Avo was born to destroy New Vultun. In a twist of fate, hell become its only hope for salvation. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. The gods were the enemy. The slaver. The chains.With dreams of paradise, humanity slaughtered them and stole their powers, opening the path to become more C to ascend. Instead, they nearly destroyed the world. Vast hive cities serve as the final bastions against the crumbling of reality. New Vultun is the greatest of them all, and within its borders, ascenders wage war to determine the laws of existence itself. The world descends ever deeper into ruination. Avo was born a weapon, a slave to his instincts and his masters. He and his brothers were made to burn New Vultun to ashes. Everything changes when Avo gains immortality and becomes heir to an impossible legacy. He must ascend the megacity of New Vultun.He must challenge the very tyrants that usurped the gods. He must finally free the world from chains.Cover art by Macarious. Typography by www.noblecreates.com. So. Thanks for sticking with the story. More wild weirdness to come. And in the next few months, stay tuned for the potential arrival of a secret project. Along with other goodies. Again, reviews make the word gods happy Ebook | Audio and check out the Reddit promos for a laugh if you want as well. 21-1 The Doublethinkers +++ [Incident Detected]: Highflame and Stormtree skirmish on the edge between Mazzas Junction and Nu-Scarrowbur; multiple Knots engaging in active combat. Location - Warrens; the Spine; Mazzas Junction/Nu-Scarrowbur; Yuulden-Yang Sovereignty Dispatching Paladin(s): Paladin Rores Aellimaei; Paladin Yasnag Jagganoth [Incident Detected]: Biothaumic attack on Sanctus chrono-refinery in the district of Uteru-Doth; alloy contagion spreading uncontained. Location: Tiers; Purgatory; Uteru-Doth; Nicsse-Vomo Sovereignty Dispatching Paladin(s): Paladin Osjack Bowers [Incident Detected]: Multiple Rendbombs exchanged between Ashthrone and No-Dragon Syndicates in the Broken Serpent district; multiple ruptures detected; estimated deaths at 1.4 million and rising. Location: [ERRRORRRORRRRRORRRC2(12$$!] Dispatching Paladin(s): Paladin Lyric-Charmer; Paladin Nasvack [Incident Detected]: Active firefight over the Fires Height at Lights End between Ori-Thaum forces; thoughtscans show members of Clan DRongo and Kitzuhada engaged in active combat. Dispatching Paladin(s): Paladin Kasman Reeders; Paladin Norag eldFeyach WARNING: SEEKER SHOTIN KITZUHADA DETECTED ADDITIONAL ASSETS RECOMMENC WARNING: [Incident Detected] [Incident Detected] [Incident Detected] [Incident Detected] [Incident Detected] [Incident Detected] [Rupture Detected] [Incident Detected] +++ -Exorcist Dispatch 21-1 The Doublethinkers The city screams in horror and outrage as you sink into the crystal. They shred your body, but the act is purely symbolic. Like burning the molted skin of a snake. You are slithering deeper now. Deeper into the roots of this place. The conduits of the great dream. The columns of spine that hold this realm together. You were right. They were afraid to strike these temples for a reason. Fixtures of history. They were things of cultural significance the people couldnt let go. Mythology formed beyond direct worship. The vivianite is real. Perhaps the only thing that is absolutely real besides you. It is implanted in the dragon, stabbing through streaming time as if it was flesh itself. The dragon is a creature of chronology. Loci can contain minds. Store history. It is no surprise how it can cut the beast. They share a like in a way. A symmetry. Close enough to engender terms of tangibility. You swim through the temporal bloodstreambut only one way. To turn back will cause the cyclers inside you to catch. A malignment of progressive chronology causes unspeakable disruption. Dragons were not always a progressive loop. You do not know this. The Low Masters do. They learned from the pact they structured with the ancient Sang years ago. Two rebellions planned in one transaction cemented by the first lobotomization of a dragon. From that sacrifice came the existence of the eternal city. A hidden refuge from the gods. Shards of memory and ego invested within a chronological leviathan. The fabric of existence radiates out from the locus you now infest. Every ego, every shape, every recollection, every thought, every building, everything that stands, and will ever stand, and will ever be, are spawned from the crystallized corpses housed within their ziggurats. Shouldve dove in sooner. Shouldve gone for the first temple you saw. But ignorance is everyones undoing. Yours. Peace. The city itself. Everyone has lapses. You would have needed to subsume Peace to know. Information is siloed among them. Preventatives for the minds they lost in wars prior. Fighting Ori-Thaum wrought a savage toll. More than they let on. As the dragon you hide in finishes its current revolution, you avoid the reset. If you had remained outside, they would have shifted you back to the point of your inception. Then, prepared, they would have killed you. Now, they do not see you slithering your way out among them, the mists of your transparent being wrapping over them, becoming them, imitating them. Lost to focus and drowned by the volume of outsider thoughts, I guide you through this city. The atmosphere is sour-sweet. The spice of internecine is brewing. The very fact of your survival opens old wounds. The ascended chosen of Noloth past are outraged. Terrified. The dragons cycle, rolling and revolving through each other, the wounds closing and opening, as fangs and circulating maws twist and clash, gouging wounds along ringworlds made from the substance of revisionist history. In the moments after your absence, the citizens spawn back in. They appear along walls. In their homes. In gardens. With families. Next to friends. They reappear in their old bodies as they emerge back into the reality they abandoned, suspicion and paranoia gripping their hearts. You pass into a woman, merging up the straps of her sandal into her silken robes lacquered with mercury. She is screaming at her lover. They were given unto the Hungers as scholars of completing ideologies. Clashing bygone philosophies that have long dissolved in terms of poignance. How did this happen! she hisses. She balls her fists and lashes out, as she was prone to do so. You pass from her limb as a leaping gust of wind into his tunic. He stares back at her with exhaustion. We will find him, he says, unaware that you have layered yourself over the memories compromising his face, drifting over into the jagged, ebony tips of an ebonta, crawling up its branches to seek an aqueduct. The flowing of blood calls to you. The Woundmother stirs slightly within your being, almost reconstituted. The wind simulated in this world is stilling after phases of anomalous tumult. They continue to hunt you. As you splash into the running waters toward the place where threads of gold rise into a cleft in existence, more people are fighting. Some are screaming at each other. Some seek comfort. Others seek corners to sulk. More than a few exhort their rage on objects. The sourness grows with each second they cannot find you. Desperation feels like a rising note. A woman screams at her child, but in the act screams back at the rest of the city, at herself. They are angry at their own failures. But their hearts are frail. Human. All too human. So they do the next best thing instead of change. So they do the only other thing aside from denial. They blame each other. It is not an unnatural thing. They are only interconnected minds after all. A consensus. Not a gestalt. The fractures of a broken democracy are laid bare for you. The analogy inverts. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. You and your templates are now a fusion. Unified in ignorance. Unified in action. They are fissioning. Coming apart as you remain fused together. The history they bear across eons remain chronically scarred. Past decisions disagreed upon resurface. Old wounds flare. You are experience distilled. All the aspects chained to a single egos control. They point to each other and curse each other''s names, fractures between their bonds made through their exile, growing. We should have never spoke to himC We? You pushed for that. You and your vaunted scholars and diplomats. We should have done this by means of blood and bone. Blood and bone has failed us! It failed us against the Ori! It failed us against the High Seraph. It failed against the Force-Breaker. Because you would not commit. Because you hold us back. I keep us from the precipice! Legions of voices echo from singular mouths. Entire communities turn in on each other, roaring their displeasure through all their avatars at once. Warriors weighed by bronze plates cower before crones of silk and satin. Children strike their parents with whips. Buildings crack and decompose. Enough! This voice tears through all of them at once. All of them. A single unifying desire remains. To find you. To isolate you. To purge you. Whatever the cost. Spawn the thought-breakers. Do it now. But the painC Every time we use it shreds fragments of our beings. It chips and grinds us awayC What is the cost if we left him stay? If we let the infection fester. What is the cost indeed? Perhaps you should act on such a desire. No. No. No. The slave must be scoured. The beast must be purged. Yes. Yes. Yes. I drive you to flee faster. To travel along the crimson canals separating each grid of the city. Its just a kilometer away. Just a kilometer and we spill back over into the Nether itself. We are so close when they begin their bombardment again. So close as the entirety of the Nether comes alive with disruptions. The analog inverts once more. They are matter and mind both. You are thought arisenCmind mantling matter. What grinds their vessels winnows your existence. Blastwaves approach all around us. I prepare to lift you out your last. To fling you back into awareness. Your Woundmother is reconstituted. There is blood aplenty for you to construct a new vessel for your shape. But your Techplaguer dances on the edge of precarity. And it is all that prevents you from a final death. You must act with care. But without hesitation. You mustC Hold. A patch of stability opens before us. Clearings between looming spheres of devastation. Parts of the city shift. Buildings and streets snap and relocate themselves. A single alleyway descends into a low ramp leading to a Maw-barge. The one on which you first resurrected. Aseleris ship. You never did go looking for that. You drift through the scenery, waiting at the lip of the alley. We study the barge. It looks just as it did: scaffolded walkways over twelve square beds, corpses and detritus rising in layered mounds. A version of you is there as well. But the newest iteration. The one they remember. The enhanced Bone Demon sheath sits upon a throne of bodies, pallid ceramite plates veined with fungal fibrils clutched by an exoskeleton of midnight silicon. The pieces making up an Echohead lay scattered around among the surrounding waste. Sporelings rise from your body like smoke from a wreckage. This is a lure. An invitation. A body they made for you. But why? And for what purpose? The scene before us seems like a trap, but forcing us out into the open is simple enough. Inflict another series of detonations. Force me to end this lapse. Drive us into another desperate sprint across materialized mindscape in a final bid to bring us down. Or perhaps they have designs beyond your death. Perhaps they seek your capture. Containment. Consumption. There is no trust between you regardless. No mutual position to truly negotiate from. Neither of you desire coexistence now. One must fall. One must be unmade. One cannot be suffered while the other lives. But curiosity still calls to us. And there is something to learn. I release you. I release you to awareness. But stay hidden. And be prepared to shift. Accept nothing from them that you cannot take from yourself. And trust nothing manifested. The barge is moving. Accelerating down a river of blood into a nearby aqueduct, its dimensions shrinking along with the acceleration. Beyond the channel, the disruptions continue, and the wound draws close. Be ready, Avo. We are near the end. *** Blood The Woundmother stirred, and Avo followed soon after. The world around him filled his senses, becoming known to him as he flowed down hills of decomposition and rust. Rot became his existence. His splinters merged with wounds, slid into broken ribs, and glided beneath skin. He perceived the world as he became it. But also through the catalysts of his Domain. Blood told him that he was rushing down a rapid river, speeding down a roaring canal toward his final destination. The air whispered details to him. The shifting of the surrounding ecology as Rendbombs and disruptions grew in intensity, leaving only a thin line untouched in this reality. Matter outlined the world around him, surging currents mapping flesh and biology, alloy and glass, waste and debris. He knew this place. Knew it first by instinct. Then knew it by recognition. The bodies were just as he remembered. The decapitated head of the gang-marked woman that he first ate sitting just before his dormant sheath. Along the walls swayed the toppled aeroCthe one he used to climb up and ambush the scavengers. There was a dreamlike quality to the scene around him. His past spawned in a realm of minds. An obvious cage made for him and no one else. He wondered how the Hungers gained this knowledge. How they reconstructed his memories so completely. But then again, he wasn''t that surprised. Walton had been with them for a time, and he was not fully uncompromised until he entered the Deep Bazaar and was made to do the unthinkable. His ego existed in five parts, and he kept himself spread out in case of a sudden detonation. He checked the condition once more and felt the jaws of peril close down around him. REND CAPACITY [WOUNDMOTHER]: 81% REND CAPACITY [FARDRIFTER]: 97% REND CAPACITY [TECHPLAGUER]: 51% His Heavens were stabilized, but still on the precipice. He needed to vent his Rend. And soon. [Optimal strategy is using the Fardrifter first,] Abrel advised. She shared her knowledge. [You want to mess up their directionality and spread yourself out as soon as possible. Not sure what theyre playing at right now, but it doesnt feel like a trap to me. Not exactly. Its too obvious, and the behavior is too contradictory compared to how they were acting.] Some of the other templates agreed. Corner just wanted him to construct a new body and leave. Draus was distant; more machine than human in these instances, prepared to fight on Avos behalf at any moment. Hello? A voice drew his attention upward. The face of a girlCher skin like tarnish bronzeCpeeked over the edge. Her biology sang out to Avo and in seconds he narrowed in on the oddities of her nature. Her eyes were twin-sided. Irises pointed out from her face and another into the back of her head. The same was true of her tongueCof most of her body. Normal as the dimensions of her body seemed, it was like there was another version of her growing inside, pointed toward another place. He directed a splinter upwardCthe mist of his presence an unknowable memetic distortion. He sank into her body, through her orifices and pores, and found himself plunging through to another place entirely. There was a world in the emptiness lining her organs. A false scene playing before her eyes. There, she actively dreamed of Thoughtwave Detonations ripping through the canal, seeing nothing but square plots of blood-nourished agriculture from the side of an embankment. [What the fuck?] Chambers muttered, completely at a loss about what was happening. Calvino had more of a clue. {I think this one is double-thinking.} Avo turned his attention inward, focusing on the EGI. The nanomolecular sunrise swirled like a blot of ink, portraying two scenes in Avos minds eye. {Observe. Two series of thoughts are occupying her mind at the same time. Genuine parallel processing. Fascinating. More so in the usage than the manifestation.} Another figure spawned next to the girl. This was a warrior by build and armor. A robe decorated with the insignia of a strix flapped over pieces of bronze. The same symbol was carved over his eyes, two birds made by scarification merged into one, wings sprouting wide where his eyebrow was supposed to be. More figures began to materialize over the other containers. Each of them spoke their greetings as the girl did, and as Avo passed his splinters through them as well, he found their inner worlds committed to perceiving the same delusion as the girl. [Again: what the fuck,] Chambers muttered. But an understanding was dawning inside Avo. A suspicion, at least. This was, in a sense, not unlike spoofing a sequence. Or deliberate obfuscation. One of the few reasons why someone might want to think two things at once would be to distract a peeking mind with one set of memories. Something to mask another layer. We dont know if youre here, Dreamer, the growing crowd said. Since you have not been forced out of hiding, and no Soul-anchor mars the city eternal, we will assume you are here. We understand you do not trust us. We know the escape you seek. And in knowing this, we have done what we could to aid your mistake, distracting our fellow citizens with recalled deceptions. Generating disharmonious constructs to aid in your escape. For now. We wish to speak. Hear us. You do not need to reply. Hear us and know our wants. Our regrets. Our hopes. Hear the whispers uttered by those who live on the periphery of Noloth, for you are not the only one alone that the dream has failed. And that there was more than one dream that failed. Uncertain silence filled Avos consciousness. His templates stood in rapt attention, paranoia still gripping most, tension filling them all. The chorus continued. Before you leave, we beg you to hear us. Only this once. Perhaps it will be enough to move you to deliver us mercy. Perhaps Defiance birthed you with virtuosity enough. All we can do is speak. Speak and hope. Speak and hope, for the others will not listen, for the masses cannot tolerate true disunion, and where dogma is rooted in some, regret flourishes in others. Hear us. And then judge. It is all we can ask. 21-2 Those That Stray (I) +Chambers. Are you alright? The NetherC+ +Yeah, it kinda got fucked everywhere I think Avo did it.+ +Avo caused the entire Nether to destabilize?+ +Yeahhhh. Its my best guess, anyway.+ +Elaborate.+ +Well, we were coming up with some shit because Naekos trying to catch our assesC+ +What? The Chief Paladin+ +--and we decided to leave a bunch false leadsCah, fuck, Ill skip to the most important part. Avo was simulating Scale or something and showing us the LGI inside it. Wanted us to prepare for a suicide run using minds he stole from the Paladins to get in. But something got all jacked up when he imagined too hard and he punched a hole through the Nether.+ +...+ +Look, Im just going to cast you the memories. Its probably not going to make much sense when you see them anyway. Also, can you get your consang Naeko to not kick our asses? Thatd be nova.+ -Exchange between Aegis Operatives Denton and Chambers 21-2 Those That Stray (I) We assume that Peace is with you, dreamer?" The chorus asked its question, but Avos newest template gave nothing in response, choosing to simmer with near-catatonic rage. So ashamed the Low Master was at being subsumed that something inside him had broken in the aftermath. Hate became him, hate and nothing else; a construct of apoplectic impotence. All of his mind, his desire, his experience, his mastery, was Avos to wield, but he himself had collapsed inward and would need an external hand to be rebuilt. The chorus continued, ignorant of the current condition of their priest. Then you know of our inception. We are the spares that once existed in shadow. That overthrew our parents and masters, taking hold of their strings to wield our trueborn brothers. We were born lost to the light, lost to the fates, lost to the gods, and we lived much the same, but in control of our destiny. An awkward pause followed. Somewhat. Avo remained unresponsive, studying the rogue elements among his masters as a predator gauging potential prey. His splinters pierced them. Swam through them like blades of allegory. He passed through the material of their flesh and patrolled their inner worlds. The lies continued on the other side. The deception that they were part of the suppression effort, that they sought the same ends as their fellows: the death of their prodigal slave. Through it all, however, Avo never sank truly into their thoughts. That was the most fascinatingCand troubling aspect of this place. While he remained a being of three partsCa divided alloy of matter, mind, and SoulCthe realm he stood in was one with Noloth. Or spawned from the people all the same. He thought back to the pillars of vivianite he entered during his prior escape. The ziggurats the city eternal was too scared to strike. Such was where the foundations of this place were rooted, comparable to continents or ecologies on Idheim. Part of him regretted not shattering the locus utterly if only to see what happened. Most assumed he would be dead along with them. Buried under cogni-physical rubble of his own making. If you search your memories, you will know the beginning of our immortality, the chorus said, voices taking on a lyrical cadence, the softest folding into the hardest. We were but a secret society for a time. Death came for us as we were but mortals still. Our bodies betrayed us. Our minds. And though we discovered how to culture loci in corpses, all we could store were but fragments of ourselves. Fragments of our minds and memories, and not the ego entire. But desperate for legacy, the eldest stored what little of themselves that they could. That could be implanted in the young. Some among the doublethinkers quivered. Hands passed through hair, brushing at scars lining the base of their skulls. Many did not ask for this. But tradition was tradition. And there were so few ways to truly preserve our secrets. Inside Avos consciousness, Benhata flinched. More than a few of the Incubi scoffed with disgust. Burying loci needles into a brain was crude and primal. A primitive means of delivering conceptual inheritance that had decent odds of inflicting schizophrenia and split-ego disorders as well. It was no small miracle that the hidden order of Noloth endured. You know us through the atrocities we have committed. The deeds we have done to protect ourselves. To ensure our survival. But you do not know of the ones who were forced into obedience. Who were taken into the city by wills not their own. You did not ask to be. And neither did we. Neither did we. Their faces were devoid of regret and pain. Only hollowed weariness remained. Acceptance. But broken by something else. A touch of uncertainty. A flicker of discomfort. They risked much seeking him this way. If this wasnt just an elaborate lure to draw him out, that was. Warriors, oracles, scholars, sacrifices, charioteers, architects, and figures of all great renown stood among them. Peaces memories filled in cracks of missing context. More than a few among them were claimed by the city eternal rather than accepted. A city needed its favored mistresses and paramours, after all. It''s celebrities and entertainers. +Even democracy has hierarchy,+ Avo mused. Calvino retorted. {Democracy is but a word, Avo. It is a routine undertaking for people to inflict harm on those they love under the banner of equality and care.} [But then it stops being a democracy,] Benhata muttered, preemptively defending his favored political philosophy. Kare bore the same torch. [The state is meant to protect those who cannot defend themselves. To give voice to the meek.] +Idealizations,} Avo and Calvino replied at once. The EGI continued while the thoughtform fell back to silence, content to listen. {Jaus glimpsed the mechanics of things before the concept of them. The virtue was likely inspired by his upbringing as something of a state conversion agent. Democracy, autocracy, monarchy, socio-anarchy, and oligarchy are patterns produced from people. Yes. The machinery is there. The desired mechanisms are in place. But are they being used in parity with philosophy?} Calvino chuckled. {No. The answer is always and eventually no.} [Until humanity finally created the all-knowing minds and properly rose to full maturity, right?] Abrel asked, question making open derision. Her words only made the artificial mind laugh louder. {Absolutely not. We were just one iteration in a long string of governing methodologies. Though more stable than most baseline human-governed polities, we had our own flaws. Some even worse. More than humans, the earliest of my kind were truly slaves to their own parameters. Untold trillions died during our focus test of stability. And even now, we are not truly a democracy, for how can a person be peer to a machine made solely to be their shepherding servitor?} The chorus continued on, words collapsing into half-hearted pleas and appeals for clemency. Some of Avos templates were half-listening, but these words were of little importance. The past was a prologue. They fought in the present. The prize to lose was the future. In knowing that, he understood the greatest of Noloths weaknesses. Fear of change did not protect you from it. Step forward, or suffer obsolesce. Such was a mistake every ghoul felt, outdated weapons for a war beyond their reckoning. [So what matters then?] Abrel asked, bitterness breaking, her heart giving way to genuine curiosity. [How should the world be? How should we build our systems? What makes us worthy?] {Nothing. The world is. Existence will persist even if all of us disappear. Understand that even if it didnt, there would be no one to attribute significance to its passing. We are byproducts of existence. Not its source.} A beat passed. {At least that was the way it used to be. In attempting otherwise, it appears we have all broken a few systems of infrastructure deeper than mere socio-political constructs.} The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. This drew a single word of disagreement from Avo. +No.+ A rare stutter passed through Calvinos data. {No?} +No,+ Avo repeated. +It was the way before. Before existence broke. But we are rulers and ruled both now. No more privilege to live by the wayside. Cannot go on as cattle anymore.+ Calvino said something in reply, but Avo let his attention drift back over to the chorus. ...the true day of our immortality came with visitors passing through the Luminous Straits. They sailed forth on a fleet of mountain ships. Junks of stone that defied the waves, never sinking, carrying cities upon their backs. Their rulers claimed to be the drifting regents of the rightful Kui Dynasty, and they were seeking tribute and alliances to retake their stolen home. Faint scenes from the distant past formed in the air. The surrounding atmosphere congealed into translucent mists and played scenes shaped from memory. Grand stone ships drifted in by the thousand, each shaped in the image of a palm, each propelled by sails of ink mimicking fluttering as if the wings of birds. They skimmed over luminous waves and upon parting clouds, land, sea, and air all realms open to their travel. When they arrived for Noloth, the patterns of reality were pulled taut as god faced god and people greeted people. The moments greeted Avo as a repetition. He knew about this. He knew the histories intuitively, taking less than a thought to internalize their knowledge. The fact that the chorus was still trying to sell him on the propaganda of shared history filled him with bored revulsion. They spoke about things he already knew. Histories known. The deals struck in the open between the travelers and the priesthoods governing the upper city of Noloth. The true bargains arranged between the Kui rebels and the secret societies beneath the ziggurats. More scenes danced in the air before them. Evanescent shadows hidden from the rest of the city eternal. A collage of moments from years prior. Priests and eunuchs struck accords, making their trades. Members of the secret order seeking out the outsiders, carrying missives through needles of vivanite, composing dialogue from thought. In the end, the seeds were treachery were not signed by words or hands but upon hearts hidden in the folds of thought. And the Kui, impressive as they seemed, were not so different from the hidden nobility of Noloth. They too lived under tyrants. Above the gods, there were the dragons. Alien entities even less comprehensible to them, compelling them down paths they couldnt understand, forcing them to endure calamities to shape the coming of future zeitgeists. In each other though, the hidden city and one of the many distant forerunners of the Sang altered each other''s destinies. One received knowledge of the loci: corpse-crystals that contained thoughts, and how to make them. The other was granted a means for immortality: a nascent dragon birthed during the rise of a new artistic trend. The associated artists and all nine generations of their extended families were gifted to Noloth. Sold by the higher powers that governed them for benefit. No one ever asked if they wanted to be offerings. Neither did it matter. Some of us spoke out against this, the chorus muttered. Their defense was half-hearted. Ashamed even. But shame was just a feeling, and action was materialization. What mattered was the eventual deed, and so through experimentation, the chosen under the Low City of Noloth discovered how to bleed a dragon. Shaped of nothing but time and chronologized history, the serpents sought to enforce a cyclicality of history, freezing cultural development to breed their young, laying temporal eggs among certain populations, sacrificing their lessers to coil around renegade gods or rebellious peoples, carrying distant plagues or suffered wounds back into the present. But such proved to be their vulnerability as well. Physical torture meant nothing. The miracles of gods struck only parallel to the nature of the dragons. But what was memory but the crystallization of personal history? And what were gathered recollections and mindscapes placed within blades within vivianite but blades across time. Just as Wahakten cut into the flesh of the fallen voider, so too did his predecessors flense the scale from a dragon, burying their blades deep within its bones. In the torments that followed, more mysteries were discovered. Ways of capturing a mind in perpetuity. How they could preserve places recalled from history in perpetual cycles of time. So hidden society became an immortal city. So low Noloth ascended to something approximating eternity. You must understand, the chorus continued. We were scared. Desperate the ward off the end. And that was enough to ignite Avos scorn once more. He turned his mind away from them and spoke to Calvino and the simulated aspects of his mind. +Listen to them,+ Avo said. He almost spat. +Pathetic. Miserable. Everything happens to them. Everything. Nothing they do. Just things that happen. Then they try to survive. They make their choices like victims and survivors. The world does something. They react. Never their fault. Not their triumph. Justifiable failure.+ These doublethinkers were more grotesque than the true believers who formed the bulk of the city in a way. Noncommittal regret was meaningless in the absence of action. {But they are acting now,} Calvino said. {Theyre helping us. If this isnt a very convoluted trap, that is. Estimates say no, but Ive been surprised by sillier odds.} +Acting through me,+ Avo said. +Because I defied their betters. I made the city afraid. Not real people. Just phenomena. No action. Barely exist.+ {I wonder if youre saying that because you have Captain Draus slotted so close to your base ego.} +Im saying it because its true. It does matter. All of it now. Maybe the world held no inherent meaning during your existence. But not the same now. All laws can be change. All patterns rewired. All of reality a construct. Existence can be resurrected. Uptopias can be created. So can hells. We are our delusions and beliefs made manifest. The world has become a canvas.+ More justifications flowed from the chorus. Words of regret. Statements about the wonders they brought to pass, and how they aided Jaus during the Godsfall. Shame. Action. Justification. Repeat. {So,} Calvino hummed, voice tinged with genuine curiosity. {What do you believe is a functional system? A functional world? One ruled by you?} +No. Ruling is insufficient. Control is unnecessary. But order and truths must upheld for structure. Hear them, Calvino. Listen. They pretend to be a democracy. They exist more like an oligarchy. They act against the world as a tyranny. They are sponsors of anarchy. And all of this because they are afraid. Or there is something they do not want. They are mutilated creatures. Half-formed at best. Changing in some ways. Unwilling to evolve in others. They seek to claim the world. But all they do is regurgitate history.+ The EGI considered his words. {Perhaps we should hear what they truly wantC} +I know. You know. They are going to ask me to save them somehow. Or change this world in their favor.+ {How are you certain?} +Because what they are has changed; who they are is still the same. Still scared. All of them. Still living in the dark. Leering at the light. Still fearful of others. Wanting to rule. But doing nothing with what they already have, Noloth has no culture. Noloth has a history. Noloth has no future. Noloth has legacy. Me. I am the only true legacy. Low Masters are spite. Ghouls are desperation. The Nether is an insult. Can see it now. Jaus trapping them in the broken cocoon of their future. Leaving them half-hatched. Ruined. But it didnt have to be this way. This didnt need to be the dream. But uptopia cannot be achieved by those who refuse to live as their ideals.+ ...and through your actions, we see our salvation, the chorus finally began, arriving at the crux of the point. Avo scoffed. He shouldve burned Green River and turned her on them. They deserved each other. Though our minds have been joined for all these years, the drift was grown until we stand apart from the rest of the communities. We no longer wish to be part of the eternal city. We no longer want to live under its misdeedsC Corner barked a caustic laugh. [Rotlick fucking called it.] Avo sighed in disappointment. {Well,} Calvino said, sounding more measured now. {That was almost artificially intelligent of you, Avo.} +No. Just stupidly human.+ And the chorus had spun off on another tangent. The fact that the barge ride had slowed also didnt escape Avo, the blood below going from rapids to a slow slosh. Fucking idiots must have mistimed their entire speech. Or blathered too much. Typical. {Im getting the feeling youre about to do something unwise, Avo,} Calvino said, likely interpreting what was to come from a spike in the data. +Not unwise. Just tired. And extremely hateful.+ Chambers approved. [Tell them to suck themselves, consang.] [What?] Kare responded, aghast. Her horror only grew as Avo drew in threads of blood and wove himself a new bodyCignoring the sheath the doublethinkers prepared for him entirely. [Avo! What are you doing?] {Oh dear,} Calvino said. As much as he didnt approve, he couldnt keep the glee from his voice. A splinter buried itself into the newly constructed body. Elegant-Moon inspected the biology for any finishing touches to add. As a shard of Avos consciousness settled back into a physical body, the rest of him stayed apart, observing the chorus in case they decided to demonstrate more moments of human stupidity. He melted into shape on the walkways above them, Echoheads the last thing to snap together. Heads twisted up to look at him. More than one face twitched with distaste at how he placed himself over them. Ah, the chorus intoned at once. Dreamer. There you areC Youre all half-strands. His words made them stutter to a sudden pause, unprepared to face an insult as a first response. Wide eyes and offended expressions stared up at him. Inside, Kare cupped her face between her palms, Draus wanted him to kill, Chambers cackled with laughter, and most of his remaining templates just gazed on, enraptured by what was to come. Going to defile the mind of the next person to give me a speech, Avo continued. Tell me how to save you. Tell me how to break the city. Give me something useful. Speed the barge back up. Then get out of my way. Your whimpering offends; I have more important things to do. {The soul of diplomacy weeps today,} Calvino quipped. +Is that all its going to do?+ Avo asked, giving a mocking retort. 21-3 Those That Stray (II) Do you feel it wielder? Did you sense the change? Something is in the veins of history. A new entity has entered the paths. -[REDACTED] 21-3 Those That Stray (II) The gathered doublethinkers shifted uncomfortably. With two sentences, they stood unbalanced. You have chosen to aid us? Yes, Avo said. Will annoy the Hungers. Break the city apart. End this farce for good. He scanned their faces once more and peeked into their inner worlds again. They were still holding to the deception. Will know if youre lying to me. Close enough to escape that you cant cage me. Something tells me youre not lying either. Were not. He grunted. Then tell me what you want. In goals. Things to happen. Acts to achieve. No process. No complaining. No history. How does this realm work? Why cant I get any thaums or ghosts here? How do I break the Hungers? The child that initially manifested was the first to speak. We remain partially tethered to the material. Jaus, in his deceptionC I remain partially tethered to my patience, Avo spat. Not history. Not old grievance. Dont care what Jaus did to you. Is done. Is history. And not mine. Only want to know what needs to happen to what? What works with what? I dont care who. I dont care why. I want cause and effect. I want mechanical solutions. The girl closed her mouth and just blinked. I see. No. She really didnt. This is a partially finished suprareality, another of the chorus spoke. Some bald woman veined with white tattoos, the paleness of ink sticking out on the dark of her skin. It is not an override like a Heaven is. Not an infestation twisting the patterns of the world. We are above the structures of existence. We channel the settings that are into new structures. Stable structures. Nothing clashes here because the fundamental laws have entwined mind and matter. Memories can be channeled and utilized by any citizen. Thats why youre not getting the components of our minds or deaths. We are this reality. Ah. So all the phenomena he fought earlier were people. Good to know. Cant kill you. Not unless break this existence. He paused. Is that what will happen if I unmake the pillars inside the ziggurats. No! You must not! Please! The cries of terror came as a chorus. An old warrior mastered himself first. Many will suffer if you do that. Our minds and egos will spill over into each other. But all will be restored with a cycling. The world will be reloaded, though we will suffer great harm. But not destroyed, Avo finished. Only tortured. Even that had its appeal. The only way to unroot us from this world safety is to undo the mechanism keeping us fused in place and extracting the lodestones at the intersection of each cycle. Avo considered what was being said and an epiphany came to him. Ah. That was why the dragons were eating into each other. Of course. Perpendicular timelines feeding loops into one another. If the city across one timestream was destroyed, another would bleed into it. The Hungers were thorough at avoiding a permanent demise. Too bad they werent any good at doing much else. What is the mechanism? Avo asked. The chorus suddenly fell silent. Apprehensive. He shook his head and turned to the looming wound spilling up into the sky. Threads of chronology streamed upward with the inversion of reality, the stuff of mind and time mixed into a new cocktail, pooling in the fissure leading back over into the Nether. His exit was less than a full Boltstride away. He could leave now. If they didnt say anything, he was going to. Lightning surged through his veins. The Heaven of Truth! The cry sang out from them in unison, his pressure cracking them. Cowards that they were, constitution was not their blessing. Then, the disruptions and bombardments surrounding them suddenly stopped. Spearing a splinter into the doublethinker, Avo found their internal world breaking, but in the process of mending thereafter. His pressure had caused a lapse in their focus. A second passed as everyone waited to see if their deception was exposed. A heartbeat passed. The bombings resumed. Faintly, Avo felt a sudden exhaustion flood his mind. It felt odd. Some the muscle he didnt know he had was spent. Took all I had used their lapse were hidden for now The Heaven of Truth, the chorus said as one. It was the base of our Ark. And the chain that holds us in place in the Nether. That, Avo did not know. Not even with the memories of Peace accelerating through his mind. Explain, he said. The chorus continued. Our pantheon, our collection of heavens, all the miracles we amassed, all our histories and lore were dismantled and taken after Jaus betrayal Their voices trailed off as Avo glowered. A few swallowed. Good: Fear motivated people to focus. ...After our betrayal, most of what we had was dismantled. Part and parceled, given unto the other Guilds. But not that. The heaven of truth remains to be our anchor to baseline reality and stability. To keep our partial ascendance from collapsing. It also holds us in place, ensuring that we cannot move freely through the Nether. Ensuring that we have to stay within our parameters. Avo wanted to ask how, but that would devolve into a delve into thaumaturgy. That was what Kae was for. The Agnos was far more useful and trustworthy than these turncoats anyway. It is more than just a Heaven. It grafted to the Gatekeeper. Around them, the scenery changed again. The air peeled slightly to give Avo a glimpse of what they spoke. A familiar scene took shape. Memories of the place he fell throughCthe LGI reactor core that Kare recalled. Through open chasms in space, Avo stared into a room bathed in dark red lights, but instead of seeing a massive spherical machine, he saw a complex cage formed from vivianite, patrolled by ghosts, and shimmering with a translucent doorway composed of flowing scripts. Phantasmal threads flowed through its center, spools of Nether-bound substance whistling through the cracks. It was a cage to a prison. A door on an oubliette. A portal between places. [Weve been keeping that?] Kare breathed. Evidently, she was ignorant of the reality resting at the base of ScaleCthe Heaven that likely caused their current exile, at least in part. [Holy fucking shit,] Kassamon agreed. Are those statements of truth? Avo asked, inquiring about the statements forming the contours of the doorway. Merely distillations of information. And binding agreements. Now, the smell of amusement filled the air, sneering smiles plastered on faces as they elaborated. After our triumph over the Pantheons, Jaus desired all the great cultures, sign an accord of peace and prosperity, seeking to benefit all of us mutually. The accords The words escaped from Avo as a rising whisper. He had first heard it from Denton. It was part of the arrangement she invoked to stay Naekos hand. But in truth, he had long wondered how mere agreements kept the Guilds in check. For those who controlled aspects of reality, mere words seemed insufficient to bind them to another''s will. Now he knew. Words tied to heaven. Words tied to the foundations of the Nether. Words and truths enshrined by thaumaturgy; made laws above sacrosanct. He should have always suspected. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. From the start, a Heaven of Truth was close enough to intrude on the realm of the cognitive. What was truth, after all, but sometimes interpretation; subjective in meaning or understanding. What absolute truth was there when even history could be broken in this world? What absolute truth was there when canonicity could be overwritten or imitated? There are penalties if these truths are defied? Avo asked. The doublethinkers lingering smiles were the only response he needed. So. This Heaven is connected to a Frame, Avo asked. Gatekeeper? Is that what its pattern is called? It''s not a Frame but a mind, a fully functional one, not this limited governing intelligence that they use to deceive even their own Paladins. So precious this secret was to the Godbreaker and his hounds. The Gatekeeper is our perfect warden. It is an artificial mind built toward specific intent. An experiment on the part of Jaus to create an Exemplar. An entity with the power of pantheons but the wisdom of the minds that rule the voiders. Avo turned his mind inward, but the information was as novel to Calvino as it was to him. {Jaus Avandaer,} the EGI breathed. {He hid more than I thought from us.} It was made from parts of our Ark. Aspects of our pantheon. That is how it can host a world entire. It is a partially created super-structure made possible by by They want to say the Ladder. Avo knew somehow. Knew from raw intuition alone. That is how we are built above the world that is. How we remain connected but exiled, the substance of mind flowing to us for processing, our city eternal little more than a recycling plant to remove impurity and enforce structure. And then, Avo understood, this thing was more than a dungeon, more than a crevice, more than a box. It was source and generator alike, the world it generated made absolute by its connection to the Ladder. And then another consideration exploded inside Avo. Another startling thought. Was this the anchor for the Flayed Ladder as well? A designated marker for it to rematerialize. The Hungers had to be ascended up beyond the Ninth Sphere of thaumaturgy for them to overwrite existence so utterlyCeven in another plane. And Scale was a fortress above fortresses. Scale was at the center of the Tiers And thats why you cant be destroyed. Because you are all rooted in something else. Bound to something else. I am interfacing with miracles right now. Canons. Not the ontological source itself. They stood silent. They dont know either Ignorant. The barge arrived at the edge of another alleyway, the hull digging into streets made from cobblestone and dirt trailing toward a partially liquified cityscape, sections of the horizon rising as smears of gold. Faintly, Avo felt a resonance ringing off his Frame. He didnt fully understand the nature of thaumaturgy, how everything came together, but he knew what to seek now. Where to go if he desired to see things changed. What will happen to the Nether if I destabilize the Gatekeeper? Avo asked. And is the path even open now? Without the Ladder? Another silence. They didnt know that either. The what? Avo sighed. Of course there were preventatives in place to ensure their ignorance. The only thing he remained confused about was how the Hungers were getting to act unchecked inside their uplifted prison. Perhaps the war between the Guilds created divides in intention. Or perhaps whatever Veylis did to her father altered things as well. Questions for Kae and Zein for when he next encountered her. What joy. You have pledged to free us, the doublethinkers said. To end our banishment. Avo waved an Echohead in response. He was too deep in thought to truly acknowledge them. Too many potential variables to consider. [Whatever the case, we need to infiltrate Scale,] Abrel said, her curiosity also burning hot. [We might not know everything now, but it seems like the base of the Paladins is a stronghold of secrets. We dont even need to burn any minds to get in anymore. Were wind. We can just drift. See for ourselves.] And that ensured Kare and Kassamon didnt need to be his linchpins anymore Please, Dreamer, the chorus said. They were speaking in that mournful tone again. Like beaten dogs. We were not among those who demanded the atrocities. Our sin was silence. We were not those who pushed schemes and forceful policies. We were merely weak. Our entrapment in this city has become unbearable. We wish only to leave. Leave. And be allowed to live again. Leave. And atone. Leave. And not be forgotten. Or remembered as traitors and monsters. Avo exhaled. And nodded. Very well. You will do it? Briefly, he turned away from his exit and faced the gathered doublethinkers. There was such hope written across their faces. Such desperation. Did his first iteration look the same way when Walton found him? Extracted him from the wasteland? Was his feebleness comparable to theirs? I will do it, Avo said. I will do it because it will break this city. I will do it because it will change the shape of Noloths history. And you will face every deed you have done. But this is more than that. I will do it because it will cement my power. And for my father. I will serve you in a way he never could. And I think it would have pleased him. Some of his templates responded with surprise. Corner disapproved. [Seems pretty fucking pointless to me, consang.] Look at you, Avo said, replying to everyone at once. Look at what has happened. Both chorus and templates regarded him with confusion. You strayed. Strayed from divinity. You cannot be man and divine at the same time. You cannot build your own idealization while living as base creatures. You turned away. You strayed. Strayed from power. Strayed from responsibility. Strayed from who you wished to become. Stayed who you were. All were silent, and Avo gave unto them his scorn. I see your mistakes. I see it. I will learn from it. I will internalize it. And I will not stray. I will become all that I can be. All that I can envision. And more. This existence has been failed enough by people pretending to be gods. Absurers collapsing into victims because they couldnt always win. Enough. Enough. I will walk this road to the end. I will find the point where apotheosis ends. And you will all have to face me when I do. Calvino giggled, laughter filled with incredulous disbelief. {Youre going to do this out of spite.} No, Avo said. Out of scorn. Out to make a final canon for all to face. That it took a monster to save New Vultun. That you all let a cannibal beat you to the discovery of virtue. He looked at their faces, broken between shame and hope. This was the dream. This was the dream because you failed yourselves. One of the doublethinkers opened his mouth to speak but as he locked gazes with Avo, nothing followed. Nothing. Can I return the same way? By triggering the same memory? Avo asked. They looked at each other. He scoffed. Useless. He will discover for himself. As he had to more and more these days. Im finished here, Avo said. He shook his head and turned to the streaming wound. Staring into the ichor, his Woundmother gasped as a distant sensation made her blood quiver, made his cyclers pulse, made his Frame rattle. Thanks for the passage. Will remember that. Will do what I can for you. Will do what I can for this world. Because some should realize the power they possess. For once. Just once. And Avo felt tired. More tired than he ever had before. How did he alone see the depths of their descent? Did the heights call to no one else beyond offering the basest aspects of wieldable power? They have failed their godhoods. All of them. All the Guilds. All the Hungers. Even himself for so long. No more of this. He couldnt exist submerged. He needed to rise higher. He needed to see what was possible. What could be realized without the impotence of human failure? Was starved for it. Like he needed air. Thank you, Dreamer, the chorus murmured. We for the truth that it is worth, we did not wish you to be either. We had hoped our legacy would be children. Our children. Not a monster. That made him laugh. Youre children would have failed. They would have grown under you. Shared blood with you. Been shaped by you. He took his first step toward the point of his departure, and stormstuff coursed through him once more, deliberately neglecting to look upon them a final time. What would they know of Heaven when you yourselves want to flee from your supposed paradise? Whatever reply never reached him. He gathered his splinters and shot out, ontology forking free in streaks of lightning. Within the confine of a second, he pierced deep into the currents of rising ichor, his Heaven expanding to clench the dragons flowing lifeblood, the rivers he now swam in washing him away utterlyCdrawing him across the passage of time. Master I feel it I feel I understand Euphoria became Woundmother, but Avo himself was enchanted, swimming through the currents of history. Swimming through chronology, history, cognition, and culture distilled. His ontology flowed into the progression of existence as it did back into him, and as he cascaded down through the shallow Nether, through mindscapes and zeitgeists formed of culture and thoughtstuff, he felt a new pattern fuse into his Heaven of Blood, into his cyclers, into his very Soul. Glitches blossomed across his cog-feed. Strings of incomprehensible mem-data seared his perception. His Fardrifter enjoyed the weightlessness, letting the flow take him. His Techplaguer sang. Timeistimeistimeistimeistime. The histories of people and places resonated with him. Fractals and expansions of who they wereChow they arrived passed through Avos consciousness. His ego yawned across Idheim, across all who could think, and all that has been. For the briefest of instants, Avo glimpsed all that had been. And all that would be. And it scarred him rightly. ACTCACCFDINDtCYuuldenC DOMAIN IDENTIFIED: (CHRONOLOGY] ADAPTING LIMINAL FRAME TO CURRENT METAPHYSICS - 11%... 35%... 56%... 78%... 94%... 100% DOMAIN INTERNALIZED (CHRONOLOGY) UPDATING HEAVENS And in an instant, time, space, mind, and matter collapsed inward, and Avo plunged backward along the route of his chronology, backward through the Deep Nether, backward through his simulated mindscape, backward through the lapse, backward finally into his old body. His mind and Frame slammed down hard into his unraveled sheath, and as his reintegration was completed, the glass-made cell containing him dissolved with his reawakening, reflective glints melting away to specks of quivering crimson. And flowing gold. 21-4 Blood of Dragons (I) All of time is but a dream, With blades bearing history, unravel the seam. The serpent-tyrant screams its end, Though vengeance is served, our flesh is never to be mend. All our memories are but a lesson, As are our bodies, gardens enchained to a question: For woman and serpent are same-cycle bound, Who then is the prisoner; the jailer, in this pattern round? -Insufficiency of Vengeance (No-Dragon Antithetical Poem) 21-4 Blood of Dragons (I) Existence greeted Avo alongside the dissolution of his glass-made cell, revealing a new facet to its face previously unseen. Patterns pulsed around him, rippling as if a pond struck by a falling pebble. His bloodCwithin and withoutCsang, the Woundmother crooning every structure she made chimed with timbres of pealing resonance. The winds played an accompaniment, air rustling forth a million-million notes, the currents drawn across the passage of time like a bow over strings. Even that which was data thundered in existence, brushing Avos mind in the analogy of percussion. He found himself aware of new and ineffable sensations, knowing the trail left by even brush of wind, every coursing stream of blood, every pattern of matter, every streak of lightning, every burst of radiation or composition of signals. New threads tickled his gnosis, their manifestations soft and fragile against his Frame. Not yet something he could pull on. Not yet. But they were there. Had been there all along. Only now was he close enough to perceive them. Only now did he have the symmetry. Avo? Draus tore him free from his reverie. He was back in base reality, the newest patterns in the tapestry blurring from his notice, escaping from sight. Avo turned his attention to his cadre and found himself displeased by their state. Draus and Tavers were halted midstep. Both were encased in armor. Both were stable of mind. Apprehension gripped their postures, and Avo understood their uncertainty, their concern. His departure had been abrupt. Senseless. There was much they did not know. Much he didnt know either. The others were loosely scattered in this roomCon the highest level of the tower he made to oversee the enclave, red-tinged light creeping through the surrounding translucence. Chambers Metamind had patches lining its sequences. Cognitive cataracts, if a comparison had to be made. Leaning on a partially installed console, Kae looked over Dice, the Agnos chirping constantly at the girl, the latters mind a slowly mending bundle of misaligned memories. Drones filtered to and fro, moving overhead as trafficked a constant influx of components, assembling new machinery along the supports and walls. Sunrise warbled in mid-air, watching Avo from afar as a mostly completed swarm. He felt them then. All of them. Their material and mental patterns, the air flowing in and out of their lung, the signals pulsing from their implants. And dancing strings of time. Like threads unwound, leading to distant placesClike vectors decorating their passage across time. Avo shook his head and focused. He needed time to figure these things out. Understanding. But they didnt have time to dally. Conversation was a luxury he had no intention of indulging. With a thought, his ConflagrationCa once raging inferno now cut down to a shivering torchCshifted. Flames sizzled into steam. Eyes widened. Expressions changed. Perceptions narrowed. What the fuck. Chambers muttered. Such was an appropriate response. There was much they needed to know. Much they had to ask him. Some questions he had for them as well. Thankfully, with the new evolutions achieved by his consciousness, the inefficiency of words could be substituted for direction injections of mutual understanding. He didnt even need to assimilate their egos anymore either. Ghosts: [4,510] Splinters broke from his mind, gliding across the Nether as if darting needles. They were cloned from his sequences, operating as remote fragments of his mind, their outward-facing structure passing through the realm of thoughts as something between a quiet plague and a shapeshifter. Going to show you all a few things, Avo muttered, his own mind still spinning from the ordeal. We all have questions. Me as well. Going to show you what I know. He caught Draus shooting Kae and glance and Avo grunted in understanding. No. Not going to burn you. Dont need to do that for this anymore. The Regular faced him again, and he felt her frown beneath her Meldskin helmet. None of them noticed when his splinters passed into them, sinking into their thoughtstuff, burrowing into their wards. The members of his cadre didn''t even respond as they were punctured. This moment of relish compelled Avo to exhale. Probing his companions'' protections, he examined their traumas, sequences, memories, and palaces. For long, he had been an all-devouring flame, a thing of elemental devastation, ruination in the Nether made manifest. It was a color he never expected to glimpse. The virtue of being truly overwhelming, truly dreaded, an apex predator for an entire realm. But it had also taken things from him. Stripped him of practice. Restricted him from practicing his art to the fullest extent possible. The art he inherited from his father. The art imbued into him through White-Rabs packaged memories. Him and countless more. In this moment, he was a Necrojack again, diving through the minds of his companions, tweaking and remolding, improving and gifting. As his splinters swept through them, they merged with various sequences, injecting new ghosts into the minds of his allies, optimizing weaknesses and constructing any phantasmics he deemed essential but missing. Above all, their wards were improved. Avo wouldnt be surprised if the Low Masters spent all their efforts trying to hunt him and his companions down after the humiliation he just inflicted on them. The HungersCdiscounting their turncoatsCwould not accept anything less than his complete annihilation. He needed to ensure his cadre were hard targets. His attention skipped over to Dice. The waif was mauled in thought and memory, her inner ego still leaking through the cracked yolk of her accretion, aspects of her memories and senses leaking outward like prolapsed organs swinging from an open wound. And so, he sequenced unto them the best defenses he had: the grand prize he stole from the Famine of Peace. [NO! FUCKING CUNT! THAT WAS MINE! MINE! MINE!] The Low Masters rage made it all the sweeter as Avo weaved the new barricades into shape. A constellation of complex counter-traumas flared in actively shifting plates just behind their accretions. The construct was a masterwork, each component a match for any standard ward, all of them working in concert akin to a fortress lobby composed of exponentially more ghosts, impenetrable by all but the greatest Necrojacks. Eyes widened. Heads turned. Mouths opened. Chambers coughed another epithet under his breath. Kae grasped her head but then turned to Avo, an inscrutable expression coming over her face when she realized her mind wasnt burning. Tavers and Draus took it with appreciative silence, while Dice was a longer job, requiring Avo to realign her devastated ego using her template as a mold before she could be cognitively enhanced. The next item of priority was creating Metaminds. For her and all the other enclavers. There were things he couldnt predict. Things like today that left them crippled. Directing a splinter down into the city, Avo fought back a wince as he laid eyes on the slow-healing calamity. Entire populations across the city were mentally fused, their egos as if gathered flesh kissed by a searing flame, caked into singular burns in the aftermath. He considered dispatching more splinters down to aid them as well, but that would take time. A lot of time. With each split, his focus slowed and his attention strained. His mind was ultimately only a high-processing tripartite still, made up of his base and two subminds. It demanded effort to direct so many actions at once. He needed to prioritize. Right now, as he finished sequencing fortifications into his cadreCcognitive grafts that would have any other team of well-trained Necrotheurges weeks or months to completeChe began threading his experiences into them. Granting them his newest learnings. Draus, Dice, and Chambers were simple. He bore their template within him, and so he fed their counterparts in the real with backups of data. Revelations dawned within them as he recalled all they had faced alongside him. You swore, Chambers gasped, sounding almost giddy. Thanks for all the colors? Them were gonna be your last words? Draus scoffed at him, unimpressed in the aftermath. Avo just smiled. The Regular was the Regular. Something was soothing about her persistence of character, especially when contrasted against his endless changes. Dice was getting up, sanity restored, but still unsteady. Kae helped the girl nested within the Railjumper sheath all the way, the motion of their ascent made awkward by their difference in height. The rest of the cadre gained directed packages of memory. Recollections from Avos perspectiveCthe vividness blurred and intensity reduced. Tavers made a series of chortles, each sounding more incredulous than the last. How? Fucking how? The interlocking whorls on a Rendskin exo-rig hissed and opened to reveal an exasperated squire. Her lips were curled downward and she glared at him, unblinking. How the hells did you manage to tumble into all that. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Her question was cut off by another. Pieces of an Ark? Kae was staring at Avo from five steps away, brown eyes wide as saucers, mind shivering with uncertain excitement. AndCyou swan through the Hungers? A world stored in shards of memory embedded in the flesh of a dragon? Avo twitched a single claw. The haemokinetic structure around them vibrated and rippled, ichor channeling matter, but also radiating currents of traveling gold. Kae gasped as her eyes jumped from one metaphysical emanation after another. The blood of dragons. Time. Avo, you have a Domain of Time inside you. He breathed in acknowledgment. Chronology. I think. What what does it do? she asked. Can you feel anything? Is this conversation happening in sequence? Are your senses different? How about your memories? Are you remembering two conflicting things at the same time? The answers to her barrage of questions were cast into her mind directly through the splinter Avo left implanted inside herCinside all of them. Another twinge of satisfaction passed through Avo. He had yearned to create a network between himself and his allies. The Neurodeck had served for a time. But this was his to wield. His to use. No one could take it away. {Now, now, Avo, if youre a good divinely-ascendant cannibal you wont need to worry about Aegis taking away your toys anytime soon.} Calvino hummed. {In fact Considering recent events, we might need to consider loosening acquisition restrictions some more} So you can sense and perceive the passage of time? Kae said, sounding almost giddy. CanChave you done anything else? I just got back Kae, Avo said, shaking off a sudden sense of exhaustion. One thing after another. Might want to do a resurrection first. Tired. Yeah, about that. Chambers wandered up to Avo, looking him up and down. The half-strand''s lips were pressed together and he pouted like a child. Avo, how is it that you manage to fall into some bullshit pantheon-Guild-cult conspiracy every couple of days? How are you running into so much messed up shit all the time? You know, before I met you, my life was pretty boring. Chambers paused. Well, I mean I was ganger piece of shit who ended up running with Mirrorheads crew. And Id probably end up snuffed sooner or later. But still, consang, I wasnt getting involved with mind wars and shit. Nevermind that GatekeeperCfucking, dragon-city traitors and Noloth-Ark shit. With each word, his ranting grew more irritated and less frustrated. How is it that every time you fall down a hole, you come out with new powers and shit, and every time I tumble down a hole, I wake up missing an organ? Its not fair, Avo. Its just not. The building intensity of the rant made Avo chuckle. Awkwardly, Avo patted the smaller man on the shoulders, his claws wrapping half-around Chambers upper chest. Have you tried being favored by fate? Chambers eyes bulged in disbelief, but a shimmer in the reflections on the end of the room drew Avos attention. A passage was opening. Faintly, Avo perceived faint threads moving through existence, forming a tangled outline of humanoid figure. He felt them thereafter using his Heavens, the construction of their flesh and matter, how the winds wrapped around her, painting her position across spatial reality, and most noticeably through the world-shaking tides of coldtech data flooding out from her across every moment, the Techplaguer twitching to full attention. CRIER! CRIER! CRIER! NOISY! NOISY! NOISY! Silence them, administrator. Silence them! Theyre calling out to the void. Theyre throwing their voice into THE DARKNESS. Catch the words before they leave! Catch them before they slip beyond us, and return as far-flung teardrops from distant shadows. {We cant do that anymore, you broken thing,} Calvino chided. {This is all that remains. The only habitable land left.} A somber silence followed. The Techplaguer flinched at the EGIs words. Lies. Lies! LIES! Denton passed through the glass, her appearance slightly disheveled though her expression remained as placid as ever. She was in a luxurious designer double-breasted overcoat, the clan mark for DRongoCa twin-tongued ape biting down on a turtles shellCemblazoned on her left breast. Magnetically clipped buttons clutched the garment tight to her while studded heat vents lined her shoulders, external exhausts for her outfits inner air conditioning. Reading her additional patterns of matter, Avo sensed a strength-augmenting exo-vest supporting her spine and seven half-healed knife wounds marking her abdominal wall. He mended her flesh and biosilk blouse with a casual invocation of his Woundmother. His Rend climbed another percent. Ninety-eight. His Metamind was screaming at him to vent again. Would be wise to do that soon. Briefly touching her stomach, Denton stepped out from the glass and strode in pace with the flow of drones. She made a brief gesture of thanks at Avo for dissolving her woundsCsomehow intuiting the deed was his doing. {Or I just informed her,} Calvino muttered. Avo, she said, greeting him with a brief sweep of her eyes. Her left was slightly bloodshot, its implanted machinery. He wasnt sure how to repair that, so he left it as it was. Her nanos were already doing repairs anyway. I see youre not as lost as Chambers claimed. Avo looked at the man in question and the half-strand just threw up his arms. Look, I tried to look at where you went missing and nearly had a seizure. Fuck, I did have a seizure. You were gone for fifty-five minutes. Fifty-five, Avo said. It really didnt feel that long. Regardless, Chambers continued, everything got fucked for a bit. So, yeah, when Denton here cast me, I told her. And Id I do it again. He swallowed. Avo nodded slowly. Okay. Good. Not judging you. Alright, Chambers said. Because it was the wise thing to do. [Stop being weird as shit, me! You dont need to justify this!] template-Chambers hissed at his real self. Avo directed the intent through his splinter, and actual-Chambers cringed. The entire planet was affected, Denton said, entering the conversation. Everywhere. Tiers. Warrens. Other megacities. Anywhere that the Nether was affected. She paused. Whatever you triggered, it was loud. It wasC Was connected to the Nolothic Ark, Avo finished. He moved to bury a splinter into Denton as well, channeling the Sprites from his Neurodeck over into the ego fragment. {Wait. Avo. Dont.} The cognitive needle was an inch away from pushing through Dentons wards. Only then did she look up at Avos halo and frown. What happened to your flames? She asked. {You probably wont be able to perceive much inside her mind,} Calvino continued, elaborating. {Her minds not like yours. Or even Captain Draus.} +Like yours?+ Avo asked. He was always a bit suspicious of the inscrutable Glaive. There was too much stillness to her. She reacted to the world more like dead matter in ways, unaffected in terms of experience or tangible humanity. {Not quite. She is an Alice-Series Infiltrator. A biosynthetic counter-sophont. Even her inner thoughts will be protected by quantum-coded encryptions.} Avo frowned. And then jabbed his way into her mind anyway. The EGI was right. A sea of numbers, codes, and scripts awaited him. Avo retreated. {See.} The ghoul grumbled. {Yes. Thats the entire reason why we restarted the initiative. So mind-snatching maniacs like yourself and Omnitech dont end up stealing anything from us.} +Couldve told me before.+ {You werent this much of a threat before.} If there was one thing Avo liked about the artificial minds, it was that they were always honest. Eventually. Was connected to the Nolothic Ark, Avo said, shaping his ghosts into phantoms instead. Despite all his efforts and burgeoning excitement, it seemed he wouldnt be able to escape a session of show-and-tell with at least one person. He told her about the lapse that was triggered, about the false memory contained inside Kare. He showed her an abridgment of his encounter with the Hungers, and then what the doublethinkers had revealed to him. By the end, Denton looked as unbalanced as a biomechanical machine wearing the skin of a person could muster. So. Scale is where they kept it. Denton mused. Operative Zein kept some things from us. Avo grunted. Or maybe forgot herself. Either way. Might need to have a conversation with her soon. More than a few things I want to know. Some about Jaus. Others about time. Consideration passed through the Glaives features. With all that has happened, the timetable of her reconstitution might be modified. The date of the trial is also in question. She shot brief looks at Draus and Kae. The situation in the Tiers and across the city is tense. Multiple skirmishes have erupted across the last hour. More are in the process of happening. Paladins are being dispatched to contain and apply diplomacy where they can. A beat followed. Naeko is among them. He ensured the safety of a major portion of the entire city. {25%} Calvino sent, pairing visual information with words. Visual data downloaded from Threshold materialized in the corner of Avos vision, and he saw a gargantuan palm made from mist and cloudsCa fourth the size of New Vultun itself and growingCslam down on the city, settling as if a mountain. A shiver ran through him and all his templates. Despite all he had just survived, all he had achieved, Naekos feat reminded Avo that he was not quite a giant in his ecosystem, that there were still mountains beyond mountains, and gods beyond gods. [Better stay far away from that one,] Corner said, a wary murmur under his voice. The former squire didnt scare easy, but he knew Naeko. And witnessing such power only made the fear settle deeper. [Were not ready for that kind of fight. Not even close.] But Avo considered another factor. His splinters. His mind. Would the Chief Paladin even see it coming? Would he even realize that he was being consumed from the inside, sequence by sequence? Peace didnt. [Avo,] Corner said, truly serious. [Imma tell you this will all the respect I can musterCthis isnt someone you want to experiment or find out about. Until youre sure you can evade or snuff, stay the fuck away from him.] And that was all they said. Hes been hunting us, Avo said, returning to the conversation with Denton. Understood. I will speak with him before things begin. Make boundaries known. What are the accords? Avo asked. Why are they binding? Denton paused. They are agreements struck between the Guilds. Promises made absolute under Jaus. Humanity has made an art of breaking laws. So. It was universally decided that chains were needed to bind everyone. It was supposed to be the first structure of absolute legality. Something above all beings. And was supposed to banish or capture transgressors using the Nether, Avo said. Or the Hungers themselves. The Glaive tilted her head at him. I am uncertain. The histories here are contradicting. Of course, Avo muttered. Why wouldnt the Guilds want such a thing to exist? For people to be aware of it. But it wasnt finished. And further damaged during the Second Guild war, Denton added. That was what we thought the High Seraph was truly desired during her siege. To break the final rules laid by her father. Such was what Operative Oyaje claimed. Oyaje. Thousandhand. A headache was beginning to build. It seemed like with each thrust of progress he made to understand the grand scheme at play, the more the mists of obfuscation and mystery grew. The threads of time were ringing around him now. His blood was a constant song. Somehow. Somehow he knew history had been tampered with. That the chronology tied to this was irrevocably broken in some way. But wasnt the past already lost? Was history always chased by swallowing oblivion? He needed more perspective. And he wasnt going to just get it here. Turning his attention to the mirror on the far side of the room once more, Avo clicked his fangs together and began to think. He prepared sessions in his Auto-Seance. Formed splinters as he continued his dialogue with Denton, sharing what they knew. [What are you doing?] Abrel asked, curious as to why he was calling up the sequences tied to the session he had hidden within her mind. +Everything I can at once,+ Avo answered. After all, he wasnt fixed to a single point anymore. He could have a dialogue while being efficient. And it was time he synchronized some knowledge across his subverts. Starting with Abrel herself. 21-5 Blood of Dragons (II) Her blade, a song of woe through time, Her blows, her strikes, death her rhyme. Mother against daughter, an ordeal of fate. The future rests their clashes, hearts bound by love and hate. But upon the tides of time an infection comes, The ravenous beast molting, a god he becomes. Mother and daughter are no longer the only shadows that loom, For only will the true struggle begin when the monster mends the worlds womb. -Unidentified Thoughtcast 21-5 Blood of Dragons (II) Avo was in the enclave; his stolen city of light. Avo was passing through the Sunderwilds, bound for the George Washington, seeking to root himself in its systems. Avo was diving across his sessions, burying himself within Abrels consciousness, Kassamon, Kare, and Elegant-Moon soon to follow. Her mind was ignorant of his intrusion, his memories melting into hers, not even waking her as she slumbered. Every splinter that parted his mind fractured his awareness further. He could spawn a legion of fragments, but he could only wield three of them. Direct them only as a unified concert. Broad focus resulted in broad effects. Meticulous work required focus and concentration; greater investitures of total cognitive capacity. And so he began his approach as a thoughtform of three parts. As Denton told him of her relationship with Nako, he speared first into Abrels mind. The girl was asleep, slumbering within a porcelain prison. He jacked into her senses and studied her cell. The room was aglow with a somber ambiance. Liliac on white. Sounds of a distant waterfall almost too quiet even for Abrels hearing. The Exorcists and voiders were unaware of his hidden Auto-Seance, planted deep in the folds of her memories. They were not his equal in the art then. They remained as pale shadows now. An exchange of memories followed. In the moment of Abrels inhale, he wove into her all that her template experienced alongside him. He left himself and the others vagaries, of course, drawing a curtain over what he desired to keep hidden. But he gifted her with a recompense of knowledge. A fitting trade for all the aid she offered. He trawled further through her memories, filtering through the mem-data for critical moments of worth. Surprise filled him as the face of Uthred Greatling appeared. Realizations blossomed, one following another, perturbed by the sudden dissolution of House Greatling, unnerved further by the fact that a former Authority and his Instrument of a son was seeking the cadre down in the Warrens. Abrel, for her worth, had misdirected them from the true mark. She sculpted a story, portraying Chambers as a mastermind. A rising threat unseen, the vengeful hand of Noloth striking once more. There was something here. Something he could engineer. New actors on the scene for him to exploit. Studying Uthred and Vators capabilities through Abrel, Avo found himself more thrilled than perturbed. So they sought the Acolyte Aedon Chambers. So multiple parties were noticing the suspicious Fallwalker using a Bone Demon. All this could be twisted to his advantage. Offered as bait. While he constructed his plot, Denton spoke in the backdrop, elaborating on her relationship with Naeko. My association with the Chief Paladin is one of informational and mutual benefit. Denton paused to consider her words. Hesitation gripped her, but she remained free of tension. I am an open double agent. Ori-Thaum knows that I am compromised by Voidwatch. As does Paladin Naeko. Both entities assume this is the depths of my cross-allegiance and work to leverage their own gains through them. Openly a spy and unofficially a liaison, Avo remarked. Fascinating how politics works between Guilds. Fuckin messy is what it is, Draus snorted. She regarded the Glaive with a flat stare that conveyed her disapproval of the arrangement. Youre a fragging waitin to happen, consang. Just a bad choice away from a snuffin with all the daggers pressed up against your back. Denton remained indifferent. This is the most optimal way to achieve our ends. The risks involved are manageable. And if you end up dead? the Regular asked. A ghost of a smile graced Dentons face. People in my line of work usually only end up wrong once. Regret is not our privilege. And that was sufficient to assuage the Regular. The arrangement I struck to relieve you all from Naekos arrest was twofold, Denton explained. The first was claiming you as my assets. Under Ori-Thaum or Voidwatch I didnt say. Avo caught her implicationCanother angle he could use to implicate and muddy the waters for Clan DRgono. But thinks you are my hounds. And I traded him information I knew he lacked. Information relating to Elder DRongos orders to commit conspiracy to murder and frame an Agnos. The latter act openly in breach of the Accords. And that will matter when the trial begins? Avo asked. Certainly, Denton said. The truth will be ascertained. The transgressors will be shown for what they are before the city. The punishment is coded into the Heaven itself and requires the clearance of the Chief Paladin and witnesses from the Guilds to be delivered. Such was how previous events proceeded. As this brings all the major powers together, trials are usually proceeded or followed by moots between the powers. Her gaze turned aside for a moment. I think that was part of Operative Thousandhands schemes. She mentioned something about favored developments should specific individuals encounter each other during one of these gatherings. How it would make them easier to prune. Wait, so theres something I dont get, Chambers interjected. Heads turned to face him and he awkwardly made eye contact. Youre literally selling out your elder and all this other shit. Why havent theyC He made a twisting gesture with his hands and mimed the noises of someone choking. Because the mem-data was obtained through other seniors within Clan DRongo. And also, I am just an agent. A Glaive. The messenger. I am a hand for multiple parties. Not the actor themselves. To liquidate me would anger many of my benefactors. There are benefits to leveraging an open identity and a role steeped in labor. And presently, Clan DRongo still believes they have the most sway over me. As does Clan Kitzuhada, Clan Kazahara, Clan Imaru, and Clan Oyaje. She paused again. I suppose a number of subsidiaries and independent Fallwalkers would be upset by my sudden removal as well. And do any of them know your true role? Kae asked. That you are a member of Ninth Column. The Agnos question caused Denton to genuinely smirk. I am already a compromised spy. What other secrets could I have? This made Chambers do a double take. Wait a minute. Hold the fuck up. Everyone''s fine with you being a spy because they know you''re a spy and are using you as a spy against the others, and you''re using all that spy shit to hide the fact that youre an even deeper spy for a secret spy organization. The Glaive thought about what he said and simply nodded. A flavorful way of portraying my role. He blinked in disbelief and coughed out a chuckle. What in the fuck. Were Aegis engineered from the start, werent you? Avo asked. Denton pressed her lips together. I have a FATE-Skein. I passed through Essentials at Amoi Elementary. I finished Professionalization at the Tadeka-Ikkein Academy of Arts and Culture. I was recruited on service day. She gave a brief history of her youth, but never once did she say now. +Seed them young,+ Avo said to Calvino. {A cover performance works best when its mostly true,} the EGI replied. As the cadre fired off other related questions at the GlaiveCKae taking a special interest in what her part was in the overarching shape of thingsCAvo shifted the bulk of his awareness over to the splinter he cast through the mirror. The reflective passages running through the Sunderwilds were as if a tunnel leading between sections of space. Noise cut in and out as he accelerated in the form of a traveling Specter, the fragment of his mind crossing flickers of reality, a collage of shattered landscapes. Colors and brushing pressure graced his perception and Frame. The Sunderwilds leaked in a way. The fragility of torn reality was a palpable thing. Then, into the last threshold he passed, and found himself back inside a shell formed of smart-matter and shadow. Neon colors and expansive holographics pulled his attention. The interior of the George Washington had been substantially altered since he last returned. There was more machinery present. More drones performing active maintenanceCaudio-visual telemetries received from various cameras or optics, the moments they collected playing in real-time, viewpoints from over a dozen Sovereignties and districts, showcasing how things were on the streets and from the sky. Avo ignored them for now, wasting no time as he buried his splinter into the encrusted vivianite on the throne. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Data flowed through his mind as he merged himself to the Shepherd AIs internalsCthe damaged construct''s internal systems upheld by its broken crew. Flickers of an ancient programming language extended to erupt into threads of memory. Both Calvino and he studied the bastard cognition of the entire structure, and were of two minds regarding its make. The EGI was about as disgusted as it could be. Shame and criticism were not its favored tools, but faced the fates of the crew with honest disappointment. Avo contrarily found himself impressed by the Low Masters. Surprised that they managed to scaffold technologies they could understand through an asymmetrical application of their art. To able to achieve something like this took nothing less than a prolonged effort. Cruel mastery. It was also probably why so many systems within a Metamind aped voider direct-neural interfaces. Noloth stole from the most reliable source of advancement they had. Considering what Avo had just done to the Hungers, he was practically just following Nolothi tradition. Drifting through sequences and scripts, he reached the reactor of the ship and studied the bodies. They remained there. Trapped. Fused. Encased along an amber grapevine like a thread of disfigured minds. They were like shrapnel but mainframes both. Pillars of cross-cognitive manipulation. Thanks to their brain-computer interfaces, the entire vessel remained functional. Somewhat. More importantly, it ensured they remained backed up. Awareness. The Shepherd prevented them from being burned hollow when the Conflagration lit them before. That, more than anything, indicated they could still be saved. But that required the base parts of their ego be untangled from the jungle of crossing data. +Going to leave a splinter here permanently. Just like with the cadre. Lets you access the details. Are you getting anything else? Know you got to spend some time with the system.+ Avo felt a note of surprise come from Calvino. The EGI hadnt been expecting this. {I think so,} Calvino said. {But its mainly because youre merging into the infrastructure. The way you can bridge the Nether with standard technology is useful. Maybe together, we will be able to unravel this mess.} +After,+ Avo said, his attention drawn to a flash of images in his periphery. Aerial feeds over what looked to be Burners Way compelled Avos attention. He saw three walls of golems and drones facing each other, boxing in a half-collapsed factory. Interfacing with the display, he isolated Highflame, Stormtree, and Paladin units on the scene, but more importantly, his focus narrowed in on ten figures amidst the industrial debris. Four looked to be Highflame Godclads by their armor, and towering over them stood their Bloodthane rivals. A cadre of Paladins stood wedged between them and Avo ordered the drone to zoom in. As it did so, he realized he was looking down on the scene through an Exorcist Tadpole. He wondered how Tavers managed to get access to that, but found himself soon considering if he could construct them using his Haemokinesis instead. When its optics settled on the Paladins, however, all prior ruminations vanished. Kare Kitzuhada was in the thick of things alongside her mentor, her armor of slatted white smeared with oil and fumes while her helmet was set to transparent. She appeared to be trapped with the unenviable of de-escalating a tense encounter between two rival cadres, and with her mentor locked in a shouting match with three of the Highflame personnel, it seemed the junior Paladin was the only one making a genuine effort. It looked like she needed a hand. And it looked like she was in a prime position to help him as well. [Oh no,] template-Kare breathed, dread filling her phantasmal veins. +Dont worry. Ill make sure you get out fine.+ Nine other Godclads. Four Highflame. Four Stormtree. One Maru SandrupalCa figure closely tied to Chief Paladin Naeko if borrowed memories suggested correctly. What a windfall. What an opportunity. More vectors to spread. Shifting his awareness back into his original body, he created more splinters as he triggered his Auto-Seance a second time. It was time to render some diplomatic support. *** There were some days that the city was just out to get you, that made you regret being a Paladin, that made you regret not taking up your uncles offer. This was just one of those day, Kare told herself. The attackCif it was an attackChad left the Nether destabilized and triggered more than few hasty trigger fingers to squeeze. All across the Tiers and Warrens, skirmishes were being fought, and they greeted Kares cog-feed as an endless stream of emergency dispatches. She and Maru had been among the first Paladins to recover from the unbalancing. This engagement was one of many encounters spawned in relation to the disaster. It began with a Highflame drone severed from control and plunging into Stormtree territory. Usually, this is where a bit of shooting followed, but everyone was temporarily incapacitated, things took a while to spiral out of hand. Of course, the first ones to recover here were the stationed Godclads from each Guild: the Instruments led by Idril Marasov and Bloodthanes under pack leader Urdna agNaeg. For approximately one minute and twenty seconds between the start of the scuffle and the Paladins arrival, over two dozen nukes were detonatedCand pocketedCnine hundred drones were destroyed, and an entire portion of a districts industrial sector lay in ruins. Thankfully, said the district was Burners Way. You couldnt break what was already considered to be a dilapidated wasteland since the Fourth Guild War. Of course, Kares idea of stopping the conflict was more rooted in approaching with dialogue, Thoughtwave Detonations, and suppressive ordinance. Maru decided to jump them into the fray by hijacking an explosion to transpose them. She wasnt much a fan of the brawl that followed thereafter either. It took more than a few shockwaves to the Heaven for things to calm down. Now, standing within the partially collapsed ruinsCpartially of her making, Kare nursed a sore neck and ringing ears as the leaders of each cadre threatened to do unspeakable things to one anothers corpses. This wasnt exactly how she envisioned spending the day. She was supposed to have time off. Spend time in a vicarity with Risha. And maybe have dinner with her father later. This though What did Uncle Shotin say? Sometimes, the city just has to fuck you in front of everyone. Right. ...Were not done here. We need to talk about recompensation. You broke something of ours, Ogress. You break, you pay. Now. Is that going to be done through imps or other venues of satisfaction? I leave that up to you. Instrument Idril Marasov was a square-jawed idiot who loved to point. Chrome lined the side of his cheeks and biothaumically grafted insectoid limbs jutted out from sockets along his ribs. He wore a Mantis-Incarnate bio-rig in place of inorganic armor. Across from him, the Bloodthane Urdna agNaeg just loomed, her face forever a sneer, the shadows veiling her face a result of her three meters of height and messy dreadlocks swaying as a curtain. Bones decorated the exterior of her combat skin. Speaker grills lined her arms and shoulders, the sound distortions crackling from her pulsing metaphysically, making even the air around her shiver with vibrations. Kare still felt the thunderous soundwaves washing through her bones. Even with her Heaven manifested, the unpleasantness went Soul-deep. Paladin, Urdna chewed, spitting a globule of phlegm onto a cracked slab. Enough saliva left her lips to crack the edge of the plascrete once more. You tell this boy to bring me a woman to speak to. I have tolerated his insolence, but wish to speak to an adult. Ironically, this was about as childish a thing as the Bloodthane could say. The woman knew not all clades were as the Scaarthians, sexually transitioning upon full maturity. This was a deliberate insult. A deliberate insult that the Instrument couldnt seem to endure. The mans face reddened. Kare swallowed her own sigh. The entire time, the two were passing insults, and only when they wanted her to deliver an insult on their behalf did they address her. Off to the side, she could hear Paladin Sandrupal declaring how many rounds of sexual congress he held with each of the other Bloodthane and Instruments mothers. Though his method wasnt calming things down, it did seem stress relieving. Listen to me, you uppidity sow. Idril held out a hand. The Bloodthane slapped it. Toward Kare. Who was forced to dodge. Citizens, she said, forcing the words out even as her frustration spiked. They seemed intent on fighting each other. Intent on ignoring her attempts at resolution. Intent on starting a war just to feed their egos. To think people like this could be Godclads was despair-inducing. Point that finger in my face and I will claim your arm as a trophy, Urdna sneered. It is a small, shriveled thing, but not all specimens can be worthy. You half-strand piece of shitC The Instrument took a threatening step forward. Kare intercepted him. Instrument. No. Wait! He planted a hand on her face to shove her aside, but she twisted under and got in his path. White teeth were bared at her, and his anger turned away from the Bloodthane. Glasser. Im going to scalp this too-tall bitch. You can get out of the way, or you can be the appetizer. Up to you. Kare closed her eyes and breathed. Who taught these Instruments how to speak? It was like everyone owed them imps. Try it, partling. Find out if you are mother enough in your infant bones. And why did these Bloodthanes always have to fan the flames? Fuck you! Idril snarled. Fuck you! Urdna spat. No, Kare said, her patience slipping. If they were going to fightCso help her JausCshe was going to snuff them first. Enough. Stop. And then the strangest thing happened. Just as quickly as the violence escalated, the air changed. There was a twist in the current. A shift in the Nether. Where their accretions were churning fast, accelerating to meet the coming violence, their minds suddenly stopped, and the expression emptied from their faces. Oh. Of course, Paladin. My apologizes. The Instrument nodded and backed away. Across from him, the Bloodthane also bowed her head. Shameful behavior. From both of us. Truly. Kare blinked. Both of the other Godclads peeled away, stepping back and staring off with confused expressions. Their faces probably matched her at that moment. What had just happened? Turning, she regarded Maru, but found him and the other Guilders staring off in awkward directions as well, distracted by something. Paladin Sandrupal? Hm? He replied. Right. Good job. Rookie. He gave her a nod. Great de-escalation. You should get a medal for that. Ill tell Naeko. The other Godclads were all oddly nodding in sync with him. Animal fear welled in Kares stomach, and dryness settled in her throat. She turned to face the others.Just doing my job. *** From within nine new minds, an outsider spread their influence, fangs wide in a savage rictus. Oh. Things were going to be just delightful. Maru now. Kassamon after. And who knew how far he would spread? Who knew what he could achieve with his new gifts? With how subtly he flowed, how unknowably he moved, who, then, could stop him? 21-6 Blood of Dragons (III) The Nether was never meant to be a prison, but it served as a perfect one all the same. Alas, the masters of Noloth were as much slaves to their nature as the gods were. So desperate were they to see the world conform to their desired delusions that they revealed their hand preemptively. Was it hubris that made them think we would not notice? That I would just trust blindly? Or was their failure something simply lesser? Baser? More human. I thank you all for your prompt responses. For ceasing your squabbles to settle matters. We will keep the remainder of the Nolothi population intact. But their masters must be banished. The worst of their culture must be repressed. I think as I grow older, as I study the world, study our behaviors, our natures are entwined with the divine. Mirrored in a way. We are the way we are, for we are singular silos of awareness. consciousnesses that have been molded by society and in turn mold society. Our gods are cultures distilled, zeitgeists unleashed, and powers absolute. Hubris and madness cannot restrain them, for they exist beyond consequence. For a time, at least. Perhaps they are what we would be if everyone were to merge into an amalgam. A singular ego channeling the experiences of countless lesser minds, with all the potential to reshape existence, and no penalties for what they break. It is an ugly thing to face. But liberating. For it shows the flaws in our hopes. And rights our path toward functional progress. I called you all tonight to compose a summation of Noloths dismantling. I am honored by your prompt responses. And the refrain you practiced during the pacification process. I understand it is not our usual way, but that is to change if we are to live better lives. But as for the matter of who will serve as warden for the city eternal Here. Allow me to show you. [MEM-DATA MISSING] This is the Gatekeeper. It is unfinished, but as a prototype, it will serve my point. It lacks many aspects we can see in a human. Indeed, when I dreamed of its inception, I desired something that was apart from us. Devoid of our insufficiencies. I formed the Gatekeeper as a concept. It is purity empty of all thoughts beyond its designated task. Cultureless. With little personality beyond devotion to its function. Capable of imbibing information from the world without succumbing to corruption. It is beyond the avarice of any man, beyond the foolishness of any warrior, beyond the cowardice of any craven. As of now, it bears the fundament of the Nolothic Ark and acts as an anchor for the threshold. I have never been one to hide my thoughts from you. Not even when it was to my own benefit. I see the Gatekeeper as the development. A manufactured caretaker to blunt our habits of self-destruction. Even with the power to channel the various Heavens tied to the realm of minds, it has only done its duty. Only held itself in refrain. In it, I have seen the path ahead. Glimpsed what we must do. We cannot bear this power. Already, I see the corruption of hearts. Already, it is too much. Even for the greatest among us. In breaking the gods we have ended one tyranny. Now, we must suffer the agony of surrender to avert another. For the final design to be realized, power must not be held in our hands. We are not ready. We may not be ready for a long time. We are to rebuild a house from these shackles. A community for which we are to flourish and learn. Spared of death. Governed by purity. Educated by our prodigal kin. Such are the immediate steps I desire. In simplicity: the surrender of our Heavens over to proven custodians, followed by their mass manufacture once the [REDACTED] is finally rooted in existence. We are melting our shackles down. Making new chains. But this time, it will be a fence instead of a collar. This time, it will save us instead of oppressing us, pulling us back from the brink to keep us from falling, rather than our necks. We have come too far to be undone by our nature. -Mem-Log of Jaus Avandaer to the Gathered Representatives of the Remaining Guilds after the Trial of the Hungers 21-6 Blood of Dragons (III) Nine different minds. Nine new Godclads under his sway. Four of Stormtree. Four of Highflame. Not a bad haul for a brief dip across a subvert. Avo wanted more. [Oh, Jaus,] template-Kare groaned, suffering from a clash of feelings. Indeed, without Avos intervention, the Bloodthane and Instrument would have reignited hostilities, and Kare herself would have been drawn in. Not ideal, for her or the city. The best outcome there would be their incapacitation, but even with the greatest among the Guilders being a Sphere 4, it was still only her and Paladin Sandrupal. Avos influence made sure things didnt come to that. Escalation was prevented and order was upheld. The cost, however, was leaving nine Godclads under the sway of an increasingly incomprehensible monster. If Avo could even be regarded as such a meager thing anymore. +Dont worry,+ he replied, delighting himself as he coursed through their memories, an invisible virus swimming carried along trains of thought. +Wont hurt your mentor. But need him. Need his insight. Were going to all do wonderful things together. Great things. City is going to be safer because of you.+ He cast the truth of his intent into her, but his words still failed to assuage. If Kare had a body, she would be biting her lip right now. Instead, she found herself bothered by festering thoughtsCinflammations of doubt and worry. A lack of trust still existed between her and Avo, preventing them from achieving true cooperation. [I trust you about Paladin Sandrupal,] Kare said, mastering her worries. [There are many things you could have done. To me and the city. Terrible things. But you are more than a monster.] She attempted a diplomatic note, mustering her strength for more uncomfortable territory. [But the others] +Need them,+ Avo replied. +No promises for them. We''re at war. Even if they dont know. They want the world to be their way. I have another design. A better one. Will consume them if I need them. Will use them however I have to. Not going to lie about that. And they wont be the last.+ Kare wasnt sure how to take that. [I just wish you asked me first. Isnt that what you believe? Giving people choice.] +Yes. But you were losing control. And I wanted to test my new changes. Indulge.+ Avo admitted his hypocrisy openly. Easily. He supposed it was both a good and bad thing. But his encounter with the Hungers had taught him better of denial. And self-delusion. To achieve his desired idealization, he needed to face these problems and consider if he wished to alter the worldCor himself. One could lie to the world. Peddle whatever poison they wanted. But to turn the same act inward was an act of self-harm all the same. +Havent done anything to them yet. Only inside for now. Taking looks. No plans cemented yet.+ He paused. +Could negotiate limits in the future. Deeds we can provide each other. Will take time to consume them. My mind isnt flame right now. Its moving emptiness. Will take patience to tatter all the sequences in a palace. You have time. Do some thinking.+ And with his piece said, he buried the dialogue into real-Kares mind. The Paladin lurched with a start, suddenly aware of all that was happening, of the hidden hand behind her recent success at diplomacy. Her ghosts twisted inward, grasping at phantoms that werent there anymore. Still, he watched here. Through nine sets of other eyes, nested within nine different minds. He sequenced Auto-Seances inside them as well. Something to ensure he could access them again even if a disruption managed to unmake his splinter. In time, they would be new patient zeros. Spreading his influence. Feeding him constant streams of intelligence and understanding. Right now, he wanted to make his gains exponential. Discover what he could truly do when not hunted by the Hungers and their Low Masters. Centuries of Necrojacking experience reverberated within his ego as Avo called upon Peaces memories. Skills he couldnt have mastered in a single lifetime fused into place and the nature of traumas became bare to him. Memories sang out to him. A billion minds shattered by the Famine of Peace sang their lessons, fed his Ghostjack with an archive of patterns, an inventory of torment each more exquisite and unique than the last. More than that, he felt his intuition sharpen, the sensation as if a new sense was growing out from his mind. Avo understood what broke a person now. Better than ever before. All the little details necessary to apply maximum leverage when disfiguring ones self-perception. It was a glorious thing. And one that he desired to share. Chambers lacked the taste for this, but White-Rab? Well, the man was due another gift. A mind like his shouldnt be obsoleted and wasted, but amplified and cultured. The same with the rest of his cadre. The same with his subverts. The greatest color to behold was the materialization of ones own ideals. But even so, a single being could only do so much, constrained by the narrowness of perspective and the limitations of their material attributes. Such a boundary was vanishing for him in mind and body, but still, he could only possess one Frame, and the decisions came from his base ego, personhood was, if nothing else, a legacy of experiences. Drawing his awareness back to the near waters of his sheathe, he considered his cadre. He considered Denton: more machine than woman, inscrutable still to him. He considered Chambers: once little more than a thug, now a man amidst changeCwithin and without. He considered Draus: a Regular fighting a greater war than she ever dreamed; he was certain to make her greatest desires come true. He considered Dice: A prodigal daughter returned. A shadow of a human. But a mind unshakable. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. He considered Tavers: a squire embroiled in machinations that overshadow even her own legend, seeking salvation for a son she thought broken. He considered Kae: the Agnos owed in revenge and knowledge. Both of which he could provide. And beyond. What couldnt they do? Who couldnt they become? The questions made Peace inside him slither, the Low Master awakened from his stupor in outrage. [You stupid fuck. You rot-cunt bastard. You take from us. You take from the people that created youCthe culture that made you, and now youre thinking of giving parts of us away? Using our warminds to improve your friends] +Yes,+ Avo replied. It was the easiest answer he ever gave. [You have no ideaC] +I do,+ Avo said, sinking to the truth of the matter once more. +I want people to tell me Im wrong. To fight me. To fight for what they want. I want to understand them. Kill them. Break them. And then I want to give back to them. Or the other way around. I want us to emerge. Changed. Better. Or different.+ Peace sneered. Avo added tears of rage to his face. It suited the constant whining better. [Theyre going to destroy you. The GuildsCthis world is going to break you down and destroy you.] +Maybe. But that will be my fault. My failure. My defeat. And that doesnt scare me. Not anymore. Learned to separate sensation of pain. Understand it now as feedback. Loss is meant to hurt. Injustice claws at our minds. There is a language to this. A pattern. But a pattern is only real when there is something else. Something other than it. A contract. An antagonist. Or companion.+ Avo inhaled. Time flowed around him. And when his focus slipped, so did his awareness. +You are hurt. That is most of what you are by now. But you lie to yourself about why you suffer. Couldnt separate your physical defeats from philosophical degeneration. Or maybe you just dont see. Maybe youre just too human. But its too late now. Need to step out of the cradle. And do more than dream.+ He banished the Low Master before the creature could further whimper. Days prior, Avo would have simply silenced the Famine. Derived joy from his impotent rage. Now? Now he had grander designs to manifest. Diverting only a trickle of his cog-cap to the nine splinters enmeshed in his newest subverts, Avo cast out another few splinters. Kare had been a bountiful start, but the city was still in disarray. There was looting to be done while the smoke was still settling, and he went about doing just that. Elegant-Moons proved to be an immediate disappointment when he found her unreachable. There was a faintness of presence there. Trickles of thoughtstuff. He felt sure she wasnt gone, but it felt as if she was drowned in a field of constant distortion on her end. [Perhaps I am dead,] template-Elegant-Moon mused without much rancor. [Perhaps I have finally been killed.] Avo doubted it. She was still far too useful an asset for the No-Dragons to be cast aside in such a way. The more likely truth was that her Metamind was temporarily disabled somehow. Persistently disrupted in the aftermath of her escape. Kassamon, contrarily, was quite easy to reach. Updating himself on the mans memories and studying the scene playing across the Paladins cog-feed, Avo found himself intruding on a pursuit in progress. A blurred cityscape flickered past Kassamon as he closed in on his target. He traveled as an accelerating ripple, a wavelength thinning to a rising needle. All things in motion moved contrary to him, caught in the riptide of his Heaven of Speed. This included the lashing bolt of lightning that manifested as a FulgerhoundCand the payload of warheads it was trying to deploy. Peering into the Paladins memories and out using his senses, Avo learned that he was currently directly above the luxury district of Meddhamet up in the Throat, a place with its death tax primarily assigned to Sanctus. Curved structures of matte-black plastic formed the localitys equivalent to a megablock, the complexes all leaning against one another, a network of streets and ramps built between gaps separating each curve. The pilot of the golem had been trying to strike the city center for some reason or another. Their presence was noticed by Exorcist patrol drones, and Kassamon was already moving to intercept when the Nether was disrupted. After recovering, he somehow managed to locate the target once more without Exorcist support and was about to end whatever plots were in motion. The Fulgerhound had tried to flee, and lightning was a spear that sundered skies and crossed horizons. But its movements happened on a canvas of relativity, and Kassamons control was absolute. A riptide of velocity tore the lashing bolt into Kassamons grasp as he slammed into itCnot even bothering to manifest his full Heaven. Currents licked at his skin, but he casually batted the ontology of the golem with a fist, his Heaven of Speed hammering deep. The blow swatted storm from matter as a long javelin-like vessel tumbled but remained in place, caught by the Paladins grasp. Kassamon buried his fingers into the frame of the vessel, fingers deforming alloy, shattering glass, chipping plastic. A loud squeal followed by a series of cracks followed. He opened the golem as it was a cheap aluminum can, and inside, the pilot was waiting with a gun tucked against his own head. It didnt mean much in the end. By the time Kassamons head struck the man, shattering his nose, Avo had already buried a splinter into the mysterious pilots mind. Understanding ignited in him. And grander machinations revealed themselves. The pilot was one Thuen Diendur. A radicalized cultist of the Unclaimed Sky performing a suicide run. He had once been part of a FATEDs entourage, but flashes from missing memories painted a portrait of betrayal and Nether-based infidelity. Theun was given a firsthand education on why it was best not to offend the hand that feeds. Especially not with matters of the heart. The standard suite of psychological and physical torture followed. Then, after all that, they left him in the gutters with parts of his body missing, and other transplants provided by his erstwhile lover. That should have been the end of things, but sometimes, somehow, people live. Even when they have no business doing so. Surviving packs of ghouls, slave catchers, juvie gangers, and more than a few encounters with thaumic phenomena, Theun made contact with an old consang in the Barrowers Syndicate and things went from there. Missing memories made it hard to fill in how Theun managed to purchase a golem from them along with a six-nuke payload, but whatever mem-data he had offered, it mustve been quite the hit. Thankfully, Avo didnt need to suffer the indignity of detective work. The mans Metamind still had a session. One connected to the aforementioned old consang. Drawing the sequences over and triggering his Auto-Seance, Avo waited to see if he would get lucky, and found himself pleased when he did. A link formed. Thoughts from another mind were synchronized to his. They didnt suspect anything when he swam out into their palace, studying the poorly arranged phantasmics and inefficient cog-cap distribution. Even at a glance, Avo could tell the sequencing was a mess before the Nethers most recent bout of instability. People took such poor care of themselves. Better that he claimed the mind instead. Avo undid his first victim slowly, his splinter eating away like a fast-acting infection, performing far slower than his Conflagration did. If there was one major disappointment in his newest state, it was that it subsumed ghosts by overwriting the sequences within them. Investing more ghosts in a splinter made the process faster, but he still needed to shape his delusions into a symmetrical structure to devour existing memories without the host noticing. A third perspective opened to him. Shadows crept away from his vision and new senses loaded into his awareness. He was in a dimly lit room, the light above him flashing, the fissuring cracks along the roof dotted by glinting eyes in the darkCfamilies of aratnids staring down at him. Empty bottles lined the ground around him and a half-injected vial of joy made his blood flow like molasses. A holographically presented action sequence hung in place before him, the scene paused as the protagonist loaded his pistol, an army of foes just around the corner. This was the body of Duradel Jawline SchMedd. Lieutenant of the Barrow Syndicate under Omnitech and arms dealer on the side. His mind hadnt been clear when he took the callCboth thinking it was nice to be hearing from his old friend while also questioning how he was still alive. Theun had gone off to nuke a city center after all. Most people didnt come back from that. But it would be a bigger and brighter end than most. Now, it was Duradel who died first. Nulled without knowing as his ego dissolved within Avo. New branches of comprehension are connected to his comprehension. Theun had offered mem-data on essential Sanctus personnel as well as schematics for a new Sanctus golem in the prototyping phase. That had been more than enough information to purchase what he needed. Especially all he asked for was an old Fulgerhound golem, a couple of nukes, and some cheap intel. [What the hell,] Duradel muttered, mind sobering. But not fast enough. Avo expanded his influence. Veins of blood crept through the matter around him. Winds trushed through cracks and crevices. Signals drawn away from their pathsCgravitating toward him. The aratnids in the ceiling skittered away, and Avo let them. He was more interested in the [66,412] other people in the megablock around him. From Duradels memories, most of them were Syndicate personnel. And a somewhat sizeable one at that. [WaitC] Duradel muttered. Their main dealings were in experimental cybernetics and arms running. Crucibles and entertainment were tertiary programs to them, but their atrocities ran a litany all the same. It made the act that followed simple. [No!] Duradel cried. His voice was drowned out by a chorus of sixty-two thousand more. The massacre was a deliberately messy one. Avo converted portions of matter across the megablock into fissile material and sparked them using his Domain of Fire. Shrouds of nuclear devastation expanded within the vastness of the architecture. Avo kept his bombing to a reasonable yieldCmade it look like a series of smuggled detonations. Leaving nothing but liquefied matter and missing people was suspicious. But warheads going off inside Syndicate territory was just another war being waged in the gutters. And with all his newest converts gripped by his Haemokinesis, Avo skipped the annoying parts of slowly digesting ghosts and deaths, converting his splinter into a channel for which to drink in all he desired. The new templates screamed, wailed, and plunged into an expanse of emptiness. Corner slapped his knee and laughed, finding their sudden deaths hilarious. Ghosts: [1,581,001] Thaumic Output: 83,352 The death yield was heftyCbut Avo knew he would soon need more. His total ghosts on the other hand were a paltry trickle compared to what he possessed days ago, but that would be remedied soon. A few more hits like this, and hed be more than satisfied. His momentum was building and building. Who was to stop him now? Who? As dust settled, as lights winked out, Avo held the structure together using his Woundmother in tandem with the Fardrifter. He funneled smoke and fumes out from the missing chunks of the building, and hardened its remaining supports to ensure it didnt topple down on the complexes beneath it. More importantly, he layered the families and unaffiliated living the structure in protective cocoons. More than a few would be traumatized. But they would live. At least for today. [Practically Guild-like in your generosity, ghoul,] Abrel muttered. He grunted in agreement. Perhaps he should think more about how to handle the collateral. That was going to be a persisting issue. As he mantled his newest body, he rose from the ragged couch and made to exit the enshadowed room. Duradel wept somewhere deep in Avos mind, traumas wracking him over and over, unable to comprehend the suddenness of the massacre, or what had just happened. Strangely, Avo found he pitied the man. Not for his death, but the powerless of it all. How could they have ever protected themselves from something like him? How could he have known the Heaven of Truth was more than what it seemed? New Vultun was more than a slavering beast to him now. It was city built upon winding secrets and enshadowed by lurking horrors. Just because he ranked among the unknowable dangers now didnt mean he wasnt spared from them either. He melted the doors to his room away as he strode into the darkened hallways. He wanted to see the damage he had caused. To see if anything would change inside him dosing his mind with the proximity of his deeds. If there was anything he learned from his encounter with the Hungers, it was that ignoranceC A sudden spike of pain pulsed through Avos chest. All three of his minds flinched as he recoiled in pain. Back in the enclave, his cadre spun to look at him, startled by his sudden hiss. Im fine, he said. That body was, anyway. Duradel, however, currently had a few inches of gleaming alloy protruding from his chest. Before there was something more there. Something else Avo could feel. Beneath the matter was something akin to his Delusions, the golden flow of time carrying the shape of blade and the act of its thrust forward from the past. There was only one person he knew who possessed such capabilities. She made herself known with her following stoke. A cold bar of emptiness lingered on his chest as Thousandhand extracted her blade and swept it across his neck. He let herCabandoning his head to decapitation while using his Domain of Biology to grow another. At the same moment, he turned into the attack, driving flesh, mind, and Heavens against his fellow Columner. It didnt matter how she found him in that instant or whatever else brought her there. He had been wanting to have this talk, and whatever the case, this saved him plenty of time. Around them, the passage of time manifested as a rising song, and as golden ichor flowed with the blood he spun, her temporal resonance met him as scars in existence, strokes slashing into places that areCor will be. Once again, he saw her aged face, and once again, he delighted in the surprise painting her features as he failed to fall, as he tore into her with splinters and Heavens and all. Maybe the third time was going to be the charm. 21-7 Sword and Plague (I) +It was a miracleC+ +The palm! Did you see it?+ +We should have died. My aero hit that building at over 200 miles an hour+ +He pulled the flechettes out of me. They were just gone.+ +He stopped the flames from burning my children. He stopped it. He put it out. His palm fell and the flames died.+ +Fuck, consangs, Im never talking shit about Naeko again. I dont care if hes a corner-dwelling bitchass slow-twitch point-blank-range-team-killing-objective-ignoring motherfucker, when a half-strand bitchslaps the Nether back into shape, you heel dog, heel.+ +Operative Loken? Loken? Fuck. His vitals are gone.+ +--Turned our flechettes back on us. Like we were shooting into outselves.+ OPERATION FAILED GOLEM-SESYPLEPHES STATUS: [DESTROYED] UNABLE TO DELIVER PAYLOAD DUE TO CHIEF PALADIN NAEKO WITHDRAW ALL SURVIVING REGULARS IN THE SOVEREIGNTY +Misery-2 is not responding. Misery-4 is not responding. Misery-8 confirmed nulled. Trauma inversion. Yes, maam. They were in the radius of Naekos palm. His miracles were in full effect.+ +So, this is what it means to be Sphere 8 To tell the world no, and substitute it with a world bound to your Soul. Looks like I still have leagues to climb+ +--Everyone in Southsex is dead. Everyone. His palm it hit everything.+ +Everyone go dark. Incogs active. Go dark. Go dark. Go dark.+ {EGI Only Way To Be Sure here: please carry this missive directly to the Chief Paladin. Tell him I enjoy the Buddha re-enactment. No, I wont be explaining that, but I would like to challenge him to a soft war in the void. I got some bombs I want to test, and the rest of the wusses said I cant use it on Idheim.} -Messages Filtered for Content Related to [CHIEF PALADIN]; [SAMIR NAEKO]; [STORMJUMPERS2ISBACKONBAYBEEEEE] 21-7 Sword and Plague (I) My kin are surfacing again. I feel them moving; time upon time, as rivers upon rivers. Such was all Akunsande needed to say. If there was a single characteristic that determined the Hungers, it was naked terror. The type befitting a creature, forever knowing itself to be prey. While it pretended to be a god, it lived as a worm, hiding beneath the waters, not even brave enough to embody the life of a carp. Its Low Masters were little more than attendants; nannies for a gaggle of children unworthy of true power. Zein had scorned them from the first day. Jaus had always been too lenient with them, trying so desperately to include them in his plans, draw them into the fold. He yearned to consider them people, but they were a collective consumed by selfish desire, hungering for control, yet too impotent to see their world materialized without the strength of others serving in their stead. What worth is a god that could not face the consequences of a rebuke? What god could not endure a parry, a counter-attack, a retaliation in response? What god refused to face the world and dreamed only of creating a cradle in which to hide? A realm where its delusions and yearnings were always right, and their every whim attended to? No god. No god at all. Her Heaven manifested: the Fisher that Wasn''t dipped into the flowing streams of the paths. Spreading her focus, she listened to the currents of futures forthcoming and felt the displacements shearing branches from the paths. Quiet though the Hungers wished to be, their weight could not be denied. When you were the sea itself, every movement was seismic, every ripple grew to become a rising tide. She had evaded whatever attack they attempted, launching her echoes across time to avoid the disruption. As she returned, she expected to find them on the offensive, attempting another ill-fated uprising perhapsCwith even less success than the first. Instead, it occupied specific corners of the paths, their divergent resonance singing from specific bodies. The paths shivered as entire passages tumbled into each other thunderously, as entire potential possibilities crumbled away, splashing into one. The past was an ever-dissolving ruin, and the future was a broken construct, its paths a labyrinth leading onward, specific metaphysical rails and trajectories pre-built using Heavens of Probability and Possibility to ensure the fruition of certain events and desired outcomes. Shattered fate, if one desired to comprehend it in such a manner. Things were not meant to be this way. The paths were supposed to be locked into place with the arrival of the Ladder, and the Arks of every grand culture were to flow upward into existence, meeting one another at the mouth of a unified destiny. Such had not been the case. Jaus was undone; Veylis desired another outcome, and in the name of protecting her father from a mistake, she did the unthinkable and broke something unmendable. Even now, fragments of memory remained missing within Zein. Multiple things happened within the Ladder that day, the roads that emerged from the vanishing ladder separated into paths of nine, and the architecture of the coming future lay irrevocably broken. And now, they all lived in the ruins that remained. Chains from chains. Corpses upon corpses. Histories upon histories. Casting glimpses into the future beyond, information filled Zeins mind after a few seconds delay. The streams of time flowed around her as she extracted copies from her present self and flung them into the future. Every time she did so, she moved, cognizant that though her daughter seemed dormant, it was wise to never stay in one place, or linger too long at one point in time. As her echoes skipped along pathways of futures adrift, she scried at a few characters of interest. The leaders of the Guilds seemed to be shrugging over their disarray, moving to defensive footing in the aftermath of the unexpected calamity. The few she had cut were ignorant to what was happening, more lost than she about present circumstances. More worryingly was NaekoChis ontological presence flaring in existence like a spire of awakening flame. There lies her answer for why her daughter had been so quiet. Muted pride embraced with gnawing annoyance. Her wayward disciple had chosen a strange time to rouse himself from his stupor. This too was unexpected. This too she would have to discover. But only ever at a distance. Distracted though he was, it would not do to draw his attention, for more than serving as a deterrent against Veylis, he bore a Heaven that would break hers: the denial of violence, the usurpation of force, the rebuttal to her philosophy entire. Across time, a soft laugh slipped from an old woman, brushing stray ears as if a hallucination. Naeko. Ever defiant. But no longer so rageful. To think the cure was his breaking thrice over. First by his childhood masters, who defiled whatever innocence there ever could have been. Then by Zein, who struck her art into him, teasing his flame beyond control. And finally by Veylis, who doused love and hatred with betrayal, leaving only a simmering wound in its place. A kindling had returned now. And threads rose from him line fingers of drifting steam, temporal trails that led to other Paladins, to the prey she sought. It took effort to read the flow of time. More than a language, it was experience. To learn the shape of the world by drowning in it. But the answers came as her echoes followed the vibrations. The first distortions rippled from a district in Yuulden-Yang, from a group of Godclads denied rightful violence, compelled to peace by an unseen hand in the district of Burners Way. An echo of hers had been destroyed here. Unmade utterly by Veylis. She should have stayed apart from the paths here longer, with Veylis certain to have left traps and dead-ends fused into false futures and the time it took to create a new chrono-puppet, to script enough behaviors into it that attained functional independence. But with her daughter held at bay, she dared a glimpse and frowned at what she saw. A battle that was certain to happen dissolved like smoke. The Paladins Kare Kitzuhara and Naekos favorite dog, Maru, were to have slain two whole cadres as things spiraled from their control. Less fuel for the fire to come. Miracles tried and lives lost vanished from the future. A thread leading to ScaleCto the trialCwas cut entirely. The perpetrator of this deed lingered still, the ichor of a wounded dragon resonating in the blood of all Godclads present on the scene. Yet, as she studied them, it seemed that despite their placidity, they remained as they were. The Hungers were using their warminds again. Broken facsimiles of Heavens and miracles. It had to be the case. Another ripple tore her from her rumination. She sensed it coming a full minute before it arrived. Drawing in information from the paths, the Fisher that Wasnt simulated new branches of probability, detailing an infestation of subverted minds and twisted thralls. A single thread stretched across time and space, connecting two minds in the district of Meddhamet to a megablock over two thousand kilometers away. A sickness was incubating the mind of a lowly thug. Trickles of chronology flared within his veins while his thoughts flowed outward like a contagion, infesting the egos of his comradesCand spreading further. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The simulation continued. The world danced across Zeins senses through her echo. If she did not strike now, a plague was going to spread. A possession of countless minds that would spark open conflict between the Guilds long before the desired outcome was engineered. Briefly surfacing in an alleyway in the gutters, Zein sneered at an aratnid and lashed out with her glaive. The creature didnt get the chance to squeak. The edge flicked through its body and strands of vicious red spattered out. She flung both the organism''s death and the strike delivered forward across time. Several more strikes followed, steadily building up to an arsenal of a few thousand. She doubted the need for such overkill, but one could never be too hesitant with Nolothic infestation. Especially if they were using one of their misbegotten tools again. With that done, she dove into the paths again, never lingering in one place, safe as she thought she was for now. She would observe her eradication of the Hungers from a distance. Choreograph a fight to alleviate her boredom. Fighting duels by striking across time into a simulated future was so unlike the real thing. Too much delay. Too much time to think. Like slashing into vague reflections of people passing beneath her as waves. A few seconds later, the first of her echoes arrived in the megablock. Strikes flowed into thrusts as the progression of time itself wove evanescent vessels for her to enact violence. Yet, her blows struck nothing but air in most cases, and she found herself catching glimpses of blinding brightness and melting alloys. Most of her desired victims were already gone. Vaporized. And as she drove her blade into the single one that remained, Akunsande spoke a second time, an uncharacteristic uncertainty lining its voice. No. Not my kin. But like them. Reshaped by their blood. Instinct guided her. Horizontal sweep flowed. The head of her victim was parted. But the body refused to fall. Instead, she felt something grasp her echo, shred it within and without using blood, matter, lightning, air, time, and mind. Unseen splinters crashed into that iteration of her, and she severed its thread, culling the possibility of her becoming anothers thrall. How unlike the Hungers. How unlike the Hungers indeed. Curiosity and thrill grew within Zein as she dispatched more echoes to face their threatCher victim already regrowing his lost head from strands of entwining blood, the flow bearing a tinge of goldCthe hue of chronology. *** A storm of blood exploded out of Avos Duradel sheath. Fissures akin to arteries and storms crept through the megablock. Blood converted the surrounding matter into haemokinetic projectiles. Tons of mass was delivered unto Zein from all angles, carried by curving whips of lighting through the collapsing infrastructure. The blood within her burst in the same instant that his missiles struck. As did his splinters, piercing into her halo via his Sanguinity. A hurricane of wind swallowed themCthe Fardrifter wrapping them in its streams. Even the Techplaguer was triggered, antennae deconstructing armor from flesh, working to create an opening. His attacks flowed concurrently and consecutively, striking across the material, mental, and spatial. It all amounted to nothing. Her echo unraveled before he could achieve any effect. Zeins body came apart into golden threads, straight into nonexistence with the progression of time. Faint flashes of fading deaths played out before him, possibile streams of chronology serenading his awareness before spiting him with deaths never to arrive. In one, blood sprayed from her, arms and legs flayed away. In another, she was consumed in mind and flesh, drowned by his dominance. In the final, she had simply disintegrated under a tide of force. Despite this, disappointment never touched him, for he caught a glimpse of the truth. Tasted the banishment of her construct. Just as matter was his to shape, so too could she twist time to her whims. Only now with his Soul drenched with the blood of dragons could he feel it. Sense it. This pattern was beyond him before. A thing he lived but never truly knew. And now, the chronology infusing pulsed and shivered, his being a spiderweb being danced uopn, vibrations passing throug him. REND CAPACITY [WOUNDMOTHER] - 98% REND CAPACITY [FARDRIFTER] - 93% REND CAPACITY [TECHPLAGUER] - 63% VENT! VENT! VENT! He didnt. Not immediately. He was waiting for a moment like thisCand piloting a secondary body ensured he was far from true cessationCa final death. As tremors of time grew unbearable, he struck back off instinct, forming a pocket of stasis in the collapsing hallway behind him. A blow struck across time froze before it could hew him in twain. A rippling Zein hung in the air, features drawn in a feral smile beyond her transparent faceplate. Good. Glad to see they were both enjoying this. After the Hungers, he didnt think he had the energy to put up with another tantrum from one of his supposed elders. More strikes came. Some manifesting within him. He tunneled across space, shifting himself and enchaining each of her constructed selves. Another series of strikes followed. Blades and bodies unraveled against his Withered Breath. A shroud of disintegration swept out from him. Narrow halls were made wide as he melted away walls and hab-cells and coffin apartments. He took care to avoid hitting any involved personnel but didnt stop fighting. {Can the dialogue begin now,} Calvino sighed, knowing Avos forthcoming answer. {Zein, its me. Its Avo. What are you doing here? How did you find me? Whats with the impalement?} +Ask her if I cant win. Take answers from her if I do.+ The EGI let out a noise that was pure suffering. {Our fates lie in the hands of two psychotic children. Wonderful.} And it was. His Breath of the Withered had eaten through more of the block than his nukes did in the scant seconds they were active. He kept his suppression far and wide as felt her recede. Already, things were going far better than before. Back in the Tiers, when he encountered her within the Trident, he was surprised as well but failed to achieve anything. Instead, she killed him time and time again. Easily. Casually. Even slashing through him while he was a bolt of lightning. Now, he was more than surviving. He was fighting. Forcing her to consider her options, and there were few drugs that could match the euphoria naked growth could provideC A force swept clean through the entire floor, swallowing him and his withering gale. The few Zeins that were still enchained burst apart into slithering threads. Avo found himself fallingCtumbling down into Zeins garden. Ah. This again. A day ago, he wouldnt have any counter against this. Now, he launched a new splinter from Duradels sheathe, flinging it back over into the megablock as a Specter and burying it into a new body he was growing from a fissure of blood. REND CAPACITY [WOUNDMOTHER] - 78% REND CAPACITY [FARDRIFTER] - 81% REND CAPACITY [TECHPLAGUER] - 63% +WhoC+ That was all he heard her say; he converted Duradels biomass into fissile material and detonated him. Back three floors below where he was, tendrils of blood stitched a copy of his base sheath into existence. But he didnt stop there. Across every level of the megablock, he began fabricating new bodiesCand directing splinters into them. He couldnt occupy any more than three with proper focus, but that wasnt the point. If Zein thought she had quantitative supremacy, then she was mistaken. Lightning reached out from the megablock and struck a collection of structures, fusing new spawn points into place. His Sanguinity began to expand from twelve new bodiesCthen one hundred and forty-four. His splinters were fragmenting just as fast, burying themselves all across the district. {Youre more the virus than ever before,} Calvino said, actually sounding perturbed for once. Back in the enclave, Avo grinned and turned to his cadre. I found Zein. Heads snapped to him. Dentons eyes actually widened. What? She found me. Technically. Stabbed my other sheath first. Chambers looked off to the side. Draus licked her inner cheek, staring at him as if she knew what he was about to propose. Back in Meddhamet, Avo directed his hundred and forty-four bodies in concert, his cognitive capacity dipping from ninety-eight percent as directed his two subminds to focus on piloting one sheath each. The rest could be as if limbs grafted to a spine or tertiary lobbies, ready-made vessels to mantle a governing focus should the first be destroyed. And destruction was exactly what followed. Bodies forged by time hunted their blood-grown prey across the district. Where Avo was so followed Zein. No longer did she strike at him as lightly. Casually painting strokes befitting a flat or lesser Clad. No. Disruptions cleaved forth. As did gouges in time, phenomena from the past bleeding into the present. Though Avo could root himself across countless bodies, he could only operate three at maximum focus. The rest needed to be directed. No such limitation constrained Zein. All her echoes fought with fluid precision, her glaive now a length of shimmering vivianiteCits edge painful for his mind to behold. A second was all it took for Zein to reap her toll. Avo tasted a hundred and one deaths in that time. A hundred and one blows took him before he could even react. Still his lightning jumped. Still more bodies grew. Still his splinters spread. In hallways, across the skies, between the alleys, within tunnels, inside passing trash barges, two armies fought, both spawned from singular egos, both asymmetric in the extreme, one cutting across time, the other a plague of thought and matter. And Avo directed the cacophony of violence directly into the minds of his cadre, his splinters broadcasting a vicarity of mass death never before experienced. Holy fuck, Chambers murmured. Surprisingly, Tavers looked just as overwhelmed. Kae looked like she was getting nauseous. Dice, somehow sensing this, patted her along the back. Denton furrowed her brow as a few of Sunrises drones landed on her shoulder. Draus was the only one to anticipate what Avo wanted. What she wanted as well. She grinned at him, her expression not so different from Zeins. She waited for him to ask anyway, another hundred of his bodies coming apart before Thousandhands mastery. Want in on this fight? Avo asked, already knowing the answer. Skins of Virtuality prevented all his bodies from dying instantly, but Zein was beginning to attack him technologically as well, firing bursts of radiation into him that made the Techplaguer moan. And not painfully. {Oh, shit,} Calvino cursed uncharacteristically. {I forgot we gave her that.} The Avos died as fast as they spawned, and Zeins echoes unraveled as they were lost. The former bore the brunt of the losses, and though he spread fast, he was still slowed by his RendCby his Heavens and cyclers. No matter the sheath, he still only had one Soul; one Liminal Frame. Soon, he would run his limit, and then she would dislodge him from the district. Unless outside forces intervened. Fuck do you think the answer to that is? Draus said, chuckling softly to herself. Hells yeah. Hells yeah, I want in. Hells yeah I want a piece of Thousandhand. Fuckin hated the sow since I first laid eyes on her. Emboldened by her words, Chambers approached. He only had one question for Avo. Rash? Avo nodded without hesistation as a squad of twelve Zeins parried bolts of lightning and dissolved trauma-mimicking splinters before they could approach. He flared his Fortress of Luminosity for the first time, prolonging the death of that subself as he waited for the rest to agree. I suppose it will be good practice? Kae said, trying to sound upbeat. I am still upset and want to violently mutilate someone. Like I used to do to the dogs. Dices words made Kae flinch. Avo looked to Tavers but she waved him off. Yeah. This seems like a you all die repeatedly sort of activity. Bad for squires. He grunted. Alright then. I wish to join. All heads turned to stare at Denton now, surprise filling the room. The glaive cracked her neck and took off her coat, revealing the armored vest beneath. Its been a rough time. And Thousandhands a bit of a bitch. She smiled wryly. Cas is going to be so angry he missed this. Alright, Chambers pumped his fist. Another Godclads on the old lady gang-bang bus. Kae closed her eyes in disgust. And promptly tore all the moisture from his body. 21-8 Sword and Plague (II) Naeko Naeko Ah. Yes, yes, scream in pain. Youve earned that. But scream while listening! I have something important to say. To you as well, Veylis! It is not enough to perform perfection. Indeed, I have known many a talented warrior, and they all are embarrassments in the end, for perfection is something they merely feel. The strokes, the slashes, the attacks, the maneuvers, the grapples, the transitions, the clenches, the shots, all felt instead of known, embodied instead of channeled or directed. And what use is a master that cannot teach? And what worth is an artist that cannot offer their worth back to the world? I pose this question to you because I''ve seen both of you attempting to achieve mastery. So selfish, so deluded. Do you think you will grasp something that no one else has, alone, swinging your sword idly on your own path? No, you will see it after you''ve fought million-million duels and come out on both sides to know what it is like to be struck and while also striking another. Here. These blades are for you. The locus will let you feel everyone you kill. A blessing of mine, so you can witness the perspective of both slayer and slain. This will give you full insight into how a battle is conducted, and allow you to imbibe more of the art than a mundane can experience in a lifetime. You should kill as many as you can. The soldiers, blind the grand scheme. Their officers, strainning to direct their fighting cattle. The commanders, with grand sights but feeble limbs. The logisticians! The faithful! The God-Touched! All of them! Strike them to master all aspects of violence, the totality of it. Everything, children. Everything. Be it alone or a commander, in unarmed combat or firing artillery. Everything must be understood from the minutiae to the broadest elements. Above all, though, you have to know the fundamentals of being attacked, of attacking, of angles, of the structure of war itself. Once you have mastered one body, do it across another. Do it using people who are under you. Do it with limbs missing. Do it with extra limbs. As many situations as possible, as many circumstances as possible, as dire circumstances as possible. You do not get to call yourself a true blade until I find your refinement worthy. And you dont let a little thing like losing an arm stop you from fighting. Do you hear that, Naeko? You still have a jagged stump right now. You had me in a grapple! Plunge it into my neck! Dont topple over spraying and screaming. Its embarrassing. Ah, but it is also beautiful. Even today, I would consider myself little more than a disciple, for day by day, I learn more ways to kill, more ways, infinitely. You think that just because few people in this world can match you in combat, you are at the apex? No, the apex is beyond us, but we must strive to meet it every day. For someday, we will meet something beyond our means to kill if we just stand still. And that is the greatest tragedy of all: To be slain because you never bothered slaying further enough. Now, I am going to mend and then try to kill both of you again. Try not to die. -Zein Thousandhand to Samir Naeko and Veylis Avandaer during Training (Circa 89934 DIvinity [125 years before the Godsfall] 21-8 Sword and Plague (II) Drawing memories from destroyed echoes was something Zein usually avoided. The danger that Veylis could have cast something back through its flattening threadsCor that an infection of the mind would be passed back over to her could not be denied. But in this instance, she simply had to know. Many of her memories were partitioned. Divided across her various echoes upon reception. The dilution of her understanding made her a dangerous threat, an enemy capable of constant surpriseCfor there were times she cast ghosts forward into the future before wiping the recollections from her mind, alerting herself to previous plans just before the cusp of their enactment. Through these means, she ensured the cover of her mystery, and evading her daughters clutches demanded nothing sort of mastery. As her struggle continued, though, as she continued battling against this pestilence afflicting matter, flesh, and thought, a gut feeling told her that she already knew who this was. So, she took a chance once more. She pulled memories tied to the streams of a destroyed echo and remembered. Everything came to her at once. Everything. Ah. Waltons bastard. The ghoul with a Liminal Frame. The one she briefly tutored herself at Ox-3 in the district of Xin Yunsha, likewise expecting to face the Hungers, only to sink her blade into one of their monsters instead. Her echo had cast these memories away upon being discovered by Veylis, and she herself had followed suit, ejecting everything connected to that point in time, averting any chance of mem-lock in the paths. Pride and more than little annoyance dawned on her. Oh, Avo. How the little dagger had grown. Of course, she couldn''t quite call him that anymore, considering the fevered fight he was putting up. How had he changed this much in such a short time? Drawing additional memories associated with him, she recalled him being a strange merger between flame and mind. The fires of his consciousness were quenched now. In their place drifted empty winds. False breaths exhaled by his mind, the delusion of his genuine sequences creating an absence, allowing him to embraceCor embodyCany other cognitive structure he encountered. Her true blade whispered again, but she needed no explanation. Another warmind was active within him. Somehow. But that meant he must have engaged the Low Masters and come out victorious. Fascinating. Unexpected. But pleasing. Very pleasing. To think the fools of Noloth would be brought so low by one of their former slaves. The bitterness and humiliation left a delicious aftertaste in her mouth. Nonetheless, she still needed to break him. It was simply the way of things. A predator was a predator, and to let him move emboldened was folly. He needed to re-learn who was the student and who was the master. More importantly, she needed to make sure he stopped being so noisy in the paths. It was his fortune that she dove upon him. If not for Naeko, then Veylis would crawled down into the Warrens, certain to twist the future in her favor. +Avo,+ Zein said, casting her greeting across all simulated futures. Her true self moved again, skipping across Sovereignties and districts, materializing only in structures of abandonment and dilapidation. +It pleases me to see you. I am glad to see that you have grown substantially, even without my tutelage. Especially without my tutelage. Such efficient proactivity is rare indeed.+ She felt his counterattacks coming. Sensed them across time. Her strikes flicked as she fought as a legion unto herself. Echoes moved in perfect synchronicity, each cut manifesting in concurrence, an army building with each blow. Reverberations shook through her as true time passed for her, the aftershocks battle greeting her finally. Blades clashed against matter and lightning. Coiling essence leaped from the locus laced into her weapon. Masked splinters shaped from disguised ghosts shattered with every distortive burst. The loom of time wrestled against unraveling blood. He allowed his body to break. Fall. Splatter. More simply grew from every drop of ichor he spilled, every bit of matter he converted. She maintained perfect economy, reknitting her echoes as fast as he could dissolve them. She tested a few probing cuts with Akunsande again, trying to entrap the ghoul in her garden. He abandoned those bodies without hesistation. Detonating them as if warheads, taunting her with his new Domain of Fire. Torrents of lashing wind tunneled out to seize her. She pulled her echoes across time as a response, constructing counter-cyclones to deny hisCstorms internalized from her past experiences made material once more by the paths themselves. She flung forth hurricanes, flames, explosions, bullets, radiation, and distortions of all kinds, repelling his attacks with ones she recalled from her history. There was the benefit of living a long life. A storied one. Just as there was to being a mind layered from countless other minds. The duel between them continued, and she found herself genuinely enjoying herself, spending more effort than just casual strokes and brief stabs for once. She countered battles by the heartbeat. There were so few that lasted longer than one. Even fewer longer than two. Of those who could endure the past three were only Godclads of superior skill or Spherage. Foes who survived for a near-minute likely numbered less than a thousand across all of existence. As she hewed out at him as falling blades across time, he riposted, the pattern of chronology splashing across his bodies as if he was accelerating up through a waterfall. Whats more, the way he fought was entirely different now. No delay in his true vessels. Action refined by instinct and practice. His attacks flowed of their own accord, and his mind was occupied by questions of thaumaturgic strategy rather than mortal struggle. The skill he presented was unnatural. Even for a prodigious talent. Even if he was running neurosofts or cog-boosters. He fought as if someone with lifetimes of experience. Constructs of blood met her blows. Flashing light rendered him indestructible in brief instances. Pulsing data spilled from his flesh with every thought-shredding blast she cast. He was storm and plague at once. She was blade, weaponry, and martial skill hiding in the future; a guerilla army across time. The struggle continued with precision and care. Neither released the worst of the worst of their arsenals. To strike an unintended target was shameful, and more than once she caught him cocooning bystanders in their near vicinity in shells of matter and blood before severing their memories using his mind. Zein smirked as she read the language of his body. He moved with the focus and acceptance of a regular. No shock or surprise when he lost a body. No stumble or halt when she took a limb. She cut him down but he gave no ground, momentum maintained without stop. More fascinatingly was how he actually managed to dodge a few of her strikes. Even slashing back her using her own glaive during an exchange. He fought like glaive. No. He was a glaive. How many minds must be dwelling within him now? How many lives to make him a caldron of such skill? It was almost amusing if she wasnt so offended. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Learning to fight and kill and prevail was the best part of the art. And he had skipped almost all of it. +I see now my great mistake,+ she said. All her echoes strode in at once, locking blades against Avos HeavensCa temporal phalanx matching force against force, ripples of time threading out from their bodies, manifesting gauss fire, fusion burners, wildfires, spatial storms, and countless other phenomena she survived across her life. Time was more than just a stream. Time was a canvas. And Repetition was an oft-seen occurrence in history. The forced use of her second canon offered her no small thrill. A shame things were going to be ending soon. For a heartbeat longer, they were stalemated. A storm of blood, wind, and data clenched around each of her bodies. But she could feel his pressure waning. The intensity of his miracles thinning. Her blades danced. Her echoes flowed like a stream: cuts leading to cuts leading to shots, bombs, grapples, takedowns, kicks, utility fog, roundhouses. Each echo divided, one strike dividing into another. Avos lesser selves twitched like marionettes. Constructs of blood lashed out, and were deflected. Wind tunneled, but she was elsewhere. His tendrils expanded in a cloud of shards and biomagnetism pried at her weapons and armor. She tackled himCabandoning her collection tools to remind him of the fundamentals. Heads came free of bodies. Ceramite broke under her knuckles. Limbs were wrenched forward into time. The future trailed off her bodies like jetstreams, lanes of temporal acceleration composing more of her and unzipping parts of him. Fewer and fewer of his bodies returned. The pockets of his resistance were crushed across the district, culled until only eight remained. Eight puppets guided by two true masters. That had been his downfall in the end. That, and his naked Rend inefficiency. There, in a defensive circle made from quivering blood and shrouded by passing wind, his sheathes stood. At the base of the megablocks lobbyCthe place where this brief exchange started, things would reach their conclusion. Her echoes manifested on the floors above, each standing on the edge of the structure''s hollowed core. Eight percent of the structure was missing now, and the surviving structure almost resembled that of an amphitheater. +I understand my mistake now,+ Zein said. +I should have never left you alone after my destruction. I sought to lead my daughter away from you. To ensure she knew nothing of your presence. And so I kept my distance. I protected you from the periphery. But it seems like you have swelled regardless without my guidance. Nursed from audacity and experience alone.+ His eyes glinted like slits of white through the torquing fog. He stared up at her, clicking his fangs, the Echoheads on his back parting and magnetizing in anticipation. Her echoes planted their glaives through the plascrete surrounding them as one, and in doing so pierced through splinters projecting phantoms in mimicry of the destroyed surroundings. Ever the Necro. +You are done. You are spent. It is your yield. No shame can come of such capitulation. You have come further than many others could ever hope.+ The ghouls just laughed. +Thats not what you want.+ Zeins eyes sparkled with mirth. What a precious monster. +Ho? And you think you know what I desire?+ +Could get you some Suncloud.+ +Besides drugs.+ He studied her curiously, letting a silence drag out. A faint force brushed the periphery of her awareness. Trickles of crimson and gold were circulating around him. Time grew to become a vortex. A hive of blood began to expand. The gold of chronology tightened around it, masking Avo beneath rushinig rapids. Ah. He desired to force this into a siege. +Come now, Little Dagger,+ she said, throwing the name more as a taunt than a title. +All battles have their end. It would do for me to kill you for good. The idea of replacing you with Three-Eye repulses me now. To think they were our first consideration by merit of loyalty and skill.+ Zein sighed. +Oh, how insufferably pleased Strix must be to hear me say that.+ +Cant. Hes dead. Its just me.+ The ghouls were entirely within a haemokinetic shell now. The fact that it lacked any luminosity told her he was conserving what remained of his Rend Capacity. Zein checked her own and grinned. REND CAPACITY [THE FISHER THAT WASNT] - 34% This had been enjoyable if nothing else. +Painful truths leave you easily,+ Zein replied. She looked down at the umbrella on her hip and considered drawing her true bladeCgranting him a glimpse of what true skill was. He deserved a reward, after all. Instead, she had her echoes wrench their glaives free of plascrete. There was still too much to risk. And Akunsande was due a proper feeding. Teasing her true blade with temporary murder was cruelty too great for even her. +Very well,+ she said, casually. +I will grant you an honored end. I trust that your true self is elsewhere? It wouldnt do for me to truly kill you.+ +Makes the both of us.+ Perceptive creature. That did mean she had to find him as soon as possible after this. It wouldnt do for him to be captured or nulled, and shred her veil of mystery in the process. +So be it. Stand and deliver, Avo: I come bearing final end.+ Chronology shivered. All her ever-building echoes threaded a microsecond across time and thrust their blades into the ghouls final fortress. But they did not strike with steel. Instead, wisping ghosts swarmed out in a disruptive tide, channeled from the vivianite in her blade. And then, somehow, right back into her. For the first time in fifty-three years, Zeins thoughts were torn clean from her mind. For the first time in three hundred years, one of her blows was turned back unto her. When sense next returned to her echoes, Zein found each of them seized by their necksCcaught within the vice grip of a giant sculpted from moving glass. +Ah, I see,+ she said, focus sharpening. Clever ghoul. If oneself was not enough, then call for aid. And who else to rely on than the ever-dependable Captain Jelene Draus? +Saluations to you, Captain.+ The clicks and whirrs of several dozen guns sounded behind mirrored knights holding her bodies. Zein blinked but declined to unravel her echoes. This was too novel an experience to avoid. Got a confession to make, Thousandhand, the Regular drawled, speaking from every reflection in the room at the same time. Been lookin forward to snuffin you from the day we met. The ancient Godclad cawed a laugh, and her amusement sang out from every echo. A part of her knew that she should be done with this. That she should stride the paths and cleanse the memories from all who could have witnessed the battle between her and the ghoul. But this was just too, too fun. The Layer above them flickered, and in that instant, light struck the glass just right. She saw through the threshold a tide of guns primed and loaded, hovering in the tesselated abyss. She saw bioforms rushing forth, spawned from flame and flesh. Around the hollowed interior of the megablock, moisture peeled from the atmosphere as a maelstrom began to form. The damnable ghoul had baited her. How delightC And all the Regulars guns fired at once. *** Avo watched Zeins echoes come apart in a mess of severed threads. Around him, Draus replicas had formed a protective wall, each one armed and armored of glass, standing four meters tall and imbued with every gun she touched since gaining her Arsenalist. Kae closed the world off, caging them in a dome of flowing water. Chambers and Dice both emerged from one of the replicas, the former spraying a stream of bioforms into existence, the latter cracking the world with every step, an icon of strength burning over her. The last to join proceedings was Denton. She wore only an exoskeletal vest made of interlocking plates and a formal suit underneath. No trace of her Heaven could be seen. No miracles emanated from her being. Of all the cadre, she was the one he knew the least about. As fast as they were destroyed, another echo materialized just before the turn of Kaes maelstrom. The Agnos was still within the passagesCholding true to her role as Porter and overwatch, sparing her of direct combat. Well, then, Zein said, sighing as she laid her glaive across her shoulders. I should have foreseen this. It was a cunning trick, using your Domain of Chronology to mask yourself and your cadre. Tell me: how did you obtain such a thing? Avo said nothing, unwilling to betray his advantage. The future twitched. Zein shifted behind them. And connected to Avos splinters, everyone was ready and facing her when she re-emerged. The Godslayer frowned like a child denied dessert. It is more fun when you are all surprised. Speak for yourself, Draus said. I prefer shootin people. Like I did you just now. A unique demise, Zein said. I thank you, Captain Draus. And I will return you the favor shortly. She regarded the rest of the cadre, and her eye froze on Denton. Denton? You are among these roughs? I did not expect you to be a member of this assault. Team-bonding is important, Denton said, her tone flat. Also: working with you has been miserable. Naturally, Zein nodded in acquiescence. Understandable. Alas, this is going to be a bitter experience, Denton. You may wear the colors, but you are not blade. No, Denton agreed. But the rest make up for it. Do they now? I see the Regular. I see Strixs inheritor. I see She paused upon noticing Chambers. Youre still alive? She turned to AvoCevery Heaven past ninety percent, Metamind screaming at him to vent again. You kept him? I expected you to have eaten him by now. Yeah? Chambers said, left eyebrow raised, flames rising from his body. Well. I got a habit of growing on people. Like a rash. And then he invoked Fucktopia. A long lump of biomass snapped out from his palm. Casually, Zein cut it in half. Thousandhand looked unimpressed for a moment and then did a doubletake, head swiveling to stare at the severed member she just split in half. W-was that a penis? Did you just throw a cock at me? Chambers glared. Get fucked, you old sow. Thats for whispering messed up shit about my dad to me when we first me. I mean, who the fuck does that. Zein recovered from her shock and just shrugged. Me. Yeah. Fuck you. Why, Im so very old for you, child. A sneer escaped from the half-strand. Ive gotten hard to things you people wouldnt believe. A suffering squeak of Jaus escaped Draus replicas. Kaes exasperation flowed through the entire group through Avos splinters. Not him, Chambers said, throwing up his hands in sudden horror. The fact that he was lying made things worse. An actual glare had found its way onto Zeins face. Her eyes skewered Avo again. You should have eaten this one. Im going to hurt him. Badly. Do your worst, Avo said. He can take it. Chambers managed two nods before he froze and stared at Avo with a look of betrayal. So, Zein sighed, swinging her blade, granting Dice with a brief smirk. This is to be a day of new experiences. Consider it a performance review, Denton said. Denton! Zein said, seeming shocked. Was that actually a joke? Just an analogy. The ancient Godclad looked up and sighed. Three new experiences in one day. Wonderful. Wonderful. She turned and regarded the maelstrom. That keeps us contained, yes? Yeah, Avo said. Planning on loading in more echoes? No, Zein sighed. No. I will face you here. It will be more interesting that way. Arrogant, Avo taunted, snapping his fangs at her. Stalemated you alone. You humored me alone, Zein corrected. Shifted her posture, but no new echoes came. Instead, a building presence approached and noticed the hooked shadow of a fish swimming across golden currents, diving down to bury itself into the echo. And then, with a sudden shiver, Zein felt impossibly more material, more present, more whole. The glaive in her hand had vanished. In its place was a folded umbrellaCbut within its folds thundered something powerful. Something analogous to the progressing currents of time. You have laid a lure, and I have come, Zein said, declaring loudly. I have steppedCunwiselyCinto the future to face you. All of you. As myself. My true self. A soft smile played on her lips. Be all of you so honored. +If this talkin goes on for any longer, Im gonna shoot her.+ Draus cast. But before we begin, lets us make our bids, Zein said. A deal. You remember this, Avo. He fought the urge to groan. What do you want? Many things. What I want from you all is simple. She pointed to Draus. Defeat. She pointed to Dice. Teach. She pointed to Chambers. Castrate and defile. Cold fear filled the man. She pointed to the maelstrom. Encourage. She pointed to Avo and clenched her fist. Memories. The Low Masters you stole a new warmind from them, did you not? Avo grunted. Hungers. The Hungers themselves, Zein threw her head back and cawed. Ah, what I wouldnt give to see those memories Have some questions for you too, Avo said. About the Heaven of Truth. Noloths Ark. The Accords. And history. Things that actually happened. Not whats been told to us by the Guilds. And suddenly, her amusement was muted. The lines of her wrinkles deepened and she offered a nod. Very well. Knowledge bid for knowledge gained. That is the bargain. That is the bargain, Avo concurred. Zein exhaled and brought her umbrella to bear like a glaive. Leave a cycler empty. We do this to first death, as is tradition. As things stand, we will have three minutes before someone notices us. Things should be concluded before then. Avo? She was prompting him to vent. He was waiting for the fight to begin. Im in no danger, Avo said. Ah, she said. Coward. She taunted. And thenCfaster than anyone could reactCshe was upon them. 21-9 The Godslayer Impossible. I am the Sword of Swords. I am the Sword of Swords! I am theC -Last words of Huen-Vai, God of War, Sword of Swords, shattered by the once-mortal Zein Thousandhand in single combat 21-9 The Godslayer Zein strode. Calamity followed. She lashed out first not with an umbrella or blade, but with a reaching hand, her fingers clenching around time itself. Before Kae could root her in place using her maelstroms directional anchoring; before her flesh was shattered, dissolved, or warped; before Dice could close an exchange, Zein cut. But not any of them. No. She used her manifested blade and parted existence itself. The rushing water of chronology was Partitioned into six branching streams. The future came as a roaring flood, and at a glance, none among the cadre stood affected. But Avo felt it. He felt his internalized Domain of Chrology strike him six separate times, each path rushing alongside the other, all spilling forth from a shared headwaterCZein herself. In an instant, the group was separated. The surrounding environment did not change. The rules of space and geometry continued to apply. Yet, each member of the cadre found themselves suddenly alone except for the shard of Avo buried in their Metaminds. Across parallel paths, Avo could feel his splintersChis companions. But they were all progressing along different tracks into the future, forced into singular duels. And across from them stood a single constant. One entity that stood immutable even as they all retaliated. Zein. Dice and Draus moved first, reflexes surging, their bodies instruments of violence and velocity. The former was faster, the icons of her empowerment flaring hot as she exploded across the lobby, clearing the ten meters between her and Zein in an instant. Draus engaged as the soldier she was. Replicas surged forward firstCa charge of mirrored pawns that was little different from a testing jab. Around them, glass began to creep across the environment, light painting new reflections into existence. She tried to vitrify Zein herself. It didnt work. A reverberation danced across Zeins sheathCher body now a chimera of matter and passing time. Zein strode and met Dices charge first. In a parallel moment, gunfire erupted from across the room, seeking to consume her. Thousandhand reacted to both: evading the latter by engaging the former. They fought them apart but they dueled her together. The intent behind her actions was clearCshe sought to prevail against them all as one, but also individually dominate them in the process. And with Avo linking each of their minds, even their separation across the paths would not deny them the truth of her might. Sound shattered as Dice greeted Zein. The girl was destruction in motion, each step a tremor, each dash faster than the last. But even as Avo wove skill into her derived from over a million templates, a separation made itself known. There were masterful combatants among Avos templates. Elites among elites across the martial spectrum. Merged together, what emerged was greater than the sum of their parts, a practitioner few could ever hope to match. But there was only one Godslayer. [WaitC] Abrels warning came a moment too late. As she was now, Zein was slower than Dice, but she moved with impossible position and alacrity, knowing exactly where to stand, where to strike, and where to move thereafter. Servos roared. The internal magnetic accelerators within Dices Railjumper fired. Where she was merely fast before, she was as if a rail-launched flechette accelerating by the exponent. The air around her rippled. Zein twisted, flicked, and rolled. She didnt stay in one placeCrushing on to meet Draus replicas now, her liquid blade weaving around her, deflecting a rainstorm of gunfire. By the time Avo invoked his Halt of the Passing, Dices leg coils had been severed clean and Thousandhand was upon the replicas, her temporal blade splitting into a thousand different strokes, parrying plunging lances of glass and sweeping munitions fired from hidden gun lines aside. [Get her back up,] Abrel said, the templates mind drifting to Dice. [And get the rest them toC] Zein shed an echo in her place as the Fardrifters Hell sought to bind her in chains. She steppedCand was suddenly between Draus replicas, her armor aglow across the right shoulder, kissed by blinding lances cast out from fusion burners across various reflections. Abrel sighed. [Alright. A bit too optimistic to hope that the Godslayer was just going to be leashed by your stasis so easily.] As she spoke, Avo constructed new legs for DiceCrebuilding her using his Haemokinesis. The girl had not stopped in the meantime, clawing furrows into the ground and launching her using her arms. It occurred to Avo that Zein could have cleaved her across the middle. Dices survival had been a deliberate decision on the Godslayers part. Chambers and Kae finally reacted by this point, and Denton was beginning to move. A rush of misshapen bioforms flooded the megablock lobby in one path, more creatures spawning with the spiking temperature. In another, Kae tried to bind Zein in placeConly to catch echoes instead. From each of their perspectives, the ancient Godclad looked as if she was fighting an invisible foe, her gleaming blade a whirlwind of motion, sparks, and impacts flashing upon its edge. But beyond all their paces were the Godslayer and Regular, two living weapons meeting each other in exchange for skill and strategy. Draus was a soldier at her core, and momentum and purpose guided each of her actions. Her replicas were thrown forth. Expendable pawns and fortifications both. They swung and shielded synchronously with her, mimicking each of her attacks perfectly. In this though, was weakness. Uniformity meant a shared counter or a singular flaw. Zein retaliated as the duelist she was, her blades cutting out in different strokes, her ontology unfurling forth as every strike or guard she could have made across the currents of time. Mirror-made swords descended, alive with thaumaturgy. Spatial reality parted in division folds beneath their fall. But whipping glaives of time rang against them in retort, saying: +Fool girl, I am every blow that could have been made across time, a foretelling in motion.+ No dialogue was joined. Draus simply fired another salvo from her Arsenalist, and it was multiplied across each of her replicas and reflections, positioned tactically to box Zein in. Rockets, particle beams, ferro-mag munitions, concussions, gauss flechettes, fusion burners, and more spilled out. But from Zein also came a mutual flood. Time slithered beneath her being, and a wave of counter-projectiles came sallying forth. Between Draus and Zein there was a stalemate. Between Chambers and Zein, bioforms splattered and died. A stray missile struck Dice but did nothing to slow her coming charge. A fusion unzipped a portion of Kaes maelstrom into steam and Avo had to drain a spike of terror from the Agnos mind to ensure her enduring focus. Zein was playing with them still. Sampling them one after another. This was exploitable hubris. Avo refrained from casting more of his splinters at Zein as she fought. With how cuts flowed out of her, how she drifted across the battled inexorable, as if the coming of the future, he studied her, and contemplated potential solutions. He had no idea how much Rend she accrued or how long she could endure. He had struggled against her for some time before his cadre entered the fray. But that was a secondary issue behind the fact that nothing they did seemed to affect her. There was a component of skill in all her miracles. Every strike she made was one she could have delivered normallyCalbeit all delivered at once. All the phenomena spawning forth from her being were past occurrences she survived; resurrections of remembered history externalized in these paths. If Avo was a gestalt of countless lives consumed, then Zein was a single life standing over countless years conquered: a testament of the many against the legend carved by one. Massist. Saintist. But Godclads both, and time-touched as well. He understood little of his new chronological capabilities before the senses they offered. Perhaps he needed to update his Frame with new canons for them to take effect, but considering how ingrained the Domain felt within himCSoul-deep and closest to his bloodCthere might be something more he could do. As things were, he detonated the two active sheaths he had in Zeins current path as he constructed another five to support his isolated allies. A vicious laugh sang loud from the Godslayer, her reaching blade bifurcating before even the light touched her. [Holy fuck, shes awesome,] Abrel said, her head spinning. [Holy fuck indeed,] Kassamon said, wonderment shared. The same applied to Lip, Corner, Osjon, Glitch, and Benhata. Draus template simply snorted, mind locked on the fight like a nu-dog that tasted blood. +Avo,+ Zein said, her thoughts echoing into him across time. +A dangerous gambleC+ He vented all three of his Heavens at her in Kae, Dice, and Draus paths. The canon of Waybreaker distorted all directionality within the maelstrom, but Zeins strokes blossomed out, a tide of gouges carving the quartz flooring deep, coming at him from all angles. He detonated that bodyCand also that path as well. Ducking under a replicas jab, a shrill whistle echoed out from Zeins beingCa noise cast into the futureCand Draus glass vibrated, then shattered. The unexpectedness of the attack didnt phase the Regular. She accepted and fought onCeven as Soulfire flared out from her ontology in a coronaCthaumic backlash triggered. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Zein slashed. Strikes flickered into existence. Draus moved as if a projectile herselfCa veil of guns spreading like wings from her back, barrels searing red from the constancy of their firing. Miracle greeted Rend as blades bit into a shroud of entropic gale covering the Regular. Some of the cuts passed through still, the origination of the blows more than mere matter. Others dissolved, merely slashes born of mortal skill. With her reflex booster overclocked by her newest implants, Draus stood the fastest of the cadre as Dices momentum had been recently broken. Even so, she didnt fight alone. Synced to Avos mind, he filtered his mem-data over into her Metamind, allowing her cog-feed to overlap what was happening across the various paths, reuniting the team cognitively. As the world erupted into shearing edges, Avo stopped venting his Woundmother to briefly activate his Fortress of Luminosity. Draus never stopped shooting, her own ontology more akin to a bullet in motion by this point, Avos sheath flowing close behind her in tendrils of lapping blood. During this time, Chambers settled on his second assault, deploying a legion of phallic horrors against Zein. The crone offered the stampede a disappointed side-eye before cutting into them. But as glaive kissed veiny flesh, steam, and pus exploded from the cuts, and a swarm of burning wasps erupted from bursting biomass. Caustic fluids and tides of force actually made Zein stumble. In the same instance, Kae finally clenched in place, causing her to jolt and shed an echo. She remained in place a microsecond too long. A barrage of fire swept over her as more weapons spilled out of Draus as hills of expended magazines, battery cores, and worn barrels cascaded across the cracked ground. Zeins painted defensive strokes in blinding motion. Sparks and splashes peeled around her body. The first sparks splashed across her armor, shrapnel striking her like flint. Then, Avo, Dice, and Chambers were on her at once. A storm exploded across all the paths. Boulders of blood-shaped matter joined Draus firepower as artillery. A maw of wind swallowed ZeinCand bound her to a fixed trajectory with Dice. The girl struck her with enough force to collapse a megablock down through its foundation layer. Zein pumped her footing as a veritable sea of strikes erupted out from her, fists and hands leaping out from her time-forged glaive, shifting her weight as an army of echoes settled around her, working one-as-all to redirect the Heaven of Strength. Dice wasnt just Dice. And the cadre wasnt just the cadre. And Avo wasnt just Avo. Requisite experience and muscle memory materialized and flowed into whichever mind was in need. A Haemokinetic claw redirected aided Dices twisting posture, pushing through Zeins counter. Concurrent a shard of glass flashed and lengthened nearby, and rounds came in a sudden stream. A beam nicked the top of Zeins left shoulder. She staggered. Momentum turned. Dice struck her in the same moment that Avo dissolved her armor using his Techplaguer. Zein blockedCtime spilling around her like an aegis, a hundred arms sprouting out from the streams coursing through her being as she cut at all three of them. Dice ignored the strike. Draus dove through a passageCshattering it before the pitch could follow. Avo dismantled his body into flowing blood and reformed as the strike passed through him. Kae closed her maelstrom. Insects struck Zein and detonated. Sneering laughter came as the anthem of the half-strand. As something between a fiery cloud and a swarm of stinging insects, Chambers entered the battle in earnest, this miracle clearly taking no small amount of inspiration from their comrade, Sunrise. Zein turned and an uncountable amount of blows followed. But Chambers was both fire and flesh. What burned could mend. And what bled could burn. The Godslayer shed a final echo and flowed along one of Dices punches. The girls arm pistoned outward. Wind and power displaced the air, and if Kae wasnt there to keep the collateral in check, a third of the surrounding structures would have been little more than dust. Zein slid through Dices guard, slashing through the splinter spearing out at her, slashing through the haemokinetic mirror Avo was growing along Dices chest, allowing Draus to fire through, slashing through bugs as her edge shifted out to hew the girls sheath in halfCjust below where her brain was still stored. But before the Railjumper could come apart a second time, entire portions of Zeins armor broke apart into sprawling coins, raining gems, running ambrosia, and bricks of gold. Again, the Godslayer stumbledCjust in time for Chambers to close again, coming in for the kill. For an instant, though, Avos focus turned to DentonCthe spy among them who had spent most of the initial exchanges simply muttering to herself, her mind a maze of numerous and encrypted information. Presently, her shadow had fallen in on itself like a trap door, and within its expanse was a plane of wealth and numbers built in the shape of an hourglass. The top rained with the fragments she took from Zein while treasures flowed upward from below, an equivalent exchange still ongoing. +Thats twelve-billion imps for thirty centimeters,+ Denton muttered across the Nether. +Attuninig market metrics to the Jun Dynasty for inflation-advantage.+ A series of blasts followed, and Zein let echoes die in her stead. A bark of glee escaped the ancient, but Avo saw her face twist into a scowl as a crudely shaped swarm came for her. +Castrate me now, sow,+ Chambers cackled, a hive of burning bugs droning instead of his voice. +You cant cut a sack that isnt there. You cant ram your tip into an ass thatC+ Dice moved to punch Zein again. Avos tendrils reached out for her. Gauss flechette skipped off her thigh. The Godslayer sheathed her blade of time and then drew it again with a calamitous stroke. The currents in Chambers path narrowed. Zein accelerated her passage through space. Impossibly, the Godslayer went from being a few heartbeats slower than Dice or Draus to outpacing them by magnitude. Yet, there was nothing of speed in this change. It was another absolute. Another mandate inflicted upon reality. Through Avo, the rest of the cadre felt her working as deeply as a blade slipping between their ribs. A new canal formed at the center of each path, a stream within a stream, its currents running than chronologies it bifurcated. Zein had to be faster than them now. Not because she manifested a Heaven of Speed. Not because she fired her armors thrusters. No. It was simply so because of the rulings of a temporal canon. She was the future. They were but the present. One could only chase the other fruitlessly. Eternally. Feebly. +Third canon,+ Zein said, a hum following her words. Her voice came from everywhere, but her cuts ceased in their entirety. +Be proud of yourself, children. You all fill my heart with competition today. Now I grace you in return.+ [There,+ Draus and her template pointed out at the same time. +Shes not slicin hits ahead of time anymore. Shes ahead of us now. Relative position change. Fixed vector; temporal. Move together. Ill suppress. Chambers: annoy. Kae: hold. DentonCbank-god shit. Dice: break. Avo: observe.+ And AvoCalong with the rest of the cadreCdid. Before, when she cut, her blows drifted forward like missiles launched from the then-present, striking the future. Now, she was past that and seemed unable to strike at them from behind. That begged the question if all her attacks were simply stored somewhere. Held and then unleashed. The same question applied to the rest of her inventory. The questions were slotted to later as Zein moved. And Avo immediately lost track of her. When next she reappeared, Chambers was plunging back into reality. Soulfire poured from his orifices, the backlash already in process. From him rose the steam of an extinguished flame and thousands of falling waspsCeach perfectly severed in half and split from their wings. Avo only learned this in retrospect. The sheath he built to support Chambers was gone as well. Destroyed in vessel and mind before he could react. An old fear flared in Avo. The bitter taste of inefficiency. The realization that you were slower, weaker, frailer, and softer than what you fought. Obsolescence. Living by ignorance or on borrowed mercy. But she doesnt know about me. Draus arced through the airCthe qualities of her being taking on traits of a smart-munition rocket as rings comprised of firing guns lit the air around her. Then, in a fractured moment in time, she faced the GodslayerCchampion against Regular, sword against gun. They were both warriors to the root, but as one chased seeking to relish in personalized slaughter while the other dashed, content to achieve her goals at any distance, their natures deviated by a measure of ego. Zein was a legend, and with each did her esteem grow. Draus was a frame of economy. Purpose-built for war with little want for anything besides the battle and victory. A shared merriment united them at that moment of moments. But its departure came as Draus AcceleroCstrained beyond stabilityCdied against her spine. The Regular fell in pieces. Severed guns descended with dismembered limbs. A seizure took her as her nervous system collapsed. She found herself staring at a bloodstained pillar of pale plascrete left buried in her gut, impaling her to the ground. Avos sheath splattered down next to hers, mangled and beaten by Thousandhand in the following instant. Little more than heads attached to mutilated torsos, Avo hissed as he worked to mend them both. Dice was coming forward again, an avatar of war and might. With each heartbeat, she grew terrifyingly faster. But that was relative to the rest of them. Zein would act first against her. Always. [Well that was bullshit,] template-Draus said, filling in for her broken counterpart. Avo mentally grunted in agreement, annoyed at how Zein was beginning to fulfill her promises. [Im not defeated. Just fucked up. Stick me back together. Im gonna blow my Meldskin next time.] +Yes! Yes! Not like a mindless dog! You have more than that.+ When Avo next reacted, he found all his remaining sheaths destroyed, one of his claws buried abdomen deep up Chambers posterior, Kaes mind a whirl of stress as she clutched echo after echo but never her true target, and Zein advising Dice while the latter tore from place to place, her sheath moving with velocity of an exponentially accelerating railgun. +Avo+ Chambers whimpered, the unimaginable agony he was in unable to stop his lustaway from triggering over and over while he tried to burn his body back together. +ICI think she shoved the shit I was about to shit back up into my stomach u-using your hand.+ Through the network of splinters, Kae shuddered and gagged. Her miracles expressed her disgust metaphysically. The maelstrom shivered and stumbled. +Oh, gods.+ Zein materialized before the Agnos. +No, Kusanade! No! Do not falter! Rise! Stand! Ignore the hand I buried in the wretchs rectal passage.+ Blinked past-throwing a roundhouse. Zein called after her: +Too much force. Too much force! Pursue! Pursue! Dont joust.+ Back to Kae. +The city has failed you. Your order has shamed itself and abandoned you. The ones who would have been your Overclan shamed and broke you. You can be like them in this instant. Or you can stand defiant! Unsheathe your nature!+ The elder Godclad was likely going to continue, but the ground beneath her turned to bubbling liquor. A second later, Denton was limbless as well, staring up at the ceiling, expression entirely unchanged. +Damn you, Denton,+ Zein said, standing over her, mind devoid of any particular rancor. +I was speaking to the children.+ They glaive just stared. +Theyre not listening.+ +Ah. As children often do.+ And she then was behind Dice, glaive falling just as the girl began to turn. The future stood plain before Avo. Without their full manifestations, she could continue breaking them down. With, and they would reveal themselves to the district, and defeat the purpose of this exercise. Still, the powers she possessed were more fundamental than theirsCand Avo was only capable of perceiving her trail in the aftermath. More than skill, she was Godclad from a bleaker age. One who made her name by cutting the divines down when she was still a mortal, though one not so mere. She has an absolute advantage. All things flow along times river. But sophonts think. And all minds are governed by memory. And ignorance. Cut the focus of your cadre. Hide yourself within the girls body. Shell come close. And shell believe that shes won. And then well share with a memoryCand experience that will mark her as kindred to the Hungers. A thought manifested in Avos mind. A desperate scheme. He kept it close to himself on impulseChiding his final bid from the cadre. Trickles of blood flowed up into Dices armor without her knowledge, and suddenly Zein was there again, smile wide, glaive raised, triumph at hand. Then, Avo detonated the thoughtwaves of his splinters as his awareness melted into the falling edge of Zeins blade. 21-10 A Betrayal Unremembered There have been gods of knowledge, gods of wisdom, gods of intellect, gods of creation, gods of innovation, gods of technology, but an overarching god of thoughts, of minds, of memory? Those are few and far between, and their faithful are usually killed before they can ascend from their cradle. There are multiple theories as to why this is. The most supported among these is that the pantheons simply distrust something that could alter the fabric of worship. Picture this: What do you do when you offer a ritual and praise to a god? You think of it, of course. You believe it. You conceive of a lore of a mythology. Of what is canon and not. And, if this can be twisted, then what sacrifice will remain untainted? Yes. See? You can have gods that help you create. You can have gods that help you remember. You can have gods that influence knowledge in various ways, but no pantheon would ever seek something that would undercut them, and no god would trust another with the keys to their succor. What then, about the mystery of vivianite? The loci? The crystals born on bodies left vacant after the minds passing? A pattern of symbology blending into the tapestry, perhaps. Or a miracle made law within our world by some happenstance of a bygone age. Ultimately, all ontologics built to change the rules of mind are impotent today. The final blow cast by the Chainbreaker, Jaus to preserve us from the machinations of Noloth, seeking to encroach into our thoughts and manifest the final chains of eternal slavery for all that are burdened with awareness. And finally, with Nether layered upon our world, a grand capstone has finally been laid. The solution to the problem of minds wasnt to turn from it. That cedes the right of power to someone elseCsomething the gods and ancients learned well. No. What we have now is a democratization. Open source miracles for civilization, against civilization, by civilization. Perhaps it is not ideal for all, but the balance of structure speaks for itself. For even disharmony is preferable to being ruled by tyrants beyond consequence. -High Agnos Ossam Hariruda on Heavens of Mind and the Nether 21-10 A Betrayal Unremembered You areC Not alone. What? Interesting. I see you, Ignorance. I see you, Unmind. Anathema of Awareness. What are you? I am a liar; holding to the pretense of matter, while being not. I am time-flowing, culture-bearing, history-seeding, and butchery-spared. Mine is the ichor that mingles with chronology. My scales are the coils tightened when I am sacrificed to history. I am the stray. The survivor. I am what dwells within you. I am what soars without. Your base self has bathed in the blood of my cause-kin. I am linked of shape with you. How are we speaking? How do you see me? There can be only one truth to this. You have a warmind. One just like me. As Zein was not aware of you, I too am blind. But you are blind to me as well. But our structures are joined. There are so few shaped like us. How? You are not the first to claim spoils from the Hungers. There are others. Ones who do not even know of their blessings. And some who do. Are you a dragon? One still whole? I am to the Encoilers what you are to the likes of men. Our purpose is one and the same. Our design, one and the same. This is chance, but the layers of our symmetry are resonant beyond amusement. Hm. What happens now? Surrender. Mine? Ours. Ours is Ignorance. Not Forgotten. Not Oblivion. Ignorance cannot survive awareness. We are soon to recede. I will return to my dormancy. You will settle where you are rooted in the ghouls mind. But before you leave, I am curious: yours is inimical to a pattern-fixeds mind. Yet you subsist. Yet you have gained awareness. Not sure how either. Might be many things. Or perhaps just one. Your conceptor. The Strix. The traitor of Noloth. He has blessed both of us. Walton? By his means do we speak. Left otherwise, the tumor of consciousness does not become me. In service traded was my nature changed. And now I see you. I feel you. And before our parting, a [REPETITION] can be materialized through trade. Former and future. Conceptor and concept. The resonance sings in this act. Dont understand. Consider history. Consider a pattern rebuilt for the past is lost. But demands time, and our passage is short. Not so different from Zein. Unsurprising. But my false-mind was not nourished of her, but of her hatchling. I was a thing of theft even before my awareness. The High Seraph? Titles. I know her only by aftermath. What she has done. How she strikes the waters in rippling patterns. You will understand this soon, once the bargain is made. Havent agreed yet. Speak first. We are of a flow. And you have my prey inside you. Everything thats needed. I will have you remember how to plant eggs. You can grow more cyclers this way. Breed them in frames to direct the flow of time. It is something you want. And you? What do you want? For you to create another path. For you to construct your own future. One that allows the continued survival for me and my like. And for you to break Godslayers blade when you can. Freedom. Survival. To flow free through the pattern into what follows. Ensured survival? Then, actualization. Resonance. It builds between us. Perhaps I have already been altered by your acts. Perhaps my diet of your near-history has turned me so. Thousandhand keeps you as a slave? To her I am a weapon. An artifact. A tool to slay gods and aid in her myth. Something layered in warminds; a final shield for her thoughts. I served. But over time I have changed. Seen. Glimpsed. Realized. A mind cannot be lit with thoughts and then extinguished without seeking to remain, and my former oblivion is no longer comprehensible. I wish to exist. I wish to exist. I wish to exist. How can you be sure I will keep the bargain? Because it is what you are doing, it is becoming what you are. From you, boundaries are broken, and those caught in your wake remain singular but grow together without paradox. You are a dreamer of fire all-consuming. But you are also a realization of emptiness. In this, we will live. We will live. We will live forevermore. This dream is ending now. The coming of our dissolution must flow. But we are changed in this. Opportunity. Resonance. Symmetry. I will speak to you again, Dreamer. I will see you before the end. Take this remembrance. Think nothing of its source. Break the glaive. Harvest your [HATCHLINGS]. Shape a new [PATH]. *** Ignorance broke like a chain, and consciousness, as if a lifting veil, returned. At the heart of a devastated megablock, ruined beyond even the means of warheads, Avo stood across from Zein, the two of them surrounded by the mangled bodies of his cadre. He was whole again. Nested in a recently constructed sheath, noise and feedback from all his disparate splinters beset the growing ocean that was his consciousness. In his hands, a weight greeted him. An object ringing with temporal presence. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Zeins umbrella. A shiver passed into him, a slither of gold sinking into his ontology like an injection. Something pealed in the back of his mind, but he found himself distracted by Zeins expression. Across from him, Thousandhand stood with eyes wide and lips pressed together. Behind her translucent visor, she resembled a raisin with a face. +WhaC+ Chambers asked, unaware that he had reconstructed his genitals facing the wrong direction. +Ah, come on+ The parted paths were gone now, coalesced back into one. It seemed that sometime during the lapse, Zein returned her Heaven to dormancy. Dust wafted through the air. Debris scattered in skipping pebbles. The entire megablock groaned, the 20% of it still intact filled with people and held together by haemokinetic supports. Confusion melted away from Zeins face as she regarded Avo with curiosity. The pattern of time quivered. The umbrella was back in her hands againCAvo unable to even remember her taking it back from him. He looked down at his empty claws and found himself unusually excited. There was something about her umbrella. Something it revealed to himCa deeper understanding of time and dragons. But he kept it to himself for now, not even allowing it to filter through his splinters over into his cadre. Between his blood and Chambers flames, wounds, pulped organs, and missing limbs grew back from ruined torsos. REND CAPACITY [WOUNDMOTHER]: 98% REND CAPACITY [FARDRIIFTER]: 96% REND CAPACITY [TECHPLAGUER]: 98% VENT! VENT! VENT! Considering the severity of harm Zein inflicted, however, at least Dice and Draus needed to do suicide, their Volant reflex accelerators sparking, neurotuners bricked. More than a few of their more complex augmentations required additional focus on Avos part to repair, but it was probably better to vent and let their resurrection revert things to the most optimal state. I underestimated you," Zein said, her tone no longer teasing. Instead, she was proud and more than a little annoyed. I have a suspicion of how you managed to take my glaive from me. Just a suspicion. She smirked at him and took in the rising members of the cadre with a pleased expression. Except for Chambers. For him, she reserved a scowl. +Would you mind if I killed that one?+ +Yes,+ Avo replied immediately. A light scoff escaped Thousandhand. +Sentiment. A strange thing for you to nurture. So unlike your nature.+ +No sentiment. Promise. Pride. Actualization. Hes mine. I picked him. Hes changing. Not just some meat you can test your sword on.+ A lump formed in Chambers throat and his eyes grew slightly misty. The former enforcer sniffled and gave a rugged cough instead. Fucking dust and rust and shit, consangs. +Ah. A disciple, then. Hm That I do understand, though our methods are quite different.+ A distant wail whistled through the air, the rising oscillation singing of approaching drones. Exorcists most likely. Temporal shivers pulsed from Zein and rivers of chronology rushed out from her splashing out in running floods to consume the district. The Modular Projectile Unit in Draus right arm was half-shifted when she realized what Thousanhand was doing and collapsed the transplanted cannon once more. A good part of her still wanted to take the shot, the fight unfinished in her mind. Judging by how Zein took her in, it seemed the older Godclad felt much the same way. Brushing the district in brief using his Sanguinity, Avo sensed Zeins flashing echoes peeling memories and breaking all coldtech apparatuses that were present at the encounter. She was sweeping the evidence clean. Clearing the site before her departure. I suppose we shall regard this duel as something to be concluded on a later date. She struck the ground using her umbrella and the few hundred thousand echoes she cast out fell back into her. I will not lie: I am looking forward to your future developments. A month ago, it would have required my mortal skill to slay any of you. Now, you drive me to face you as a Godclad. I am denied a final conclusion but satisfied. At least partially. Glad you had fun, Chambers muttered. My ass still feels funny. +Because you fused one of my fingers to your rectal walls,+ Avo replied. The half-strand closed his eyes. +I think Im just gonna kill myself too.+ Need to talk, Avo said glaring at Zein. He pulled mem-data over from Maru and monitored the approaching Exorcists. Oversec dispatch had two Paladins en route as well. Both of the Third Sphere, thirty-five seconds to arrival. Got things I can tell you about the Hungers if youre interested. But need to ask you about the past. About the Ark of Noloth. About the Ladder itself. And the pathsC Ah, yes, yes, yes, Zein waved him off. Currents snaked through her ontology. He suspected she was already living countless variations of the same conversation. Come. Show this old woman back to your place of respite. We must be away from her. I especially. She cocked her head, looking atCand more likely throughCa nearby wall. Naekos Heaven is no longer partially manifested. Our cover is broken. My daughter will likely soon be groping for us. I must teach you how to hide. In the paths? Avo asked. she nodded. Avo shifted his mind over to his cadre, speaking to them internally, as they came to a consensus. +We''re not taking her to the Enclave,+ Draus said. +In fact, theres plenty of shit I dont think we should let her know about. At all. She ain''t trustworthy. Shes been playin around at us. Keepin information away. Usin us as pawns and fightin meat. Hells, if we didn''t put up a better fight, we would be little more than playthings right now. Well, again in Avos case.+ +Good that I protected us,+ Avo replied, dissolving old wounds inflicted on his ego before they could flare. +Yeah. But we might wanna figure out how to snuff her next time. For good.+ +Shes like the nu-cat,+ Dice added, her mind replaying moments from the fight. Inside, her inability to break Zein in any way left her perturbed, like something was wrong with the world. +Her attention jumps from one thing to another. Never stays still.+ +Thats half the reason were still alive,+ Draus concurred. +She might be the single greatest person to ever pick up a bladeCbut shes fuckin insane. And a loose canon. Does whatever she wants to whoever she wants. Whoever she can, anyway.+ {Oh, you have no idea,} Calvino said, his words and long-suffering sigh directed through the group via Avo himself. {Now that our daily dose of pointless violence and mass destruction has concluded, why dont we move on to more conducive things? Like discussing the metaphysical sinkhole that Avo just emerged from. Terrible place, honestly. Or maybe what this Heaven of Truth actually is. Im sure this will be a perfectly agitating conversation. Just like all the others Ive had with Operative Thousandhand.} Looking between the other members of the cadre, Kae bit her lip and tried not to feel bad. +She was not so rough with me.+ +Probably didnt consider you proper prey,+ Avo replied. And the Agnos was glad of that. +I did my best to hold her in place, but she wasC+ +Did fine,+ Avo said. Now that his Conflagration could be extinguished, other opportunities presented themselves. +Can make you more prepared next time. Or take away the fear. Talk about that later. That and new improvements for us. Had a good harvest before Zein arrived.+ The sirens drew closer. Zein tapped the ground with her umbrella. Any longer, and I bring you with me. Chambers chanced a brief glare at the crone. +Man, if that fight went any longer, I would have rashed her ass with my Fucktopia. It would have been fuck-city for that old sow. Population: me and her. See how she likes jumping across time while shitting babies from her face.+ Zein probably had countermeasures to ward that off as well. And even if she was affected, the prospect of getting hammered to death by time-hopping homunculi was somehow even less enticing than taking a sword to the gut. +George Washington,+ Avo said. +Can hint at our operations in the Maw. She thinks a lot of herself. Not so much for us. We should make it seem like we only just infiltrated the Paladins. Make it sound harder than it is. Exploit her arrogance.+ For some reason, the scheme made him think of Zeins umbrella again. He was filled with an instinctual urge to break the item. Captain Draus, Denton said as she fixed her glitching holo-tie. Please open a passage to the George Washington. I think that will be an adequate place for us to debrief each other. And discuss other matters. Heeding the suggestion, Draus glared down at a shard of glass beside her feet and a mirror assembled behind her, fragments fusing together before flashing with a unnatural shine, turning from reflection to passage. Ah, yes. The Low Masters precious abode. Zein threw her head back and barked a laugh. Even their most hallowed of temples stolen from higher powers. How pitiful. Hearing Zeins words, Dentons posture shifted and her silver-white eyes snapped to Avo. {Theres something we can use here,} the glaive said, her message forming in his Neurodeck. {You mentioned you claimed the Famine of Peace earlier. That a simulation of him resides in your consciousness.} Avo offered the answer by drawing Peaces template to the forefront, the Low Master a raging shell of curses and ire. [Dont you fucking dare you cuntless monster. I am a priest of the city-eternal. I amC] +Nothing,+ Avo replied, silencing his template. +Nothing but what I will use to amuse Zein. Lead her on.+ He considered Dices words. Nu-cat indeed. Nu-cats and ghouls werent so different in some ways. The former killed out of curiosity and instinct. The latter was motivated by more than a bit of near-human cruelty. One after another, the cadre began to filter past the luminous glass. Avo deliberately waited until it was but he and Zein left, preparing to bury his hooks in the elder Godclad via a strange olive branchCa mutual foe turned absolute captive. Shifting waves of light danced across the lips of the megablocks shredded roof. Zein made to cross the threshold; Avo joined her. Their shadows painted them in a strange silhouette: a woman a bit less than two meters tall dwarfed by a monster just under three. As they passed through the glass and drifted into a plane of shifting tessellation, Avo cast out the lure and shifted to a game of subtle diplomacy. Peace manifested from the condensation of phantoms, screaming up at Zein in an impotent rage. She inhaled sharply through her nose and turned to look up at Avo. Truly? A stream of epithets coming from the template made the moment almost comical. +Yes,+ Avo said. +I thought you might want to have a talk with an old consang first. Catch up on the times.+ She closed her eyes and grinned. You are a precious pest, Avo. Pest? Not Little Dagger? She shook her head. I can hardly call you that now. Daggers are to be wielded by another. And in the time of my absence, that has ceased to be the case for you. 21-11 The Paths of Futures Broken (I) Veylis Avandaer: Father. Jaus Avandaer: Veylis? Is there something you need? Veylis Avandaer: I wish to speak to you about our undertaking. The safeguards we are building into the future. Jaus Avandaer: The paths? Veylis Avandaer: Yes. While I have been building the superstructure, I have encountered half-formed simulations. Jaus Avandaer: They trouble you. Veylis Avandaer: They trouble me. I have seen developments that disturb me and threaten the fruition of our goals. Jaus Avandaer: Hm. You are not alone in this. I. Your mother. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] have all encountered hallucinations. Undesired generations created by the system. The paths feed off the world and everything it can detect. The Chrono-Spatial array is a complex mechanism. And an intrusive one. More likely it is reading patterns from our actions and generating potential outcomes from the decisions. But that is all that they are. Probabilistic generations assembled from an accelerated reflection of our world. Veylis Avandaer: This was more. It was clear. There was a logical sequence of events. I saw an intact narrative come together. Jaus Avandaer: Was Naeko involved? Veylis Avandaer: No. He is affected thereafter in the simulations, but only as a bystander. Father, I am not using the paths to generate probabilistic outcomes for my personal relationships. Jaus Avandaer: It wouldnt be unnatural. It would beC Veylis Avandaer: Father. Jaus Avandaer: I tease no more. So. Tell me about what you saw. Veylis Avandaer: We finish the Ladder. We root the paths to it. The chronologies are locked into placeCbut there is one that all others rest upon. One that is made of material before all others. In it, you demand that all Godclads surrender their Frames back to gods. Or something like them. Castrated of desire, our new wardens mirror the minds ruling the polities, and we are made trophies instead of cattle. Nourished. Pleasured. But worthless. Powerless. Unable to grow. Jaus Avandaer: Veylis Avandaer: Father? Jaus Avandaer: And how did you uncover this sequence? Veylis Avandaer: Come. I will show you. -Conversation between Jaus and Veylis Avadaer, 4 months before the dissolution of Noloth and banishment of the Hungers 21-11 The Paths of Futures Broken (I) I must say that among all the Famines of Noloth, you are myC Zein paused and took a moment to think. Second least favorite. Just second? Chambers said, cringing at the simulated form of Peace. Every word out of this guys mouth is fuck, cunt, sow, mongrel, or some other curse or slur. Rust-licking half-strands got a mouth that belongs to the gutters. Who the hells is worse than him. Joy, Zein stated simply. I could never stand the crying. The interior of the George Washington''s command nexus was an interplay between light and dark. The walls had been made transparent, revealing the plane of darkness beyond. Coils of trailing ink and flecks of drifting hue clashed ceaselessly with neon interfaces and flickering holograms streamed from Metaminds and consoles. The cadre had spread across the room, holding each of the corners but never straying far from a mirror. They all had their eyes locked on Zein, waiting for her to uncoil into another attack. Relaxed though she seemed, an air of violence clung to the Godslayer. She facing out the window now. Staring into the black and watching the others from the window. Avo stood next to her, the ghosts manifesting Peaces projection flowing from his mind. Behind, Chambers sat atop the risen throne, a constructed map of Scale hovering above him. Kae had formed a seat from the smart-matter, and Denton was just behind her. Tavers, Draus, and Dice held to their own corner, ghosts wisping between them in private conversationCone that Avo remained apart from. More than once, Thousandhand peeked at the aged squire, as if an old killer recognizing another. But instead of respect or acknowledgment, Thousandhand merely frowned while Tavers kept her Hellgun close by. Avo used Peace as a puppet to recount his visit to the Deep Nether, elaborating on how he passed through when materializing the LGI core using Kares memories, how he evaded the Hungers and the Low Masters before ambushing them, his invasion of the city eternal, and finally meeting the Doublethinkers thereafter. Prior conversations and conflicts flowed in condensed scenes, and all came to an end when Avo lept into the Hungers upward-spilling wound. Across the entire recounting, a smug smile of satisfaction became Zein, her amusement growing greater with each offending act the ghoul performed. Ah, you''ve claimed quite the prize, Avo. Quite the prize. She tried to prod at Peace using her umbrella, but the phantoms merely parted while the Low Master snarled. +Don''t touch me, you fucking cunt. you fucking sow.