, screamed. "MELOR?!?!"
"It must be a matter of honor, then." The Human shrugged. "Suit yourself, a failure will cost us nothing."
"When will Midnight and Fireblade arrive?" She ignored his skepticism. "Where is the nomad host right now?"
"Your associates are already underway." The projector view shifted to show the mountains from high above. The half-collapsed valley with the camp was vacated, and the horde's current location, marked with an arrow, appeared at quite the distance away. "The crags here, created by the melting ice of the planet's polar cap ages ago, form an entire labyrinth. The Loroi know the paths well, since they've picked the fastest route, but it should take them at least six more days before they would emerge out in the open. Of course, we've mapped the area as well, so it would be possible to cut them off, or even trap them in there at any time."
"This will be a last resort measure. We have no idea how long their water and food reserves could last." Or if their supplies back home would even allow them to retreat. Death by starvation was a shameful end for a warrior. She'd rather grant them swift mercy. Talks would be preferable, though, their point of view should be very interesting. "I'll get them to see reason, don't worry."
"Wonderful, then let us tackle our respective tasks. You can work on that interception." Alexander Jardin switched over to the Tastadi. "And we'd like more information about your Church and this world in general. Especially regarding any pressing matters where we might be able to help."
"Yes, I'll arrange for a meeting with our scribes!" The Priestess replied energetically as she saw off the Humans. She then sat down and asked Emberwing in a very polite, perhaps even guarded tone. "Meanwhile, I can tell you more about the Loroi. How may I address you?"
"My name is Emberwing, and my title would be Torret, a Captain." Which wasn't worth much without a ship, but that's nothing this alien needed to know. "We can now use sanzai."
"Of course, forgive me for my reluctance." It seemed that she was genuinely afraid of sanzaing with the Humans. "I shall do my utmost to be worthy of the trust Honored Sazidati placed in me."
Ellowyn then dutifully recounted all she knew of the local Loroi. Living in the wastelands kept their overall numbers rather small, which were further divided into many nomadic clans. The enmity born out of a constant struggle for scarce resources made alliances unlikely, and this meant that the tribal warbands weren't anywhere strong enough to assault the bigger settlements. Furthermore, the technology level of the settled folk never dropped below a certain level, so even telekinetically gifted Loroi weren't a game changer. The raiders had to contend with outlying hamlets, caravans or just petty thefts, and were unable to topple civilization.
The sole exception was the rise of a Warlord. Once every twelve to sixteen generations, such a figure would unite all or most of the tribes by force and lead them on a grand campaign. This horde could actually endanger a city, especially if the overall development level regressed due to unfavorable shifts in the environmental factors. Sometimes, the host would be defeated in battle, or they simply failed to overcome the defenses. At other instances, the nomads actually managed to sack a city, and retreated with the loot, or they were given supplies in tribute, and returned without a fight.
On the rarest of occasions, of which there were so far only ten, did the Warlord instead aim to capture a city. Inspired by ancient legends, they tried to hold onto the conquered lands and attempted to transform the nomadic horde into a settled nation. Which never succeeded, even if they managed to take a town. The budding city-state would either succumb to internal warfare, or fail at adopting the ways of civilization. The end was always the same, the Loroi inevitably shattered into separate clans, and retreated into the deserts, or were chased off. "The current Warlord is such a leader, and she's even foolish enough to target this city, a bastion of civilization under the Divine protection of the Transcendent One."
"What kind of legends inspire them?" Emberwing suppressed any hints to her own knowledge of Deinar's past, as not to influence the information.
"Of a legacy as rulers, which is merely a lie they concocted to cover up their shame about betrayal and defeat. The ancient Loroi who succumbed to the poison of hybris tried to usurp the Divine dominion for themselves, and this is what the Warlords are trying to reenact. But with the punishment the Gods inflicted upon them, with the stigma of treason burning in their souls, it is simply impossible." The Tastadi then sent with doubt. "I'm not sensing anything of the sort in you. Are you really Loroi?"
"Most certainly, although I now have doubts whether the local Loroi are what they seem. We've overcome barbarism long ago, rebuilt our civilization and reestablished our Empire, all by ourselves. Other races joined our Union of their own free will in recognition of our abilities, or tried to attack us and ended up being subjugated instead. We are no treasonous usurpers nor savage warmongers!" She chose not to question the punishment or stigma or whatever else it was any further, and decided to end the conversation. "Thank you for the information, but I'll have to ascertain it by myself. Are the others already here?"
"Yes, they will arrive soon, please follow me." She was led through a number of corridors to emerge out in the open. It was already dark, and the small side entrance they arrived at was illuminated by just a few lamps. Shortly after, the gates opened, and a covered wagon entered the tiny plaza.
Midnight and Fireblade, as well as the two huge Human guards, disembarked from it. The Teidar dropped the lotai she projected. "I've been told you needed us for a little errand?"
"We have to capture a spy as a source of information." Emberwing quickly explained the circumstances, and then asked the Humans. "Is the target still approaching the city?"
"Yes, she is still travelling on the river." The female answered her, "Do you need our help?"
"Since that warrior is likely telekinetic, we shall handle it by ourselves." She pulled out her tablet. "Can you send me a map of the city?"
"Already done." The tall Human smiled. "Good hunting."
"You have my thanks." She bid them farewell, and the Loroi exited the compound. "A lot happened, so let me recount everything as we walk. I've finally managed to sanzai with the Humans, although indirectly, the Tastadi are able to work as a link."
"What a strange signature." Midnight sounded curious. "Did you learn how you've connected with them previously?"
"The Priest said that it was their god's doing." Which was, no matter how ridiculous it sounded, the most likely explanation. "We are to appear before its altar tomorrow."
"As a sacrifice?" Fireblade recalled her nightmare with a mischievous undertone, "Or should we offer that warrior we're about to capture instead?"
"No one is going to be sacrificed on my command." Emberwing was navigating through the sparsely lit streets with the help of her eidetic memory and the tablet's map, which wasn't as easy as Zarjow made it look like yesterday. Unfortunately, the damn puppet-thing remained silent, wasting this opportunity she created. Perhaps it had given up on them. "The Historian gave me yet another ominous warning, the artifact might be some kind of anti-Loroi weapon. The Tastadi also shared an image of this Vestige, it appears to be a still active amplifier pillar, but I wasn't able to understand its purpose or function."
"That's nothing I've ever heard about, and as a senior Farseer caretaker I have a high clearance level, especially regarding amplifier technology. Parat Tempo also has no knowledge of these pillars, or she would've included a coded message in her report." Midnight took her time ruminating the information. "Mind-terror. Psionic weapons. Even the wildest myths of Perrein do not feature anything of the sort!"
"Provided it even existed, the weapon might've been a combination of amplifiers and Humans, or why else were any of them on the Soia ship." She sent her impressions of the crown's usage. "Their psionic potential is enormous."
"So is mine." Fireblade sounded both amused and intrigued. "I'd love to test my abilities against the legendary melor."
"For now, you'll have to contend with our quarry." As per the map's notes, a narrow secondary passage of the main gate was left open, and a Human guard wordlessly waved them through after he saw their faces. Once outside, they quickly ran towards the dockside buildings. Despite the absence of a moon, the night wasn't truly dark, similar to a dim twilight. Perhaps due to light scattering in the ice belt? This would make sneaking up to the walls very difficult. "Let us postpone the mythology debate and start looking for that warrior. Fireblade, what do you think of the tactical situation?"