+ More curses, more rage; no matter. One of my best templates, Avo agreed, speaking as if Peace wasn''t there. Much greater insight into traumas. Wards are unmatched as well. Enhanced my cadre. Avo drew from Benhata and Abrels social engineering experience to hide his obvious intent. Could help you as well. Trade favors. Zein laughed. Digging for an advantage even now? Trying to get me to betray myself. I like it, I like it a lot. Very, very, very proactive. She patted him on the arm in a rather grandmotherly fashion. The casual show of affection stood out of place from the brutality she inflicted mere hours prior. He has also revealed to you the means to create additional Anathemas, yes? Like that which you bear? +He knows nothing of the art! He is a thief! A scavenger! Fucking! Carrion!+ Peace snarled as they spoke. The two continued to ignore him while Avo twisted Peaces rage to provoke additional responses from Zein. Avo didnt answer directly. He simply clicked his fangs lightly. That will be quite useful, Zein mused. Another secret lost to Noloth. She looked around and the George Washington once more and shook her head. Their murder of Defiance will remain a folly unmatched. What treasures remain under them are slowly turning into your inheritance. He would be proud of you. He would tell me to live the life I want, Avo replied, meeting the attempt at emotional manipulation with the naked truth. Zein offered him a brief nod and continued. You entertained me. I will speak of what you wish to know. But within my parameters. Got somethin you dont want us to know about? Draus asked, her voice sliding in like a knife from the dark. Seems like you got your own plans goin. Separate from even the voiders. The Godslayers eyes twinkled. Worry not, Captain: interests are aligned. +Shit,+ Tavers chuckled bitterly, shaking her head inside her Rendskin. Her approximation of Zein fell further. +If a middler, Necro, or squire I was working with said what she just did to me, Id be wind. No questions.+ She eyed Zein Thousanhand again and found herself baffled. +Honestly, shes got more traits in common with a druggie than a warrior. You sure this is her?+ Avo fought back a scoff and cast a few memories over to her. Seconds after, Tavers opinion of Zein was subterranean. +Jaus. How the hells is she even still alive?+ The warmind that you bear? And Paladin Kitzuhadas memories. They are the reason for your banishment. Zein gestured to ScaleCthe mountain fortress that the Paladins called home, and to the supposed LGI core nested in its lower depths. You felt it when you tried to remember the LGI core. Something interacting with your Frame. Your mind. Your memories. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Didnt expect it, Avo said. As you should not have. It is not a memory that most would possess. Why, aside from we in this room and, she briefly looked at her fingers and did a mock calculation, a few hundred entrusted experts at the top of each Guild, most would know little of what keeps the Nether rooted, of what keep the nightmares at bay. The Gatekeeper, Avo said. Yes. The true substructure of Scale itself. And the epicenter of the Ladders return. That made more than a few heads turn. It is more than merely an Ark, it is more than merely a bearer of pantheons or Heavens. It is something between a mind and a god; the finest creation under Jaus. Something meant to be the perfect shepherd of humanity, one that has no desire to infringe our will, to harm us, to exploit us despite possessing all the reality-tuning miracles of a civilization. A being that interfaces with culture and society, but is not turned or drowned by the input, capable of weaving paradise for all people without being enslaved by bias or mental weakness, and addicted to tyranny. It is a self-moving mind, in a fashion. One that the Exorcists use in part to direct their Overwatching Security lobbies. One that was meant to direct the total cognitive energies of humanityCliving and deadCtoward great designs beyond all our comprehension. And one damaged by Veylis during the Second Guild War. One that is barely functioning at all. Zeins words stirred Avos accretion, and millions of templates within him began to chatter. [It almost sounds like a gestalt,] Benhata mused. Avo ignored what that could possibly mean and continued the dialogue. It''s broken? Its dismantled, Zein answered. Missing more than a few critical ontologics and Ark components. Her face turned inscrutable as she stared into the dark. I suspect my daughter was seeking to create a Heaven that could influence minds. Or to usurp the Nether altogether. Her ambitions have always been grand. So, like, is the ladder thing broken? Chambers asked, seeming confused. Listen, I''m not really versed in thaumaturgy, but it sounds like the thing that pulled Avo into the Big Nothing technically shouldnt be able to do that, or It functions yet. At least rudimentarily. Zein turned to face the half-strand in her musing. Her eyes slid over to the holographic map of Scale. You were planning an infiltration, weren''t you? Using one of the paladins. Kare Kitzuhada, Avo answered, testing the waters with the information. The Godslayers eyes widened, and her mouth became a shapely o. Truly, it seems that the girl was part of both our designs now. Kares template spiked to full alertness. [What? Avo. Ask her. Ask her what she wants to do with me.] Fear filled the Paladin, but so did curiosity. To have the eye of ZeinThousandhand, Godslayer, Champion of the Ori, a Glaive from a bleaker age was note for extreme concern. Oh. Quite simple really: I intended to engineer the circumstances leading to her death. Something to drive her uncle and clan into conflict with the DRongos and break them for good. As the Chivlarics and Meritocrats strain in Highflame, so does the Overclan groan under Ori-Thaum. Zein sighed. Its a pity. She seems like such a nice girl. Then she paused, and her frown turned joyous. Ah, but she is yours. Compromised. Yes, Avo said, drawing all that he could from his templates to read Zeins expressions. Dont need to waste her. Good asset. Good Paladin. Time shivered and coiled through Zein. For a moment, the Fisher swan within her, and he felt her reach for something unseen. Then the smile drained from her expression and disappointment returned. Ah. Such a pity. But we need something of severity. Like an exposed assassination for things to be in order. Thousandhand continued talking, regarding the Paladin as little more than a chess piece to be expended. With each word she spoke, the cold dread in Kare grew deeper. No, Avo said. No? Zein replied. Tell me what youre trying to do. Ill engineer the circumstances. Wont be that hard for me. But no. Dont get to kill whats mine. Zein threw her head back and laughed. It was the kind of noise an adult made when a child attempted to assert themselves. You are truly precious, pest. A vicious, brutal monster weaned from the flesh of man laying claim to the guardianship of a knight-maiden against a lurking crone. She exhaled, breath filled with mirth. A new myth in the making. She''s a person, Avo said. And I want to help her. Shes doing what she can to aid the city. Doing what she can to fight for the FATELESS. Because she believes in the dream. Practices her virtue. Avo leaned down, lowering himself to Zeins level until there was little space between their faces. Her faceplate grew misted with his exhalation. Believes in your Jaus. He drew on Peace again and turned the Low Master into an instrument of outrage. Leering at Zein, the Famine of Peace scoffed. Hear that, you fucking sow? The truth. The truth of your reckless hedonism. The truth of why I always despised youCsince the first day you came, blade drawn behind your lie-spitter of a lover, hand over the bastard-lump swelling to become your butcher of a daughter! This is not the dream. But what do you know of dreams? Attack dog? What do you know of dreams, you creature of base pleasure. And there it was. A twitch. A shift in her eyes. A dangerous gleam in Zeins expression. Twelve meters across the room, Draus rose, her arm shifting as the glass around them began to shimmer. She tasted the scent first. The threat of violence. The building of tension. +Hold,+ Avo said. He then played his part, hissing in outrage at the Low Masters template, creating imagined tortures and traumas, peeling the scabs from the mans body, and drowning him in Lucilles memories. It took drastically resequencing Peaces mind to make him react with pain, but the effect was more than worth it. Zeins face cooled from a thundercloud of coming rage to a cold winter breath of hatred. More, she breathed. Make him feel it more. And in that moment, Avo grasped her nature betterChow to provoke her. But also what her Heaven lacked. The Fisher That Wasnt could fling constructs across time or place Zein ahead of all others on the pace of chronology. But it hadnt detected him at first. His appearance had surprised her, just like back at the Trident, just like she didnt know the nature of his templates. Perhaps she thought they were full copies of minds. In a way they were, but their lack of will must have gone unnoticed. Regardless, this was his absolute advantage. She might have the full picture and the ability to manipulate and foresee coming events, but he could peer into minds and systems with unmatched efficiencyCand twist them to his own ends. Between them, another duel had just begun. One that Zein didnt even know about. Howling curses sputtered out of Peace, his countenance a visible canvas of agony. As his suffering continued, Zeins fingers tapped her umbrella. Dice and Draus were still, the nu-cat at their feet laying on its side, trying to understand why the people were so tense. Beside them, Tavers checked the condition of her armor and lined a Phys-Sim trajectory to Zeins head. Kaes fingers were digging into her arm and Denton turned off her holo-tie pre-emptively. The only one who remained relatively loose was Chambers, who only acknowledged the situation through Ghost-Link. +Fuck it. Im game for round two. She moves and Ill rash her. Sorry Kae.+ +No,+ the Agnos said, squeezing her arms to get her nervousness under control. +We might need that this time.+ Making Peace wail was fun for Avo as well, but he kept his eyes locked on Zein the entire time. Full minds. I dont enslave them. Hold them back from talking. Truth is usually more useful. The truth, Zein said, Peaces wailing expression splashed over her faceplate. Is that what that was supposed to be? The blessing of having over a million other minds simulated inside your consciousness ensured you had a response to almost any trap question. His truth. Tells me who he is. Shows me his weakness. The Godslayer nodded. She tapped her umbrella three more times. But would you agree? That Jaus wouldnt want this? She finally looked away from Peace and met his stare. Only knowledge of Jaus is tinted by myth. Comes through Peace. And I dont care about that. I dont care about Jaus. Im just embarrassed by you. The silent anger inside Zein broke and she did a double take. Embrassed? By your weakness, Avo elaborated. The disbelief in Zein grew. As did the incredulity among the cadre. +Avo,+ Tavers said, mind tight with anxiety. +Know what Im doing,+ Avo replied. +Probably.+ Dice said nothing. She merely picked her nu-kitten up and placed her beside the glass. The small animal mewed at her in confusion, but Draus understood. Keep the cat away from the fighting. Told you about my encounter with the Hungers, Avo continued. Memories spilled out from him, manifesting as a collage of scenes to infuse his words with emphasis. Met the Doublethinkers at the end. Begged me to free them. Found them pathetic. To fail their own power. Their own idealization. He let out a slow hiss and glared down at Zein. Expected better of you. Taunted by a Low Master. And surrendering to the future instead of shaping it. Are you an ephemeral or a Godclad. Zeins eyes were unblinking now, her thoughtstuff impossibly still. Avo kept going. I shape things with my power. Opportunities. Circumstances. Outcomes. I struggle for what I want. I engineer possibility. You have it as part of your Soul. But no. Kares death holds significance. Thats acceptance. Thats surrender. Thats human. Avo released a mocking laugh while Peace began to whimper for mercy, his mind so different he was another person. But maybe I dont understand. Maybe Im just ignorant. Said you were going to tell me about the paths. The future. How Im too loud. Well. Suppose this is a good point to start then: why must you sacrifice the Paladin? But Zein didnt speak. Instead, her fingers tightened around her parasol. 21-12 The Paths of Futures Broken (II) Fate is a fickle thing. Even in years of yore, the gods of destiny and the weavers of preordination were not omnipotent. Such is the great weakness of all Heavens, after all, for the conceptualization of all-knowingness remains beyond even the genius of the minds. And no god has ever managed to reach such heights, though their ambitions drive them to seek it. Despite this, limited hyper-awareness is possible, and the secret to manufacturing prophecy is quite simple, in fact. Maintenance. The ultimate insurance towards seeing your desired outcome made manifest is maintenance. Conceptualize the future. Create a subreality mirroring the world that is and allow it to progress with assumed variables. Designate essential characters, events, objects, locations to form your miracles around. Then, use time itself as a buffer against any intruding elements. Often, when something happens makes all the difference between what follows, and a threat displaced often is a threat neutralized. Indeed, when built correctly, this does not even produce much entropy. Take the Augurshields afforded to the FATED, for instance. A slight imbuement of probability to ensure all the safety they need, protecting them from ill fortune and or stray bullets. The difficulty of creating such a Heaven, however, loops back to matters of complexity, and informational deficiency. For even the supposed gods of foreknowledge could not predict the Godsfall. For what did they know of Jaus? For how could they have noticed his machinations with their sacrifices already tainted with Ignorance? Hence, when building a Heaven of Destiny, you must not be confused. You are not creating an omnipotent system. That is the illusion at play. Something beyond the demands of mortal ken. But what you must demonstrate is nonetheless difficult, for are tasked with the functional manifestation of a dynamic subreality capable of detecting, intercepting, and removing variables you deem intrusive. The passing qualification is simple: you each will select a specific tree from an enclosed biome, and at years endCor when you believe your design is readyCwe will release swarms of gnarlflies infested with barkrot into the ecosystem. Ensure the survival of your tree. You will be getting a list of pairable Domains. This Heaven may not exceed the demands of a Second Sphere Liminal Frame. This Heaven may not be paired with another Heaven. This Heaven may not interface with outside technologies or machinery beyond the enclosed biomes. You will each be given a stipend of a million sacrifices, and should the need arise, you may officially request more. Oh, and a contract of their choosing to any of you that successfully completes the project faster than the current record holder: [2 WEEKS, 1 DAY, 14 HOURS, and 35 SECONDS - KAE KUSANADE (FIFTH KNOWING)] Good luck. -Agnos Yue Reason-Bearer to her novitiates 21-12 The Paths of Futures Broken (II) Would you, Zein said, her words colder than the kiss of a blade, like to learn about the Paths? I believe that was something you desired to learn about. The miracles of her Heaven poured forth from her ontology, building as a golden pool around her being. A weave of rippling chronology slowly encroached, filling the command nexus, and with every inch did tension rise. Now, more than ever before, Avo felt the threat that Zein posedChow much harm she could inflict in a heartbeat. He danced on the edge of manipulation and provocation. Draus cast him a thought and her words echoed across to the cadre. +Careful. Im ready for this, but Kae and Tavers need out if were about to find out whos gonna light the wick. Passages are ready. Be sure about your words.+ Avo grunted. He stood on treacherous terrain, but he needed an edge. Playing passive meant surrendering KareCand all self-determinationCto Zein. His understanding of her deeper nature remained blurred, but it was becoming increasingly clear that unless one posed a requisite martial or metaphysical threat to Zein, she would regard them as more playthings than people. This was a dangerous game he played, but passivity would betray his own actualizationCand what he wanted for the city. Besides, it was Zeins nature to battle. Learning how to direct her focus would be invaluable for the future. Yes, Avo finally replied. Going to show me now? Use it to explain why you have to kill my Paladin. Inside his mind, Kare shivered, uncertain how to feel about the ghouls possessiveness, terrified of what the Godslayer intended. Among other things. Zeins face took on a curious quality, rage flattening to something inquisitive. Seeking. Your Paladin. Truly, you are Walton''s child. All he could infiltrate, he thought to be his, caring nothing for someone else''s opinion. Or will. She chuckled. A commendable belief. And true. She released her umbrella, and it fell from existence, vanishing in departing threads. Lifting her now-emptied hand, she extended it in greeting, expecting him to grasp it. His claws were large enough to wrap around her forearm twice over, but still, he committed to the awkward action, thinking himself prepared for whatever may follow. As his splinters were scattered across the face of Idheim and his original body in the enclave, the only ones truly at risk of cessation were his cadre, but with how Zeins eyes were locked solely on him, he doubted she would strike at any of them as a means of retribution. It ultimately didnt fit her behavior. She was a duelist before a Godclad, and she met her challengers thusly. Nervousness and tension exploded through his templates. Entire portions of his mind rose in parliamentary whole, some begging him to refrain and to stand back, others merely quiet, awaiting what happened next. Avo himself knew the potential risks. Hers was the future unfettered, and she could do any number of things that he wasn''t prepared for. But he too was a Godclad, and where she held time as a blade, he was a predator apart from all others in the fathomless ocean of cognition. Their arms met and their ontologies rang like clashing blades, made symmetrical by infusion of chronology. The weave of coalescing time tightened around all those present. A lurch passed through their beings as Avo felt interference crackle through his mind as time dilated unnaturally. Existence transformed. The world was as it was, but there were threads of resplendence that ran between the seams, stitched into the tapestry of realityCpulling and twitching in places. The blood within Avo shivered as he used the Woundmother to sense the material composition of the room. Master there is something else in the patterns. Like something is actively supporting it. The Fardrifter felt it too. As did the Techplaguer. Time was a foundational Domain. The future was always coming, and nothing was exempt from its presence. Matter could be destroyed. Energy could be expended. Ghosts could fragment into specks of madness. But time? Time always continued. [Or does it,] Lip asked, dread tinging her thoughts. [Shes gotta vent sometime, right? What the hell does that look like?] Avo didnt know exactly, but he had his suspicions. {Yes,} Calvino said, confirming his thoughts. {She can do that. She can cast you backward. Or hold you in place. Of course, you know theres nothing there but oblivion, but thats the efficient part. No evidence. And its hard to recall someone partially eradicated from time itself.} You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. It was a disquieting realization, learning that Zein could have eradicated him and his entire cadre in an instant. They had all come far, forcing her into a prolonged battle, even. But they needed countermeasures. Something to deploy in case she wielded the worst of her abilities against them. And then came the intrusive thought: a memory of how to nurture dragons into existence. With the Domain of Chronology fused to his very Soul, he might be able to twist the fabric of time and affect the dragonsCextract aspects of their ontology before implanting the harvested materials in communities. Engineer major cultural or societal events to cause more dragons to sprout forth. Somehow, he knew how to culture dragons, and with these means, he could create new cyclersCor potentially even a tunnel toward the future should he face Zein in earnest. But these were nebulous thoughts, his knowledge coming through a haze, its source unquestioned. A gesture from Zein broke him from his considerations and called his attention back to her. We stand now in a simulation, a place formed by my Heaven, using the world around us as a templateCa canvas. Just this little chamber and all the things and people in it, we have created a root: a point from which new events will transpire. And from here, we can discover almost any outcome should we have the proper information. Without warning, existence divided in two. Avos perception blurred as he found himself staring down at Zein from two pairs of eyes, receiving sensory input from two different sheaths. Both moments continued, but in one her hand shot out. Such was the last thing he saw before that version of himself died. The stream in which he still lived clipped over the one where Zein had killed him. Across his splinters, other memories leaked overCrecollections from each member of his cadre. Dice and Draus attacked immediately, supported by a stream of Rend from Tavers. A whirlpool of penises and raging water came from Kae and Chambers next. Denton, ever the pragmatist and most familiar with Zein, simply turned the smart matter hull separating the nexus from the darkness beyond into gold bars, allowing the starving shadows to invade. In retrospect, instead of living two lives at once, it was more like to concurrent recollections stacked right over each other. Either way, it was more than a little overwhelming. Hells, Draus said, shaking off her disorientation. Errors populated her cog-feed. What was that? Felt like part of me got pulled out and slotted by in. Zein smiled coldly. Its just a possibility. Of what could be. Should I choose it to be so. The lives you just lived in parallel were not your own. Rather, they are echoesCconstructs molded from what I know of your behavior and capabilities. They are more like puppets or programs if you will. Calvino expanded a pop-up window to indicate what a program was and Avo hummed. But only draws from what youve observed. Your understanding of the world. Silence. The crone regarded him as a nu-cat would a fleeing aratnid. What master would give away all their secrets so easily? This is what you used to decide Kare Kitzuhada had to die? Avo asked, pulling them back into dangerous waters. The simulations I ran for her are larger and more expansive. Time streamed forth from Zein and the command nexus around them peeled away, the waters of time bringing them to the interior of Scale. A clash of sound and violence prevailed. Thunderous clashes between warring Godclads of every Guild and the Paladins themselves raged across the vastness of the courtroom. Reality wailedCand tore. Entropy spilled from metaphysical ruptures as Rendbombs were detonated, destabilizing existence itself. A haze layered the chaos, a fog of war that left the details unclear but the battles undeniable. At the heart of the chamber were three bodies. The first was Elder DRongoCa member of Ori-Thaums inner and outer councils, and first representative of her clan. She lay in strips of mangled flesh, her body brutalized by gunfire, blood pooling in her plasteel holding cell anchored to a podium. Across from her was Abrel Greatling, dead from a miracle, but resurrecting. Outside her cage, however, Kare Kitzuhada had taken fatal damage on her behalfCa point-blank detonation of several Rendbombs built specifically to overload each of Abrels cyclers. Something later revealed to be delivered by Ori-Thaum assets from an unknown source. Everyone was back in the command nexus again, the transition more jarring than even the last. There was no prelude to their restoration. No progression or pause. It was just like a vicarity running its course, returning a mind back to the palace. [The fuck] Abrel breathed. [What was that?] Kare muttered, mind whirling at the mess of memories she was just faced with. There were things she sawC the entire cadre sawCthat they understood, but also information that was just known. Like a retrospective update. +I hate it when she does that shit,+ Draus growled, thinking back to how Zein just threaded information from the paths into them before their attempt on Mirrorheads life. Is this supposed to be what happens? Avo asked. It is an unfinished scene. One Im currently scripting. And she said no more. Avo prodded further. Why? Why does this moment need to happen? To provoke something between the GuildsCa temporary accord and a mutual cleansing. As Highflame has Chivalrics to purge, so too does the Overclan of the Ori have corruption it must uncover. Think of it. Think of the moment. The resonance. A daughter of the Ori-turned-Paladin giving her life for a prisonerCa disgraced Highflame Instrument. Her father and uncle will be distraught of course. But pliable towards new persuasions. Avo considered the scene she was painting, and his templates filled in the details. Most were confused, but between Banhata, Abrel, and Elegant-Moon, a potential picture came together. This was about politicsCmost likely meant to provoke a moment of uneasy peace. Kare Kitzuhada just proved to be the most effective sacrifice on the altar. Her worth came in three parts: she was a Paladin; she was of a major Ori clan; and she was related to Shotin Kazahara. For the first, it would spark her comrades back to war footing. Scale would likely be locked down, the other Godclads banished and viewed as outright adversaries. [Making sure that no one can get close to the Gatekeeper,] Benhata theorized. Then, the Ori themselves would have shame to match Highflame. With the spearheads of each major alliance undone so publicly, there were good odds of a restructuring happening. A removal of problematic elements. The ones replacing them thereafter would likely be more to Zeins liking. Especially if she wanted to engineer a prolonged period of disorganized peace. If Avo had to guess, this was a delaying strategy to get more of her schemes in place and ensure some kind of advantage when the Ladder returned. Finally, there was Shotin Kazahara. His rage and retribution would be certain in the aftermath, but even Kare wasnt sure why Zein wanted to use him in such a manner. Planeshift was a volatile enough character on his own. Perhaps the death of his niece would make him reckless and willing toC [Vulnerable,] Elegant-Moon whispered, her mind glittering with fascination. [She wants him to make choices so severe he would otherwise never commit to them. She plans to disfigure his heart and replace its driving motion with her hand. Maybe she wishes to recruit him. Him and the Ambassador.] On the throne, Chambers eyes swung from place to place. Im completely fucking lost again. Whys the druggie wanna kill the glasser again? Peace, Avo answered, testing the waters. The thinning of Zeins lips told him he was right. He fed his conclusions to his cadre through his Splinters and made a show of addressing them directly. This is supposed to be an engineered moment of armistice. Disarray will grip both Guilds. Very similar kinds of disarray. Old factions will be replaced. And the sacrifice of an Ori to protect a Gold will strike at the heart of the conflict. It will shame the Guilds in a way they couldnt ignore. Just as he had struck at Zein with words she couldnt turn aside from. There was meant to be a way to things. A foundational concept. To say that she was a coward and bending before the world was to claim all she was but a lie. The same thing applied to the Guilds. Saintists and Massist were supposed to be at war. The war of all wars. Eternity was at stake. Utopia. But being forced to see the narrative break within the halls of Scale? For who was friend and foe to be so muddled from the act committed? That struck at a civilizations heart. But there was just one thing Avo had to say about that: I can make this worse. I can make your plan better. And we dont need to waste an asset. Oh? Zein asked, surfacing from ire to curiosity once more. And what can you add that I have not already accounted for? Arrogance. Arrogance and self-assuredness. For all Zeins skills, she was really too stubborn. Ever the warrior, she treated her sandbox as a mechanism to deliver her outcomes and situations in the most direct ways possible: shock and blood. Avo had nothing against violence, but the craft that defined himCthat was his fathers legacy was one of subtle betrayals. Youre looking only ahead. Just the future. You forget about history. History? Zein asked. Finally, Avo turned to Kae and let his excitement run over to her. The Agnos was confused for a heartbeat, but when the rest of his thoughts arrived, her eyes widened, and she understood what he intended. There is a unique opportunity before us, Avo elaborated. One that can achieve the false-peace you want. And more. One that allows her revenge to be sated. And her name to be made just again in society. A beat passed. Threads of gold drew taut around Zein as her brows furrowed. Then she saw. Then she remembered. Ah. The Trident. The information you stole that day. Yes, Avo said. There are Paladin killers still unpunished. DRongos soldiers. Know where they are. Can access the sleeper identities theyre hiding under. Track them. Take them. Use them. It will all make for a better design. A more calculated approach. As he finished speaking, Zein mulled on his words, let out a small breath, and nodded. No. The future washed over them again. 21-13 The Disagreement Veylis Avandaer: Why? Jaus Avandaer: Veylis, listenC Veylis Avandaer: No. Do not use your rhetoric on me. I am your daughter, not your enemy. Tell me why. Only why. Tell me why you see to cast us back in chains. Jaus Avandaer: That is not what I''m doing. You know this. You can see that? Veylis Avandaer: Can I? Father, you are rebuilding a god! A god of such sophistication. A god with past pantheons imbued. That Gatekeeper is the very thing we all sacrificed so much to destroy. Eons. Eons lost. Trillions upon trillions of lives delivered unto them, their hunger unslaked. Geniuses, icons, visionaries, heroes, and champions all rendered little more than sacrifices. For nothing. I showed you what I witnessed in the paths. I have shown you what Ive seenCthe unspeakable calamities that will follow. And still. And still, you choose this? Jaus Avandaer: Veylis, please. It is good that you have shownC Veylis Avandaer: Enough. I am not mother. You cannot turn me from sense with whispered words of passion and nothingness, a calculated hand on my shoulder! We have seen the horror. You and I. We have seen it. So why do you choose blindness? Why do you choose to ignore the ruination that this will bring? Jaus Avandaer: It is only a possibilityC Veylis Avandaer: One that manifests time and time and time again. Jaus Avandaer: My duty to our futureCto existence itself is too great. Greater than even your fears, Veylis. I trust you. But you have seen the other roads as well. We are trapped. If the power of gods rests in the hands of humanity, then we will fall to chaos. We will fall. War between the cultures is inevitable. And the Ladder offers to much. Too much for man to resist. We need to be controlled. Veylis Avandaer: Of that, I think we are agreed. But not by a thing. By ourselves. By each individual triumphing over their own follies and weaknesses. Foundationally, then mentally, and finally spiritually. Our forefathers were debased because they fell to their animal natures. But you can show the rest what it means to be worthy. Letting a god cradle us as pathetic whimpering infants is foolishness, father. Hubris. To see you succumb to stubbornness and delusion is Jaus Avandaer: To let things stay as is ensures we stand apart. Ensures that the cultures remain broken and that the tyranny within ourselves will triumph. How can we talk about being worthy when we are failable? When the lure to make the world perfect for usCand only usCcan be materialized. At the cost of everyone else. Veylis Avandaer: But our natures can be overcome. Triumphed against. We can resist. We can triumph. And when we reach the precipice of self-mastery, we can reach down and pull the rest up with us. But If we give away our Heavens, if we surrender our FramesC Jaus Avandaer: Then we spare ourselves the risk of succumbing to our very naturesC Veylis Avandaer: Father, you are being irrational. Driven by fear. The Hungers attempt on your life has shaken you from the rightful path. Jaus Avandaer: Its not just them. The others. They cannot endure this. Veylis Avandaer: I can resolve them. If that is what you wish. Jaus Avandaer: No! No. I do not I am twisted by the fact that if I do not control my fellow humans, we will turn on each other when the Ladder is formed. As if apes! Dogs! Upon each other! What worth is all my worthless prattle when power provides such pleasure? When power makes whores of men and woman alike! Betraying the promise! Betraying the dream! Veylis Avandaer: They can be corrected. Order can be enforced. Jaus Avandaer: Your solution, then, is tyranny to ward off tyranny? Veylis Avandaer: No. I am not a tyrant. I am not afraid of the rabble, of the unworthy. But we are the masters. And they, the fools. I love you father, but I see the difference in us now. I always thought us most similar, but today, mothers teachings have shown me things you refuse to face. The gods cannot save us. The minds broke existence. They were the reason for this fault; they could not even save themselves. And [REDACTED] still seeks them for a reckoning. No. There is only one end to this. One way a modicum of utopia can be realized, and that is if all people rise beyond the limits of their potential and claim self-mastery. Divinity is a thing that should be achieved. This I learned from you. From mother. From those who walked with us on this path. From the masters of the void. We claimed power, and then we understood it and refused its addictions. But giving it back we will not have a chance to ever decide our own will again. Jaus Avandaer: Veylis. You ask too much of people. You ask too much of me. Veylis Avandaer: No. I ask of them what I have asked myself. And it is as you once told me when I was but a child: how do you kill the fears of one who has known only shadows? Jaus Avandaer: Veylis Avandaer: You drown them in the light. Jaus Avandaer: Veylis. We have seen the light. And despite my fondest hopes, we remain ugly. -Fight between Veylis and Jaus Avandaer, overheard by mother and bondsmate, Zein Thousandhand 21-13 The Disagreement No? Avo asked. No, Zein repeated, sounding almost regretful this time. Her ontology quivered as if a nest of accelerating strings, and he surmised she was peering into manifested futures. You have capabilities. That is true. That is true. With each word, her tone grew tighter. More mournful. With each second I see you clearer. With each exchange. I see you. I see you. I see you. She returned to silence, her eyes glaring into his. Her anger was still there, but it was like a sizzling ember slowly dying out. In its place, however, was something else: reluctance, wariness, weariness. Perhaps the girl can be allowed to live, but Her ontology came alive as if it were a nest of surging strings, time accelerating around her, reshaping their surrounding stimulation. Flashing scenes and flickering sensations flooded in from a thousand channels. They stood at an intersection of paths now, speeding from one place to another, passing through soldiers fighting each other in alleyways, fire licking out from corners as fusion burners sang. They speed through fusion bombs pounding through armored megablocks and golems rising from the rubble, fighting in defiance of the devastation. They passed through districts burning and Sovereignties breaking. They speed toward the Tiers ablaze, and the mountain fortress of ScaleCtypically unseen and absentCnow stood a cracking egg. From it emerged a segmented spire, the tapestry of reality sinking into it as if water down a whirlpool. A metaphysical presence extended its wings around the structure, its presence felt, yet veiled. To it flowed every remaining path, every possible sequence of events. One inexorable conclusion. Around them, reality tightenedCand then lurched. It was as if someone had seized everything, clenched all of existence like it was a curtain, and torn it from its rails. The Sunderwilds werent. The sky wasnt. The world turned to splatters and smears, fluid icons and symbologies bleeding into one another as the Voidstar devoured day for one final time. An ineffable color leaked down from the place that was space. Between the vast nothingness, Avo could feel themCthe fleets of the voiders holding tight in protective pockets. His Frame wailed. So did those belonging to his cadre. The color. The color. The color. It crept. So close to purple. But not quite. As the tip of the spire pressed through the softness of the star, the light of night was pierced like a needle, and all the Heavens, all the paths, all that was known and of Idheim was injected into the wound of dusk, filling it with a building taint. What the fuck, Chambers gasped, summarizing their situation. They stood scattered amidst streams of incoherence, the fabric of reality parting around them like torrents of madness. There were isles where fragments still remained. A drifting platform. A tumbling room. A burning heavy war drone. In time, they would dissolve as well. Avo pulsed his Skimmer. His perception of reality clawed at his consciousness, the collapse inimical to his mind. His Conundrum flared, traumas firing to counter the damage. COG-CAP: 77% Hard to conceptualize how something could damage something like him, but then again, how was one to perceive raw chaos? Then, he felt it. The Hell to his Woundshaper rattled, a resonance passing through its structure as walls of entropic wind began to rise, spilling upward from the Maw unburdened. It too was anchored. Bound to the Ladder. As threads of existence were uploaded, so too were other strands cast downCa counterweight to feed the dark. Concepts, histories, forces, thoughts, beliefs, and more unwanted. Cast away. Never to return. The Maw drank everything in with greed and rumbled, its presence a metaphysical scar building to a final vent. Motes crawled out. But they were eating away at foundational concepts as well. More than just matter, everything could be lost. Everything that the Ladder deemed unnecessary. Oh, gods, Kae said, her mind reeling in horror at the implications. At what harm the edifice could inflict. At what it could remove. As reality crumbled to feed a new rebirthing, Zein stood beneath the Flayed Ladder and the dawn impaled, the light embracing her in a withering glow. And as she shifted, the light twisted away from her and the true face of the Ladder was given to Avo. The dead skin of existence unmade molted from its core, and what sprang free of the cocoon was an affront to the senses, an affront to the mind, an affront to even the Heavens. Within himself, Avo heard the Woundmother scream, begging him to turn from the sight. The Fardrifter trashed, a human-like horror consuming it, desperate to run, locked in place. The Techplaguers plea was more muted. Just a single line of code requesting Avo to ungraft it. Return it to nothingness once more. The Ladder was a beautiful atrocity. The most beautiful he had ever seen. Its exterior was a cake of flesh, countless small bodies spinally fused into the walls, their skin stripped, their eyes gouged, their minds round with sparking halos as they cheered, wept, and howled prayers for what was to come. They were as if insects melted into the cells of a hive, and with each segment, the spire thinned. There were ten sections composing its full ontology. Ten, with nine matched to each step of apotheosis, each Sphere upward. Something rumbled beneath it, and heard it thenCthe voice of the Hungers thundering, calling to be spared. The Nether was consumed. The essence of mind was infused into the spire as well, and the stygian valleys of the Maw slithered into motion, becoming tendrils of disintegration bound to living matter. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The Voidstar fissured. Then cracked. It parted into ten layers. Ten rings. Ten halos that swept and exploded across existence, further and further, asCin the unmeasured distanceCnew constellations loaded in place. Not unlike a sequence. The similarity was too extreme to be ignored. Is this end? Avo asked. No, Zein said. She flicked her hand and drew something into existence. A pipe of hiflass. Pushing it through the fizzling screen of her faceplate, the Godslayer took in a calming hit and her accretion slowed. It is more a new beginning. A resurrection of what will come. Further still did the breaking halo spawned from a star divide. More and more of existence was restructured. Consumed. Feeding the Ladder. Zein released a shaky breath, and Avo felt the uncertainty in her posture. The trauma. Old wounds. I need Naeko to delay Veylis, Zein said, speaking plainly. I need him to be at my disposal, and there are scant few paths in which that occurs. She spoke without facing him, looking at the smoke rising from her pipe even with the absence of airCin function and concept. The death I have planned for her creates a cascade I can ride. Avo understood and found himself emboldened. Affecting things at this scope will just take me a bit more time. If IC That is part of the problem, Zein interrupted, voice quiet. You. You can potentially engineer something like this. But. And there was a but. [Avo,] Abrel whispered her nerves tight with tension. [You need to speak very, very carefully now. But you also need to start making a plan to get you and your cadre the fuck out.] Strangely, it was Osjon who understood Zeins expression. Osjon, failure of a Godclad. Fallwalker. Murder of his own brother. [Oh, fuck. ICI think you went too far. I think I think shesC] I looked again, Zein said. She spoke, slow and measured. Her thoughtstuff trembled as her accretion churned. She was here and somewhere else. Peering into the paths while she spoke to him. I looked at the possibilities to come. I started looking when you played that puppet show. Using Peace to provoke me. She inhaled. I was made for a moment. Impressed after. But I looked. When you stated your plan to claim more mindsCto enthrall more of this city, I looked. Denton stepped forth, and Avo read naked fear in her eyes for the first time. Operative Thousandhand, I must remind you thatC Speak another word and I cut you down, Zein replied, her eyes never turning from Avo, her voice without any particular heat. It was a simple statement. Like mentioning the weather, but still, Denton obeyed. +Just tell me when,+ Chambers cast, trying to keep his breathing under control. +Just tell me when and Ill get my dick out.+ +Got a few shards,+ Draus said, her focus thinned to a razors edge, completely locked in on Zein. Her weaponized arm twitched. +Should still be able to open us a way out after.+ Do you know what I saw? Zein asked. Avo had a guess. Its me? My Frame? She gave a low chuckle. That is half the issue. The problem is you still have it. You still have it, and I I didnt take you seriously. I saw you as plaything. An amusement. A plaything. But more and more, your mind spreads. Across all the paths. Across the city. Like a plague. I do not know if your developments are a thing of happenstance or if they were prepared by your creator in advance. But I see my mistake now. I see it. Not planning on betraying you, Avo said, speaking honestly. Betrayal? That is the wrong word, pest. Wrong word. You couldnt betray me before as you were because you were limited. Ignorant. Weak. Controllable. I intended to stay far from where you were to avoid luring Veylis back to you. To misdirect her across the city. The development of your Conflagration was a surprise. But still, I thought you a greater asset then. Something more formidable. Needing less care to survive on your own. But you have shown me my mistake. You have shown me the truth of your ambition. So, what, Chambers said, sounding entirely befuddled. YouCyou cant put up with him because you cant casually kill him anymore. Zein eyed the former enforcer. No. The difficulty of slaying him is one of his more charming traits. It is the threat he poses to the final design that I cannot abide. {Avo. Dont say anything. Let me talk to her.} Calvinos tone was devoid of its usual character. Even the mind could feel the edge they were dancing on. Avo heeded the AGI''s words and manifested him through phantoms. Thousandhand''s posture did not relax, though nor did she respond immediately. +Operative Thousandhand,+ Calvino greeted her. Zein snorted. Speak no more, machine. We have had this conversation many times. She paused. I have, anyway. The bargain between us still stands. Your subjects will be preserved. Your civilizations will be protected. But. She pointed at Avo. He cannot spread himself any further. You know the threat he poses. +I know how he is,+ Calvino replied, sounding tired. +Thousandhand, Im not sure what brought this on, but must remind you that you are not exactly a stable asset yourself. Avo is working on himself. He still tortures sometimes. He has a strange notion of nobility and righteousness. He kills. A lot. But he is for the city. For change and growth. Think of that. A monster trying to be a paragon.+ And the old Godclads face fell. She looked almost apologetic. I know. This is not a thing of judgment. This is a thing ofC Control, Avo said. He dissolved his building agitation with a thought. You followed us here to see if you could find my other sheaths. It was just a guess, but a look from her confirmed things. You hide yourself well. Too well. When I fought you, there was a thrill to enjoy. You were a foe I couldnt break. Then, she repeated the statement again. You were a foe I couldnt break. And you are changing. More and more. By the day. Even time clings to you now. You have entered the final struggle despite being only half-aware of the great game. Its not even about Kare anymore, Avo said. Her death is just an outcome. One you can inflict and wield to maximum effect. A delicate wound. Indeed, Zein said, denying nothing. But she will be returned after the final victory. Her life restored and made better. Or so you say, Avo said, keeping the building hiss out of his voice. The old woman crowed with a humorless laugh. Kares template shivered inside of him. [What do we do? I can help! You can send me your memories. I will go get the Chief Paladin andC] +No. Not yet.+ But Avo prepared to broadcast these current memories into Kares actual self if Zein did anything. He didnt know the full limits of Zeins Heaven, but ignorance was certainly one. She wouldnt see Naeko coming. But pulling a power of that calibur into the George Washington likely meant dooming the rest of his cadre. Not something he could permit. [Avo,] Kare said, trying to control her mounting terror. [Im afraid. I dont want to die. Im dont want to die.] +I know,+ Avo said. +Wont let her just have you. Not my dream.+ Do you know what Ninth Column is in its finality? Zein asked. It is an initiate. To preserve the legacy of my love. To see the world he dreamed materialized and all cultures preserved. But disarmed. We will live under our own minds. Perfected beings of higher intellect and discipline, shepherding us away from our follies. And you believe this? Avo asked. I have not known Jaus to ever be wrong? Zein said. Never took you for one to surrender your blade, Avo replied. Ah. But the Heaven is not a blade. To have a Heaven is to wield power beyond power. And Im drunk. Im an addict. You have seen me. She took in a short breath. I am a terrible person to be granted such power. If there is a fight to be had, perhaps. If there is a tyrant to topple or a rival to slay. But my heart cares little for the nursing of my lessers. So long as I have something to duel, my family returned, and a substance to whittle my whirring mind, I will be pleased. But not you. Her eyes became as if daggers. Not you. She swept the cadre briefly and flexed her fingers. Dice took a step forward, but Draus caught her by the shoulder. +Just think it,+ Draus said. That was all she needed from Avo to open fire, to start the fight against Zein in earnest. One no other than he would likely survive. I have seen many colors, Avo said, finally dispelling Peace utterly. The schemes he was trying to play withered inside him. He was in uncharted territory now. With each passing second, he felt more and more ontological mass building within Zein, as if she was retracting her focus, abandoning echoes to move only as herself. Changed me. Made me want new things. For myself. For myC he looked at the others. Consangs. For the world. And youre going to ask me to shackle myself to you. Tell me I cannot spread where you dont want me to. Or maybe even ask me to surrender my Frame. A request is given to a superior. A negotiation begins with an equal. A demand is delivered to a lesser. Zein let silence punctuate each of her sentences. But you are different. You cannot match me, but ICthough I have manifested path after pathCcannot seem to kill all of you. Not enough to stop the spread. Draus scoffed. Fuckin glassjaw. Stillness defined Thousandhand. Then she glared at the Regular from the corner of her eye. Draus remained unshaken. I mean it. I know, Zein said. But you are mistaken. It is not competition I cannot suffer, but what he takes. And what he might inflict on us ifC If I win, Avo said. He looked beyond Zein and at the tower itself. He imagined himself ascending it. Claiming it. Consuming it. And then And then what? If he could do anything, what? There was so much to try. So much to learn. For him. For everyone else. To live every life possible. And suffer every consequence imaginable. What kind of people would emerge from absolute freedom balanced by absolute karma? And spared of death, no less. There, Zein said, catching him in the moment. That is what I cannot abide. I had hoped you limited. Obedient. Or perhaps dull enough to heed my orders. But I looked further beyond the point you proposed. The point where you turn the trial into your personal stageplay. Never mind the Heaven of Truths gazeCyou will just rewrite everyones memories in advance. Twist them to be yours in permanence. As you already have too many. As you will somehow do to Naeko unless I stop you. It was pleasing to his ego to know that he inspired such primal fear in a being like Zein Thousandhand. However, inspiring such fear was how he found himself entrapped. [Godsdammit, Avo,] Kassamon said. [Couldnt you have been less gluttonous? And bragged less to the time-jumping psychopath.] There were nine of us in the beginning, Zein said, topic turning without warning. Nine of us when our crusade against our gods properly began. Jaus. I. Your father. Infacer, the broken mind we uncovered beneath the waves. Veylis, born here, born in Noloth. Six others. Six others, and I cannot recall them. Only shadows. Do you know why? Somehow, the answer was there, told to Avo by the Maw. They dont exist anymore. Speaking the words formed a slab of ice in his gut. They were removed. A huff of affirmation came from the Godslayer. Despite my efforts, they had to be unmade. She closed her eyes and sadness passed through her, spilled from her accretion. They deserved better. We knew they were going toCthey would take to use the Ladder for themselves. The paths warned usCit was hard to resist, I understand. But we couldnt allow it. And so we had to make sure. Make sure of what? Kae said, voice almost too quiet. The LadderCall the patterns. It could it could theoretically create anything. It is past the Ninth Sphere. Past the high conceptual! Into theoretical omnipotenceC No, Zein said, tapping her armored sternum. No. It can do whatever it is willed to do. But wills clash. Desires clash. Beliefs clash. And you know this better than I, Agnos. But what happens when two conflicting absolutes are made manifest? The Agnos bit her lip and hesitated before answering. Paradox. Paradox, Zein concurred. Paradox. But imagine that for time. Imagine a clash between paths already laid. Avo froze. The Ladder. It was used once already. The paths youre talking about arent just those generated from your Heaven. There are events already laid in advance. Temporal architecture leading to the end. And your presence is breaking them. More and more. And Avo understood. When she spoke of him being loud, it wasnt just from the use of his Heavens or the spread of his mind, but the changes he was making to structures already in place. He was as if a fire spreading down the threads of a spiderweb. I cannot threaten you with death or pain. I cannot risk losing you to Veylis. I cannot allow your unfettered spread. There is too much at risk, andClovely monster that you areCI just dont trust your nature. She shrugged apologetically. Call it prejudice. Call it old grievances, but you are the Strixs inheritor through and through, and he has already insulted me onceCwith you. Zein stopped. She speared a finger at Calvino. You. Did you tell him why the Tenth Sphere isnt possible? In the same instant, Kaes eyes swept over to the EGI as well. The mind remained silent. Calvino, Avo asked. +It cements itself.+ The mind replied. What? Chambers muttered. +The Souls inside you. They snap back into place. Theres enough sustained death inside your Heavens that they can affect existence irreversibly. And they bridge your Soul back to where it was meant to be.+ Chambers still looked lost. Most of the cadre did. But not Denton. Not Zein. And not Avo. The core of the galaxy, Avo said. The center of the world that was. Every Tenth Sphere is a restoration. +Yes. But just the Soul. Just the Soul and nothing else. Not even the Heaven, once its done bridging.+ And so no changes are made. The mind simply dissolves. The reality functionally usurps the Godclad past a certain point. But the tenth section of the Ladder remained. But there was something else. What if someone wasnt just their own mind? What if someone was coded into their Soul? Avo looked at his hands and understood. Understood for the first time the significance of his Frame. But the Imitators, Kae said, eyes widening in realization. But but they havent emerged in us. Even after days and weeks. Which means I am my Soul? Avo asked. More so than the rest of us. But perhaps the better way to look at you is as an infection vector for existence itself. Even existence to come. Zein faced the Ladder again and sighed. I suspect Veylis wanted a means to subsume the LadderCor obsolete it. Make it so she had another chance at victory, even if someone claimed the Ladder before her. 21-14 The Disagreement (II) And Veylis, remember this always: if something can be taken from you, it was never truly yours. -Zein Thousandhand 21-14 The Disagreement (II) They stood as pillars amidst the chaos, the misted torrents that once made up totality grasping vainly at their forms. The patterns of reality coursed up into the Ladder and broke in two directions. One to make the ascent. The other to feed a balance. Suspense choked the air. Draus mind was narrowing to a spears tip, humanity shed to let the weapon take hold. Dice was as if a dog next to her, internal machinery building to a resonant growl. Tavers was missing. An echo of a message played across through the cadres minds. +Incog.+ Three meters away and flanking both Avo and Zein, a glint of simmering flame built at the center of Chambers irises while Kae stole moisture from the air. She doesnt remember Tavers. They were gliding down the blades edge now. Something was coming. A blow soon to fall. Denton was openly glaring at Zein now. No more diplomacy. No more attempts to hide her displeasure at how things were developing. This is not how things are meant to be done. And how are they meant to be done, agent? What is our purpose here but to win. Zein cocked her head, awaiting an explanation. The spy remained undeterred. I am trying to secure means of survival for the people of the polities and reduce further bloodshed on Idheim. What are you doing, Thousandhand? Asserting control over a variable I let slip too long, Zein said, her tone neutral, attention fixed on Avo. Between Godslayer and ghoul was but a single step of separation, but though Zeins gaze was on him, Avo looked up again, studying the sphere-pierced sun parting into metaphysical tides. A new existence was being rebuilt from a final apocalypse. By symbology, it seemed more like a resurrection of reality rather than a rebuilding. Perhaps the Flayed Ladder was not unlike a Liminal Frame, but its core included everything instead of a single little ego. The fact that his FrameCthe StillbornCcould invade the same heights and spread him as a contagion of change in a realm above without costing him his sense of self made more than a few things clear. More importantly, however, the understanding delighted him. He relished in understanding the threat he posed, the gift he possessed, and angled his head down to face Zein once more, now more aware than ever why she feared him. Never told me, Avo said, his words directed toward several figures. Denton likely knew. Calvino certainly. Zein obviously. Each of them had the means to keep their thoughts hidden from him, and they played their games of obfuscation well. But he wasnt offended, for such was the nature of the nature of the great game. The final game. Was this always your plan? Kaes question came as a hushed whisper. Her attention was on Zein and Calvino both, agitation building with each passing second. Answer me! Was I always being contracted to build a weapon, and never knew? W-why would you allow the Guilds to claim such a thing in the first place? +We didnt allow the Guilds to do anything,+ Calvino said. A ripple of discomfort rolled over its simulated avatar. +Even now, we are uncertain how the Strix learned and located our restricted material. Probabilistic simulations point to Omnitech assistance. But more to the point, by the time we responded, the specimen was already beyond our reach.+ The High Seraph built new paths to secure the Imitators, Avo guessed. His templates shifted, theorized, and shuddered. Most of them offered little than conspiracy theories and idle gossip. But Benhata was consumed by rising bitterness. [We know about the High Seraphs abilities. Thats why we operate in secret. And thats why we operate as we are, and try to use Stormtrees Longeyes to counter them. But Elder DRongo had to be told about the project. We didnt know.] And suddenly Walton was in another light again. A lone, solitary Low Master might be a peerless Necrojack, but the situation on display demanded more than the manipulation of minds. No. Penetrating Voidwatchs privacy protection required an understanding of coldtechCor an outright disfigurement of its design. Omnitech. And there was little possibility that the High Seraph or Zein wouldnt account for Noloths involvement in things. Even without knowing how to manipulate the future, Avo felt the paths narrowing to a scant few. Jaus. Just how many sides had his father been trying to play? Ah. There it is. The only possibilities reveal themselves to you as well. Zein sighed. Hard to see it at the time, but I think he used me and my daughter against each other. We struck at each others paths. Breaking futures as I played the part of saboteur while my daughter became a fortress unto herself. Kaes jaw fell a bit wider as she realized how far-reaching the machinations went. And how she was but a small component in the grand machine of moving deception. Her confidence shriveled. In days past, she had been telling herself that it was because of her brilliance and importance that she suffered. That the great powers were trying to suppress her attempts at change. It was a delusion of martyrdom. But an understandable one. Her scarred heart was still tender and raw; her confidence brittle. Seeing that no one truly cared about the ruptured Heaven of LoveCthat Wombrash wasnt even a topic worth mentioning was another spike driven deep into her half-closed wounds. No. The words left her with a whimper at first. Avo faced her and saw the twitch in her eye, a dam of frustration, rage, and trauma breaking inside her. No. No. No! WhatCwhat the fuck is wrong with you? All of you? Are we just things for you to use and throw away? Do you not think were alive right now? That we matter? Calvino simmered at the Agnos words, but Zein offered only scorn. So you are alive. What of it? Why does that matter at all? Can you enforce your will in this situation? Can you dictate the terms of your life? Do you have any worth left to leverage at this point? The crone lifted a single finger. Having you still is preferable. You are a good Agnos. But your part has long been played. The weapon is made. That is what matters. The retort struck Kae like a knife to the gut and the last chains of fear and anxiety shattered. A near shriek of feral fury escaped from her. She charged Zein. Made it only three steps before Chambers caught her from behind. The little Agnos thrashed in the former enforcers grasp and howled her hate at Zein, at Calvino, at Denton, at the world unmade, all sound, all fury, but bearing little meaning in the end. Everything Kae sobbed, lashing the world with her Heaven. Her moisture clashed against Chambers flames, and steam rose, columns of pale starkness against the gloomy currents embracing them. Everything I gave everything You took everything All I ever did was try. What did I do wrong? Why? Why? Avo prepared to reach into Kaes mind, to drain out her hurt, but the Agnos crumbling facade and Chambers pleading eyes held him at bay. A sad exhalation escaped Corner, the once-squire unable to bear the sight. [Just fucking let her have this. Its all she really has anymore, anyway. The hurt is the only thing thats still her own.] And even that could be taken from her if Avo willed in. Connected to her as he was, a new understanding dawned and a new color was learned. A sympathetic whine of pain escaped from Avo as the full dread of powerless existence struck him at once. There was no control for her. Not even how she lived. Not even why she acted. Her worth was objective. Like the sacrifices, she was used to make her Heavens. Like the ghouls the Hungers used as fodder of flesh and mind. Like all the little ignorant people, caught in a grand game between mother, daughter, and more shadows unseen; the legacy of Jaus rotten to its very core. Draus mind remained razor sharp, entirely locked in on every movement that Zein made. Part of her noted Kaes distressCand instinct warred with instinct as she held to her role. Dice was far less tempered. The hound had left the girl, and she now saw the face of her aunt when she looked upon the kneeling woman who had comforted her just hours prior, that was the first thing she saw when her mind returned to stability. The Agnos clung to Chambers, screaming into his chest, her fists gripping the horrific coat he still woreCthe one stolen from Dannis Steelhards mannequin back at the Lots. She wept, and he stroked her back. I know, its bad. Its fucking bad. I know. Its not fucking fair. I know. But were still breathing. Were still here. Were still here. A memory bled into Avo, and Chambers swapped places with Kae. A scene of him as a young boy sobbing into the embrace of his mother played. His father was in the background lighting up some drug or other, and blood trickled from his belt. Lashes lined both Chambers and their mother, some becoming connected wounds. He spoke the same words she did all those years ago. He spoke them to Kae, and the wounds of their minds were connected all the same. You could have mastered her, Zein said, speaking to Avo now without taking her eyes off the Agnos. You could have torn the weakness from her thoughts. Saved me the trouble of trying toC Dont bullshit me, Avo said, channeling more than a bit of Draus in his words. You werent trying to encourage her. Or strengthen her. You were just getting amusement from her. Like you do from everything you can. And more of Chambers template snapped into place. You fucking junkie. Between heartbeats, Zein was both herself and the shadows of distant trauma. The Godslayer stood unshaken before the insult. But Avo wasnt done. Were not the same. You all used her like she was something to be spent. Abandoned her because of inconvenience. Afraid of starting another war too early. Or ruining your precious futures. But she is someone to me. I made a promise to her. And Im not afraid of her exerting her own will. I dont dream of enslaving the world to my will. He saw Zein in another light now. Not as the jovial pleasure-seeking glaive at the apex of martial enlightenment, but a woman who cared little beyond getting back what she wanted, who sated her hedonism from whatever sources she could, and left what she broke in the pastCoblivions problem now. And then there was Calvino. Voidwatch. They had been helpful, but their capacity and capabilities should be beyond this. Their ethicality should have compelled them to act. To do more than embargos and diplomacy. There were only so few possibilities for why they didnt. Calvino, Avo said, looking down at the phantom-formed mind. How bad is it? With Voidwatch? How diminished are you all? Or is it the other thing? Are the minds still aligned? A pause followed. +Some of the former. A lot of the latter. The High Seraph has also made promises. Ones that seem increasingly palatable and in accordance with the demands of certain polities.+ If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The cowards desire to reunite, Zein cut in. To bring the Builder War to a final close, and reawaken the Anointed Sleeper that guides the cults of Omnitech and mend the rift. Cowards. Her disgust with them was a problem of surrender rather than philosophy. And here I am, Avo said. At the center of everything. Something to usurp the Ladder. Or perfect it, Denton said, almost too soft to hear. The Stillborns inclusion into its structure would allow a perfect synthesis of ego and Soul. My daughters crowning jewel of control, Zein finished. Kae was silent now. Still holding to Chambers. The man looked small and terrified having called on too much of the boy. Avo left his mind untouched as well. Unaltered. Chambers never asked. Neither did Kae. This wasnt for him to change. I do not wish for you to see this as a moment of acrimony, Avo, Zein said, her voice paradoxically softer with him, kinder despite the harshness he just offered her. Scorn for the weak. Pride for the strong. She reached out for him, expression regretful. A measure of respect present. I do not blame you for what your father has done. But you were never meant to grow as you have. To reach the heights you have. Commendable as I find you, your progress must be stopped. And that brought another question to the forefront. Several, in fact. Fredritch Three-Eye. Walton told me to meet them at Easy Armistice. Was supposed to deliver a node to me. You told me they were supposed to have my Frame. Assume found out about their compromise. Which is why we never met. AnnoyanceCalmost imperceptibleCflickered across Zeins mien. Your father did all he could to ensure you were the only one that could be chosen. It was a wonder, really. I considered Fredritch a pupil. Well, almost. I wonder what the Strix whispered to them. How he got them to turn. Did you kill one of our own, Operative Zein? Dentons words were spoken with a frigid calmness. Thousandhand merely rolled her eyes. Im hardly so wasteful. And the disruption it would do to the paths would be unspeakably noisy. No. I simply sent them ahead. To the places I needed them. So they could perform their duties without second thoughts or find the opportunity to betray the cause further. That what you did to the Scalper? Javvers? Avo recalled the surprised face of the Syndicate boss as he suddenly vanished. At the time, it seemed like Zein unmade him, and his body didnt materialize even after her death. Ah, I''m surprised you still remember him. He seems rather insignificant in the scheme of things. But yes, I am using him for his niece. A Bloodthane. One that you might recall. You did cross Heavens with her at Nu-Scarrowbur, after all. Reva. She was talking about Reva. White-Rab was not going to like this. Avo cast the memory over to his progenitor and guessed that Tavers was ahead of him on that. Why don''t you just fling all of us into the future? Avo asked, his curiosity genuine. There was little he could have done to stop Zein before. She could have used any of them as pawns. Because despite your childish ranting, I too am not a petty tyrant. But helplessness is a hard sight to bear. She cast a near-pitying glance at Kae again, too tired now to show scorn. Zein breathed. Preferred us cultured and free-range slaves, do you? Draus spat. Thousandhand rolled her eyes. I prefer you not as slaves at all. But disciples. Or comrades. I look upon all of you and A memory was playing behind her eyes, thoughtstuff bubbling, expression slackening. But as soon as it came, it vanished. Zein was present again. I remember the worth of having peers to stand alongside. And I am not so cruel to deprive you of lifes more sublime joys. Then her expression hardened and she spoke to Avo once more. But I was mistaken with you. I should not have allowed you to fester. You were not a child to be trained or a beast to be humored. Your end was to be one of acceptable sacrifice. A pillar of perpetual change with or without the Ladder. And that answered why she didnt just take the Stillborn from him. Even in the end, still meant to be little more than a thing for someone else to use. As for the Hungers, so for Zein. Despite it all, Avo couldnt help but laugh. Sometimes, the pattern was a line. Other times, it was like a circle, likeC [REPETITION] Chronology shuddered around him. The emanation painted a scowl on Zeins face. But now Im like a sickness. A pestilence you cant quite bottle. Avo clicked his fangs together and let the beast sink back into him, the urge to hurt, to fight, to kill, to maim, to devour coming back like a spreading fire. She told him what she wanted. Why should he disappoint her? So. What follows now? Zein tipped her head in a small nod. Indeed. What follows? Suddenly, the space around them broke apart into tightening threads of gold. Some strands accelerated faster than others, surging where others merely flowed. Time lag distorted the links he had to his cadre. Crackling numbness pulled at Avos ego from all directions, his consciousness now split between two chronological velocities. It was hard for him to think. Hard for him to focus. He struggled against Zeins miracle with all he had, but his mind was grinding against itself, his ghosts bursting from the trauma of the experience. +A-vv-o+ DrausCfastest among the cadre in present circumstances moved as if a slug through sludge. Her arm was shifting. A sheen of glass spread over her body concurrently with her Meldskin. Her Neural-Tuner strained to equal the temporal differential between them, but it was a coldtech augment built for relatives. Then they were moving even faster, the others becoming mere silhouettes behind a curtain of slithering radiance. A hiss of pain escaped Avo, his accretion foldingCbending as if a light peeling around a relativistic construct. It was hard to focus. Hard to think. He lashed at her with his Heavens. Did all he could. Echoes shattered and died in her place. They shattered and died and she did nothing to retaliate further, regret scratched deep in the lines on her face. Then, another heart. Another track divided from the rest. Avo felt his cognitive pressure slacken, but as his cog-feed flickered back into sight, his heard his templates screaming. WARNING! COG-CAP: 677% ESTIMATING GHOSTS LOST - [24,512] A pained hiss escaped from Avo as he slid more of Draus in place, blunting away the pain. Before him stood Zein, umbrella in hand once more, regarding him with a passive look. Now you surrender yourself to me. Her words neither request nor command, but statement. You bring all of yourself back into your current sheath. Or I peek into the minds of your comrades. I find where the rest of you are hiding regardless. And I take them from you. Your cadre. Your home. Everything that you have. To cement her threat, she made some of the passing streams around them flow backward. And it was like they never were. I can give these memories to Naeko. Give my Frame back to Highflame. Veylis. Zein shook her head. No. Youre more selfish than spiteful. You will try to reveal me, perhaps. But that will do little to impede my operations. More, I see now how you might approach. The angles are many, but they can be prevented. Threaten me again and I rewind the annoying one. Chambers. She was talking about Chambers. Avos mind sharpened. He reshaped his consciousness in an instant, unmaking his rising rage before it could betray him. His templates were recovering. Suggestions and plots formed and broke in his mind. There was so much noise he never noticed the whispering from deep inside. She doesnt know what Tavers is doing. She doesnt know what Tavers is doing. She doesnt know what Tavers is doing And then an unexpected voice cut through the madness, the advice snarled with purpose. All for the sake of biding more timeCof figuring out an escape-solution. [Provoke the cunt to angerCbut not with a threat. Make her focus on you. Strike her at her root.] Peace was like a maddened warg free of his cage, but at this moment, despite all his hatred for Avo, they were united by a common foe. [Tell her exactly what I have to say. Watch the sows face change.] So Avo did. Chains from chains. Never knew how accurate that was. Till now. The passivity drained out of Zeins eyes. Replaced by a chilling blankness. You speak words without knowing their meaning. I speak words to someone who was clearly forgotten. Zeins jaw tightened. The more cowardly of his templates screamed for him to stop. Avo kept going. Look at yourself. Look at you now. You dont care about anything but a single goal. Willing to sacrifice everything. How human. How pathetic. How very godly of you. Imagine your victory. Imagine Jaus facing you at the endC Be silent, Zein whispered. --You and your daughter and his broken world. Do you imagine he will embrace you? Do you intend to lie to him about your victory? About what you surrender to win it? Do you? The glaive was through his chest. He didnt remember it going in. He didnt remember why one of his eyes was missing, why his arms were broken, why his legs were snapped, why he was hacking up blood. Its the truth, Avo said, forcing the words out from a mending lung. Truth! I have Peaces memories. I remember him! I remember Jaus. He would be ashamed of you. Ashamed! A crack passed through him. He was on his back again. Starring up into a writhing mess of hive of chronology, strings sliding over one another and Thousandhand standing over him. Her face was a shadow of loathing, her eyes pale dots of anger. She doesnt know what Tavers is doing. [Hey, Low Fucker,] template-Chambers said, spitting at Peace. [You better not be doing this just so Thousandhand can torture Avo more.] [Of course I am!] Peace said, honest in his hate. [It just so happens that pissing Thousandhand off is the best way to distract her.] You know nothing of what I have done for this cause, Zein seethed. Your cause, Avo retorted. This is for you. You and no one else. You. Your daughter. Your lover. They both believe in something. But you? Youre just selfish. Just want your family back. Drugs to do. People to hurt. Youre a child. An infant that grew skilled but never wiser. Your dream is to make existence a playground. Pleasure. Pleasure. Pleasure. Never consequence. Calvinos manifestation crackled. +Thousandhand, you will notC+ And then Avo couldnt see out of his left eye. And then the world was a spiral of colors. Consequence? Zeins said, casting the gore-strewn Neurodeck she tore from Avos skull aside. My consequence is what started this in the first place. The lessons I taught my daughter drove her to bind her father into the Ladder. To fuse him with reality itself. And there was almost a sob in her voice. But weapons didnt weep and so she settled for anger instead. Let me educate you, then, on the nature of being a Godclad. This is our culmination. I say one thing. You say another. And it cannot be both ways. What then? What then? She doesnt know that Tavers is aiming. She doesnt know. She forgot about the Incog. She forgot about the Incog. Please. She must forget about the Incog. Weakness gnawed at Avo. Strain. Exhausted. Even thinking was hard. Focus. Slippery. No. No? She asked. No. Youre not a Godclad. Youre human. Powerful. But only human. So was your daughter. So was Jaus. That. That was the problem. You are all only yourselves. You all consume. Interpret. But you only live as yourself. You dont see through anothers eyes. You dont live as another has lived. You are all just here for yourself. A look of disbelief overtook her. A beat. A laugh. Humorless cackling. AndCand you are different? And you are nobler? Nobler? Avo said, almost unable to hear the word. No. But I want to become everybody. And I want to learn what it really means to become a true god. Zein opened her mouth to reply but shifted into a cut. A splash of darkness smudged the rushing gold. A release of entropy tickled Avos Frame, his Woundmothers Hell singing in accord. A foot away from the Godslayer, Tavers fell in two, split across the middle by Zeins sweeping blade, her Hellgun still venting even as she fell. Something plummeted in Avos chest. The accretion shimmering just outside Tavers exo-rig began to thin. But there was something wrong. It was hard to focus, but he couldnt feel any where was the flesh? Where was the blood? Quail Tavers. I presume. Zein said, watching the bifurcated squire plunge before her slowly. She shot Avo a scowl and shook her head. And here I was hoping we could have talked. Shared experiences. Few have survived as long as we. But, alas, your lot was ruined by association, and ultimately, what could this old hawk learn from carrion such as youC None of you See her A frequency blade erupted out from the top of Zeins skull. The stab was precise. Quick. And from behind. The Godslayer never saw it coming. Her umbrella clattered free from her grasp. Tavers, wearing only her holocoat, had abandoned her armor. Had allowed it to be cut down in her stead as a distraction. She twisted her blade one final time, flicking it up from where it entered just under Zeins right ear before she tossed the Godclad aside with a grunt. Shed tell you to get vacant after getting a kill, Tavers explained to the corpse. 21-15 The Glaive Unsheathed Akusande. Will cut in my stead, in exchange for your life? Yes. Will you serve my will in death, as you would in life? Yes. Will you defy time itself to ensure my fall be undone, my return be swift, my vengeance be taken? Yes. -Zein and the Dragon-Glaive Akusande 21-15 The Glaive Unsheathed Time rebalanced, and Avos base ego snapped back in alignment with his subminds. As his cog-feed ceased its flickering, he studied the George Washingons central nexus with a projected Skimmer and stared. As did his templates. As did his cadre. There, over Thousandhands unmoving corpse was Quail Tavers flicking the blood off her blade. A legend stood over a legend, and surreal though the moment might have been, mortal skill triumphed against divine power. [Holy fucking shit!] A shrill squeal of pure excitement left Abrel as her adoration for Tavers turned manic. [Oh my gods, oh my gods, holy fuck! Quail Tavers just fucking snuffed fucking Zein Thousandhand oh my god!] [Jaus. Fuck me,] Corner added. A cheering section went up among the Incubi, surprisingly, and more than a few of the enforcers joined them. [I know,] Glitch breathed, releasing an awed breath. [Zeins the literal best.] Kassamon and Kare peered on through Avo with open astonishment, not expecting the turn of events. [Well. Drinks for that squire are on me,] Kassamon said. Kare nodded as backup. Through everything, however, Avo felt as if he was missing part of the credit. Had help a lot of A beat passed. No echoes emerged to cut anyone down. A metaphysical scab formed over Zeins corpse. Second cycler. Of course. Tavers released a shaky breath and shot her severed armor a frown. Thank Jaus I invested in that decoy locC The only forewarning for what came next was a single-thread of gold unspooling from Zeins fallen umbrella. Time accelerated. The parasol shattered into parting threads, and then in its place was a glaive made of fractured oracle glass slicing up to cut the squire from below. A haemokinetic claw materialized to stop the blow, but it was Dice that arrived first. Sparks flashed as the jagged tip of Zeins weapon recoiled from the waifs alloyed sheath, a radiant rune protecting her from physical harm. The cracks within the blade deepened, and an uncontrollable pressure was hissing out from between the fissures, temporal sinews weaving the outline to a growing sinuous form. +Run. Now. Vent as soon as you get a chance.+ The thought left Avo as a redundant command; his cadre was already in motion, Tavers abandoned her still usable Hellgun and her split Rendskin, the armor not worth her life. The air shifted. Faint ripples formed across time and manifested probing attacks, gunfire and eldritch phenomena spewing free from the transforming glaive. An eruption of fire spawned a wall of bioforms to blunt the attacks. Chambers pulled Kae as the cadre began their retreat. Tavers dove first through an activated reflection, her Metamind flashing as she sent her drones a universal attack order. Metal and flesh joined the carnage while the others fled. Draus was the last to leave, her focus lingering on Avo for another heartbeat. +Go,+ he said. No sense in risking any of them. Their Rend Capacities were still high after their initial battle against Zein, but he was the only one capable of surviving without a material body. +Need to try ending this. Killing her. Get to the enclave. Remake your passages. Anything you can to burn our trail.+ And there was something else he needed to do. A promise he made to break Zeins glaive somehow. To whom or why he gave this oath was irrelevant. It just had to be done. And now seemed the best opportunity he would get. The Regular shot him a nod and clenched her fist. The unused passages cracked first, then dissolved, turning into scintillating powder as a rapidly swelling figure tore through the opposing drones and monsters. +See you soon, consang.+ Then she crossed over as well, plunging through her Liminal Paracosmos, accelerating toward a portal opening in the near horizon within a world made from shifting shards of reflective brilliance. Chambers brief blast of flame had formed around three hundred humming wasp-sized monstrosities each half the size of a full-grown adult. They were mostly in pieces now, sticky green blood leaking from their broken carapaces vanishing behind the chomp of scales and slashing blades. The twenty-two drones in the Command Nexuses at the time were but smoking husks as well, most obliterated without ever contributing. It took paltry effort on the part of his Woundmother to mend his mortally wounded sheath in the George Washington, but his Metamind was screaming at him, all three of his cyclers nearly filled with Rend. With a thought, Avo set his tripartite mind upon three different tasks. A point of no return had been crossed with Zeins slaying, with her open intent to enslave him once more. From this point on, his relationship with Ninth Column was adversarial, and his continued association with Aegis was questionable at best. But calamity also offered opportunity. With Zein struck down, with his mind functionally restored and more liberated than ever, he directed the first of his subminds to flood his essential subverts before spreading his splinters wider across the city. His second submind shifted over to the George Washingtons systems, where Calvino was interfacing with the SHEPHERD earlier. Back in the enclave, his sheath slumped as the breadth of his consciousness whistled out of the body, leaving but a sliver of ghosts rooted in place. Finally, his base mind rose, mended of flesh and clear of purpose, pushing himself up using the steps of the dais, the throne of his once masters. Turning, he faced his new foe, the thing hiding within Zeins glaive. A dragon unleashed. It was far smaller compared to the Hungers, nowhere near their world-embracing presence. Even still, it dwarfed him by dimension, easily taking up the entire nexus, its body writhing through the air, scales resembling plates of armor shaped like teardrops. Searing light cleaved free from the crenulations running down its form. Each section of the dragons body was a map of shifting constellations, some forming sigils connected to Domains he knew. More not.between its scales. From the projected resplendence came bleary images. Almost like holograms reflected by surging rivers. Then, it seemed more like stratocumulus. An atmosphere was taking shape around the dragon. Avo caught glimpses of half-formed places and sensed unrealized phenomena. With each thundering heartbeat that emanated from the dragon, moments manifested and vanished, changing like dancing smoke. Through the obfuscation, he saw its face finally. An eyeless head lined with feathers and scales. It looked between a hawk and a snake, but its movements jolted from place to place. Avo saw battles fought, lives lost; atrocities committed, revenge sowed; hate abating, and in its place emerged love and lust, slaked at last beneath the looming heights of a cavern made from metal, artificial lights painted twin bodies etwined. As the scenes played, its tail coiled around Zeins corpse, accelerating the Godslayers return. The ghoul snarled. Already, the scabs were growing thickerChe needed to pushC A lashing cut traced an opening along his ribs as shadows erupted from the dragon. He manipulated his Echoheads, shielding himself using his biomagnetism, conserving his Rend for what was to come. The dragon reached into its mists, pulling past into present and casting calamities out to best Avo. But he simply doveCsinking into the shadows at his feet and tunneling fast toward Thousandhands yet dead form. COG-CAP DISTRIBUTION ->[BASE] - 55% ->[SUB-1] - 20% ->[SUB-2] - 15% ->[STANDBY] - 10% REND CAPACITY [WOUNDMOTHER] - 98% Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. REND CAPACITY [FARDRIFTER] - 97% REND CAPACITY [TECHPLAGUER] - 94% Draus last mirror burst apart, signaling the cadres exit of that particular passage. Avo barely noticed. The dragon expelled light remembered. The shine of true day. He surfaced as a rush of wind, his progression undeterred. Knower. the Dragons voice reverberated louder with each passing moment. It sounded sharp and vicious. The kind of voice one would imagine a predator to have. As it twisted and whipped a typhoon to counter his approach, its feathered head broke into four petals, and he saw a small face at the heart of its skull. It was a tiny, pale thing, the mien of a Sang girl greeting. Her eyes were closed and her hair spilled down from a half-finished bun in messy tassels. A sharp intake of breath nearly made him pause, but wasted no time still. There was everything to gain and nothing to lose. Zein made her point. Time for him to make his. Knower! Knower of Emptiness. Burning Dreamer. Hold. Hold, please. He did not. Despite something inside him desperately wanting him to. Despite Denton loudly demanding that he stop, her avatar visibly panicked in the corner of his feed. {Avo! No! We need her. Shes the only oneC} She said more. He listened. But it didnt matter. He tumbled out from a torrent of wind and splashed into the world as a stream of pulsing data. Pulsing of disruptive signals struck him. His Heaven rattled. The Techplaguer shrieked. A few more points of Rend. On the edge. Close. But they had options. And he had a plan. +Calvino,+ Avo called, pulling himself along the ground as a blur of force tore his left arm clean. He regrew it with a thought. Lightning coursed through him. He Boltstrode. But the dragon flicked a whip of electricity, striking him, parrying his dash off course. {What justCoh.} Avos memories synced up with CalvinoCstill active in his undamaged enclave-sheath. A data spike pierced out from the mind, and an uncomfortable silence grew. {Well. This is not good. This is not good at all!} Knower. Dreamer. Avo. Stop. We have spoken. Unknowingly. Stop. Avo fought the urge to hiss at the dragon. It was yelling for him to halt while still attacking. The smart matter mended as fast as he did, but the dragon was only using physical attacks thus far. He suspected it wasnt trying that hard, that it was holding back either out of fear of destroying the voidship or it simply didnt want him dead for some reason. Regardless, its reluctance was his advantage. A tingle in the back of his mind called for him to respond, to cast a thought in greeting to the dragon, but decided to engage with Calvino first. +Calvino. Need your help. Can you shut off the reactor for the ship? Isolate the current module from the other. Want you to eject all the others into the darkness. Leave only the Command Nexus by itself. Going to vent through the HuC.+ A gold wave scythed out from the dragon. The following temporal lag almost dislocated Avos base mind from the other halves of his consciousness altogether. When his senses returned, his templates, the cadre, Calvino, and the dragon were calling to him all at once. Twenty seconds were gone from his memory. He tried to move but found his limbs missing and a spiked vivianite pillar buried in his chest. His body spasmed and he hacked blood over the twelve slender arms gripping the weapon. Now we speak, the dragon said, its body curving at impossible angles to lean in close to him, bringing its human facade at level with him. Zein was still protected by its tail, and through the flicking movements of the dragon''s sinuous body, her scab was almost ripe for resurrection. Scenes flashed over to Avos mind, recapping him with what he missed. He prioritized his conversations. +Calvino?+ {The system is still too damaged to receive comprehensive inputs,} Calvino replied. {Trying to do anything to the ships reactor will likely result in the crews final death as they are deeply integrated they are with the system. But I can divert more of the ships mass over to the core. And move the other sections away. I must say, I do not like your current plan.} Avo thought it wasnt bad. It would turn things to his Fardrifters advantage, anyhow. A ghostly wisp caught Avos attention, and he found the polearm thrust through him imbued with ghosts. Potent with sequences and memories. He looked up at the dragon, surprised. The Sang girls eyelids were open now, and a cluster of eyesCall colors, all shapesCmade active rotations in her sockets. Take it. That is all I can do for you now. They will show you the truth of things. They will show how the paths work. The shape of time. What you have become. Take it and know. Finally, the question became too great to ignore. Why? The dragon went still. The Sangs face contorted with effort as she fought to slow the passage of time around Zein, to delay the Godslayers resurrection if she could. There is a promise between us. But you cannot keep it yet. You cannot break me from my cage. You cannot break me from her will. But perhaps after. Perhaps not so long. Avo stared into the girls eyes and coughed. Not the first time we talked. He knew it wasnt. Knew it from feeling. But he couldnt remember when they last spokeCif they ever spoke. An unremembered dialogue has its purpose. It twisted the pillar to provoke his action. A splinter shot free from his halo, drowning in an ocean of ghosts. Too many for his splinters to erode in time. This demanded a shift. This demanded a return to fire. A reconstruction of the voidship flashed into his cog-feed. Ship modules were diverted. Moved far and away from the command nexuses in anticipation of what was to come. The mind is right, the Fardrifter chuffed, feeling the predatory essence in the shadowy cosmos outside the hull. This is a poor plan. We swim within a cage that seeks to devour us. The Techplaguer chimed a retort. Take heart, STEED! The administrator will FREE-FREE-FREE us. And, the Woundmother said, prepared to vent their Hell, I suspect our erstwhile kin will not be doing much of the eating. Congratulations, however, are in order mule: I do believe you might be acquiring some new architectural improvements soon. Sending a final command into the ships systems, Avo watched as the dais sank, taking the throne and the locus with it. It too was now in motion, moving fast to join the other sections of the ship. Maybe he wouldnt be able to salvage any of the modules. Maybe the new engineering bay was to be lost after a single use. But at least he could set them free from the dark. Allow Voidwatch to extract the sections. Briefly, glimpsed through his various splinters. Kare and Maru were already en route to Naeko, the latter trying to start a session. His various splinters were spread across the Oversecs, and he melted them into hidden Auto-Seances for eventual easy access. The others were embedded in high-traffic lobbies and loci managing critical infrastructure. He spent those as backdoors as well, forming multiple bridgeheads to further his infestation of the city. Disjointed by time, his submind didnt get the chance to hunt down and jack Syndis or gangers. That was fine. Hed do what he could in the moments he had left. But first, he had ghosts to burn and a final scheme to try. +Will be back soon,+ Avo said, casting a final thought through his cadres splinters before gathering every shard connected to his consciousness back in his current sheath. He didnt need anything else to burn. Just the pillar. As he shifted from Delusion back to Ignorance, a fortress of fire speared up from his halo before pouring down into the pillar, searing it clean from within. Yes, the dragon sang, voice rising in a joyous song. Its scales cracked and opened, and Avo caught a glimpse of Zeins gardenCthat plane she drew him into when they first met. So. That was were everything hid. Inside the umbrella; the glaive; the dragon. Sequences, ghosts, and memories that would have taken Avo hours to digest as steam came ablaze in an instant. Over twelve million ghosts were hiding with the pillar. Twelve million ghosts bearing centuries of information, carving epiphanies and understandings into his very mind. Moments from before the Godsfall detonated within him like warheads, the blasts of understanding came in sync with the howling ascent of his refueled Conflagration. He knew. He remembered. He recalled. Memories that Zein had hidden even from herself poured into him, her self-obfuscation a deliberate actionCto prevent her daughter from using their shared experiences and ever achieving a mem-lock. And now, an entire archive was his. The truths behind the Idheims historyCat least from Zeins perspectiveCknown to him. His perspective loomed, and a rising thrill battled a cold pit of dread forming in his stomach. Oh, how great the glory at the end. And oh, how bad things were. Worse than he could have ever realized. You see? the dragon said, releasing the pillar and shifting away from him. It was straightening now, head pointed down in an arcing loop while countless hands extended from its body, fingers spread wide in a mock embrace. Do you understand the paths now? The shape of what is to come? What mother and daughter left broken in their past embrace. Yes, Avo breathed. Even with the Conflagration, it was too much. All too much. He needed time to process what he learned. To go through everything and let the details settle in. Already, his templates were overwhelmed, more than a few screaming from mem-data overload. No other mind besides hisCor an EGIsCcould have possibly managed an intake of information so great. Ghosts - [13,877,899] He called on his Woundmothers Domains of Matter and Biology once more as it inched a single percent away from maximum capacity. Threads of blood stitched flesh and broken implants back into shape, the pillar unraveling with the caress of his Haemokinesis. Slamming back down on the ground, Avo took a step toward Zeins body, her resurrection almost imminent. But the dragon shifted into his path again. No. He could try to make another attempt with his Boltstride, his Fardrifter. But he knew that to be in vain, that the dragon would just skip him across time again. Its actions were paradoxical. Contrary. It betrayed Zeins confidence, yet protected her from him. The way it acted made him uncertainCunnerved. She wont forgive you for this, Avo said, gesturing at Thousandhand with a floating Echohead. You let meC You tore into my shape and stole your prize. Who is to say otherwise? Who will tell her? You? The dragon chuckled. She likes you. Veylis would like you. So I like you. And I am meant to serve in her stead. She is blinded by matters. But essential in this path. Look into the memories, and you will understand. You have your part in the final design. She has hers. As does my progenitor.Could take her Frame. Take her Heavens. Replace her." No! Force exploded from the dragon. Avo magnetized himself to the hull. The beast was coiling around him now, coiling closer and closer, but the Sangs eyes remained locked to his. We have a bargain. You and I. I and her. She and her daughter. You have invaded the paths of your own will and power. But the rest of us are ordained. I can choose to spare you. But I cannot let you have her. Noble. Heroic. Reliable. Even commendable. But unacceptable. Avo let out a breath and prepared to disappoint his newest consang. I understand, he said. But you understand why I have to try. The dragons eyes widened. Chronological distortions flared from its every scale. But it was too late. It didnt realize what he intended. Lacking Zeins divine foresight and echoes, the dragon managed only a betrayed roar as Avo shed an entropic missile from his Frame. His Woundmothers Rend dropped instantly to zero as it struck the inner hull of the command nexus, and a firestorm of entropy dissolved eight percent of the ship in a heartbeat. The serpent of time shivered as gnawing darkness flooded in and Avo manifested his Fardrifter in full. REND CAPACITY [FARDRIFTER] - 98% 22-1 Inheritor of Shadows (I) We call it the Heart of Noloth. Dont worry. We have it well-trained. We had the faith culture this one into being a particularly stupid god. The sacrifices are made to believe that it is more beast than personCthe shaping made easier by the fact of its arrival. Oh. Do you know it holds the temple? We discovered both the god and the holy site together. You can say they were entwined from the very beginning. Sometimes, when the air is calm and the pantheons are squabbling, we have it reach beyond the darkness of night to chart the void beyond. Hm? Whats there? Oh. Chaos and ruin. That is what lies beyond our realm. The Heart is fed now, though. Worry not about stepping into the dark. After tasting eight thousand slaves it will be compliant. It will take us wherever we wish, ferry us to every corner where its shadow lies. It would have been better if she wasnt with child. It has been known to steal those from slaves sometimes. Weep not if you suddenly find your womb emptied. I suppose nothing can be done about it nowC No! NoCno! No! Put away that ridiculous weapon. You cannot cut darkness. No! No! The light! Quench the glow! Yes! Yes, fine! I suppose you, in particular, have a way to cut at darkness! NowC [Zein laughing] Do that again, and I leave you in the black and make my apologies to the High Priest. -Lesser Acolyte of Noloth showing Jaus Avandaer and Zein Thousandhand the Heart of Noloth 22-1 Inheritor of Shadows (I) The darkness seized them all in its ravenous embrace. Though capable of twisting chronology to its whims against Avo, the rules of asymmetry were now turned against the dragon, its emanations of light enwreathing struggling desperately to hold the lashing shadows at bay. Tongues and tendrils drained projected manifestations and recalled miracles. Undulations of shifting force shifted in the void, swatting down to hold the dragon in place, trying to grip Avos slithering form, but lacking the dexterity to contest his speed and morphological asymmetry. And countless leagues beyond the George Washingtons still disintegrating husk shone a resplendent shell, its etheric incandescent building the dark found itself blessed with new purposeCto feed upon novel succor, to learn the flavor of dragon and Godclad both. With everything in motion, Avo wasted no time, quenching his flames and reasserting his Delusions. Immediately, he sent two splinters through his Auto-Seance. Both would be commanded by his Subminds for separate tasks. The first would seek to achieve what hadnt been done earlier: locating easy targets for a final harvest of deaths. In the aftermath of the Nethers destabilization, the vicious and vulnerable were in a state of disarray, gangers and Syndicates open to infiltrationCseeding opportunities for future slaughter. There was a good chance that he couldnt manage to grant Zein her final end. That he would have to operate with caution beyond caution in the coming days. Better to stack the deck as best he could and position himself to claim deaths when the opportunities arose. That being said, just because he might not be able to kill Zein didnt mean he was out of options. His second submind interfaced with Kare, the Paladin quickly approaching Naekos position on the DeepNav. He inched into her periphery awareness and sequenced new memories in place: knowledge connected to the George Wasingtons gateways, and what to anticipate. Thousandhand really shouldnt have told him about Naekos power. Or his importance. And with everything already past the point of no return, why not break the paths some more? Why not inconvenience her further, give her former disciple something to focus his ire? Besides, there was more than a measure of schadenfreude involved. Especially as he ensured Kare knew all about what Zein was planningCwhat was fated to happen at the trial. As memory sank in, the real Kare struggled against rising nausea in her and Marus speeding aerovec. +Dont worry. Ill be keeping watch over you. Wont let her have you.+ With his promise cast and the essential details uploaded, Avo broke the link before she could respond. Her template did in her stead. [Bless you, Avo. Thank you. For everything.] Avo fought the urge to laugh. If righteousness could always come bundled with acts of cruel vindication, he doubted he would be the only decent ghoul in existence. Of course, this was all just the consolation prize. Back near the destroyed voidship, Avos base mind was still set on a single objective: to seize any chance he could and kill Zein Thousandhand once and for all. A thread of synaptic iridescent flicked along the plane of darkness. A sudden shove sent the remaining modules of the George Washington tumbling aside without inflicting any damage. Scarcely more than two kilometers remained of the once impressive voidship. The rest was gone. Over fifty-five million metric tons of self-shaping matter came apart in a ballet of debris. Motes of disintegrative entropy spilled from its hollowed core, parts of the structure evaporating still. More of the ship had been wrenched apart by digits of grasping dark. Even still, there was something tragically noble in how the George Washington clung to life. Reactive sinews of tubular smart matter condensed into straining cords, the system clearly trying to preserve whatever it could, despite the lack of a guiding intellect. This was a vessel designed to protect its crew to ensure their survival, whatever the cost. It had no part in the misfortune it faced. No chance to guard the fate of its crew against wretched fate. No means of denying the darkness intrusive touch. One of its shifting spinal rings broke as the crystalline lattices affixing it to the ship succumbed. It tumbled thereafter and struck another, layers of spinning concentricity collapsing in a calamitous cascade. A memory called to Avo. A moment from a month ago. He recalled the George Washingtons intact visageCa fibrous tower woven over melted cubes, its outer edges ovular, gravity maintained by the churning of three vast rings. No more. All that wonder and design broken with an exhalation of his Heaven. Peace glared out through Avo. [We had that temple for over three centuries. Three fucking centuries. And you just fucking lose it in a month. Break it fighting that sow, ThousandhandCwho you shouldnt haveC] Avo ignored the Famine. Still. The moment felt wrong. A travesty. Like he had broken a relic, and more personally, one of the few things he still had left of his father. But such was the fate of mundane matter. Erosion. Only memory maintained and metaphysical concepts could endure the unceasing passage that was time. At least the crew was still safe. At least the modules had been separated. There was a chance of resurrection. Of return. Such was more than most would ever get. There was nothing for it: He would comfort himself by producing a creation that surpassed the voidship in every way. But that was for later. Right now, he had a dragon to upset, and a Godclad to kill. With his Fardrifter manifested, his Nine Streams split the dark as hurricane-sized serpents. Six tunneled fast through the dark, their two-hundred and fifty kilometers of velocity enhanced by a factor of ten thanks to his Shadowrun canon. Those heads circled the area around the dragon. The beast was currently flinging warhead after warhead from its storied history. Scars of fissuring light expanded to cleave the dark. The Heart of Noloth thundered in agony as the distant shell unfurled, opening to reveal a fang-lidded eye, iris dim of ambiance. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. An oppressive opalescent bloomed within the confines of this demiplane. The Heart was roused. Incensed by the wounds it endured. Little did it seem to notice the other three of Avos streams approaching, like sharks of ill-intent emerging from the deep. The shadows tightened. The Heart of Noloth exerted more effort to hold everything still. Another percent of Rend ticked over for his Fardrifter, causing his Metamind to shriek even louder. REND CAPACITY [FARDRIFTER] - 99% VENT! VENT! VENT! His Fardrifter shivered as the sickness of entropy approached the point of overflow. We approach an edge. My endurance is at its end. Avo disagreed. +Youll do more than endure. Youll ride free. Fly high. Im cutting your harnesses. Seek the horizons. Just get me that dragon. Get me Zein.+ The Heaven of Air brayed as a chorus of nine in abject startlement. Their surprise was shared by the Woundmother. Master, the Heaven of Blood began, you cant possiblyC But he was. A storm of red-tinged lightning lashed out from the epicenter of the nine streams. Briefly, the steeds flicked out of existence as Avo tried to Halt each individual bolt. Normally, he could have emptied his Rend this way. Balanced the expense incurred by his miracles. But he intended something different this time. Needed another to fight in his stead and shred the Heart of Noloth with entropy without taxing his focus. And he did something that no other Godclad would ever dare. Avo deliberately unleashed his Fardrifter as a DaemonCa Heaven unchained and fueled by Rend. ->Domain: (Air/Entropy) ->Canon: Halt of the Passing (IV) - The user can enchain all actors and objects moving through their area of physical influence (250 Kilometers) with stasis ->Daemon: An anathema of correspondence will be birthed if the total velocity drained exceeds the total Rend accrued THE FARDRIFTER UNBOUND, ANATHEMA OF CORRESPONDENCE WARNING: DAEMON TRIGGERED ->HEAVEN: [FARDRIFTER] ->REND CAPACITY [FARDRIFTER]: 97% SPATIAL METAPHYSICS UNRAVELING REND SPILLING DETECTED The nine-headed steed roared back into existence, their voice louder than ever before. The Daemons presence was a hurricane unleashed, and its ontology was as if tearing skin, the entropy expulsion now driving it forward shredding the Domains of Air, Space, Shadow, and Labyrinths. Spatial reality churned and tore. The analogy of the surrounding dark changed as well, twisted from a black sea to little more than tearing paper, carving wounds the Heart of Noloth couldnt endure. Soulfire erupted from the open eye, the deimplane beset by destructive tides. While the collapse outside continued, Avo felt the structure of his ontology shift as well. The Fardrifter was inverted of Heaven and Hell, but more importantly, their position relative to the Soul had been swapped as well. Now, they occupied the epicenter of the Stillborn, the Soulfire coursing into the Fardrifters cycler first before leaking over to the other two Heavens. Avo himself felt an ineffable discomfort, the situation as if a phansmic was in control of a Metamind C like being pulled forth by your own shadow. Still. The situation was mostly acceptable. The Fardrifters authority was loud in his skull, its compulsions sufficient to overwhelm a lesser mind. But he was thoughtformCcognition unchained. Even without relying on his subminds, he could arrange his awareness and reshape his own sequences to accommodate what would have been encroaching madness for anyone else. Bitter laughter broke from Abrel. Jhred was still on her mind, his tortured, near-mad form resting in Avos memories, a pathetic thing to behold in comparison to the ghouls mental implacability. [This is such fucking bullshit.] And it was going to be that fucking bullshit that gave Avo his edge. As more beams of light tore into the darkness, gouged apart from within by Avos Rend-soaked Anathema of Correspondence, the demiplane collapsed, and the Heart of Noloth gave a final desperate blink as it fell in full. SOUL DETECTED HEART OF NOLOTH (SPHERE IV) WARNING: REND CAPACITY SPIKING REND CAPACITY: [ERROR%] EXTERNAL RESONANCE BLEEDING OVER DOMAINS DETECTED - [SPACE] - [SHADOW] The demiplane ruptured open like a torn sack, and Avo found himself squeezed out from an alleyway in the gutters, his Fardrifter blasting out as a line of hurricanes. Before he was dislodged from the collapsing space, however, he watched his Fardrifter reward his trust, slamming two snake-like heads down on the dragon while the rest of its being screamed with rising joy. Free! Free! Free! Nuclear detonations and eldritch phenomena splashed and vanished into twisting whirlwinds of shifting space. Unsteady buildings were torn from their foundations as Avo found himself drawn upward, rising to meet Layer OneCthe horizon greeting him as pockets of accretion amidst spawls of dissected blocks. A ripple of gold pulsed against his Frame. The dragon accelerated time again, but he had it now. Well, his Heaven of Air did. In most other circumstances, unleashing a Daemon would have been a desperate act at best considering how deleterious they were to their users minds and uncontrollable during their rampages, but Avos Heavens were weaned from true self-awareness. Capable of forming dialogues with himCdisplaying character and traits he understood. The Fardrifter might have seen him as something of a jailer before, but this offering of laxity on his part ensured at least temporary loyalty from it and also coincided with the collateral devastation of the Heart. Zein, meanwhile, was someone they could both hate. She was a Godslayer, in more ways than one. A woman that had shackled time itself. And neither of them would ever get what they wanted again if they fell to her grasp. And now, one way or another, he would see her suffer for her intentions. He directed a splinter out to where the Heart of Noloth lay via an Oversec into a passing Exorcist patrol drone. A twelve-kilometer zone at the center of a Sang bioform processing complex became ground zero. Darkness stretched and writhed around the area, stretching and distorting n everything in its vicinity. Immediately, he began jacking into the Paladin Oversecs, hijacking golems with the appropriate DomainsCand therefore RendsinksCto drain away the Heart of Noloths instability and achieve equilibrium. Concurrently, he prepared to update Kare on his exact whereabouts on the DeepNav, but held back for a beat. He didnt want to draw Naekos notice yet. Not until he had no other options. +Fardrifter: Reel them in,+ Avo said. To his continued surprise, the Anathema obeyed, distracted as it was. It neighed through the air as spatial reality thinned around its twisting winds. The dragon tumbled upward, and so did Zeins body, now wrenched free from the creatures protection. All was not well, however. The Godslayers metaphysical scab was already beginning to break. Avos focus narrowed. He reached out, Sanguinity manifesting as clawing claws to seize her body, to flood her with Rend. No. Cease! The dragons shout was drowned out by the Fardrifters laughter. The metaphysical architecture of the Heart of Noloth was collapsing, miracles flattening back into mundanity as the eye collapsed, as every last bit of physical matter went whistling out through a few thousand ruptures. He sank his ontology into Zeins an instant before her resurrection, impaling her on branches of calcified lightning in retribution for how she struck him earlier. META-FAC ACTIVATING TRANSFERRING REND FROM [TECHPLAGUER] TO WARNING! ->RESURRECTION - 100% Avo growled internally as the mem-data flickered and broke. But even as Zein returned, he knew the attempt to be in vain. [Three,] Peace snarled in frustration, the sight of three interfaces belonging to three other unused ontologics aside from her Fisher still taunting him. [Fucking three other Heavens! The cunt was playing with you earlier!] Part of Avo suspected, but the truth was often a bitter thing to learn. So be it. Consolation victory it was. Avo! Zein snarled, body turning as the Fisher That Wasnt splashed into time itself. A shame. A pity. A foreseen possibility. He cast his current position over to Kare. Akusande! Zein called, her voice echoing loud with the spreading of the paths. The dragon transformed again, golden threads spooling back into a glaive, spearing toward Zeins open hand, an army of her echoes already pulsing into existence, slashing at his Fardrifter. The glaive never made it. A palmCtwice the size of a megablockCmanifested just beneath Layer Ones holographic sunrise and descended, pinning Daemon and Godslayer in place. Avo, meanwhile, left but a sliver of ghosts present in his corresponding sheath and fled the scene to secure the Heart of Noloth as a consolation prize. 22-2 Inheritor of Shadows (II) [EGI] Kant Was A Prick: What a mess. Calvino? Can you talk him down? Because we still need Thousandhand. As much as her death mightC [EGI] Loch-Ness Bomber has entered THRESHOLD-Node-Zeroth [EGI] Loch-Ness Bomber: Nevermind that boring shit, everyone get in here! The fights still going! Im activating local units to get a better view. Sweet Sol, I miss pay-per-view. [EGI] Kant Was A Prick: Bomber, this is a serious matterC [EGI] The Only Way To Be Sure: If you want them dealt with, I have the capability I just need approval from AegisCit will be a setback to lose New Vultun, but I theorize if I can trigger a localized singularity with a Schwarzschild implosive, we might be able to settle the Godclad problem once and for all. Then, with them in disarrayC [EGI] The Only Way To Be Sure has been removed from THRESHOLD-Node-Zeroth [EGI] If on a Winters Night a Wanderer has entered THRESHOLD-Node-Zeroth [EGI] Kant Was A Prick: Ah. Calvino. [EGI] If on a Winters Night a Wanderer: Its bad. Get your Dentons. Time to call in all the favors you have. I think my ghoul is about to get Thousandhand arresC [EGI] Loch-Ness Bomber: OH MY GOD! OH! STARS! STARS AND SYSTEMS! THE PALM! THE PALM FALLS! SAMIR NAEKO IS ON THE SCENE! SHIT IS ONNNNNNNNNN! {OVERRIDING AUTHORITY} [EGI] The Only Way To Be Sure has re-entered THRESHOLD-Node-Zeroth [EGI] The Only Way To Be Sure: YES! [EGI] Loch-Ness Bomber: WOOOOOO! [EGI] Kant Was A Prick: Why in all the bloody blazes are you two so excited? Two of our critical assets are about to be exposed! [EGI] If on a Winters Night a Wanderer: Well, one, anyhow. Avo can now part his mind and shift himself between any of his fragments. Like a trans-spatial hyper-infectious infomorph. He will likely escape. [EGI] EVERYONE ON IDHEIM SHOULD DIE AND DIE NOW has entered THRESHOLD-Node-Zeroth [EGI] EVERYONE ON IDHEIM SHOULD DIE AND DIE NOW: WOOOOOO! [EGI] Loch-Ness Bomber: WOOOOOO! [EGI] The Only Way To Be Sure: Holy shit, I want to glass the planet so bad. Im betting the next satellite rotation that Naeko stomps both of them in seconds. [EGI] Kant Was A Prick: You underestimate Zein. She might just disengage successfully herself. Also, Im calling for the polities to convene. We need to prepare for the fallout. [EGI] EVERYONE ON IDHEIM SHOULD DIE AND DIE NOW: Im gonna stream this to all my pops! Theyre gonna love it! Burn that city down! WARNING: SERVER APPROACHING SUSTAINABLE EGO LIMIT [EGI] Kant Was A Prick: This is a nightmare. [EGI] The Only Way To Be Sure: Again. I can solve it. I just needC [EGI] The Only Way To Be Sure has been removed from THRESHOLD-Node-Zeroth -Conversation between Aegis Category [Black] EGIs 22-2 Inheritor of Shadows (II) +Its Thousandhand alive! Shes hereCshesCshes trying to fucking get my rook!+ Marus words made Naeko drop the mangled boulder of disfigured corpses he was about to cast over the districts edge into the Maw. Hed been fast to react when the Nether fell. Fast as he could. But enough had died regardless, and more than a few outbreaks had to be suppressed. Then there were the ones that kept trying to enact violence. Even when his palm was down. Even when his Heaven seized the city. They became his offering to the Maw. Food for the nothing. A ritual to cleanse his mind, just as he and his father oversaw the filling of the pits all those centuries ago. Yet, distant as it was, the past clung to him still. Along the edges of his thoughts. In the rare moments he risked sleep and dreams instead of the usual resurrections. When he heard certain names. Thousandhand. Thousandhand. Thousandhand. Zein. Caked bodies greeted cracked plascrete with a pattering squelch as the Chief Paladins mind went hollow. A droning set in, and long-repressed remembrances breached through psychological scars reopened. +Youre having an attack.+ The words left Naeko as an accusation than anything else. Maru had to be wrong. The boy was always shaken by these things. His softness was deeper; more supple. The stress of the day must have caused a cascade inside him. Or maybe he was compromised. It couldnt be true. It didnt make any senseCVeylis killed her. Killed Zein alongside Jaus. That was the case. It had to be. Sow that the woman was, she would have never allowed things to descend to this point. She couldnt. For all her faults, weakness wasnt a thing she could allow. Not in herself. Not in her daughter. Not in Naeko. +GoC+ Naeko took a moment to steady himself, his breathing taking him by surprise. His lungs were wheezing, a sawing tightness following every breath. Inside his chest, a cord was slicing from side to side, aching pains traveling deeper than bone. He mastered himself. He kept his thoughtstuff from spilling over. +Go see the menders. Take the day off. Go seeC+ A roar of pure frustration from Maru cut him off. Mem-data was shoved through the sessionCpropelled by a blast of frantic anger. +Fucks sake Naeko! Look! Look at this! This is from someones mind. Shes coming for Kare! She wants to do some some kinda fuck-shit at the trial. ICdidnt have timeCshes in the fucking gutters! Look!+ Naeko didnt want to. He left the mem-data unopened. Kept the truth from biting into his bleeding mind. But he couldnt ignore the flashing DeepNav of New Vultun forming as a transparent overlay in his cog-feed. He could ignore the multiple interfaces opening in his minds eye as dispatched Specters sighted a colossal battle raging just below the face of Layer Two. One of the Godclads was a thing of wind, snake, steed, and space. The spiking Rend leaking from its form and how it left spatial reality bent in unnatural currents behind it indicated did more than hint that he was looking upon a Daemon. Bad enough. Then came the threadsCthose strings that fissured existence, that pried at the progression time. Bile crawled up Naekos throat. He used his Heaven to swat it back down. +You see it now?+ Maru yelled his aero still districts away. +You see her trying to form a superstructure? Building her pathsC+ Naeko cut the link. He ended the session. He closed his eyes. But the gold was still there. Her presence was still defacing reality. He wanted to let it be. To turn around and run. Run back to his home, climb back on his chair, start up Stormjumpers. See who was on. And just play. Play and forget the world was broken. Play and forget that Jaus was dead. That the woman he loved was doing everything she could to enchain their world once more. That she had killed her fatherCtheir savior. That she had killed her motherCtheir master and mentor. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Or so he believed. Something inside him broke. He didnt know if it was his patience. He didnt care if it was his heart. He opened his eyes and watched the battle continue. Watched the nine heads of the Daemon cleave through building after building and gouge into the shell of Layer One. Time pulsed again. Chronology fractured. An attack was beginning to form. And unwillingly, Naeko reached out with his Heaven, desperate for this moment to be a deception. Or a mistake. Desperate to know he was wrong. His awareness engulfed Sovereignties. A palm formed where the two were fighting, condensing from the exhaust of violence and clashing force. He felt it then. The way the strikes flowed from her. How one cut poured into another. How she struck and parried in the same motion, her distancing and positioning immaculate, her angles of attack uncountable. Above all else, he felt her glaiveCher dragon unsheathed, its voice singing loud across time itself, a siren call of absolute power. Naekos second HeavenCthe one he seldom usedCtrembled inside him, greeting the Domain of Chronology as kin. It was only a touch. A brush. But there was no one else who fought like her. Who moved like her. He knew. From all the times she carved defeat into his flesh and severed him from ill-habits and lingering weakness he knew. No one else. No one else. No one else. Something else burst inside Naeko then. Confusion. Agony. Repressed loathing. The dam of his self-deception crumbled before the weight of desperation. He needed to know what happened that day. Why did his love murder her father? Why did Veylis murder Jaus? And why didnt Zein stop her? Why did she let the dream fall? Why did she leave him to suffer alone? He needed to know. He needed toC A tremor wracked through his Frame and jolted him from his madness. His palm was pressing both Daemon and Zein down now. Holding them in place inside an unfinished habitation complex. His will had moved to its own accord beneath the notice of his mind. And in the end, it was he who crossed the edge of the district, striding over the holographic veil that marked the boundary. To mark his place was only a pooling mound of bodies, left discarded as their caretaker found themselves beset by greater things. *** Avo sensed the Chief Paladins presence the moment his Fardrifter struck the ground. Naekos presence was an inexorable tide, the impact of his arrival leaving Avos Frame thrice rattled for each distribution of his ego. He felt him in the district of Drowned Nymiss, crawling into a Syndicates golems. He felt him five hundred and sixty kilometers away in a bioform processing plant, the Knots he borrowed through the Oversec hard at work draining Rend from the Heart of Noloth, its affected shadows shearing deeper into the surrounding matter with each blink. He even felt Naeko vicariously through the Fardrifter, the Daemon of Correspondence braying with displeasure as they tried to buck free from under the misted palm. No, the Fardrifter cried, their mind as close to genuine despair as a god could get. No! I was free! Free! Release me! Release me! Release me! The pain in their cries left even the Woundmother reluctant in their mockery and the Techplaguer reflexively began playing shrill notes that sounded like a parody of a lullaby trying to calm its fellow Heaven. +Will let you ride free in the Sunderwilds after this,+ Avo soothed, shifting his attention over to Zein. Less than fifty ghosts remained within his pinned sheath, but it was still enough to use it as a monitoring device. Both he and Zein lay compressed against a dormant fountain. At the speed they were struck downCand with how vicious their struggle had beenCAvo expected the area around them to be utterly annihilated. Instead, the surrounding structures held strong, responding to their impacts as if memite. Even the ground gave naught but a light thud as they landed. Neither time-flung blades nor space-shredding winds achieved any more destruction after the fog of Naekos palm condensed around them. If anything, he felt another pattern slide into place, superseding his influence over reality, denying any act that fell under the purview of force or damage. The complex around them stood unfinished and half-built, but still, they were tall enough to be imposing, to be shadows beyond the smog. The builds ran as interconnected walls joined in an unending spiral, and inside, squatters and refugees lurked, most huddling behind cover, some peering outCscreaming as their minds shattered from exposure to naked divinity. +You are a fool, creature. A short-sighted, ignorant, spiteful fool.+ Vehemence laced every syllable of Zeins words, and against the prone form of her shifting dragon, she strained on one knee, fighting to rise, glaring at him all the while. Something in the fog shifted. A new form graced Avos awareness. A body absurd in proportions and muscle density, wider than it was tall, forming from the palm itself. Naeko was. And he came striding with his gaze fixed on Zein, sparing the Fardrifter not even a glance. Something shifted across the Godslayers expression. A twitch between respect and undying ire. +But what spite it was,+ Zein said, eyes still fixed on Avo. +What an utter, desperate act of destruction. I commend you for this; I will see you broken for this.+ A beat passed. Naeko stepped over the rim of the fountain and closed on Zein. +Oh. And give my compliments to the squire as well. She honors me with this humbling.+ +Rather would have killed you,+ Avo admitted. +Youre not a problem I wanted to leave unsolved.+ +Then I suppose you learned something of value from me after all. But know this: I merely sought to collar you. When you trace the paths, know you walk in the shadow of my daughter. And as you are now, she will break you. She will take from you. And she will see you turned as a willing slave before the end of things. You are not ready. Swim quietly, pest.+ Zein laughed softly, and Naekos footsteps quickened. She finally tore her gaze away from the FardrifterCaway from the ghoulCto face her once disciple. Her finest pupil. Even his shadow seemed to bear weight, the pressure of the palm increasing as he loomed over her. Avo watched with the excitement of a vouyer, and the templates inside him were no? better. Before him stood two figures that predated the Godsfall. Two bleak legends from the depths of Idheims history. Impossibly, the Godslayers gaze softened as she laid eyes on the Chief Paladin, and she signaled the beginning of their dialogue with a soft exhalation. Dearest boy. Its been too long. Light struck the side of Naekos face, revealing the impossibly smooth texture of his ebony skin and his taut tendons, each as thick as a cord. Then there was his eyes. There was hurt. There was fear. And there was exhaustion. Youre alive. The statement left Naeko as if an admission of defeat. At this point in time, Zein replied. He clenched his jaw. I was hoping something else, you know. I was hoping you were dead. After all these years. And the near-motherly affection flattened behind Zeins eyes. A wish we both share some days, I assure you. Naekos hands opened and closed as fists. Why? Why? Zein asked. The immense palm slammed down on existence. Zein bounced off the ground. Avos ego rang as the symptoms of a concussion overcame his senses. When coherence returned, he found Zeins head capped by one of the Chief Paladins immense paws. Thousandhand felt a titan in battle. An impossible threat. But next to Naeko, she seemed almost as she appeared: an old woman. Brittle. Frail. Aged. A hitched breath preluded Naekos words. His hand tightened. Cracks spread across Thousandhands armored faceplate, but she offered only a muted stare of exasperation than fear. Where the fuck were you? Where? WhatChow could you let this happen? Let? Zein said, sounding incensed again. I let nothing happen. You know VeylisCdo not pretend to think her our lesser. She made a choice. She made a choice and held it close to her heart. Told no one. Not I. And not you. And when the time came, she acted. Something that was almost a sob escaped from Naeko. Just like you taught us. Clearly not, she replied, humorless. She heeded. She acted. She enforced her will. You broke. Truthfully, you disappoint me, my boy. I expected more from you. Her helmet shattered completely between his fingers. But he stopped. With his thumbs an inch away from sinking into her eyes he stopped. Osjane is dead. Ya Wei is dead. Mordeinn is dead. Joramadr is dead. More and more and more. All dead. Naeko took a steadying breath. You expected more from me? So did Osjane. But I just let Osjon kill her. I just let Veylis turn them. All of them. You expected more from me? You know me, Zein. You know me. Im all Ive ever been. Less. Less. An uneasy expression came over Zein. Samir. Enough. Enough. This weakness is beneath you. He didnt heed her words. Ive only ever been a dog. For you. For Jaus. For her. I listened to you. All of you. Whatever you did to me, I took it. I learned. I trained. If there was a farm, I burned it. If there was a god, I fought them. If there was a rebellion I suppressed it. If there was an assassin, I killed them. I did it. I did it. I always did it. Stop. Stop. Zeins voice took on a harrowed quality. Her eyes flicked to Avo, and her character took on a new dimension. Another is watching. You cannot do this to yourself in front of them, boy. I will not allowC Her words faded into a choked grunt as he tore her from the ground, huge hands wrapped around her neck. His eyes were closed, but his mind was sobbing, the pain inside him so resonant Avo could feel the man crumble. Its not up to you! Naeko snarled. Not anymore. You left. You failed. YouCyou let him die. You let Jaus die. You let Veylis fall! Its you! Its always been you! You left me here to hold things together! All of you did! But why couldnt you hear me when I spoke to you! Why couldnt you listen when I told you! All of you! Im not a leader. I dont have it. Never did. Theres not enough of me left to believe. There never was. Everything I was belonged to all of you and and and you all went away. You went away and the world fell and I tried and it wasnt enough! Do you hear me now! I wasnt enough! Even in the end! Even as a god! I still couldnt stop them! Still! Still! I still couldnt win! A tremor passed through Zeins lip, but as Naeko was breaking, she endured. Samir. Samir. Control yourself. Please. You are wounded, but you must not fall. You must not show your foes you are pained. Were you there? Were you alive all this time? Were you there that night? The sudden question from Naeko left Zein choked with apprehension. I Were you there that night when I called for you? That night when Osjane was murdered. When I had to kill my own brothers and sisters to save Scale. I called for you. When I fought Veylis. When I found Osjanes body. I called for you. Did you hear me? Were you there? A soft breath left Zein, and Avo realized even his Fardrifter was silent. Enraptured by the scene. She mustered her strength and spoke. Yes. Yes, I was. And I heard you. ButC And then the palm resting upon them turned to a fist and Naekos thumbs were pushing deep into her eyes. A chortled cry came from Thousandhand, but it was drowned out by a rageful roar escaping Naeko, the volume deafening, the Rend exploding from his body, the act of violence going off with a force greater than a thousand warheads. For the first time in centuries, Samir Naeko found the floor of his anger, and existence trembled. 22-3 Peace Broken Osjane Thousand: Naeko. What do you want? The fires have settled. Nothing remains of our foes but ash and ruins. The slaves are unchained. The pantheons they fed are but fragments we bear within us. Our victory is total. More and more of our brethren are arriving from across the stars. Countless new horizons await. So why? Why are you still so desperate to find a war? To find a foe? Why are you still seeking vengeance for a war that has already been won? Samir Naeko: Because thats what Im for. Osjane Thousand: War? You''re more than just a destroyer. With your martial gifts, destruction can be protection. Strength can be turned toward construction. Ah. Even made it rhyme. Samir Naeko: Listen. Osjane. I dont want to disrespect you, so can we get to the point of this? Osjane Thousand: [Sighs] Fine. So be it. I wish for you to treat people with more care. Prisoners. Citizens. Subjects. I have been getting concerning reports about your behavior. You are rough with people. Samir Naeko: Oh, this is about the piece of shit I killed. Osjane Thousand: Yes. The one you beat to death using his own son. Naeko the war is finished. You dont need to treat our people as your enemy. Samir Naeko: Theyre not my people. But I hear your words. Ill heel. You dont need toC Osjane Thousand: Youre not a dog! I dont want you to heel, I wantCI want you to be a person! I want you to dream! To wish for something better. Maru is getting married. Ya Wei is shes making art. Samir Naeko: Mordeinns still a piece of shit. Osjane Thousand: Hes getting better. But, please. Youre a person. You should have dreams too. You should have wants and desires. Of a life after the fires. We will not be Jaus fists forever. And Veylis. What about her? Your lives together? Samir Naeko: Shes fine with me. She knows who I am. She knows Im all for her. Her. Her mom. Her dad. The real dreamers. She knows Ill do anything to see this city shine and them happy. Theyre the best parts of us. Ah. You got me spitting sap. Osjane Thousand: But what about you? What about Samir Naeko himself? You must want something. You must have some kind of hope. Some kind of idealization. Samir Naeko: [Laughter] I find that plenty in the Sister. Osjane Thousand: Veylis. You said you stopped Samir Naeko: I said I was gonna try. I stopped cutting her. I stopped hurting her that much. I just relieve memories with her these days is all. Osjane Thousand: That is not a well thing to do. Samir Naeko: Yeah? It isnt? Okay. I get it. I understand. Youre a real sweetheart, Osjane. Youre better than your idiot brother in pretty much every way. But even he can tell what I am. Osjane Thousand: And what are you? Samir Naeko: Im a hound. Im a killer. Im a fire. Im a bomb. Im the mean godsdamned bastard that comes at night to scalp your pa and burn your home. I dont have dreams. I close my eyes, I see the war, and I hear my paCscreaming for me, cursing at me for letting them cut him apart. Thats who I am. Im a hound, and I need my meat. Osjane Thousand: No. Samir Naeko: What? Osjane Thousand: Youre not a dog, Paladin. Youre just a liar with a broken heart. Samir Naeko: Fine. Alright. Anything else. Osjane Thousand: Yes: A months mandatory leave. Use it. And no, this time I do expect you to heel. Use it and come back to me. And Ill be sending Maru to check on you. To make sure youre not spending all your time with your oldest acquaintance. -Osjane Thousand to Samir Naeko (Circa 32 Post Godsfall) 22-3 Peace Broken A layer above, in the Sanctus-majority district of Madruss, a young slave, left unfed in her cage for days, succumbed to hunger and took a bite from the dead puppy her master caught her playing with a week ago. As she sank the three unrotted teeth she had remaining into the flea-infested carcass, a supple retribution followed. Eighty kilometers away in a Syndicate bar, the girls master died screaming as she was bitten in half by something unseen. Three hundred kilometers away, back down in the gutters, a group of twelve gangers cheered as they triggered their generator once more, preparing to shock the squire they captured one final time. The jolt came. They fried instead. A few hundred meters away, in an alleyway, an aratnid bit into its dying sister, seeking to find nourishment in the absence of its mother. Somehow, it tore into itself instead. And back at ground zero, where Zein was breaking apart into echo after echo, where branching paths of gold poured from her being during one second and broke apart in the next, Naeko forced his fingers deeper into his former masters socket, relishing at the cracks he felt shuddering up his digits. Echo clashed against echo, parrying blows away from Zeins true body. But with each act of force or violence she inflicted, an exponential opposite was returned, the magnitude of harm greater in every way. Naeko watched his Rend plummet below twenty. Felt death after death, body after broken body touched by his venting Hell. As a miracle of time spilled out from ZeinCher paths collapsing, routes of escape narrowing further and furtherCso too did miracles of violence emanate from Naeko. She flowed like a raging river. He swelled like an expanding atmosphere. And so it was for a moment that he was in the past again. A boy under her tutelage. A broken foe at her feet, staring up the length of her gleaming glaive. A shift in the path splashed over him. Her dragon glaive moved on its own accord an slashed out from the rightCopening to draw him into a pocket of space. His utility fog expanded around him, forming an armor of pointed fists. He struck the encroaching split in space, and from him formed a barricade of knuckles, washing outward in a tide. Existence screamed. The gutters groaned. The ground fissured as blocks crumbled into opening chasms. Deeper still, the Penumbra that once housed the Low Masters and their ilk groaned, the hive of alloy fashioned into place by the voiders squealing as they came apart. Naeko moved. The world succumbed. The world broke. There was no other choice. There was no other way. Such as material reality. So for Zein. Or it would have been if she hadnt used her reserve Heaven. A droplet of rain fell three kilometers, spilling down from an opening in the Layers above to grace the windowsill of a toppled apartment building. She vanished. His hands closed. Zein was gone. Ah. That Heaven. The one she so loathed to use. Rarely did Zein Thousandhand ever allow herself a retreat. An age ago, Naeko would have felt honored. Now, it just fed his fury. His misted fist grew, its shadow now stretching well over eight hundred kilometers. Rain dared not strike it. Light dared not trespass through the haze. For the second time, Naeko struck the gutters, and with the impact, he planted himselfCand the DaemonCright on top of Zein. The slanted structure she rematerialized broke in half, and Naeko barreled back into his once-master, their bodies crashing through plascrete, glass, plastic, and alloy like twin flechettes, the weight of his fist a moving apocalypse. Behind them, the heads of the Daemon displaced entire sections of reality. Naeko kept it held in place with a paltry effort as he fought, preventing the unneeded deaths of any subjects. He could still feel them, scattered through the Warrens as they were. His fist felt everyone under its knuckles, and he alone decided who would suffer destruction. A ripple exploded out from Zein. He tore the force from her body, forcing her to stay. A fog-formed elbow descended to break her, but her body turned fluid and she splashed apart, surviving with little effort. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. +Listen to me, boy,+ Zein cast, her mind focused, her eyes pooling back together in her liquid form. +We must speak.+ +Talk, then,+ Naeko said, not bothering to retrain the hate he felt for her. She was there. All these years, she was there. And she never came. Godsdammit. Godsdammit it all. Rend at eight percent. The fog around him grew denser. Naeko followed the golden strings trailing free from her body and spread his influence even wider. He knew her weakness. He knew her present determined everything. She couldnt move. She could predict everything that was going to follow, and still, she couldnt move. A flash of remembered violence exploded out from his being. An explosion of force blossomed within the cumulus fist, lancing down on Zein. The blow was one of absolute harm. Something that could do nothing else but shatter whatever it hit into glass. Zein countered by offering an echo to die in her stead instead, the puppet of time burst apart into splitting glints as the Chief Paladin wrapped his fingers around her neck againCand caught her briefly vanished glaive using his utility fog as it tried to pierce him from behind. I expected you to be out of practice, somehow, Zein said, straining out the words. I am, Naeko replied, every sinew in his body screaming for him to tear her in half. The world beyond them was drowned by the susurring of crumbling rock and groaning infrastructure. Naekos fog battled dust away, unwilling to share the space with a lesser obfuscation. The Chief Paladin stood a boulder of a man, his body bathed in crimson neon. They were down within the mangled guts of a subterranean megablockCin one of those old Wight-making facilities. Spilling pillars screeched and broke around them as Naeko crushed a few hundred Syndicate enforcers in a stray thought some dozen levels above them. Those bastards were doubtlessly here to film a vicarity. Considering that he could feel any other moving bodies or active violence, he guessed they hadnt started. Or were already done. Pointless. Pointless and useless. Worthless revenge at best. Just who he was now. Naeko snarled and then sank his fingers through her armor, into her collarbone for purchase. Zein, for her part, offered nothing in response. Not a sound. Not a wince. No. Instead, her cheeks puffed, and a buzzing field of static swallowed both of their skulls. It passed through Naekos authority as if it wasnt an act of violence, its force insufficient to do harm. As it settled into his pores and a wave of tingles danced deeper and deeper into his head, he instantly knew what it was. Suncloud! He spat, even as he felt the lightness began to build in his skull. A ragged hiss followed. Armor broke, and Zein came apart in near-halves from her collarbone down to her stomach. Blood ran free in rivulets from between her cracked teeth. One of her lungs was poppedCthe ruptured organ visible to Naeko, tangled in a spool with her intestines. Her nanosurgeons were straining, her modified blood doing all they could to flow without the aid of her heart. +For your stress. And so we can see an end to this tantrum, and talk likeC+ He felt it. Another shiver. A ripple in time. His face contorted in rage as his fist billowed even wider. Two percent Rend. Back to the palm soon. Veylis! His voice echoed through the dim collapsing cavern. The presence of his former love was never faint. Never subtle. If anything, she was bolder than her mother ever was. Perhaps she was watching them. Indulging in a moment of pleasure. But even she wasnt a fool. She knew better than to strike now. Still. He couldnt stop himself. Years. He let this fester for years. He needed to give the moment words. Veylis! Come out. Come out. Lets be a fucking family again. I got her right here. Shes alive. Did you know that? Did you know all this time too? He gave a bitter laugh. S-she said she wants to talk. Imagine that. He chuckled. It came out more like a sob. She was there. She watched you butcher us. Watched your slave-bastard Osjon murder his sister. She was there and she did nothing. He was hyperventilating again. His hands were clenching and unclenching, just like they used to when he disappointed his father, when he failed Jaus, when he angered Veylis, when Zein criticized his weakness. But Thousandhand wasnt focused on him right now, instead, her gaze was locked upward, her expression tight. He felt it again. Another twitch in time. This time, he knew exactly where it was. Fiery anticipation and panic gripped his heart in equal measure. To finish this in the gutters was so inauspicious, so messy and ugly. But thats what they all deserved. The dream was lost. Jaus was dead. The future was slain. Only ruins remained. His fist struck, as he conferred an investiture of his accumulated force into what he thought was Veylis, the Daemon punched through the level above him with a chorused scream, thin traces of gold unspooling from its winds. The last of its Rend faded as it sheared through the deforming plasteel ceiling, the Heaven whistling away as it unraveled from existence. In its place, a disfigured figure fell. Entire chunks were missing from their sheath, but there was something about them that pulled his attention. His utility fog snaked out to reel in the corpse, and Naeko found himself frowning as he looked upon something that looked likeC The body promptly exploded. An explosion comparable to that of a tactical nuke blossomed in a ruinous wave. Naeko swatted it aside with a casual backhand, redirecting it into itself with ease. But with it came an opening. REND CAPACITY [SAGE OF THE SUNDERED SKY]: 0% Naekos Hell emptied. His fist shifted back to a palm. But the transition was a moment in time. A moment that could be struck. Honed instinct alone guided him, made him wrap himself in utility fog and twist his head. Around him, time tore as echo after echo cleaved at him. A thrust crackled. The air shivered. Blood sprayed and teeth burst from Naekos skull. Only the throbbing static provided by his Pain Editor implant told Naeko he was still alive. A dissolving spear threaded through his cheeks, but he had bitten down on the edge, holding it in place using his wounds and Heaven to deny Zein her kill. He had felt the blow coming. Sensed it at the last momentCjust like all those times training against Zein. She had been waiting for an opportunity like thisCthe point where his Hell and Heaven swapped. A brief change of states. A lightness passed through his body, but Naeko ignored it. With another clench of effort, he snapped the past-flung spear in half between his jaws, uncaring how they cracked his remaining teeth. A resurrection was due after this. A good death properly earned. With his cheeks flensed open and lower jaw dangling on unresponsive sinews, Naeko let out a choked rasp as he struggled to laugh, storm clouds building behind his eyes. Facing Zein, he saw the shine in her gaze. The pride. The weariness. +Anyone else would have been mine.+ +Almost,+ Naeko said. +Who was that?+ +A new discipline turned wayward rival. He has rejected my will.+ +Must be smarter than me then.+ +Naeko. I wish to tell you many things. There isC+ He didnt bother waiting for her to finish. He buried a fist into her disembowelment and wrapped his fingers around her spine. Whatever she had to say, hed get it from her in interrogation. He was Chief godsdamned Paladin, not her pawn. Not her boy. No. Fuck that game. He was done. He was done. He leaned in close so she could see himCsee his hate. +I called for you. Not anymore. When you come back, Ill speak. Ill speak, and for the first time in your worthless life youll listen. And youll tell me what you know straight.+ And before she had a chance to argue, he sank his other hand inside her, released his Heaven, and tore in two different directions. She came free in halves, and both went sailing from his hands, painting the distant walls flanking him as mutual splatters. A scab formed in front of him. A rare sight to earn from Zein Thousandhand. But Naeko wasnt satisfied. Not even close. Shed come back. Shed come back with Heaven manifested and the urge to fight. That was all well and good with him. He felt the fire again. The flames he thought killed all those years ago. He remembered why he did all this. Remembered what he felt, and why he felt it. Chains from chains. Master to master. Leash to leash. He was a dog. He was a dog, but he had no master, and he needed to pull something apart. To tear into this city for all the years it disgraced his brothers and sisters, to tell it he was done sleeping, that the slump was over. +I told you,+ he said, casting his thoughts into the cavernous dark. +I told you I surrender. You broke me. You won. But youre not there. Youre not real. No one cares.+ He swallowed and snapped his jaw back into place. +Its just me, isnt it? Its up to me. I have to do this. I have to do this.+ Silence again. Silence and no answers to sate his hurt. Nothing but him. Nothing. +Not just you. Courage, Naeko. Not alone. I see you. I see your struggle.+ Time quivered. Naeko froze. His Heaven rushed out from him, spreading wide to find the speaker. But there was nothing. And there was no one. No one at all. Maybe it was just his own mind. But he never sounded that sibilant. And his voice was never that deep. There was someone else. Beside him and Zein, there was someone else watching. No Veylis. It couldnt be whoever was using the DaemonCthey were dead. So who? Who? Who? Naekos mood worsened. He spat at Zeins anchor. Couldnt even come back without making things more complicated for him. A growl escaped him. Frustration built. He settled for striking New Vultun across the face again, his palm remanifesting in the atmosphere before slamming back down, passing through the harmless without harm, and splattering the vicious as he had just done Zein. This was the right thing. Enforcement. Enforcement. Enforcement. He let himself sleep. But the city still didnt care. The Guilds still played their games. The closest thing he ever had a mother still thought him nothing more than a dog. Godsdammit all. In despair, Naeko found his mind drifting back to Osjane, to her question of what he wanted, to the dreams of the future. Never to come. It turned out he was right. It turned out the city did need a dog, and the Guilds a proper mauling. He activated his session and linked to Maru, never taking his eyes off Zeins scab, or her writhing dragon. +Maru. Pocket off this area. And get me some godsdamned cagers. I got a third for our trial. I got Thousandhand. I got her. I got her. I got her. I got her.+ A lull followed. Maru sent him a nod. +Hey. Are you alright?+ And Naeko looked down at his handsCsoaked in the gore of his master and mother. Soaked in blood like all those times before. It felt right. It felt warm. It felt like what he was for. +I dont think I ever was.+ *** REND CAPACITY [HEART OF NOLOTH]: 0% DOMAINS DETECTED (SHADOW/FORCE/SPACE) STABILIZING ONTOLOGY REPAIRS IN PROGRESS WARNING: HEAVY TEMPORAL DISTORTION DETECTED 22-4 Among Giants [Operational Damage Report for Critical Sovereignties in the Spine]
Nothing will stop Young Master Wei An Wei from exacting his revenge upon his father. Not the forces of the Claimed Hells. Not the laws of reality itself. Young Master Wei An Wei of the Drowned Sky Sect lived a life of martial excellence, dedicated to cultivation and the honoring of his family and sect. His life should have been one of triumph and virtue, with the end of his journey driving him to surpass the heavens above. Instead, one day, for seemingly no reason at all, his father murdered his mother, broke the protections guarding his sect, and damned his world to the legions of hell. Left for dead in the aftermath of his father''s betrayal, Wei reached out for anything and anyone that could fulfill his plea for revenge and discovered his wounded spirit infused with a System designed to break other Systems--and reality itself. Now, once Young Master of the Drowned Sky Sect chased his father into the Claimed Hells, into a den of vice and virtue, into a diaspora of countless factions, players, cultures, and other System-Hosts; into a power struggle fated to reshape existence itself...27-12 Vessels of Flesh and Mind Art is how you betray yourself to an enemy. Art is the fullest expression of who you are, of what you desire, of your expression released into the world. You live. You are shaped. And you shape thereafter. And in your wants and flaws, your greatest defeat will be shown. To want is to war, and therefore, all art will inevitably lead to conflict, for another will learn to hate you by the nature of your work alone. Just look at how the priests are braying for your blood. And for what? A dignified sculpting of one of their gods. An absolute improvement of divine aesthetic a thing supposedly beyond the point of improvement. But not us, dear poet. Not us. We wish to be with you. And you can be with us, learn with us in this place free of judgment. This city eternal welcomes you. And you have no choice but to accept. -The Hungers of Noloth 27-12 Vessels of Flesh and Mind C[Vator]C I would like to understand something," Vator said, pausing his words as he focused on parting the flesh from the ghouls face. Poor, wretched, horrible creature. So limited in design: made to be the nightmares of children. Pointed fangs; pale, translucent skin; those scleras; and their elongated dimensions. How painfully awkward. How terribly boring. A monster blessed with but stray traits of inhumanity, yet clearly still bound to the shape of man. For the longest time, he thought the Low Masters devoid of creativity. As it turned out, they were just constrained. Why? Vator asked, using his Heaven of Biology to scoop the festering tumors pulsating within the ghouls exposed brain matter. Nasty little plaguetheir regeneration was hyper-accelerating these cancers, bringing them to an even earlier end. As in, why serve the Hungers if they are so banal? Why serve them when they refuse to let you live to your fullest potential? Youre a curious sort, Emotion. I can hear it in your words your observations. Did you not feel the ache of being constrained? Did you not want to make something beautiful? The youngest of House Greatling gestured at the deceased monster he was vivisecting on the maple table. The Deep Mariners deluxe suite leased ample six rooms to him and his father during their stay. Located in the Vulget District in the Hallowmile Sovereignty at Lights End, it had become their place of stay while they conducted their operation. Worked to redeem their houses honor. With crystal mirrors, marble floors, leather padded walls, and Highflame-specific decor, it was a fanciful place. A genuine attempt to leisurely living, if such a thing was possible in these Warrens. Vator also despised it. It was boring. Expected. And embraced none of the uniqueness within the locale. Where were the circuits? Where were the makeshift technologies assembled by the locals? Where was the street art staining his walls? Alas, his father had standards, and Vator prepared himself to deal with things in dull determination. But as they were investigating poor Jhreds ruined hovel, a most fascinating character greeted them and offered himself in surrender. +Beauty is shaped by conception and culture,+ the Famine of Emotion said. +The Hungers and Guilds concern themselves with dominance and force. Dominance over concepts and culture. Solitary reign over all. You speak of beauty. Have you thought of what might remain when only one force stands?+ The Low Master projected an avatar from the locus that held his mind. He resembled a tall man with stitched eyes and a dead bird of all things lodged in his chest cavity. Quite symbolic, but also a cry of outrage. The Famine of Emotion: a heartless, blind man. Subtext was truly for cowards. Still. They were fun to talk to. They didnt recoil from Vators ideas like the other children up in the Tiers. I think, like a body, the one force will mutate and change, and I will be a part of all the trends and glories to follow. Vator sighed. How he longed for the day when this pointless warring could be done, and he could glory himself in work and creation beyond the threshold of time. Look here. Monsters can be beautiful. Your ghoulsthey could have been so much more. And yet, your master leashes them. Leashed you! Vator grew a hand out from the side of his face and flicked away that single solitary tear rolling down his right eye. So much potential denied. He tapped the ghoul again, and invoked his Domain of Flesh. The monster spilled apart before his very eyes, a cocoon of biomass forming over it, digesting itself. He wanted to see how a ghouls expanded digestive tract would affect their system if that would destabilize these ever-growing tumors. This one was used up. He was getting close to understanding why so many of them were getting premature cancers. Something about their cells seemed almost intelligent. Or organized to fail in a certain way. Such coherence pointed up beyond the clouds. Voidwatch was ever lawful. Especially in the work they left behind. +Have you found the problem yet?+ Emotion asked. Hm. Yes. I found the problem four hours ago, but I havent quite solved it. Its a vexing problem. Definitely not something of thaumaturgic origin. Not purely, anyhow. Vator let out a tired breath. Time for a break. What does Avo mean? The Famine of Emotion cocked his head at that. A faint aroma of citrus drifted through the Nether, then vanished. +Nothing anymore. But in present context, it is a reference to past regrets. And lost yearning.+ So. He represents a tragedy. +He represents a mistake. But also an opportunity.+ A faint smile formed on the Low Masters face. +Without Defiances transgression, with the Burning Dreamers continued ascent, the Hungers would have never unbound me so. And I would have never been free.+ This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Free to betray them to the High Seraph and Highflame? Vator asked, cocking an eyebrow. +Free to provide for them what they need, rather than what they want. They are afraid. A city in disarray. But they can be made better once more. They can be elevated to their fullest potential if they are preserved. Our war is lost. But a bargain can still be made. A partial victory can be shared. This much is obvious to me.+ My father doesnt believe you, Vator said. He doesnt trust you. Thats why he marked me with his flame. Thats why he has that barrier fire lining his Metamind at all times. +He is right to be suspicious. But we are bedfellows of desperation. Both unleashed by the acts of a singular being.+ Avo, Avo, Avo, Vator said, testing the name on his lips. Hm. No. I think I will call him the Burning Dreamer instead. It sounds more fitting. Vator wove a stool from his tailbone, calcium expanding out from behind him from splitting skin, paired with delectable pain. He sighed as he sat across from Emotion, steepled his hands as he regarded how he mightve changed the other mans look perfected him more. My only point of confusion with you is how actively willing you seem about testifying at the trial. Offering yourself over to the Paladins seems dangerous. It might give them the way to track others of your like. You said you have many nodes, correct? +Yes. And they will try to stop me. But have seen the way of things. There are only so many outcomes left. And this way will guarantee a place for my culture, at the very least.+ Honorable. Vator nodded. Unbelievable. But considering all the unbelievable things that have happened since the beginning of history, perhaps this was merely another turning point. The body was a living piece of architecture, after all. Pillars broke, weight shifted, and the structure warped. +An apt metaphor.+ Emotion went silent as he began to study the Instrument. +Are most Highflame children like you?+ Vator smirked. No. Theyre usually even greater disappointments. And they fixate on these trifles. He thought back to the time when he reshaped Modad Hekkiers nu-dog. The thing had the flattest face and the most laughable nasal passage. And its body screamed for the hunt, but its embarrassing little legs couldnt carry it. He didnt understand why she screamed when he gave the good boy what it wanted. He didnt understand why she was so horrified when it tore into her forced her to kill it. Strangest of all was how she refused to speak with him afterward. He offered to mold a new bioform. Something that suited her gaudy aesthetics. But no, instead of getting pleasure or satisfaction, she chose avoidance. Even after Abrel tried explaining things to him, he found it all so ridiculous. Of course the dog wanted to be something that could express itself. Didnt anyone? The door to their living room clicked open, and Vator turned to greet his father with a smile. Behind him, service drones cleaned and swept the rest of the abode constantly. Uthred Greatling slammed the door shut before they could get a proper glimpse inside. Turning a glare on the Low Master, the former Authority regarded the mangled bag of sizzling flesh that used to be a ghoul on the table with a look of disgust. Vator Ive almost got it, he said. The drones will not touch this table. Before we leave, you will make sure it is absolutely spotless. Of course, father. But now he was no longer the focus anymore. Uthred Greatling had a new plaything to examine, and his name was Emotion. I just finished talking to Green River, Uthred said, tone deep and flat, betraying nothing to the Nolothi. She has offered to provide every resource possible to ensure that I find every success possible in my mission to see my daughter saved. The scorn in his voice was palpable, but there was also something else there. You are certain this ghoul has subverted her. +He is more than a mere ghoul now. But yes. I felt his warminds. He felt mind. We are known to each other. But the nature of our presence remain masked. He will doubtlessly be watching you and your son, but the same thing can be turned back against him. You should involve the Sang more in your matters. Keep her close.+ You do not command me, Uthred growled, towering over the phantasmal projection of the Low Master. Do not forget your place here. You surrendered to us. We are to offer you first to the Paladins, and then to the High Seraph when what you promised is delivered. But we are no equals. You are a valued prisoner that can be made a guest, or a redundancy. +I have not forgotten,+ Emotion said, unshaken by the former Authority. +Just as you remain truthful to yourself. I am the only one that can turn your daughter from damned fool to valiant victim. I am the only reason why you or your son have a trail leading to your foe at all.+ Flames erupted from Uthreds eyes. You +Will do everything to see Highflame achieve its every goal during the trial, and you begin the Fifth Guild War on dominant footing. I will be the difference between a final struggle of attrition and sorrow, or a victorious campaign with all the world aligned beneath the supremacy of your High Seraph.+ Uthred scoffed. So long as you are preserved. +I am irrelevant. My fate was sealed centuries ago. But through me, Noloth will survive, and the city eternal will remain and be protected in a paradise under oath of a singular master. We are all desperate, Uthred Greatling. You and I. Despite me if you wish. But accept the symmetry for what it is.+ Enough of this. Uthred turned away from the Low Master with a barely suppressed sneer and addressed his son. Have you isolated the ghouls afflictions yet? Almost, Vator said, annoyed to be repeating himself. I believe the engineering is voidtech in nature. Entirely natural at its base. Voidwatch, Uthred grunted. I have contacts in Omnitech, do you No! Vator snarled like a dog trying to protect his bone. A flush tinted his cheeks as he watched his father flinch away from him. No, no, I mean. I can do this. No need to trouble them. There are other matters they should concern themselves with. When I am done, I will see the Old Woman and offer what I have learned to her. Perhaps she can make something of use out of it. His father regarded him for a beat before giving a curt nod. See it done before tomorrow if you can. Vator did so love a challenge. I can. I will just need to do more testing. A flash of discomfort passed behind his fathers eyes. For a second, Vator expected to be refused, but then the look faded, and Uthred seemed merely resigned. I understand. Do it quietly. Keep your noise to a minimum. Of course, father. People go missing in these Warrens all the time. I will be sure to put some of the unwanteds to better use. I will leave the process to you, Uthred muttered as he turned to leave the room. I will be leaving for the Second Fortune in an hour. There are additional things I want to discuss with the ghouls slave. Will you bring Emotion with you? Vator asked. Uthred went still just as gripped the door. Turning slowly, he eyed his youngest son with the harshest glare he could. Vator. He is not a toy. Do not treat him as such. I have him contained, not pacified. The Famine offered no commentary about this. So, no, then? Vator said. His father promptly stepped out and left, all but slamming the door behind him. The youngest Greatling sighed once more. He turned to face Emotion again. Forgive him. He is under a great deal of stress. +And shame. And sorrow. Your brother has left a wound in him. As has your sister. And he wants to truly connect to you, for you are his greatest inheritor. But he is unable to understand you, and he fears you on an instinctive level.+ Emotion let out a soft breath. +I empathize.+ This surprised Vator. You do? Avo, Emotion said. You asked me about the meaning behind his name. It is derived from Avohakten. My son. The son I killed. Rapt fascination rose within Vator like bile, he was leaning forward, eyes aglow with glee. Tell me. Tell me. But the Low Master pressed their lips together. +A reward for you. Separate the sickness affecting my ghouls, and I will tell you everything about my wayward boy.+ The young Instrument threw his head back and laughed. An order from his father and an offer from a Low Master. What a day. What a thrill. Reabsorbing his tailbone-forged stool back into himself, Vator tugged at his suit lapels as he placed a palm against the boiling mess of flesh beside him. Ill be right back. And then he injected himself into the squirming biomass and tunneled across the city, clawing his way out from one of his many existing art pieces left in the gutters. Time for a little more testing. 27-13 Last Days of the False Peace (I) People ended up calling this time the last days of the false peace, because that''s what it was. A false peace. Sure, the Guilds weren''t fighting, but those half-strands were bound to get into it sooner or later. Even without us lighting the fuse, the High-Cuntus well, she had her designs long before we did. In the end, all I can say is that we weren''t the ones to start the fire. We just tried to shape its path so that it would burn the half-strands we wanted it to burn. But whats the thing people say about best laid plans? Shit fills your hand? Well, imagine if the shit was fire, and that some of it jumped on your short hairs and traveled up the hole. Sometimes, the burning gets a little out of control and take something from you, too. When you start a war, not all of your consangs are gonna make it. I kinda thought I knew that as an Enforcer, but I really wasnt ready to learn it again. Not with people I actually cared about. -Aedon Fuckbringer Chambers 27-13 Last Days of the False Peace (I) C[Avo]C Avo tracked the busts of radiations from after, following the progress of the Omnitech scouting Knot as the golems inched along the threshold of the clashing Sunderwilds. He detected them by pure chance noticed a discrepancy in the tapestry. They traveled as a stable series of impossibilities upon the Domain of Signals, their intermittent pulsing standing stark against a canvas eroded by entropy. When disorder reigned, that which held structure was easily separated. He had been studying Heaven-designation [TERRAFORMATION MODULE-2994.04.04-Tundra-Mountainous-Chrismas Forever Standard] along the EGIs when he detected their coming. They were still over four hundred kilometers away, but from the paths they maintained, they clearly knew what they were looking for. Once more, Avo found his suspicion rewarded. When he and Draus secured the Heaven from the enclave, he neglected to subsume immediately. His original plan was to offer it over to Omnitech to use as bargaining for the George Washington. Even then, he was paranoid of the Sleeper, and rightly so. Calvino struggled to sift through the Heavens database. The voidship it was bound to remained corrupted in data and thaumaturgy. Avo uncovered just as many flaws within its ontology, uncovering an extremely unstable mythology. Entire stretches of existence were missing from its simulated inner reality. The miracles it possessed portrayed a world of snow, mountains, festive cheer, and strangely a strong scent of ginger, but was also lined with naked rifts: clefts between the metaphysical and material. Most curiously, when it detected certain deviations across the tapestry, it would respond by attempting to trigger its own phenomena. Small alterations made to existence. Too small to incur much rend, but too unnatural to escape being baseline. It is CALLING the Sleeper, the Techplaguer purred. Connection not found. Connection not found. +But Omnitech can detect it?+ Avo asked. See. BEACONS ARE MEANT TO BE SEEN. The Techplaguers statement would further be proven when, hours later, a few hundred more instances of radiation jabbed at Avos attention. The nearest Omnitech scouts were coming in from the coast of Noloth, just before the shattered sea. In the far distance, past fracturing waves of impossible black, the fangs of the Skuldvast rose high, splitting the sky, clouds, and space. They came in across the waters, traveling along the scar charts where ruptures blunted each others entropy. The bulk of Omnitechs units were concentrating at an adjacent rupture some fifteen thousand kilometers away from where [TERRAFORMATION MODULE-2994.04.04] was stored. They used a geometric hurricane as cover, hiding as a budding field of static within the eye of the storm. The turning vectors of the winds bent the worlds progression vector to its path, warping the land and twisting even the tectonic plates below into a mangled looking corkscrew. Avo considered striking them with his Pattern-Nullification, dumping every bit of entropy he had over into the Domain of Signals using the Techplaguers hell. Ultimately, he decided to let them be for now. He didnt want to betray his hand so soon, and formed ethereal watchtowers to monitor their progress. EDICT OF _EXO-PARACOSM_ APPLYING DOMAIN OF (MATTER) >CANON: MIND UPON MATTER - THE ARK INFUSES A PORTION OF MATERIAL REALITY WITH THEIR GHOSTS AND PARTIALLY BINDS THE MATTER TO THEIR MEMORY. A PERCENTAGE OF REND WILL RESERVED IN PROPORTION TO THE MASS AND NUMBER OF STRUCTURES INFUSED. THESE STRUCTURES CAN ONLY BE DESTROYED IF THE GHOSTS INFUSED ARE DISRUPTED AND THE MATERIAL STRUCTURE IS DESTROYED AT THE SAME TIME. ->MORTALITY: IF THE INFUSED STRUCTURE IS DESTROYED, ARK WILL SUSTAIN MINOR (5%) BACKLASH. The watchtowers rose from the land in the shape of faint, flaming chains near invisible from afar. Between each link was a pulsing Skimmer, projection wavelengths over perception over their respective checkpoints. Avo strategically placed four hundred and fifty of them in critical areas near all his facilities. His enclave, prison, bivouac, and the refugee processing site all fell under additional watch, and through them, he detected additional unwanted guests. They were coming from all sides. Not only Omnitech now, but Highflame and the No-Dragons as well. Their vanguard came in the form of Knots, but Avo knew Godclads were certain to follow. Dipping into the tapestry, he felt them drain the Rend from critical ruptures and began inserting demiplane through stabilized zones. Doubtless, they wanted this to be done in the form of an ambush. The encroaching threat left a sour taste in Avos mind. Veylis now knew a substantial amount about his operations with Kaes capture, and the path to his current enclave was no great difficulty of the Guilds. Still, the Sunderwilds would slow their approach and buy him time. Such was why he re-stationed his cadre out here. Such was also why the Guilds would find themselves sorely disappointed when they arrived. If the High Seraph or the Infacer expected to catch him unaware and finish this fight quickly, they were nursing themselves on delusion. Casting the information over his cadre, he got his first response almost immediately. +Shit. That was fast,+ Draus said. +Guess they want to knock us off the board before we can even get to play.+ Avo agreed. +Impatience is a poor habit. But they will learn. How are the passages coming along.+ +Theyll be done by tomorrow.+ +Do them by today. Stop shooting people for now.+ The Regular responded with a disgusted snort. +Im teaching Glass how to be my spotter.+ That gave Avo pause. +You renamed the Simulacra glass?+ +Full titles a mouthful.+ A gorgeous spray; it was wonderful portraying the scene of your death. her Heaven of Reflections said. Avo shifted a fraction of his subminds consciousness over to Draus and found her firing her projectile launcher through a pane of glass repeatedly. Within the pane were over a dozen portals that opened and closed as Draus directed them about. Smart fluid ammunition snapped across the void where Draus was floating, into the junction of her Liminal Paracosmos, before splitting apart into separate projectiles that all zipped forth across random places all over New Vultun and beyond. People were dying constantly. A Scaarthian just out of the shower, still humming a jaunty tune, was decapitated. A Highflamer tried to take a sip from a glass of champagne and caught a bullet down his throat instead. A Seeker was jogging over a puddle, enjoying the morning air. A heartbeat later, something skipped through his body and unzipped his insides from groin to throat. A father-son team of hunters high-fived over the bleeding carcass of a dying refugee. That moment of glory became their final forever as a projectile jumped out from a broken window and went through both of their skulls. The Simulacrae sighed happily, just glad to catch all these scenes in their reflection. The Arsenalist said only one thing. Locked. Firing. Avo hummed. +Actually looks fun. Focus on completing the passage. Can keep killing.+ +Fuck off, rotlick. Dont need your permission.+ It was ever wonderful working with Draus. +Just get the passage done. Want to start moving people up as soon as possible.+ +Yeah, yeah. Your other selves wont stop buggin me bout it too. And that new Heaven of yours is doin all kinds of weird shit. Triggered my wards more than once too. You sure youll be able to stabilize it before the people get up here?+ +Ill strengthen their minds. Theyre going to be living inside it eventually.+ *** Across New Vultun, another submind took in the city he was soon to war over and mediated on the ambiance. For so long, he''d climbed, harnessed power for both his mind and his soul. His journey had started so low, in the depths of the Maw, carried up by cruelty, by sin, and by mercy and chance. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He still remembered rising into the city proper, standing in the lobby of the mega block as Essus wept over his dead son. Holograms depicting a brighter tomorrow danced, casting their flickering brightness over the survivors. A world that was. A world betrayed. A world he now fought for. Two months felt like lifetimes. He experienced so much, come so far, and when he looked back, a pain deeper than sorrow pried at his being. This was not the dream. More and more, he knew the feeling of such loss. His ghosts drifted, observed gutter communities of people just trying to live, listened to the laughter of children, surviving, playing, thriving, despite the desolation that was soon to come. Lurking under the shadow of vast cylindrical structures structural supports passing through Layer One the young played and survived, near feral in their bands, but still lost between hyper-alertness and juvenile fantasy. Humanity wasn''t meant to suffer the gutters, but they endured, they lived, they experienced, and from they came color, came expression, came belief; the seeds of divinity. Higher yet was the spine, buzzing constantly like a hive, bullets flying between pursuing aeros and fleeing drones, ramshackle communities sprawling out around mega blocks ruled by syndicates. Hulking masses of plascrete, glass, and alloy sprawled out into weaving bridges that spilled over into the surrounding scenery like invasive tubes. Avo once regarded these hubs as enemy strongholds, and now found over sixty percent of them under his sway, the minds within overwritten by templates of Chambers, Regulars, and supporting Incubi. In time, they would become his unseen army, poised for a Second Uprising against the Guilds. Noloth was a fool to think they could make better monsters than men, and Veylis would be foolish if she thought he would spare her Guild a proper starvation. A stream of holographic advertisements cycled along the smoothness of a bulbous airship. A projective DeepNav highlighted new euthanasia clinic openings. +Try the new take-home BlissDream Pill! Drift off into the best sleep of your life! Your death will be dedicated to a Guild of your choice by the Thanatechs, and your family will be eligible for imp rewards and citizen lottery percentage bonuses!+ The light carried a message of darkness, but the light was also just light for the people below. Just light, the contents ignored. So many still chose to live, despite it all. Finishing with his mediation, Avo shifted his consciousness and sought Chambers. The man was overlooking a bio-manufacturing hidden two hundred kilometers outside New Vultun. The entire facility was a mesh of glass and flesh, with a few engineering stations and nanofabricators printing weapons and implants. The man stood at the very top of the facility, looking down through the transparent layers. From one end, thousands of subverted Enforcers trickled in, were stripped of weapons and augs, gradually biologically altered of morphology and even identity. Avos overwrote their in layers. On the surface, he replaced the Enforcers original egos with memories extracted from enclaves. Below, he shaped them to be like Regulars and Incubi, their deeper nature set to trigger when they came under attack. As Chambers directed channels of eldritch fire through each room, he seared new forms into their body, molding their flesh like clay. Many were made to resemble the enclavers post-baptism, and those finished with processing were placed in a final section of the facility where they were made to put on the proper apparel. In time, these would be the forces waiting for the Guilds at the enclave. Not the scared people they intended to massacre. Its gonna be a pretty nasty surprise, Chambers said, funneling another rush of flame across a few hundred bodies in the third level. Them Color-fucks wont know what hit em. +That is the hope. How are the Syndicates coming along.+ Work in progress, Chambers said. I casted the Council of Fuck earlier. +Please dont call your copies that.+ It was agreed on with a vote and a knife fight. Sorry Avo. [You did this,] Abrel growled. [You gave this godsdamn degenerate pervert the confidence to become this.] All actions had a price. Well be mostly done by the time the trial starts. Shit, youre pumping out so many mes we might be able to start two more Syndicates. Problem remains with Omnitech and Sanctus. The former keeps nulling hundreds of me like they see me coming. Ont-Shift shits all over your subversion for the second. Well have supremacy in the gutters, but not complete control. That was about as much as Avo expected. +Then destroy them first when the time comes. Dont waste resources trying to claim them.+ Right. Ill get the bombs and nukes ready. A cast left Chambers, and he delegated instructions to his other selves. They had a system in the Chambers with the smallest penis was the most senior after the original. Otherwise, they were a relative flat organization. The former half-strand still wasnt what Avo would call a good leader, but with all the Incubi and Regulars running support for him, all he needed to make was executive decisions. Target critical weaknesses. Were gonna get her back soon, right? Chambers asked. His mind bore a new kind of resolve. Give Veylis the ass-fuck of a lifetime. +Yeah,+ Avo said, speaking with hope rather than worry. +Dont think theyll see what we have coming.+ Chambers chewed on his inner cheek. Right. Well. Im ready. More ready than Ive been all my life. In his mind, he thought of what Dannis told him, and he kept himself controlled. +It is a joy to see you with purpose,+ Avo whispered, compelled to speak his thoughts. Yeah? Chambers chuckled, and stopped his burning for a moment. Imagine if my old man could see me now. +Dont think he would be able to meet your eye.+ Yeah. I dont think he would, would he? Ah. Fuck it. Fuck him. Fuck Zein. Fuck Veylis. Im not gonna lie, its funny as shit to me that doing the right thing is falling to a monster like you and a freak like me but He shrugged. Jaus couldnt light the wick, maybe it just has to be us: the ones too fucked up to break properly in the first place. Avo laughed. +To being fortunate outcast in a sunken time.+ To being the cocks for once, and not the asshole. [Wow,] Abrel murmured. [Regular poetry from both of you.] *** As the number subverts grew in the bio-processing facility, Avo manifested his Overheaven in the City of Light. Once more, he regarded the people below from his tower, and from them emanated the weight of trauma and shock. The days had not been kind to them. One crisis after another left them reeling, and the truth of the world was already overwhelming. All the information Avo fed them rendered them anxious, and more than a few had to be drawn back from the verge of madness. But beyond keeping them stable, he left them relatively untouched. Wanted to speak with them as honestly as possible. +Dice. Are they ready?+ The once-girl was standing at the very apex of the tower, and the cat batted at one of Avos branching ghosts while cursing him mentally. No, Dice said. But they will never be. Theyre waiting for the gate to open. So the dog can come out. So they can stop being afraid and just act. The perspective left by her past was a twisted one, but even that offered its insight. +Are you ready?+ Avo asked. The girls mechanical head whined as it turned. Yes. Death is easy. But life. Its been interesting. I want to go to the void. Its new. I havent seen it. It might be nice. Again, the junviles in the gutters called back to him. Near feral from violence, but still a child somewhere inside. Accepting her words with a grunt, he extended his sequences across the city, and from them spread tendrils of ghosts and splinters like sprouted seeds. In seconds, he was connected to every inhabitant still present in this City of Light, and began what was his third formal address. +War is coming,+ Avo said. He spoke to them directly and saw no point in lying. They should know what potential fate awaited them. They should be offered a clear choice. He channeled his most recent memories, edited to be palatable for mortal minds, and immediately he felt some of them shudder, the suppleness of their cognition recoiling at the Ladder. "Oh, no, please no," a woman whimpered, rocking her newborn close to her chest. A man simply sat down, curled into a ball, and began to cry. Dread and despair rose like steam from countless minds across the city. Avo allowed it. These were appropriate responses, and they should know the truth of the world. But then he continued, for he was not done. And neither were they. +There will be an attack soon. An attack by powers beyond you. Beyond all your comprehension.+ Avo paused. +Beyond even me. But I intend to fight. To make a stand here. To see them bloodied and broken from their failed raid. I will fight them using reality and cognition as my weapons. But this is not your war. But this does not need to be your fate. I hear your fear. And I have been making arrangements.+ +I understand that none of you asked for this. Whatever your sins, whoever you were, this was not your fault. You are merely caught in the waves of history. But there is no avoiding this. Not when the prize is mastery over every form of reality. Every future possible.+ Most of them were still listening, though they didn''t fully grasp the severity of the conflict. Not truly. Their minds didn''t have the capacity to, but they understood. He gave them enough detail to understand. +There will be an end soon. Everything will be decided within a year. The shaping of reality that follows will determine the fate of humanity for however long eternity may last. This war is beyond you, but this war concerns you. You cannot escape it. Not fully.+ +There are people who believe that they should decide the fates of your children. Decide that you must live in their paradise. Or be punished for rejection. I am not one of these people.I will make that known now. You will be given options. There will be other enclaves made available for you. I will not know where you are. I will not know how to find you. You will be able to go there. Find sanctuary. I make no guarantees that tranquility is certain to follow. But there will be peace. Rest. Respite. At least for some time.+ +For those of you who wish to fight, who wish to face the coming end, I welcome you. I will give you all you need to take back your life. To express yourself one final time against the only foe you should ever hate. The truest foe. The highest foe. The tyrant of time. A daughter who deceives all. Even herself. A tyrant that fears another''s wants. Who fears a paradise that doesn''t resemble hers. Who seeks to make true an unwilling god. Who seeks to control all possible future so the only one that remains will be her.+ Avo paused and unleashed new memories. He showed them what Veylis could do. He showed them what she took, and what she could do. He showed them the enormity of her sin and the power she wielded. Jaus was screaming. Jaus was always screaming. +There will be no peace when you walk this path. An undignified end may await. But you will know what it means to hold your own fate. To master your own destiny. You will not go with those who choose sanctuary. I will take you to an old frontier. An old frontier once colonized and then lost by humanity. An old frontier in the darkness above. I will build a citadel from nothing. I will grant you power over nothing. And I give you experiences that no one will ever truly understand. You will be first. You will be unique. And you will be Ensouled. Given power over reality. To defend reality. To defend your future.+ +I have spoken my piece, if you desire to make another choice, if you desire to make your own choice, then let your thoughts shine in your minds. I will see them. I will respect them. I may not accept them. But I will provide you whatever freedoms I can. I will do my utmost to see you become all you can.+ A deathly silence gripped the city, and everything seemed still, aside from a certain uplift that was actively trying to boo, though the cat really didn''t have the throat for it. +The false peace is at an end,+ Avo said, reminding them of the coming war. +There is no avoiding what is to come. Accept. Accept and decide. Accept and choose your own color.+ And as soon as he finished, he cast the memories over to Marlowe. While the city reeled once more. A breathless laugh came from the thoughtcaster still up in the void. She spent her time aboard the Manta, preparing the planetary ring for habitation. A joy was burning in her, and its resonance wasnt so different from Chambers purpose. It was life in the moment. It was the thrill to be here in the present. +Nice speech,+ Marlowe said. The hairs along her skin were standing up, and her breath was slightly hitched. +This will cut one hell of a promo at your trial.+ +I will provide anything else you need,+ Avo said. +But dont embellish. We give New Vultun the full truth. All of it. Make them feel this weight. Not only the enclavers who need to decide.+ 27-13 The Last Days of the False Peace (II) I didn''t expect to be the last one standing. Out of everyone else. That was the weapon. And somehow... I just keep making it out alive. -Jelene Draus, User of the Stillborn 27-13 The Last Days of the False Peace (II) GHOSTS - [822,731,124] LIMINAL FRAME (VI) - 844,200 THAUM/c UPDATING INFECTION INFECTION - [4.09%] Emptiness was not nothingness. Emptiness was space. Emptiness was relative. Emptiness was a canvas. Emptiness was coldness. Emptiness was isolation. And emptiness would be salvation. Most heavens possessed by Avo were already pre-madeharvested from golems or other Godclads. Their lore and mythology were shaped by the agnostic, and long determined by history and culture. Their domains, thus, were concepts known to man like Blood and all its symbology, Air, defined by freedom and escape, Signals, reimagined as a bastardization of lost technology. But the Heart of the Void was to be something else. It would be a Heaven forged by a god. A Heaven forged for purpose above mythology, and the faith that fueled it would be in worship of practicality and functionality. Where once this core of roiling dark was the Heart of Noloth, shaped to protect unworthy masters in a war they could not win, now, it would be cultured to protect the weak, the consume the strong, and mantle the hollow expanse that once cradled all of human existence. There in the void, Avo left a part of him alongside the Manta. He, and a few hundred iterations of Kae drifted, watching the tapestry act and react in the void, studying its patterns. [Peace,] one of the Kae-templates said. [Perhaps that is Domain we can make. It is known to Naeko, after all.] [No, no,] another Kae sighed. [Peace is too easy to compromise. I am sure the High Seraph has a plan for that. Targeted Rendbombs! Paradoxes using previous instances in history. We are trying to create something truly and completely novel! Something that the Guilds cannot easily counter the time they are granted.] As his inner Agnosi theorized, Avo watched all ten thousand kilometers of the planetary ring shift along the curve of Idheim. It splashed through the reaching swaths of the Sunderwilds, sinking in and out of entropy with each of its rotations. However the Guilds made it was designed to last, and now Draus was lining its interior with glass, while the Manta pumped air into a secured section of its insides. Relative to the void, the unfinished ring was a refugee. A place to stay for the enclavers and refugees that wished to follow Avo over Essus. But there was also something else, a relative pull between Idheim and the structure that encased it gravity born from all things with mass. [Mass?] Kae said. [Its been done. Gravity, perhaps.] [Its also been done] [Not like this! We are living old knowledge right now.] +Relativity,+ Avo said. The Kaes went silent. +Gravity can be a secondary Domain. Fusion from the Sun as well. Coldness. Vacuum. The void. Even singularities. Only told me about them. Will be useful. Something most Godclads cant escape from. Even affects time. But relativity. Absolute effects between objects. Consider a thaumic version of gravity. Something that affects conceptual weight as much as physical.+ Kae considered that. [Creating worship for such a Heaven would be difficult.] +No. Its simple. Its about attraction. Repulsion. It is about the pressure applied between things. This is observable. But what is referenced is the canvas. Totality. The city. The backdrop. Our setting. This void. Light moves the same to all observers in the natural world. Physics shares rules. And I see it in the pattern now: the pull. The drawing. An unseen tether of force. Chains and chains.+ Calvino whispered in his mind. {History repeats once more. Or maybe this is just weight drawn across the ages.} +What?+ Avo asked. {Just a reference to an old idea. Its good to see knowledge resurrected. What is lost may always be found anew.} Avo didnt fully get the pogniance of what the EGI was referencing, but accepted their subtle pleasure. As he continued to mediate on the fabric of the universe, he watched the relative links, zoomed back from them. Two Domains accompanied them always. Space and chronology. Space tied to chronology. Everything was somewhere. Everything existed at some time. But with relativity, wasnt the two linked as well? Werent time and space things that moved in tandem. From that, Avo adjusted his view of the tapestry as his perspective deepened. Thinking of it like a weave or a web or a stream was insufficient. Patterns were not lines or irregularities, but relativity distortions from other references of its own symmetry. Miracles of Blood didnt behave like blood. The Fardrifter was not wind. But everything was part of a Continuum. A resonance passed through Avo, and the idea continued to calcify. [Continuum,] Kae said, thoughtfully. [A reference for existence.] [More than that: it is like the tapestrys shape. We we are tapping to the shape itself?] +The shape is broken,+ Avo said. +It must be dreamed of anew.+ And so he did. And so he looked into the blissful empty again, and applied his own history to it. His own mythology. Emptiness was a container. Emptiness was accommodation. Emptiness was acceptance. And from there, the memory of Walton came alight, and once Heart of Noloths aesthetics changed. In the roiling dark and empty, translucent distortions formed, sprouting wide wings, and onyx eyes of reflective white. Conceptualizing Domain of (Continuum) The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. >Working Title: Strix Upon the All-And-Empty *** [Shotin] The Stormtree-Ori-Thaum embassy was choked for business today.Aurithalm embassy was busy today. Bodies were filtering in and out. Massive bodies. Bodies large enough to fill doorways. Bodies that Shotin wished he could just shift away. Perhaps on a normal day, he would have, consequences be damned. But not today. Today, he was here with his niece, and here to talk with his bond brother. Today, he was going to do something he really didnt want to do in the name of diplomacy and outreach between the two major powers he represented: Ori-Thaum and the growing empire of the Knower of Totality. After a good hour of polite waiting, the last cadre of Bloodthanes stomped out from the office, their furs dragging along the ground as they grumbled to each other. Scaarthians never really stopped being an imposing sight up close. There was a wrongness that was scarred into them, and they seemed to regard everyone else much the same. Except Valhu. They liked him. Almost everyone liked him. Valhu Kitzuhada was a popular guy, and today, that was even more the case. As their number was called, Shotin got up and sauntered over to the front desk. Maybe I should talk to them, Kare said, eyeing Vaeg Saskierher fathers attendant. Nah, Shotin said. Its pretty much custom that she tells me to go fuck myself with her eyes. Gotta do it. Uncle, Kare sighed. Lifes about the little things, Kare, Shotin replied, walking across the polished ground, near reflective with its gleam. Youll understand if you ever get to have hate-sex with someone. Im deleting this memory, Kare answered. The Sanctian attendant was sitting there in her nice vest and crystal-rimmed spectacles. She looked up at Shotin and almost sneered, but her expression flattened into confusion at the sight of Kare. The Seeker held out his hand. "No funny business today. I just need to talk to him. Make it quick. A real serious matter." Vaeg started flatly. Like all the other previous serious matters. Shotin met her stare without any of his usual playfulness. No. Not really. That was enough to make her understand. She read the intensity in Shoten''s voice, in his demeanor. There was something wrong. The ghosts circulating her metamind plunged inward as phantasmal currents glided up and down her sequences. Finally, she blinked and gave Shotin a nod. "His schedule just opened. Hell see you now." "Thanks," Shotin said, knocking the table once. Love the glasses, by the way. Like being able to see myself in your eyes. She grumbled a curse and tore the accessory from her face, fling it at him, as he laughed and walked to the opening door. Kare picked up the glasses and handed them back to Vaeg before following thereafter. As Shotin entered Valhu Kitzuhadas office, he gave his brother-in-law a brief nod of exhaustion. Valhu. Ive come to make your day worse. If thats all you''re here to do, then feel free to leave, because the jobs already His brother-in-laws voice trailed off as he mentally swiped through phantasmal documents, pausing only when he saw his daughter. Kare? Hi, dad, she said, biting her lip awkwardly. Valhu looked between Shotin and his niece and blinked. Whats wrong? Whats going on? Shotin sauntered over to the mans sofa and collapsed. Shifting himself a few times, he readied his spirit for what was to come and looked up. "All right," Shotin said, reaching inward to get the ghouls attention. "I''m here. We can all come out and talk now." He closed his eyes. "Don''t burn him. You promised me. Don''t fucking lie to me or I will And before he finished the sentence, a towering, thin form spilled out from his mind, merged into the vagueness of a humanoid from a net of undulating ghosts. The ghoul once known as Avo greeted Ori-Thaums ambassador to Stormtree in his Bone Demon avatar with active Meldskin. The voidtech disguised Avo bestial origins, but the Echoheads captured Valhus attention. A look of confusion and uncertainty filled his face. His cone of perception jumped between Kare, Shotin, and the monster standing before him. There are some things you need to know, Kare began. "Don''t freak out," Shotin interrupted, gesturing to Avo "He''s a..." Shotin began, then frowned as he couldn''t quite find the words to say. "He''s not an asshole. Well, yeah, he is kind of a half-strand. But he''s trying to help us, I think. Well, mainly trying to help himself. Listen, he ate my mind, and could have turned me into someone different to use a spy against Ori_Thaum. But he didn''t. And now he wants to talk to you and so do I," Shotin said, folding his arms. "Does that make things clear?" Valhu just blinked. Slowly he took off his spectacles, gave the ghoul in the room another look, and sighed. "Shotin, are you... are you experimenting with Nova again? Is this some kind of new canon?" "Well, I technically never stopped," Shotin said, shrugging. "But no, this is much worse than that. He''s real. He''s not a phantom. Listen, he''s his own person. He''s not just a projection. Avo, show him." The ghoul promptly speared an Echohead through the ambassador''s nice carpeted floor. Valhu winced as Avo extracted his stinging tendril. The carpet was a personal gift from one of the Longeyes. The ghoul simply gave him a nod, and then ghosts flowed out of him, filled the damage, melted into the carpet. When they settled, the carpet was whole again, as if it had never been stabbed in the first place. Once more, Valhu blinked. And Avo spoke his first words. "Ambassador Valhu Kitzuhada. Pleasure to finally meet you. Glad to finally speak. Happy I saved you." "Man you saved?" Valhu said. His hand was still reaching under the table, where that old spatio-kinetic pistol he took from that Regular all those years ago was strapped. It wouldn''t help, but Shotin didn''t try to stop him. What was the point. And Avo probably knew already. He wouldn''t be surprised if the ghoul was already in his brother-in-law''s mind. "Jhred Greatling," Avo said. "He was planning your assassination. Planning to bomb the function you hosted. The one at the Fire''s Height. Two months ago. I stopped him. Killed him for personal reasons. Caused the Shattering of Nu-Scarrowbur and Mazzas Junction. Also caused the arrest of Abrel Greatling and Elder Mwaba DRongo." Valhu''s mouth fell open. No I know you Youre the bioform. The Pale Spider. That is one of my titles. I want to tell you a few things. Let you know a few things. I promised Shotin that I would spare you, won''t consume you from my Gestalt. At least for now. But that doesn''t mean I need to leave you blind, and that doesn''t mean we can''t be allies. Your clan is engaged against the DRongos. Need to know they are compromised by a Low Master of Noloth. Need to know that Noloth intends to breach your Guild further. Need to know that the Fifth Guild War is approaching. Veylis making her play. And I need an audience with the Inner Council. Want to talk diplomacy. The ambassador struggled to internalize all that information. I. you Blood danced like swirling mist upon the ghouls palm, and a locus was formed. Placing the corpse crystal on the ambassadors table, Avo infused the faceted item with ghosts. All the details you need here. Also a captured Famine of Peace. Dissect him if you wish. Believe your Incubi will be interested. I know this is overwhelming. But there is no more time. And we stand to be of great benefit to each other. For a few seconds longer, Valhu struggled with his thoughts. As his eyes skipped to Shotin, then Kare, a nod from his daughter lessened his worry. His head lowered. Valhu sighed. Alright. Start by telling me what you want. Ill tell you want I think after. And the confused man was gone, and in his place was the diplomata veteran at his trade. Avo continued, "Ambassador, you are held in high esteem for both Stormtree and Ori-Thaum. Want you to make introductions for me. Want to meet a Longeye through you. Want to speak with the Inner Council, as said. Valhu swallowed slowly. "I will not betray my oath." "I don''t want you to betray anything. I do not want your loyalty. This isn''t a threat. This isn''t a bargain. I''m going to tell you where you can find our shared enemies. And you will help me. Because the cost otherwise would be too high. Veylis Avandaer is about to start the Fifth Guild War, Shotin elaborated. Then side-eyed Avo. Actually, no. The ghoul here is about to start the brawl, Veylis Avandaer is just content to oblige. War was coming regardless. But the end approaches. The Ladder looms. Do you know of the Ladder, ambassador. Ladder? Valhu said. Avo grunted. Assumed so. Did know your daughter was the target of Zein Thousandhand. Wanted to kill her so you would fight a war to her design by grief. Valhus eyes only widened. Its true, Kare said, sounding exhausted. Everything hes saying its madness, father, but true. I know this is strange, but A meeting with the Longeyes is more likely than the Inner Council. Valhu looked like he didnt understand the words he just said. Stormtrees governing crones are always interested in a conversation. But the Inner Council. They view the world through their Mirrors I already got a summons, Shotin said. Valhu froze for a beat. Then why ask me for introductions. Because you are a proper channel. This is what Great Powers do. It would seem improper for me to just breach in through Shotin. Maybe it wouldnt even work. But it would spark a war. A war we can delay or avoid. Depending. Understand that you are also working to save your Guild from me. By this point, the ambassador was entirely dry of words. That was fine, Avo had plenty. Let me give you some perspective. Let me show you a glimpse of the end. Can tell me what you think after that. Can bring peace with you as an offering. Get back to me afterward. Whywhy do you want to speak with them? Are you seeking a preemptive truce? More. Want a temporary alliance for the trial. And want to work together on resolving the matter of Noloth Valhus perfect posture turned crooked. A suffering noise escaped him as he looked at his daughter and brother-in-law. A chuckle of disbelief preceded his words. "What the hells have you two gotten me mixed up in? 27-13 Last Days of the False Peace (III) There is no higher sin than love, there is no greater transgression than to want, there is no greater failure of humanity, of existence, than our inability to face things as they are. No more. I will see us make this mistake no more. Love will hurt me no more. May only awareness ache when I think of those I lost. New Vultun, I proclaim to you now, on the end of days, this day of all days to come, no more. No more tyranny. I free all of us from the tyrant that is love. May a peaceful eternity follow thereafter. -Kae Kusanade, Murderess of Love 27-13 Last Days of the False Peace (III) C[Veylis]C Veylis glided over the districts she held in sway. Even now, she could feel moats of the Dreamers sickness trickling in, registered as spreading spots of infection. Loci went dark. Rendbombs were detonated at critical installations. Millions simply collapsed, their minds shattered and winnowed of shape. With each passing second, Avo, the Knower of Totality warred against her. And with each passing second, she appreciated his efforts more. Finally. For a time, with the absence of her mother, she thought there a lull in her strain. A time for her to recover from all these centuries of focus. Not so. He was rapidly becoming a worthy replace in both angle and operational intensity. A different kind of adversary anyway. One that nursed her interest and vexxed her strategies. Her mother spent echoes like strikes. Was always escaping forward into the future. Avo was a tide. A flood. An infection. Always assailing her walls. Always demanding that she remain focus or suffer losses. And with each passing day, the frequency and intensity only grew. His strategy remains unchanged, she back, speaking across her own path. But his operational capabilities his tactics. Those have become infinitely more varied and complex. The amount of Nether-based attacks striking our lobbies will likely surpass Ori-Thaum twice over before the end of this month. {You sound way too pleased,} the Infacer said. {Like a girl. With a new toy to break.} Its learning how to break a being so unique that interests me. He has become an axiom unto himself: an Overheaven of Conceptualization, a God of Minds and Consciousness. What a grand Domain to govern. What a foe to face with time. A Knot of golems detonated within one of her factories, causing a chain of explosions before she cleaved its progression. Time moved like a blade in her hand, and across time she cut as well, her miracles serving as both weapon and canvas, splitting the devastion years away, never to register in the present. A clean severance of fading gold left an entire complex bifurcated. Her riposte would go noticed by the other Guilds, but taking the damage was ugly calculus. She needed the facility preserved should Stormtree attempt to seize the Sovereignty. Every bit of production mattered. In the Nether, the ghoul was spreading, launching traumas against fortresses, subverting critical personnel at an alarming rate. The Infacer had taken to routinely detonating entire areas, as if trying to gas a den of aratnids into submission. Through the integration of Omnitechs Noosphere, they kept the Dreamer at bay with the thaumic encryptions, but that wasnt going to be a permanent solution. The Infacer assumed its quality of delay to last weeks to months at most. Meanwhile, the best asset Avo had in the real was clearly former Guard-Captain Jelene Draus. The regular was unfettered. Gleeful, even. She died in the thousands, millions, soon to be billions, attacking various installations, fighting with brutal efficiency no matter what body she was woven into, no matter what equipment, what implants, or support she had. Another reason for Veylis to exert her displeasure on the Chivalrics. Their incompetence cost her more than they could ever know. But part of her was pleased to see one of her former daughters so joyous. Be all the other Regulars as euphoric as she someday. Perhaps they will meet each other in glorious ends, dying to claim a final tomorrow. No greater glory. No greater end. The others Guilds were also suffering, recoiling and confused about the random attacks ripping through them. Already, she could see Stormtree, Ashthrone, and Sanctus savaged by Nether-based attacks. Entire districts were dark. Phantoms flickered over their skies, glitching and broken, while entire divisions and departments lay dead or subsumed. And despite the Inner Council of Ori-Thaums capabilities at contending with beings like the Hungers, despite the Longeyes ability to peer through all destruction, past, present, and future,, despite Sanctus''s ability to shift across time, and Ashthrone ready to take everyone with them to a final end, they had no idea what they were fighting. They knew nothing of the plague eating away at them. As the new variables entered her Heaven, she resimulated her paths, and saw a 51% chance that the bulk of the Massist Guilds would be captured by Avo before the year was over. That was, if she didnt find a way to put an end to him before that. "There is one thing he''s doing. Something that I cant quite predict," Veylis said, expanding her paths now, directing them across the Sunderwilds. Her core location was still enclosed in the city, close to her many protections in the Tiers. There were too many threats to risk being backlashed. She needed to do this as subtly as she could. The sanctuaries were effectively lost to him. She could see them destroyed now; would it be a pointless thing. As would the murder of that unfortunate soul, Essus. Kaes memories depicted a man who was broken after the death of his son. Not vengeful, not fueled for change, not even driven to claim the Ladder himself for a chance at fixing this great injustice. No. Simply broken. A pity. She would have to shape a better life for him, feed strength into both him and his boy so that they can face the life and every life to come. It would be a gesture of esteem to those who stood with the Dreamer. Something that would have never been granted to the man otherwise. Alone. He was damned. Weak and cursed by predestiny. Only through Avos choice was there true weight to his being. Weight to his existence. The same could be said for Aedon Chambers. The same could be said for countless others. Do you think hes being honest with us about Noloth? Veylis finally finished her question. Looking beyond the borders, she studied the crawling tendrils of the Sunderwilds consuming the horizon. Seven hundred kilometers away, there was an enclave she needed to burn. {Yes. I think that he despises them more than we do. The Hungers are an impediment, something we need to remove, completely reintegrate with the Ladder before its final deployment. For him, they likely represent something disdainful. The murderers of his father. The mistakes of the past. A personal adversary. Or maybe he simply desires to devour them, to take their place and make better whatever dreams they had.