"Since this is downstream, I would leave my boat behind and sneak into the docks here. Then, using these buildings as cover, observe the patrol schedule of the guards on the battlements, and once I'd see an opening, quickly cross the open space and leap over the walls." The Teidar gave a quick and precise assessment. "Of course, she could make a larger detour and approach from any other direction."
"No, I've got an update, the warrior is heading straight for the docks. We will intercept her here." A blinking message announced another data stream being sent to her tablet, it marked the boat's location in real-time. "The Humans seem to be far more useful than this accursed puppet-thing. Had I known that the Historian would remain quiet, I would've accepted the Human's help straight away. Be it as it may, we three should be enough to capture a single savage."
"Perhaps the puppet-thing realized that it had failed." Sneered Midnight. "I have the distinct feeling that it tried to seed doubt and drive a wedge between us and the Humans."
"To what end?" Or was it playing the same game with the Humans as well? "Damn that construct and its seeds of paranoia! I should've left this facsimile uniform on the citadel!"
"Don't overthink it, or the Historian will win." Fireblade was apparently busy adjusting the lotai cover for them. "Can you use those wondrous abilities of yours and spot the target? Detection is not my forte."
"Let's see how good her skills are." Emberwing checked the tablet one more time, the warrior should be already in range. She extended her sight through the cover and towards the river. A few strange signatures flashed in her mind, likely belonging to native wildlife, and this one over here should be a miros, but there were no Loroi. Concentrating, she suppressed all other thoughts, looking for the specific, diffuse and slippery feeling of a lotai. Yes, there was something… High up in the air?
"There she is, she landed just over here!" Emberwing finally managed to locate the elusive signature, hidden under a skillful lotai, and they ran to intercept her.
However, the other Loroi spotted them as well. She executed a series of telekinetically powered jumps to position herself on a building behind them. With her enhanced senses, Emberwing could feel a certain ephemeral pull. That warrior was attempting a psionic targeting for an attack! "Fireblade!"
"Too easy!" The Teidar's telekinetic pulse was faster than the assailant's. The hapless warrior was swept from the roof, spun around and dropped onto a nearby building.
"You overdid it a little." Midnight sounded somewhat amused. "We could've simply stunned her with a blaster."
"I am the superior weapon." Sent Fireblade in a proud tone, perhaps she had yearned for a foe to fight. "I've even held back, she is still alive."
"Good, let me talk to her." Emberwing set her blaster from stun to heavy stun and carefully approached the half-collapsed shack. "You are my prisoner! We will talk!"
"Do whatever you wish, but I won't!" Yes, it was undeniably a Loroi, proud and stubborn. Despite some cracks in her lotai, which leaked pain and confusion, the warrior remained unyielding. Slowly, cradling her left arm which was twisted at an odd angle, she crawled out of the rubble.
"This is a weapon." Emberwing pointed the blaster at her, transmitting the clear intention of using it, given any signs of resistance. Squeezing just the bare minimum of information through her mind-shields, she commanded: "You will obey me!"
"Why would you even rely on this fire-tube." Apparently, the Loroi recognized the blaster as a primitive chemical gun instead. "You don't need it. Do me a last honor and finish me off with that power of yours."
"We can make you submit." She sent her the idea of a Mizol's psionic interrogation. "You better cooperate."
"I'd rather die fighting, you treasonous lot!" The warrior seemed to have recovered enough, since her green eyes began to glow, so Emberwing fired her blaster. The electro-stun pulse hit the target straight in the chest, and she fell back into the rubble, twitching.
"As expected, it amounted to the same outcome, so why not use it right away?" Midnight approached the collapsed figure and picked up the limp body by the scruff, holding a blaster at the ready in another hand. "Oh, was that an honor thing?"
"Yes." Fireblade agreed boisteriously. "It was still better than whatever vile Mizol sorcery you'd subject her to."
"She would've suffered injuries either way." Emberwing touched the warrior, she was alive, but definitely out cold. "Now, we have to haul her back and ask the Humans for medical assistance."
Taking turns carrying, they brought the Loroi to the Temple, and loaded her off at the prison. Anticipating trouble, the Humans had already set up a portable medical regenerator, which was modified for Soia-Liiron patterns, and the captive was patched up quickly. However, even sedated, she still proved to be highly resistant to psionic probing. Midnight had to admit, "For some wretched barbarian, she has excellent mental defenses. I can try to use some subtler techniques, but those might take a while to work."
"How about the exact opposite. It's nothing I enjoy," Sent Fireblade with grim determination. "But she WILL cease her resistance after I'm done with her."
"Doing it properly needs several Teidar, and you trying it alone is far too likely to burn her brain to cinders instead." The Mizol sighed. "We need Parat Tempo, mental subversion is her specialty, not mine."
"Getting her down here will also take too long. On the other hand, while this one is far too dangerous while awake, we can't simply keep her drugged all the time." Emberwing looked at the sleeping warrior, whose long, purple hair was surprisingly well-cared for a savage living in the desert. Perhaps due to her high standing among her clan? This meant that she was a rather valuable source of information, if only they could get her to talk. Which won't be easy, given her resistance and that she considered them being in league with her enemies. "Fireblade, can you keep her in check once she wakes up?"
"I can overwhelm her with brute force if she tries something funny. Don't count on my ability to hold back, though." The Teidar crossed her arms, "Now, psionic dampening or any other fancy techniques seem to be incompatible with my nature."
"She could also simply kill herself if she sees that the situation is hopeless." Keeping a belligerently defiant Loroi as a prisoner was an art of its own, thought Emberwing. Perhaps she had underestimated the barbarians. Or not, this one was still just a savage, and that gave her an interesting idea. "What if she is confronted with a terror surpassing death? Like the Melor! The Priest said that the nomads fear them as undying, soul-consuming demons."
"You mean to scare her into obedience with a Human?" Midnight wasn't convinced. "What if she doesn't believe the superstitions, or believes them too well, and lashes out in panic?"
"You have a point, I'll talk with Alexander Jardin about the shuttle." The Humans were surprisingly considerate, and vacated the prison after treating the captive. Emberwing had to walk to the prison's entrance, where she finally found Zarjow sitting at a table. "Thank you for the help so far. We might require further assistance."
"To interrogate the prisoner, I suppose?" The Human stood up. "We can synthesize any compound. Or is it something else?"
"We need the help of another associate, Parat Tempo." He probably already knew what the Mizol were. "To safely handle a telekinetically gifted captive, we require her skilled assistance."
"I see, we can certainly bring her here in a shuttle, although landing it anywhere near the city would be problematic." Zarjow smirked ever so slightly. "May I offer an alternative instead?"
"Let me guess, you propose making an entrance as the Melor?" This male had a truly strange penchant for the mystic.
"Oh, yes, something like that." He chuckled. "Alexander is already underway."
"Were you able to find anything interesting in the Temple archives?" The Humans couldn't read Loroi, so how would he even prove being a monster? Telekinesis? "Perhaps about the Loroi or even the Melor?"
"The archives are certainly fascinating. We will send you a preliminary information package in a short while." Zarjow stroked his beard. "This matter, however, isn't related to the archives."
"I've promised you a demonstration of our powers, didn't I?" Flanked by the two huge guards, Alexander Jardin entered the room. "Since you were forthcoming enough to secure a suitable target, we can proceed right away."
"Have you learned how to affect Loroi?" Emberwing eyed the Humans with suspicion.