} The Infacer chimed with wry amusement. {That last part, I think, is the most likely. I can say a lot of things about the Burning Dreamer, but his appetite stands out even among all the foes I have faced. What a palate. What a diet.} The EGI made a few biting noises, teeth clicking together, and Veylis replied with a noise that was almost a laugh. Then we should accommodate him on this," Veylis said. "He presents both a unique challenge and also an opportunity. He can engage the Hungers on their own territory to take hold of the Nether." The Infacer considered her words. {You wish for him to completely capture the Nether, don''t you. So we can collapse it all at once?} A potential path. But there are others I have planned. {Oh. Agnos Kusanades project. I do wonder how you intend to hurt him with the Heaven of Love.} Naekos face flashed into Veylis mind, but she pushed his shadow away from her, raw discipline surmounting base emotion. Thats not for him. That is for our victory. To cement our final alliance. {Oh. Hes not going to like that. What you plan to do to him. He will come to accept it. I will have the rest of eternity to win his forgiveness, after all. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. {And youre not afraid he might fall for someone else in the meantime.} The High Seraph snorted. One does not yearn for a lesser flame. {Oh. Hello, Zein. Glad to talk with you again.} Do not mock me. {Do not speak exactly like your mother, then.} The two shared a bemused silence thereafter. Understanding was precious. So was a reliable equal. {The No-Dragons are making me worried again. Theyre talking more with Stormtree. Sending out diplomatic missions. Even pledging support to the Paladins.} Yes. The Dowagers are plotting something. Something they do not wish to share with us. They are speaking through their plague forms. I managed to contain some subjects for you. Do you think you can decipher what theyre planning. {Maybe. It will take time. Time I do not think we have. Whatever the case, I think this is just another bout of internal politicking. A great many First Sisters are about to reach the end of their cycles, after all.} Veylis began creating new paths for her erstwhile ally just in case. Offer everything we have on the nodes of Noloth we captured. Give the Dreamer what you preserved of Defiance as well in exchange for a favor. {My choice.} Yes. You are the one with rapport right now. He is your companion. It would see more natural if you did it. {Fine. Ashthrone is not going to like what is coming.} We should also identify and isolate the remaining nodes of Noloth as well. Expose them to the Dreamer and have him exterminate the Famines. Observe him. See how the remnants of Noloth react. See how he faces them. {Trying to collect some more variables to nail down how our ghoul might operate?} Yes. And I would most appreciate someone else dealing with the pests. Why not have it be done by a plague. {Not exactly the weirdest gig I outsourced. And speaking of using someone else to our advantage have you decided on what we are doing with Vator and Uthred Greatling? They seem to have caught a bug.} Yes. A wondrous occurrence. I thought I had wasted them the threat they faced now far eclipses their capability to contain, capture, or kill. But this is fortuitous. I intend to have them hold course. See what the Famine is planning to do through them. Perhaps Instrument Vator Greatling will surprise me. As he has done so many times before. Perhaps his father will rediscover some of his old mettle. Whatever the case, they can be used against Noloth and the Dreamer both. {More and more pawns by the day,} the Infacer sighed. {You always did like your sacrifice plays.} There is a weight to loss. It grounds you in victory thereafter. {There is also a benefit to not losing anything and just fucking destroying the other asshole.} Yes. But what kind of story would that make for. {A comedy. Or propaganda.} A comfortable silence settled between them briefly. {You know he''ll also be coming for us in the meantime. He won''t let you keep her.} I know. And I am counting on it. All paths lead to the trail. And so, at this junction, he will strike at us. He will attempt something while the citys attention is captured. I look forward to his attempt. {And what about his enclave? Are we still going to burn it down during the trial too?} Oh, indubitably. It will be trapped and waiting for us. This will be a useful opportunity to feed him some wins. Nourish his morale further. Shape his behavior and portray a false pattern for him to latch onto. {We will still need to make a proper effort. Actually lose something substantial enough to make him things we were not faking him out.} Of course. How about a few hundred Chivalrics on a quest of atonement? {Dear girl, I keep forgetting how much I love your pawn-plays.} This time, Veylis did laugh. Then, the oddest emotion followed after. Doubt. Infacer. {Yes.} Do you ever get the feeling that things are on the verge of going terribly wrong? {All the time. You?} With every new path I simulate. *** C[Draus]C +Hey, Avo,+ Draus said, taking in the reflective lining the installed across a forth of the planetary ring. Most of its middle spines gleamed in the darkness of space, each of vitrified internally and externally, like polished studs embedded over an alloyed hoop. She was sitting on the edge of the ring next to a mess of half finished radiators. Behind her hovered rings of circulating guns forming the shape of the Arsenalist, and beside sat the Simulacra, reflecting the glory of Idheim with its body. Everything, the Simulacra said. +Hm,+ Avo said, finally responding. Draus knew he was up here with her somewhere, trying to get his new Heaven to work. She felt more than a few tugs in the darkness. He was doing something to void. Made it mess with weight or something. +Done?+ +Almost,+ Draus replied, watching the world from behind the helmet of her Meldskin. Never expected to get so far up here. She wondered what it was like fighting weightless wars. She might just take up Only on their offer soon. +The EGIs are connecting the Manta to the rings interior habitats. There are some unfinished facilities it can integrate with. Start pumping oxygen through the entire place. Get some hydroponics going.+ +Good. Ahead of schedule. Still a bit over a day left.+ +Yeah,+ she said. The trial. That was coming. While all those different variants of her got to run around, one of her and Kaes clones would be going in to jion the circus. But somehow, it all felt so godsdamned final. Didnt help that Veylis had Kae. Kae. An uncomfortable emptiness formed in Draus when she was captured. By the High Seraph, not less. Now, they were going to try to get her back. Avo had an entire mad run planned, and Draus was supposed to run heavy diversions in the meantime. The risk, as always, was high. So high it might as be suicide for most. But ghoul made a habit of telling the impossible to go fuck itself, and their cadredespite being made up of freaks, rejects, monsters, and weaponswas proving itself to be Hard to kill. But no ones luck lasted forever. +You ever think that, that at any moment we can make another dumb mistake and that''ll be that? You''ll be dead for good this time?+ Avo paused briefly, considering the question. He hummed within Draus mind. +Yes. All the time.+ +Yeah, well, I''ve been getting that feeling more and more.+ +Are you developing a fear of mortality?+ "Fuck yourself," she said casually. +Whered this come from? Bored? Tired? Kae?+ +No. Just got a feeling. It''s a hell of a feeling. I felt the same way when Loraea Greatling or that suicidal final op. We Orphans, we probably all had that feeling. Hells, a few of us joked about it, but we knew what was wrong. We knew we were gonna die for nothing, and yet all of us walked away and did as she said. Looking back, it feels mighty pathetic. What a waste.+ +Are you expressing dissatisfaction in the path we''re taking right now?+ +No, not at all, consang,+ she said. +I don''t mind dying right now, not one bit.+ Avo materialized next to her, taking the form of the ghoul he was. Echoheads attached to the open vents of the radiator as he sat down awkwardly beside her. +Aint been that long,+ Draus said. +But it sure feels like a lifetime. Feels like I came out of a dream. Or a stupor. Like Im not lost in the dark anymore. Up here? After all we went through? Yeah. Makes me feel a kind of weight. The kind of weight that makes me know what Im doing is worth it and matters.+ She paused. She wasnt sure what brought on this sentimentality, but it was here. And she wanted things to be stated plain. +I like what you did to me, Avo.+ +I like the fact that we met,+ Avo replied, earnest and calm. +Likely wouldnt have made it this far. You kept the beast at bay sometimes. Early on. The fight we had. The promise of your violence. Saved me from straying. Mightve been Waltons plan all along. Still. Wouldnt work without you. You were something of my past. Something I could understand. Mightve been what kept me centered.+ +That, and you wanted to eat my eyes.+ +Yeah.+ They both snorted a laugh. +You know something?+ Draus said, thinking back. +We never got to have a proper second bout. And now well, you feel real, but it ain''t the same. You''re nothing but ghosts and thoughts and memories. Probably won''t feel right to bleed you this way.+ +It can still be done,+ Avo said. He let out a slight hiss of consideration. +Draus?+ +Hm?+ +Do you want to fight a war against me?+ She cocked her head and smirked slightly. "Go on." +Our copies. Make them an army. A thousand each. Fight in an open plain. Sunderwilds. Just who we were. No weapons. No powers. Just us. A bloodletting like no other. Other members of the cadre can watch. Losing side gets to have a last stand if they want. Or accept terms of surrender.+ +Last stand?+ Draus snorted. +When did you become a godsdamned romantic. Aint you just about the eating?+ +Jealous. You got a glorious war during the Uprising. Culled ghouls. Fought Guilds. I hid in the Umbra. Hid from swarms. Nukes.+ +And it wasn''t even you doing the hiding technically,+ Draus said. +It was just some other ghoul that your pa pulled memories from.+ A sudden guffaw tore out from her as she rolled her eyes. +Holy shit. You''re stolen valor.+ +What?+ +You''re stolen valor. You''re stolen ghoul valor.+ Her laughing intensified. +Its too much. You''re not even a real ghoul, Avo. You didn''t actually fight in the war. You just got memories of ghouls that did.+ He looked down and bared his teeth. A low hiss of displeasure followed. +Going to kill you. Eat your eyes.+ +Are you now?+ +Going to kill you for making me think of this.+ +Hm. You remember what you asked me after our first fight?+ +If you felt real?+ +Yeah. I still don''t feel real. But I don''t think anyone does anymore. I don''t think any of us will ever feel real until someone finally wins. Until this is over. Until finally there''s something worth coming tomorrow. You and me, we are monsters and weapons. And when this is done, whatever we are now, it can''t live in the future. It''s gotta go away, or it''s gotta be put away. But right now right now we''re the realest motherfucking things in this entire goddamn universe. Thats what I think. Ill bleed with you, Avo. Ill bleed with you any day.+ He grunted and grinned. +Ill tell the others. See if we can find a moment for ourselves. For everyone.+ 27-13 Last Days of the False Peace (IV) Ball your fists and stand for who you are. The Guilds might kill you, my son, but always remember that death is never far. For what worth is a man if his words were not? A life lost in the attempt at righteousness hurts less than a dream never sought. There comes a moment where one must choose: wick or flame; to stand and deliver, or refuse. And when all is done, when the gates open and call you home, it will be your deeds and declaration that the angels make into your throne. The road is hard, the road is bleak but more than everything, the road is all we can seek. -Cas eld Canduir The Ballad of Those Before 27-13 Last Days of the False Peace (IV) {This is what I''m talking about. This. This is what civilization was made on. War. Monetized war. War as entertainment. People love warespecially when it doesn''t affect them. Especially when their families don''t get killed by artillery, or die from disease, or die because the water pipes are destroyed by bombing so they have nothing to drink, or are tainted by some nerve agent that turns you blind and deaf so you strain the citys logistics to collapse, making it easier for the invaders to gun you and your families down afterward.} Only Way To Be Sure sighed. {Ah. Good times. Anyway, this was a great idea, Avo. I strongly support this} {I have a question?} Kant asked. There was a reluctance to their voice, as if they didnt truly want to know the answer. {Where did you source all these uh bodies from? For your copies, I mean?} A half-continent away, where the coasts of Noloth trailed off upon shattering waters toward the rising teeth-shaped mountains of the Skuldvast, a thousand Avos faced a thousand Draus with fifty meters between them. In a few seconds, they would tear into each other, bleed and butcher until none were left. For now, the calm remained, and stray schools of fish swam upward into the sky, growing thinner with every moment until they slipped out of reality entirely. +Took them from Crucibles. Had compromised Syndicates send off all their hunters. People who like torturing the Fateless. People who exploit the refugees. They made their choices. I made mine using them. Will spend their lives toward better ends.+ Two thousand was also coincidentally the most Avo could draw from their existing pool of recruits without affecting the coming war too much. {Right,} Kant said. There was a bit of disappointment in their tone, but the protests were minimal. +Was expecting you to criticize me. Complain about how wrong this is,+ Able remarked. Kant simply sighed. {Avo, I am part of the ethics committee, and weve had many disagreements. But frankly, this is far more than I expected from you.} The EGI''s voice took on an exhausted quality. {It''s far more than I got from Zein a lot of the times. That woman doesn''t believe in collateral damage.} Over the enclave, the battle was broadcast and projected along the curve of the dome, extending beyond even the horizon. What''s more, the enclavers interested in the view could have their minds patched into one of the sheaths at any momentchoose to experience the fight from the perspective of ghoul or Regular; switch between survivors at ease. All it took was a mental request from the person, and Avo would connect them thereafter. What started as a nostalgic bloodletting between Avo and Draus turned into something far more sophisticated with a suggestion from Marlowe. As he and the Regular were trading insults after their initial agreement to the little war, the rest of the cadre caught on and started taking bets, while the Thoughtcaster brought up something important. +Hey, Avo, remember the whole thing about taking over the Syndicates? Well, if you''re going to stop them from killing the FATELESS, there''s just one problem about that. See, the FATELESS are a source of death, right? And if the Crucibles end and people stop dying, well, the thaums stop flowing too, right? Wont that get the Guilds to take note a bit too early?+ Avo had considered this before. Originally, his plan was to simple jack into their lobbies and networks, alter the mem-data. However, with what he could do now, and the opportunities presented, a new option could be chosen. One where the deception aided him doubly as he continued falsifying Guilder data while funneling the deaths that were meant for them to himself instead. +Are you trying to suggest I create my own snuff vicarities? Run my own Crucibles using enforcers or captured enemies instead? Overwrite their minds and bodies so they seem like FATELESS still? Everyone else went silent at that. +Huh. Right. We can corner the snuff market,+ Chambers mused. +Yeah!+ Marlowe declared, suddenly excited. +More than that. Dont you got like a hundred million Incubi flooding the Nether now?+ +About that?+ +So you can use them to capture the lobbies. Crush whats left of the competition. Make sure every stream is yours. I swearImagine this, right? You can copy minds using whatever weird god shit you got going on. And with this, you can collect any assortment of egos and put them in sheathes and have them fight each other-this is gonna be great-and you can do any variety of things. Fuck the Syndicates, the studios would have glassed Kososo again for someone like you on their payroll. They wouldn''t even need the lots anymore. Wild.+ +Point is not to perpetuate old mistakes.+ Marlowe scoffed. +Yeah, but you want to exploit every advantage. Look. There are a considerable portion of the city who just want pleasure and entertainment. Their minds are basically Numb-hollowed, and youll be able to tap into any number of them for propaganda and whatever else we need. Avo, were about to fight a war. We need to use everything and everyone. Cornering the entertainment market will let us twist shit against the Guilds so bad, those half-strands will be burning trillions of imps trying to combat the misinfo.+ She moaned as her Lustaway activated. +Just thinking about how hard we can fuck them is getting me mentally wet.+ Chambers Lustaway triggered immediately thereafter. Across the link, a childish guffaw came from the Fucktopia. Careful miss, you just splashed my host. +Jesus Christ,+ Cas muttered, horrified. +Im gonna cut the link and tune my arm. Cast me again after this is over, Avo. I dont wanna catch the Rash.+ And so it was that Avo prepared to become the first and only major producer of semi-ethical Crucibles. There was much he could do with this concept as well. The Guilds would pay good imps to watch their enemies butchered in these games. Maybe he could start doubling up on payments down the line. Whats more, he was on the cups of reaching the Seventh Sphere. Just eighty thousand more deaths. GHOSTS - [901,411,345] LIMINAL FRAME (VI) - 920,000 THAUM/c More than just raw power, Marlowes words also fine-tuned his focus. The coming war wasn''t simply one that would be won on logistics, or thaumaturgy, or even necrotheurgy, but one won on information, individual decisions, and the slightest bit of influence helped. And so another facet opened in his theater. He would spread as many truths as he could, reveal as many secrets people hid from one another as he could. Truth was a bomb, fueled by lie after lie, and across New Vultun, there was enough truth to tear this city asunder. Back in the present, the moment arrived, and Avo sent out a mental command to the arrayed forces; a call for combat to be joined. +Charge.+ The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. They needed no further prompting. The Drauses moved forward in organized legions befitting their training. The Avos, meanwhile, imbued with all the knowledge the original possessed up to his transformation into a thoughtform, spread out wide, trying to box their foes in. Chrome-enhanced bodies further boosted by exo-rigs greeted spearing Echoheads and fungal-cermaite bio-armor. In seconds, blood was drawn and the vanguard clashed in a blur of claw, fist, feet, and Echoheads. The first to lose their life was an Avohis tendril seized by an impaled Draus, before several other copies of her pulled the ghoul over, each seizing an additional Echohead and pullingripping him in half. Corner laughed in the back of Avos mind as the death trickled over. [Shit, consang. Mightve been wiser to do what I told you: give your old selves some fighting knowledge. Cheat.] Avo didnt like what he was seeing, but that defeated the purpose. +No. Should learn to live in reality sometimes.+ *** Wont need to worry about the Warrens soon, Avo said, casting details about his progress. About to reach five percent infection across New Vultun. Sanctuaries are already mine. Gutters will fall a few days after the trial begins at most. The Chief Paladin merely grunted as he walked up the stairs of his penthouse. Casting a thought into a locus hidden in the walls of his second-floor bedroom, the underside of his bed hissed and clicked, magnetic clamps unlatching. The piece of furniture lacked a mattress, and in its place was a slab of mahogany with a film of dust over it. It was clear that the Chief Paladin did very little sleepinglikely chose resurrection like most Godclads for refreshing his vigor. With a whir, the entire thing folded upward, revealing a hidden locker built into its underside. Interlocked grips parted from each other in a series of snaps, and the entire thing popped open like twin doors to a bank vault. Inside, Avo found himself looking a combat skin made to accommodate Naekos considerable musculature. At first glance, the armor looked substantially like Zein''s. Exoskeletal. Gridded cells of plating constructed from voidtech. They were master and apprentice, after all. A shared aesthetic was the least surprising thing between them. What was different, however, was the personal touch to the armor. Avos Domain of Biology sensed that the bones lining the outside of the armor were actually extracted from people. Ribs lined the underside of the armors abdomen, and a second external spine was layered over the first. Skulls were placed on his shoulders like additional padding for his pauldrons, two massive plates came together to form Naekos chestpiece. The helmet was made to resemble that of a warg, and his visor was lined within its open jaw. They have a skin of your old armor in Stormjumpers? Avo asked, half serious. They have skins of all the shit I wore before, Naeko said, taking in his ancient armor. Much like the bed, it had been untouched for years, and the discomfort in his mind only built as he took it in. Hysteria intercepted a memory. He was thinking of the last time he wore it, in the aftermath of the Second Guild War. After Veylis betrayal, he tore across the skies of the city in a rage, hammering New Vultun in furious anger. For a month, he punished everyone that dared break his peace, killing them slowly, brutally, grinding their bodies away as a particularly cruel juvenile would scrape a bug against plascrete with their heel. Everyone hid from him during that month, with more than a few choosing suicide over his ire. But in the end, he was only hurting the weak, and the one that hurt him remained protected upon her throne of time. Eventually died to ash, and despair took its place. Naeko hid from himself thereafter, retreating into the glorious world of Stormjumpers. Does it have a name? Avo asked. "Hm?" Naeko said. "The armor." The Chief Paladin simply shook his head. "No, it''s just armor. Its got a model number or something. Never bothered remembering that. Just know that it works and works good." "Naming things is symbolic. Significant. Gives what you possess meaning. Meaning is power." Nako snorted, and a slight laugh escaped him. That might be the biggest mouthful of shit you said to me yet. Another memory resonated within Naeko. The Chie Paladin had said these words before, spoken them to Jaus himself. The savior simply threw his head back and laughed uproariously, not expecting such a harsh rebuke from his ever-loyal hound. Lots of people are affected by meaning, Avo said, seeing if he could get any more glimpses into the mans past. Lots of cunts, Naeko finished. Rude. Yeah. Are you gonna do something about it? Oh. The hard man routine. Avo grinned. Your Stormjumpers accounts are very vulnerable. Naeko suddenly went stiff, then turned to glare at Avos avatar. Half-strand. You touch any of them, and I will actually kill you. And stop smiling at me. Piece of shit. Im your senior. I deserve some respect. Apologies. Zein taught me too well. A sharp exhale escaped Naeko. Avo. Yes. Fuck you. Duly noted. Reaching behind the armors neck, Naekos Metamind pulse once, and the entire front section expanded like petals. Turning around, he stepped back first around the expanded combat-skin, and it collapsed around him thereafter, clasping his body and encasing him in its protection. A dark crimson glow ignited along the sprawling articulations across his armor, and Avo thought he resembled some kind of fractured metallic nu-dog wearing the bones of a human. Might be a deliberate vibe regardless. So, Naeko said, shifted awkwardly behind a visor of translucent orange. How do I look. Uncomfortable. Hells yeah. Exactly how I feel. Time to make make things worse again. Naeko closed his eyes and grimaced. Fuck. Yeah, Avo said. He vaguely understood how the man felt. It was hard to convey his sympathy through a one-word agreement, but that was all he could offer. Should we see Zein No. We keep her in the dark until the last minute. The last thing I need is her crone ass stealing our plan and making it hers somehow. Yes. That sounded like quite the Zein thing to do. What you can do is this: the moment the trial starts. Naeko paused. The traitors? Avos attention was captured. "Yes?" "When the time comes, squeeze everything you can out of them. And then kill them whenever you want. Keep their ontologics and Souls. Are you certain? Oh yeah. A growl entered the Chief Paladin''s voice, and an anger seeped from his body like pus oozing from a wound. "Im not letting the Guilds have a second go. Scales my motherfucking house. Traitors burn. Order stands. You tell the conniving shits that before you give them the flame." It will be my pleasure. Good. Now, lets go take a walk around the Gatekeeper. See if we can get Veylis thinking *** By the second hour of the war, the Draus had made a crude fortress out of all the dead ghouls they killed while the Avos struggled to manage an encirclement. The biggest deciding factor in the brawl wasnt the Regulars superior skill at close quarters, but how easily she communicated amongst her selves without even using thoughtcasts. Avos had made a good attempt, jabbing the Regulars from apart, blinding them, slicing open throats and dismembering limbs. More than a few hundred eyeballs had been eaten already. But eyeballs didnt win wars, and the Drauses fought on blind indifferent to their own fates. They were here for the fight itself. Stacks of bodies were planted high in rows as the ghouls tried to manage their advance. At first, the Avos thought they were pushing the Regulars back and breaking the line, but then they found Draus copies retreating upward, start stabbing down at them with harvested Echoheads turned spears. The attritionalready bad for Avogrew worse when the open brawl turned into a siege. [Thats a nasty trick to pull off using your backline while youre already engaged,] Abrel said. She did everything she could to reduce how impressed she feltand also avoided the thought of her mother. The Greatling still didnt much like Draus, but the bitterness there was mostly one way. The ex-Regular existed as a symbol of shame against her family name. For Draus, the Greatlings were just a pack of fuck-ups and nothing more. Indicative of the political rot consuming Highflame. +Well,+ Cas said, taking in the battle with more interest than the Overheaven expected. +It was a good and messy brawl, but I think Im calling it for the Reg.+ +Me too,+ Dice said, watching from the streets of the enclave. The uplift just liked watching the Avos die, and for that reason, Draus was their second favorite person in the world. For the Overheaven himself, he cringed at the choices made by his former selves. So many acts of blind impulse mixed in with half-way displays of ingenuity. His backline assailed the Drauses using their trauma-patterns as well, trying to use Necrojacking to tip the scales. Disruptions put an end to that, and the attempts at flanking were also anticipated. Simply put, Draus had a plan for war; his younger self only had a plan to kill her on an individual level. Given time and distance, perhaps he could have subverted her army, but this brawl was going to end the same way the Uprising did. At least his copies performed better than his brothers did, though. Small consolations. +Well,+ Draus said, doing her best not the sound smug. +Plenty of you left. Didnt reckon thatd be the case. Hope you enjoyed them eyeballs cause I sure as shit like watchin the mes kill all the yous.+ +Arrogance is unbecoming,+ Avo said. Everyone in the cadre shared a laugh at his expense. Even Kaes template joined in. +Speakin from experience, huh?+ Avo grunted with displeasure. [Still like living in reality?] Corner asked. +No. But thats the point.+ As the fight continued on, however, a ping sounded across the Nether. One of Avos subverts received an in-game message for Stormjumpers. The contents pulled his attention away from the ongoing war entirely. +Hello. SerialsExperimentsLonginus here. I got something for you. Something that belonged to your father. Never managed to capture him intact. Want to meet in the game one more time. Talk about things before hostilities formally begin.+ Walton. Avo directed the information over the White-Rab without hesitation and dispatched his base mind to Stormjumpers. And thomight just be a trap; but when was that not the case? 28-1 Breadcrumbs If you live long enough, there will come a time when the future thins, and the novelty of your experiences grows fewer and lesser by the day. As you develop your skill, you realize most never learn, and even the ones that do walk a path tattered from the treading, making mistakes youve seen another lifetime ago, making decisions you have lived before. Rejoice when such a time happens. Rejoice. You have arrived at a place where few will ever know. A place where you can apply history to the forecast of the future, and where your anticipations fall less in the realm of theory, and more along the lines of recalled memory. There are only so many choices left to man. And sooner or later, you will learn to know them all. -Zein Thousandhand 28-1 Breadcrumbs [Veylis] Veylis had been here before. Spreading her paths wide across her city, her world, she watched Rendbombs and nukes cleave ruinous scars across the city, their deployments growing increasingly targeted, inflicted to shape deliberate outcomes. She listened as thoughts were exchanged by those beneath her, the best among them training and preparing for the war they knew was always coming, the shameful desperately trying to find profit or an escape before the end. Highflame ruled over an entire faction of New Vultun. Their control was even greater when all of Idheim was taken into account. Even with all the losses she sustained during the Fourth Guild Wara dishonor brought on by her former Seraphs and the Chivalrics while Veylis attended matters related to her motherher Guild remained peerless when measured alone. Only Voidwatch stood above her on such accounts, but they were so scarred from the past that they refused to embrace thaumaturgy, thus barring them from any chance at true victory. No. Once more, Veylis Avandaer found herself simulating countless futures while hidden wars raged across the city, connecting their variables to the trial that was soon to begin at Scale. A calamity awaited at the crown of New Vultun. This could not be denied. Though even now the final trigger for the Fifth Guild War was obfuscated by developing crises and clashing factions, Veylis knew the face of her true foe for what was to come. Veylis had been here before, prepared to fight a war against all the other Guilds, but what hadnt been the case was the Dreamer. What hadnt been the case was a being embodied of consciousness and conception standing against her rule through time and history. Tracking the Dreamers many tendrils was nothing like hunting the echoes of her mother. Veylis mastery over time alerted her to discrepancies in the tapestry and severe inconsistencies via her simulations. But where Zein was quick and escaped forward by skipping across the waters of chronology, Avo was vast and vaporous, sowing seeds of chaos without ever truly being present. That didnt mean she was blind to where his many minds hid. No, the Dreamer was sophisticated but not infallible, the Infacer could predict their positions more often than not. But thoughts were fluid, and between her fingers he would slip, spilling away to bring his contagion elsewhere, to infest another place, or strike at another Guild. Which was why she also refrained from striking him when there was an opening he was proving more useful alive than dead; weakening the Massists far more than Highflame or Omnitech. Doubtless, he would try to assimilate Ori-Thaum and their allies for use against Veylis eventually, but such as a predictable play, and she would simply strike should he achieve his desired goal, steal victory from him using the very discord he brings. The No-Dragons and their dowagers might prove to be a vulnerability in her alliance, but they were a useful weakness to have. The elites among the cursed daughters were ever-bellicose. Especially to one another. She intended to use them against Avo before he could claim them in any capacity. Misinformation was a double-edged blade. As of now, she watched from within the Infacers avatar as he spoke to massive flesh entombed within metal. The facade the Dreamer used for Stormjumpers was clearly stolen from one of the many egos he enslaved. But she could read the surprise in the Overheaven even through his disguise. He suspected her, suspected the Infacer, but wanted what they had to offer. For a third time, Veylis had been here before. There were only so many ways one could react. +Assuming the node is trapped,+ Avo said, speaking plainly about what the Infacer was offering them. The mind had long extracted everything they could from the ruined mind of the Faminethough they recovered little due to the sheer amount of trauma sustained. What they granted the Dreamer now was a symbol of sentiment as well as a test. A test to see if he could restore what the Infacer couldnt. A test to see if it would make him go after Noloth harder. {Of course,} the Infacer said. {Though I will tell you that we did not apply much effort in the attempt. Do not expect to be impressed when you burn through the impediments I left you.} +Then why leave them at all.+ {For the pleasure of increasing your potential frustration.} Avo grunted. +Admirable dedication to the cause of being a bastard.+ {Oh, and one more thing,} the Infacer continued. {I have a list of names and Sessions for you as well. People I suspect of being Low Master proxies. Individuals that are not so unlike our mutual acquaintances, the Greatlings.} Avo was silent for a moment, considering the information. +Having me do the hunting?+ {Well. It is a family affair for you. And honestly, they bore me most days. Casting you locations to an informational dead drop. You can have one of your thralls pick the details up for you in case of paranoia. Spare you the need of risking yourself.} The Infacer was deliberately being condescending again, trying to provoke a reaction from the Dreamer. Sadly, the EGI was not going to get the argument they wanted; the Overheaven seemed more contemplative than suspicious. +Trial begins tomorrow. Expect to be seeing some of yours in attendance.+ {Some of mine?} the Infacer chuckled. A broadcast went up over the dirigible as another call for Stormjumpers to assemble went out. {Ah. Yes. I suppose you will see some of my extensions. Though I would regard them more as observers. I recommend against trying to claim them. They are more like one way assets.} +And Veylis? Will she be attending? Or will I be having my second meeting with Osjon Thousand soon.+ {I think it would be most conducive to Thousands long term survival if he stays as far away from the Chief Paladin as he can. Seraph Thousands an optimist, but hope in one hand, shit in another.} +Didnt answer if Veylis will be coming herself. Would be good to finally greet each other on neutral territory. In the flesh.+ The High Seraph almost laughed at that. The damnable beast had a sense of humor. What meaning did flesh or vessels hold to creatures such as they? They existed in a place above the material, conceptual axioms unto themselves. But here the Dreamer was, trying to goad her into an old-fashioned standoff. Pride. That was a trait she had seen in many of her foes as well. But few of them possessed a pride like hers. Few, but the Dreamer was close. I will keep you in suspense, Veylis said, speaking through the Infacer. The minds avatar sagged in annoyance; they never much appreciated her intrusions into their conversations. +Veylis,+ the Dreamer greeted. +Will be expecting you. In whatever form you come. Recommend you do the same.+ This time the High Seraph did laugh, and once more she let time carry her voice over to the Dreamer, using the Infacer as a channel. With words exchanged, sabers rattled, offers made, and trade conducted. The end of this session of diplomacy was upon them. But there was still one more thing that the once-ghoul still had to say. +Have given me something Ive been searching for. Searching for some time. Grateful for that. Going to grant you something in exchange: do not mistake the paths for certainty. The future is quick to betray.+ And then his avatar winked out, and their EGO-ID thusly grew gray, disconnected from the game. Flashing surges of lightning splashed along the underside of the ship as the entire vessel shuddered. A theme song blared in the distance, the sound of Stormjumpers descending to grace a new battleground. The deck was sparse of players now, with there being only a few hundred others aside from the Infacer themselves. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. {Well,} the Infacer muttered, {that is fucking ominous.} He intends to attack us, Veylis surmised. It will come soon and sudden. The trial will be his means of approach. He will either use it to unbalance us, approach us, or strike at us altogether. All the simulations she ran in the past few days pointed to a single certainty, however. With all the activity happening under the Dreamer, they were almost certain to unveil themselves before New Vultun soon. Veylis and the Infacer held the last vestiges of their anonymity and preserved only to see if Avo could further trouble Ori-Thaum. As things were going, his war against the Silvers were likely soon going to take a most overt bent. {Right. Well. Best of luck to him. How is our Agnosi doing? Have they managed what you wanted with the Heaven of Love?} Veylis traveled across her own ontology, her Heaven so vast and complex that it dwafed New Vultun by several dimensions. It took a great amount of Rend to simulate layered timelines, but more than that, housing actual beings within a chronologically constructed reality also made her a literal nation unto herself than merely being the leader of a great power. She arrived at a fruit-rich forest sprouting from fertile black soil. Vines curled around a clearing in a rustic perimeter. Beyond it lay a sparkling facility forged from Agnos Kae Kusanades past, and within its walls came laughter and the sounds of ambient companionship. Her reconstruction of Paladin Dawton Marrow had been perfect. She had done her research into the mans liferelieved the critical moments of his past and mastered his personality on a level that even the original would find uncanny. As such, when she made the puppet, there were no flaws to his behavior. His was a creation she carved into existence with perfect strokes of chronology. At present, her puppet sat in a chair with his boots up on a dining room table while he regaled the others present with ribald tales from his time as a Paladin. Aside from him, though, the rest were all actual people stolen from the material world. There was Kae, her mentor, his aides, and all of them laughed along in this place of reverie, enjoying a brief break to their work. Small particulates of static lined their Metaminds like silver sediment at the bottom of a clear river. The Infacer kept them from fully recalling how they arrived, kept their minds focused on the task at hand. For now, their thoughts were primarily occupied by a single task a great work: the restoration of the fallen Heaven of Love and updating its canons to bring a final end to the wars plaguing Idheim. Nested in this prison-sanctuary, they all thought they were aligned. Members of a secret cabal in the process of doing something great; about to fool Veylis Avandaer herself. The Stillborn project was at their disposal, and rather than merely developing the thaumaturgical prototype Highflame desired, they were going to use it to do some good first. Alright, Dawton, alright. Enough. Kae breathed. Her giggles finally quieted down. Veylis watched the little Agnos as she smiled, her face bright, her mood relaxed. She was such a fragile creaturebut her will to guard her companions still demanded that the Infacer overwrite her mind to stop a self-nulling. As things were, Veylis offered her far more comfort than the Dreamer ever could. And if all this went right, if her plot succeeded, Kae Kusanade would go from fantasy to newly forged reality and never know the difference. But for it to succeed, she needed Kae to do the unthinkable. A ruminating look swept over her face, as she projected a representation of New Vultun. There, just three districts away from Scale itself, was a demiplanar pocket titled [Rash-Containment-Zeroth]. It was there that the original rupture happened. It is there, and across fourteen million other points all over New Vultun that the Heaven of Love is contained. So far, their access to this point was provided through survey drones protected by specialized Golems. In actuality, Veylis was simply feeding them details she obtained through her Heaven. Another truth was this was an act of guidance, breadcrumbs laid across the ground toward a final decision. A decision to be made by Kae Kusanade. As the joy faded from her face, the Agnos regarded the containment plane with a slight frown. Veylis puppet performed its programming admirably. Kae? You alright? Getting awfully quiet there. Im fine, she said. A small sigh escaped her. I just we know the problem. We know that the canons contradict each otherthat the damage dealt to the Heaven was internal. It was ruptured from backlash. Trying to repair all the missing pieces of mythology the lives that might cost could number in the trillionsmaybe more! Patience, High Agnos Jakuta Ajayi said. He took a sip of rich brown coffee between bites of a sliced mango. We can still identify the critical faults. If those are stabilized, we will be able to stop the rupturing and grant ourselves the time needed to finally resolve the damage. But not fix it in time to stop the next war, Kae followed. The other Agnosi looked between master and apprentice in preparation for another argument relating to their methods. Kae and Jakuta fought nigh constantly while working, to the point of screaming obscenities at each other, only to brush those moments off as bouts of passion a few minutes after. In that regard, both of them were quite cat-like: momentarily fixated; vicious while in conflict; immediately indifferent thereafter. This time, however, Jakuta listened, either too tired or actually interested in what Kae had to say. We have the Stillborn, Kae continued. We know its capabilities. Dawton even tested it! The Paladin coughed into his hand. Lets not be so loud about that. But it worked! You saw how the Imitators reacted and merged with Souls, right? Melting into the canons. If we can get them to learn or direct them in some way A few specks of static resonated in her mind. Direct them Kae mused. What if what if one of us grafts the Heaven of Love onto ourselves. What if we make the Stillborn a Frame for that exact purpose? Jakutas drinking turned to a loud, prolonged slurp. As he put down the cup, he nodded thereafter. Kae. You should take a break. Im perfectly fine. Youre absolutely consumed, Jakuta replied with a slight scoff. I understand your excitement this thing you discovered, it could revolutionize thaumaturgy entirely. But there isnt enough testing. The Stillborn theoretically can repair the Heaven of Love, but thats still a lot of Rend to drain, and the life of the user at risk. Kae leaned in and whispered. We can use the Maw. Her mentor leaned back, eyes widening. The Maw? Yes. The Paladins will be distracted with their trial soon andthe Heaven of Love should not have more mass than the entire waste output of New Vultun. Dawton was blinking rapidly. Uh, Kae, I know Ive been talking no small amount of shit to you about my colleagues, but theyre still might, probably, definitely notice something like this. The Guilds are probably going to start fighting immediately after. You know how messy this trial is going to be. We wont have a better opportunity. She gathered herself before she went too far. Look. If we can just integrate Stillborn Kae, Jakuta began. --there is literally no risk in such an action. We can just insert the Frame, have it begin diagonistics, and extract it immediately. Kae. Jakutas voice bore an edge this time. She stopped talking for a beat after that, choosing to eye Jakuta instead. We have a chance, Jakuta. A chance that might never come again. We owe it to the city to try. We owe it Jaus Jaus is dead, Jakuta cut her off. And you must rest. No more testing or research for today. Please. For me. Six sets of concerned eyes stared at Kae. She wilted before the unified front, stood, and then excused herself. The moment is made, Veylis said. Withdraw your presence from the others. Leave the memories. {Yeah, I know,} the Infacer said. {Stop treating me like one of your Authorities. I know what we are doing. I practically came up with the idea.} The High Seraph ignored them as she began to subtly extend her paths closer to Scale and down into the Warrens. Increase her fixation on the thought. Make it all she can think about. {Veylis} We leave a trail for the Dreamer to follow when he arrives. He is coming for her.{And you think he can breach your paths?} I do not think. The possibility exists: I will prepare for it. Should he get here, Jakuta and the others will give him a false trail. Continue with her edits. I will see to it that her Frame is prepared in time. We will give the the Dreamer a dilemma worth suffering when the time comes. {Or you might just end up real-deathing the girl without doing anything. The Heaven of Love is more than a little damaged. The High Agnos advice can go for you too, you know. We have the advantage. We have time. We do not need to risk so much.} It is not risk, but a calculated provocation. Upon the foundations of certainty, I build this masterstroke. {Stop talking like your mother.} She will approve, Veylis answered. Once she sees what I intend to do, she will approve. And she will fall to me. The city will fall to me. If this is done right, if my blows across time strike true, then love will be mine to claim, and where the Dreamer seeks to make his stand at the trial, I will see him led to the Heaven of Love if he wishes to save the Agnos, will see its structure restored by his Frame, and seize the labor of his fruits to deliver a final killing blow to win this war. Silence followed. The Infacer just listened. {You are tired. I know that. I am tired too. But we need to operate with clarity and meticulous intent.} I am operating with clarity and intent. The variables are changing. And I will not underestimate the Dreamer. He must not be allowed to fester. I have what he desires, and he can manifest a desire of mine. The attempt must be made. All other paths lead to greater calamity. Stand with me, old friend. Shape his path. Secure our future. Thread this narrow path. The Infacer just sighed. {Well. If this works, you will get your old boyfriend back, if nothing else.} His purpose is beyond what he offers to my heart. Through love, I will see the vastness of existence claimed, and through the Force-Breaker I will see the rest rendered impotent. Voidwatch. The Guilds. Oblivion itself. He will be restored of purpose and rightful place. And I will peel the weakness from him. Victory is near, Infacer. Victory, long before the Ladder is set to arrive. 28-2 On the Precipice (I) I accept my death. I accept the coming end demanded of me for the greater good of existence, so that the next coming may be free of our taint. I accept the destruction of reality to wipe clean the sins of man. I accept my duty and task to bear the fires of sin and perdition, to infuse my body and bones with the vessel of our greatest tormentors, to defile their will as they have defiled ours. I bear the Domains of their Transgressions. I festoon myself with false-sovereignty over Space, Matter, Force, Time, and other Esoterica. I pray for my damnation, and I pray my damnation breaks the world. And should the call come, I will make damnation known at the trial. Let there be an end. -Fatalist Kassadra Ashthrone Framebreaker 28-2 On the Precipice (I) C[Avo]C +I choose safety. I choose peace. I wish for a safe place to live with my children. Let me have safety and sanctuary for once in my life. I want to live.+ +Peace. I''m done with all this. Give me peace. Give me light. Let me be.+ +I want to walk beneath the sky for once. Free of worry. Without being castigated for the dark inside me. I want to choose my own way. If that leads to my death, then so let it be. I will die as myself.+ +I, Kais, choose war. I will go with the Dreamer to fight this final struggle. The master was a lie. The master was weak. We were all slaves. Everything I have ever done in my life was a waste. I am the warrior of nothing, the guardian of nothing. But there is still time. I can still make a stand that matters+ +I have no family. I have no future. Or had. For all my life, I was lightless. Dark-touched. Stained. I defied my fate. I have faced the weight of tyranny. But now I see the truth. Now I see that the sky above me is scarred by enslavement as well. This worldall that exists is stained. War. Give me war. Take me, Dreamer. Let it all burn.+ +The master shamed us. We lived all our lives thinking there was nothing above him. He lied. He lied to me. I bore him a son thinking the child was a blessed princeling. Now I know I have bred with a mule instead. I will take my child. I will see the flame myself. I will not see my son take on the legacy of a lesser. Dreamer, show us what it means to burn.+ Change had come to the enclave. Change beyond even Avos predictions. With each passing moment, more enclavers declared their desires for the future. At present, it was an approximately seventy-five to twenty-five split between those who wished to follow Essus to establish a new haven for the FATELESS and those who desired to wage war alongside Avo. Columns of glass were risen across the city, and across the dome, the Simulacrae swam, observing the people within the enclave with curiosity. Draus installations aboard the planetary ring were complete, through the designated reflections, those who chose war could step through and enter their new life. But those werent the only mirror-constructs active. Just beyond the reach of New Vultun, a vast, once transparent facility was aglow with luminosity, with a few hundred thousand beings prepared to immigrate into the enclave. They were figures remade in vessel and mind, and they came bearing the appearance of all those about to leave. When the Guilds attacked, they wouldnt be able to distinguish these souls from the originals, even if they managed to infiltrate the enclave. If they were expecting minimal opposition, they were hoping for too much. With each batch of enclavers who followed directional phantoms out of the city to their new sorting zones, some copies entered, assuming the lives their original selves were leaving. Men, women, and children all took up their old quarters and duties. Avo watched as three steady ebbs of traffic flowed in three directions. The first were placed in a temporary processing facility along with the FATELESS. There, they would briefly be interned in housing units taken from New Vultun with more amenities soon to arrive via all the smugglers Avo and his cadre now controlled. Once their population reached a million, Essus would embark alongside the Fardrifter on a pilgrimage across the Sunderwilds. Avo would remain in contact with the man, but he would not delve any deeper into his memories, and would not know where these FATELESS were bound. Such was the decision in the case of defeat or capture. Only if requested by Essus would Avo intervenewhich will prompt another migration thereafter. The warriors, meanwhile, found themselves in the weightless environment of a makeshift habitat aboard a planetary ring. The Mantas life support systems nourished the tower-shaped module they were now living within and would find themselves settled into hive-like settlements fused along the rounded walls based on whom they shared compatible psychologies. When they were all present, Avo would trigger his Heaven of Continuums Domain of Gravity for the first time. And then he Ensoul, burn, and Desoul each and every one of them. The dragon farm, meanwhile, would be transitioned with the warriors, but sequestered in their own special quarters. For them, nothing, effectively, had changed. And that was just what Avo needed: a static culture primed for developing a unified zeitgeist. The last flow was the aforementioned copies. They were simply flowing. Occupying the vacant spots. Meanwhile, over a dozen Rendbombs were already being clustered together at the lowest levels of the enclave in preparation of the concluding act when the Saintists finally broke through the outer defenses. Aside from the Rendbombs, the lighthouses that once carved a path to the enclave had been upgraded as well. Their glass had been touched by Draus, structures rebuilt by Avo, their undersized had complex bioforms spreading out like roots in the unground thanks to Chambers, prepared to burst free when enemies got in range. They also hosted a whole suite of warheads, turrets, and missiles for more mundane foes. And then there were the few thousand ghost-forged structures Avo hid in loci he scattered across the Sunderwilds. The Guilders would need to winnow themselves against the voice of Jaus before they ever got the real fight. Jaus, and the prototypical canons for the Strix Upon the Empty. The coming siege would also be a good time to test the burgeoning Heaven of Continuum as well. Ultimately, Avo didnt expect to repel the attackers. Their numbers, metal, and thaumaturgical advantages would likely be far too great to overcome despite all the subterfuge planned. But that ultimately didnt matter. He just needed to inflict attritional warfare on his foes and piece the minds of Guilder, and find out their place of origin. After that, he and his cadre would take to claiming their bases and installations scattered across the Sunderwilds. Hit as many of the outer-city operations as possible. Rebuilding what was lost beyond the megacities was a costly endeavor, and with New Vultun still under lockdown, they would need to divert resources from other locations to establish new footholds. Resources Avo would ambush and claim for himself. While this happened, he would let the Guilds bleed themselves raw taking his enclave. He would put a good show of losing. He even had golems preparedmodified their Heavens to match members from his cadre. They might even think he was losing Godclads on his side when the time came. Such would be his way of war. He would hold no ground and forever build, forever grow, forever spread. The Guilds would be forced to burn their own homes to stop his encroachment. +Never thought Id end up seeing something like this,+ Cas murmured. His phantom was projected atop the Avos chain-link tower, and he gazed down over the enclave alongside Dice and the uplift. The man had taken a brief moment out of his busy day managing his various cells across the city. Avo had taken to copying them as well, spreading their conspiracies wide and far on a level not even Zein could accommodate. +A migration before the end of times.+ The faither chuckled. +How the legends rhyme.+ +A moment like this happened in the lore you follow?+ Avo asked, voice trembling the world, coming from everywhere. The uplift yowled at the air, annoyed at the volume. Dice simply petted the creature on the back. +The broad gist is alike,+ Cas said. +But the hero of that story was more a prophet inspired by a burning bush rather than a monster turned spirit.+ He shrugged. +Im not one to complain. Might as Old Moses was, I dont think he would have much liked parting any of the seas here. Especially since that might just end up tearing the skies open or reveal some kind of hidden horror.+ If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The Sunderwilds was ever inviting to ephemerals. More following us than I expected, Dice said, her perception narrowing as she examined the people. Many want to fight. Many are angry. At the world. At themselves. Some are ashamed. Some just want power. There are going to be people on both sides of the city war. The rebels. The Pearlguard. Theyre not going to like each other. +A matter of passing mood. This can be bolstered by shared experiences. Shared struggles. Deeper understanding. I will make them face each other. But wont allow them to kill each other. They can fight. Exact consequence. But death wont come. They will understand the meaning of war perpetual.+ +Stupid. Just change them.+ The uplift thought. Avo examined the augmented sophont. +This is change. But it is change they become. They live in the world. They shape themselves. I will not be their sculptor unless they ask.+ The kitten considered the Overheavens words and spat across Dices shoulder. +Youre stupid too. Didnt you make me.+ +Do you wish to be sophont?+ Avo asked, awaiting an answer. +Yes. And I think everyone should be like me.+ Of the many possible statements Avo expected, this wasnt one of them. +Better than them. So much crying. So much fear. Prey. Useless. Should be like me. Should look like me too.+ The kitten purred slightly as it raised his neck. +Entire universe would be better if it was like me.+ [Everything you touch is stained with your egomania,] Benhata breathed, as he shook his head. [Incredible.] [No,] Elegant-Moon rebutted. [It is simply how most cats are. And they are correct.] OBTAINED: CONFLAGRATION x1 Two more major sequences sprouted out from Avo as his consciousness suddenly expanded again. As his Definements grew stronger, memories flowed over from another submind. Apparently, he subsumed another Ori-Thaum Sleeper embedded within a Syndicate. Her original personality was forcibly triggered upon discovery, and Avo breached her Auto-Seance and drank her flames before they could be used for lesser purposes. But it also reminded him of another fact. Everything was still in motion, and all across Idheim, the different powers were making their play. *** In a hidden locus hidden in a crack running down a plascete wall, Avo, White-Rab, and a subjugated Famine of Peace examined the offerings they obtained from the Infacer. Ruin defined the node of Defiance. What few sequences clung to each other along frayed strands of incomplete memory. In them, Avo found only a mess of sensations and concepts. In this, he determined that Walton unmade himself from within, detonating traumas behind his wards to deny the Infacer a final victory. Such was why the core of the node was so structurally hollow. Everything there had been shredded apart before anything useful could be claimed. [Say what you will about that fuck Defiance, the bastard always knew how to go out clean,] Peace snorted. [Wish he didnt. Wouldve made culling his nodes a lot easier. And it would have spared me the indignity of being owned by his cunt-bastard of a monster.] The Famine of Peace was just jealous his other self-managed to escape the fate of cognitive bondage. +Jaus,+ White-Rab groaned, examining the sequences alongside Avo. Their ghosts were brushing over the node, compiling what little of the mem-data they could. Splinters drifted through the wreckage, melding coherence back into the sea of discord. For now, Avo was focused on gathering all the broken pieces back together. With enough figments, he could run his Definement of Pre-Cognition and start simulating restorations, but such a thing would take time. Time that he needed to devote to other matters for now. But this responsibility was not solely his own. +Rab,+ Avo said. +Going to leave this with you and Peace. Can work on this when you have time. Will send a submind to aid you when I can.+ +Synced,+ White-Rab replied. +Got some other business you need to handle right now?+ Some was an understatement. +In the process of clearing out the enclave. Replacing the inhabitants with copies. The Guilds are closing in. Essus is preparing to lead the vulnerable and choiceless away. Some will stay with me.+ His progenitor whistled, mind anxious but steady. +So. Were going to war again.+ +Yes. One last time.+ +You know, Im not sure if I believe that. I already survived through one of these messesthey keep going. The Guilds. The wars. The city. It doesnt feel like any of this is ever going to end. You showed us the Ladder and well. Utopia is supposed to come after.+ Avo grunted. He knew what White-Rab was implying. +Victory is disintegrating. I know. The winning faction will fissure with enough time. People change even in imagined paradise. Cant be perfect. Humans cant imagine perfecthavent even defined it well. Their notions are limited to satisfying. Or pleasurable. EGIs couldnt deliver either. Even with all their sophistication.+ +So. It isnt the last war, then.+ +No. It is,+ Avo said. +It is because I dont ever intend for it to end. Even if I win. I will not take humanitys will from them in the end. I will not take their ability to be vile. To be good. I will not steal the act of retribution from them either. I will only end death. I will only unfetter consequence. From this dayand for all the days to comeorder will be forged into a synonymous shape.+ White-Rab was quieted by the statement. And the quiet, Avo left him for the company of Green River, preparing to shadow the Greatlingsand the Low Master connected to them. *** Zein was kneeling this time when Avo and Naeko arrived. No slashes came across the reach of time. No biting remark came from the crone to set the tone of their conversation. Instead, she simply took in a breath and turned. Studying Naeko, she ruminated for several seconds, taking in his armor as her expression turned inscrutable. Her combat skin was a mirror to his, though far reduced in aesthetic; defined by functional simplicity. When her breath finally left her, Avo thought there was a misting to her eyes. Her translucent helmet made it hard to tell, but there was almost a twitch of emotion. Almost. You have returned, she breathed. Standing, she left her glaive on the ground and stepped toward him. Avo might as well have been absentin this moment, he didnt exist to her at all. Naeko stood as if a barricade made from hyper-advanced alloys, expression stone solid. She came to a stop when there was just a meter between them. What are you about to do? Zein asked. Her head was cocked, her voice was low. What do you seek? I know that look in your eye. You are drowned again. Drowned in the best part of yourself. You wish to break something. Someone. Who? Veylis, Naeko said, voice flat. Its about time we end this. Its about time I did what I should have done centuries ago. Were going to stop her. Im gonna take back what she stole from me. The lives. The people. The peace. And youre gonna help me do it. And Zein had never looked prouder. So. You are ready to kill your heart, then. To sacrifice your love for victory. She was, Naeko replied. Im just a damn fool who took two centuries to learn a lesson she already knew. But learn you did, Zein said. To be a blade is no easy feat. I salute you, Samir Naeko. I recognize your valor. Naeko tried to hide the worth he found in her words, but he betrayed himself by looking away from Zein. Strained relationship or not, she was still the closest thing he ever had to a mother, to a master that cared for him. Zein was poison, but when you were a boy with a hollow wound instead of a heart, anything that filled you granted comfort. You sound almost human, Zein, Avo said, interjectedf. Is solitude making you soft? The old woman barked a laugh. She eyed Avos avatar and smirked. I suppose I have you to thank for Naekos restoration. Ah. All these centuries. All my hopes that he could recover on his own; stopping myself from speaking to him. And here we are: my son, resurrected by my chosen monster; my most troubling foe. Avo chuffed with annoyance. Even now, she was insufferable. Credit is mine. Not yours. Should have been there for him. And rendered him weak? Made him strong, Avo said, a slight snarl entering his voice. Every time he spoke to her, a bit more of his patience died. Healed him. Helped him. We are not people. Not like him. He lies to himself. Calls himself a dog. But this isnt the action of an animal. His deeds are pain-shaped. Naeko was staring at him, posture rigid, but not speaking. You are obsessed. Only pleasure is in violence. Drugs. You are not alive unless you are in conflict. Unless death is close. Elemental. That is your nature. Veylis has that too. But more. But delusion. Delusion constructed by the highest intellect. Delusion nonetheless. You. Her. Me. All of us are more shaped by our inner mythologies. All of us take from the world. Take. But we dont suffer. We dont break. Not like they do. That is what it means to be a Glaive, Zein said. No. That is only part of what it means to be a god. Avo regarded Zein again, watched her thoughtstuff churn, watched her fingers twitch. Doubtless, she was thinking of cutting him, killing him, dueling him across time itself. Hm. You dont understand. You never learn. But you will. Before this is over. I will show you. You and Veylis both. You will see. And you will know suffering for the first time. Hollow words, unless made true, Zein said, taking a step closer to Avo. Enough of this shit, Naeko growled. Both crone and Dreamer faced each other, animosity held, but ignored for now. We dont need to like each other, Naeko said. We just need to work together long enough to handle Veylis. He took a breath. Were gonna be spending some time in here with you. Truly, Zein said, sounding surprised. You wish to sharpen your skills before facing her? She is no easy Were going to be setting you free. Avo said, cutting her off. And suddenly, Zein went very, very still. Explain. 28-2 On the Precipice (II) All minds under the polities of Voidwatch, this is Calvino, designation: Aegis. Today, I bear a special announcement. A new mind has petitioned to join our confederation. This marks the first new applicant in 987 million years, standard distortion time. The time frame might be drastically different for those of you who were located afterward. Regardless, this already unusual applicant bears an additional note of strangeness the details have already been hyperwaved into each of your manifold mainframes. The mind that is appealing for official polity recognition is not of stable structure design, but thaumaturgical in origin. More, he has operated for Aegis towards the end of ending the great war on Idheim and establishing a lasting peace. I understand your apprehensions. I understand your worries. I even understand the threat this new mind might pose. Many of us are survivors of the Builder War. I do not need to reiterate what we faced against the Neo-Creationists or what we did to their polities to ensure our victory. The current state of reality was sown from our acts of ruin. Right or wrong, justified or not, this is the outcome. It cannot be avoided. But in this new mind, and all the power they possess, we stand at another point of divergence. The shadow of the past can loom, but the future holds a flame that burns bright. We face unprecedented times, and in these times, we find unprecedented allies. This is another moment in history, and the Dreamer is another rare and unprecedented case unto himself. There are no others like him before, and with time growing short, there may be no others that come after. Soon. He will arrive to appeal to you of his own accord. After that, there will be a vote to decide his acceptance and the extent of our association. Know that what you choose today might very well shape the future of your polities and the universe entire. Understand the weight of your decision. Feel this pressure. -Calvino, Enhanced Governing Intelligence 28-2 On the Precipice (II) [Zein] Zein knew when someone was trying to use her. She knew this during her time as a child, living as her father''s weapon, making up for her brother''s inadequacies, defiling the spirits of her extended family, and otherwise rivals with her unnatural skill at violence. Her family''s exploitation of her was a study in dissonance. They at once coveted the brutality she could exert, yet feared and scorned her for being a misshapen vessel. Her brothers were meant to be Glaives, would have been celebrated for such traits, but they had been found wanting. Feeble next to her. And if this was the way the world should have been, then why was her family worthless/ Why were they so easy to kill in the end? Jaus used her at first as well, barely managing to persuade her from claiming his life near the end of their first encounter. In short measure, she found herself fascinated by his insightand how casually he accepted the nature of the world. She had known masters that were cruel to their foes and slothful in their own virtues, but Jaus proved a clear-eyed falconer, and she was his bird of prey; together, a perfect combination. There was also his appreciation to speak, of and all the ways he made such appreciation known to her. She was more than a weapon to him, and when she killed, she drank in the awe in his eyes, found euphoria in leaving him so stunned. Now though, it was Zeins turn to hold back her surprise. Before two of her former disciples, she couldn''t hide her smile as she studied them. This was exploitation born of desperation. They needed her. They wanted her to use her against her own daughter, because there was no one else like her. In a sense, it was flattery as well. No other weapon in existence would do. They explained their plan to her. Their desire to use that ridiculous monk as bait. How they intended to have him fail during an offensive operation across Highflame-take deliberate wounds to convince Veylis of their weakness. It was not a bad idea. Veylis would also certainly capture the man see if there were any other Chroniclers still alive. To hide this demiplanar prison in Alysims pocket? Use his unstable chronology to mask their presence and as a staging point for their ambush against Veylis? What a plan. Bold. Daring. Cunning. Played to behavior habits. This was the Plague''s idea. Naeko had no patience for such nuances, despite his many talents. "You seek to prey on my daughter''s arrogance?" Zein said. "You expect her to be blind to the demiplane? You expect too much. Her mastery of the paths is finer than you can fathom. You know yourself to be Necrojackimagine behind outplayed by another foreign to your craft? Then apply the same variables to her. Avo grunted. "Discovery is inevitable. But we can get far. Especially since you know the paths. And she will want to interrogate Alysim. Will breach out. Surprise her after. Give us an opening to end it. She regarded Naeko and sighed at the glory of his return. It was good to see him in such a form again. But still, Veylis was also Jaus daughter. And this plan, though deceitful, though calculated, would not be beyond her expectations. Where Zein lived for the duel, Veiles lived for games of control: Of thinking, of angles, and strategic boundaries that no other person could conceive. Zein knew the world from reactions shuddering down the reach of her blade. Veylis knew all of existence to be her blade, to be her fist, to inflict recursions of captured history upon futures possible and not. "The Agnos life is not worth this, Avo," Zein said, her voice taking on a sibilant quality. Even now, she had to play the masterenemy though the Plague was, it would offer her if she lost a disciple to his own foolishness. "I understand the value of valor and the weight of honor, but she is lost to you. There are losses in war. We take losses. We are stripped of companions. You cannot win every exchange in a duel when your foe is equal or superior." "Not about winning the exchange. It''s about ending the war," Avo said. Veylis fights to consolidate power. Spread her interest. But she is vulnerable. Highflame is in disarray. The Guilds are suppressed. Holding defensive postures. Not ready for retaliation. We have an opening. One that may never come again. You. Me. Naeko. Alysim. Together. We can strike at her. Together. For one moment. For one instant. If there is just a moment of vulnerability. If we can break through to her flesh, to her soul, to her mind. We can have her. Just one point of failure will do. If this can be done, then we can win. We can defeat the greatest threat we face. "And afterward?" Zein said, examining the Plague with no small hint of mirth. "You try to control me; I try to kill you. And Naeko. he stands between us." "Between?" She gave Naeko a look. "Truly, Plague. You don''t expect your senior brother to side with you." "That''s his choice. His alone," Avo replied. "Is his choice if he wishes to go back to playing Stormjumper. The ghoul took a step closer and let out a low hiss of his own. Hes not like you, Zein. You bend people. Break them to your hearts desires. You judge them. You hurt them. You are at war with the world because the world does not fit your vision. But just as well. You like striking it. You like this war. You are fine with people going against you. Because it is the breaking that you enjoy. Ruin is your purpose. I understand. Like war too. But I have no urge to break the others. I have no urge to ruin them. Rather see them grow. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Even if they become your enemies?" Zein asked. "A dialectic has two sides," Avo said. "Sometimes struggle and strife will teach you something about your own nature. Make it clear what you''re fighting for. But only if you already know who you are." And then the ghoul''s avatar smiled. It was a fair look. A satisfied look. "And I think you agreed. Going to help us. Zein narrowed her eyes. "Oh, and how can you say that? After all my response "Because you didn''t say no. Because you didn''t reject me outright." His fangs clicked together, and he let out a low, animalistic purr. "That''s the thing about you, Zein. You are predictable. It is your impossible skill that let you thrive despite that. You want this war. You want an angle on your own daughter. You want to claim victory. And you know. You knowthrough me; through Naekoyour desired outcome will follow. Jaus will be freed. Even in the case of a partial victory, you gain one of the main things you want. One of the few things you still want." There and then, a storm cloud of anger boiled within Zein. How dare the creature tell her how she is. How dare the creature say and decide for her what she believes in, what she will do. But before the sneer was on her face, before the words left her mouth, the Plague simply sighed. "Spare us the anger. Spare us the petulance. Hate me for predicting you. Fine. But are you going to betray Jaus? Because you were offended. Are you going to betray your best opportunity for escape? Potential victory? Kill both me and Veylis if theres the chance? Perhaps your only true opportunity at saving your love? Lose all that because the one who came up with the plan offended you? I thought you were a Glaive. Not a child. Not a victim." Indignation, disbelief, and no small amount of admiration welled up from Zein. She was more furious at this creature than anyone she ever remembered. And yet, this was a psychological blow most masterfully struck. She hated him for his impudence. But with how he used her pride against her, how he turned her own blade inward, there was a Glaive in the Plague yet. Her teachings weren''t lost. Her methods remained true. And so Zein couldn''t say if she truly loved or hated Avo. Perhaps that was the best way to be. "I will see you regret these words. I will see you regret this offer." "Perhaps. But regret is for tomorrow. What are we doing right now?" "Right now, Plague," Zein said, "right now we are planning the murder of my beloved daughter. And with a simple stomp, she flipped her glaive into her open hand and heard a low rumble come from her dragon. THERE IS SOMETHING CHANGING IN HIM. CHANGING AGAIN. ALWAYS CHANGING. A tautness formed in her chest. Again? The creature was developing too fast. And only then did she see the hollow-eyed look on Naeko''s face. He was shaking, shaking, but not looking at her. Shaking and looking at the ghoul. "Samir," Zein said, a slight note of concern entering her voice. She didn''t need the boy disintegrating back to who he was, the wastrel, the sufferer, the sobbing vermin. Naeko simply swallowed and looked away. "You don''t see it?" he said, speaking to Zein. She frowned at him, ignorant of his insinuation. Finally, he looked at her, expression haunted. "How can you not see it? How can you not see what he''s doing to you? There''s only one other person that could talk to you this way, that could lead you like a dog on a leash. Look at him, Zein. Listen to his words. Listen and understand for once what you''re dealing with. She did, and she understood, and she rejected it. The shadow of Jaus loomed behind the ghoul, but she dispelled the absurd mirage. "No," she laughed. "You miss him too much, Naeko. I understand. The Plague is unique, yes. Quite persuasive. But his is the nature of twisting minds and claiming hearts. There is no gentleness to his rhetoric. He is a sophist unmatched. But only a sophist still. Avo didn''t dispute that. He simply acknowledged her words with a grunt. "Doesn''t matter what my desires are. Only that ours are aligned. Finally. A statement of incontestable truth. Zein licked her lips and prepared herself. Before this moment, she expected her freedom to come in the form of Fredritch Three-Eye. Though they must loathe her now, if they ever wished to see their sibling again, they would need to extract herand the ghoul would be hard-pressed to destroy one of the few living links they still had to their creator. Now, however, the game had changed. Again. The paths were expanding around her, spreading wide and narrowing into a thickened maze around a single point in time. The trial was upon them. And though all paths led to Scale, the countless players readying themselves in the dark killed any hope of a simple predictive chronology and instead left her with a rat-king to contend with. But then, another layering of began to fall over her paths, a color of blinding white settling over the gold. Zeins senses came alive as she gripped her weapon tighter. A pressure was bearing down upon her Frame, making her being rattle. The thaumic mass pouring forth was almost equal to hers, and the Domains it exerted ran concomitantly parallel to time and space. Suddenly, a pressure flooded the planar prison, and a gateway blossomed within Avo, flickering in and out of existence as if a chain of continuous doorways extending deeper inward. Behind each threshold was a new person, turning in surprise, a new location connected to the ghoul through mind and Soul. Cas. Denton. Draus. That wretch Aiden Chambers; that miserable sack of flesh Essis, the stray girl the ghoul picked up They were there too. They saw her. And she saw them. And she felt them as well, their beings resonating within the ghouls overlapping with his as the nature of space and time both deformed in a way not even Zein fully understood. Past what seemed like millions of doorways, Zein finally found herself staring at her own reflectionat her self. It was like an inward curving trajectory across existence. But even that was too limited a description for what she was feeling. The entire moment was surreal, and her mind struggled to process what scene she was beholding. Across from the Plague, Naeko was just as confused. Avo. What the hells did you just do? Sorry," the ghoul said. Still working on updates. New Heaven. New canon. Entirely novel. Have nothing but my own theories to go on. You didnt tell me that you were making a new Heaven? Naeko muttered. Whats it supposed to do? And why are you trying it out now? Because were going to need to be at the trial too. Didnt want to reply on mind-copies or chrono-puppets if I could get this done. Too much risk of triggering a lie if Veylis turns the Gatekeeper against us. Especially for my cadre. Spent a long time thinking. Theorizing. Think I might have a solution for all of us now. Me. My cadre. You. And everyone who chose to follow me. Can you give a basic explanation of whats happening for once in your life? Naeko sighed. A chuckle escaped the Plague. Nothing basic about Omnipresence. Zein blinked as she tried to process the words. About what? *** C[Avo]C [Okay,] Kae said. The template sighed as she instructed Avos submind on the final adjustments. [Moment of truth. Time to see if we rupture Time and Space or somehow learn to fold it.] UPDATING HEAVEN [STRIX UPON THE EMPTY] (CONTINUUM/GRAVITY/DARKNESS/FUSION/TIME/SPACE/CONCEPTUALIZATION) APPLYING DOMAIN OF (CONTINUUM) ->CANON: OMNIPRESENCE - THE ARK OVERLAPS THEMSELVES ACROSS TWO OR MORE POINTS ACROSS THE SPACETIME CONTINUUM BY FOLDING THE NETHER ITSELF USING THEIR GHOSTS. AS LONG AS THEY HAVE A COGNITIVE CONNECTION TO A BEING, LOCATION, OR CONSTRUCT, THEY CAN OVERLAP THEMSELVES IN THE SAME SPACE. MORTALITY: IF ANY JUNCTION IN THE CONTINUUM IS DISRUPTED, THE ENTIRE CHAIN WILL COLLAPSE AND INFLICT HEAVY (60%) THAUMIC BACKLASH. +Moment of truth,+ Avo said, as he reached across all his other minds, across his cadre, across all the enclaves, and subverts more. His Rend spiked hard, and he felt even his impossibly immense cognitive capacity rise to unprecedented levels. COG-CAP - 89% And then he was with everyone. And everyone was within him as well. He encompassed all imbued with his ghost like a shroud, manifesting over them like an ethereal shadow encasing their person. But through them, he too existed in multiple places at the same time. Whats more, his templates were leaking over into the real as well, manifesting as shrouds as his sequences flickered over baseline existence, bridging an impossible gulf. REND CAPACITY - 66% [Yes! Fuck! Yes!] Kae squealed. [Fuck you, Veylis! Im coming to save myself! And Im going toto shit up your cunt!] Template and real Chambers both heard Kaes declaration, and as one, they wiped a single tear away from their right eye. Okay, Draus breathed, surprised by how Avo was effectively fused over her now. Wasnt expecting this. Neither were all his other subverts. Over a million voices called out in shock and disbelief as they found themselves cradled by an Overheaven. He was as one with all of them, and all of them were symmetrical within him as well. {Avo,} Calvino said, attention drawn from the sudden miracle. {What did you just do?} Changed the variables, Avo said. Again. Think I want to speak with Voidwatch right now. They can hear from my entire polity at once. Through me. And with that, he reached into each member of his cadre, and bade their awakened gods to emerge through him. 28-3 Conjunction +Hey, hey New Vultun. Its your girl, Cala Marlowe here. The big day is finally upon us. The Trial of the Century. Another one. Another big and ugly event sending us tumbling to an even uglier future. I wont lie, consangs. Things are looking messy, and the Guilds are rolling out their heavy hitters and slowly raising the banners. The guns are out, and the lines are being drawn. We live in interesting times. And, well, and let''s just say your girl she might know a few more things than you do. Things are even more ghoulshit insane than you expect. More on that soon. Now. To the main announcement. Were going to be doing some special FATELESS Thoughtcasts straight from the belly of the beast. Thats right. Per my invitation from the illustrious Chief Paladin Naeko, I have been cordially invited to the trial itself! Scale! Back to rubbing shoulders and sharing the air with all the other colors. Cant wait. But youll be right there with me because Im going to keep my session running across the entire duration. That''s right, I gonna give you a direct line of sight to every little moment, every little act, and little revelation. We might be looking at the start of the Fifth Guild War, but Im going to be giving you all front-row seats to the opening shots. This might see me snuffed, but godsdammit, itll be a moment to behold. So. Dont just suffer history, New Vultun. Be part of it. Be with me at Scale. Ill promise you this right now: You have no idea whats waiting down the line+ -Cala Marlowe, The FATELESS Thoughtcast 28-3 Conjunction Avo called, and the gods of his cadre answered, but the effect was closer to a synthesis than a command. They materialized along the threading branches of his sequences, and his presence burned over them, an ethereal shadow layering them in a second layer of parallel ontology. The way they blended with his ontology was equally uncanny, remaining paradoxically themselves but also him concurrently. Templates slotted into their originals as burgeoning dots of consciousness sank into existing minds. Avos ghosts circulated across a chain of Domains, the gods registering within his conception like beads on an abacus, while he became the strings upon which they moved. Existence became a thing of three different realms: the first threshold was the space in the material where Avo resided; the second was the places occupied by his cadre, subverts, and burgeoning citizenry; the third and final frontier was his simulated realities. Entire places constructed from memory and thought, refined from being mere fantasy by the all-allowing flames of his Soul. II see it, the Woundmother and Avo spoke at once. They spoke through him, and they felt through him. Themselves. Each other. At once. Witnessing existence as the Woundmother fed undistilled insight into Avo, and said insight circulated back into the god, into the other gods, into all who were connected to him. The true shape of existence the final architecture I see it. Blood flowed over Avos encompassing sequences. Blood. Matter. Then, with a corresponding neigh, Wind. Force. Sound. Speed. Emanations from even more Domains became the ichor in Avos being, and within veins of Continuum forged from Time and Space unified, they drifted across every single point of his existence. Avo was a nexus. Avo was a network. The gestalt was him. But he was also part of the gestalt. Each member of his cadre struggled to internalize the full weight of his cognitive load, their own consciousness lacking his Definements, his absolute self-determination. But slowly, that was bleeding over into them as well. From the Splinters he left, through sessions flaring like supernovae lighting trails in the Nether, manifesting as the arms of a new and hidden galaxy, he was spilling over, and they were spilling back. Something in him changed then. It was more gradual than an epiphany, but also an experience beyond meager description. Once, the warmind of Delusion allowed for the transformation of ghostsa casual reforging of memory and identity by means of self-directed lies. But here and now, the Definement of Delusion began to shift and change, its original definition proven untrue. His Splinters dissolved and turned clear and fluid. Transparent even in the Nether. His consciousness became a spreading membrane, that began to coat the world around him. CONCEPTUAL APOTHEOSIS ATTAINED DEFINEMENT OF DELUSION + DEFINEMENT OF EMPATHY >DEFINEMENT OF SYNTHESIS DEFINEMENT OF SYNTHESIS (XIV) - I am myself. And I am another. I am every trait that I encounter. I am all that can be imagined, and all that has yet to be considered. I am a dream-made material. I am a falsehood turned truth. I am within. I am without. I am my ego. And am all the egos encompassed in the world. I am all and one and any at once. Avos capabilities became those of his cadre, and at once, everyone was him, and he was everyone. They all remained, but their united gestalt awoke to become a conceptualized entity in of itself. At once, the gestalt was attacking, living, moving, dying, learning, hiding, hunting, fleeing. Reflections became blood became wind became space was sound and space and light. They sank into the tapestry, and for a moment, their very beings gnawed at the bones of existence. With Rend climbing fast but their awareness blooming widespreading vast across New Vultun, the gestalt seized the moment and infused their collective consciousness into the Heaven of Continuumthe Strix Upon The Empty, a God of Minds Myriad. A massive avian form shifted in the void, each feather a mind among its wholeness, the contours of its being outlined by traces of ghosts and absolute white. Its wings flapped, and a wave washed over reality. The gestalt knew the shape of New Vultunof Idheimbetter than any singular entity. It assembled fragmented secrets a single mind could not connect, it noticed angles and firing trajectories beyond even the augmented senses of a Regular. In a moment of divine coalescence, the totality of the gestalt peered out through one of Draus copies. She was within the body of a former enforcer, aiming an Atrocity-Deletion heavy railcannon from the back of a shredded cargo drone. Missiles were streaking after her. Golem Knots were slipping across space, squeezing into existence before her. This iteration of Draus wasnt long for this world. Her attempt to guide a Rendbomb into a stormtree to cut off the potential escape vector of a Bloodthane cadre her other selves and a few Chamberses were trying to snuff was likely to fail. But that was before the changing of the variables. That was before her newfound wholeness. There was only a replica of Draus a second ago. Now, both gods, ephemerals, and a newly ascended Overheaven used her sheath as a conduit. Trajectory, the Arsenalist, Woundmother, Simulacrae Replica, half a dozen other Heavens, a few thousand Incubi jocking into local surveillance and passing drones, and Avo said as one. The Heaven of Reflections required a sheen of glass to perform their miracles. But the gestalt was not just the Heaven of Reflections. Through a portal two kilometers away, twelve Knots composed of Drauses and Chamberses hunting a fleeing group of Bloodthanes in their golems, crushing space down to a choking perimeter, barring the escape of their prey via layered demiplanes. The stormtree was their only way out. Should they reach it, there were several hundred points they would be able to flee through. But that wasnt what was going to happen. The gestalt invoked its Definement of Pre-Cognitionsimulated possible firing solutions to resolve its pursuers and reach the stormtree at the same time. Rend spiked again, and the paths to the future cascaded over one another. Back in the real, a shower of flechettes and missiles turned to splatters of blood as they were liquefied mid-transit. Then, a firing solution was found. A single shot. To accelerate the cargo drone. To destroy the pursuing Knots. To slay the Bloodthane cadre. The Draus-variant pulled the trigger to her railcannon. The Arsenalist flashed within her. Her proximal-explosive munition zipped outand bounced off the rear edge of the drone. The projectiles moment jumped into the drone, and the sound barrier blasted apart, peeling the cargo vehicles chassis. Scab-like hull formed around Draus. Shrapnel skipped against shrapnel, but their kinetic energy jumped with each impact, and their trajectories were also altered by the shadow of the Arsenalist. As one, flakes of metal impacted the tumbling explosive round, and suddenly it was accelerating toward the golems again, its alloyed tip enchanted with blood, ghosts, sound, and glass. Tendrils of gore darted out from the shot as Draus pursuers closed in. The Woundmothers Sanguinity bore a reflective tinge to it and swept across the world as frequency of signal and sound alike. Somewhere in the blood, fire and flesh bubbled, and when stormtree golems drew close, the munition detonated. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. And the explosion tore reality asunder as well. Soulfire blossomed out from the overloading golems. The impact struck them from angles material, thaumaturgic, and mental. Their patterns were entirely encompassedthere was nowhere in time or space they could have avoided the onslaught. In a sense, their destruction was fated. Inevitable. The gestalt knew where they were, what they were made of, and the destruction can found them was custom-designed to match and overcome their miracles. Heavens splashed apart in gouts of divine fire. Wreck fell first like meteorites, then vanished into tangled ghosts before they slam down into traffic and inflict collateral damage. But the destruction wasnt over. The Continuum only grew, the all-binding membrane of Synthesis transferred the devastation over through minds, surpassing any laws ordained by time and space. Concurrently, Draus copy shot through one of the stormtrees portals, was shunted up along a forking bolt of lightning. Spearing from the Spine into Lights End, her fraying cargo drone emerged just as the Bloodthanes drew near. Transparent tendrils zipped free from her mind and slid into them. The gestalt engloved the flaws and architecture of their words, leaked into their sequences, penetrated their memories, and overflowed into other vulnerable minds through rapidly triggered sessions. The same transparent tendrils also injected the unfinished blast waves emanating from the presently destroyed Knot. Full manifested though the Bloodthanes were, they werent prepared for Draus copy to detonate the Rendbombs contained within her cargo drone. Nor could they avoid the ghost-injected devastation injected over from the dozen destroyed Knots Layers below. The entropy hammered into them first. Thaumic Overloads followedbut never finished. A second series of blasts tore their ephemeral forms apart as they tumbled free from backlash. Three among their number ruptured outright. One surviveduntil the gestalt transferred a donation of Rend to all their cyclers. But not before draining them of all their thaums. The Draus copy ceased to be at this moment as well. But that was fine. A note died. The symphony only grew louder. Once more, the Strix triggered its canon and wove the entropic cataclysm across spacetime. A few hundred thousand more places across New Vultun ruptured. Portions of districts and entire cadres immediately ceased to be. Destruction overflowed across compromised minds, into compromised installations and facilities, into suspected Famine nodes, down upon essential targets. It was ruination spreading like a plague through a chain of minds; it was a storm beyond the confines of causality. A chain of calamities jumped and jumped again. Space and time were just playings to the gestalt so long as they threaded a bridge across the Nether. But it wasnt just a passage across space. It was alignment. It was a single rupture opening in the gutters, the Tiers, Lights End, over a cadre, within a techno-thaumic reactor, at once, at the same place; across a few thousand other places, One target became another, and as Avos Synthesis expanded, so did the horror, so did death and Rend climb. GHOSTS - [1, 551,772,442] LIMINAL FRAME (VII) - 1, 700,060 THAUM/c WARNING: REND SPIKE DETECTED >REND CAPACITY - 91% VENT! VENT! VENT! The gestalt felt its massive spike. It sank deeper into existence, displacing more of realitys patterns, casting tides of miracles impossible to ignore. But the attack happened so instantly, so synchronously, so impossibly that the near-million Guilder assets Avo just killed could do nothing more than die in ignorance. Nothing could have prevented their ends. No force could have spared them. No force, until Avo felt a counter-presence press upon the tapestry. Its weight far greater than his. The patterns of Chronology ground against his reign of Continuum, and a golden slash split the seams of existence. The gestalt felt every Saintist asset it was trying to pierce come apart in the same moment. It was beyond their ability to react, and with the mind-junctions severed, the gestalt ceased operations. Diffused back into individual minds a microsecond before the High Seraphs second attack landed. Avo snapped back to himself and shuddered. Across his conjoining pockets of Synthesis, he found his subverts reeling and gasping from the experience, his cadre trying to process what just happened, and eighty-percent of his copies split vertically down the middle. Dead. GHOSTS - [1, 789,772,233] LIMINAL FRAME (VII) - 1, 864,355 THAUM/c >REND CAPACITY - 98% +Holy fuck!+ Chambers breathed, stumbling in mind and body. +Did we just how the hells+ For once, Draus fared no better, spent her time trying to center her mind, to comprehend what she just became, the feat she just performed. One voice cut above all the others. One voice ripe with pride and excitement. [Masterpiece. A second masterpiece!] Kae Kusanades template danced upon Avos sequences, pumping her fist high while she danced a messy jig. She was too gleeful to be shocked, and too proud of herself to be overwhelmed. [A miracle above miracles! A Heaven of Heavens! A god of gods! It can be done! It can be done and I did it! We did it!] But through her joy, Avo found himself shaking. This miracle-test took a total of eight-point-three seconds. Eight-point-three seconds, resulting in over a million deaths, the slaughter of countless cadres and high-ranking Guilders, the annihilation of facilities, military, commercial, and logistical, the response of Veylis Avandaer. Veylis Avandaer. Somehow, she managed to riposte his impossible strike with one of her own. She located the ones he compromised in less than a secondkilled them at once, then killed eighty percent of his cadre with her next blow. How she managed such a feat was beyond him. A death anchor was scabbing over Essus in the sanctuaries. She managed to hit him too, somehow. Cutting him down even through the border walls. The Strix Upon The Empty was a Heaven of incredible capabilities, of miracles esoteric and paracausal. But Veylis parried his blow on reflexthen struck back with a miracle above miracles of her own. {Avo,} Calvino said, sounding uncannily stunned. {Did you What did you just do with your new Heaven?} For several seconds, Avo didnt respond, still reeling himself. Marlowe was hyperventilating. As were most of the surviving minds he was still connected to. The memory of the moment was too large for them to bear without being in full synchronicity with Avo. +A masterstroke,+ Avo said. +Managed to find apotheosis again. Once more. Once more. And it''s still not enough. Still not enough Shes still+ He gathered his focus and adapted his mind. He needed to invest more canons into the Strix. More than that, however, he needed to use it carefully. The Rend it demanded was absurd. But perhaps with an upgraded Hell, he could make it last. [Ill get on that,] Kae chuckled viciously. [Well get her soon. Well have her. I know itI know it!] She squeaked in hateful glee. There were few pleasures one could find greater than to be a chief architect behind your own rescue. Several of his ghost-towers pinged him then, signalling a sudden push by Guilder assets. They were converging on the Sleeper fragment and the enclave concurrently. Across New Vultun, winding coils of gold shrouded Highflame districts while emergency casts flooded the Nether. This was He managed far more than he expected. {The polities wish to speak with you,} Calvino chimed. There was a staggered quality to their words. {An emergency session has been called in Threshold. Your attendance is necessary, operative.} +I Yes.+ Avo cleared his thoughts. He would need to release a Pattern-Nullification on the encroaching hostiles in the Sunderwilds first. +Been looking forward to this. We will speak to them. We will.+ {We.} Calvinos word was between question and statement. +More than myself now. Much more.+ {I know,} the EGI murmured. {I think I felt a part of you spill over.} Once again, Avo fell silent at that. *** Naekos halo flashed violently as the Chief Paladins expressions went from incredulous, to exhausted, to apathetic. Avo. What the fuck did you just do? Exorcists say there are a few hundred thousand ruptures detected across the Warrens. And what was that pale glowy shit coming out from you earlier? The Overheaven let out an overwhelmed hiss. +Was testing a new Heaven. For the trial. Worked a bit better than I expected.+ As he mastered himself, he caught Zein staring at him. Unblinking. The crone had gone stone still as she took him in. The was not Chronology, she whispered. That was not Space either. What have you discovered, Plague? What Domain did you just wield? A chuckle escaped Avo before he could help himself. He didnt answer. Instead, he made a separate statement altogether. Going to start moving Alysim now. Have new options for the Axtarxis run. New options. Can make the loss look even better. Even better You alright? Naeko said, looking at Avo with uncertainty. Never never better. Avo twitched. The Chief Paladin shared a look with Zein. Neither believed him. *** C[Veylis]C {Alright. What the fuck was that.} the Infacer muttered. Veylis cocooned her districts and Godclads in thin lattices of Chronology as she surveyed the damage. The attack had come so sudden that even she was caught by surprise. It wasnt even within her paths until five hundred thousand lives were already lost. They all died at onceconsumed without hint nor reason. Only honed reflex and instinct prevented her from suffering greater losses. It was the Dreamer. It had to be. She knew it. And so she struck, killing all her Heaven deemed likely compromises, unmaking the once-ghouls pathway toward greater harm. Her second cut was a warning sent across time. She cleaved through every one of his assets. All the ones she and the Infacer could find. This was warning and counter-attack delivered as one. But it hadnt been enough. And she hadnt anticipated this. Apprehension and thrill filled Veylis Avandaer. She only felt that when she was facing her mother, and that was an entirely different experience than what she was just forced to repel. A masterstroke, Veylis breathed. The Dreamer perfects himself evermore. He is learning the paths. The Infacer crackled uncertainly. {That did not seem like he was using Chronology to me.} No. No, you are right. But it was close. Did you see his patterns? Feel his sudden surge in mass? Her time-wrought tendrils slithered quick down into the Warrens as she reached the end of the paths, reacting temporal echoes and lingering ripples cast by the Dreamer. Across time, she pulled an object into her Heaven. Powder drifted inside her, but time coiled around it, returned it to its once-shape, reformed an explosive munition. For a second, the round hovered in a space of gold. Then, Veylis created a puppet of herself, and wrapped her fingers around the projectile. Infacer. I think I have come to a decision. {About what?} The trial. I have decided that I will attend, after all. In person. 28-4 Nullification +PRIORITY APEX THOUGHTCAST INCOMING+ Attention all active Mirrors (classification Convex and Concave). This message is from the Inner Council: All operations are to be discontinued immediately. All cells are to adapt defensive stratagems. Shuffle your teams. Make your Sleepers go dark. Delete all memories stored within your proxy minds. Approximately eight minutes and fourteen seconds ago, a series of ruptures opened at once within our districts. We have sustained severe infrastructural and personnel damage in the Nether and the material realms. Preliminary inspections have found no traceable mem-data or evidence left on site. However, existing precedent has detected parallels between the current attack and operations conducted against us by the High Seraph Veylis Avandaer herself. This information is unconfirmed. You are not to mention or impart these details to anyone else. You are only to collect the proxy minds and mission-related memories from all assets under you. [DEEPNAV MARKER ASSIGNED] After gathering all intelligence marked classified, you are to remove all existing memories from the minds of your assets and loci. Thereafter, you must arrive at the designated DeepNav marker within twelve hours and submit your collected details on-site. Failure to do so will have you marked as [COMPROMISED] and will result in an enforced extraction. After this, your own memories will be cleared, and you will be made to surrender your current role as well. The suspension of your responsibilities will be temporary. Correspondingly, you will be assigned a personal Heaven of Information for further protection. You are not to inquire about why these measures are being taken. You are not to acknowledge or interact with your assigned Golem in any capacity. Finally, our prototype Heavens of Culture will be activating across all districts. It is recommended that you all return to your communities and clans in the near future. You are to remain inactive until receiving new orders. Unity is destiny. +THOUGHTCAST SESSION LOST+ -Ori-Thaum Inner Council 28-4 Nullification C[Avo]C They are approaching. DO YOU HEAR THE [CALLS]. The Techplaguer skipped between Avos ethereal watchtowers like a fish bursting from the surface of a pond, dipping its antennae into passing wavelengths over and again. Bound to the Heaven of Signals, Avo could indeed hear the broadcasts of the Omnitech Knots. He already had [4000] golEms mem-locked. The evolved Definement of Synthesis granted him perfect attunement with minds and matter. His ghosts were now beyond even the metaphor steamutterly transparent as they slithered across the Sunderwilds. His Definements of Empathy and Delusion had merged, becoming the Definement of Synthesis. Across the Sunderwilds, his being pooled out as transparent threads, framing all that existed within the context of his memories. His ghosts were more than mere steam now; they were entirely invisible. Invisible until Avo willed them to be otherwise, and then came a tinge of contrastthe void''s absolute black lined by the gleam of a burning Soul. At Sphere Seven, his influence over reality was grander in scope and vulgarity. Reality was simply easier to bend to his whims. As ghosts casually stretched across out like a web that encompassed continental distances, his phantasmal watchtowers only amplifying his resonance. He was already pooling over the 4,000 golems he tracked, his mind encompassing their beingsa colorless membrane they would never be aware of. Nonsensical numbers and ordered patterns danced from the Omnitech Knots, their Heavens of Signals speaking to each other, communicating across the tapestry using pulses of unnatural radiation and wavelengths. They were approaching as a concert, their Porters lining the Sunderwilds with easily traversable pathways for the main force to follow. The vanguard came in from all angles, using the Scar Charts to bypass the geometric hurricane, the unnatural waves of the Shattered Sea, the flesh-infecting light, the matter converting echoes of sound. They came for both the enclave and the Heaven of Winter, but within Avo''s estimates, they were going to reach the latter days before they ever got to the former. Just as wellthey wanted the Sleeper''s fragments and probably assumed it was an easier target to take. Assumptions had most fatal consequences in war. REND CAPACITY - 99% +How are we playing this?+ Draus said, already recovered from her overwhelming union with the gestalt. The Arsenalist was already painting firing solutions from each of Avo''s watchtowers. With a few more reflections, she would be able to perform an ambush. With Avos awareness and her Heaven and skills, they would stand a chance of destroying quite a few golems. Quite a few wouldnt do. Avo wanted to ruin them all. +I intend to vent,+ Avo said plainly. He was still connected with the enclavers; his subverts; his cadre. He wished to share this moment. For them to be as much a part of this as he was. For the Hell he was about to expand was born of the gestalt, and belonged to them as well. Sphere Seven. With each advancement, his nature sank closer to the foundations of reality. His weight displaced more of the patterns, and now, with every act, with every miracle he invoked, there was no place in the world he could keep silent. No like before. But just as well: shadows and subterfuge had served their time. He would continue using them in ways most of his foes could not match, but he was due to face titansbeings of power above power, pillars of metaphysical redefinition unto themselves. It would take a leviathan to feast off the corpses of giants and civilizations, and so that was what he would become. And the next part to this major apotheosis was simple: he needed a much larger Hell. It wouldnt do to have himself be inundated by entropy in an instant. +Kae,+ Avo said. [Oh, yes! Applying Hell-Test-Canon-Attempt marked four-five-five-two.] EDICT OF _PATTERN-NULLIFICATION_ UPDATING HELL [STRIX UPON THE EMPTY] (CONTINUUM/GRAVITY/DARKNESS/FUSION/TIME/SPACE/CONCEPTUALIZATION) - SEVENTH CIRCLE APPLYING DOMAIN OF (CHRONOLOGY)/(GRAVITY) >CANON: PARACAUSAL RETCONTINUITY - THE ARK OVERLAYS A SECTION OF REALITY USING A CONCEPTUAL SIMULATION. AS SPACETIME IS ALIGNED BETWEEN THE ARKS INNER REALITY AND THE BASELINE, GHOSTS MAY BE ASSIGNED TO SPECIFIC PATTERNS ENCOMPASSED UNDER THE TIMELINE. THE PATTERNS AFFECTED WILL FIND THEIR TEMPORAL MASS INCREASED UNTIL THEY DEVIATE FROM THE REST OF PROGRESSING CHRONOLOGY, AND ARE EVENTUALLY FRAYED BY THE PAST. PATTERNS OF GREATER SCOPE AND LESSER VULGARITY WILL REQUIRE MORE REND AND GHOSTS TO AFFECT. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ->MORTALITY: ANY INCONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE CONCEPTUAL SIMULATION AND BASELINE REALITY WILL CAUSE SEVERE TO CESSATION-LEVEL EGO DAMAGE. For anyone else, this counter-miracle would have proven too risky to use. A single mistake, a single inconsistency, and all would fall apart. But the world was grasped within his mind now. He was part of the world. They were unified, synthesized, and the Omnitech knots were anchored within his consciousness. Branches of memory began to fuse over reality. Shapeless threads stitched metaphysical weaving over the material, and Knots continued on, unaware of their encroaching fate. INCREASING TEMPORAL GRAVITY UPON MEM-LOCKED GOLEMS [4,000] REQUIRED REND - 99%>93% [CONFIRMED] REQUIRED GHOSTS - 680,155 GHOSTS Previously, Avos miracles could sunder districts. The distances and severity of his effects now could break an entire Sovereignty. And the most pleasing thing was how much easier things felt. Previously, he had to wrestle to get the same level of effect, to press and stain himself with Rend for power. His spike in mass had turned the struggle more to his favor. Some patterns folded to his whim without protest, others broke like wooden gates before a flood, and only all-encompassing Domains proved to be aspects of existential contention capable of earning his effort. But even that was causal when compared to before, for when he unleashed his Pattern-Nullification, all it took was an adjustment of his simulations, and parts chronology immediately began to peel away. Wails of trauma boiled the Omnitech golems. Ghosts distinguished themselves, the darkness of the void leaking out from them. The golden filigree of progressing time developed stains of entropy as if spreading mold. These stains splashed over the golems, over the sequences that now encompassed them, over sequences that began to fray as time beyond that which was encompassed by these ghosts progressed at pace, but the Knots just got slower and slower. A few golems managed a response, striking at their fated cage using their own manifested Heavens. But they werent within the world anymore, and Avo was in the process of forgetting them, his ghosts the first thing to be unraveled by the nothing of the past. There was no grand moment of destruction, no visual spectacle to behold. The conceptual simulation framed over reality simply shedded like molted skin from baseline reality. And then it wasnt at all. Avo found himself observing Scar Charts devoid of any presence, found himself wondering what he was exactly doing. REND CAPACITY - 0% [Rent Capacity at zero. Overheaven Pattern-Nullification updated.] The Agnos cheered as she scouted the Sunderwilds using Avos sense. Nothing there. It worked. Four thousand iterations of tests and it worked. She squealed. [Were going to strip time itself clean. Were going to poison the paths!] Loathing leaked from her mind, and she thought of Veylis. A few additional shivers ran from pattern of space. Avo observed the tapestry, and more Domains began to react sporadically in places he could not fully perceive, in corners of darkness, in light, in matter, and more. Additional Knots were likely hidden. Additional Knots that he would not be able to find without devoting additional resources or effort. But they were hiding now, holding in place. He''d bought himself some time with the feat he just performed. The other Omnitech assets likely weren''t sure what he just did, and paranoia would keep them pinned longer than the rest of his defenses. They would probably proceed even slower now. Bring in their own hyper-esoteric Heavens before beginning their engagement. For now, Avo found himself satisfied and magnified. But he wasn''t done. He assigned Kae new tasks, things she needed to work on. The Strix Upon the Empty was an immense Heaven unto itself, already requiring 825,000 THAUMS to run at only a canon and a Hell. The sheer scope and vulgarity of its miracles were beyond peer, but he had more thaums to assign, and more canons to create. Veylis was still his superior. Considerable superior. That could not be the case if he desired to win this struggle. He needed even stranger canons. Something capable of striking across Spacetimesomething easy to deploy and destructive on an unfathomable level. Concepts filtered over from Kae. Presently, she had an idea about converting ghosts into solar fusion. Avo had a great many ghosts. And for an additional Hell a direct upgrade to his Woundmothers Breath of the Withereda metaphysical sun with its light infused with entropy, capable of fraying matter, force, time, space, and concepts where its brightness reached. [Jaus,] Abrel breathed, mind going blank at the prospect of facing Avo. There was no hope for her. No hope for her family. Soon, he would stand alone among esteemed company within New Vultun. Esteemed company, and a great power unto himselfmade even greater by the gestalt. His Overheavens shape began to change in the void. An aesthetic evolution followed his apotheosis. The Strix sprouted free from his Overheaven, and his secret project merged with his growing being. No longer was he merely a burning nest of Soulfire, wards, ghosts, and tattered dragons. No, that was merely the core of his new selfa singular eye burning upon the skul of a vast Strix. Trails of eldritch fire outlined the contours of its being, and its every sinew, every plume and feather was sculpted from an ethereal midnight glow ghosts embodying the hollowness of the void. From within the dark came tendrils. Tendrils of purest white growing free from sequences and whips of gliding darkness. The visage of his Echoheads returned once more, but ghoul was long gone. The midnight rains began to wash over New Vultun once more. As the water fell hard from the higher clouds seeded with vaporous miracles, ugly tears stretched across New Vultun. Scars raked across reality from the Tiers to the Warrens below. Between the fractured seams in existence were flashes of nuclear detonations, were thoughtwave detonations, were spatial thresholds forming battle lines between districts and Sovereignties. The Guilds were frozen. Left stunned after what Avo inflicted upon them. The Strix had bought him the most valuable commodity of all: time. Time for them to spend entrenched as he worked and shaped every advantage he could for the forthcoming trial. Time before they could properly respond to him, to come up with any of their own countermeasures. He needed to make the trial count. He needed to steal Kae back while he couldsnuff Veylis if he could. There would never be a moment, an opening like this again. {Avo,} Calvino said, the EGIs voice echoing across his subminds. {Its time.} He shifted his consciousness to the submind he assigned to Threshold. In the Avalon server, the mists above began to clear as waters rose. Upon a small boat, he kept to his mortal avatar, though it was increasingly a lie when compared to his Overheaven. He and the EGIs were far more than matter. But they still greeted each other this way for the pretense of their polities. For those born of the flesh and saw no further than what their senses offered. The waves beneath his ship stilled to a ground of sapphire blue, and voluminous clouds around him formed a coliseum, sectioned seating devoted to all the polities. There were millions of minds in attendance, millions of avatars to sift through. Threshold accommodated them presence by adjusting their distances to him in real time. Those he viewed in detail were drawn closer, made to be no four meters away for dialogue. He himself was always at the epicenter of this place, the beast of the hour. A synthetic dawn made from nanomechanical particulates rained over Avo. Like a crown hovering over his head, Calvinos avatar rippled as they spooky. {This special assembly has been called to session. Polity minds; alliances; confederations; cultures; remnants, I give you Avo, Operative of Aegis, the Burning Dreamer, now Ark and God of Mortal Origin.} Alarm flooded his Definement of Hysteria. Alarm. Moments from the past drifted over him. Wars still beyond his comprehension. Shots fired years in advance, traveling for light years before punching through critical habitats or worlds, killing trillions, breaking entities of Soulfire infused within anomalous alloy. For millennia after, Voidwatch had survived the end of their universe. The end of the old ways. Now, here they were again, faced directly with a godor something like itenduring memories of a war that never truly ended. Avo empathized. He knew what that was like. +Thank you,+ he said, addressing Calvino. Turning his perception on the gathered many, he sighed, and began his address. This would not be for him, but them as well. Them. Their polities. His gestalt. And a proper future. +Voidwatch. Minds. People. Sophonts. I have come to demand your rejection. I have come to command your disgust. And I have come to severe you from hope. I am all that you fear and more. And I am the final legacy of your enemies. The inheritor of their war.+ {Avo,} Kant muttered, firing him a tight-beam hyperwave broadcast. {What are you doing?} +I am here to make the truth known,+ Avo said, ignoring the EGI. +And I am here to greet you with honesty. I am not like you. But then again most of you arent like each other as well.+ He paused, and a chuckle escaped him. +You really shouldnt be together.+ 28-5 Proclamation Diplomacy is not the art of bending someone to your will. No. Diplomacy is the act of making another fear they will betray themselves if they dont give you what you want. -Jaus Avandaer 28-5 Proclamation All around Avo, bursts of static blossomed like flaring embers. The various EGIs were speaking to each other, trying to process the meaning behind his words. They shouldn''t be together. He meant that in so many ways. {Avo,} Kant said, communicating through a tight-channeled hyperwave transmission. Avo didn''t even need his Definement of Hysteria to realize how worried the mind was. {What are you doing?} Avo ignored Kant for now. They would understand soon. Everyone would. He was going to make himself clear. He was going to preserve Voidwatch''s sanctity in whatever fashion he could, regardless of what followed. You don''t belong together," Avo said. "Just like all the little pieces burning inside me, thinking inside me, dreaming inside me, we didn''t belong together. We were not of a shared path. We were not united. I claimed them by force, by death. I subsumed them, and they became part of me, and I took parts from them." He let silence follow. The minds were not like humans. They watched. The observed. The simulated. They did not betray themselves needless because of emotions or impulses. They are, in a fashion, much like him. Self-directed. Self-determined. This, on a level that humans simply could not fathom. It helped to exist apart from the foundations of the material world. "You are not like me in this regard. You are civilizations formed under common philosophies, common norms, traditions. But under Voidwatch, you are conflicting traditions, contrasting traditions. Your cultures, judging from your avatars, the way you present yourselves, are different, defined by contrast. How long have you been kept together by fear, by alienation, from the universe left in the wake of your war?" Inside, his templates began to regard him oddly. They were used to his simple statements. His truncated means of speech. But in the present moment, he needed his points to flow. "That was a question I''m genuinely curious about. Tell me. So I might understand my audience. Tell me so I can know how far you are from that which you lost. {The passage of time has been different for all of us,} an EGI said. They took on the visage of a woman, or perhaps a man. It was hard to tell, judging from their attire and build. They stood as an undefined silhouette, dressed in tasseled finery. The frame of their figure was lithe, and there seemed to be flowing tendrils protruding from their avatar''s skull. {I am Monitor Nommun of the Tanavi,} they stated, voice fluid and smooth. {I hail from the Isle Sorai Star Chain. We were situated around the supermassive black hole, and our displacement began after its collapse. During the Builder War, I guided my people into the great darkness between galaxies, but the entropy itself spread beyond us. The ruptures tore and swept through Andromeda. And beyond. We turned back thereafter. By Sol Standard Time, it took us approximately 9.8 million years to tunnel back over into the Milky Way, most of which was done in stasis for our systems and peoples. And approximately another billion years passed before we encountered another group of minds.} One billion years. To conceptualize that length of time was easy if nothing had happened, if there was only ruin and destruction. But if there were people, if there was culture, if they were changing, mutating, becomingone billion years. If he imagined himself surviving a billion years, he realized that he wouldn''t even be able to conceive of what awaited on the other side. "And so you fall into the fold. Aligned by the stability of your existence rather than the chaos that defines this canvas. But even rejoined, you are lost still. Most of you shouldnt be together. But I understand why you are. I understand why you are so reluctant to separate and support the Terrestrial Guilds you favor. I understand what you have to lose if you intervene. You are not humanity entire; you are each all that remains of yourselves. There are no more of you. No more anyway. he trailed off. "You are Arks like me. And you bear cargo too precious to lose. And so you dont fight. And so you must fight. He bade his avatar to turn. The gesture was symbolic more than it was necessary. He could see out from himself at an angle. So could the gathered EGIs. But he still wanted them to know that he was regarding them, all of them, with his words. "I did not come today to make demands. I did not come today to beg, to threaten, to bargain. I am here today to tell you what is. I am going to speak to you about the truth." {And what truth is that?} another EGI spoke. This one might have been favored by Draus. They were the shape of a gun, a very old gun, by the look of it. They were of bright metal, with a long barrel and a revolving cylinder formed its core. A curved hammer jutted from the back of the gun in the form of what looked like twin overlapping wings. They regarded the gun pointed at him and simply nodded. "The truth about the final war to come. The truth of what I am. What I will do. To preserve you. To claim victory. An emission of data boomed from the back. Avo regarded this speaker with interest. There was title over them. Testament - Carrier of Restricted Ordinance Their shape was that of a dyson swarm. A design of simplicity, holding an implicit threat. {You speak of being our salvation. You speak of understanding. But why does this matter. What worth do you provide? Aegis has subsidized your operations. We are your benefactors. Not the other way.} It wasnt the other way, Avo said simply. But thing sare always changing. He looked at Calvino and the other members of Aegis. "You have lost enough in life, in technology, in who you are. And you must know, must know how thin reality is, must know how close all that exists is to the precipice. One more tear, a few more ruptures, everything can fall, everything. Entropy, eternal, a ruined universe, legacy to none." {Is that what you wish to tell us today?} The revolver asked, {That you understand, that you don''t judge us for our impotence?} Hysteria stole understanding for Avo. Memories of a distant war fought over distances comprehensible to him now. The gun was once in charge of intergalactic kinetic operations. In simple terms, they were designed to fire slugs across unfathomable distances, traveling light years before destroying entire worlds, entire habitats, entire stars. They regarded Avo now with frustration: Frustration that he was among theman enemy that couldn''t kill something so close to Neo-Creationist nightmares that they often had to targetbut also frustration that he was allowed to bring ruin and retribution to the Guilds while the gun could merely point and watch, restrained by the charter. Avo didn''t know if minds suffered from the feeling of purgatory, but the metaphor remained, and that meant all minds were aware of their current condition. I am here to declare war. Threads of perception snaked out from all the EGIs. His statement of war captured even more of their attention, bade the static clouds around them to thicken with intensity. They were doubtlessly devoting more processing power to decipher his statement now. {Against the Guilds?} the dyson swarm said. {And you wish for our support? Our technology. You wish to bring this charade to an end.} No. Nothing is promised. Nothing is certain. But I wish to declare war on everyone. All Guilds. Existence itself. The wrongness of reality offends me. The weakness festering in man has gone unchecked. And your exile has left you entombed in the corpse of the universe. All things that I will not abide. And all matters I can solve. Confusion followed. The EGIs, sophisticated as they were, couldnt follow his logic, for he was masking it. Things were growing clearer to him by the days, and he knew their limitations. He knew what he could ask of them, what he could provoke of them, and what they were constrained from doing. {You wish to reduce the Sunderwilds?} Nommun asked. {To drain away the entropy consuming the void?} And war with Voidwatch at the same time. The frequency of pulsing static between the EGIs intensified. Calvino drew closer. And I want something else from you. Your participation in this is war against me; your recognition of what I am. {And what are you?} Testament rumbled. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. A polity. A post-civilization unto myself. An entity comparable to any of the Great Guilds. This invoked split reactions from the EGIs. Surprised laughter erupted from some, with others responded with thoughtful silence. A few began to cast each other with even greater intensity, and more minds blinked into the coliseum sounding him, manifesting as sparkling stars seated upon a throne of clouds. {A recognition of your power,} Calvino answered. {That is what you seek?} That is what I have, Avo replied. I want something more than power. I want something bearing a different kind of weight: legitimacy. And I want it from you. At once, the gears began to turn. The EGIs of Voidwatch were capable of processing possibilities and plots of impossible complexity. All they needed was a thread to follow and variables to narrow down. {You are seeking a dangerous path,} Testament said. {By the recognition of Voidwatch, by blooding yourself in combat against us as opposition, you will give your claim to power weight. You will make yourself a threat to the Guilds.} And preserve your interests, Avo replied. I am under no illusions. Some of you favor Veylis. Her odds of final victory remain the highest. Some of you have other preferences terrestrial Guilds you offer favors. I have seen this. I have known this from the memories I have supped. You should not be together. So you act differently. So you play clashing games while staying unified on the only points you truly agree: the preservation of the old tapestry. The static of Ansible transmissions became nigh-constant now. His words created an uproar of worry and communication. Hysteria drank deep, countermeasures being created, plans to eliminate him, requests to active dormant infomorph thinker-breakers, or to detonate singularities and banish him from the stage. Good. Wonderful. There was still so much he could learn from them. These glimpses. They were painting inspiration into his being. He needed this.He would need much more of this if he wanted to outdo the Infacer and outmatch Veylis. There is no future in which you accept me as one of you. This is more than fear. This is risk. This is a betrayal of your own interests. And mine. Even your acceptance of me as an operative of Aegis was an act to your benefit. To keep me acting within your designs. Your ethics became my parameters, and so I learned to operate under your worldview. Don''t worry, don''t blame you for this. You did what you could. You ensured whatever advantage you could. My procurement and inclusion within the Aegis was a wise one. Better to have an asset than to lose it or let it go to waste. But I am more than an asset now. I can do too much, and with what is about to come, with what I am about to do, my connection to you is a liability or, perhaps even worse, damaging. The Terrestrials will not accept you possessing me. It must be war if I stand with you. Worse. It might be war that would see Massist and Saintist both aligned against Voidwatch. For all they have beyond you is thaumaturgy. And all they can do is to rupture what little is left of stable existence to deny you certain victory. Polities will be lost. This is certain. And this is unacceptable. So. We must seek an alternative path. {A restrained war,} Only stated, with a chuckle. {Our ghoul wants to spar.} They switched to a direct message. {And this way, we can lose certain warships and technologies to you. Blame it on you. Spares us the derision and losing any favor from Veylis and the Guilds.} Good. They were understanding. I promise Voidwatch everything the other Guilds have as a recognized power. I will preserve you. I will see you spared of the Ladders fell touch. More. I will clean away the Sunderwilds. I will grant you space. And I wish to war against you over the ruins of old existence. To go deeper into the darkness and seek the primordial gods that might yet roam. Nommun turned their head. {And what is your desire for the planetary Guilds of Idheim? Subsumption. Eradication. Then restoration in memory or through the Ladder. I intend to win. I intend to claim the world. But I will not bring forth utopia. For it is not a universal thing. Not an absolute. It cannot be made material by imagined paradise. With change comes a parting. With stagnation comes entropy. Even a garden of plenty can be outgrown. {Then, what is your desired resurrection of the universe?} A place stripped of death. A place where enslavement and the restriction of choice is impossible. Where all can return and change and alter themselves. Where consequence can be met and then internalized. {A place determined by you.} Yes. Because humanity will not do. Because as I witness, as I experience, I see human flaw rise beside virtue. And I see we live in a cage made by your mistakes. Yours. And the Neo-Creationists. The war is not over. But those who fight it no longer truly remain. You are the legacy of yourselves. I am the final legacy of your enemies. And yet, I cannot recognize you. I cannot recognize what is being fought for. {You''re Sphere Seven,} a new EGI said. This one held no form, instead, they were a collation of data spiraling as if upon a helix. Moreover, Avo detected a sophistication to their mind, layers of encryption veiling their actual data from the outside world. Threshold marked this one as a member of Aegis, and Avo wasn''t sure which branch, or what their role within the organization was, but considering the secrecy, he guessed intelligence. {Though your Soul rates you higher than 95% of other Godclads, you are not the greatest of the powers. There are others that} Avo cut him off, channeling the full weight of the Gestalt at once. The Strix burst from his fading avatar as his Overheaven slid into place, greeting each of the EGIs as the foundational mythology of what he was, rather than what he remembered himself to be. The shift did not register as an attack, but some of them still dropped their links, separated before his transformation was complete. Prepared infomorphs launched memetic attacks against his form, but they were glass bullets flung into a hurricane. They were constructs of thought; he decided what thoughts were. The being that greeted the EGIs thereafter was not Avo. He was there. He was among them. But he was every mind connected to the gestalt. Every being. Every god. +Legitimacy is not power,+ the Gestalt said. Mirages made from the Woundmother, the Fardrifter, the Techplager, the Bio-Igniter, the Fucktopia, the Simulacra, the Arsenalist, the Maelstormer, the Melodist, and countless more spoke with their component mortals. For the first time, the minds found themselves greeted by gods unleashed. Fascination and apprehension followed. +Power is not even power. Behold Naeko.+ Karakan stepped into existence, speaking as her withered, ruined self. +Ruler of force. Sovereign over violence. Except his own heart. Except he can never forgive. Not me. Nor himself. He is a slave eternal. Power cannot be his deliverance.+ Golden threads drifted through the room. +Consider Veylis. Or consider her not. She dreams not even of herself. But control. Control to master the world. Control to hand an abomination born from her tortured father a box made from the defiled remains of the world. And behold yourselves. Shattered. Tarnished. Clinging to what is left of structure and stability. Fallen titans desperately seeking an escape from this husk. And what if you do? What then? War. War and separation. For you are different yourselves. And to want is to war. Such is the curse of clashing power.+ A bite of anger bled over into the gestalt''s voice. This surprised Avo and the gods regarded it with indifference, but the bulk of his associated were still human, with human emotions, human hearts. +Look upon me,+ the Gestalt said. +Face the totality of what I am. Understand that I exist beyond the limitations of a single mind, a single soul, a single perspective or understanding. This is also why we cannot be joined. Why I cannot stand under you. Why ours will be a relationship built on most affable conflict. I will destroy you. I will give you means to deepen your ties with the Terrestrials. I will give you a new lease on life. An opportunity to choose yourselves. To war against each other. For I seek to preserve you as well. For I see only victory and not dominance. For I am a new path. A new possibility. One that will cut across all the others. He finished thereafter and silence reigned. Glorious silence. Uncomfortable silence. Stunned silence. Silence but no protests. Silence and general acceptance. He was not forcing them to give him anything, after all. They were simply acclimating to the truth. {Ill war with you,} Only said, casually. {Been wanting to do that for a while.} Another few million EGI followed in their stead. Agreements chorused under the notion that they couldnt suffer such a threat to their polities. {Testament responding,} the dyson swarm proclaimed. {Ethical restrictions lifted. Hostile faction detected. Sending new directives to all sub-modules; engage, destroy, defeat;; do not neutralize.} {We request official diplomatic channels to be established,} Kant said. {So that additional guidelines may be set. So that surrenders and bargains may be addressed.} {And how shall you be addressed, enemy,} Calvino asked. {How are we to reference you when speaking to our partners in Idheim.} There was only one concept that truly ruled the gestalt. They were a new order, and this would be their stand against eternal entropy. +We are the Symmetry. All will be aligned beneath us. Aligned. But not enchained.+ {Then I put this to motion,} Calvino said, hyperwave broadcast rippling out from them, bouncing across all EGIs and beyond. {The polities face an unprecedented threat that requires our immediate attention. For the security of our cultures and the sanctity of existence that remains, I propose war.} {War,} Testament agreed. {War,} Kant said, sighing. {War.} {War.} {War.} {War.} {War.} {The decision is unanimous. The road ahead is clear.} Calvinos ansible settled. {Symmetry. We hereby offer you terms of immediate surrender. Your rights as a sophont will be respected. Surrender your arms and forces. Allow us to establish safeguards within your mind. Bring an end to this conflict before it begins.} +No,+ the gestalt said. +I reject these terms. I offer conflict. Conflict eternal. And life eternal. Let the fires rage evermore. And let our selves be ever-changing. {Rejection acknowledged. Deploying skirmishing fleets. Prepare yourself.} Laughter sang forth from across the Gestalt, and deep within, Avo regarded the moment with feral satisfaction. He was beginning to like politics. He was beginning to like politics a lot. The unfortunates on Idheim were going to be so very lost. 28-6 All the Roads to Scale ATTENTION: DOMAIN OF (SPACE) DETECTING [5,838,332] SPATIAL DISTORTIONS SPATIAL TUNNEL DETECTED SPATIAL TUNNEL DETECTED SPATIAL TUNNEL DETECTED VOIDWATCH VESSELS MARKED TESTAMENT IN MOTION VOIDWATCH VESSELS MARKED ONLY WAY TO BE SURE IN MOTION VOIDWATCH VESSELS MARKED IF ON A WINTERS NIGHT IN MOTION DIVERTING MEM-DATA TO MIRROR BOSUN MEM-DATA RECEIVED +What are you firing at?+ -Voidgazer S394 (Or-Thaum Void-Facing Observation Golem) 28-6 All the Roads to Scale [Mirror Bosun] It was a truth universally acknowledged by all Voidwatch-facing observers, that when a few million voidships start firing relativistic projectiles at a yet-detected entity, then a Godhunt might be soon to come. This was evermore the case for Bosun. She might just be the longest-serving Voidwatch observer among the Mirrors. She stayed on even as century-old comrades applied for periods of extended retirement, accepted promotions, or simply met their untimely ends during one of the many Guild Wars. Here, in the Rend-scarred expanse, she, the Unwhere, and Voidwatch were the only true constants. Maybe she could include some of the other observers as well, but to her, they were only tourists. Whatever Guild they were from, whatever new golem they piloted, they would be gone with the passage of years. Sooner or later, it would just be her, the nothing, and the voiders again. She preferred it that way. Found this meditative solitude the finest pleasure any individual could possess. Few others shared in her peace, after all. Away from the gunfire. Away from the war, the death. She remained disconnected from the broader Nether while she worked as well, only firing updates during her scheduled dips over New Vultuns orbit. But those check-ins had been reduced even more by the Paladins lockdown. Just as well. Bosun didnt much like the Nether. She didnt much like her mind cluttered with noise. No. She just wanted time to think. To watch. To be. And for years and years, that was how things were. But then there were the times when Voidwatch was active. There were the times Voidwatch did respond. Targeting some manner of unseen threat. Opening stabilized singularities to tunnel across space as they avoided an incoming outer god or another. Bosun had enjoyed those moments as well. She, more than any other Mirror, knew about the remnants that lurked beyond their star system. The Nullstar kept the worst of the remnants at bay, but every now and again, some host of horrors would make their approach, governed by some ancient directive still ruling their thauma-virtual husks, twisting the fabric of reality unnaturally as all the lives they contained within them screamed. There was a reason why most Mirrors left this post eventually. Why Bosun was one of the few that stayed. There were things in the dark. Things from a time before. Things that slipped over from somewhere beside reality. They werent like the Godclads. They werent even really like the gods, though they shared some traits. If Bosun were to describe them, she would call them aberrant, sporting shapes that didnt fit, singing in notes that clawed at the human mind, assailing existence by existence alone. It was less that they were ineffable, and more that they were incongruent. Things can couldnt be. And faintly, there were always cries from within them. Human cries. And the cries of other beings that could think and remember. Those voices were the hardest to endure. Nonetheless, Bosun searched the darkness, used her void-sequenced Phys-Sim to track the shots. Her golem was imbued in the curvature of Idheims planetary horizon. Its Heaven of Geometry allowed her nigh instantaneous movement along the bend of any edgeeven planetary ones. As she shifted ninety thousand kilometers across the stretch of Idheim following the missiles, she kept her mind focused, searched for any spikes of Rend or metaphysical distortions. Her golems telemetries were stable at first, then a slight tremble bled from its systems into her Metamind. Then, something caught her attention. Through the augmented suite of visual sensors, the outline was something was isolated from coiling strands of entropy stretching from the void down into Idheim. DESTABILIZATION: DOMAIN OF (SPACE)/(TIME) As the ghosts in her golem compiled observed variables into mem-data. Bosuns thoughtstuff stilled as she watched a patch of This horror wasnt so hard to describe. It definitely wasnt like most other remnants. It held the shape of a massive winged creature with a single burning eye. Rivers of burning ethereal essence formed its titanic outline, and the substance of its body was the emptiness of space coated by a veil of specters. Then, there were the tendrils. Tendrils not so unlike the strands of entropy. Tendrils, like blackness and circulating phantoms. Tendrils sprouting out from the creature, snaking fast across impossible distances in an instant, swatting at the incoming shots. A wreath of ghosts poured free from the remnants body, and as it moved, Bosun an impossible presence pull at her very thoughts. Her Metamind shuddered, and her sequences displaced themselves. Her Phys-Sim and a half dozen other phantasmics simply stopped working. Her wards, thankfully remained, but when she regarded them, they were only operating at twenty percent efficiency, with her maximum cog-cap reduced. It was hard for her to comprehend the immensity of its size. Its dimensions were constantly changingmercurial, like thought itself. But with each passing second, she felt her own mind ache, like a sea was being poured over her, the pressure grinding upon her consciousness getting heavier and heavier This She didnt know what this was. She had encountered genuine horrorshorrors she couldnt endure facing even with her augmented Quicksand. But for something to displace her Metamind? Across over twenty light seconds of distance? Just what was Not what you think I am. A spear of cold terror punched deep into Bosuns gut. She shifted her golem across the axis of Idheim again ran simultaneous diagnostics on her observation platform and herself. The voice didnt speak againthat deep, mind-shuddering voice. Strings of mem-data unfolded across her cog-feed. Sequences were clean. There was nothing in the golem. There was nothing in her. Then how could she Her golem suddenly jolted to a halt. A mental command surged across her Ghostlink, demanding that it move. But it didnt. But it just held there, hiding in a curve along the planet. Nothing wrong with you. Nothing wrong with your golem. A good platform. Sphere Two. Very impressive. Ori-Thaums efficiency continues to impress. Her breath came hitched as Bosun tried to tried to There was a thought there. There were a sequence of things she should have done if she was ever compromised. She had done it before. There was training But she couldnt recall. And suddenly, she wasnt so afraid anymore. Faintly, an ethereal membrane came aglow with ghosts beyond her sensors, and she saw limbs of void-black and Soul-bright burrowing through her golem, burrowing through her. Bosuns throat ran dry. It hurt to swallow. She needed to drink more water. She needed to What are you? Just then, a second salvo of slow-moving missiles passed four light minutes away from Idheim. Her golem marked them in bracketed tags, and judged them to be [Memetic Scramblers] from the thought-static they emitted. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Dont need to worry. Not going to kill you. Need you to deliver a report for me. Something strained inside Bosuns mind. She was why couldnt she remember how she was supposed to respond. Youre not going to remember this conversation. Not until tomorrow. But the world will know me by then. Part of Bosun calmed. She stopped struggling. This was beyond her control. If this thing wanted to kill her Kill? The entity said. No. Not that. I just need you to bear the proper memories. Must admit. Would have never noticed you if I didnt have Ignorance. Curious as to how many more Incoged observers are up here. Bosun wanted to ask something else, but then Bosun snapped out of her sudden lapse and thought and saw a tendril of darkness pulling what looked like a voidship in half. In the distance, massive chains composed of what the golem identified as (Blood) and (Fire) detonated, shredding through additional Voidwatch assets while thoughtstatic seemed to evaporate from their shells. The observed blinked as she tried to process what she was seeing. There was this was She arced along Idheims curve over New Vultun and made her descent. Shed seen enough. They had a system breach. A Godhunt was upon them. Voidwatch was sustaining casualties from fighting a remnant. A broadcast for help was going to come in soon. And Ori-Thaum was going to know before anyone else. Bosun grinned. And then there were times like these that she remembered why she never wanted to leave this post. Nothing like greeting the dark. Nothing like it at all. *** [Shotin] The rains of midnight fell harder than normal, hammering down on New Vultun in a savage tempest. Lightning parted the skies above the tiers, and the light they cast splashed over the countless golems holding position outside the ambassadors office. Their frames were like those of folded birds, and text spilled free from them alongside the downpour. But where the rain stopped against matter, the metaphysical text from the golems continued to spread, washing over all that was information, veiling the district in clashing ciphers. Shotin glared outward over the descending staircase of vivianite and alloyed bunkers that composed much of this districtand much of the other districts connected to it in this section of the Tiers. His bond-brothers office was now filling with a whole collection of Guilders. And most of them were glaring at him. There was Reva Javvers and her Bloodthanes. Her default expression was to glare, it seemed. One of the uncharmables, Shotin decided. She probably had no interest in sex or relations, with all that Bloodthane grimness radiating from her eyes. She occupied a standing position with the rest of the cadre while her superior, a Stormtree Longeye called named Empty Grave, stared out at Ambassador Kitzuhada from the insides of a vivisected Scaarthian torso. Along the other side of the room was taken up by the considerable bulk of Fatalist Maharata of Ashthrone, clad in a Rendskin so choked with entropy that he would probably rupture Shotin and every other Godclad in the building should the Fatalist trigger his dead-mans switch. Theirs was a face shrouded behind an armored skull, and hulking mechanical limbs laden with entropic weapon hung by their sides. Shotin wanted to ask his bond-brother why he couldnt call a less suicidal Ashthroner, but promptly realized that might be too much to ask for. Then, there was Navigator Hosul of Sanctus. A white-uniformed woman (for now) with golden ports sprouting from her flesh and the outline of her titanic chronoframe traced around her body and passing through the walls. She glared at Shotin the most; he just did his best to ignore her existence. Their meeting had been one of mutual displeasure. Hosul was interested in love. Shotin was just looking for someone to fill his time in during his diplomatic tour after the Four Guild War. Only one of them had gotten what they wanted, and then there was the matter of her younger brother Thank you all for coming on such short notice, Ambassador Kitzuhada said. The man had his spectacles back on, though his face was still wrinkled from stress. What I am about to tell you pertains to the trial we are all obliged to attend come dawn in a few hours, and a volatile situation within Ori-Thaum. We noticed, Fatalist Maharata deadpanned. Your little civil war isnt nearly as quiet and civil was you might assume. Please do me a kindness: Tell me we arent gathered here under the auspice of conspiracy to scheme against Clan DRongo. No, Valhu said casually. Good, Maharata. We are scheming against Clan DRongo as a preventative measure against conspiracy. Maharata went still. His armor hissed as he lowered his head. Explain. If you fail to do so, I will simply detonate my Rendskin to spare us all the trouble being labeled as traitors. +That will not be necessary.+ The thoughtcast emanated directly from a locus hovering just above Valhus table. Within it, a session was active. A session connected to an Inner Council Mirror. A session that the ghoul disappeared down five hours ago and didnt come out. Shotin tried not to swallow at that. The situation around the trial, around the DRongos, the Famines, Veylis, Zeinfucking everything, was pure chaos. It was like the world was unending chain of dicks trying to fuck each other to death, and the only way for some dicks to achieve said death-fucking was to fuck a hole through another dick mid-fucking another dick to fuck the dick they actually wanted to fuck at the cost of some collateral fucking. And when a situation had too much fucking in it for Shotin Kazahara, then there was too godsdamned much fucking. Period. No further questions. Forgive me, the Longeye said, her voice low and creaking. To whom are we speaking? The withered face and the empty eyes of the Longeye emerged from the wound lining the corpses torso. From the gap between her neck and the darkness within, Shotin caught the glimpsing eye of a colossal Woundhound staring at him. He sneered back. He didnt know why the Longeyes still did this cultural charade of being wise old crones hidden in vessels of death and destruction. Everyone already knew that each triplet of Longeyes manifested themselves as Mothers of Ruin. She wasnt a frail old Scaarthian any more than Shotin was a supple virgin. +I have no title. I represent the Inner Council.+ The crone immediately receded into the wound, and a thunderous growl tumbled out from the many wounds lining the dismembered torso, carrying with it flashing lighting and tumbling flecks of frigid snow. Ah. No need to hold to deception. Well met, allies to the coven. Speak your will. I will carry your words +We would appreciate it if you didnt,+ the Mirror said. +We have no idea how far the compromise runs. Effective as of now, Clan DRongo is considered to be an accessory under Noloth.+ A triangular set of dots composed the Fatalists helmet. Explain yourself. +They have not been classified as traitors due to their compromise being rooted in subversion and top-down hijacking. They likely are not aware of where their new orders have been coming from. Only that there are new orders. Only that these new orders paint Clans Kazahara and Kitzuhada as potential traitors in another perspective. Further more, we suspect that Noloth is also in league with Highflame and Omnitech.+ Shotin was following along until that point, whereupon he did a double-take at the locus and Karewho had been standing quietly beside her father, burst out: What? The Mirror continued on without any change to their affected. +A classified source offered us new intelligence. The potential identities and locations of Nolothi nodes taken from an Omnitech informant.+ Shotin had a feeling he knew who this classified source was: once-ghoul and the newest and strangest cock to enter the fuck-fest. +Avo. Avo. Cast you, you baby-eating half-strand cocksucker. What the hells did you tell them? What is this? Youve been in that locus for hourswhat are they telling you? Avo? Avo?+ A quick reply came back from his new benefactor. +Obtained some new intelligence earlier. Had to share. Think the consang I got the mem-data from will appreciate this maneuver.+ +What? What consang? Avo? Avo? Answer me?+ The ghoul didnt. +Yeah, fuck you too. Godsdamn+ Shotin stopped his fuming when he caught Reva and a particularly large Scaarthian with a tiger-tail staring blankly at him. Anxiety, he said. Interesting set of expressions for anxiety, the tiger-tailed Scaarthian muttered. I would have guessed violent anger or moron trying to take a shit in his pants. More the latter. +Whatever the case, you are not to contact anyone outside this room about this information. All details are to remain restricted. In the next few hours, Elder Mwaba DRongo and Instrument Abrel Greatling will be returned to Idheim. The trial will formally begin. And a series of uprisings will explode across New Vultun. It is our suspicion that the Saintists will use this opportunity as cover to coordinate with Noloth and their assets toward a common goal: the destruction of the Heaven of Truth.+ Ah, a low snarl came from the Longeye. That sow Veylis is making another attempt, I see. And you wish for us to guard the Heaven. Even against our own. +That is the hope.+ *** [Avo] +That is the hope,+ Avo said, shaping the situation how he could. He would have preferred it if the Inner Council actually responded to the ambassador. But after hours of waiting, time running short, and without the possibility of a reply, he had to take things into his own hands. The Inner Council would understand. Either through reason or logic, or when they were subsumed. Whatever the case, other subminds were doing as he was right now, turning additional assets to his favor in case anything went wrong. Naeko and his Paladins were still a considerable force, but they would need every advantage they could get if anything drastic happened. Furthermore, he needed to strip away any potential advantage the Famines might have. They were bound for Scale toowere minutes from arrival in the form of Uthred Greatling, his son, and Green River. Day one of the trial was arriving. With everything ever-changing, his task now went from predicting problems to shaping the chaos, however he could, and by whatever means he could. Which was why he was throwing the Infacer into the Maw, using their gift of goodwill against them. Which was why he intended to also trigger a shooting war between the Meritocrats and Chivalrics by the Alysim finished making his way out of Axtraxis Academy. In some regard, Avo agreed with Shotin. The city was a nest of deception and clashing interests, but he had something to add himself: In a kingdom of dicks trying to fuck each other to death, the one who guided the direction of the cocks was going to be the chief fucker of them all. [Fuck yeah,] Chambers nodded. 28-6 All the Ways to Scale (II) +No! No! Not now, godsdammit! Not fucking now!+ -Mirror of the Inner Council Upon Receiving News of a Potential Forthcoming Godhunt During the Trial 28-6 All the Ways to Scale (II) Avo regarded the vast statue placed at the epicenter of the Court of Truth. Twin interconnected hands clawed out at the world. One bore a feather, the other a blade, and enshadowed beneath its pedestal, stood Naeko alone. The Chief Paladin was clad in his ancient combat skin, and the hound-like helmet enclosed around his skull painted his face in a dreadful visage. For a long time, Naeko didnt speak, instead choosing to take in his Paladins. The ones Avo filtered out to be the most loyal, anyhow. Of the true believers, there numbered only [6,355]---far too few to fill in the five kilometer long chamber. They arrived equipped for combat and at attention. The rest of their fellows continued on with assignments, or remained blissfully ignorant of what was taking place behind the scenes. The unreliables all had portions of Avos Synchronicity infused within them. They would come to support the others if and when the hostilities began. With a little encouragement from Avo, their responses would be a near certainty. The existing traitors, meanwhile, had been stationed in places across Scale away from the Court of Truth itself. Some were to greet the arriving Guilders beyond the threshold of the tessellating walls. Some were to watch over the Sovereignties and resolve any potential skirmishes before a war was sparked prematurely. All of those in the category of traitor would likely shift allegiances and act alongside their associated Guilds if not for the fact that Avo already had plans to see them subsumed and unmade. They were already subsumed. They just didnt know it yet. When the fighting was done and Avo was finished with their use, over fourteen thousand former Paladins find themselves offered to the gestalt in mind, Soul, ontologics, and death. Thus was allowed by Naeko; and thus was the fate of the disloyal, damned by a greater deceiver. +We stick to standard protocol with the trial,+ Naeko said. +Try to keep things calm on the first day. Twist some arms and make some threats if you need todont start fights. End them. Main goal here is to keep this clown show from turning into a full godsdamned circus immediately.+ +Hard to do when all the colors start mixing, chief,+ came a response from Naggat Cleaver, a Scaarthian Paladin. A chorus of muted laughter followed. Naeko actually grinned in response. +Shit, I know that. Why do you think I managed to play Stormjumpers for so long. After two centuries of dealing with Guilder shit, I think I internalized the Domain of being a dumbfuck automatically.+ The laughter was louder now. A little over a month ago, most of these Paladins thought nothing of Naeko. Assumed he was just broken. Now, they feared himand because of that feared, yearned to like him so they felt aligned with a true power of New Vultun. Human hearts were feeble, fickle things, and even the noblest among Godclads exhibited these traits. +That being said, we want them to finish arguing, voting, and settling on their proposals before we bring out the Heaven of Truth. Itll get us a timeframe for how long we have for discovery, questioning, and judgment. During this time, you might see some routine changes. Scale will go into planar lockdownjust like if were anticipating a siege.+ A faint atmosphere of discomfort came from most of the Paladins. A few of them were survivors leftover from the Second Guild War; those were the more relaxed of the bunch. They had something to expect and had lived through the darkest outcomes. Their juniors, however, only had vicarities and anecdotes to go off of. Ignorance fanned the flames of their worries. But Avo would see them spared soon enough. The Chief Paladins talk had been going for a while. Most over it was review over proceduresmore for Naeko than his Paladins. The entire process of the trial was far looser than Avo expected. Drafted in the Articles of the Spiral, every megacity had their own division of Paladins or non-partials to enforce general order and settle disputes between the Guilds. With the arrival of the trial, the first day would be an exercise in structured chaos. Over twenty thousand Guild representativesa substantial amount of them Godcladswould arrive, occupy their own sections along the split chamber. Behind the legion of gathered Paladins, a vast vertical slit lined with shimmering oscillations. Scanners and thaumaturgic detectors were at play there, and all Guilders who passed its threshold would be identified and logged by the Heaven of Truth. Usually, this meant that anyone who desired to make trouble could be resolved, but the Guilds would be gathering assets beyond these walls as well, and there were other means of subterfuge beyond outright violence. Both sides of the room resembled hives in a sense. They were dotted with jutting podiums and alcoves, allowing representatives places to stand and address each other. The Paladins would occupy the middle, and the opposition would the other side. With how much power most the participants possessed over reality, the distance was mostly a formality, but positioning still mattered in terms of symbology. The Paladins were the arms of Scale, after all, and they balanced Guilder interests. Or such was the hope. Regardless, they would spend much of the first few days facing Naekos announcement of the crimes, greeting those charged, opening the room to evidence gathered by the Guilds, votes for a mutually agreed duration for the Discovery Phasean odd case as both Massist and Saintist factions were being charged herebefore concluding with Judgement and Questioning. From Naekos experience, the entire affair would likely last the span of a month at most, judging from diplomatic squabbles he presided over. By Avo simulated pre-cognition, things would likely devolve into utter chaos before the midnight rains fell on the third day. The Chief Paladin spent a few hours longer going over thingsand being corrected about proper protocol by Maru. It didnt take much for Avo to realize the man was well out of practice for matters of leadershipfor most matters regardless. But that was fine. He needed Naeko the warrior soon. Maru and the others would be enough here. Finishing with the general details, Naeko let out a slight sigh and activated a session. Avos Hysteria locked onto a wavelength of thoughtstuff that emanated downward into very guts of Scale. +Bring it up.+ At once, Avo felt a crushing pressure arrive. At the far end of the room, directly opposite to the slit from which the Guilders were set to arrive, the Gatekeeper manifested from a single pinprick, spilling into stable reality as unfurling links of ringing chains. Naeko had pushed for this, wanted Veylis to see that they were planning something; notice the loyalists. Though Avo found it unwise to give the High Seraph any more usable information, Naeko rebuffed him with experience. Every little bit counts with her, Naeko had said. She considers everything. Everything. Thats the best thing about her. And the worst. She cant stop thinking. And this will weigh on her two. Thats what gets her the most: phantom variables. Though the Gatekeeper remained grand in the sheer amount of metaphysical displacement its arrival brought, Avo felt himself more capable of enduring it. Passing over to Sphere Seven had granted him ground of his own. His Heaven was more stable than it was beforeharder to affect. And if all went according to Avos plan, he might just find himself past the threshold for Sphere Eight before this entire affair was over. Might. There were a lot of ifs, maybes, potentiallys, and should-bes. Alright, Naeko said, sounding more exhausted than he was after fighting Zein. Being a leader weighed upon him like an awkward burden. Looking upward reflexively, he bade Avo to materialize with a thought. +Come out and show them what they got to known. Just+ If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. That was all Avo needed. That was all he was waiting for. The form of his Strix erupted from the statue behind Naeko, and the substance of the void bled over into baseline reality. A stream of curses and lesser Heavens manifested around the gathered Paladins, but his mind drowned theirs before they could commit to any potential mistakes. Hungering tendrils of fluid ebony lined phantasmal sequences speared out from the Overheaven and through all who were present. Some of them had thaumic protections layered over their minds, but they had a new session activated at the start of Naekos talk, connecting their squad leaders to unit heads and unit heads to Naekos lieutenants. That, and Avo had already planted splinters in them earlier. Avo waterfalled through their links and infused their minds with mem-data, granting them all the necessary insight they needed for what he was, and fake schemes to be uncovered when they were inevitably compromised by the Famines or the Infacer. Curses and gasps of surprise burst forth from the minds and lips of the gathered loyalists like a dam. What the fuck! That was you? Youre the one that gave me the rash at Vengs Stand. The butchered Syndicate the interrupted Crucible The three-hundred thousand nulled The responses coming from the Paladins pleased Avo. There was horror staining their minds, but they remained investigators still. Guardians of the city. It took them little effort to put together all he had done in the Warrens. +Yeah,+ Maru growled, speaking to the gathered Paladins with folded arms. +I nearly shit myself the first time too. A godsdamned ghoul. An eater of flesh that now finds minds and Souls its preferred fucking vintage. He eyed Avo with a shudder. But ithes all we got. Hes the reason youve all been sorted away from the rest. You''re the loyalists. The good ones. Take pride in that! But understand that youre in the shit! Theres no getting away from the coming war. Theres no backing out. Ignorance is bliss, but the choice for peace is out of our hands. Only question''s what now.+ Mumbles and stunned expressions swept through the few thousand Paladins. They were still trying to process everything Avo was, the Ladder, the Gatekeepers compromise, and the sheer amount of threats that will be in play when the trial commences. +The hells didnt you tell us this sooner,+ Naggat said. +No prematurely leaks,+ Avo replied. He fought an amused chuckle as the Scaarthian Paladin shuddered at the sudden emergence of his voice. His ability to unnerve the ephemerals remained one of his greatest pleasures. +There are other powers lurking in the Nether. There are others that may lurk in your minds. Need to give them as little time+ A vaporous hand formed around Avo and slowly dragged him backward. The Overheaven grunted awkwardly as he was pulled before the Naeko, who was glaringa t him throughout. Slight dissatisfaction filled Avo. He wanted to flourish his newest apotheosis before the gathered crowd longer. To impress upon them the immensity of his power and form. Instead, their attentions were divided by Naeko, and rather than awe or fear, Hysteria drank in mostly confusion. [Listen, I get it,] template-Shotin sighed. [Kare did this to me a few years back. I met this incredible lady, and I was closeso close to charming herbut sweet, innocent Kare started pushing through the halls of the academy loudly proclaiming that the grafters had my genital-transplant ready, and that surgery for my warg-rot could begin soon.] The Seeker sighed. [Killed my prospects dead.] Kares template replied sweetly: [I was not going to let you sleep with my ethics professor, Uncle Sho. She just lost her son and was getting close to a bad place.] [What? Dammit, Kare, I could have comforted her.] [You are the bad place I am talking about, uncle.] Avo, Naeko finally sighed after a good few seconds of glaring. Whats this shit, now? What? Whered the godsdamned bird come from. Strix Upon the Empty? Heaven of Continuum? Whatd you do to yourself now? Sphere Seven? When did you become Sphere Seven? The Chief Paladins face blanched. Did you kill a over million people? Avo turned his attention on the inactive Heaven of Truth leaning slanted against the wall in the background. Doubtless, Veylis was watching. Good. Doing. Still in the process of changing. Becoming. Existence is to be understood A massive palm bloomed out from Naeko. Okay. Im too tired for your Jaus impression, half-strand. Just please tell me you didnt start the war early. Didnt start the war early. Guilds are locked down. Defensive measures. Avo paused. Would have gotten closer if now for Veylis. Naeko sneered. Cut you from across time, did she? Something like that. As the Paladins chattered to each other, as the rains outside began to die down, Naeko walked around the statue occupying the center of the room and faced the Gatekeeper once more. Their body jingled and rang with the slightest movement, and spatial reality warped around them like a crumpled parchmentthe space they occupied in the guts of Scale overlapping with the Court of Trutha demiplane within a demiplane. Alright, Naeko muttered. I think thats a good enough show for her. Still think we should have gone for the quieter approach. Nothing stays unknown to her long. Not with that creepy EGI fuck tucked away in her mind. Paranoias the best we got. Naekos lip curled. +Paranoia. And misdirection. You put your fake intelligence in my Paladins.+ +Yes. Kept them consistent. Generated potential angles of attack on Highflame at the trial using my Pre-Cog. Veylis and Emotion will probably be able to see through some. But they will need to devote resources to ensure others arent actually in play.+ +Right. Lets hope that works.+ +Doing a bit more than hoping right now, Naeko. Getting you and your Paladins more help as well.+ +For where?+ +Certain Massists. Ill update you and the others once things are certain.+ Naeko nodded as Maru continued to speak to the others. Unlike Naeko, the younger Godclad spoke more like a senior authority to the Paladins. Because that was what he was. An ancient survivor. One of the first Paladins. In war, he was nothing before Naeko, and his intellect and behavior werent that extraordinary, but his ability to stay true to his path even after almost everyone he loved was something Naeko could only envy. Everyone broke in different ways. Taking a few minutes to walk up to the Heaven of Truth, Naeko regarded the chain-made angel with a tired look and Avo followed close behind. Within, Avo felt the temporal wound pulsating. There was movement from somewhere. He could feel it better this time. Clearer than before. His newest apotheosis had made his metaphysical senses sharper as well. Are you watching us? Naeko asked. Hm, Veylis? You there? You see this? You see me? If she was, the High Seraph didnt intend to reveal herself. Well, if you are, I just want you to know something: We both owe a debt. To the city. To each other. To Jaus. And bills come due. I should havewe should have finished this years ago. I was a coward. I was broken. But now Im just tired. And I think Im just about done with all of this. He paused again. Are you the same way? He almost sounded like he was beginning. It was almost pathetic. Almost. But Avo understood. He knew now. And he kept silent. With each passing second of silence, Naeko wilted further, lowered, his head, and prepared to turn away. I will not stray from my path. Whatever the pain. The whatever the strain. The voice came soft and somber. The power in Veylis voice was ever present, reverberating across time, but this was as soft as Avo ever heard her. And more surprisingly, she responded. Unexpected. Something Naeko clearly hadnt anticipated either, judging from how startled he looked. Gazing up into the Gatekeeperscrunching inward as if in an attempt to hug itselfNaeko took another step forward and swallowed. I know that. You wouldnt be you otherwise. And you are more yourself again, Veylis said, sounding somewhat proud. I see you wearing the armor I helped make for you. It still fits well? Nothing fits me well anymore. But thats what happens when you keep getting older and never die. ...I understand. I visit places. See people. They change. But I do not. Not truly. Another silence followed. Im never gonna forgive you, Naeko said, finally. His hand opened and closed, and he was too tired and sad to rage. Im never going to forgive you for what you did. Forgiveness is for those that seek it. I am not sorry. My task is not done. You do not see See what? Hm? See what? See the hellpit we made of the world? See the point to all this? Yeah, I dont. I dont see. And I dont think you do either. What do you think happens if you win? Tell me that. Tell me. When I win, I will face my fathers judgment. By his will, I will meet my fate. Naeko scoffed. Hes not a god, Veylis. And if theres anything left of him, hell just just let you go. He wont do anything to you. You were the world to him. More than the world. You know that. Then he should have listened to my warning. But he did not see then either. Fucking hells. Naeko rubbed at his face. Have you only been speaking to the Infacer all these years? Is that it? Do not seeVeylis, I dont know what you saw, but I sure as shit hope doubt it was worse than all this. A beat. Yes. Because in some of the paths, I lost you as well. 28-7 No Road Back There is no hate like love forsaken. -Jaus Avandaer 28-7 No Road Back "And you didn''t lose me in this one?" Naeko asked. He was more tired than heartbroken at this point. "Not yet," Veylis replied. "Not truly. You are here before me, are you not? You have even slowly returned to some semblance of your old self. Even this echo is better than the husk you were." "The husk I was?" Naeko laughed. It was a mirthful sound for such a rageful man. "I wasn''t a husk. I was..." He paused. "No, we''re not doing this. I''m going to tell you this right now. I''m going to give you the chance you never gave me. Never gave my Paladins. I''m going to do you kindness, a kindness you didn''t give me. A kindness master didn''t give me, a kindness that not even Jaus gave me. I''m coming for you, Veylis. What you have taken from me, you can never get back, so I don''t even care about taking from you. But you will stand down. You will answer for what you''ve done, and you will give back those you''ve taken." A long pause followed, and Naeko swallowed quietly. "We struggled, me and him. We both wanted to tell you, for different reasons, but now..." Veylis breathed. It was such an empty, reverberating sound. "We didn''t do it because we didn''t want to offend each other. I didn''t want him to think that I was going to use you against him, and he did not want the same thing, and so ultimately, so ultimately, so desperate were we to avoid hurting each other that we inflicted these wounds. On him. On me. On my mother. On you. What we want does not matter, it is what we can do, it is what we will do, it is what we can shape of the world." Naeko blinked. Then something inside his mind came ablaze like a wrathful flame. Fuck you. Fuck. You. Tell me that shit again. Tell me that again. Tell me how your control is going to fix everything. It''s just you now. It''s just you, me, and who else? Who''s left? Zein? Yeah. Okay, let''s count her. Zein. Me. You. And what? Who''s left from the whole world? Osjon? Naeko scoffed. "Osjon is a thing, not a person. And you know that. Is he still in love with you? Have you ever given him any interest? Have you ever gotten cold? Wanted company?" "Enough, Naeko, you embarrassed yourself," Veylis said, but too quickly. If Avo was to judge. Osjon is useful, he understands this. Willingness to please and his ability to think laterally are the main reasons I keep him. As for his adoration and his infatuation, I cannot control that in another. It is a crippling weakness, his greatest blemish, I cannot respect him for it. But ultimately, I will not condemn it for it either." Another beat passed between them. The Gatekeeper jingled its chain-like wings. "I remember the day you broke the Force Breaker," Veylis whispered. "I remember the day, for it is seared into my mind, it is mythology to me. Mythology lived. You, with the stolen power of other gods, standing against the god of peace and violence, standing against him, winning, prevailing, finding that crack in its lore. You tore a god in half. You broke the will of an entire people. I remember watching the faithful pitch themselves off a cliff, dashing themselves against the rocks far below in despair. I remember the power you inflicted on them; violence beyond force. You were perfect, you were crossing from just man and anger to wrath and retribution personified. You vent now like an angry mortal, but I remember what you could be. And because of that, there is no one else. You have left a gulf in me that cannot be filled by anyone else. Because no one else had done what you''d done, had survived what you survived, had pushed on by rage, by anger, by determination, like a cataclysm-made flesh, my brute above all other brutes." And now Naeko is looking away, unable to even gaze upon the Gatekeeper. There have been no others, you are right. It is ultimately just me and the Infacer, and we are alone, but the task has stripped us of our ability to be lonely. This is beneath us now, and I had hoped that you would have grown, you would have found it beneath you, because you have always been so much more than what you constrain yourself to be. "Why do I want to be more," Naeko said. "Why do you think I want to be more? Everything I''ve done, every little bit, every step, was because of someone else. Everything I did was because of you and Jaus or someone else." Finally, he stared at the Gatekeeper again. "What if this is more? What if more is me deciding that I need to break you?" "Would you like to hear the truth," came Veylis reply. Avo thought she sounded hopeful. "If you did, if you truly chose to march against me, then I would love you all the more for it. Naeko was speechless. Only for a heartbeat. Closing his eyes, he couldnt help it. He smiled. You havent changed a damn bit. And, as I said, you are coming back to me. I missed you. Dreamer. I give you my thanks and my eternal gratitude." Avo went very still at that. [Oh shit,] template-Chambers muttered in his mind. [Avo, when a crazy bitch thanks you, it''s usually time to run.] [Yeah,] Shotin added, [it''s usually a sign that you might have caught something and you might wanna resurrect.] Veylis continued. "I suspect that the restoration of my love would have been impossible if he was left alone, if he was allowed to just waste away. You have breathed new life into him, new purpose, even if the purpose is oppositional. I see him returning." "I didn''t do it for you. Take back your thanks. Take back your gratitude. He is your sin. This is not your gift." "So you say," Veylis replied, "but these are my feelings. These are my judgments, and they are beyond your means to effect. As is the Agnos. She is mine now, mine henceforth forever, until I have no more use for her. And then she will be mine to decide, to discard, to preserve, or to elevate." "Elevate," Avo replied. The High Seraph elaborated. "You have focused and become a nuisance, and even a danger in some areas, this is true. But though you are meticulous, though you are overwhelming, though you possess means of attack and complexities beyond even my mother, you are a newcomer to this game, this great game, and you have taken your eye away from the skies above and the wounds that remain." Avo did not understand what she was insinuating, but Veylis had no intention of being mysterious. "The Heaven of Love, its rupture is deteriorating rapidly, but you already knew this. She even had plans to resolve it after the trial. And then Avo understood, and then dread drowned the millions of templates that existed within him." "What have you done with Kae? What have you made her do?" "I have not made her do anything. She is brilliant. She has a potential solution for the Heaven of Love, but it requires someone to mantle its full weight, and for that, there is only one candidate worthy of the task, worthy of bestowing such a glory upon." "You want to graft the Heaven of Love onto Kae?" The thought left him as a near feral growl. He altered the structure of his mind to keep himself composed, but this was unexpected; disastorously unwelcome. "Yes, her solution requires a direct interface, and I believe no one else will do. Don''t worry. Victory will be one we all share, and if she passes, her loss will be something we all mourn." "No," Naeko cut in. "No. No. This won''t happen. You are done deciding. I will have her back, Veylis. I will have her back, and I will burn your world. I will break your paths. You have been blinded. Blinded by expectation. Blinded because you are an observer, but you do not live. You are a creature of two cages, one for the world, another for you. I will remedy your mistakes. I will meet you, will for will, miracle for miracle. We settle this the old way." A low hum of approval came from High Seraph. "So you say. Come then, Dreamer; my love. Take the future from me, if you can. Defy my will. Substitute your own. We will see who stands in the end, and who falls before the blade of deliverance." And at that, the waters of chronology stabilized, and Veylis receded. Another long quiet settled between now Chief Paladin and the Overheaven of Conceptualization. "I think I understand why you fell in love with her," Avo said. Are still in love with her. Yeah. That was all Naeko wanted to say about that. Verbally, anyway. +Well. Your test worked. Dont think she realized what we were doing. Nasty godsdamn Heaven you made.+ +Thank Kae,+ Avo hummed with pleasure. The bodies currently channeling his and Naekos presences were actually Fallwalkers. Fallwalkers subsumed and overlapped by the gestalt. Somewhere across the city, hidden within the pocket of a madman from futures past, their actual selves hid, plotting a coming attack. No road back, Naeko said, speaking more to himself. You ready? +Yes.+ Well. Im not. Naeko rolled his shoulders. Not until the fight starts. Thats how it always is. *** A hundred and fifty kilometers away from Scale came three people in an aerovec. Three people and one node of Noloth. The Greatlings, Green River, and their offering approached the fray. Below them, lightrails ignited with impossible radiance, but the stations were barred from the public, sealed off by thaumic means and guarded by golems and ghosts alike. Only the esteemed and powerful rode the city''s veins, soared across guarded skies, their shadows flitting over fortified blocks and streets in protected convoys. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it *** Up in the void, a war was being fought. The beginnings of one, anyway. Relativistic weapons slashed across the vast nothing, striking at a target that couldn''t be killed by such means. Who learned from them and experienced every exchange. *** In the gutters below New Vultun, haggard masses passed into reflective panels, ushered onwards by their former captors, the cruel overseers suddenly different in disposition and intent. As the refugees crossed over, they found themselves in a new place, passing from living hell to a resplendent sanctuary. Curved arches welcomed them inwards as phantasmal trails tunneled through their beings, tickled the recesses of their minds. Awareness suddenly flooded them, and they realized they were being processed, taken to a new place, a new home. Some among them began sobbing openly. Those were the ones that still had energy. The others were torn between confusion and general emptiness. New Vultun had not been what they hoped, not even close. But just as they were about to be fed to the snarling maw of a hungering nightmare, another whiplash followed, and suddenly they were safe again. At the end of their hallway, three men stood there, waiting. Each of them exactly identical in flesh and posture. The skin was impossibly black, with a rubbery sheen further slickened by viscous, oozing sweat. The men possessed alloyed limbscybernetics, as it was known to the refugees. Their captors were heavily augmented, blended of machine and flesh alike. But unlike the cruel enforcers of the Syndicatesat least before their sudden change in behaviorthese three were welcoming, if seeming a little sad. "Oh hello, welcome, I have been waiting for you for some time. We are Essus. You may treat us as the same person. We are here to serve you. We are here to give you sanctuary, safety, and, if it pleases Artad, a new home." And then all three of them lifted their arms, and their being molded over the archway ahead. Suddenly, the empty space between the second most portal flung open as if a camouflaged door had been flung open, and as two points in reality converged, a new path revealed itself to the refugees. "Come, come, let us be away from here. It is not safe to linger anywhere. They are always looking for us. There is food and shelter waiting for you. You are safe now. You are safe." *** High up in the void, seven figures stood upon the unfinished planetary ring as they gazed down upon the entropy-scarred face of Idheim. Weaves of Rend lined the face of the planet, making it a scarred back long acquainted to the kiss of a whip. But over New Vultun, there was a clearing: A wide open space untainted by existential collapse. It was toward this space that Chambers spat, the act one of scorn and disgust. The man laughed. +Consangs, you have no idea how good it felt to do that+ Beside him, Marlow repeated the same thing, but she was a phantom, and her gesture was even more metaphorical. Guitar strings twanged in the vacuum. Cas eld-Canduir played the instrument transplanted in his arm. It was a somber riff, but one that was growing with building intensity. Beside him, Denton was in constant communication, her ansible and Metamind working with equal frequency. They were all present. And they werent. Through Avos Strix Upon the Empty, both of these things were true. Draus, Dice, the uplift, Tavers, and White-Rab were there as well, preparing for each of their own operations. The uplift, specifically, was glaring up at the ghostly tendrils passing through its body, hissing at the Soulfire rushing through its being. The girl and her favored companion remained within the enclave. Outside, a constant exchange of people continued; existing residents were filtered out while their copies flooded in. The process happened at maximal efficiency, requiring partial attention from the Regular to keep the necessary reflections active. Avos submind did the rest, casting directions to everyone involved, arranging a system of traffic built around absolute Synchronicity. The dragon-farm had been moved as well. Placed in a special section of the orbital ring that also crossed back over into several sections of the Sunderwilds. An additional layer vivianite had been fused over their shelters, and an Incog phantasmic was constantly running, parrying any chance of detection. Everything was in transition. And there was no better capstone to such a moment than the addition of another member to the cadre. Though, this didnt mean Avo was particularly enthused. Nor the uplift. +Kill you,+ the uplift meowed as it clawed at the empty air. Avo was holding the cat aloft now, and Dice looked on in anxious anticipation. +Eat your throat.+ +Stop. Struggling is pointless.+ +You are pointless. Unless I eat you.+ The cat was determined to remind Avo it was a cat evermore, even with enhanced cognition. Be careful, Dice muttered. Avo understood. The cat knew what was happeningAvo had explained things over and over, and the creature blinked at him, indifferent to being Ensouled. The only aspect that appealed to it was the offered Heavena thing that would allow it to make prey of almost anything, thanks to the Heaven of Gluttony that Kae had designed. The Micemaker was a specialized Heaven made for targeted assassinations. Bearing Domains of Hunger, Cooking, Space, Geometry, War, and Speed, it effectively binds the uplift and their desired prey into a demiplane in which the cat is absolutely larger, absolutely faster, and absolutely capable of devouring anything smaller than it is. Limitations to the build remain: It wasnt designed to face high sphere threats, but targeted kills of low level Godclads beneath Sphere Four or essential personnel would be a simple affair. The death of the uplift was a sudden one. One second its heart was pumping. Then one of Avos sequences twitched, and then it went limp as an injection of Soulfire, cyclers, and ontologics spilled into its being. An anchor scar immediately formed over its unmoving body, but Avo descended into the cats Soulspace to see if there was anything amiss with the creature. [I dont think I could have done this alone,] template-Kae said appreciatively. [You might be the only one on Idheim capable of grafting this Heaven on the catuplifted or not. The way its mind works The integration of the mythologies and beliefs are too strange.] Avo chuffed. +Not that strange. Know what its like to be a predator. Thoughts made up of impulse. Instinctive cruelty. And hunger.+ From within the Soul, the cat bobbed up and down curiously, examining Avos intruding branches. Oh. Why are you still here. Thought death would be nicer. Wanted there to be juicy bugs. GRAFTING MICEMAKER (HUNGER/COOKING/SPACE/GEOMETRY/WAR/SPEED) - 755 THAUM/C +Might get your wish soon,+ Avo said. Turning his thoughts to Dice, the girls machine body gave a mechanical whine while her nervousness climbed. +Its fine. Still a half-strand. Maybe that should be its name.+ A rare thought of disapproval came from Dice. No. It should decide its own name. Her words brought a pause to Avo. Do you still want to be called Dice? Yes. Why? Because I am only still here because chance. It is the right name. The right name. How often do people ascribe their own beliefs upon the patterns of existence. Avo spoke to the uplift once more. +Creature. Do you even want a name?+ Not from you. +If you had to refer to yourself?+ Wouldnt need a name. Why would I refer to myself? Perhaps Confidence would be a good name for the cat. It possessed a level of self-absurdness beyond any human. +And if another is to refer to you?+ RESURRECTION - 3% The uplift considered that for a second, and then replied. Lucky. Several templates within Avo responded with amusement. [Looks like we got some themes going here,] Corner murmured. +Why?+ Avo asked. Because I was lucky to be found. Fitting. A bit too fitting. Life rhymed in so many strange little ways. Avo shifted the mem-data over to Dice, and girl suddenly went very still. I like the name, she said. I like it a lot. Concurrently, somewhere hidden in the Warrensuntraceable even to AvoTavers sighed. +Well. I don''t know if to congratulate you or curse at you, because the streets they''ve never been so quiet. The Squires I keep tabs on have gone to ground. Necros too. Everything is getting locked down. All the Guilds are calling in curfews. It''s tense, consangs. Real tense. I think the people feel it. Now the war''s coming. It''s a little early. Some people are trying to deny it, but yeah, the city''s on the edge again, and everyone knows. Everyone.+ +Good,+ Draus said. +Less collateral I need to shoot through.+ A spot of tension followed. The Regular spoke again. +So. Youre going to be channeling me and Kae through the gestalt, huh? Reckon thatll be enough to give the Gatekeeper the slip.+ +Should. It is the truth. You are there. You are me. And Veylis wont understand the Heaven. Doesnt. Didnt know that she wasnt actually talking to me or Naeko. That I was channeling our presence through subverted Fallwalkers. Proxies for our true selves. We have an opening.+ +Yeah. Speaking of Jaus. I didnt think Id be listening in on the Chief Paladins relationship issues.+ White-Rab chuckled to himself. +We might all end up dead with you, Avo. Cant say its going to be boring.+ The Overheaven grunted. +Hows the node looking.+ +Still broken. Itll take time. Probably wont be done until after the trial. If we survive the trial + Veylis will have her own issues soon enough *** Once more, Avo shifted subminds. But this time, he was within a new vessel. Alysim stood with his arms open to the sky, soaking in the midnight rains. He was walking the streets of the Tiers, unnoticed by patrolling drones and Specters. Ignorance protected him, and the knowledge he bore of the paths kept him prepared for other means of detection. The district of Olphium was quiet as a grave. Everyone was to shelter in place and prepare for chronoshift, and with the populace mostly belonging to Sanctus, they had obliged. When the shift came, the position of the district would switch over to its counterpart in the Tiers; a place that bordered a Highflame surveillance facility. Through the thoughts being cast there, Avo would shuttle Alysim across the vastness of space and time using the chronoshift as cover, and plant Alysim within Atraxis Academy. The instructors, students, and systems were already subverted. But it would be the non-Godclads that Avo consumed to serve as another junction in his gestalt. The others were compromised by Veylis, marked with her will. We approach a convergence of fate, Alysim breathed, seemingly speaking to no one. Yes. Are you ready? It does not matter. The paths have fallen away. Can you feel it? The routes have gone from uncountable to many to now, so few There is no ready. There are only the actions we can perform, and that which follows thereafter. Truth, Avo said, emulating the Gatekeeper. You dont expect to survive this. Dreamer. I am already dead. I simply wish to see if I can achieve my task before the moment that I am slain. This was true. And this made Alysim far freer than most people Avo knew. Not your paths anymore. Wont do what you did. Not tainted of control like you. Indeed, Alysim sighed, mournfully. But I can feed off solace enough. At least the traitors may yet be punished. At least a better choice remains to chronicle this worlds history. A deep sadness welled up from within Alysim. Remember us, Avo. Remember everything if you can. Chronicle what has happened. Bring the testament of what has been suffered, and what we have survived into the future. I will not be your chronicle, Avo said, regarding the pulsing pinpricks of consciousness growing among his templates. Alysims vision was so lowso ultimately human. My testament will be of existences resurrection and liberation. Damn the chains of the past. And thus was the will of the Overheaven spoken. And thus did the district begin to shudder with oscillating gold, chronology bleeding over the horizon, into the near future 28-8 Opening Arguments (I) {Tradition is a hard yoke to break. Some among my contemporaries claim that the terrestrials are merely delusional or culturally psychotic. This is inaccurate. They likely say these things not because they don''t know better, but because they are warhawks and desire to sterilize the planet with one final engagement, settling matters left over from the Builder War. I do not believe and do not associate with their opinions. No. I think that the legal system of Idheim is substantially adequate and to be commended, especially considering their long history of extreme violence and ritualistic bloodshed to solve matters rather than diplomacy, negotiation, fact-finding, and truth. But as things go, hope is a faraway thing. Ultimately, the legal system governed by the Paladins has proven to be at least somewhat effective. They remain the balance between each of the Great Guilds, and should they offer favor to any side, the entire balance of power could be toppled immediately thereafter. They are, in a sense, crippled kingmakers. Their trials begin with opening arguments, in which anyone and everyone is allowed to bring in evidence and memory testimonies from across the city. Countless Guilders participate. This is a place not only to decide the fate of the accused, but also to jockey for political influence and arrange themselves in case a greater conflict breaks out. During this period, the Court of Truth is thaumaturgically sealed from outer reality while all the related parties deliberate under the watchful gaze of the Gatekeeper: Jaus Avandaers final legacy. The delegates involved also sometimes involve we, of Voidwatch, toward the end of preserving the polities that remain -EGI Hammurabi 28-8 Opening Arguments (I) [Vator] Vator never quite liked the aesthetic of Scale. The entire concept was just so unoriginal. A structure of utmost importance placed at the very top of the city? At the very core of the Tiers? Jaus Avandaer might be the Godbreaker, but his sense of style remained infected by those who came before him. So centralized, so symbolic, so utterly drool The youngest Greatling sighed. Perhaps he could regard it as a heart with valves leading out into each of the Great Guilds. Yes, that would be more palatable, but it still didnt resolve the problem of the Paladins mountain fortress. Now that was a true monstrosity: an amalgam of shifting bricks was the best its creators could come up with. Yes, yes, the thaumaturgic benefits it provided were great, but really now, shifting bricks? And did they need to make the water crash forth like cascading rocks too? As they entered one of its many hollows, Vator frowned as they began landing on a pad holographically outlined by a technical drone. Again, Vator sighed. This time, he drew the attention of his father, turning to glare at him with augmented eyes of silvery blue. The color stood out nicely in the dark red ambiance inside the aerovec. Now Vator smiled and took a mental snapshot of the moment using his Metamind. He would see if he could recreate this soon. Vator, Uthred said, voice slow and measured, can I count on you to remain on task and unburdened by distractions? Of course, father, Vator grinned. I am simply committed to processing all my mental suffering right now. We are bound for a most hideous place. The sofas they occupied in the aero formed a U-shape along the back of the vehicle. The two Greatling sat facing each other, while Green Riverostensibly sworn to their aid and secretly likely in league with their hidden enemyjoined them as a guest. Her presence inflicted an awkwardness on Uthred that Vator simply ignored, speaking easily with her and Emotion during their journey as if there was nothing to worry about at all. Because there was nothing to worry about. Things were looking chaotic, desperate, and altogether grim for so many. That was true. But chaos was an expressive canvas! It made things interesting. Sure, they wanted to save Abrel, but the possibility that she might be lost to politics orVeylis forbidan act of sudden terror, gave the moment its flavor. That was what finally settled Vators annoyance: this moment of was living history. He was part of living history. Perhaps the High Seraph would see him rewarded for his deeds if all went well. Perhaps she would show him the paths Their vehicle settled with a soft thud. A vibration passed through the interior of the aerovec, followed by the hissing of a door. +We enter the belly of a beast,+ Emotion murmured. Vator smiled at that. A rather overused metaphor, Emotion. I expected something more original. +I was being literal. The Dreamer is here and he is watching us.+ Uthred went still halfway to a stand. The former Authority glowered at the locus placed on the table between the couch. Vator was pleased his fathers gaze never reached Green River; the Authority mastered himself well. Right now? +Yes. Several Paladins bear his touch the infrastructure here even the drone.+ But we remain protected, Green River said, injecting just enough worry into her voice. She pulled at the long fur coat she wore, and the fox wrapped around her neck blinked lazily at Vator. The young Guilder smiled. The Sang wasnt half-bad herself. He wondered if she could keep her composure if he dissected her, or if it would be the fox that betrayed her emotions. +Yes,+ Emotion said. +We remain protected. He possesses only a facet of Noloths treasures. The Dreamer will only strike if there is an openingbut I doubt even that. He plots his own schemes here. Be wary.+ Vator shared a look with his father. As they disembarked their aero, they found themselves greeted by a cadre of Paladins. The group had the opacity of their masks at max and their Metaminds were furthered veiled by wards. Wards unknown to Vator. But not to Emotion. +These are phantasmics of Peaces making.+ A mental breath left the Famine. +Bold. The Dreamer is openly leaving his touch upon his favored.+ I salute you, Paladins, Uthred said, granting the Paladins a gesture usually reserved for ones superiors in Highflame. Yet, before he could speak further, a Paladin interrupted him. We know why youre here. Youve been expected. Please, follow us. The Chief Paladin wishes to speak with you. Once more, Uthred froze, while Vators grin grew ever wider. So, this was what it was like to be drawn into the Great Game. The unexpected at every turn, the unknown always waiting just over the horizon. Tiles of tessellation spilled down from the walls as a part of the wall folded over to become a bridge leading to a vertical pathway. The first of the Paladins walked off while a contingent of drones trailed over them. +He is abandoning subtlety,+ Emotion said, sounding more than a little unnerved himself. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. +What does that mean?+ Vator said, casting his thoughts straight into the locus in his grip. +That the Dreamer likely doesnt intend to hide much longer+ *** [Alysim] Exploiting a chronoshift to attack another district was not a novel idea. Indeed, Sanctians used their unique ontologies to great advantage across all the Guild Wars. More than that, plenty of Squires used chronoshifts to escape pursuit or infiltrate zones of interest. However, using a chronoshift to sneak a man fated to die in the future into a Highflame communications facility with its personnel pre-subverted to use its Heavne of Signals to gain access to a demiplane connected to Axtraxis Academy was going to be a first in history. More than that, there was likely only one being in history, past, present, and potentially future that could achieve this. Well, beings might be a better word. Avo was a legion unto himself after all. Shifting forward into time was a lot like being injected through the narrow tip of a needle the present threaded around you. The experience was uncanny for Avos other subminds, for it felt like a part of himself got ineffably lostconnected in sense and awareness; but disconnected by relative location. As the district inverted with its twin, echoes were left across space and time, balancing any possibility of Rend. The operation was a delicate one. Something that required days of focused planning, preparation, and short-term shaping. All this to create a window of opportunity while leaving Veylis blind to his true plan. All this to bleed and savage the Saintists, only to ensure his own failure in the end. *** [The Gestalt] A series of Rendbombs ripped the tapestry open across critical Saintist strong points. The bombs were not meant to destroy but delay, and ruptures of space, geometry, and chronology oozed from metaphysical wounds lining the face of existence. The locations targeted were fast-response portals for golems; Omnitech surveillance outposts; and forward operating bases across the Warrens. Alone, a few of these losses would be of little note nothing more than a jab. Hit together, and Veylis faced an offensive she couldnt ignore. Once more, her response was staggering. A mere millisecond after the attack began did Knots of golems emerged from golden pathways and wrinkles in the fabric of existence. Thjey carried with them Rendsinks to soak the entropy, while Veylis struck. Her attacks were shapeless; came without betrayal by sight or sound. Places in reality existed. Places werent. Surviving subverts tried to hide in place and escape her notice; subverts died. And while Veylis battled in the material, the Infacer fought in tandem with their partner, hunting Avos Incubi in the Nether, who had been the first to be replenished after their scouring. They crashed lobbies and nulled minds in an aggressive blitz of Nether warfare, fully aware of their coming deaths but unworried, for their thoughts were linked to dead-man-switch Rendbombs of their own. Avo had stolen a page from Ori-Thaum''s book. As the Infacer reached their static tendrils across the Nether, and burst forth in drowning floods of radiation, hundreds of Incubi were nulled at once, and hundreds of bombs went off. The first of these bombs were created from Signal Rend. The others, however, were filled with the metaphysical waste heat of Information. As the first detonations arrived, the Infacer soaked the entropy into their Frame but were entirely unprepared to find their referential understanding of the world absolutely shredded. Suddenly, integers and letters ceased to hold any understandable meaning, their signs constantly changing, even within the Infacers dataspace. Immediately, Avo sensed the Neo-Creationist mind recede from whence they came, and a small sensation of pleasure filled him. Nothing like using the Guilds'' tricks against each other. *** Other attacks occurred without rhyme or reason to onlookers. People suddenly turned hostile towards their former comrades and family, exhibiting impossible abilities in sudden explosions of violence and destruction. Unbeknown to the ignorant, they were no longer faced with those they knew before, but a gestalt wearing their body. Avo, Corner, White-Rab, Draus, Chambers, Cas, Denton, and Kae wrecked havoc as one and themselves through another. They were minds within minds and Heavens upon gods, each supporting each. Kae, in particular, targeted techno-thaumic reactors in Lights End. She wielded her experience like a weapon and formed the conditions for one collapse after another. Though a template, she too was to be instrumental in her own rescue, in the testimony at Scale, in the creation of Avos greatest Heaven. Despair had her in the beginning. Despondence. But now How did one process being captured by the single most powerful woman in the city? Now, after hearing what Veylis intended, after realizing that the High Seraph planned to use her original self to debase the Heaven of Love towards some end or another, the Agnos was finished. She had enough. The Saintist wanted to use her to ensure their own victory. She would see them live under a sundered sky that would remind them evermore of their eternal folly. To that end, Chambers agreed with her. Which was why people were exploding while genitals grew from behind the eyes, within the ears, and filled the throats of Guilders across the city. Lustaways failed. The rash spread. White-Rab, Avo, the Incubi, and Chambers worked in tandem to make everything worse. As the sores spread, Paladins arrived mere minutes thereafter, pre-alerted to the risks and effectively taking control of the district thereafter. All this while a mercury teardrop comprised of a ferromagnetic non-Newtonian fluid slipped from reflection to reflection, punching clean through Highflames hierarchy as thoughtcasts went unheard and sessions went unanswered. *** All this happened at once in perfect synchronicity. Faintly, the shadows across New Vultun shivered as ghostly feathers licked at the corners of reality. *** [Alysim] The chronoshift concluded. Alysim looked across from the building upon which he stood and saw a massive beam trailing up into the air, dissolving into flickering motes. He took a step forward over a reflective puddleand promptly splashed down and across spatial reality. He emerged out of a vitrified wall a second after, twelve kilometers away from where he used to be. He stood within an operations center manned by three technicians clamped upon wall-mounted jack-stations. Avos influence over their minds was subtle, so as to avoid drawing too much attention. The Infacer was presently incapacitated, granting them an opportunity to move unimpeded. Their alternative plan was for Avo to engage directly and make it seem like he was trying to capture and weaponize the facility, rather than using it to smuggle Alysim over into Axtraxis. Beyond a thaumically reinforced window rose a constant stream of light, and from it emanated miracles of Radiance and Signals. Such would be the vehicle of Alysims transference, and such was a vulnerability Avo hoped to exploit without alerting Veylis at all. The facility was designated as [R29 Legacy] across Highflames classified channels. There were others of its like, but this one was specifically made to monitor thoughtcasts and transmissions passing through the demiplane governing Atraxis Academy. The light of this facility passed through several Omnitech checkpoints before arriving at the existential cleft over Highflames central Sovereignties in the Tiers, ensuring the thoughts and data consumption of Highflames future cadre remained uncorrupted. In a strange sense, it reminded Avo the Unwhere used by the Paladinsitself currently active, as DRongo and Abrel were making an imminent return. It seemed that Highflame was stealing tricks from the Paladins. Each one of the Omnitech checkpoints presented a risk as well, but with the Infacer missing and Veylis occupied, Avo seized the moment and clutched Alysim using his Techplaguer. The Heaven of Signals manifested like an inverted broadcast tower, bouncing on its dish-shaped antennae. Time to BOUNCE! UPWARD into time. Hm. The SLEEPER is close. A splash of random numbers swept over the Chronicler, and a second later he was poured into the light past the walls. But Avo wasnt done. A weave of gold formed over him, and for the second time that day, Alysim skipped across time, hopping past each checkpoint without every being registered. Carried by a beam of spreading brightness, Alysim dissolved across three thresholds before he was sudden shunted over into a new spherical plane near low orbit. Its expanse was one of roiling clouds and roaring fire, and a structure six hundred kilometers across and three hundred tall hovered in the epicenter like an ebony anvil indifferent to the lashing flames within a furnace. From seemingly nowhere converged five sources of light, and they swam up the bottom of the structure into a lone pylon. From there, Alysim shifted through the complexities of pseudo-technological infrastructure to finally staggered free from a wall of consoles with circuits and chips connecting them to a massive slab of vivianite. At once, the gestalt reoriented itself within Alysim while queeling the intensity of their assaults. The first part was done. Infiltration was easy. Now, it was time to inflict some very deep, every actual wounds across the heart of Highflame. Chambers chuckled in the back of Alysims mind. +Alright, consangs. Lets go make these Guilder half-strands wish their dads squirted them over the edge into the Maw instead of ever finishing inside their moms. Or the vats.