"No, not yet. We simply visited a remote Loroi camp, and tested a few things." The Captain smiled, and there was something vaguely malicious in his expression. "Don't worry, we haven't harmed anyone, at least beyond giving them a good scare."
"While I might regret this decision," Emberwing sighed. This would be informative, while also definitely dangerous. At least now, she had Fireblade by her side. "Fine, you may proceed, but at your own risk."
"As I said, it is not harmful, in fact, it is meant to be the opposite." Assured her the Human.
They went back to the captive's cell, and Emberwing explained what they would do. Midnight wasn't trilled, yet understood this as a good opportunity to gauge their abilities. Fireblade simply quitted it with indifference, "I'll protect you both, and the Humans can get splattered for all I care."
"Let's hope that he knows what he's doing." They placed the warrior in a seat with restraints, and Emberwing personally administered the shot to wake her up. She then stepped back and nodded to the Humans. "She'll become lucid in about five bimas. Whatever you wish to show off with, do it now."
"Much obliged." The Humans positioned themselves before the prisoner, and then, their eyes began glowing with a powerful, iridescent light. So those twins were not just some combat-oriented breed, but also telepaths! "Observe!"
There was a soundless, intangible pulse, and in an instant, the entire room seemed to darken. An unnatural, eerie cold seeped out of the Humans, and the captive woke up with a twitch, staring wide-eyed. This numbing chill had an indescribable component to it, something she was neither taught about, nor heard of, or even considered possible. The chaotic buzzing of active jamming, the painful pressure of psi-dampening, the electrifying tingle of a broad saturation attack, nothing seemed similar. Instead, a sense of lethargy, dread and overwhelming nothingness washed over her. Despite not actually knowing what they did, she nevertheless felt that all psionic activity was now impossible, even the very notion of using it seemed somehow futile.
The captive Loroi tried to struggle against the restraints, ignoring the pain her recently healed arm surely caused. It proved to be in vain, and she finally spoke out loud, or rather, screamed. "MELOR?!?!"
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Intermission Z: Good Omens, Bad Omens
"You again! Shall I challenge you a second time?" Stillstorm scoffed at the annoyingly calm, slightly disapproving and subtly judging visage of Truesword. "I always suspected that you'd turn into a melor after death, rotten fungus-brain."
"To think that you'd turn into a bedein in life, shorn-and-tarred pirate." Her old rival smiled faintly. "However, I can't be a melor if you still remember me, but for you not to forget, I have to haunt your dreams as a shade from time to time. Quite the conundrum, don't you agree?"
"Begone, evil spirit, spare me your wiles of philosophy!" Stillstorm had to chuckle. "You've won the wager, and I even took care of your pupil, so return to rest, will you?"
"That girl is clever enough to find her own way. What if I'm more concerned about you?" The specter frowned. "Your brain may be finally turning into mush if you're inserting me into your weird dreams! I can't save you a second time!"
"No need. I only ask you to witness me, old friend." The Lashret woke up in her cabin, the exotic weapon collection filling her sight. Three hours of rest weren't anywhere enough, but she couldn't sleep any longer. Soon, she would rest for an eternity, anyway. While she had left all the silly superstitions of her homeworld behind after maturing from a naive diral youth, this particular omen was definitely spot-on. To dream about your best friend, favorite rival, reliable battle-sister, who already died with honor, just before a decisive fight? It had only one meaning. The next battle was destined to be her most glorious one. And her final one as well, for the spirit's message was an invitation to join the Honored Dead. Then, she simply had to do her best and deliver a martial display worthy of Truesword's summon. Exchanging her fancily useless dagger for a utility knife better suited for knife-things, Stillstorm left her cabin for the bridge.
"Commander on the bridge!" Rune Laurel's acknowledgement was not quite as crisp as usual. "Nothing to report."
"Relieved. Get some sleep." The Soroin Mallas nodded, and headed for the exit. As she passed by, the Lashret sent in private, "Dream of Arclight."
"I shall." Her second-in-command, being from Taben as well, understood the message. After all, her friend, Captain of the Torrent, died just two days ago.
"Detailed update!" The resident Listel quickly sent it, there was nothing of importance. The gatecrasher fleet was still four hours away from the Loroi forces.
Just enough time for the main shift to get a bit of rest. The Commander suppressed a sigh, grabbed a pozet, which someone was thoughtful enough to leave at her station, and sat down to eat. Day after day of nearly constant battles against the Enemy, hit-and-run assaults, flanking maneuvers, suicidal charges on their supply ships, tactical retreats, every trick to stall the armada, all of it was about to find a heroic end. With largely undefended, populated worlds behind them, they couldn't withdraw any further and the final, decisive battle would be fought right here, at the rear fleet base of Nezel and its twin citadels.
She couldn't complain about their dalid. The Shells have so far displayed overwhelming capabilities, covering entire systems with lotai, performing frighteningly precise deep-jumps, or anticipating their fleet movements as if possessing farsight. Then, the gatecrasher force simply stopped using anything of the sort after arriving at Enedd, reverting to their old tactics. Which was fortunate, or their meager forces would've been overrun already. But why did the Enemy abandon their advantage? Not a single good reason came to mind.
Or did the Humans actually do something? She recalled the flamboyant mockery that pink Captain had used to provoke the Shell commander. Whatever lies it was based on, the Enemy chose to disregard it. The display of his ship's capabilities, however, was certainly noteworthy. The Listel were still unsure regarding the technology behind it, beyond mere guesses about some kind of hyperspace boundary manipulation. Even more mysterious was the reaction of the Farseers. They reported experiencing an odd pulse, its nature utterly incomprehensible to her, exactly at the time that ship jumped, and it even coincided with the fleet-lotai's sudden deactivation.
Just then, Stillstorm realized that she was eating the fourth pozet already. She looked up, spotting a Paset, who handed her another bun. "Thank you, Cloud, you may go now."
How delightedly quaint of the bridge crew to leave her to her brooding. "Enough daydreaming, let us perform a combat simulation!"
"Farseer report, Gora system free of fleet-lotai, sensing Loroi signatures." The resident Mizol spun around in her seat, and nearly shouted in her elation. "Great many signatures!"
"Request confirmation from Duskcrown." Stillstorm decided not to admonish the Losat for her indiscretion. Perhaps she had misinterpreted the dream, and Truesword was, in fact, still trying to save her, lending her some of her leftover dalid.
"You again! Shall I challenge you a second time?" Stillstorm scoffed at the annoyingly calm, slightly disapproving and subtly judging visage of Truesword. "I always suspected that you'd turn into a melor after death, rotten fungus-brain."
"To think that you'd turn into a bedein in life, shorn-and-tarred pirate." Her old rival smiled faintly. "However, I can't be a melor if you still remember me, but for you not to forget, I have to haunt your dreams as a shade from time to time. Quite the conundrum, don't you agree?"
"Begone, evil spirit, spare me your wiles of philosophy!" Stillstorm had to chuckle. "You've won the wager, and I even took care of your pupil, so return to rest, will you?"
"That girl is clever enough to find her own way. What if I'm more concerned about you?" The specter frowned. "Your brain may be finally turning into mush if you're inserting me into your weird dreams! I can't save you a second time!"