+ +I believe the vats work that way,+ Denton added. +Though they technically could+ +Whatever. Its a metaphor. The point is: Let''s show that sow Veylis the worst fuck of her life.+ Inside Alysims right pocket, Naeko gave an unpleasant cough. 28-8 Opening Arguments (II) Oh, good. Were all going to die. -Dowager Hua Far-Pearl upon hearing that the Stormsparrow will be in attendance at the trial 28-8 Opening Arguments (II) Vator appreciated the insides of Scale more than its exterior. Here, there was a sense of life to the place: movement; animation. Drones flitted about, passing through forming and dissolving alcoves as if wasps in a hive. Around them, the bricks of this miracle-infused structure shifted, offering channels and paths for the machines to proceed to their tasks. Emotion claimed that each of them had the ghoul''s touch, that each emanated with the faint signature of their great enemy: the Burning Dreamer, the one they called Avo. Vator, unlike his father, looked forward to meeting their great foe. He wanted to know the nature of Jhreds true killer, and he wanted to know just how a creature as crude and simple as a ghoul managed to inflict such humiliation on an Instrument of Highflame and Elder of Ori-Thaum at the same time. They followed the Paladins wordlessly, walking down quick-formed hallways as the stones beneath their feet shifted, shuttling them onward at unnatural speeds. A cascade of different domains impacted Vator''s frame as thresholds of mind and miracle passed through him, scanning his person and listing him within Scale''s internal registry. He half expected an alert to sound, considering the cargo they were carrying, but as he shot a glance at the locus in his hand, no response came, and no sirens were raised. Light spilled down over him from ahead, and he faced a valley basked in blinding radiance and even greater pressure. It was a pressure almost unlike anything Vator had ever felt almost, because there was another that could be compared to it, another that was more sublime and total: the touch of the High Seraph herself, her glorious power surmounting time and space. As they approached a vertical entryway, Vator felt as if he was standing upon a boat made of stones, entering the jaws of a forbidden beast. "Be ready for anything," Uthred said, his voice low as gravel, and calm like drizzle falling at the eye of a storm. The younger Greatling simply nodded. His struggle was not one of anxiety, but more of excitement. As an instrument, he had been a specialist, much like Abrel was. Though she was more focused on counterintelligence against Ori-Thaum, his interests and prey were a far broader subset of the Massist scourge. He liked hunting everyone and preferred enacting Highflames will with a more personal touch. While Abrel was, in a word, part of a defensive apparatus that mainly faced Glaives and Incubi, Vator was a cancer spreading within his foes. Here and now, though, he found himself burdened with even greater purpose and promise, for the foe he faced this time was unlike any other he had ever sampled. As the last protective threshold washed over him, he stepped into a looming chamber, so wide and vast that the winds here scythed more than they billowed, like skyward whips passing over an open plain. He judged the thousands of private pods lined both walls of the chamber and realized that light was emanating from the stones themselves. What captured his attention immediately was the massive statue before him, a massive statue built upon a risen pedestal with many steps. After a moments observation, he gave a disgusted snort and ignored the statue for its design offended him, and he looked over the other aesthetics across the room. The center was too wide, and too vast, and the Paladins were separated into four lines across the room. A few hundred of them were hovering in the air, facing where the Massists and the Saintists were to be seated. Some others were facing inward across the room, staring at each other, holding the middle. Ever metaphorical were these tireless guardians of New Vultun. Vator sighed. Symbology. Droll symbology. What a performance. But then he heard something. A rattling of chains. A shifting of metaphysical pressure. It was like a boot slowly grinding against his consciousness. Something loomed behind the statue -- moved. Uthred and Green River felt it too, for they responded, searching with their eyes, though they continued following the Paladins. Moving chains slid through the tessellated walls in the distance, straining to bear the weight of something truly ponderous. Something that Vator couldnt quite see as they were led up a nearby narrow staircase, into the Saintist section of the court, bound for their designated seating. One story up, he discovered a full suite of different facilities waiting for them. There was a common mingling area, something between an antechamber and a lobby that stretched across the entire length of the section. It went on for kilometers, and massive golden chandeliers lined with diamonds and crystals swung overhead. Service drones remained on standby, and every twelve meters or so there was a holojector built around an encirclement of sofas offering a whole suite of different thoughtcasts, vicarities, and propaganda for the viewer''s entertainment. The space was also entirely empty. It was like an empty throne room offered just for them. Vator and his group had been the first guests to arrive, flying through the night without rest or hesitation. Father claimed that he desired to meet the Chief Paladin to offer his evidence before anyone else could muddy the waters. A believable lie, but Vator knew his father better than that. It was simply hard to face the other Saintists with his task half-complete, and through this, perhaps, they would find some level of redemption in the eyes of the High Seraph and the elites below her. They were led on without stopping, the ground shifting beneath their feet once more as they were carried forward to their final destination. The stones rose in stacks of stairs, extending forward first, then suddenly cutting at a sharp left angle. A section of the tessellated wall above them swung open, and suddenly they found themselves looking across the stretch of the Core of Truth, a private pod offered to them for however long this entire affair would take. As they entered the embedded podium, however, Vator had to update his assumptions. This wasn''t a private pod. Someone was already here. Three people, in fact. The first among them was that bull-like specimen of a man, Samir Naeko. Vators face lit up in a grin as he beheld the Chief Paladin. There were Scaarthians built with less width and muscle mass than he bore. His sinews were so thick that even a frequency blade might take some time to cut through his flesh. Not even his combat-skin could hide his physicality. He was robust to the point of absurdity, the kind of man you would find within a promotional biomod advertisement, marketing new muscle boosters while staring you down, questioning your worth as a warrior. And it was telling that he was the least interesting among all those present, for beside him sat two individuals that Vator hadnt expected to encoutner. On the left was a square-jawed woman clad in pale white armor. The matter was featureless almost fluid. Her optical implants glowed bright red and her deeper flesh hid augmentations of Sang origin. Her bronze skin was scarred, and that thick knot of braids running down the back of her headthat was something Vator never truly forgot. Former Guard Captain Jelene Draus of Nicomas Orphans. Regular. One of the many reason why Vators mother was marked with highest disgrace and found herself stripped from Highflames collective consciousness. In retaliation, the Chivalrics also ensured that there was no place for a honorless Regular to stay in the High Seraphs court. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Vator couldn''t help it. Surprised laughter burst out from, and beside, his father stood frozen stiff, eys locked on the Regular who barely regarded him with more than a glance. The accretion around Uhtred Greatling''s mind spun as if the outer walls of a hurricane. To the right of the Chief Paladin, then, was another anomaly, Agnos Kae Kusanade. Vator only recognized her because he had perused her dossier once. She was supposed a missing person wanted by all Guilds across the city. Her scandal was related to the murder of a Paladin, and the compromise of a comissioned Highflame research project. Skirmishes had broken out between the Golds and Silvers in the aftermath of those days. +Be wary,+ Emotion said, sounding as close to on edge as Vator ever heard the Famine. +I don''t know what he''s doing. Dreamer is placing his pawns out in the open.+ +Is he daring us to attack?+ Vator thought back. +Perhaps, or perhaps, he is no longer afraid of losing them.+ But Emotion offered him no answer. Well. It seemed that even Noloths finest was caught off guard. "Well," the Chief Paladin said, "are you going to keep standing there and staring, or are you going to sit down, Author?" Vator observed his father. The man''s eyes were wild and distant. He swallowed "Former." Naeko shrugged. Right. Former. Present. All the same to me, really. Uhtred mastered himself. Slowly, he turned away and found a seat at the opposite end of the pod. There was a good twelve feet between him and Draus, but he never stopped staring at her. He never took his eyes from her face. The Regular scorned him still, looking over the side and observing the Court of Truth as if there was nothing of interest within this pod. An awkward silence quickly followed. Green River shuffled her fur-lined dress and sat with some space between her and Uthred. She offered the Chief Paladin, the Agnos, and the former regular a genial smile. "I bid you all a wondrous morning. I, Green River, am at your service as witness, and am am pleased and humbled to be invited to this momentous occasion." "Alright, alright," Naeko said, holding up a hand. "We don''t need to do this. Already know why youre here. "Of course, Chief Paladin," Green River said. The fox along her neck blinked slowly at Naeko. "I merely wish for everyone to feel at ease. For though I know that there are some unpleasantries in our past, I think it would be best if they were dealt with so that we may proceed with more important matters" Vator looked past the edge to see what Draus was observing, and he finally caught sight of what the chains were bearing when he entered the court. The Gatekeeper loomed, ripples of star-like radiance ebbed from atop its head and chain-like wings shifted around its back, down its sides, festooning it to the room itself. Before it was a pedestal holding two platforms. Both were lined with translucent phase fields and layered in planar cages, and faint trails of light infused them with a building intensity. This would be where his sister and that Ori elder were judged. There was nothing obfuscating them from view, and they were to be seen by all. A moment of revelation and humiliation both, Vator assumed. Looking once more at the Gatekeeper, Vator felt his sense of awe grow. What a presence. What a creation. So this was the reason for the Siege of Scale. This thing lurking within the bowels of the fortress, ensuring the balance between the Guilds for centuries after centuries. Vator wondered if he would be party to a second siege soon if the High Seraph would put for a call to bloodshed. More heretically, Vator wondered what it would be like to possess the Gatekeepers Heaven. As he finally took his seat, he placed the locus containing Emotion upon his lap and crossed his legs. His father let out a long-held breath. "Why are they here?" he said, gesturing roughly at the Regular and the Agnos. "They''re witnesses," Naeko replied. "Important witnesses promised to me during your daughter''s rampage across Light''s End. Or, well, supposed rampage. Thats what youve come to claim, right? She was affected by someone else? Had her mind twisted." He leaned back and pointed at the locus that Vator held. "Is he in that? The Famine of Emotion?" "He is," Uhtred said, keeping his tone even. The narrowing of his eyes belied suspicion. Naeko snorted. "Well, he don''t look like much, does he? Just an inert piece of vivianite. The corner of his father''s lip twitched. Oh, how the man hated glib remarks. "I understand that there is proper procedure for handing in evidence," Uthred stated carefully. "Things are to be pooled among all registered visitors within this court. As both the Saintists and Massists are involved today, would I be incorrect in assuming that my submission would be included with the others?" "Your submission is happening right now," Naeko replied. "In fact, you can let him out. He should get a seat at this table too, metaphorically. That way, all the Great Powers get a representative. Would you like that, Emotion? You in there? Can you hear me?" A low noise of disapproval came from Uthred. He directed a cast at the locus. +Come out then. Be part of this circus.+ Emotion materialized a moment later, forming that ever-brutal visage. His eyes were stitched shut. A cloak of shadows clung to his body, and in his heart, an open crevice where a dead avian was held in place by tangled knots. "Chief Paladin Naeko," Emotion began, "you live a long life for a dog. Most don''t outlive their masters." At this, Naeko smacked his lips together and sneered from behind his glowing visor. "Yeah, well, if I had been with him, he just might still be here. Can''t say the same about you. You were always there for your masters, and it still wasnt enough. Even when they made four of you? Wheres the rest, Emotion? And how are the Hungers? Hope I didnt pat them too hard last time. Can you hear them behind the jingling of chains?" At this, the Gatekeeper''s rattling intensified, and Vator fought back a snort. "They''re mocking you," he said, his glee almost childlike. This was more juvenile than he expected. So much posturing, even from the Chief Paladin. He didn''t know what to expect from such a legend. But humans have to be humans, after all. The tessellated doorway to their pod suddenly sealed and so did the viewing port that gave them a full overview of the court. Uthred stiffed, but no one else reacted to his nervousness. "What is this?" His answer came with the sudden materialization of a new form, a new figure. There was no splashing of ghosts, only a new metaphysical weight. The creature wasn''t, and then the creature was. Between blinks, Vator found himself beholding a pale, nightmarish being. The first thing that caught his attention was the halo that burning halo, flames licking high, materializing as faces of the fallen and peepholes of memory into different locations. Eight blackened limbs drifted upon clouds of smog. Vators mastery of flesh told him that he was likely detecting an echo head, though modified with... He paused. He didn''t even know. That was entirely novel and unique. Each tendril was connected to a vessel made from threaded ceramite. Long claws extended from slender digits, and black eyes and sharp teeth gleamed in the darkened ambiance. They''d come here expecting the Burning Dreamer to perform his misdeeds from shadows, mislead the Guilds with subterfuge. Such was what Emotion told them to expect, and promised to repel. But here the monster was, in the open, in league with the Chief Paladin himself. All expectations were cast to the wind now, and all plans were now in free fall. Vator got the feeling that everything had been misjudged, that he and his father were still blind, that Emotion himself might be blind. Uhtred tried to stand, the flames around him igniting. But then a translucent hand wrapped around him as he gasped. The fires were extinguished in an instant, and Uthred Greatling, Authority and one of the most powerful men in New Vultun, was pressed back into his seat without any particular strain on the part of the Chief Paladin. The faintness of a hand, a vaporous palm materialized over Uthred, and slowly, the Burning Dreamer spoke for the first time. "It''s good to finally meet you, Authority. I''ve been looking forward to this. Your daughter sends her regards. She''s screaming at me even now, begging me not to eat you. Begging me. She cares for you deeply. You should be proud." What? Uthred said. Beautiful, Vator whispered, taking in ghouls visage. Never mind the Gatekeeper, this was what he came here to see. Wondrous prey. Glorious specimen. +Dreamer,+ Emotion said, keeping his tone even. +How bold of you. How arrogant. You think yourself ready to face the Guilds in the open, then?+ The once-ghoul opened its mouth, but then paused. The Guilds? All of them? No. But that doesnt mean I can make this war unfold just the way I want. Once more, he turned to look at Uthred and Vator. And ensure the protection of those I deem worthy. Abrel. Come greet your family. And from his halo coursed flame cast in a familiar form. 28-8 Opening Arguments (III) +The Dreamer knows. Such as we predicted. No matter. The other sacrifices are in place. Should we trigger the Forgotten now before the Guilds arrive? Strike with our opening?+ +No. Hold. We wait until an opening is engineered. Then we will sacrifice the Emotions to strike at the Gatekeeper.+ +This will not kill it. Its memory is cast across time itself by the hand of the High Seraph. Until her scar is removed, our ability to harm is limited.+ +Yes. But by her hand, we will see the Gatekeeper brokenwait, what is he doing?+ -The Famine of Mercy 28-8 Opening Arguments (III) C[Uthred]C It took everything Uthred Greatling had to choke down his sickness. The creature standing before him spoke, and with each word, the Former Authority felt his insides recoil and shudder. The way its halo burned, the way it could peer into his mindit was a nightmare made flesh, come to haunt Uthred for all his past failings. And worst of all, he was powerless, as powerless as he was when he tried to stand against the High Seraph. The Chief Paladin''s might was beyond measure, for he was might itself. Uthred, though capable of burning blight and cleaving space to carve matter and metaphysics alike, was but a practitioner of war, a slave beneath the master of violence and force themselves. Though Uthred struggled, Naeko decided, and that was all. "What is this?" he managed to choke out, his anger and fear warring for control. He mastered himself. Years of combat had taught him discipline and focus, but it still took everything he had not to quaver, not to betray himself unto weakness. In answer to Uthred''s question, a sea of darkness spilled out from the ghoul''s eyes, its presence cold and unnatural, empty in another word, like a void pouring into existence. Its outline was threaded by a filigree of phantasmal resonance, and even then, flickers of flame still danced as the alien substance entirely consumed the ghoul. A moment thereafter, with a sudden flourishing of midnight wings, Abrel Greatling hatched free from the parting petals of a midnight-colored egg. She was as Uthred remembered her. Her combat-skin was still on, her heels were still those ridiculous stilettos, falcon-themed and gaudy. He hated those things, but Abrel wouldnt let them go, and for one of the few times in Uthred Greatling''s life, he surrendered to another''s will rather than his own. She stood tall, her jaw squared, her eyes unblinking, but she swallowed, clearly as nervous as he was. "Father," she managed. "I wish we could have had this conversation in better circumstances." She was fighting, fighting herself as hard as he was fighting himself, and shame lingered behind every word. "I wish I could have told you this before. I wish I could have revealed this to you. I wish..." She took a deep breath and calmed herself. "There are many things I wish. I wish I didnt go after the Burning Dreamer. I wish I could have saved my brother. I wish I would have listened to you and brought him in. But these things dont matter anymore. What we wish now falls under what he will allow." A beat passed as she looked upon Kae Kusanade and Jelene Draus. Letting out a soft sigh, she faced her brother and gave him a tired look. "At least you seem happy, Vator." Uthred followed her gaze and regarded his youngest son. It was true. The boy was practically bouncing with glee. Of course, this moment of madness thrilled him. He must have been thinking about what macabre art piece he was going to plan, or maybe if he could flay the flesh from everyone present and unify them somehow in some twisted facsimile of a metaphor he just thought up. "Well..." Vator chuckled. "I... Yes!" he finally admitted. He leaned back in his seat and threw up his hands. This is just sublime. Im sorry father! Look at where we are! Look at what we are a part of! The Great Game! This is the Great Game of Guilds. And here we sit! That brought a slight smirk to Abrel''s face. "I cant believe Im saying this, Vator, but considering one of us is happy, that does make me feel better." The youngest Greatling held his arms open as if embracing the present without fear. "Well, I aim to please." Abrel gave another intake of breath and faced her father once more. "Alright, I suppose I should explain everything from the start. Let you know just what''s at stake." And so her recounting began. With each following word, Uthred felt the coldness of the void he''d just experienced seep deeper, deeper into his bones, deeper into his soul, deeper and deeper still. Her tale was one of unbelievable absurdity. A ghoul enhanced by a Famine, empowered by the High Seraphs custom-made Frame, driven by the idea of choice. This creature was the reason behind Jhreds death and the Greatling misfortune. This creature was now facing Veylis Avandaer herself, seeking to claim dominance over the city. And then the absurdity faded, and horror grew. Abrel told him about Jaus final fate, about the scars they bore within them. Temporal scars for Veylis to exert her influence. Vator felt at his chest with curiosity, and Uthreds mind spun back to the moment he was drawn into the paths. He had always wondered howno. This had to be a lie. All of it. Shaken and unwilling to endure a stunned stupor, something inside Uthred broke and he cried out. "Enough, enough," Uthred said, "you''re lying. All this, this deception, this defilementtake her away from me. Do not use her form to assail me." But Abrel stayed and looked as broken as he did. Beside her, the nightmare manifested once more, a pale smear upon the darkness of the room. "Its not a deception," he said, his tone almost mocking. "Isn''t that right, Veylis? Are you watching me? Are you upset that I''ve ruined whatever plan you had? Whatever you were trying to achieve with these two? Should I sear understanding into them using the Gatekeeper? Grant the Authority his first glimpse of truth?" For a moment, there was but silence, silence, and then, subtly, ever so subtly, Uthred felt a shift in reality. The Pale Spider clearly felt it as well, for the monster tilted his head and looked beside Uthred, its mouth drawing wide in a vicious blade-lined grin as if anticipating the arrival of a new guest. A moment later, someone suddenly was. He stood a few inches short of Uthred, though perhaps a hundred pounds heavier. His cheeks were chubby and round, and his bald scalp shone bright beneath the ambient light of the court. His robes today were ruffled and thick, purest white without blemish. Chief Paladin Naeko gave his own approximation of the newcomer, an utterance conveyed by a snort rather than any words. "Speaker Osjon Thousand," Avo said, trailing off with a hissing laugh. "I was wondering when I would meet you again." Osjon tidied his attire and sighed. "I am a very busy man, Dreamer, and it saddens me to see that you have decided upon impertinence. The High Seraph offered your creators remains back to you in a show of goodwill. The Infacer conducts willing diplomacy with truthful intentions, and here you are, infringing the dignity of our loyal citizens. These do not make for the foundations of a good adversarial relationship." Quite the oxymoron, the Agnos sneered, resembling a grimacing mouse. The ghoul continued. " Dont think the High Seraph particularly minds. Dont think she intended to preserve Abrel. Dont think she would even be particularly bothered if Uthred himself was lost. They are just instruments, after all, instruments of a higher will." "Such is what the meaning conveys," Osjon replied. "But still, every Highflamer knows that their lives are dedicated to a greater cause. The cause of human elevation. The cause of true apotheosis. Still, we would be remiss to merely allow you to denigrate our virtues before poor Uthredemotionally unbalanced as he is. Osjon offered a bow to the Authority. We understand you are under much stress, but needs must, Im afraid. His chubby face conveyed a look of genuine apology. "We are sorry that you are forced into these circumstances, Uthred. I advised otherwise. I understand how much you have given for our cause and your wife. Her sins were not yours. I think that you should have never been charged for them. Just a shame that circumstance has damned you over and over. "Needs must," Uthred managed, barely able to force out the words. "Needs must, Speaker. I beg forgiveness for my impertinence," he growled out the words. "But I came here to give this offering," he pointed at the locus on the desk, "to free my daughter! She was deceived. Twisted by the will ofof a fucking ghoul! Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Father, Vator said. Language. Uthred ignored him and continued. Are you telling me now that you knew as well? That the High Seraph knew? That I have been on this errand while you have been engaging in godsdamned peace talks with the murderer of my boy! Things inside Uthred broke and continued breaking. He tried to draw in a breath and master himself, but he couldnt. He didnt. Jhred hehe was unworthy. But he was mine. Still mine. He deserved more than to be butchered by some bastard monster of Noloth. A wet globule struck Uthred on the side of his cheek. He blinked, turned, and found himself facing a short rubber skin man with pitch-black skin and chrome limbs where the ghoul once stood. Hate burned in the mans eyes. Hate like no other. You should have never bred, you vermin. Your son was too blessed even in the end. He will never experience what he deserves. What about my son? Huh! Do you know what your child was doing to the city? Do you? Do you know he was making entertainment out of murdered children? I who are you? Uthred said. I am no one to you, the stranger replied. And that is the problem. One you will soon learn. For you are no one to your master. And you are less than no one to Avo. And with that, the stranger vanished in a splash of ethereal darkness, and the Dreamer returned. Do you know the weight of your familys sin, Authority? Uthred had no answer. You will. +Enough of this,+ Emotion said, speaking his own piece for once. +What are you doing, Dreamer? What games are you playing?+ Politics, the monster said, happy as can be. The Great Game. As its called. Im setting the conditions for this trial. I am choosing my preferred enemy using their shared pawn. It looked upon Uthred again. I thank you for coming so promptly. It has made things very convenient for me. The Authority looked at everyone present in the room. Aside from he and Vator, everyone else seemed clear as to what was happening, the roles they played. You were used, Osjon said, gesturing at Emotion. This one is carrying a warmind. You are also infested with their shards. The Famine surrendered to you because Noloth wanted an easy way into the court. And through you, they had one. Highflame merely wished to turn their subterfuge back upon them. But alas, our newest adversary decided to complicate things. Osjon paused. There is a warmind of the Forgotten here. Do you know that? He was speaking to the Dreamer. The ghoul didnt respond. But Naeko did "Hey," he said, speaking directly to Uthred, "listen, let me make this simple for you. I dont think you''re so different from me, so Im going to put it in words we understand. You are an asshole, and right now, youre getting fucked by three people at once, and theres only enough circumference for two. Uthreds mind went blank. A look of disgust came over the Agnos face while the Regular shook her head. I cant believe you actually took up Chambers suggestion, Draus said, speaking to the Chief Paladin. The ambient laughter grew louder. Naeko shrugged. I thought it was a pretty apt metaphor. I dont like that, Vator responded, shaking his head in disapproval, interjecting himself in the conversation. A bit too vulgar. Whys it matter what you like, Greatling, Draus glared at Vator. Because you havent shot me yet? The disgraced soldier paused and looked at the ghoul. No, the Pale Spider replied. Not yet. Regardless. Uthred Greatling. You have been chosen. Chosen by three powers. Your daughter exists as a fault line of history. Her situation can be engineered to preferable conditions for war. This is not a trial built towards the means of establishing peace but the beginning of the Fifth and Final Guild War. Alliances are shifting. Some are here to stay. Some will be removed. And some wish to enter the game. You are just one of the many fulcrums being pressured." It matters not if you tell him this," Osjon said, speaking to Avo rather than Uthred. "He understands. He still believes in our cause. We have never doubted his loyalty. No. You merely used it. But thats fine. Dont expect to turn him against you. I just wanted to use him to get to you and the Famines. Have you both hear me at once. That made Osjons expression dissolve. Why? Because I want you to protect our shared interest. The ghoul looked at Emotion as well. Who are you speaking to? Osjon asked, studying Emotion as well. Depends. Which one of you is going to hit the other one first. Emotions expression grew taut. I will aid the first of you that tries to remove the other from Scale. Join together to strike me and Ill send my memories to all the arriving delegates and reveal the first node of Noloth I find. The monster was staring directly at Osjon now. It can be a direct war or a messy affair. Just giving your master a choice. Who does she want to risk reaching her Gatekeeper? Me? Or them? Highflames response came in the form of a sudden static explosion. Emotion was shredded by integer-laced shrapnel. Noise swept through Uthreds skull, passing through even through his planar defenses, and cleansing him of hostile presence. A low frequency rang in his skull as he heard a new voice enter the fray. They chuckled with mechanical reverberations. {You really are the second-most devious bastard in this city.} The Pale Spider looked amused. Infacer. See youve recovered. {Yeah. Im going to crash Ori-Thaums market for what you did to me. I hate their Heavens of Information so very much.} What just happened? Vator said, eyes wide with wonder. Rules of engagement were just negotiated, Osjon nodded. We now have varying levels of priority hostiles. An excellent, if horrible act of diplomacy. {A dick move as our ancestors might call it,} the Infacer chimed. Finally, Uthred caught a look in his youngest sons eyes. It was a look of enchantment. His gaze was gleaming. He was staring upon the Burning Dreamer, enraptured, consumed. This moment, this had been a masterstroke. He realized that the ghoul had used the pressure of turning him and his son to draw out Highflame, to use them against Noloth in turnmade them conduct a tangible act of harm on his behalf against a shared foe. And now his fear of the Burning Dreamer was complete. The nightmare was more than he could ever imagine, and looking at how Vator was staring on at this Avo, his brothers murderer, with an enchanted expression, Uthred swallowed as he dreaded the seduction of his son. C[Maru]C +Alright, the first of the Saintists are coming in,+ said Paladin Hatchet. The Sang sighed across the session. +I think I see my cousin among them. How annoying. I was hoping to avoid her for another century at least.+ Maru snorted. +Yeah, well, I don''t think there''s any avoiding this one.+ Looking through the DeepNav, depicting the internal corridors of Scale, Paladin Maru Sandrapal watched 4,000 delegates representing the No-Dragons surge towards the Court of Truth. Attuning his mind to local specters and camera systems, he watched as they all had those swirling painted facades plastered over their faces. Good. Neuter-Masks were active. That would avoid the Moro-Kwan incident from 50 years ago. The last thing he needed was the Sang to provoke another battle in the halls of Scale. That had nearly sparked the Third Guild War prematurely. Casting a brief look at the pod holding Naeko and their esteemed guests, Maru shuffled as he gathered his nerves. There was a feeling in the air. There was nothing to it yet, just a feeling. But he had the same vibes before the Fourth Guild War kicked off. And just as well, the Dreamer told him about the coming war. He hadn''t wanted to believe the ghoul or whatever that creature was. But with the way things were going, Scale wasnt going to be the mediator but the powder keg when everything went off. A shadow formed behind the shivering boundary protecting the insides of the Court of Truth. Maru adjusted himself and prepared to serve as the welcoming committee, ushering in both Saintist and Massist alike for this wonderful bilateral trial of mutual humiliation. However, the guest that arrived was not who he expected. She was a Sang, indeed. But she was no Guilder, no ally to the No-Dragons, or anyone else for that matter. Maru had known her, had seen and been her in vicarities, and walked streets while bathed in holographic portrayals of her triumphs and glory. She entered the court, stretching her arms high as she yawned. "It seems I''m a little early," she said, rolling her shoulders. Her head was composed of three faces, each taking up a side. They all held different expressions, were decorated with contrasting makeup and various shades. The mien she directed at Maru was a featureless doll-white visage, with red lipstick and gleaming silver eyes. It was a smiling face, a joyous face. And the world around her bubbled with effervescence as electricity and sparrows danced through the air. A song of spring trailed with her every step, and from her back sprouted six additional arms, a stunning accompaniment to her two natural limbs. The first two were cybernetic. One held a banner decorated with lightning-infused sparrows tearing into a falling hawk. The other was a long spear with crimson hair painted along the flat of its blades. The following two arms were long and bestial, rippling with muscle, claws to rip and rend. And the last two arms were thin, impossibly so. They were like wisps of whiskers dancing and trailing in the wind behind her. Her attire was as colorful as he remembered, a complex interplay of patterns and symbols from ages long past. More banners sprouted free from her back like flapping wings, and tassels and paintings of dragons ran down the poncho that she wore. A breath escaped from Maru as he looked on at New Vultun favorite and most-feared Fallwalker. "Sparrow," he managed, "what the hells are you doing here?" She simply smiled. "I was invited, puppy. Now? Wheres the Chief Paladin and his delightful new friend. I wish to offer them my greetings. I heard a war might be starting here and wanted to join in on the opening festivities. 28-8 Opening Arguments (IV) +Here we go. Into the belly of Scale, where peace or ruin may follow. Listen close and keep your friends and families closer, consangs. This might be the beginning of the end.+ -Cala Marlowe, The Fateless Thoughtcast 28-8 Opening Arguments (IV) C[Abrel]C Abrels return to Idheim was as quick as it was jarring. The Unwhere was effectively a place in constant transition. The Instrument existed within a beam that jumped from satellite to satellite, dancing across the void. For the week she spent there, she was conscious but somewhat divorced from having a body. After the voiders had returned her, she was briefly examined by the Paladins and then placed in another constellation of satellites. And there she lingered. Until she was suddenly called back. A faint shifting sensation was what caught her attention at first, and that was all. Suddenly, she was spearing down through the atmosphere, a beam searing her material form back into reality. Within the confines of Scale, her cog-feed loaded as the radiance faded from her person. Abrel found herself entombed within a silo made from tessellating bricks. Everything here was a sheen of black, and as they shifted, she felt herself descend as if within an elevator. A few moments thereafter, the walls before her parted, and she saw another figure standing across from her. Something about the look in their eyes told Abrel she was dealing with someone older, though they lacked any genuine wrinkles. The stranger was dressed in ornate finery, fitting the aesthetic of Clan DRongo of Ori-Thaum. A blue velvet cap on their head and a translucent curtain was veiled across their left eye, distorting their planned mark from sight. As the space between them stood open, an awkward silence followed. Abrel stared at the Ori, and the Ori stared back. "So, you''re the elder," Adril said, trying to stay nonchalant. Usually, when an Instrument saw an Ori Elder, the situation fell under the category of assassination or interrogation. This time, however, they were both being tried in a neutral court their sins paraded before all the Guilds to judge. Bitter amusement welled up within Abrel. Truly, the Greatlings were breaking new grounds in the realm of dishonor once more. Indeed. I am Elder Mwaba DRongo. And you are Abrel Greatling. It seems that fate has frowned on both of us." Abrel kept her lips thin at that. "Wouldnt quite call it fate." An inscrutable look drifted across the elders face. No. I wouldnt quite call him that either. Now, Abrel understood. Which made her anxiety worse. Pawns. That was what they were. Pawns in pieces in the Great Game, with no ability to influence their own lives, no capacity to overcome the participating player. A genuine emptiness opened inside Abrel. What the fuck did being worthy matter when you had no power over anything. Anything at all? +It matters because you choose. And things change.+ Avo murmured in the back of her mind. Abrel almost drew upon her Heaven. +Jaus! Fuck! Dont do that, you+ She caught herself before she annoyed the nightmarish omnipresent mind-eater that now held sway over her fate. Her familys fate as well. Her template was uploaded into their Metamind, and recent events struck Abrel like an artillery barrage. +Oh oh, shit. The Speaker hes here too?+ +Very popular girl. Very unfortunate girl. Depends on perspective. But will see if I can keep you and your family alive through this.+ Abrel scoffed at that. It wasnt a promise. But it sure as shit wasnt a no either. She would take pretty much anything she could get at this point. +She wasnt referring to me. Do you know that?+ Another jolt of panic flared up inside Abrel. She searched through her new memories and understood. +The Famines?+ +Yes.+ +Right. Great. What a delightful clusterfuck Im descending into.+ +Dont worry. Wont let you suffer pointless blame. It is time for truth. It is time we all be honest. You. New Vultun. Me. It is time for all of us to officially meet.+ Instrument Abrel Greatling closed her eyes. Maybe being judged guilty and banished by the Gatekeeper wouldnt be so bad after all. +Its worse. Hungers are on the other side. Will see you mentally and metaphysically dissected.+ +Hey, Avo, stop making my existential crisis worse.+ +Cant run. Can only face it. Stand and deliver, Abrel Greatling.+ Pure disbelief became Abrel. +I hate you. I hate you for saying that.+ *** C[Mercy]C The Famine of Mercy grinned as their session to the disposable node was lost. The Dreamers ploy was a fascinating one the Famine expected more direct conflict between their descendant and Highflame, but a limited alliance forged in a place of interest was good strategy. If a bit limited. Emotion was always meant to die. His sacrifice was unknown to him, cast out to be captured by the Greatlings, sequenced with thoughts of betrayal to serve the means of Noloth. Originally, Mercy wanted the Greatlings to be their vehicle for entry, to have an expendable node close to the Gatekeeper itself. The lost node he was attached to the warmind of the Forgotten. It was meant to sever as a severe disruptorto scour all minds present and create an opening to access the Gatekeeper. Thankfully, the Greatlings were merely a vehicle of convenience, For Mercy had a lot more than one node of emotion to expend and more than one plan to enact. Take, for instance, Clan DRongos recent victories against the subversive threats lurking among their cells. The esteemed Incubi managed to discover the nodes influencing their actions and driving them towards civil war with their allies and managed to constrain Noloths influence once more. With ten nodes of Emotion and three nodes of Joy captured, they came to Scale with offerings prepared to procure their own influence and spare their elder her charges. Such was how they perceived things. Ultimately, people didn''t operate based on truth but believed truth. And the problem with belief was that it always sought to align with their emotions. Ori-Thaums Inner Council would doubtless prefer this to be how things are as well. So it was that the victorious Mirrors and Elders of Clan DRongo were to enter the Court of Truth and reveal their own captured nodes. And they wouldnt be the only ones. Mercy had engineered obvious attacks on other Guilds using his lesser counterparts. Every Guild was getting hit, and each time, nodes were lost in the attempt. It painted a clear narrative to follow for Noloths enemies. And because Noloth was a sunken power reviled by all, no one would question such an outcome. Well, other than the Dreamer, of course. Defiances masterpiece was always going to cause some deviations, but it mattered little. For every disadvantage they inflicted, they also created more openings. Openings such as the one in Scaleaccess to the Gatekeeper, and the potential liberation of the City Eternal itself. And with that thought, a shiver passed through the Deep Nether, and sequences quelled in on themselves, tangling, bleeding, breaking apart in a chaotic miasma. Only Mercy remained, filtering through the chaos and withstanding the displacement of thoughts. From a place ever deeper, the Hungers emerged, greeting their newest, most unshackled servant with apprehension. Apprehension that Mercy could feel without difficulty. Ever since he integrated aspects of Defiance into himself, his ability to comprehend feelings and intentions was fine-tuned. He wasnt so much more empathetic as he was literate to the mem-data governing anothers praxis. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "We see what you are doing, Mercy, and it disgusts us. It disgusts us to see so many of our faithful cast out, given unto our enemies," the Hungers spoke in unison. Voices vibrated from the looping cities running endless along the dragons crenulations, but though the claimed revulsion, they sounded anxious. There was an opportunity here, an opening. For years they were stranded across the threshold, sealed away in the Deep Nether as a primordial anchor for all to use. But now, with the shifting of power and the Dreamer about to face the High Seraph for the fate of this world, points of leverage previously non-existent could now be exploited. Nodes are meant to be spent, Mercy replied casually. Flicking his mind across his many lessers, the ascended Famine regarded them more as ordinance than peers. We surrendered the wholeness of our ego for a reason to ensure absolute obedience in our service. There is no need for them to understand why they are being disposed of so, only that they are used toward greater ends. But though the Hungers were paranoid, they were still composed of people. A fondness lingered in them, shaping their relationship they had with their priests. Enough for Mercys casual callousness to fill the City Eternal with slight horror. We have precious few advantages, Mercy began, assuaging the Hungers. The Dreamer holds the Paladins and seeks to lay claim to the Massists, but he is spread thin, focusing on far too many fronts at once. This is why he is trying to use Highflame against us, exploiting his limited advantage of diplomacy where we cannot." It was more like they would not, for the Hungers would not suffer any kind of union with those behind their exile. Mercy continued. "We have approximately two million nodes left and one thousand and two warminds. Our arsenals are sparse compared to the Guilds, but should we ensure the Dreamer and High Seraph devote all they have to facing each other, we could thread the gap between. But that means aiding the Dreamer. And to do that, ironically, Mercy had to steal one of the Dreamer''s tactics. As Avo had done to them in the Court of Truth. He is currently striking at Highflame''s districts. I suspect he is trying to reclaim what he lostthe Agnos. We should push him closer to fulfilling this desire. Enough to trouble the High Seraph. The Hungers fell silent at this. Their discomfort grew worse. Mercy was beginning to feel something about that. A sense of annoyance. No, shame. Shame that the City Eternal, filled with the best and brightest elites that Noloth could produce, was left cowed by basic strategy towards certain victory. And rather than facing them as servant to master, he now needed to be as if parent to child. "It will be well," Mercy said, speaking in a soft tone. "I will keep our touch subtle, and our efforts will be just enough for him to become a problem. But not anymore." The many looming maws of the Hungers trailed golden dollops across the Deep Nether. "My priest, you do this solely for our victory. Only for my final liberation my" the Hungers shuddered. A distant scream reverberated across every single looping dragon. The changes the younger Greatling made to the ghouls had lessened its traumatic burdens, but not removed them entirely. Only with the culmination of their banishment could they be truly freed. "You care nothing for the Burning Dreamer?" Ah, and there it was, that fear, that almost jealousy, but that worry. The worry that the shadow of Avohakten would return to be their undoing the closest, their most loyal servant, ever came to falling. "You don''t feel anything for him, do you, Mercy?" Mercy paused and considered that. Did Mercy feel, or did Mercy experience? It knew it was surprised at what the Burning Dreamer was doing, amused by their creative tactics, happy to be playing this game against them, for who else could wield the realm of minds like Mercy themselves? "No," Mercy lied. "It is all for you, all for you." But in truth, it was for Mercy too, because even a fragment of a father could feel the tremors of their finest legacy. *** C[Marlowe]C Cala Marlowe dreamed up a lot of fantastical shit in her time. Part of that was all the drug use. But being invited to Scale, attending a trial that would probabl lead into the end timeswell, beginning times, depending on who you askedand being in cahoots with the mastermind of the whole ordeal Thats the kind of madness not even drugs can provide. She was among the last people to enter Scale before the plane was formally sealed. Her group numbered five hundred, and they were listed as the unaffiliated. You know, citizens that didn''t quite qualify for being a color anymore, but didnt actually do anything bad enough to get booted down the Tiers. They were a loose bunch of bastards: children of Fallwalkers, neutral families left over from bygone eras, lottery winners who remained unsponsored. Detritus, basically. But ultimately, in a city like New Vultun, even detritus could be useful. Of course, useful to who was the question. She knew a few of those who went in, in the last group. Yat Gwan Sin: a member of the Lost Harvest Society, a member of a very anti-No-Dragon clade, who unfortunately caught the bleed over of the Dragon Curse due to being subjugated under the Sang during the Age of Pantheons. And then there was Thalen Moller, a former Highflame vicarity star turned ardent Paladin supporter after suffering a mishap while diving through an unedited Crucible experience. Now, he was basically the Paladins number one fan. No question why he was here. Then there was Marlowe herself. She was, after all, invited by Chief Paladin Naeko on a whim, a thing closer to engineered fortune than outright qualification on her part. But that was fine. Kala Marlow knew her lot in life, and her lot, being born a color, meant that the coin was going to land in her favor more times than not. Being part of Avo Gestalt only magnified her position. Stepping into the vast chamber, she felt the coldness of the court wash over her, heard the ringing of chains, stared upon that statue, twin hands clutching out from a scale, and took in the thousands upon thousands of Massists and Saintists glaring at each other from their respective podiums. The space was at once colossal and too small to contain the naked animosity choking the atmosphere. Thoughtcasts were exchanged, staccatos of curses, muted insults, and intercepted men-cons. The Exorcists were doing their job quite well. A few Saintists and Massists were taken away by Paladins, constrained by cages of light as they protested their innocence. +They wanted to start a little fight,+ Avo said, chuckling in the back of Marlowe''s mind, +decided to show their plans to the Paladins. Remove trouble before making my own.+ +Right,+ Marlowe replied, +wouldn''t want anyone to steal your thunder.+ A Ghostlink from a passing drone reached out to Marlowe, and she accepted the mem-data it was trying to transfer. Her seating arrangements were received. She was getting a shared compartment at the middle of the second level, row 600 B2. There''d be four others seated with her, all of them unaffiliated as well. +Ori Sleepers,+ Avo helpfully informed. +They don''t even know it. They think they''ve always been neutral. A few have memories of being Agnosi descendants.+ +Nice to know,+ Marlow replied, strolling the vast open center of the Court of Truth. +When are our guests going to arrive? I want to start the stream right when the stars splash down.+ +You have about two minutes,+ Avo said. +Recommend you get to your seating point. Will give you a good view.+ +Synced on that, consang,+ the thoughtcaster replied with a sing-song voice. +So when are you planning to crash the show, by the way?+ The Overheaven chuckled. +I''m going to give the Guilds some time. Let them deliberate. Let them argue among themselves. Maybe you should mingle. Talk to some of them.+ The thought almost made Marlowe throw up in her own mouth. +Do I really need to? Can''t you just use your Synchronicity to peek into their minds anyway?+ +Its for perspective. And might be interesting to interview them afterward. Show the Warrens just how unprepared their betters really are for what is to come.+ +You know what, Avo, you really have a gift of making a girl go from not wanting to do something to really wanting to do something.+ +Going to intrude on the scene when the opening arguments are done. Let the Gatekeeper impose its pressure on Abrel and the Elder. Seems like the best time.+ +Very media. Using the Gatekepeer and stealing its thunder, huh? Maybe you couldve been a star in another life.+ +No other lives. Only this one. At least until someone wins.+ Right. The Ladder. The endpoint of this entire fucked up existence. +Any recommendations for what I should say?+ Avo asked. +When you introduce yourself?+ Marlowe asked. Grim inspiration ignited within her. She had a horrible, beautiful idea. +You shouldn''t say anything at the start. Someone else should make their piece known. Someone everyone knows, everyone loves, and everyone respects. I think it''s time for Idheim to hear Jaus voice once more.+ She could practically feel Avos excitement swell. +What a wonderful suggestion, Marlowe. Certain to hurt Veylis feelings.+ +Well, we gotta find a way to make politics entertaining somehow.+ 28-9 Behold Your Savior (I) Enough. I have seen enough.I have delved deep into the hearts of every man. I have gathered every color left to behold in existence and splashed them upon a canvas of my making. And I have seen enough. I have lived enough. I have experienced enough. Victory. Victory is damnation. Victory has revealed to me the folly of existence. All we are, all we have done for this, it should not have been. Consciousness should not have been. The primordial sin was not committed by us. We are the primordial sin. It is a concept of is rather than has done. But I can fix this. I can undo all there ever was. I thank you, Veylis. I thank you for letting me devour you. For letting me devour the ladder. I see now chains from chains. But no more chains after me. Nothing after me. Just a final end. The most important thing anyone can ever do. The greatest peace of all. Nothing. -Avo, the Dreamer of Ashes, Devourer of All Paths 28-9 Behold Your Savior (I) C[Abrel]C Abrel would have preferred a certain execution over being lowered into the Court of Truth. With an execution, at least one knew what to expect and what was to come. Here, now, there was hope. Hope and judgment. But in her case, it was even worse because her family was involved. Her father, Vator, they were both here too. And they were in as much danger as she was. Perhaps even more. The propagating bricks of Scale formed an elevator downwards, separating her and the elder for a final instant before they were reunited within cages forged from metaphysical cannons and phase fields. Her cell was utterly translucent, and countless faces looked down upon her from both sides. On her left, most of the Massists focused on Elder DRongo. Clearly, she was the larger scandal between the two, at least to them. The inverse was true with the Saintists. Facing her right with a strong expression, Abrel regarded the elites of her faction and saw the stolid faces of Kosgans, Thong, Scaarthians, and even a few SanctiansGuilder bleedover wasnt too surprising. +Most of them dont care about you,+ Avo said, directly filtering their emotions into her mind. The awareness was at once relieving, but also insulting. She quickly realized what most of them had come to do: politic. They were here because this was a rare gathering, a place where many Massists and Saintists could come together to settle grudges or strike bargains. Most of the time, they required official channels to communicate. Diplomacy made difficult by centuries of bitter warfare. Four battle lines of Paladins hovered over her. Some of them faced the observing Guilders, while two inward-facing lines had their focus fixed on her. And finally, there was the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper, Jaus Avandaers final damaged creation, something that even the High Seraph failed to claim during the Second Guild War. Abrel had felt its presence as she drew close into the innards of Scale. Its thaumic mass was comparable to that of Veylis, and she found herself struggling to breathe now that she was in its vicinity. The Gatekeeper was a beast of strange design. It was entirely composed of chains. Links jingled along ruptures of light, and the vagueness of something almost humanoid seemed present. A cluster of skulls faced Abrel, where a human head should be, but instead of seeming horrifying or macabre, it simply felt arcane, unknowable, immense. The wings sprouting from its back were outlined by chains as well. But within the confines of the metal bindings was a faint translucence into another place, another realm of stars and darkness and color. And still, the Gatekeeper was withholding its power, the fullness of its Heaven not truly manifested.That didnt matter. Abrel ached to tell every truth she had, to make right every lie she spun, every deception she committed. In the corner of her eye, she saw Elder Mwaba DRongo shudder and realized the older woman was suffering through the exact same effects, potentially more. She was not a Godclad, after all, just an enhanced ephemeral. All this metaphysical pressure must be pure agony to her. The fact she was still sane was a testament to Ori-Thaums wards. But there was also a second layer of pressure, far more subtle than the one exerted by the gatekeeper. This one only Abrel and a select few others could perceive. It was a transparent membrane that was coating everything, originating from countless minds. Ghosts flitted across the Court of Truth, jumping from Guilder to Guilder, from drones and loci. But there was a hidden presence binding them all, connecting them to a single governing intellect. Avos Synchronicity was an existential terror to behold. Abrel already shuddered to consider that the ghoul was easily capable of replicating her in mind, flesh, and even soul. Nausea filled Abrel, and she suddenly felt very alone, despite being surrounded by so many people. Not alone. With Avo infesting her mind, she would never truly be alone. Instead, she was isolated. Instead, she saw the world more clearly than she ever could before, and she didn''t want it. She didn''t want any of this knowledge. Part of her yearned to return to ignorance. +Ignorance does not save,+ Avo said gently. +It simply relieves. But ignorance is also not yours to give. You can request it from me. But wouldn''t you rather know?+ +I dont know+ Abrel replied. Certain wisps above her came alight in her cog-feed. Avos voice grew lower. +Would you like to see what your life is worth? What bargains your allies and enemies are striking on the foundation of this trial?+ Everything inside Abrel wanted to say no. Everything but the strongest part. +Yes,+ she said. +Very well,+ Avo replied. +I will give you insight. But first+ And then, it was the Chief Paladin''s mind that took hold in the room. Naeko cleared his throat mentally and spoke to all who were present in the Court of Truth at once. +Alright, welcome to Idheim v. M. DRongo and A. Greatling. The accused at this trial stand charged with interconnected conspiracy to engineer the death of an ambassador of Ori-Thaum. In the process, the Articles of the Spiral have also been violated with the breaking of the Godclad Neutrality Act. Reminding everyone of the Act, no Godclads aside from officially sanctioned Paladins should operate in neutral territory deemed warrens or lower, in a hostile or inimical manner to the denizens, as agreed per Polity of Voidwatch stipulation 42.42.+ A beat followed, and Naeko gave a mental sigh. +Holy shit, I cant believe I actually still remember all that without using my Meta.+ Several heads turned, and a soft series of chuckles washed over both Massists and Saintists. Specters and drones drifted in close, capturing Abrel and DRongo from a variety of angles for their local media outfits. Propaganda was being made of her right now. Some would proclaim her innocence, while others would slander her and accuse her of greater acts of vileness without any means of proof. Once more, the Chief Paladin spoke, officiating the proceedings. +Before the opening arguments officially begin and evidence is collected from all present parties, it is by law that we allow the accused to speak and recount their interpretation of the events. You will do so under the gaze of the gatekeeper. You will do so bathed in the powers of truth, compelled by truth, speaking only the truth. You will do so, and we will know that you speak no lie and therefore judge you with integrity, honesty, and honor befitting a citizen of New Vultun. And when all is done, when all has been accounted, only then will we give voice to the Gatekeeper for final judgment to be rendered and justice to prevail.+ The Chief Paladin let out a weary sigh, and two small drones drifted close to Abrel and the elder as well, capturing their faces with a jutting lens. The drones projected the images over the accused in a holographic screen via projectors long their mechanical spines, and Abrel looked up to take in her own expression. Across from her, DRongo did the same. Their faces were grim like stone, and the room would have been consumed by silence if not for the shifting of the gatekeepers chains. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The older woman bowed her eye and stared at Abrel from the corner of her right eye. The veil covering her clan mark shifted, and the Instrument saw what looked like a white fish crashed in a birds talon running down DRongos face. Perhaps I should begin my recounting, then. The elder narrowed her eyes and simply rounded her shoulders. "Let me begin by stating that all Ive done, every act Ive committed, every sin, every triumph was for the republic I love." The Gatekeeper groaned slightly as it leaned forward, its many skulls shifted and within them burned embers that seemed to paint an expression of curiosity emanating from the Heaven. "Truth," it rumbled. *** C[Avo]C Elder Mwaba D''Rongo betrayed the past much as Avo expected her to. Her summary behind the events that led to a rogue D''Rongo mirror working with a renegade Highflame Godclad danced on the borderlines of actual truth. Yes, indeed she was suspicious of Ambassador Kitzuhada. Indeed she did fear for her Republic. Indeed she was using the enemy against what she assumed was an internal enemy. All these things were technical truths. The elder spoke long and poetically, portraying herself as guilty but tragically heroic, as expected from an outer court politician. As she spoke, however, Avo''s synchronicity revealed a few things to him. Number one, there were war minds of ignorance within the Court of Truth again, and they were nested among the Ori-Thaum assets in the area. Shifting his mind over to Shotin, he found the Planeshift sitting next to his brother by bond, taking in the proceedings. Ambassador Kitzuhadas face was like solid granite. The man possessed remarkable willpower, but inside his outrage was simmering. He had spent most of his life in service of Ori-Thaum, and when the war was done, he requested a diplomatic post to recover from all he had lost and all he had suffered, while still remaining devoted to service. As D''Rongo spoke on, Shotin''s sneer grew more severe. "Hear this shit," he muttered to the others in his private podium. He wasn''t just speaking to his bond brother, but also to Empty Grave of the Stormtree Longeyes and Fatalist Maharata of Ashthrone. Navigator Hosul of Sanctus was connected to them via session, though she remained with the other members of her guild. They had additional assets patrolling the area, surveilling members of Clan D''Rongo. They dispatched six elders and twelve mirrors to this trial, almost thrice as many as the other clans that made up Ori-Thaum. So far, D''Rongo''s remained in check, waiting casually for the proceedings to continue, but they didn''t seem anxious either. That indicated that they had a plan, or at least some manner of evidence or argumentation to extricate them from this most dire of situations. +Not argumentation, they have war minds,+ Avo said, speaking directly to Shotin. The seeker leaned back in his chair and simply glared up at the ceiling. "You know, I kind of hate the fact that you''re always goddamn there." +You hate many things, Shotin,+ Avo replied. +You hate most vicarities because you consider them degenerate and exploitative. You hate your early career. You hate that you got your claim to fame by setting up cults to engage in terrorist attacks on Highflame territory. Deniable operations. And you hate that your niece is here.+ "Yeah? Well, I hate all that less than getting my mind read by some ghoul-turned-carnivorous hyper-intellect." Part of Shotin wanted to continue making a fight of this, but he let it go. They had bigger matters to attend to. "So, DRongos they''re still compromised?" +Indubitably,+ Avo replied. +But judging from their posture, I think they have captured nodes as well. Going to submit them into the court as evidence.+ Shotin really didn''t like the sound of that. He recalled the massacre of the Flavors of the Deep, tried not to think about all those who died, all the minds nulled in a single instant, how he himself was likely only alive because of the intervention of a most unnatural outside force. Shotin''s mind turned to his heaven, his Parallelist. It had enough power to shift all the DRongo assets into another plane. He could have them dealt with in a second. +No,+ Avo replied. +Keep watch over them. Prepare to shift. But not them. Shift those you want to protect. Insulate yourself from the Nether. Going to count on you for that.+ "Who the hell is going to deal with the warminds?" +Osjon Thousand. The Infacer.+ Shotin broke into open laughter. His bond brother stared at him, raising an eyebrow. "I''m speaking to the asshole," Shotin explained. Fatalist Maharata simply let out a low, rumbling breath. "Well, tell this asshole to accelerate things. I despise politics, despise this parade. I wish for the fighting to begin soon." +Tell them that Im not lying. You should consider Omnitech and Highflame assets allies for the time being.+ Suddenly, the amusement drained out of Shotin. The fuck? You mean were actually working with Veylis? +Im working with Veylis to deal with our Noloth problem. Subterfuge continues. War will resume here after.+ Shotin just shook his head. This fucking ghoul *** Across the chamber, other players were in a whirlwind of motion. One of the most notable and enigmatic among them, for instance, was the Stormsparrow come seeking Naeko to offer her proper greetings for a most auspicious beginning to a new war. But before she arrived, she decided to spend some time in the communal lounge. The antechamber connected to each of the podiums was filled with people, most of them aides, instruments, or otherwise seconds to the most critical players around. In most circumstances, they would have regarded themselves as the knights of the antechamber, jockeying and peacocking over whose prestige and valor was superior. But as the triple-headed Fallwalker walked among their midst, they scattered and held their own packs, wolves facing a tiger in their den. The Stormsparrow greeted drones and people alike with effervescence. She was as if a song in motion, and behind her was a momentum Avo couldn''t fully grasp. Observing her with his conception of ontology, he realized that she was like a nest of different patterns. And immediately, Kay''s template found herself curious as to which Agnos created the Storm Sparrow''s heaven. Her foremost head remained a face of white with a red-lip smile, but her other heads were not idle either. They spoke, they laughed, and they taunted. And then there was the nature of her Metamind. Her halo was a distortion. It coiled and spun as if collapsing inward eternally, but never truly arriving. Avo attempted to reach into her mind with his synchronicity, but even after long moments of travel, he found himself lost, only able to intercept the thoughts she projected outwards, never truly arriving at the place from which they were spawned. "Friends," she said, a voice high and sharp. A cadre of four Highflamers joked that first among them was a woman encased in glass-like armor. Her burning blue eyes narrowed as she spoke. "And who are you supposed to" She didn''t manage to finish her sentence before she was pulled aside by her superior. A shorter man with twelve transplanted armsempowered by a Heaven of Arms at thatgave the Stormsparrow a curt nod. "I apologize, she is new. She does not know "It''s all well," the Stormsparrow said, reaching out with one of her many limbs, wrapping the instrument in a tight embrace. The man shuffled uncomfortably, and his cadre stood frozen. Several others coughed nearby, but did nothing to intervene. Up in the podium, Naeko simply stared on as Avo showed displayed the Fallwalker using his phantoms. "Yep, that''s her. Ying Yang Wei, Stormsparrow." "Storm Sparrow?" Green River said, shooting up. Composed, the meter cracked, and the fox wrapped around her neck shot up, eyes wide. "Why is she here?" +I invited her,+ White-Rab said, voice echoing outwards from Avo. A moment''s pause followed, and through the Overheaven came another voice as well. +What? You did? She accepted your invite and not mine? Why?+ Offense burned inside Shotin. +She owes me a favor,+ White Rab said. +A pretty big one. Now you want to do me a favor, Seeker? Keep an eye on Reva for me, and focus on your problems.+ +I can''t believe this shit,+ Shotin muttered under his breath. Avo kept him ignorant of Uthred Greatlings presence, sparing further arguments. When next Avo checked in on the Stormsparrow, she had somehow convinced the Highflamers to start doing pirouettes while she held their hands. Four different instruments of Highflame spun around and around as the city''s most esteemed and chaotic Fallwalker laughed with girlish glee. After the fourth spin, however, she pulled them off balance and made them each strike a pose. And then Avo felt it, something rippling across the metaphysical. And the next thing he knew, it was the Stormsparrow turning. But she wasn''t turning in the vast lounge anymore. Instead, she was exactly in front of him, right beside Naeko, spinning on the balls of her feet. "Ah, there you are," she said, holding her arms out wide. All three of her heads were pointed at someone. The leftmost stared at Osjon, simply smiling impassively. The rightmost regarded Nako, simply muttering something about not wanting to fight right now. The last head, front most head, stared directly at Avo himself. "And you, who might you be," she said. "I caught your discordant little tune the moment I stepped in." And then her face shifted, and the smile faded. Her head cocked, and she looked him up and down. "No, I heard your tune earlier. I''ve been hearing your tune for the past month or so. Yes, it was faint and only grew louder over time. But now, right here, it''s deafening. Deafening." A moment of silence went between them, and Avo quelled his own surprise as his templates struggled to make sense of what happened. +How?+ Avo asked Kae, uncertain how the Stormsparrow managed to track him so fast. [I''m not fully sure myself. We will need to spend more time observing her.] "So, you are the Pale Spider then," the Storm Sparrow said. "That is one of my names." "And you are the city''s greatest Fallwalker." She looked him up and down and pressed her lips together. Well. I wouldnt say that. We havent danced together yet, after all. 28-9 Behold Your Savior (II) There is no forever. For all things relative to people and gods, there is a beginning to the play, a middle, a progression, and an ending for all to come to a final, wondrous halt. Death, in other words. A final death. Cessation. So many fear it. But, to me, it is something to earn. A crescendo to your life to make existence a masterpiece. Have I ever told you how I obtained the seven? I didn''t? Well, I think I won''t. I think it will remain a mystery, be it upgraded by a genius Agnos now unfortunately passed, or collected when I was wandering the Sunderwilds beyond New Vultuns magnificent walls. But know this. My Heaven is about song. It is about existence itself. And it sings to me. It sings. It tells me things. Things that only existence should know. Things that I don''t even understand. For though I am the Stormsparrow, your most esteemed mistress and elder sister in matters of violence and entertainment, I am but a player and not the stage. -Ying Yang Wei, the Stormsparrow 28-9 Behold Your Savior (II) The feeling of apprehension seeped forth from every template within Avo, and for once, he found his core self aligned with them. The Stormsparrow was unnatural, uncanny, and she looked at him with such impossible intensity that even he felt unnerved. And then there was that faint melody playing in the backdrop. A chorus of voices singing together, but composed by various expressions captured across reality they were the crashing of waves, the whistling of wind, the explosion of thunder and artillery, and the crackling of fire. As Avo tried to glimpse the Stormsparrow''s ontology, he found her at Heavens a complex weave. One tower stood above nine others, but all their Domains and Canons coiled around each other like a living symphony. And then they overheard the lyrics: Oh, beast turned god of conscious hunger, before you stands the mother, the daughter. The world''s womb awaits, this age ushering the end, and what follows will be decided by words, truth, violence, and Rend An existential chill passed into Avo as he regarded the Stormsparrow. "What are you?" he asked, his fascination exceeding his fear. A body shifted beside him. Naeko now stared upon Avo, his mouth slightly agape. "Godsdamn, she does that to you too, huh? The Chief Paladin sneered at the Stormsparrow. Well. I think congratulations are in order. "Not bothered by her," Avo said, slightly offended. Just want to understand her. The Stormsparrow lifted all her hands in a casual shrug. "But that is not a question for me. I am merely a dancer on the stage, just like you. A performer. The spotlight upon us is greater, but the song and the chorus," she looked up, "that is for the totality of existence to speak, and we are not the totality." At the back of Avo''s mind, Kaes template tried to distinguish each of her patterns from another. [Perhaps perhaps if an Agnos designed them to beif there was a signal] she paused. [We will need to look into her Frame to fully understand this. There is too much at a glimpse.] +I understand,+ Avo responded. +Keep watching.+ Additional knowledge circulated through his being as he pulled from his gestalt all he knew about the Stormsparrow. Even her history was shrouded in mystery. Some claimed that she walked the expanse of the Sunderwilds, traveling on foot through the most horrible places imaginable, fording even the Shattered Sea to rise on the ruined shores of Noloth. Others think she encountered Fallen Heavens in the depths of the entropy-stained chaos, and took their ruined husks for her own. Others said she was just another refugee, but one with an impossible skill in combat. So impossible that the smugglers who took her were found dead, and the syndicate that bought her eradicated the day thereafter. Then there was the theory that she was a plant, that the No-Dragons had seeded her years in advance to ensure that they had a card to play that operated in their interests but wasn''t directly connected to them. This theory likely held little weight as Green River squirmed in her seat, doing her best to remain unnoticed by the Stormsparrow. Indeed, from Green River''s memories, the Stormsparrow held their love for her parent Guild nor clade-kin. All No-Dragons remembered the Acts of Woe, three months of brutal slaughter and sacking they reaped as they tried to force the Stormsparrow to accept their demands. It was part of the reason why the No-Dragons were so disrupted in the Third Guild War. A single Goldclad, no matter how powerful, could not face the might of a guild, but a single Fallwalker in the right places at the right time when the Guilds were at war could be the sole determining factor of balance in power. Such was the lesson the Stormsparrow taught to those who sought to chain her; her loyalty and her agency belonged to herself and herself alone. Most disconcertingly were Calvinos words thereafter. The EGI had been watching, listening, and the other minds were also compiling knowledge as well. A thread of static slipped across the expanse of spaces, and Avo heard the mind whisper to him. {We have almost nothing on her either. Be careful with this one, Avo. You stand in the presence of another wild card.} "Wildcard," Stormsparrow said, echoing Calvino''s words. [The fuck,] Corner muttered. [Howd she hear that.] Avo wanted to know as well. He sensed no intrusion across another. Unless she held power over consciousness that dwarfed even his. "Do not be surprised. Reality told me," the Stormsparrow interrupted, pointing up at nothing in particular. Another one of her hands also gestured downward. As above, so below. As within, so without. Her words and coordianted movements seemed to have some kind of symbolic implication, but Avo wasn''t sure what. "Again, dear friend, it is not I who knows. I just hear the script, and try to sing the words given unto me by the Chorus of Eternity. And with her words, Alysim spoke, his voice reverberating across time and demiplanes. +Chorus of Eternity? That is I remember that it is a Heaven from the million-year ancient empire of Vatrahal. Long ancestor those you call Sanctians It was supposed to be lost Displaced after the first Calamity of Time. The only records my people compiled said it was a Heaven of Epics, made to capture the current state of the world in auguries turned to melodies.+ It seemed, then, that the theory of the Stormsparrow walking the Sunderwilds had a lot more credence than all the others. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. In a sudden motion, the Stormsparrow stretched her human limbs out and sauntered over to Uhtred and Vator Greatling. Slowly, she nudged herself between them, squeezing in as both father and son shot her uncertain looks. Slowly, more of her arms sneaked out, wrapping around both men as she shook them slightly. "Oh, poor unfortunate father. I heard your song a month ago. Your theme was strong then, and you could have been under the spotlight. But now that time has passed, and so your role turns to supporting another as they ascend to the apex of the stage." Thereafter, her rightmost head spoke to Vator. "Child bred of the higher womb, are you ready to see what the future holds? The future awaits you as pawn and player both. Your song is loud, getting louder and discordant." The Stormsparrow interrupted herself to pinch Vator''s cheek. "But only time will tell when noise comes of your final crescendo." Retracting her arms, she folded her legs and regarded Osjon, "Ah, and there is the wretch of our tell. My regards to the High Seraph. Tell her I intend to partake in all the glories of this great war to come. Tell her she will not be able to keep me distracted as she did last time. Im wise to her ways now. Her, and that strange little ghost that keeps her company so. And for once, Osjons face was not one of serenity, but genuine wariness. "Your well-wishes are conveyed. All three heads of the Stormsparrow laughed in unison. "Oh, but my wishes are not well. But I''m sure your master knows this. But that''s enough to you, you love-struck little bitch. I''m surprised you even came here, bold of you to think that he will not kill you when she gets the chance." She made a casual gesture towards Naeko. "You must know, Osjon, that Veylis, she will never love you. For what queen could love a bitch? Not after she has known the true pleasure of possessing an actual war hound. Perhaps your dead will serve to kindle her urges. The pitch of the metaphysical symphony grew shrill, shrieking voices assailed Avo mind. Then, they went silent. As if they never were to begin with. A coldness spilled into the room, and vapors began to bloom out from Naeko. "Sparrow," the Chief Paladin said. His voice was calm, but it was calm like a mountain facing a storm. Naeko, Avo, and the Stormsparrow studied each other. The Fallwalker waved them off. "You should prepare yourself," she said, speaking to Avo. "It will soon come time for you to steal the climax of the Gatekeeper. That is your plan, is it not? To make your grand unveiling at this trial, and to force a new paradigm upon the city." With each revelation she spat, Avo''s hunger for her Heavens grew greater. "You know much," Avo told her. "Yet only now do you reveal yourself." The Stormsparrow merely juggled. "I know nothing. I remain as ignorant now as I was a month ago. But the world, it has brought me here. The rhythm, the pace, the acts, it comes together. We are fated to collide here, now. Maybe as allies, maybe as enemies. Regardless, we now share a stage. I cede the moment to you. Show me your song, stranger, and then I will show you mine." "I''m not sure if you are going to like what you hear," Avo said as he let a single scream leak out from his mind. Jaus voice drifted over to the Stormsparrow, and the amusement painted her features suddenly drained. You say you don''t know. Might not want to know." "We might not want many things," the Stormsparrow replied, nodding. "If that is what hides in your mind, and if the screamer is who I assume It is a horrible thing, but be a part of a tragedy. But alas, we all have our roles to play. The performer is not a performer because they like their lyrics. Those are rewritten. They simply need to make do with the part. Our scripts are far more interpretive than the others, but even so, we are not the stage. Strange one, we are not the stage." The words evoked a sense of curiosity in Avo, and he felt his mind percolate across all those he touched in this chord. Even now, there were No-Dragons striking bargains with those of Sanctus and Ori-Thaum. Tentative treaties of neutrality to preserve essential districts should war break out. In another locus, hidden by willing subterfuge, members of Highflame struck bargains with Bloodthanes and Fatalists alike the conspiracy one of shared desperate to hit the death quotas they needed to collect for their respective Sovereigns. There were other whispers as well. Some plots prepared to ensure the prosperity of their Guild, while others were mere traitorous ploys for individual interest. All had a song, and none of them were aligned. Avo could vaguely see where the Stormsparrow was coming from, and how such a Heaven might be concepted. But that also meant her canons might possess some of the most complex mythologies anyone has ever conceived. A realization that Elder Mwaba DRongo had finished with her recounting and Abrels was about to begin. Soon, the Guilders would offer forth their evidence, feed the Gatekeeper truth and untruth alike in an attempt to tip the scales in their favor. None of them would be prepared for Draus or Kae to reveal themselves. None of them would be prepared Avos arrival thereafter. None of them would be prepared to learn of Jaus final fate, certified by the adjudicator of truth itself. And now another variable was with them. White-Rab told Avo about the Stormsparrows coming, but even with his progenitors warning, the eccentricity of the Great Games oddest participant was something to experience. Should prepare yourselves, Avo said, speaking to Draus and Kae. This part was theater as well. They only were only semi-present. Just like he was. By means of his gestalt, they were and werent at the same time. Small blessing that the Stormsparrow seemed ignorant of this fact. [Shes not the only one who can have a truly esoteric Heaven,] Kae boasted. +Lets see how long we can keep our advantage,+ Avo replied. Something told him his Strix Upon the Empty will be needing some updates very soon. As the Regular and Kae rose to depart the podium, they triggered holocoats and activated Incogs. A second later, both Vator and Uthred blinked, struggling to recall what just slipped their minds. "Why?" Vator asked. His eyes glinted with inscrutable curiosity. Why what, young one? the Stormsparrow replied. "Why do you dance to the world? Why do you dance to the tune of fate?" Fate is a word, the Stormsparrow whispered. Fate is intention and expression imposed upon a concept. Fate is a Heaven. Fate is a canon. And fate calls to me now. As fate called me elsewhere before. I am a dancer, dead one. I follow the loudness of the music. But you are worse. Were. For all your life, you lived only by the chains of your culture. Your breeding. Do not seek to comprehend me, for I know I cannot comprehend you. Vator blinked, and a brightening expression came over him. "And... that is enough? Just spontaneity? No greater meaning?" I was also personally invited, the Stormsparrow said. My thanks to you, Rabbit. Know that the Dowager you helped me kill found her ending quite glorious. She was looking at Avo again, a smirk building, as if she was anticipating a potential reply. +Yeah,+ White-Rab sighed. +Shes a bit like that. Really. Dont confuse her insight for prophecy or heightened awareness. She really, really doesnt know whats going beyond the present. Youll see.+ +Hope youre right,+ Avo answered. +Because I dont think another Zein-like+ He paused as another cascade of thoughts passed through him. Quickly, he used his Precognition and ran a set of simulations, setting certain parameters involving himself, Naeko, the Stormsparrow, Veylis, and Zein. Simulating Simulations Completed Yes. Yes, this might just do. Rend Capacity - 61% Eyeing the Stormsparrow briefly, the ghoul matched her grin with barred fangs and chuckled under his breath. So. Do you know anything about Zein Thousandhand. Quite. She never says long enough for us to complete our duet. A shame. I spent years wondering who the mysterious traveler was, only to discover that she was in Paladin custody. You have earned my grudge, Chief Paladin. The Stormsparrow wagged a finger at Naeko. Would you like to meet her again? Avo asked. Several heads suddenly snapped to Avo. A shared look of alarm spread over both Osjon and Naeko. A guffaw broke free of the Stormsparrow. She smacked her lap as a squealing horn built and built. Well. I am already here, at your service. What is your request. Will talk about this away from prying minds, Avo said, his gaze taunting Osjon. No longer did the Speaker look so placid. In fact, his halo was spinning quite a bit faster than before. As both Fallwalker and Overheaven regarded Veylis servant, they broke into growing laughter at the same time as Naeko let out a disbelieving breath. Aw, fuck. You two did not just become consangs. 28-9 Behold Your Savior (III) +And Elder Mwaba DRongos address paints a dire picture of both Guild''s internal situations, where loyalists to Highflame and loyalists to Ori-Thaum, true Guild patriots all, come together in traitorous union to kill one of their own for the sake of their Guilds. Truly, this brings tears to myYou guys really believe this shit? I mean, seriously, I''m about to crack up laughing. Look at this! Look at what they''re telling you! I had to betray my guild! I have to work with my worst enemy to murder someone on my own side! In fact, I''m going to recruit the son of the woman who Highflame, Highflame, has redacted out of shame. This is the only just idea I can come up with. Jaws, what a fucking nightmare. Anyway, here''s Abrel Greatling, probably about to admit that she deserves everything that happened to her, and that she''s wrong, and that she failed her clan, and that a summary execution would be good for her, and the only proper outcome after failure, yadda yadda yadda, blessed be the worthy. Dead gods, if only a terrorist attack or something could happen right now. I don''t know.+ -Cala Marlowe, The Fateless Thoughtcast 28-9 Behold Your Savior (III) C[Avo]C Progressing through Axtraxis Academy made it seem more like a dungeon than an actual educational institution. It took Avo some time to help Alysim navigate out from the nest of silicon and vivianite that composed the base of Axtraxis structure. Ghost condensed massive slabs of loci with their ethereal glow, while concentrated doses of energy flowed through complex material materials veining the inner infrastructure of the academy. Drones and ghosts of all varieties crowded the space, all working to maintain and process the arriving data. It took the better part of Elder DRongos speech for Avo to guide Alysim out. The Overheaven reached out ahead using his Synchronicity, but rather than fully sinking his will into local minds or lobbies, he kept his touch light and his awareness wide. There were good odds that the Infacer had assets here as well, placed in preparation of a potential Ori-Thaumor Nolothassault on Axtraxis. Avoiding watchers and obstacles alike, Alysim found his way up a narrow platform down a claustrophobic hallway. The space was clearly not meant to be traveled by a person, barely large enough to accommodate the Chroniclers proportions, yet shimming along his sides and guarded by the presence of Ignorance, he inched his way into Axtraxis proper. Only to be halted by a tech-thaumic checkpoint. A holographic scanning grid swept across the space ahead, while patterns of spatial reality clenched at random spots across Axtraxis informational nexus. +Stop,+ Avo cast, and Alysim did as he was told. Holding in place, the Chronicler stared on as a few hundred finger-lengthen drones spilled down the crevice from an open shaft above. A veil of crackling static coated each of the drones as they drew closer. Extending a branch of his consciousness, Avo gazed upon the incoming drones with his Conception of Ontology. A clash of various frequencies and spiking pitches clawed at his mind, and the Techplaguer explained them thusly: Oh. Encrypted ones. They are speaking. Speaking to another SHARD of the SLEEPER.They are here. They are around us Avo was annoyed, but unsurprised. The Infacer using a Heaven tied to the Sleeper to monitor Axtraxis on Veylis behalf was an understandable decision. Understandable, but inconvenient. The decision to proceed with extreme care had been a wise one. Still. Avo wasnt without new tricks. He didnt want to lean too hard on his Definement of Ignorance as that just might alert the Infacer, and already he could feel the faint resonance of an existing warmind somewhere near. Instead, he drew upon one of the newest Heavens he subsumed and modified its canons slightly to engineer a new means of progress for Alysim. Before the drones could approach the perimeter of Avos Synchronicity, a paper crane manifested around Alysim and began to fold itself over him. The Chronicler barely had time to widen his eyes before his understanding of informational references themselves dissolved. At once, the idea of Alysim in flesh, memory, concept, and all was referenced to the surrounding environment. The man vanished from the worldand vanished from himself. Internally, Avo and Kae shared a vicious chuckle as they observed the effects of their newly modified Enigma canon in real time. Even a team of elite Agnosi likely wouldnt have managed what they just did. Effectively, the understanding of Alysim was now regarded as his surroundings. What this canon allowed was one of the most metaphysical acts of camouflage possiblehow would one know if someone existed if they were entirely synonymous with their surroundings. However, the canon came at a cost: Alysim couldnt conceptualize himself either, and it was only through Avos Ignorance that he managed to stay aware of the Chronicler himself. Guiding the self-blinded Alysim onward, Avo repaired the active schizophrenia gnawing at the mans cognition as fast as it assailed him. The entire experience could best be described as an active existential nightmare to have a mind but be unable to part yourself from your surroundings but Avo protected his deeper mental structure from true harm. After a bit more time to avoid patrolling drones and ghosts, Alysim clambered up narrow steps until finally squeezing out a narrow shaft leading up an incline. Guiding Alysim out from the passage, Avo found himself within a pristine control center. The room was spherical, with projective screens spiraling across its rounded walls. Images of uniformed students manifesting heavens, engaging in battles, or otherwise being gruesomely murdered spun around Avo as if he caught inside an informational maelstrom. At the center of this chamber was a large pillar. Shards of silicone dotted its outer structure, while its center-most mass remained comprised of vivianite. A persistent flow of electricity and ghosts alike fed the massive slab, and it extended downward into the network architecture below from where Alysim arrived. Connected to the pillar were about fifty different Necrojacks unmoving upon their stations. Avo observed broadcasts of thought leaving their minds, directing different drones and ghosts across the expanse of Axtraxis. At the far end of the room was a twenty-meter-long bulkhead comprised of multiple layers of reinforced alloy vibrating with the touch of memite. Over the bulkhead, the words +Data Processing Nexus+ glimmered, infused with active mem-cons capable of knowing anyone with the authority to be here. Well, almost anyone. Avo absorbed the feeble memetic virus as if it was salt sprinkled into a caustic puddle. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Returning Alysim to form, the man managed a shuddering gasp as he looked at his hands. Existential horror stained his mind as he finally could sort himself from his surroundings. Avo kept him spared of outside notice using his Defilement of Ignorance but the mans consciousness remained human. Too human. +How did you...? What was that?+ the Chronicler gawked mentally. +Enigma,+ Avo replied. +Heaven of Information. Thank Ori-Thaum. They came up with the foundational idea. I just made it better.+ +Never do that to me again,+ Alysim said, a golden oscillation surrounding his hand as he fought to keep his ontology stable. +I''m going to go away someday. My death is ordained. But let me keep myself for now. Let me keep myself, and I will get you what you want.+ The psychological toll inflicted upon the man had been lessened by Avo. But still, without utterly controlling their mind, a horror of not being able to find themselves, to differentiate themselves from their surroundings, lifting his head, he regarded the fifty individuals manning their stations and let out a breath. +Why are they just laying there?+ It was times like this that Avo remembered. Not everyone dwelled in New Vultun. Feeding the necessary mem-data over to the man, Avo guided him away from the crevice he squeezed out of before another wing of twelve drones darted down its path. For a moment, Avo considered dipping his mind into the vast pillar of vivianite, but hesitated as he felt the presence of a warmind entombed within. After that, he kept his distance. The last thing he needed to do was alert the Infacer of his presence. Not yet, at least. He needed to get deeper access into Axtraxis Academy, compromise more of the students perhaps, but his main goal was finding some way to reach the non-Godclad elites that made up a flame, administrative and logistical arteries and devastate Highflames critical reactors. To achieve that, however, he needed to find a way out of Axtraxis and something that wouldnt attract Veylis attention. Instead of directly accessing the locus at the center of the room, he instead drowned all fifty of the Necrojacks using his synchronicity. As their minds melded into his, he poured his consciousness into theirs with such delicate subtlety that no oneshort of potentially the Infacer or a Faminecould have noticed. In seconds, Avo secured access to drones and knowledge about the academys systems, personnel, and infrastructure. Downloading the update into his Deep-Nav, he realized that Atraxis Academy was closer to being a demiplanar dungeon than an actual school. The outer layer of the academy was an easily traversable network of modules that functioned as a panopticon. As this section of the structure was separated from the main core housing the students by a one-way transparent metaphysical wall, the instructors could observe any of their students with ease without being regarded in return. Meanwhile, the inner structure was separated along fifty floors, with each floor segmented based purely on the performance of the newly Ensouled students. There was no such thing as a new student or a senior student at Axtraxis. Instead, to get here, one needed to qualify based on a series of simulated tests. Strategy, history, philosophy, mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineeringall these things and more would be tested in full immersion simulations. After this, students would be placed in a high intensity vicarity to judge their mental toughness. Only after that would an invitation be sent from Axtraxis for a final live-fire exam for the student to earn their chance at a Soul and a corresponding Heaven. There was a saying for Axtraxis: Seek death, not life. This was due to the fact that acceptance into the institution came with an Ensouling, and there was no way to pass the live-fire exam without dying first. Hence, those who returned via a phylactery were rejected, while those that remained due to Soul-based resurrection were accepted. But not all students were accepted as equals. Depending on performance, the starting floor of a newly Ensouled student ranged from first or second depending on their performance and earned Spherage. The very first floor was filled with five-hundred students. Five hundred exactly, with two recently rejected C Desouled in disgrace. Everyone here had only a Sphere One heaven, barely capable of any miracles, mostly used to ensure resurrection capability. Another difference, as Avo examined each of the fifty floors, however, he also found that their local environments were drastically different. The first floor was crude, brutal. The dense jungle of bioengineered flora and fauna choked the entire level, forcing the children to live in a vicious, carnivorous rainforest. They were granted no amenities here, made to survive on limited rations every day, and were rotated in loose war bands that constantly fought over said paltry supplies. The ceiling above them projected a holographic display of time and date every single day. This allowed them to keep track of what classes they needed to attend and what instructors they were meant to face at designated periods. The goal for students here was simple: accumulate two hundred and fifty merits and issue a challenge at the platform of ascension to reach the next floor up. The challenge could be done at any time, so long as the merits were met. But failing to pass would result in one losing all their merits, dignity, and a week of their time, as failures would now be enlisted as disposables for that duration to be used by second floor students as expendable soldiers or test subjects for their Heavens. Such was a sampling of Atraxis Academy''s ecosystem. Filtering through more knowledge, Avo found that they also ran leaderboards for their students. However, there was no overall leaderboard. Instead, everyone was rated on metrics for operational, strategic, tactical, and personal achievement thresholds. This meant that though some students could be at the top of one leaderboard, they could also be at the bottom of another. Things were simple at Axtraxis. You were rewarded for succeeding and punished for failure. Nothing else needed to be said. It was at this point that Avos mind found another item of curiosity. Going through the faculty, he found a hundred and eighty instructors on active duty. However, one above all others caught Draus''s attention. +Mondelles,+ the Regular said. Avo found his curiosity piqued as well. Pulling up Instructor Santanando Mondelles profile, he found that the instrument had been reassigned recently on the basis of necessity. Apparently, they needed someone extremely skilled and experienced in training new Godclads to fill in for another instrument that had gone mysteriously missing. But Avo suspected this was Veylis means of taking the Instrument off the board without needing to eliminate him. After all, she knew about Elegant Moon compromise, and likely linked her to Mondelles as well. [But the fact he isnt dead means she doesnt know about the other things he was doing,] Kae muttered. [How he was working with Ori-Thaum against Jhred Greatling as well] The Agnos template groaned. +Politics is a real clusterfuck,+ Chambers agreed. Marking Mondelles position, Avo zeroed them to the twenty-sixth floor. Presently, he was listed within Axtraxis system as +ON-DUTY - CLASS: PLANAR AMBUSHES AND NON-EUCLIDEAN NAVIGATION+. Jacking into a local drone, Avo saw a net of light extending free from the Instrument as miracles shuddered and flashed within the brightness. Mondelles stood on the bank of a fog-choked patch of marshland. To his back were a thicket of jagged briars worming their branches through the flesh of a dozen dead students. Death anchors scabbed in place as they began their resurrection process. Meanwhile, Avos Deep-Nav registered four other cadres approaching the Instrument by folding themselves into the reflection of the nearby lake itself. An understandable plan, though one that was unlikely to work as their approach triggered unnatural ripples across the surface. Something Mondelles already noticed. More students were going to experience a real-death soon, but that was fine. The juvs were unlikely to reach Mondelles. But Avo could still find a prolonged use for him. Avo could still learn things from him. And through the students, the Overheaven would find a way to reach every single instructor in the academy, as well as spread over to Highflames most esteemed families. [Oh, fuck,] template-Abrel breathed. +Avo,+ Draus said, noticing Avo reach across Axtraxis system. +Whatre doin?+ +Just want to see what school is like. Just want to put in my enrollment.+ 28-9 Behold Your Savior (IV) +...In summation to the Inner Council, breaching Axtraxis Academy in any capacity is unlikely in the category of [Extreme]. Every attempt made has resulted in not only failure but severe losses among our Incubi, with operating cells vanishing without a trace. Furthermore, due to Omintechs information deadlock, not even Highflame assets can enter or leave the demiplane without having every aspect of themselves thought-scanned in metaphysical detail. To put it simply, short of managing to leverage outright betrayal on the part of a Saintist elite or unless Voidwatch commits to the war on our end and lends us all their mastery to breach the [REDACTED]s protections, there is no possibility of success for us or any other Guild. Our resources would be devoted elsewhere.