"No need. I only ask you to witness me, old friend." The Lashret woke up in her cabin, the exotic weapon collection filling her sight. Three hours of rest weren't anywhere enough, but she couldn't sleep any longer. Soon, she would rest for an eternity, anyway. While she had left all the silly superstitions of her homeworld behind after maturing from a naive diral youth, this particular omen was definitely spot-on. To dream about your best friend, favorite rival, reliable battle-sister, who already died with honor, just before a decisive fight? It had only one meaning. The next battle was destined to be her most glorious one. And her final one as well, for the spirit's message was an invitation to join the Honored Dead. Then, she simply had to do her best and deliver a martial display worthy of Truesword's summon. Exchanging her fancily useless dagger for a utility knife better suited for knife-things, Stillstorm left her cabin for the bridge.
"Commander on the bridge!" Rune Laurel's acknowledgement was not quite as crisp as usual. "Nothing to report."
"Relieved. Get some sleep." The Soroin Mallas nodded, and headed for the exit. As she passed by, the Lashret sent in private, "Dream of Arclight."
"I shall." Her second-in-command, being from Taben as well, understood the message. After all, her friend, Captain of the Torrent, died just two days ago.
"Detailed update!" The resident Listel quickly sent it, there was nothing of importance. The gatecrasher fleet was still four hours away from the Loroi forces.
Just enough time for the main shift to get a bit of rest. The Commander suppressed a sigh, grabbed a pozet, which someone was thoughtful enough to leave at her station, and sat down to eat. Day after day of nearly constant battles against the Enemy, hit-and-run assaults, flanking maneuvers, suicidal charges on their supply ships, tactical retreats, every trick to stall the armada, all of it was about to find a heroic end. With largely undefended, populated worlds behind them, they couldn't withdraw any further and the final, decisive battle would be fought right here, at the rear fleet base of Nezel and its twin citadels.
She couldn't complain about their dalid. The Shells have so far displayed overwhelming capabilities, covering entire systems with lotai, performing frighteningly precise deep-jumps, or anticipating their fleet movements as if possessing farsight. Then, the gatecrasher force simply stopped using anything of the sort after arriving at Enedd, reverting to their old tactics. Which was fortunate, or their meager forces would've been overrun already. But why did the Enemy abandon their advantage? Not a single good reason came to mind.
Or did the Humans actually do something? She recalled the flamboyant mockery that pink Captain had used to provoke the Shell commander. Whatever lies it was based on, the Enemy chose to disregard it. The display of his ship's capabilities, however, was certainly noteworthy. The Listel were still unsure regarding the technology behind it, beyond mere guesses about some kind of hyperspace boundary manipulation. Even more mysterious was the reaction of the Farseers. They reported experiencing an odd pulse, its nature utterly incomprehensible to her, exactly at the time that ship jumped, and it even coincided with the fleet-lotai's sudden deactivation.
Just then, Stillstorm realized that she was eating the fourth pozet already. She looked up, spotting a Paset, who handed her another bun. "Thank you, Cloud, you may go now."
How delightedly quaint of the bridge crew to leave her to her brooding. "Enough daydreaming, let us perform a combat simulation!"
"Farseer report, Gora system free of fleet-lotai, sensing Loroi signatures." The resident Mizol spun around in her seat, and nearly shouted in her elation. "Great many signatures!"
"Request confirmation from Duskcrown." Stillstorm decided not to admonish the Losat for her indiscretion. Perhaps she had misinterpreted the dream, and Truesword was, in fact, still trying to save her, lending her some of her leftover dalid.
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself
Re: [Fan Fiction] Rellet Reimolad Roror (A sword that wields itself) Story Thread
Chapter XXXXXIII: A Shining Hope
"We are now warded against psionic attacks. You can ask your questions." The Human Captain turned away from the trembling Loroi and faced her. Looking into his eyes, which seemed to be bottomless wells filled with those eerie blue flames, Emberwing felt an illogical fear, but his was only an unknown technique, she assured herself.
"I'll have to question you later as well." Being deprived of all psionic abilities was a truly new, and rather terrifying sensation. Could such techniques have existed in the past, giving rise to the melor myths? Or were those legends distorted memories about the Humans? No, he mustn't notice her being startled or absent-minded, so she boldly approached the captive. "Will you cooperate?"
"This is all wrong!" The prisoner resumed to struggle against her restraints. "I cannot be alive!"
"You are definitely alive." Insisted Emberwing, "Even your injuries were healed."
"No, you killed me!" The Loroi looked up, and screamed out her accusations. "Fed me to those monsters! Stripped me of my essence! I am now among the Dead!"
"I had to incapacitate you because you refused to submit!" It was quite amusing that the barbarians shared even those old myths. Or that this warrior had the same initial assumption as her, back when she met the Humans for the first time. "Your powers are merely disabled, for now."
"Give me back my essence!" The captive dared not to look at the Humans, only focusing on her. "Why do you follow those monsters?!"
"We merely cooperate, and they aren't monsters!" Or were they? That was certainly a display worthy of being one. "Will you finally listen?"
"I won't listen to a demon!" The prisoner shot her a defiant glare. "End this! Release me from this torment!"
"Stupid savage!" She didn't have time to argue with a barbarian! Making a Loroi submit was also an art of its own, and despite being promoted to Torret, Emberwing wasn't yet proficient in this skill. Not that she needed to, the Imperial system of ranks and castes facilitated subordination throughout the Union, but here, only the most archaic principle could be used. She grabbed the captive's head with both hands, and stared back into her green eyes. Even skin contact did not enable any telepathic link, so she spoke in her best command tone. "Follow me, and help save your people from this prison world, or I will discard your soulless carcass, and find someone else with a brain!"
"What?" As expected, the other Loroi seemed confused, her stubbornness gone for a moment.
"Deactivate whatever evil-thing you use!" This whole matter wasn't as complicated as she'd made it out to be. There was no actual need for vile Mizol mind tricks, or the melor's dreadful sorcery. If her heroic ancestor Starsword managed to forge a new clan out of an unruly mercenary company, she should be able to make at least a single Loroi submit. Feeling the terrible sensation of the psi-nullifying technique abate, and not detecting any mental resistance from the captive, Emberwing channeled her resolve into a powerful sending. It carried an entire informational package, fed by her eidetic memory: images of Loroi sister-worlds, their culture, achievements, and glory. "This is my offer, join your kind among the stars, or perish in the dust of this forsaken planet!"
"The Empire exists?!" The answer was highly confused, a whirlwind of chaotic thought fragments. "But the Fall?"
"We overcame the Fall and restored our legacy long ago." She then added in an official tone. "I am Soroin Torret Emberwing of the Loroi Empire, and I offer all the Loroi on this world to become part of our Union!"
"Stars? Other worlds? So you have a vessel-beyond-sky?" The Warrior sounded hopeful. "Does this mean that our damnation is over?"
"If by damnation you mean living on this failed planet, then yes." Emberwing nodded. There was indeed more to their point of view. "All the Loroi here will be resettled to live with your sisters on more hospitable worlds."
"Then you are not a demon, but a savior." The Warrior smiled. "Still, can you release me?"
"Do you promise not to do anything stupid?" She smiled back. "And to cooperate with us?"
"Yes, I swear on the honor of my clan!" Came the solemn reply.
"Good enough for me." Emberwing released her grip and opened the restraints. "However, we know where the horde is, so there's more at stake than just your clan's honor."
"There's no need for threats." Insisted the Loroi. "I will not renegade on my oath."
"Now, tell me who you are, and why you've come to the city." Commanded Emberwing.
"I am Warrior Shining Sword of the Waterdeep clan. My task was to scout the city, and learn of the new weapon." Which, according to her mental image, must be some sort of primitive chemical explosive. Yes, the Human Captain did mention that. "The sudden collapse of the valley's exit prompted my mother to send me here to investigate."
"So your mother is the clan matron?" It seemed that this captive was quite valuable.
"She is the one who unified the clans as the Azerein!" The sending contained an overwhelming amount of pride and hope.
"HA!" What a delightfully absurd claim. Emberwing countered that silliness with the image of the proper Azerein, Greywind, whom she saw once. "Why would a mere warlord leading a horde of unwashed barbarians claim such a grand title?"
"Only the Azerein can unify us, break the binding curses, and restore our legacy!" Shining Sword flared up at first, but quickly deflated, sending in resignation. "I guess there is no point to it now. For an outsider, our futile struggles and meager achievements must look pathetic."
"As long as you upheld our warrior ideals, and persevered against all odds, those trials weren't in vain." Emberwing stretched out her arm. "Get up, we have much to do."
"What do you need me for?" The touch link felt to be even deeper than before, and strangely enough, there wasn't a single hint of deception. For some reason, her initial hostility was now replaced with complete trust.
"I need to convince the Warlord to stop this raid, and you're going to help me." Emberwing pulled the warrior out of her seat. "Whatever she plans to do to this city, it disrupts our plans. I'd rather have her round up the local Loroi, and prepare them for resettlement instead."
"Do you still require our assistance?" Zarjow's voice in the headset startled her, she forgot about it completely. "Or should we leave as not to spoil a touching family reunion?"
"Those Humans are our prospective allies, with their own star-empire. They're not monsters, merely a different kind of telepaths." The touch-link would make lies impossible, so Emberwing let go of her hand, and explained the issue as briefly as possible. "Yes, while I must thank you for your help, it is no longer needed. This Loroi promised us her full cooperation."
"Thank you." The Warrior seemed relieved as the aliens departed.
"By the Sightless Hordes of the Under-Dark, what was that!?" Finally, Midnight opened her lotai to send an agitated, but pinpointed remark. "I was right, they are melor!"
"Ha, that's just you Mizol lot getting your dues! Ever since your Emperor seized power, you've abused that status by dragging us Teidar to diplomatic meetings to intimidate the hapless aliens. It was about time you'd run headfirst into a mirror." The Teidar interpreted this display as a challenge. "I think that I could break through this technique."
"Hopefully, it won't be an easy task." Emberwing had an idea. "Perhaps we could use this effect to intimidate the Warlord."
"Would the Humans even need us, then?" Midnight made a good point. "Or the local Loroi, for that matter?"
"I shall assume that they do, if only for the sake of the prospective alliance." Emberwing now focused back on the Warrior. "Let me introduce those two, Midnight is my diplomatic advisor, and Fireblade is an Unsheathed, you've already experienced her specialty in a most direct manner."
"Yes, I must express my apologies for not acknowledging your superiority and admitting my defeat." Shining Sword moved her restored arm. "And I thank you for healing me, I thought that this arm would become unusable."
"It is a trifle for modern technology, which all of you will have access to." A complex fracture of her dominant left arm would've left her a cripple, since the primitives couldn't mend the bones properly. "If your mother accepts my offer, of course."
"I'll do my best to help convince her." She looked around, and spotted her equipment in a corner. "May I?"
After being allowed to, Shining Sword put her armor back on, and tried to grab her weapon, but was stopped by Fireblade. "Pull it out, and you'll learn what other skills I have."
"No, I lost the right to draw it." The Warrior handed the still sheathed sword to Emberwing. "As per my clan's custom, it is now your trophy."
"I am honored." There was a certain sense of gravity, so Emberwing decided not to question the tradition. Besides, this sword seemed to be somehow familiar? She drew it, and was almost surprised by the brilliant white sheen of the blade. Or rather, this would be a surprise, had she not already exhausted her capacity for being so. This was anything but a coincidence, considering its resemblance to the sword the Humans made. "Where did you get it from?"
"I've discovered it in a ruin deep in the desert. Many challenged me for it, but none could best me." Judging from the accompanying mental images, she found it during some kind of rite, and was granted her current name for this achievement. "It is now yours."
"It was definitely a Soia ruin, which means that this is an artifact." Looking at the weapon, Emberwing realized that it matched the one from her dreams perfectly. More so, this Loroi was somehow familiar as well? She recalled her dreams, until arriving at a certain memory, and then pointed the sword at the Warrior to test her hypothesis. "Did a male die by this blade?"
"How do you even know?" The accused Loroi stepped back. "It was in self-defense! I didn't even have the time to ascertain who attacked me!"
"Self-defense against scrawny kids? You were never in any real danger!" She sent the exact memory of the event, down to the accompanying emotions. "There was no need for such senseless slaughter."
"I've had enough nightmares about the deed haunting me!" Now, there was genuine remorse. "Why do you know of it?"
"I saw repeated dreams of wandering in this city, and wondered where they may have originated from. Now, I'm pretty sure that they're your memories." Her dream-self did seem to be partially inconsistent with her own character. Whatever goal might've that god pursued, sending those dreams across such impossible distances? Why pick this particular Loroi as the source, or why selecting her as the target? No, one problem at a time. She sheathed the sword. "Did you, by chance, dream of me?"
"There were many strange dreams, but no, this is the first time we've met." Shining Sword shook her head. "Damn this demon and its tricks! What kind of sorcery is at work here?"
"Yes, that entity which the locals worship is definitely the culprit, and am fully committed to find out what kind of game it is playing." Both the means and the intention. "For that, we have to stop the raid first, and you will assist us."
They moved to another room, where everyone could sit down, and Shining Sword summarized the Warlord's intentions. "What my mother really aims for, as far as I understand it, is to carve out a place for us Loroi where we can finally settle down, and begin to thrive as a civilization. Such a breakthrough is only possible by combining the strength of all clans, which is why she unified them, and this city here would've served as the new seat of her power. However, I have no idea why she targets this city specifically, there seems to be some arcane reason she hasn't told anyone about."
"While unification is the proper way, we need this city intact." Perhaps this warlord could've become this world's Lawbringer. Too bad for her, for there was no longer any point to it. "We Loroi already are a civilization, and there are many worlds in the Union where you can prosper."
"How can this work?" Of course, the idea of interstellar travel must be incomprehensible to her. "How long will this take?"
"We are currently on an important mission. The detour here was accidental, and we can't remain here for too long, regardless how interesting this world may be. After we finish the matters here, the travel time back to Union territory should take about 20 days." Emberwing decided to simplify the concepts of hyperspace transits, and sent an image of a vessel jumping from star to star. "Once back home, we would need to prepare a path for supply ships to reach this faraway system. All in all, I would assume that the resettlement could begin in a standard year. Wait, you wouldn't know how long that is, so I'd say 256 days as a rough estimate."
"No need to simplify all that for my sake, I don't understand it either way. But you do not seem to be lying, and I shall believe you." Or, perhaps, this Loroi wanted to believe. "Well, there are myths of traversing the void in floating cities, and that's how we ended up here. Our ancestors were able to master those fantastic means of travel, and maybe, with time, I can understand it as well."
"We can help each other out, since I do not understand the mystery of this world." She nodded at the Mizol. "Please tell her as much about your culture and customs as possible, especially the ones regarding negotiations. As my diplomatic aide, she is trained in this kind of work. Meanwhile, I'll organize our means of transportation."
Leaving the three Loroi behind, Emberwing went to look for the Humans, which didn't take long. Zarjow was sitting in the guard room by the entrance, eyes closed. Certainly, judging by the lightning outside, it should be morning already, she missed an entire sleep cycle. Sensing her approach, he opened one eye, "I suppose you need further assistance?"
As if there was another option. "Can I request a shuttle? The captive has promised her cooperation, and it would be prudent to meet with the Warlord as quickly as feasible."
"Yes, a shuttle can be dispatched right away, it is waiting at the plateau." Zarjow opened another eye. "There is a small cliffside upstream, the shuttle can land there out of sight of the city. With all the villages evacuated, there shouldn't be anybody else in the vicinity. When do you want to depart?"
"While the Priest worded it as a request, solving the barbarian issue is most likely a prerequisite to meet with their god-artifact." And she'd rather secure the Church's cooperation. "So I'd say as soon as possible."
"That is indeed the case, we have to stop the invasion." The Human stood up. "Are you sure the leader will even hear you out?"
"The prisoner is her daughter, so at the very least, she will listen to her." While the discovery of another lost colony was a significant matter, right now, those barbarian Loroi were an obstacle instead. "Whatever goals the Warlord tries to achieve, my offer would be evidently better."
"What if she desires achievements, not assistance?" The Operative crossed his arms. "As a great man once said, it is better to be the number one in a village, than number two in the capital."
"They do not have villages or any other permanent settlements. Or is it a metaphor?" Emberwing tilted her head, "I think I understand what you mean. While this may be the case, it is not a problem. Negotiations between Loroi must always account for this possibility, we know how to deal with it."
"I see. Since we aren't that different, I can certainly understand how the dealing with is supposed to be done." Zarjow smirked. "And should that strategy fail, we can simply play the monsters yet again."
"Let us reserve this as a last resort measure." This technique was far too unsettling, and she had no idea how a whole horde would react to it. "No Warlord can defeat the truth."
"But an Emperor just might." He chuckled, and then waved it off. "Fine, let us do it your way. We shall assemble at the side entrance in an hour. Do you need anything else? The Church gave us a guest house, and all your luggage was already carried there."
"Thank you, can you show us the way?" She nodded. "Midnight, Fireblade, take the prisoner and let's go. We have to pick up our supplies."
Zarjow led them around three corners and into another building. "Your rooms are up there, on the second floor to the left. There are baths down the corridor and the kitchen is over here. Is the time until departure really sufficient?"
"We shall manage." She didn't know why he'd ask, but couldn't care less about the reason. "Until then."
He simply shrugged and went away, so Emberwing explained the timetable. "We are to depart in an hour. Get ready, we can sleep in the shuttle."
"Why the haste?" Midnight frowned. "Preparing for the negotiations takes time."
"Because dealing with the nomads is the favor required for the Church's cooperation. We aren't diplomats nor scientists, our mission goal is to return to Union space as quickly as possible. Preferably with some useful knowledge to make up for the delay. The Shells won't wait for us!" She sighed. This world was fascinating, and if it wasn't for the war, she'd volunteer for a mission here. If she were a Listel, that is. Wait, that was a good idea. "Should we get the rest of the team down here as well?"
"Yes, if only Listel Beryl and Parat Tempo. I'd rather not expose our Farseer to any unknown artifacts." A reasonable precaution. "Then, the Bistima needs at least a single caretaker, but only Disis Willpower has the expertise, and I doubt that Tiret Oasis will be of much use down here."
"Agreed." Emberwing tapped her headset. "Is it possible to bring two more team members to the surface? I need the assistance of Parat Tempo and Tozet Beryl."
"We are currently preparing another shuttle with reinforcements for the contact, they can board it as well." This time, it was Alexander Jardin who answered. "We shall meet up with them at the destination."
"Thank you." She pulled out her tablet, and wrote a quick missive for the two: what to expect down here, how to prepare, and which items to bring along with them. "You have half an hour, then we shall assemble for a debriefing."
"Running hot water, at least some semblance of civilization." Back in their assigned room, Emberwing dried her hair by the fireplace. "Midnight, are there any particular customs regarding negotiations among the locals?"
"Greet from afar verbally, then approach into sanzai range, and don't launch any attacks. The usual, really." The Mizol sat on the bed, eating something. "The Warlord, and this silly girl still hasn't told us her name, is supposed to be magnanimous and rational, so she is likely to hear you out."
"Yes, just as I've promised, I shall convince my mother to listen to your story." Shining Sword seemed uncomfortable with names, a local superstition? She sensed that objection, and relented with a sigh. "Everyone is meant to address her as Azerein now, but you have your own one. I suppose it is permissible to reveal it, her name is Eminent Voice."
"How strong is she as a telepath?" This name seemed like an announcement of her abilities. "Is she capable of telekinesis as well?"
"She is very powerful, even more so after learning how to use the crown." There was a mental picture of the Warlord, a purple-haired Loroi wearing the same amplifier as the Priest. Just how many precious artifacts were strewn about this forsaken world? "I'm the only one of my clan who is capable of telekinesis."
"An amplifier? How interesting." Fireblade tapped her own one. "I can match that, should she dare to challenge us."
"We might be primitive by your standards, but we aren't savages!" The Warrior objected vehemently. "Envoys are to be treated with courtesy, and guests with hospitality."
"Then we shall test both." After making sure that her appearance was proper, Emberwing equipped the artifact sword, and commanded. "Let us head out."
"We are now warded against psionic attacks. You can ask your questions." The Human Captain turned away from the trembling Loroi and faced her. Looking into his eyes, which seemed to be bottomless wells filled with those eerie blue flames, Emberwing felt an illogical fear, but his was only an unknown technique, she assured herself.
"I'll have to question you later as well." Being deprived of all psionic abilities was a truly new, and rather terrifying sensation. Could such techniques have existed in the past, giving rise to the melor myths? Or were those legends distorted memories about the Humans? No, he mustn't notice her being startled or absent-minded, so she boldly approached the captive. "Will you cooperate?"
"This is all wrong!" The prisoner resumed to struggle against her restraints. "I cannot be alive!"
"You are definitely alive." Insisted Emberwing, "Even your injuries were healed."
"No, you killed me!" The Loroi looked up, and screamed out her accusations. "Fed me to those monsters! Stripped me of my essence! I am now among the Dead!"
"I had to incapacitate you because you refused to submit!" It was quite amusing that the barbarians shared even those old myths. Or that this warrior had the same initial assumption as her, back when she met the Humans for the first time. "Your powers are merely disabled, for now."
"Give me back my essence!" The captive dared not to look at the Humans, only focusing on her. "Why do you follow those monsters?!"
"We merely cooperate, and they aren't monsters!" Or were they? That was certainly a display worthy of being one. "Will you finally listen?"
"I won't listen to a demon!" The prisoner shot her a defiant glare. "End this! Release me from this torment!"
"Stupid savage!" She didn't have time to argue with a barbarian! Making a Loroi submit was also an art of its own, and despite being promoted to Torret, Emberwing wasn't yet proficient in this skill. Not that she needed to, the Imperial system of ranks and castes facilitated subordination throughout the Union, but here, only the most archaic principle could be used. She grabbed the captive's head with both hands, and stared back into her green eyes. Even skin contact did not enable any telepathic link, so she spoke in her best command tone. "Follow me, and help save your people from this prison world, or I will discard your soulless carcass, and find someone else with a brain!"
"What?" As expected, the other Loroi seemed confused, her stubbornness gone for a moment.
"Deactivate whatever evil-thing you use!" This whole matter wasn't as complicated as she'd made it out to be. There was no actual need for vile Mizol mind tricks, or the melor's dreadful sorcery. If her heroic ancestor Starsword managed to forge a new clan out of an unruly mercenary company, she should be able to make at least a single Loroi submit. Feeling the terrible sensation of the psi-nullifying technique abate, and not detecting any mental resistance from the captive, Emberwing channeled her resolve into a powerful sending. It carried an entire informational package, fed by her eidetic memory: images of Loroi sister-worlds, their culture, achievements, and glory. "This is my offer, join your kind among the stars, or perish in the dust of this forsaken planet!"
"The Empire exists?!" The answer was highly confused, a whirlwind of chaotic thought fragments. "But the Fall?"
"We overcame the Fall and restored our legacy long ago." She then added in an official tone. "I am Soroin Torret Emberwing of the Loroi Empire, and I offer all the Loroi on this world to become part of our Union!"
"Stars? Other worlds? So you have a vessel-beyond-sky?" The Warrior sounded hopeful. "Does this mean that our damnation is over?"
"If by damnation you mean living on this failed planet, then yes." Emberwing nodded. There was indeed more to their point of view. "All the Loroi here will be resettled to live with your sisters on more hospitable worlds."
"Then you are not a demon, but a savior." The Warrior smiled. "Still, can you release me?"
"Do you promise not to do anything stupid?" She smiled back. "And to cooperate with us?"
"Yes, I swear on the honor of my clan!" Came the solemn reply.
"Good enough for me." Emberwing released her grip and opened the restraints. "However, we know where the horde is, so there's more at stake than just your clan's honor."
"There's no need for threats." Insisted the Loroi. "I will not renegade on my oath."
"Now, tell me who you are, and why you've come to the city." Commanded Emberwing.
"I am Warrior Shining Sword of the Waterdeep clan. My task was to scout the city, and learn of the new weapon." Which, according to her mental image, must be some sort of primitive chemical explosive. Yes, the Human Captain did mention that. "The sudden collapse of the valley's exit prompted my mother to send me here to investigate."
"So your mother is the clan matron?" It seemed that this captive was quite valuable.
"She is the one who unified the clans as the Azerein!" The sending contained an overwhelming amount of pride and hope.
"HA!" What a delightfully absurd claim. Emberwing countered that silliness with the image of the proper Azerein, Greywind, whom she saw once. "Why would a mere warlord leading a horde of unwashed barbarians claim such a grand title?"
"Only the Azerein can unify us, break the binding curses, and restore our legacy!" Shining Sword flared up at first, but quickly deflated, sending in resignation. "I guess there is no point to it now. For an outsider, our futile struggles and meager achievements must look pathetic."
"As long as you upheld our warrior ideals, and persevered against all odds, those trials weren't in vain." Emberwing stretched out her arm. "Get up, we have much to do."
"What do you need me for?" The touch link felt to be even deeper than before, and strangely enough, there wasn't a single hint of deception. For some reason, her initial hostility was now replaced with complete trust.
"I need to convince the Warlord to stop this raid, and you're going to help me." Emberwing pulled the warrior out of her seat. "Whatever she plans to do to this city, it disrupts our plans. I'd rather have her round up the local Loroi, and prepare them for resettlement instead."
"Do you still require our assistance?" Zarjow's voice in the headset startled her, she forgot about it completely. "Or should we leave as not to spoil a touching family reunion?"
"Those Humans are our prospective allies, with their own star-empire. They're not monsters, merely a different kind of telepaths." The touch-link would make lies impossible, so Emberwing let go of her hand, and explained the issue as briefly as possible. "Yes, while I must thank you for your help, it is no longer needed. This Loroi promised us her full cooperation."
"Thank you." The Warrior seemed relieved as the aliens departed.
"By the Sightless Hordes of the Under-Dark, what was that!?" Finally, Midnight opened her lotai to send an agitated, but pinpointed remark. "I was right, they are melor!"
"Ha, that's just you Mizol lot getting your dues! Ever since your Emperor seized power, you've abused that status by dragging us Teidar to diplomatic meetings to intimidate the hapless aliens. It was about time you'd run headfirst into a mirror." The Teidar interpreted this display as a challenge. "I think that I could break through this technique."
"Hopefully, it won't be an easy task." Emberwing had an idea. "Perhaps we could use this effect to intimidate the Warlord."
"Would the Humans even need us, then?" Midnight made a good point. "Or the local Loroi, for that matter?"
"I shall assume that they do, if only for the sake of the prospective alliance." Emberwing now focused back on the Warrior. "Let me introduce those two, Midnight is my diplomatic advisor, and Fireblade is an Unsheathed, you've already experienced her specialty in a most direct manner."
"Yes, I must express my apologies for not acknowledging your superiority and admitting my defeat." Shining Sword moved her restored arm. "And I thank you for healing me, I thought that this arm would become unusable."
"It is a trifle for modern technology, which all of you will have access to." A complex fracture of her dominant left arm would've left her a cripple, since the primitives couldn't mend the bones properly. "If your mother accepts my offer, of course."
"I'll do my best to help convince her." She looked around, and spotted her equipment in a corner. "May I?"
After being allowed to, Shining Sword put her armor back on, and tried to grab her weapon, but was stopped by Fireblade. "Pull it out, and you'll learn what other skills I have."
"No, I lost the right to draw it." The Warrior handed the still sheathed sword to Emberwing. "As per my clan's custom, it is now your trophy."
"I am honored." There was a certain sense of gravity, so Emberwing decided not to question the tradition. Besides, this sword seemed to be somehow familiar? She drew it, and was almost surprised by the brilliant white sheen of the blade. Or rather, this would be a surprise, had she not already exhausted her capacity for being so. This was anything but a coincidence, considering its resemblance to the sword the Humans made. "Where did you get it from?"
"I've discovered it in a ruin deep in the desert. Many challenged me for it, but none could best me." Judging from the accompanying mental images, she found it during some kind of rite, and was granted her current name for this achievement. "It is now yours."
"It was definitely a Soia ruin, which means that this is an artifact." Looking at the weapon, Emberwing realized that it matched the one from her dreams perfectly. More so, this Loroi was somehow familiar as well? She recalled her dreams, until arriving at a certain memory, and then pointed the sword at the Warrior to test her hypothesis. "Did a male die by this blade?"
"How do you even know?" The accused Loroi stepped back. "It was in self-defense! I didn't even have the time to ascertain who attacked me!"
"Self-defense against scrawny kids? You were never in any real danger!" She sent the exact memory of the event, down to the accompanying emotions. "There was no need for such senseless slaughter."
"I've had enough nightmares about the deed haunting me!" Now, there was genuine remorse. "Why do you know of it?"
"I saw repeated dreams of wandering in this city, and wondered where they may have originated from. Now, I'm pretty sure that they're your memories." Her dream-self did seem to be partially inconsistent with her own character. Whatever goal might've that god pursued, sending those dreams across such impossible distances? Why pick this particular Loroi as the source, or why selecting her as the target? No, one problem at a time. She sheathed the sword. "Did you, by chance, dream of me?"
"There were many strange dreams, but no, this is the first time we've met." Shining Sword shook her head. "Damn this demon and its tricks! What kind of sorcery is at work here?"
"Yes, that entity which the locals worship is definitely the culprit, and am fully committed to find out what kind of game it is playing." Both the means and the intention. "For that, we have to stop the raid first, and you will assist us."
They moved to another room, where everyone could sit down, and Shining Sword summarized the Warlord's intentions. "What my mother really aims for, as far as I understand it, is to carve out a place for us Loroi where we can finally settle down, and begin to thrive as a civilization. Such a breakthrough is only possible by combining the strength of all clans, which is why she unified them, and this city here would've served as the new seat of her power. However, I have no idea why she targets this city specifically, there seems to be some arcane reason she hasn't told anyone about."
"While unification is the proper way, we need this city intact." Perhaps this warlord could've become this world's Lawbringer. Too bad for her, for there was no longer any point to it. "We Loroi already are a civilization, and there are many worlds in the Union where you can prosper."
"How can this work?" Of course, the idea of interstellar travel must be incomprehensible to her. "How long will this take?"
"We are currently on an important mission. The detour here was accidental, and we can't remain here for too long, regardless how interesting this world may be. After we finish the matters here, the travel time back to Union territory should take about 20 days." Emberwing decided to simplify the concepts of hyperspace transits, and sent an image of a vessel jumping from star to star. "Once back home, we would need to prepare a path for supply ships to reach this faraway system. All in all, I would assume that the resettlement could begin in a standard year. Wait, you wouldn't know how long that is, so I'd say 256 days as a rough estimate."
"No need to simplify all that for my sake, I don't understand it either way. But you do not seem to be lying, and I shall believe you." Or, perhaps, this Loroi wanted to believe. "Well, there are myths of traversing the void in floating cities, and that's how we ended up here. Our ancestors were able to master those fantastic means of travel, and maybe, with time, I can understand it as well."
"We can help each other out, since I do not understand the mystery of this world." She nodded at the Mizol. "Please tell her as much about your culture and customs as possible, especially the ones regarding negotiations. As my diplomatic aide, she is trained in this kind of work. Meanwhile, I'll organize our means of transportation."
Leaving the three Loroi behind, Emberwing went to look for the Humans, which didn't take long. Zarjow was sitting in the guard room by the entrance, eyes closed. Certainly, judging by the lightning outside, it should be morning already, she missed an entire sleep cycle. Sensing her approach, he opened one eye, "I suppose you need further assistance?"
As if there was another option. "Can I request a shuttle? The captive has promised her cooperation, and it would be prudent to meet with the Warlord as quickly as feasible."
"Yes, a shuttle can be dispatched right away, it is waiting at the plateau." Zarjow opened another eye. "There is a small cliffside upstream, the shuttle can land there out of sight of the city. With all the villages evacuated, there shouldn't be anybody else in the vicinity. When do you want to depart?"
"While the Priest worded it as a request, solving the barbarian issue is most likely a prerequisite to meet with their god-artifact." And she'd rather secure the Church's cooperation. "So I'd say as soon as possible."
"That is indeed the case, we have to stop the invasion." The Human stood up. "Are you sure the leader will even hear you out?"
"The prisoner is her daughter, so at the very least, she will listen to her." While the discovery of another lost colony was a significant matter, right now, those barbarian Loroi were an obstacle instead. "Whatever goals the Warlord tries to achieve, my offer would be evidently better."
"What if she desires achievements, not assistance?" The Operative crossed his arms. "As a great man once said, it is better to be the number one in a village, than number two in the capital."
"They do not have villages or any other permanent settlements. Or is it a metaphor?" Emberwing tilted her head, "I think I understand what you mean. While this may be the case, it is not a problem. Negotiations between Loroi must always account for this possibility, we know how to deal with it."
"I see. Since we aren't that different, I can certainly understand how the dealing with is supposed to be done." Zarjow smirked. "And should that strategy fail, we can simply play the monsters yet again."
"Let us reserve this as a last resort measure." This technique was far too unsettling, and she had no idea how a whole horde would react to it. "No Warlord can defeat the truth."
"But an Emperor just might." He chuckled, and then waved it off. "Fine, let us do it your way. We shall assemble at the side entrance in an hour. Do you need anything else? The Church gave us a guest house, and all your luggage was already carried there."
"Thank you, can you show us the way?" She nodded. "Midnight, Fireblade, take the prisoner and let's go. We have to pick up our supplies."
Zarjow led them around three corners and into another building. "Your rooms are up there, on the second floor to the left. There are baths down the corridor and the kitchen is over here. Is the time until departure really sufficient?"
"We shall manage." She didn't know why he'd ask, but couldn't care less about the reason. "Until then."
He simply shrugged and went away, so Emberwing explained the timetable. "We are to depart in an hour. Get ready, we can sleep in the shuttle."
"Why the haste?" Midnight frowned. "Preparing for the negotiations takes time."
"Because dealing with the nomads is the favor required for the Church's cooperation. We aren't diplomats nor scientists, our mission goal is to return to Union space as quickly as possible. Preferably with some useful knowledge to make up for the delay. The Shells won't wait for us!" She sighed. This world was fascinating, and if it wasn't for the war, she'd volunteer for a mission here. If she were a Listel, that is. Wait, that was a good idea. "Should we get the rest of the team down here as well?"
"Yes, if only Listel Beryl and Parat Tempo. I'd rather not expose our Farseer to any unknown artifacts." A reasonable precaution. "Then, the Bistima needs at least a single caretaker, but only Disis Willpower has the expertise, and I doubt that Tiret Oasis will be of much use down here."
"Agreed." Emberwing tapped her headset. "Is it possible to bring two more team members to the surface? I need the assistance of Parat Tempo and Tozet Beryl."
"We are currently preparing another shuttle with reinforcements for the contact, they can board it as well." This time, it was Alexander Jardin who answered. "We shall meet up with them at the destination."
"Thank you." She pulled out her tablet, and wrote a quick missive for the two: what to expect down here, how to prepare, and which items to bring along with them. "You have half an hour, then we shall assemble for a debriefing."
"Running hot water, at least some semblance of civilization." Back in their assigned room, Emberwing dried her hair by the fireplace. "Midnight, are there any particular customs regarding negotiations among the locals?"
"Greet from afar verbally, then approach into sanzai range, and don't launch any attacks. The usual, really." The Mizol sat on the bed, eating something. "The Warlord, and this silly girl still hasn't told us her name, is supposed to be magnanimous and rational, so she is likely to hear you out."
"Yes, just as I've promised, I shall convince my mother to listen to your story." Shining Sword seemed uncomfortable with names, a local superstition? She sensed that objection, and relented with a sigh. "Everyone is meant to address her as Azerein now, but you have your own one. I suppose it is permissible to reveal it, her name is Eminent Voice."
"How strong is she as a telepath?" This name seemed like an announcement of her abilities. "Is she capable of telekinesis as well?"
"She is very powerful, even more so after learning how to use the crown." There was a mental picture of the Warlord, a purple-haired Loroi wearing the same amplifier as the Priest. Just how many precious artifacts were strewn about this forsaken world? "I'm the only one of my clan who is capable of telekinesis."
"An amplifier? How interesting." Fireblade tapped her own one. "I can match that, should she dare to challenge us."
"We might be primitive by your standards, but we aren't savages!" The Warrior objected vehemently. "Envoys are to be treated with courtesy, and guests with hospitality."
"Then we shall test both." After making sure that her appearance was proper, Emberwing equipped the artifact sword, and commanded. "Let us head out."
My fanfic: A sword that wields itself