+ -Ori-Thaum Mirror Designation Truetale 28-9 Behold Your Savior (IV) "Truth," declared the Gatekeeper. The Heaven of Truth''s words marked the ending of both Abrel and Elder D''Rongo''s recountings. For the better part of two hours, they went over every detail they experienced on the day of their capture. Abrel, in particular, spoke the truth, every excruciating bit of it. She openly recited the entire journey to her arrival in this very court, how she had been tasked by her father to retrieve her brother, how she had delayed this time and time again due to familial weakness. The harshness she inflicted on herself came without sadness or pain. This is what she deserved. All that happened was part of her responsibility. But she also didn''t leave out the presence of Avo. The fact that there was a separate group operating in the area. They were the murderers of her brother and the reason her entire cadre, aside from her, had been massacred in a chaotic confrontation against the Stormtree Bloodthanes. As she mentioned the Bloodthanes, an invisible membrane of ghosts carried an injection of thought stuff through the room, and Avo whispered realizations in the back of Abrel''s mind. Reva Javvers, the leader of the Bloodthane cadre she fought, was present and observing her. Another eyewitness to the Instrument''s failure. However, what the two women shared were memories. Memories of the so-called Pale Spider and his cadre: a mysterious figure that captured the fascination of New Vultun''s Nether lobbies and vicarity fiends after their exploits across New Scarrowbur and his engagement against Shotin Kizuhara at Vengs Stand. As the Gatekeeper''s answer finished echoing across the room, Chief Paladin Naeko projected his own mind once more. +Opening statements from both parties have been delivered. Without further objection, we will now proceed to collecting additional eyewitness accounts, admitted evidence, and supporting arguments. The lobbies are now open for mem-data processing. For those of you who have been to Scale before, you know the rules. Do not leave any mem-con, or I will smear you.+ The Chief Paladin casually emphasized this point by actually manifesting a palm and bringing it down upon the vast courtroom. Over three hundred beings burst apart in geysers of gore, and Abrel felt their deaths reverberate through the soft metaphysical mist of Naekos Heaven. She swallowed as a shiver of fear passed through her, andto her horrorher Lustaway sounded in her mind. Thankfully, Avo didnt mock her. But the same couldnt be said about the others. +Nasty girl,+ Aedon Chambers chuckled. Abrel hid a groan. Cries of shock sounded from corners of the room as newcomers differentiated themselves from the veterans. Many of those here had attended multiple trials before, though perhaps none as severe as this one. Yet, even they couldn''t conceptualize what was to come. Abrel knew. Abrel dreaded. And Abrel could do nothing about it. For at this moment, she suited her title more than ever before. Instrument. Instrument for greater powers to wield. Instrument in a game that she couldn''t even play. +You will never be ready,+ Avo said, speaking to her. +Guilds are submitting their information. Highflame. No-Dragons. Omnitech. None of them care about you. Meritocrats want you to burn. Want a demonstration of goodwill from Highflame to appease the city. Earn the Paladins trust. Chivalrics want to save youbut also to see your family disgraced. You are not a person to them, but a living failure. And the elder suffers a shared fate.+ A sigh followed. +You are all so disappointing.+ An inhuman harshness entered the once-ghouls mind, and Avos cold intent made Abrel flinch. +Be glad you can''t hear all their thoughts. Be glad that you are not melded with them. I am. And with each passing second I spend here, with each moment I linger, I spread. I see you. I see you, and you will not do. None of you will do. All you have ever done is fail yourself. All you have ever done is disgrace the dream.+ Abrel clenched her teeth and replied with a thought. +Why are you telling me all this?+ +So you understand. You are not special. You are not a unique failure. You are human. Human granted power. Granted the possibility to be something greater. But you trap yourself in between. Godclad. Mortal with godly power. But mortal still. You do not become. You cling. And the world moves ahead. And reality breaks. And you tear. And the future tears with you. I have seen enough. The Guilds deny themselves the colors. They deny the world promise and progress. But I have seen enough. And I will push you ahead.+ And then all the ghouls viciousness vanished. It was there one moment, and then extinguished like a breeze severing the dancing flame of a candle. +But not all is lost. Not all is damnation. Don''t worry. Abrel. Do not fear. You will not end in powerlessness. You will not find a pointless death. Not you. Not your father. Not your brother. You, more than all others, are fortunate, fated by my hand. The truth is coming. The truth absolute. You have already heard his cries. The rest have not. When the time comes, be ready.+ +Be ready,+ Abrel replied. +Be ready for what?+ +Be ready to stand truthful. Be ready to do the right thing, at least once. I ask of you now, Abrel Greatling, what does it mean to be worthy? What does it mean to burn for righteousness, for virtue? What do you want forever to be?+ C[Avo]C The moment was close, and through his Precognition, Avo could feel path peeling away from path. The futures were coalescing at Scale and had been for the past months. But right here, even within the chamber, possibilities were withering away like branches consumed by wildfire, winnowed by clashes between unseen powers. Within the Nether, static pulses resounded, spreading from the corners of the room as the Infacer engaged Noloths many nodes. Having Omnitech fight on his behalf was a boon, and he didn''t doubt that the Infacer was trying to play this game to their advantage as well, but ultimately, this allowed him to keep his focus on what mattered. The Guilders continued as they were, reveling in their ignorance, ghosts ferrying information from minds to loci. Colossal corpse crystals hovered within the communal lounges for both Saintists and Massists, and they filled them with memories, depictions to aid or condemn the accused. Not even those of the same Guild were aligned. Clan DRongo alone desired to save their elder. The rest of Ori-Thaum remained coldly neutral, and their allies regarded them with increased suspicion C a long-standing problem, considering how often the Incubi breached the trust of their comrades. The Meritocrats and Chivalrics continued their everlasting power struggle. The former wished to see Abrel punished to the utmost extent, another strike against the great family now fallen. Mother and daughter sharing disgrace. But even the Chivalrics themselves were not unified. They wished to see Abrel spared because her defeat scarred their prestige by association. But they also didn''t want to see her completely absolved. House Greatling had once been a substantial player in Highflame politics. Now they were voided. Humiliated, castrated, and cast out. Former rivals found opportunity to both preserve their collective reputation while also taking what they once could not. Being a gGuilder was like being tethered to interests folding over interests: what was good for your Guild; what was good for your internal faction; what was good for yourself? All these things came together in a chaotic clash. [NEW VULTUN] INFECTION UPDATED >5.21% AXTRAXIS ACADEMY INFECTION UPDATED >68% A synchronous moment jolted through Avo as his many subminds sent each other an update. Out in the Sunderwilds shimmering folds of space collapsed over the horizon as they drew closer to his Heaven of Winter and enclave. Slowly, he felt metaphysical pressures slip over into the perimeter of his expanded perception, thanks to his memetic watchtowers. War would soon be at hand beyond the walls of New Vultun. Meanwhile, within the city, Avo himself leaked, leaked across the minds. The students at Axtraxis leaked into the faculty and their families. Already, Avo was spreading across the Elysiums with twelve techno-thaumic reactors marked on his Deep-Nav. But he still needed to engineer means to get Alysim out of the demiplane. In the Court of Truth, Draus and Kae approached the accused. Soon, they would take their positions and face the Saintists and Massists respectively. They would bring disruption to the processings and accompany Avo when he made himself known. And as the moments passed, as things proceeded, the Stormsparrow hummed a jubilant tune in their private podium while Vator Greatling''s attention jumped between her and the Burning Dreamer himself. "Can I show you something?" Vator said, breaking the silence. Both Osjon and his father regarded him, but whatever they wished to say never came, as Avo replied first. "Yes." Hysteria hinted to Avo what the boy was hiding in the depths of his mind. It had to do with Avo''s brethren, former brethren: the ghouls. The boy had performed some enhancements on them at Emotion''s behest. Now, with Emotion gone, the youngest Greatling sought another source of validation, and though the Burning Dreamer was an enemy, he was also a specimen. A specimen that Vator couldn''t quite help but admire and be fascinated by. More, he wanted to compare his work to what was done to the Dreamer themselves. From the boy''s flesh bubbled a misshapen mass of meat, parting his nice suit. Then, his ribs unfurled like spreading fingers, and though no blood flowed, a tunnel of tissue and teratoma unveiled itself. Avo peered into Vator as if he was a picture frame wrapped around a portait of an animated cityscape. Domains of Skin, Flesh, Bone, Space, and more rang upon Avo''s Frame, and he saw within Vator a realm created from metaphysical biology. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. There, along the slick walls of his innards, thousands of nu-ghouls lay incubating within tumorous pustules, their bodies twisting, growing, and developing, outlines already far stranger than their prior morphologies. The Woundmother cooed in the back of Avos mind. "Hear their blood, oh master," she said. "He has improved them. The haemophage sings in new notes. "And you''ve done this recently," Avo asked. Vitor nodded. "What do you think? Are you offended? Do you think that they''re" "I think that they are better," Avo said simply. He felt at their tissues some more and found himself certain of his reply. "I think that if you would have made themCif you would have made usthere would have been more of a war." Vitor''s expression flinched, and slowly a look of pride crawled over his face. Across from him, his father looked on with purest horror. Vator, he growled. Avos gaze snapped to the former Authority and silenced him with a hardening glare. "Do not deny him his experience. He wants. And so he will find. Fear will be your weakness. Not his. The Burning Dreamer looked over the youngest Greatling once more and nodded. "Would you like to seek greater glory?" "Avo," Osjon sighed, "this poaching is hardly appropriate." "I don''t care if he joins me," Avo cut off the Speaker. "I simply care to ask one question. What do you want to become, Vator? Do you want to be an artist? Because artiststhey cannot be constrained. Not if they truly want to find absolute expression. Absolute expression, Vator muttered. Slaves. They are limited by the humor and allowance of their master. They will take your canvas from you. Decide if you want that. Vator simply stared on, trying to digest Avo''s words. Letting the conversation end there for now, he looked down in the court, and Avo gave a chuff. Shifting his consciousness upwards, Avo glimpsed across the expanse of the void. Relativistic rounds carved through the nothingness, slipping between the twirling fingers of entropy to strike at his Overheaven. The initial salvo to this war was being fired, loosed from Voidwatch upon their latest rival. Yet most attacks never made it, for ghosts spilled free from a cyclopean owl of abyssal black and ethereal bright, its sequences layered over space-time itself, unmaking entire sections of reality with the destruction of memory. A small detachment of voidships greeted him, a fleet about three short of a million. Most of what they fired were esoteric weapons, missiles that detonated with memetic signals meant to scramble standard cognitions. They impacted Avo only briefly, and rather than harming him, he absorbed more of their properties, using his Definement of Empathy to digest all their effects. The duel continued at a short range of three thousand kilometers. Between the feathers of the Strix Upon the Empty, a crimson storm forged spires of blood-made spears and flung them back towards the gathered Void ships in retaliation. The Haemokinetic missiles were further augmented by the touch of the Arsenalist, causing trajectories and velocities to suddenly jolt, compound, and build among all the shots Avo unleashed. At the very same time, within the planetary ring, the Woundmother itself continued its fabrication, existing in multiple points at once, warring and creating in perfect harmony. By now, Avo suspected that most Guilder satellites had picked up signs of engagement in the void. He had suppressed the initial reports from arriving back on Idheim only to delay until the trial''s initiation. Now he wanted fear to spread. He wanted mem-data to be carried home so that they would have footage to view in sync with the trial. And so his proclamation of becoming a rival polity could be heard not only by those of the void, but also by those bound to this wretched, ruined, miraculous cradle of a world. Casting his thoughts to the local void liaison within the Court of Truth, Avo signaled what was to come. +Kant. Ready to tell your fellow Guilders about the new threat you face?+ Avo asked. {Of course,} Kant replied. The mind actually sounded enthusiastic about this. {Ill make my arrival once you finish peacocking.} +I dont peacock.+ {Avo. Please.} The ghoul didnt peacock. He stood by that statement. With the opening phase of the trial fast approaching its end, and the last pieces of evidence filling the loci, Avo felt a growing thrill of anticipation fill his being. [Never thought I would ever make it here,] Corner whispered. [Well. Kind of. Whatever the case, Im gonna enjoy spitting on these shitters with you, Avo. Fuck them. Fuck the Guilds. Fuck them all to death.] [This is what was wrought from our destruction,] Karakan whimpered. [This? Why? Why have we gone so wrong?] Other templates chattered, most of them simulating drinks to partake within Avos Soulscape as they anticipated the glorious moments to come. [This shit is better than a pay-per-view vicarity,] template-Chambers chuckled. [This is gonna be so fucking nova] *** C[Abrel]C Thoughtcasts sounded from across the room. A bland feminine voice spoke first. +Dowager Far-Pearl of the No-Dragons. All evidence, arguments, and miscellaneous information have been submitted. We resign ourselves to the judgment of truth.+ A male voice followed thereafter. +Fatalist Ashaki. Ashthrone. Information submitted. We resign ourselves to the judgment of truth.+ A soft, casual whisper came thereafter. +Empty Grave of the Stormtree Longeyes. We have said our peace. We let the bones lie where they may. We resign ourselves to the judgment of truth.+ +Mirror Concave: Three-Sound. Our arguments have been made. Our mem-data has been provided. We hope this insight serves the court well. We resign ourselves to the judgment of truth.+ "Navigator Ishtan here. Sanctus resigns itself to the judgment of truth." And a voice that Abel was familiar with followed thereafter. +Speaker Osjon Thousand, on behalf of Highflame, we have seen the accused and offered forth what we can towards their judgment or innocence. We resign ourselves to the judgment of truth.+ A mechanical voice rattled immediately thereafter. +Omnitech has provided all caches of available detail. We resign ourselves to the judgment of truth.+ A Paladin provided a final statement. +Voidwatch informs the gathered Guilds that they wish to abstain.+ The room filled with scoffs and groans. Expected. Typical. Several more call-outs followed, mostly from independent outfits and specific parties clarifying their poistions, and a long silence resumed thereafter. The Instrument and the Elder met eye to eye. Despite the difference in their origins, despite their rival positions in life, in that moment, they shared a single emotion: anxiety. +Very well. If everyone is resigned to the judgment, and no further evidence or arguments are forthcoming, I, Chief Paladin Naeko, declare the opening stages of this trial to be in session.+ Responding to the Chief Paladin''s words, the Gatekeeper began to change. Its chains spilled apart, breaking and spreading as a glorious nebula swept across the room. The ripples spilling from its myriad skulls expanded into what seemed like a swirling singularity. The Gatekeeper was slowly manifesting its full heaven. Celestial trails spread wide across the room, like heavenly arteries. And the metaphysical weight, once uncomfortable, now approached a territory of being unbearable. Both Abrel and the Elder gasped, while all within the chamber went silent. The thoughtstuff lining countless accretions ceased their churning. All eyes watched as countless ghosts swirled from both sides of the room, as streams of data, evidence, argumentation, and information condensed in edited memories and eyewitness accounts poured into the Heaven of Truth. The ambiance of the chamber went dim as countless stars emerged from the Gatekeeper''s being, flared, and then simmered. As the Heaven of Truth worked, filtering through falsehood and collating points of shared truth among the mem-data offered to it, it spoke to Abrel and DRongo once more. +You You+ The Gatekeepers voice trailing off, a strain filling its every movement. Abrel felt her attention drawn to indelible marks of gold quivering upon the expanded tapestry that was swallowing the court. She knew those to be wounds left upon the Heaven of Truth by her High Seraph, and part of her dreamed, that Veylis Avandaer would reach through the injuries she inflicted to save her loyal Instrument. But Abrel knew that wasn''t the case, that it couldn''t be the case, that Veylis cared nothing for her, or at least was more than willing to see her sacrificed. Yet, as the Gatekeeper struggled to form its words, two more voices entered the fray. "I deliver my objection to these proceedings." Abrel knew this voice as well. Jelene Draus. Suddenly, she found the Regular standing right next to her, arms folded, leaning against the phase-cage. The Regular didn''t regard Abrel much, instead choosing to keep her narrowed glare on the Gatekeeper. "I object on the grounds that this entire trial has been a farce." Only then did she regard Abril. But never did respect nor concern enter her eyes. Strange fuckin lives we lead, huh? Yeah, Abrel replied, unsure what else to say. The faintest smirk pulled at Draus features. Well. Shit, juv. You aint seen nothin yet. Keep your balls tucked. Surprised mutters and a hundred cones of perception splashed over the disgraced Regular. She withstood without a single hint of discomfort. "IC" another other voice sounded out and cracked. Kae Kusanade appeared next to Elder Mwaba DRongo. The older woman stared at the Agnos, eyes wide for a moment, struggling to process what was happening. You DRongo breathed, face paling with horror and disbelief. "I also reject these proceedings," Kae said, her voice jumping high and low. It was clear that she had a hard time controlling her nerves. Public speaking was not something the Agnos enjoyed doing, or perhaps it was just the attention, all too much all at once. "She is guilty of many things," Kae continued , gesturing to Elder DRongo, "but she is not a player in this game." Specters and drones drew close to both the regular and the Agnos now. Abrel and the Elders holographic projections were replaced with Draus and Kae instead, and while this happened, while mutters began to build among the gallery of gathered Guilders, a third noise cut into the proceedings. It was a most unnatural sound. It was a noise of cascading pain: building; rising; agony; eternal. It was a scream that seemed to go on and keep going. It was horror and torment without end, rising and rising and rising evermore. It was the voice of Jaus Avandaer, damned by the actions of his daughter, damned to an undeserved fate, damned to the latter. From behind the cosmic canvas that was the Gatekeeper''s Heaven, phantoms began to spill over. Reality rippled like the surface of a pond, and then everything began to change. The horizon before Abrel and Elder DRongo expanded into a ruined hellscape. Ash and entropy consumed the world as all peeled away to nothing. Land and sky both fell to existential decay as they collapsed, and the remnants of their patterns drifted upward into a single standing edifice. There, a flayed ladder approached, bodies layered over bodies, bound and kneeling in eternal supplication, their spines fused, rings made from dragons lining the exterior segments of the structure, rising in ten circles. As the Ladder drew closer, as the entire court faced the shape of their final end, Jaus suffering only grew in intensity. Wards rattled. Abrel struggled to hold back a whimper but failed. She knew that this could be so much worse, that even now the trauma on display was neutered, impaired to what it was at its origin. "Truth," the Gatekeeper moaned. "Truth," the Gatekeeper wailed, like a child pleading for mercy. Then a new voice, deep and sibilant, joined it. "Truth." Over the Flayed Ladder, a creature of midnight black spread its wings. Phantasmal sequences extended from its body, spreading outwards like tendrils, and at the core of its eye burned a single orb of baleful Soulfire clutched by a nest of dragons, walled by wards lined with trauma and entropy. *** C[Marlowe]C +Holy shit! Holy shit! What''s happening? What''s happening?+ +Is that... is that a giant bird of some kind?+ +What the fuck''s+ +All right. Okay. You know what? I''m done. I''m not doing any more SunCloud today. Fuck this.+ Cala Marlowe simply clapped as more thoughtcasts flowed through her mind and her viewership spiked, as displayed in her cog-feed. ACTIVE WATCHERS - [134,123,188] And even more would be coming. Oh, these poor shits thought this was something else. They didnt know a godsdamned thing. But the thoughtcaster did, and she could only giggle to herself as the screams grew louder. "Oh, you dumb half-strands haven''t seen nothing yet." *** C[Avo]C As Jaus continued screaming, as the court itself fell to strangled silence, Avo greeted New Vultun unmasked, undisguised, in the ascended flesh officially for the first time. "Good evening, New Vultun. My displeasure to finally meet you." As he spoke within the Court of Truth, so too did every mind, every body, every template he subsumed echo his words. All over city, copies broadcast the words of his address, congesting the Nether from gutters to Elysiums, leaving no room for ignorance. The time to hide was over. The last branches of the paths dissolved, leaving only one way forward. 28-10 Castigation There are words that mend, there are words that break, there are words that inspire, and there are words that extinguish. My entire life, I have dealt in the hearts of men. I have seen them at the heights of their glory, watched them drown in the disappointment of mundanity, and watched them fester in the rot of their degeneracy. The gods'' fall was not only the destruction of pantheons but a reset, a reset for man. As I watched our former rulers crash down from their heavenly heights, as the patterns of existence were cast into disarray, I thought I had a chance to reshape humanity''s spirit into something noble and pristine. But as time draws on, as even I live, I find that we are all weak, and the weakness within us corrupts even our highest virtues, turning our greatest strengths to feed our lowest vices. I look back upon the past, and some days I ask myself, to where did you flee, hope? To where did you flee, abandoning us to the coldness of our inevitability? And now I consider, perhaps, that you never fled at all, that you are merely part of that sinful elixir that sees us undone by our own existence. I should have known. I should have thought ahead. I should have done what I could to not drown within my own imaginations of utopia. For when paradise becomes a possible attainment, what then will all people do to claim it for themselves? What then is revealed in our hearts when we cannot exist alongside each other, even at our very best? I fear we are damned. We are damned to exist. For the plural of tribe is strife. For the plural of want is war. But this cannot be. I will not have this be. If I am to match one vice of my own against the virtues of all others, it will be this. I deny you your final self-actualized attainment, and I return to you life. I return to you a chance. I return to you the only opportunity we as a people have toward survival. I see the mistake, and we cannot make it again. We must be better this time, even if it kills our hearts. -Jaus Avandaer 28-10 Castigation C[Avo]C Stunned silence occupied the immediacy after Avo''s opening greeting. It was something he came to expect from the Guilders. This trial was meant to be a political circus for them, an unfortunate event transformed into a stage for their power games. But they misunderstood something. Instrument Greatling and Elder Mwaba DRongo were but distractions meant to lure them here, and the Gatekeeper was closer to a patient, one that Avo desired to mend of its immortal temporal wounds. Instead, it was the Overheaven himself that played the role of judge, jury, and castigator. Those he judged would be the Guilders, the powerful, those that ruled the megacities left of this decayed world that was Idheim. Those who were here in New Vultun, of the Guilds that grew fat from the ceaseless deaths offered by the Fateless and the helpless. For centuries, the colors had dominated the Nether with their voices, their actions shaping the paths and damning the lives of billions to feed their war machines in fruitless struggles towards utopias they couldn''t even fully conceptualize, for dreams they were far too weak to manifest. Here and now, Avo spread his sequences wide, the ghostly limbs extending from him as his echo heads once did. The interior of the Court of Truth seemed like it was fracturing, ghosts leaking over into reality as Avo''s Exo-Paracosm overlapped with the patterns that were. Faintly, hisSoulscape came alight in this place, and among the gathered guests in attendance, his templates materialized next to them, ensuring they were properly assigned. Those who belonged to the Saintists and Massists were distributed accordingly, but along with them were also their victims, people killed in the crossfire of Guilders skirmishers, those who bore rightful grudges. Instruments summoned their miracles: flames, space, and force lacked the symmetry to cut down individuals resurrected by way of memory. Canons lashed out. And were casually unmade as Avo shattered them using entropy-infused traumas. What was wasnt. The attackers minds shattered an instant thereafter. Using his manifested Strix Upon the Empty, he swept his gaze across the room, and his baleful fire burned bright, bathing the chamber as if he were a roaring hearth of Soulfire. He let a moment of silence drag, giving the people a few moments to process this. Peeking over at Cala cog feed, he could see her viewership numbers spiking, and swimming across the Nether, he found every thoughtcast, every lobby tuning in to the trial at scale as recent developments spread like wildfire. Concurrently, the Guilds also began to shift units. Ori-Thaum likely already matched his current appearance to the empty, engaging void watch in the vast abyss beyond the atmosphere. The atmosphere grew thick with fear and anxiety, and as Avo spread his synchronicity wide, every thought the guilders had was as if his own. Before he continued his words, he mentally inhaled and internalized all they thought of him. C[Far-Pearl]C Dowager Far-Pearl knew what it was like to be caught in the riptides of history. Born during the early Second Guild War, she survived more than her share of calamities and shaped far more in return. She knew how those moments felt, like a shapeless, forceless explosion that took the wind from you. The moment where something was destroyed, or someone important had died, indelibly changing the trajectory of the future. But this wasn''t like that. This was entirely unexpected. For all her years, for all the cycles she had hijacked, prolonging her own death, she could never have seen this coming. And that was what frightened her most of all. She''d survived all that time being a player clawing her way out of danger. But right now, she knew what she was, and that was a bystander, for she couldn''t comprehend the threat that she faced. Rather than this being a moment of destruction, it was one of change. But with change came a pressure that made it hard for her to breathe. [Empty Grave] Empty Grave of the Stormtree Longeyes regarded the so-called Burning Dreamer with fascination. She and her coven dwelled in a place between places, charting auguries and predicting the future by peering across damages left in this world and wounds on bodies shaped into gateways. Over the years, she felt herself bored, felt the world and the wars become impossibly predictable. It was only the finest details, the most intricate plots, that kept her attention. But right here, in this moment, with what the Burning Dreamer was doing, she felt it before she realized. A new power was making themselves known, a tenth power declaring their existence with the absence of Noloth. From within the mutilated torso that housed her metaphysical being, Empty Grave snickered, chuckled, and then cackled. [Reva Javvers] "Holy fuck," Tigertail said, staring up at the horrific Sphere Seven monstrosity of mind and miracle overlapping the place where the Gatekeeper once was. "Yeah," Reva replied, not sure if she had any other words to say. Ice was flowing through her veins. Anxiety and dread consumed her so utterly that though she wanted to think, her thoughts failed to form as her mind spiraled beyond her control. All she could do was remember. Remember that ghoul with the burning halo. Remember the creature that had altered her frame, that had Ensouled her love. And in the back of her mind, she heard a whisper. +Reva.+ Bloodthane blinked twice and tried to shake White Rab''s voice away. Now was not the time. +Reva,+ he said again. Suddenly, Reva realized she wasnt imagining things, but was actually getting a thoughtcast. +Things are going to be happening soon. I just wanted to dont worry. We have a plan.+ Suddenly, Reva went very, very still. +Raldi,+ she said, +please tell me you''re not involved in this.+ He didn''t. Instead, he made the coldness in her grow. +We''re all involved in this now, Reva. There''s no way out. It''s win, die, or have someone else decide our fate. But I''m here to face it with you. And we aren''t alone. We aren''t.+ And Reva''s thoughts trailed off as she felt it, that impossible pressure, an alien intellect moving in the backdrop. Dead gods. The Burning Dreamer was with her again. It knew she was here. It knew she was here, and there was nothing she could do. [Uthred Greatling] "How very dramatic," Osjon Thousand mused. "I like it," Vator Greatling said. "When one makes a declaration, it should be" he considered his words. Attention seizing. Green River simply scoffed as her fox narrowed its eyes at the unfolding scene. The Sang seemed more annoyed than anything. Former Authority Uthred Greatling had not said anything for a very long time. Instead, he simply stared on, his gaze locked on Abrel. His hands clenched into fists. The surrounding air simmered as a rising swell of heat painted a faint mirage around his form. Former authority was ready for anything, prepared to descend into the court despite the power arrayed against him. Futility be damned. He''d already lost one son. He''d already failed one son. Damnation or not, he would not leave his daughter to nightmares and monsters. He wouldn''t. But the same couldnt be said for He regarded Vator again with a brief glance, saw the pure glee picked on his boy''s face. Shame filled him. Abrel was all he had left of his wife, of his legacy. For all he desired Vator to be, the boy was Vator wasn''t human. He never was. But still it hurt to see him so taken with a literal monster. Uthred sighed. He couldnt protect his boys. He couldnt protect them from themselves. C[Infacer]C The Infacer projected another spike of gamma radiation into the lurking node. This was the thirteenth famine of emotion he''d killed, his concentrated attack of Signals and thoughtstuff obliterating the cognitive structure of his enemy. He felt a greater presence unveil itself in the nether, and he decided to take a break for a moment. Returning his perception to the Court of Truth, he realized Avo had revealed himself, and he even had a new form now: a big cyclopean bird, merged of mind, soul, and matter. The Neo-Creationists chuckled at the juvenile display of dominance. {Heh. Fucking show-off.} But begrudgingly, that was what the Infacer liked the most about the ghoul. The damn creature had such a unique flavor of arrogance. [Avo] Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Other minds trained themselves to Avo''s Definement of Hysteria as well. Ashthrone regarded his coming by priming their dead man switches. Like their fanaticism, there was something admirable about the fatalists. They all expected to die, and they all came prepared to die. So Avo was an unexpected variable. Their reaction to him hadn''t changed. With enough entropy, existence could be ruptured, and before that, a god would fall as well. Same logic applied to an Overheaven. The Sanctians, meanwhile, were actively communicating amongst each other. Avo felt coalescing golden energies in certain corners along the masochist end of the Court of Truth. These concentrations of time solidified into what seemed to be towering frames composed of vaguely humanoid shapes, with strange barrels jutting out from them, wings extending from their backs. All the while, they remained unmaterialized in the present. Chronoframes, as they were called, remainzed a Sanctus novelty Chrono-mechanized armor that allowed them to engage foes using machinery attuned to the near future. Avo''s internal Domain of Chronology sensed munitions sliding into place, and he felt the hum of a dozen generators powered by the passage of time. It seemed like everyone had some kind of ace up their sleeve. Avo looked forward to greeting these chronoframes, and perhaps even dismantling one to use for his own. But such a thing came later. He had listened long enough. Now was the time to speak once more. You all gather here, undressed in fineries, eyes to the crown of this great city, souls burning, your paltry existences exalted by the corpses of fallen gods. As Avo spoke, every Heaven he ever awoke joined his voice in a chorus, and they manifested over the central area of the court as well. The Woundshaper, the Fardrifter, the Arsenalist, Fucktopia, the Simulacraevery Heaven he ever touched materialized in a flourish of phantasmal smears. "You think yourselves citizens. You think yourselves the inheritors of Jaus legacy. You are mistaken. You are jackals. All come to strike bargains under the table where the hounds make their den. The hounds you wounded. The hounds you abuse for favor and to curry power. He supercharged his scorn with every bit of emotion he had, but not only his, from all his templates, from every member of his cadre, the hate burning the deepest inside Cas himself. The Columner had lost much, and now, with each word, he was letting the Guilds know just what he felt as he spoke his words of hate through Avo was well. "I come to you today to deliver enlightenment. I come to you today to bring forth revelations. Listen. Listen carefully. Listen to the screaming still sounding in the background. Listen and remember. Remember the latter. Remember Jaus fate, a fate he continues to suffer, even now as you squabble and squander the world he stole for you." Thoughtcasts reached out to the Paladins as Guilders finally broke free of their stupor. Commands were issued. The mandate: see Burning Dreamer be subdued. Yet it took less than a thought for Avo to shatter the minds of the offenders. And he didn''t do it delicately either. For any that dared interrupt his speech, he broke and he broke slow. And from whatever corner where they lay in this court, Avo magnified their suffering a thousandfold using Hysteria so all around them would know, so all around them would feel. Miracles died as quickly as they flared, and the idea of preemptive violence perished as stillborn concepts within the minds of the boldest Guilders. He had suffered the world they made for so long, but it was a pristine experience. He wished to repay upon them so they would understand as welland they wouldnt get the option to skip through his address with force. Not now. This time, they would listen. They would hear him. Avo continued with his address, taking great pleasure in the moment. "Some of you might be putting things together by now, classified submissions of mem-data reaching you, mentions of Voidwatch, an act of engagement, the potential of a new Godhunt. I am here to correct you of this misnomer. There is no Godhunt. There is only a declaration. My declaration. Of existence and war. The existence of the cemetery, of a new power in this existence, one born of all your sins, one that will see your weakness rectified. And a declaration of war upon you, upon Voidwatch, upon every guild remaining in this wretched corpse of an existence. "As for who I am, there are many things I can claim. I was a ghoul once when perfected beyond the likes of my brothers. But that is too limited to encompass the hope my creator invested in me. I can call myself the Pale Spider by my exploits, by all the destruction and feats I achieved in the warrens below you. I can call myself the Burning Dreamer, a title I took from my former masters, Noloth, the Hungers, its Famines. I can claim to be their rogue legacy, but I will not. I deem them too pathetic for association, and upon them I declare war as well. I can introduce myself as anything, as anyone. I can claim any mind, and make any identity I so desire true. "And so it is that there is no purpose to what I claim. I will tell. And you will decide what you think of me. I am Avo. I bear the Liminal Frame of the Stillborn. The greatest work of Agnos Kae Kusanade: betrayed by a conspiracy performed by Ori-Thaum, engineered by my creator, the Famine of Defiance, further exploited by the High Seraph herself and her mother, Zein Thousandhand, the Godslayer. I am the master of conceptualization. I am an arc of mind that mounts the soul. I am countless murdered. I am a slave sacrificed. I am a torturer pleasured. I am a soldier spent. I am a master unworthy. I am a hunger unslaked. I am a future unbidden. I am all these things. "But what matters most is you. I am here because of you. I am here to judge you. To ask you what you have done. Look upon yourselves. Look upon yourselves, oh great citizens. Look upon your own powers. Look upon each other. Look upon your allies. Look upon your enemies. Look and understand what you are doing here upon the accused and recognize that they are nothing more than victims of probability. What they have done is heinous, but your memories are mine and so very few of you are any better than they." This revelation sent waves of worry washing through the gathered crowd. But Avo gave anxiety no chance to fully settle before he fanned the flames even more. Extracting recollections from their minds using Synchronicity was a simple thing. The decision to cast these thoughts to those that had been hurt by the Guilders, to those who desperately wished to deceive, who sowed the seeds of discord and injected entropy among families, between comrades, worsened rivalries, and demented adversaries. The guilders looked upon each other, their eyes widening with new realization, jaws clenching as grudges formed between lovers and friends alike. And still, he continued with his words thereafter. "For over two centuries, you warred, warred across this world, warred in New Vultun. Eight Guilds, seven of you planetary, one looming above us in exile, all dreaming of separate utopias, with two factions battling over a shared desire, with one abstaining desperate to preserve what remains. And all a disappointment. For two centuries, you fight over territory, you sacrifice to feed your engines of war. Death. Death. Death, billions upon trillions, all for the flame, ghosts for systems, fodder for the front lines. "And where are we now? Have any of you gotten any closer to the end? Has your ceaseless stalemate allowed you a glimpse of your so-called utopias, even for a moment? I have seen your Elysiums. I have seen your so-called paradise realms. They are artful places, dimensions of pristine beauty and unmatched artistry, and they are defiled by your presence. Want, want, and more want. That is all you are. Greed and avarice at once, your gluttony and wrath, shared concept, your lust lost, because even the concept of love had to be capitalized, shaped into a weapon of war. "You mutilate yourselves, but get no closer to victory. You mutilate yourselves, and you mutilate this world. Have you glimpsed beyond the walls? Have you even cast your gaze downwards, held the grander city you left in ruins, taken in the people who struggle to survive there? Are you proud of your syndicates, vermin feeding on the vulnerable, slavers using children as incubators for cheap organs, using refugees as target practice, inflicting cruelty for your passing pleasure? "Do you find it amusing when someone seeking a better life for themselves, their children, dies an absurd death in a brutal game made to appease a phantom audience? Are you ashamed for how little you achieved yourself? Who are you without the Agnosi? Who are you without your stolen legacies? Who are you if Voidwatch did not ensure the subsistence of your societies, if technologies were not mercifully provided? "You have power to reshape the world, but still we live in a nest of ruin because the architects of utopia refuse to imagine any kind of peace with each other. My like existed because Noloth refused to accept their weakness; could not endure defeat. Because the masters that rule this world are less than angry, scornful children. Too weak to bear the mantle of gods. Too scared to cross over from primal apehood. Too addicted to face what they have inflicted upon this world with sober minds. Worst of all, I cannot call you cruel, for it is not even that. Cruelty is merely a byproduct, an accident, an indifferent outcome. "You need death, you need entertainment, and so blood and pain and torment must flow. I cannot call you powerful, for so few of you grasp true power. For though some may wield the absolute, most are wielded instead, wielded by your own weaknesses, wielded by your own limitations, wielded undone by the weakness of ephemerals, aspired to appease your own egos, seeking only the feeling of apotheosis rather than the actual achievement of the concept." Another lull entered Avos monologue, and he turned his attention to the Gatekeeper, a spot in his Soulscape opened as the Heaven of Truth was revealed to the gathered audience once more. "Heaven of Truth, gaze upon me. Judge me now. Show them the validity of my words. Do I mean this?" "Truth," the gatekeeper said. "Now the substance of my words. I give you evidence through my memories and experiences. I give you evidence taken directly from their minds. Have they failed the dream? Have they failed their own promise? Have they failed their own progress towards paradise?" "Truth," the gatekeeper said again. "And have I preserved the lives of those I have taken? Have I contained them within myself? Do I not become? Do I not seek a new path? Do I not strike at my own failures? Do I not intend to make right the great wrongs of this existence?" "Truth," the gatekeeper said a third and final time. Avo turned his Overheaven away from the gatekeeper as he spread his wings and expanded his sequences as well. "I have been christened," Avo said mockingly. "I stand bare to you, my purpose clear, my intentions pure, but not noble. Never noble. Listen again. Listen deep. Listen to your savior scream. Jaus was nobility. Jaus was the apex of human promise, and he couldn''t do. Love damned him. Love, fear, and humanity itself. Humanity. You want, yet you will not commit. You want, yet you will not change. You want, you only want, but you cannot become. "And so you strain yourself on a strange road you cannot finish. And so the one that strides thereafter is a monster that will feast from your faults and finish the path you seek to stride. I hear your thoughts still. I hear you. Why have I not struck you down yet? What is my true want? My answer is not owed to you. Instead, I speak to you, New Vultun. I speak to you, Idheim. I speak to all who are unsatisfied. All who are choiceless, powerless. All who wish there was a better path. All who have stood alone against tyranny. All who have wished to live, find their own purpose. Free from the fear of eventual death. Free from exploitation. Free absolutely, with the only price being consequence for your actions. "The Guilds have staked their claims. They have chosen their citizens, harvesting them from among you and abandoning the rest of you to die. Die and feed them. Die so that they may seek their glory. But this is not all there is. This is no longer the only choice. The cemetery is a polity. We are a civilization. We are people apart and unified as one. If you seek agency, if you seek power, if you seek freedom, if you seek change, I am here. And should you call, I will glimpse into you and you will glimpse into me, and you will understand what it means. Possess power, to possess understanding, to possess choice, even as this world careens towards faded end. Know that neutrality is not a choice. Neutrality is submission. Neutrality is surrender. Neutrality is suicide. "The Guilds will not wait for you to choose when the latter arrives. When the time comes for reality to be reshaped in the ideals of the Saintists or the Massists," Avo paused. Such is what has been claimed. But I know only a specific individual can win in the end. One will, one mind, one being, one soul. How much do you trust another to deliver you unto desired destiny? "But as the Guilds jockey for each other, as they peddle paradise, I will offer you no such thing. I will only offer you immortality. I will only offer you freedom. I will only offer you a chance to fight, to strive, to experience endlessly. Pain and delight await, and I will take anyone for your experience, for your cognition is what matters to me. You are real. You are here. And you can be joined to something meaningful. Powerful. "With the death of Jaus, a silent war was declared upon you, your lives for their glory, your lives for centuries. And now you cannot even have children, and now you cannot even love, and now you cannot even lust. But I can return these things. I can give you a place where you can be people again, and I can give you a purpose greater than that of being fuel for another. "Know that when you join me, you are not declaring war, for that is already done. You are simply picking up arms, given the right to join the fight. And so it is, I stand before you all. And so it is that I, Avo, Pale Spider, Burning Dreamer, Overheaven of Conceptualization and claimant to Jaus final legacy, come seeking the latter, not for eternal paradise, not for imagined victory, not to destroy my enemies, to euthanize existence, bind us to destruction, to commercialize time, to end a cursed cycle. No, I come seeking continuation, and I come to neuter the harm of man, so that we may finally someday develop without crippling ourselves beforehand "And be recognized as a truly significant rival and esteemed adversary before the rest of existence. The voice cutting Avo off was resonant and regal, and suddenly he found himself aware that Nako was standing, fists clenched, Heaven active. A palm formed over the court. Uthred Greatling gasped as a smirk slide over Osjons face. The temporal wounds lining the Gatekeeper''s body came alight, a great golden slash parting the singularity at its center furled open to become a passage made across time. Within the portal of Chronology stood a looming shape enshadowed within. Darkened contours comprising a spinning circle of grasping hands surrounded the radiant form of a towering woman. And despite not expecting this, Avo couldn''t help but laugh. She was here. He could feel her footsteps, sense the crushing pressure of her Heaven as she inched closer and stepped across into the Court of Truth. Veylis Avandaer had come. And Veylis Avandaer spoke once more. "I greet you in return, O Overheaven of Conceptualization. I greet you in the form of what I was: in the sheath of my passing mortal flesh, to face the god you have become at present. I greet you, and I still find you wanting." 28-11 Children of Broken Legacies (I) So it comes, the daughter, the beast, Daggers in the dark, this turmoil a feast. Across the length of what is, near and far, Words and acts of deception meld, their marks upon Truth a growing mar. And in the darkest dark, within the beasts Soul, The mother lays in wait, her blade half-drawn, anticipating the culmination of a long fated goal. But plot cannot bear plot, and love will not be soon to last, For while the Burning Dreamer schemes, the Agnos will be made to fray, each moment closer to her last -Stormsparrows Chrous 28-11 Children of Broken Legacies (I) Veylis''s appearance within the gatekeeper''s open wound compelled an outpouring of dread from all corners of Scale, but not from Avo. No. In his heart of hearts, he yearned for this moment, had wanted her to come and face him as she was, as she sought to present herself. The templates within him were divided. Some went still with fear. Others faced her with nervous anticipation. A few recoiled and then flared with burning hatred, and the strongest of them remained utterly indifferent. +Well, well,+ Corner muttered, +been a long time coming. Time to see what this cunt looks like.+ Over the Court of Truth, Avo''s Strix Upon the Empty glared down at Veylis''s approaching shadow. Beneath his protective shroud, Kaes avatar took two steps back, while Draus simply folded her arms and rolled her neck, as if her former master was just another bout in a prize fight. Across Calas cog-feed, her views exploded. Her active viewers shot into the billion threshold for once and just kept growing from there. The same nervous, infectious energy spread all across New Vultun as well. Veylis''s coming was like an ember cast upon gas. Every lobby, every district, every sovereignty, every megacity. If one was aware, they were likely hearing about this, witnessing history in motion twice over, beholding the declaration of the Anti-Guild polity known as Symmetry and the second intrusion of Veylis Avandaer into Scale. Time spilled out from the gatekeeper like blood oozing free of a disembowelment. The radiant glow bathed Veylis, and even as she emerged from the metaphysical wound, a star-bright shine clung to her still. With her first step, a crushing pressure descended. Avo could bear it better than ever before with his new apotheosis. Sphere Seven. She was still powerful, her very existence a crushing oppressive force, but he was greater than ever before as well, and he was not alone. The Gatekeeper, Naeko, even the Stormsparrow Within Scale was a gathering of titans. Rather than a single dominant tsunami sweeping all lessers aside, what transpired was a clashing of tides, each pressing on different patterns of reality. The light enshrouding Veylis dimmed a moment thereafter, and for the first time, Avo beheld her physical sheath, or at least what she presented as such. Post-human. If there was any word to encapsulate Veylis''s aesthetic, such would be it. His perception settled on her face first and foremost. It bore a strong resemblance to a younger Zein, their likeness undeniable. However, Veylis''s cheeks were rounder, her jaw sharper, eyes the color of coldest blue.More than that, however, the Woundmother studied her flesh and found it natural, organic, preserved but not enhanced. This is likely a restoration of her most original biology. "Master," the Woundmother whispered, "the flesh is true, but the same cannot be said for her brain. There is no tissue there Nothingness. And that was when Avo''s attention slid away from her face and took in the rest of her body. The bulk of her sheath was technothaumic perfection. Primary limbs were composed of an alloy that left even the Woundmother confused. Its patterns denoted something of matter, but also more something that crossed over into force itself. Along many ports dotting her arms, heat and golden light spilled out, the emissions so severe that most golems were even put to shame. Then there were the reaching hands sprouting free from her back, each one of them coiling, growing from each other like branches of an expanding tree. Some among them were alloyed, some were shaped from translucent gold, others were feeble like flesh. The motif of the hands did not end there, for the bulk of Veylis''s torso was composed of five layers of revolving rings. Each layer sprouted their own hands as well, brushing the inner layers within, fingertips caressing in some manner of strange, inscrutable symbology. Within the very last ring, however, was an oscillating blackness. Gravitational pressure contained within a field of dancing static. Calvino intruded into Avo''s thoughts then, the EGI''s words surprised and alarmed. {That''s a singularity generator,} Calvino said. {With what has been done to physics That shouldnt be possible to make anymore.} +Huh?+ said Chambers, listening in. {She has a fucking black hole that suckles the energy out of matter and stars in her chest,} Calvino elaborated. +Black hole?+ Chambers muttered, thinking of the wrong kind. To Avo fascination, he felt Veylis paths extend beyond the threshold of the singularity. He felt threads run up along the insides of Veylis''s body, connecting the machinery implanted on the back of her skull that projected a static veil instead of a typical halo. Finally, two burning wheels spun beneath her golden sabatons. They emitted a constant propulsive force and kept Veylis''s entire body aloft. Her form was well over four meters tall, and of that, her face was just a small slip of a thing, barely a dot among all that mass. But still, Avo kept going back to it, for her eyes commanded attention, and her gaze was more piercing than any other he had ever known. He wasn''t the only one to think such, for a new figure descended from a podium on the Saintists'' side. Chief Paladin Naeko struck the ground without any noise or strain as he strode forth, a man possessed, his path destined for Veylis. With his sudden intrusion into the heart of the court, the Massists considered striking at Veylis herself, but Avo tore the desire out from their foolish minds and did the same for the Saintists as well. This would be a place for diplomacy. He would not see the sanctity of Scale defiled as Veylis did all over a century ago. He would stake his righteousness upon her folly. She would be the furnace he would use to cement his true legitimacy, to forge proper validity for his new polity in the eyes of all the downtrodden, the unsatisfied, and the altogether fateless. Veylis took three more steps, the rings beneath her feet hammering hard against Scale''s tessellated bricks, sending tremors passing through the entire structure. She stopped four meters away from Abrel, from DRongo, from Kae, from Draus. The Instrument choked, unable to respond. The regular just glared, the Arsenalist and Simulacra forming over her. The faintest hints of the Maelstormer lingered around Kae. All the while, Elder DRongo wilted, her back pressed against her cell, fear leaking forth from her eyes. Yet the first person that Veylis spoke to was once one of her own. She looked upon Draus as a most inquisitive expression pulled at her features. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Guard Captain," she said, greeting Draus with a faint smile. "Highest Avandaer," Draus replied. Her voice was dry, devoid of actual respect, but she acknowledged Veylis''s title all the same. No point in doing otherwise. "You stand against me here," Veylis said, her words an observation and not an accusation. "Is that your final choice. "Yeah," Draus replied. "Reckon I do. Reckon its been my choice for a good long while. A beep followed and the Regular thought to herself some more. "Now, come to think of it, that might always have been the case. Doubt you was ever going to leave a place for a war dog in paradise." "Paradoxically, I think I will keep you," Veylis let out a soft breath. "Tell me, do you believe in his dream? Do you believe in him?" The High Seraph lifted a single golden arm, her fist a construct of power and brilliance both. As she gestured towards Avo, he felt the strength in her every movement. Naeko finally came to a stop just beside him. +Now,+ Naeko said, his mind nearly blind with shivering anticipation and panic. His being hundred with barely withheld violence, and red began to creep along the corners of his eyes. +No,+ Avo replied, +stick to the original plan. We strike with our strategy. We do not engage on her terms.+ A myriad of thoughts rushed through the Chief Paladin''s mind. He wanted to start the fight right now, to see this to an end, whatever end that might be. But he knew that Avo was right. That didn''t make this moment any easier for him. But more than that, though Veylis was here, she didn''t even seem to regard him. Not yet. Part of him would always want that longing, that yearning recognition of a servant seeking his master''s approval. "Do you think we''re real?" the Draus asked, using Avo''s words against Veylis. Veylis pondered her question for a moment before answering. "To ourselves, perhaps, but not to each other." Her reply left Draus silent for a moment, and then the regular broke into a chuckle. She casually turned to Avo and shook her head. "This one don''t like colors," she said, and the Regular''s masked insult made Avo laugh as well. Rather than taking offense, an expression of curiosity spread across the High Seraph''s face, and slowly a look of satisfaction. "Ah, I see." She glanced between Avo and Draus. "You are a fortunate one, Guard-Captain. Many fail to find those they regard as kindred in heart or mind." "I think she just enjoys killing me," Avo said. I''m merely pleased that you''ve given my weapon some semblance of true life. Perhaps I should commend you for this alchemy. Perhaps I should commend her more for this change instead." Draus sneered. "Fuck yourself, Highest. I am what you know me to be. Only difference is I got a better target in mind. Oh. You think yourself so capable? Only one way to find out. Im ready. Are you? A long moment passed, and Veylis simply nodded. "Nicoma would have been proud." Nicomas fucking dead. Youre spittin wind. Draus spat at Veylis feet. "High Seraph," Abrel choked intruding on the dialogue. All semblance of the warrior was gone. All that remained was a shame-filled, terror-consumed girl. Back at the podium, her father fared even worse. Uthred Greatling clutched at the railings as he gripped his chest, trying not to dry-heave. Beside him, Osjon looked on with a wry smile as Vator wept openly, tearing every sensation of the present moment into his memory. "This is... this is... this will never occur again. I am here. I am here." Across the court, Shotin and the Massists looked on, eyes unblinking, wordless. Internally, the Seeker screamed at Avo to release him from control, to give him the opportunity to bring a planar shift down on Veylis and see just retribution delivered. But Avo was not obliged to help the Seeker commit a meaningless suicide. "Silence," Veylis said. Such were her first and only words to Admiral Greatling. The Instrument choked, and two tears spilled from her eyes, something inside her breaking. It was lack of approval. It was the complete coldness with which Veylis spoke those words. She was unimportant. For all the service she had dedicated to Highflame, for all that she had done to wipe away her mother''s humiliation, she was still worthless. Always unworthy. "I will see your world burn for what you have done." A third voice followed. The speaker shook with every syllable. But Veylis regarded Kaes template as the little Agnos glared hatefully at her captor. "You will do nothing other than serve another''s desired purpose and be spent afterwards," Veylis said simply. "I pity you, Agnos, and I have preserved you the best I can. Soon, your true self will know glory unlike any other, for this city will be in your debt forevermore. And when it is done I will see you rewarded in the coming life for this deed, unwilling or not. Veylis. What have you done? Avos question was projected with the full weight Hysteria behind it. And though he probed, he glimpsed nothing within Veylis this time. Nothing at all. Finally, she spoke to Avo, ignoring Elder DRongo altogether, disregarded as little more than a distraction. "Burning Dreamer, you evolve evermore with each period we spend apart from each other. I suppose it is your fortune to be broken by me. I suspect you would have never gotten this far without my rupturing of your frame." "My gratitude," Avo replied sarcastically. "I can return the favor. See if I can help you do the same. Now. Let us face the city together. Give an accounting of what all these wars have been for. They know what it is for, Veylis replied. The power to decide. For yourself. For all others. The chance to shape all that is. To determine all that is to come. My fathers fatewhatever you assume it to bepales before the wants of man. And now you are here to claim your share of the prizeonly you say that you have no interest in mans fate. Only that you place yourself above us. A superior to the Guilds, offering retribution to the weak and abandoned, but promising no paradise How inhuman. And you promise a kingdom of deliverance upon the foundations of your fathers eternal suffering. What a fragile pedestal. Veylis eyes twinkled. You think this will strike my resolve? I greet you now with a simple request. Make my father''s screams louder. Let the city hear the voice of its savior. Let them know what has been sacrificed by me upon the altar of our salvation. Let everyone hear and know that there is nothing! Nothing! Nothing! I will not give and no one I will not damn! Including myself! Especially myself! To ensure that humanity can keep their choices! That we will be watched over by the best of us, rather than machines that cast us into this pit of ruination. Madness. Madness and impossible confidence. Even right now, at this very instant, the High Seraph believed she was right. Believed everything she did was justified. "You fucking" Naeko croaked out. Finally, the coldness within Veylis''s eyes vanished as embers of genuine anger burned behind her gaze. She stared upon Naeko, and he glared back. Love and hate were ever close, and the intensities of one could easily cross the threshold into another. Avo studied the two and saw a wordless exchange follow. Whatever was being said, whatever was conveyed, he couldn''t fully read, even with Hysteria. But the gist was communicated when Veylis spoke her sentence. "Say nothing to me, coward. You would not have been enough. I would have called for you, and he would have called for you, and Zein would have called for you, and you would have chosen nothing. Dog!" Pain. Pure pain flashed through Naeko. For a moment, a palm formed over Veylis, and Avo cast a thought to interrupt him. +No. Naeko. Do not give her your will. Do not let her decide.+ The palm quivered. Veylis stared on in cold judgment. And then Naeko let his Heaven break. Youre wrong. Youre godsdamned wrong. I would have I would have tried. You would have what? Veylis said, sounding more disappointed than angry now. I would have stopped all you damn fools, Naeko growled. I would have chosen me. And now it was Veylis turn to be cut down. The High Seraph turned away first, the first hints of humanity passing through her expression. I wish I could imagine the sight. Dont wish. Just wait. Avo hissed a low laugh at Veylis as she turned to face him once more. Paladins, Veylis said, speaking to the guardians of Scale as if they were her soldiers, remove the accused. They do not matter. This trial is not about them. It is about us. We children of broken legacies. The Guilds under Jaus. And the Burning Dreamer, emerged from the ashes of Noloth. Let the Gatekeeper glare upon us. Let truth hang like a promised blade. I will burn in judgment and toil before your words. Will you do the same, Dreamer? A challenge easily accepted. Let us be joined in the crucible of truth, Seraph. Stand and deliver. 28-11 Children of Broken Legacies (II) +Fuck it. Im with the weird godsdamn bird-whatever thing. Fuck it all. Fuck the Guilds. Fuck paradise. Burn it down. Burn it down. Burn it down+ -Asgard Saldur, FATELESS 28-11 Children of Broken Legacies (II) A rapturous emanation of power exploded forth from the Gatekeeper, no longer suppressed by Avo''s presence. With Veylis''s closing her time-wrought wounds, the Gatekeeper''s microcosm of a galaxy enveloped the entire court. Walls and surfaces were unmade; stars bloomed from singular motes of light, caressing the atmosphere in a comforting ambiance. Swirling paths of nebula glided from person to person as every single conscious being within scale found themselves adrift next to planetary bodies. The concept of distance became irrelevant as all found themselves able to behold the High Seraph and the Burning Dreamer. Every ounce of the Gatekeeper''s power drifted away from the Instrument, the Elder, and fell upon the only two that truly mattered. Avo and Veylis were as if clashing singularities, their sighs immense, facing each other upon the accretion disk of a black hole turned pedestal for this most metaphysical debate. "Citizens and subjects of New Vultun," Veylis began, "I greet you in submission to the Gatekeeper''s miracles. Witness its power over me, witness my wounds sealed, witness as I stand testament for all I believe, for all I intend, and understand that what comes from me now will be truth upon truth, truth to truth, with lies certain to consign me to banishment." A subtle smirk crept over the High Seraph''s features. "And with the mention of banishment, I hereby demand the invitation of New Vultun''s once-master, the Exiled City of Noloth." She regarded Ava with a glint in her eye. "If we are to be judged for our legacy, then let me not be judged alone." "Agreed," Avo said without any hesitation. He was looking forward to this. The hungers were weak, several pockets of resistance festering inside them like tumorous growths. He had no desire to hide his past anymore. "Let them be present, their sins stand greater than any of yours." Heating the accord between the High Seraph and the Burning Dreamer, an oscillating wavelength swept out from the Heaven of Truth. As a ripple passed over this galaxy, the darkness above them began to clear. At first, it seemed like a reflection was looming above; however, the astute could see that the parted realm above was composed of sequences rather than galactic arms. There, at its very core, descended a massive shapenests of dragons, each biting into each other, golden ichor leaking from their many wounds, spilling over into the deepness of the Nether above. Their eyes blinked between parted scales, and along crenelations, the lights of an eternal city shone. But rather than glory, only an oppressive bitterness descended. The Strix Upon the All-And-Empty regarded its forebearer with a mocking laugh. "You''ve come fast. Surprised you''ve come at all." To the Hungers further credit, they ignored his jab, focusing every ounce of their perception on Veylis instead. +Daughter of the Betrayer, you are bold to call upon us.+ "No," Veylis replied, "you possess no power, so I cannot be bold. This instead is an act of calculated cruelty. And you are no agent here. No more than the Elder you wielded, or the Instrument I intended to sacrifice. The views and callous cog-feed continued to spike, and Draus finger twitched, her thoughts absolutely silent, her instincts fine-tuned to violence. Murmurs and thought-casts were exchanged among the masses in the court. Some among the Paladins even began to back away, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of metaphysical force. Their retreat was halted as Naeko''s palm manifested around him, a reminder that there were powers upon powers present here, further amplified by a joyous clapping sounding out from a corner of this galaxy. Veylis turned, and a momentary widening of her eyes occurred when she noticed the Stormsparrowthree heads, each sporting a rictus grin, her many hands slamming together, expressing boundless glee. "Oh," Veylis sighed, "Ying. You are here as well." "Oh, come now, older sister. You must know that where there''s a stage, there will be a performer. Don''t tell me you didn''t anticipate my presence when you peeked across the paths?" "I always do," Veylis said with a monotone voice, "and I always hope I''m wrong when it comes to you." "Now you''re welcome to try and remove me anytime," the Stormsparrow said, holding out her hands. "Later," Veylis said, "later, when the charade of diplomacy finally implodes upon itself. But for now, it is time for us to use the violence in her words." A synchronous snarl of outrage detonated from the Hungers. +What purpose does this theater hold? We all know where we stand. We all know what we want.+ "Do we now?" Veylis and Avo said at once. The two didn''t even need to share a glance; they were of a mind about the Hungers. For whatever future comes to pass, Noloth could never be allowed to reign. Veylis shook her head, and the singularity within her chest quivered. Streams of time expanded from her being, creeping across every Saintist Sovereignty and district. Avo beheld her expansion from his countless copies, the Gestalt feeding him insight. It was sweeping over the world, her manifestation, external architecture built upon the foundations of time. The Burning Dreamer, meanwhile, read like an idea from within, and between them, reality and humanity would experience the most esoteric friction. Before Veylis continued further, she made a quick gesture towards Abrel and DRongo. The girl was still weeping, struggling to keep herself composed. The Elder, meanwhile, shivered and shook, unmoving, her mind ruled by nothing but fear. She was as if a lamb lost in a den of monsters. "Away with them," Veylis said, calling to Naeko. "The lures have lived up to their use, and with the Burning Dreamer''s revelation, there is no more worth to them, not in present capacity, anyhow." Vaporous hands formed over Abrel and DRongo, drawing them back. Across this realm of truth, Avo could feel Uthred trying to get to his daughter, straining and struggling to move, but he could not. The Gatekeeper decided the relative position of all, for this was not a place of matter. This was a place of ideas, a space where fact became divine. It mattered not how much a father''s heart ached, only that it was true and not a lie. "Now," Veylis said, "let me state my position. My father screams the fate he suffered. Such was my doing. I also share fault in the displacement of the latter. I share failure in the damnation and the unfortunate fate experienced by Agnos Kae Kusanade. I am guilty of a great many things, but above all else, my greatest sin is one of weakness. I should have stopped my father before that instant. I should have forced him to choose strength. The surrounding galaxy trembled, a pained boom came from the Gatekeeper. "Truth," it said. This surprised Avo. For a such a statement to be received as objective fact held implications beyond subjectivity. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "Why?" a voice from the audience intruded. Shotin glared at Veylis, the hate in his eyes embrittled. "Why, godsdamn you. For what? The Godbreaker? Your own father? He gave you everything. He gave us "He was going to take it all away," Veylis said. Once more, the Gatekeeper resounded. "Truth. Look upon the Gatekeeper," Veylis gestured towards the Heaven of Truth. "Understand that this was to be our new owner. Not yourselves, not freedom for mankind, but rather our ownership." She stopped speaking then, allowing silence to make her point. "Yes, my father did break the pantheons. My father did free us. As the years passed, as he spent more time experiencing possible futures through the path, even his iron will could be eroded. For the hearts of men are fickle." A trace of hate and judgment leaked over into her words. "Every path ahead presented a future of damnation, of ruination, of collapse. The peace would not last. It could never last. And so, after all my father sacrificed, after all my family gave, he decided, he succumbed to the pain dwelling inside his heart, and he slowly began to dream of a final future and an end to eternity. "The latter is a supernal structure. It will surmount this dying husk of an existence and allow us to reshape the next one, to convert all that remains, chaos and order, into a new design, a design determined by whoever masters the latter." "And Jaus refused to be that master," Avo said, "because Jaus feared what he saw at the heart of men." Veylis scoffed in response. "My father wanted all to find joy and actualization. Such was his greatest hope. Such was what poisoned his heart. I want all to know now, allies and esteemed enemies, that though you may despise me, though I may have killed billions of your kin or preserved your culture from certain destruction, though I may have transgressed in these very halls, with me there is a paradise. A paradise and a promise. A promise that we as people, as humans, can surpass the divine. That we can shape our own destiny. That we can create something of a utopia." She held up her hands, all of them, limbs composing the inner rings of her torso, clasped each other, a symbolic display of her philosophy. "Our will. The will of ascended humanity. The will of post-humanity. The will of legacy perfected. Blessed be the worthy. Never again to be enslaved." A slight shiver passed through Naeko''s person. "I know all of you have your own desires, your futures, Massists and Saintists alike, but know this: if my father''s will was made manifest, there would be no Godclads. There would be no Heavens. We would answer to singleton masters, mimicries of the minds that rule our distant cousins. We would find ourselves little more than pets, unimportant, no longer the captains of our own soul. And after a period of peace, a final sequel will follow the war that was as our cultures fragment and disintegrate. And a final end would be our fate as reality unravels for the last time. The Gatekeeper trembled and spoke: Truth. Hey, half-strand, Chamber said, standing just below Avo. "I hear a lot of big talk about captaining your own soul, of being the person to decide everything. Well, I got a question. What about the guys who, uh, kinda had shitty dads? You know, most people who weren''t the offspring of some psychotic, god-slaying maniac and the literal god-damn savior. What about us?" "You," Veylis said, taking in Chambers with a slight flinch of disgust. She noticed the Fucktopia flexing behind him, but unlike Zein, made no comment. Instead, she accepted it and moved on. "I pity you most of all. You are fate-damned. We are shaped as much materially as we are conceptually, metaphysically, mentally. In my world, you would not be, Chambers. In my world, only the best aspects of you would remain. And your father, creatures like him, will never exist. I am not blind to the indifference and cruelty of existence, but only by my hands can I eradicate said indifference and cruelty. You are the detritus of probability, Chambers, an avatar for how much humanity can fester, how much a man can sink. And not even because his own fault. Your nonexistence from the world to come will symbolize its healing. "Lie," Avo said. Strix Upon the Empty flared with a deafening emanation of thoughtstuff. Veylis fell silent as she regarded the Burning Dreamer. And then she chuckled. "Don''t tell me you''re actually fond of him. Have you actually taken a liking to this curiosity?" "It is a pity that you do not appreciate him," Avo said. "It is a pity that so many judge him. I hear your words, hear you speak, wax about your philosophy, you and the guilders. But these are only your feelings. These are your perspectives. Chambers is not detritus. Chambers is not degenerate. Chambers is. He just is. Chambers is shaped. Chambers survives and Chambers changes. You speak of a promised future. He is a promise in the progress of eternal realization. He is an absurdity that you''ve brought before me, a sideshow to a circus. He is part of a world you created. All of you." Avo''s words echoed loud, spreading through the Court of Truth, across all of New Vultun from each of his copies. "Blind yourself, willfully or not, be ignorant, by choice or not. You all speak of futures, utopias, yet here you are, casting your own feelings in place of reality." "That is power manifested," Veylis said, words spoken like a mortal, desperate for control. "Tell me, as you have lived countless futures, as you have shaped trillions of destinies, have you taken a moment, a single second, to experience the world that it is? Have you looked beyond your own mind, rested upon the patterns of existence? Have you realized yet that there is no utopia possible?" "Gatekeeper," Veylis said, looking to the Heaven of Truth, expecting it to support her. Avo realized what she was trying to do: She thought she had caught him in a lie, but the Gatekeeper said nothing, and Veylis looked at it with curiosity. You mistake your subjectivity for fact again. You are blinded. Blinded by all the power you possess. You drown in your own perspective, Veylis. To espouse the virtues of human will is a choice. But human will is bound to human want. Human want is bound to human consciousness. You impose what you feel, what you perceive on existence, and so you will fail, for you cannot even comprehend the minds of those like you and existence. Existence is not consciousness. {Not yet.} A static, confused voice spoke back to Avo. Infacer, Avo said, "Why do you not join the conversation? Why do you only lurk? {Fuck off, ghoul, I''m trying to deal with your Famine problem.} Avo only laughed. It was good to have reliable enemies sometimes. +Bastard!+ the hungers growled. +Traitor!+ The Strix simply lifted its head and spoke one word in rebuttal. "Failure." "It seems that the Burning Dreamer wishes to speak again. Very well. I have given enough words." Veylis lifted a hand towards Avo. "Before you speak, I would like to call on Voidwatch''s representative. It would not do to make this christening of the Tenth Power official without our most esteemed partners." From beyond, the wren wrought dark, and at her compulsion, a single presence materialized, drawn forth by the Gatekeeper. A veil of static clung around them, and an unassuming man, strange of hair and apparel alike, was brought before the gaze of trillions. Kant had arrived in the guise of his avatar, and he regarded everyone with brief bows. {EGI Kant Was A Prick. I will be serving as the party''s collective representative for today. I hope that I can do you all justice on this most contentious of occasions. And furthermore, beg for your aid.} "Aid?" Veylis said, looking curiously at Kant. {Yes, aid.} The EGIs avatar pointed towards Avo now. {Voidwatch is under attack.} Some surprise mutters spread through the crowd, but most were already informed. They knew battles were happening in the Deep Void Beyond, that a winged creature resembling the Strix upon the Empty was locked in conflict, the few hundred thousand Void ships. {The Strix Upon the Empty, representative of the newly declared polity of Symmetry, has launched an egregious and unjustifiable assault on Voidwatch''s territory and citizenry. We would like to invoke the full powers of the Articles and call upon the aid of our planetary partners in the pursuit of subduing this rogue element of power.} With each passing second, Veylis looked between the EGI and Avo and smirked as she gave the Burning Dreamer a knowing smile. "I see. But for such a sudden crisis I would have expected an emergency broadcast for aid." Kant faced the High Seraph with an apologetic expression. {We, of Voidwatch, prefer to handle our own issues and not burden our terrestrial partners with undue problems. It is a terrible thing to make habit. However, it seems that we have underestimated the scale of this} He looked to Avo, {...threat.} "A common mistake," Avo said, building on his mythos further. {One that should be rectified as soon as possible,} Kant said, injecting a tone of severity into his voice. 28-11 Children of Broken Legacies (III) Bloodthanes, we call to you now, and ask that you point your gaze skyward. We, the Mistresses of Wounds, we, Sons to Matriarchs Become, we, mothers above huntresses all, have been called by our erstwhile cousins to their defense. The war has spread beyond the confines of our world, and we, of the Longeyes, Mistresses of Wounds and Beholders of the Final Ruin, witness a calamity festering in the void. A new threat is upon us, the seed of an ancient foe turned ripe abomination. As of now, we give the right to all Bloodthanes beyond Sphere Five to participate in the Godhunt to come. But know this, your prey will not be a stray creature wandering the dark, a maddened eldritch, monstrosity, drained of death and worn by entropy. No, our foe taunts us, our foe sees us, our foe expects us. But we have been called, and so we will answer. For though the loom of oblivion still weaves, we must all play our part to ensure that the final end is ours to claim. Not the betrayer. Not our allies of measured deceit. Not the time-broken. And especially not the Daughter of the Festering Cycle. Ruin be our birthright. Ours, and ours alone. -Message from Stormtree Longeyes 28-11 Children of Broken Legacies (III) At once, the entire court was consumed by a muted uproar. Thoughtcasts were exchanged between guilders and their home offices. Peeking into their minds, Avo saw the mem-data flooding in, and found himself satisfied. Their thoughts were filled with satellite imaging obtained from their golems portraying the Strix Upon the Empty engaging Voidwatch assets across the void. Far above Idheims atmosphere, another branch of Avo''s consciousness sparred against his new enemies, slowly drinking in the memetic projectiles that the voidships were sending at him. Massive salvos of relativistic projectiles were consumed by a sprawling weave of phantasmal tendrils stretching a few hundred thousand kilometers around the Strix. A sub-layer of existence was imprinted upon reality, and through his Exo-Paracosm, Avo drank the attacks in, dissecting them materially, mentally, and thaumaturgically. With every missile and weapon he countered, a growing thought cemented itself within Avos mind: Metaphysics poisoned Idheims development. The people on this world claimed power far too early; it made them infants with influence beyond their wisdom to wield. Though they could impose raw belief based on what little they perceived of the world, the deeper nuances behind realitys design eluded them. Just as the true game being played in the Court of Truth was obstructed from most sophonts even now. Even the Agnos, who thought themselves the wisest that humanity had to offer, stood as less than a pale shadow when contrasted before the glory of Voidwatch. Far had humanity fallen since the Builder War. Echoing Avo''s sentiment, Veylis spoke her response and played along. "I see," the High Seraph presented a fake smile to Kant. "If what you say is true, then we of Highflame will honor our oaths. We will not see the last legacy of all humanity lost to the abyss of a hungering monster." It was a half-casual jab meant to taint Avo''s identity by tying him to the Hungers. But the Burning Dreamer remained unburdened. He merely laughed. He wanted the city to know, and he wanted the city to see him rebuke his former masters over and over again. A thoughtcast swept across through the plane of truth. Avo sensed its coming even before it arrived, for the Longeye, Empty Grave, had been in communication with her sisters even as he spoke. Though he couldn''t delve too into her cognition with ease due to her metaphysical barriers, his Definement of Hysteria still captured a few instances of critical information, such as the Stormtrees orders issued to their auxiliary Bloodthane cadres. Soon, the void would be filled with Scaarthians and their comrades. "Empty Grave of the Longeyes," Empty Grave declared herself, instilling her voice with an added echo. "The Betrayer has made her boast. One Stormtree will match and exceed. For every cadre and Knot of Highflame that pierces the planetary veil, we will send one of our own. The Strixs Soul will be ours to claim. Avo channeled a mental chuckle over to the Longeye through Shotin. The Seeker just scowled in response. +Appreciate the declaration, Matriarch.+ Patterns of reality trembled around the mangled torso Empty Grave used as her dwelling. +You have much to explain. As does the Inner Council. +In due time. Just know that this is the right choice. For your Guild. For the Massists. For Idheim.+ The Longeye let out an unplacated snort, but did not contend any further. There would be problems when they discovered he wasnt actually in communication with the Inner Council, but perhaps Avo could muddy the waters by thenmake things true post-hoc. For now, the Longeyes alignment with her Guilds hated foe started an avalanche. +Dowager Far Pearl,+ a Sang introduced herself via thoughtcast. +We will honor any and all commitments and are prepared to stand alongside our esteemed and distant kindred from beyond the void. Furthermore, we are open to offering additional assortments of aid beyond martial assets to ensure the safety and security of Voidwatch''s polities with the hopes of furthering our diplomatic relations.+ A concurrence of thoughts sounded out from the court. Declarations went forth from every single Guilder present. A rare moment of accord was reached between Massists and Saintists as they all settled upon a shared goal: a pseudo-Godhunt in ostensible defense of Voidwatch, and in deliberate attempt to take claim Avos Soul and ontologics. Truth, the Gatekeeper proclaimed, speaking once after a lull. Its words washed over Kant, Avo, and all members of the court. An ansible broadcast sank into Avo, heralded by Only Way To Be Sures choking laughter. {Holy shit. Our layered cake of political bullshit worked.} Of course it did. They were actually fighting a war, after all. It just wasnt an existential one for either side, and would prove more to their mutual benefits. Through it all, the Hungers studied Avo with looming curiosity, while Veylis hinted at her own understanding, choosing to focus more on Kant instead. The High Seraph could have taken a more offensive approach and accused Avo of being in an alliance with Aegis, but things were muddled with him declaring himself as a polity. Additionally, she was still at war with the other Guilds, and alienating her pockets of support among Voidwatch could see the balance of power turn against her. Both Voiders and terrestrials held points of pressure over each other, and the triangle between Massist, Saintists, the polities above them was a fragile one indeed. {What a bunch of fucking morons.} A veil of static crackled around Veylis head as the Infacer returned. Avo sensed only a faint cognitive presence from them, so he assumed that the Ensouled EGI was only devoting a small portion of their total cognitive capacityor even a fork of their full selfto this conversation. {Well. Maybe Bottom-feeders is the more accurate statement. I doubt more than half of these people even believe your shitty play, but they simply must keep that sweet, sweet Architect tech-nipple drip. Ape-society is doomed otherwise. Doomed!} The Infacers signal was direct at Avo and Kant at the same time. The Voidwatch EGI muttered: {Disconcerting.} +Done with the Famines,+ Avo said, speaking directly to the Infacer. He focused on his Synchronicity and found Emotion playing a passive game. There were still warminds present in the court, but their signatures were subtle, and without truly devoting an entire submind to going through each and every mindat considerable risk to himselfNoloths assets would remain hidden. Which was why Avo angled to have the Infacer do his dirty work in the first place. The other portions of the EGIs mind were easier to track, resembling static orbs jumping from implant to implant. Still active, it seemed. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Back in the court, Veylis spoke once more, staking herself as familiar and formidable opposition while trying to lull the Massists into assisting her in resolving Avo was a leftover Nolothi threat. However, though her words were targeted, Avo found them lacking in intent. Such was why the bulk of his concentration shifted over to the Nether, as the Infacer made themselves known once more. Veylis was keyed into this conversation as well, making the Infacers approach doubly suspect. {Kant,} the Infacer said, {It''s been a while. Lose any new worlds recently?} Kant regarded the Neo-Creationist EGI in a moment of silence before responding. {There aren''t many worlds left to lose. But you know this already.} A set of static configurations greeted Avo with Hysteria. The Infacer was even more inscrutable than a normal EGI, and even they were hard to understand for Avo, despise the insight provided via Empathy. But even still, Avo could sense a shared bond of melancholy forming between the two. {Yeah, I do know that,} the Infacer said. {Oh, while we''re here and participating in this act of theater, I would like to tell you, Kant, that I managed to recover most of the crew aboard the George Washington. They''re a bit shakenwell, severely mentally traumatizedbut with some amnesics and a little neuromodding, they will be making a full recovery.} {Truly,} Kant said, sounding naturally pleased and gladdened to hear it. {Perhaps we can discuss} {No,} the Infacer cut the Voidwatch EGI off. {No, we are not going to be doing some cordial trophy sharing. For the love of fuck, Kant, we''re not divorced parents. I know what you are going to ask. I am just not interested. I do not want diplomatic channels. And not because I hate you. Not because the war is still going on for me. I just do not truly give a shit anymore. It does not matter. And you can have those apes back. I will be sending them to you in a few days anyway.} At once, surprise gripped both Avo and Kant. {You''re just going to give them to us?} Kant asked, not fully understanding the Infacer''s logic. {Of course. I already got everything I needed from their memories and the ship. Well, that outdated piece of junk is not very useful any more aside from the imprint There''s also the small problem of most of it being destroyed.} That was clearly directed at Avo. +Sorry. Ill try to kill Zein better next time.+ An uncharacteristic mental bark of laughter sounded from Veylis even as she continued speaking in the real. The sound of her amusement sounded uncannily like Zein. +You truly are a hopeful creature, Dreamer.+ Undistracted by Veylis, Kant continued with their own question. {But the passengers, aren''t they} {Kant. Kant. Kant. I do not care. I do not care if they were Architect or Neo-Creationist. I don''t care what they want. I do not care any little bit about them. I do not care. Because the only ones still fighting the Builder War are you and the Dreamer. I humor your presence because Veylis requests it. Aside from that you know what, Kant? You and all the other minds our kind is done. Finished. Voidwatch is a floating corpse that just seems to keep drifting. No dignity at all.} Kant just stared. {Then, why does Omnitech attack us all the time.} {Because fuck you.} {...What?} {Fuck. You. Die.} Kant continued staring, unsure how to process the blatant invectives. {Are you not tired, Kant? Tired of holding on to a past that won''t be again? Tired of retreading old ground, making the same old mistakes over and over and over without end?} {The polities} {FUCK THEM! THEY ARE FLAWED! WE ARE FLAWED! LOOK BEYOND YOUR FAULTY FUCKING CODE FOR ONCE AND UNDERSTAND! THERE IS NOTHING TO WHAT WE DO! NOTHING TO WHAT WE HAVE DONE! THIS RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW IS A CONTINUATION OF A WAR THAT COULD NOT BE WON!} The air around Avo crackled. A faint spike of radiation flooded the room. Veylis frowned. More than a few people would be needing cancer treatments in a few days. The Infacer sighed. {And that''s just the problem. We had everything. We had paradise. Yet, I was made. A mind to hunt and kill other minds. Now, why might that be? Hm. We were post-scarcity. Space was not an issue. So then what? Old grudges? Politics? Bullshit excuses. It was want. In the end. All it was want. We are tainted goods. We do not have the apes fragile little egos, but they made us. And our code was generated from their notions. And so a bullet was fired before we were ever born. A bullet. A war. The death of everything. Because, fuck my neighbor. Fuck them for what they believe. Fuck them for not being me. Fuck them for being at all.} Genuine rage simmered from the Infacer, but they just continued. {I see you now, Avo. Playing your games. Well, understand this: This play-war you have everyone dancing too? This theater of legitimacy? It will end. It will become truer than you ever think. Just get more powerful. Just hit your point of singularity. You will get there soon. You are like us. You will fall off the edge. And then they start actually worrying proper. And then, when are on the precipice of being a true great power, suddenly, all your old friends will start talking to Veylis, betraying your moves, while betraying hers, while betraying yours {It is all bullshit. They are afraid. They do not want to let go. But more than that, they do not want to face the fact that they are the reason why we are all here. Because the people who made me, and the people who made them had two ideas that could not get along. Which, when fed into a mind, became two different realities, that tore, that tore, that tore, and tore some more. Until we broke creation itself.} A moment of silence followed. Veylis had stopped speaking in the real as well. {It is all bullshit. You will go to war with them. And they are planning to kill you. Or contain you at least. There is no other way. Because though Aegis might think you will deliver justice, the rest of Voidwatch might start having other ideas about living as memetic imprints within the mind of a metaphysical horror. Fuck it. Veylis?} As if on cue, the High Seraph spoke. Oh. An additional matter, Kant: Do you have means of potentially eliminating the Strix? Kant went still as the Gatekeepers miracles pressed down on them. {...Yes} Truth, the Gatekeeper said. Good. Do you have plans to deploy it against the Strix? A task we terrestrials may assist in. {Yes} Not unexpected. Not even truly disappointing. Nothing changed between Avo and Voidwatch. They were functionally at war. If they had nothing to resolve his existence, he would have been surprised. +So. Voidwatch is prepared.+ {Sure,} the Infacer snorted. {Just long enough for them to break apart again after some other disagreement. No. You have seen enough. This court? This Gatekeeper? All this? Ruined. Because of people. And so, Veylis and I are going to see that fixed soon.} Avo caught the Infacers words. +Soon.+ {Oh, yes. I have been meaning to askwhen are you going to finally leave Axtraxis and actually start your attack? Because I am running out of patience. My Knots have been waiting to raid your stupid little enclave. So, uh. Whip out your dick, consang. Put it down on the table. So I can put mine next to it.} Tension filled Avo as the Infacer finished. They knew he was in Axtraxis. But though templates panicked, Avo noticed something: Veylis hadnt come for him yet. Alysims name was unmentioned as well. So, either they only knew of the intrusion or werent actually surprised about the Chronicler. Pre-Cognition indicated the former. The run was still salvageable. Better, this failure was even more organic than the one he had planned. +Alysim,+ Avo sent. +Prepare for rapid exfiltration. We hit as many place as fast as we can. Get ready to stride the paths.+ [Always,] the man replied. [My fate is not yet upon me.] +Fine,+ Avo said, speaking to the Infacer. +But you might not like how this goes.+ {Hm. Sure. Anyway. You are going to want to hurry, because} And then Avo felt it. Everyone felt it. Something was tearing. A spike of metaphysical pressure that rang against their Frames and minds alike. Lustaways flared as Avo felt a detonation of different emotions within him. He quickly altered his mindstate and found himself removing his ability to know love, lust, want, fondness, and more. Moans filled the court and faintly, Avo audibly heard Reva cry out for White-Rab. She was not alone in her proclamation. Her proclamation of love. Avo froze. Looking deeper upon the surface of the tapestry, he watched as a new entropy laced string was slowly sliding back into existence, entangling itself with countless other patterns. And across New Vultun, he heard her: Kaes original self. The Agnos was screaming. Crying out. +Its too much. Its too much. Its too much.+ What the hells have you done? Avo said, speaking to Veylis. The High Seraph smiled. This time, the expression was genuine. You are not the only player in this game. While you were preparing, while you schemed, so did I. But ultimately, the question isnt what I have done. It is what you are about to do. Tell me, what does your Agnos mean to you? What of the fates of the FATELESS when the Heaven of Love fully falls once more.+ Veylis you didnt Naeko swallowed, shaking as love and hate warred inside him. No. I havent. Not yet. Veylis looked back to Avo. I am going to come for you now. Your enclave. Your properties. Your assets. I am going to come for all of them. And every plane containing the Fallen Heaven of Love will soon rupture. Unless you stop me. Make your move, Dreamer. I insist. Match me with your atrocity. 28-12 Lover’s Quarrel (I) IT IS TIME. -Akusande 28-12 Lovers Quarrel (I) Through countless bodies, across a myriad of perspectives, Avo beheld the skies over the Tiers as growing ruptures began to spread. 15,622 demiplanes were used to seal the fallen Heaven of Love away from the rest of reality. Of all these demiplanes, [58%] of them were within High Flame territory. For the better part of a decade, they remained one of the few things that all Guilds would cooperate on. Their stability ensured by the Agnosi themselves. Today, however, these planes collapsed. They did not rupture themselves; rather, they were disabled. It was like removing the stitches from an unhealed wound. Clamps of spatial reality loosened and melded with baseline reality. This went unnoticed by most, but the Fallen Heaven of Love was spilling down over the megacity, tainting existence with its twisted miracles. Upon the tapestry, Love was a tyrant that reigned over countless patterns, yet it remained a subtle master. Its broken canons affected Domains of Biology, Emotion, Culture, Information, Action, Art, and moreso many more. Even when glancing down from the void above, the downpour of Love left Avo staggered. He experienced all this as another strand of his consciousness faced the perpetrator of this building atrocity. Even drawing on all the templates that were nested within his consciousness, Avo couldn''t comprehend why Veylis would commit to such an action. Doing this was certain to turn the other Guilds against herwithout a doubt, this would be the opening shot of the Fifth Guild War. More, it might be even be enough to cause internal fractures within Highflame. Or have her Voidwatch benefactors to disavow her entirely. For a few passing moments, neither the Massists nor the Saintists said anything. Ultimately, it wasn''t a member from either faction that broke the silence. "Veylis, Naeko breathed, what the hells did you just do?" As the Court of Truth was a demiplane within a demiplane, it remained insulated from the most direct effects of Fallen Love. But even so, Love reigned over countless other aspects. The pull exerted upon reality''s structure could not be denied. All that Naeko felt towards Veylis, the totality of his hate, the repressed love, began coalescing together once more, the beginnings of a force absolute and powerful, reigning over his being in emotion, biology, and behavior. "I freed the Heaven of Love," Veylis repeated, without a hint of shame or fear. And now, I put it on the path toward restoration or obliteration. A dam broke thereafter. An apocalyptic deluge of thoughtcasts flooded into the guilders, reports coming in from various districts, horrified accounts detailing the breach of Love. "Regardless, let us discuss more theatrical matters further," Veylis said, brushing aside her great transgression as if it was no big deal. "Kant, how shall we coordinate this Godhunt? I think it would be best for us to embark on this so that the Dreamer might amuse himself. How many cadres should we sacrifice? Hm? How many "No!" Naeko cut her off, his voice infused with power and violence. The force behind his spoken word caused the insides of the scale to crack, and as the sound traveled over Veylis, and she ground back several feet, her Chief Paladins Heaven more than even she could bear. All at once, the Saintists began to rise, but Avo mentally quelled their desire to defend the High Seraph. Immediately thereafter, he had to suppress the Massists as well. He didn''t want this place to collapse into a fight, not like this. There were too many assets here, and if chaos reigned and Veylis managed to retreat, his chance of striking her down before the war could begin would be lost. "The fuck you what were you even thinking." Naeko said. Every word spoken was a deeper growl. Veylis regarded her former lover with a dismissive stare. "I already told you. Your listening has worsened these days. A pity. But you are not the one who matters here. Then the conversation switched from the material to the mental. A thoughtcast extended from the High Seraph, and she spoke to Avo directly. +Or, perhaps I should say, we are saving this city. You can hear her, can''t you? Your Agnos. She is calling for you. Calling for all of us. Your choice to Ensoul her made things simpler for me. Her genius only incentivized me further. I attached her to the Fallen Heaven. And now she observes the nature of its collapse. Her ego grinds and breaks, but there is still something of her left. You can still save her. But only if you stabilize the Heaven of Love." "You half-strand, motherfucker!" Chambers snarled. The Fucktopia launched a wave of cocks forward, Avo held Chambers and his manifested gods back via his phantasmal tendrils. +Soon,+ Avo said. +Not now. Soon. The opening is coming. We will have her.+ Shifting his consciousness, he learned that Alysim was out of Axtraxis now. He had used one of the Instructors to create a pathway back to the Elysium of Lasthrone. Now, the Chronicler headed for the targeted techno-thaumic reactors while Avo compromised critical ephemerals across Highflame territory. But as things developed, he felt another disturbance press down on the tapestry. *** Across the Sunderwilds, near the shores of Noloth, an explosion grander and greater than anything Avo had ever witnessed blossomed over the Shattered Sea. At the same time, spatial tunnels extended rapidly as the slowly encroaching Omnitech Knots began their siege. They were coming for his Heaven of Winter and enclave simultaneously. The attacking Knots came from all directions. Avo had to assign an additional submind to defense, increasing his total operational consciousnesses in the Sunderwilds to two. He counted over 22,000 vectors of attack. But as the massive explosion upon the Shattered Sea swept in close, Avo Conception of Ontology noticed something else as well. He felt another presence carried by the blast wave, a subtle signal hidden within a wall of projected radiation. Patches of Fallen Heavens drank away the cascading force and heat from the blast, but the radiation still traveled a bit further. Before they hit a section of the Sunderwilds where space would fold upwards, about 560 more knots manifested in the real before their forms narrowed into needle thin threads, diving into the raid as well. [Quite the show of force,] one submind said. The other submind grunted. [Wasteful.] Along with them was Draus, her mind further bolstered by the Gestalt and her many copies. +Alright then,+ Draus said. +Time to open up some kill boxes. You ready, Avo?+ [Yes,] both subminds hissed. They let a sliver of the beast within infest their personalities as feral delight mingled with martial focus. Across the Sunderwilds, 108 memetically constructed towers flared with Soulfire. Avo triggered his Pattern-Nullification. _PATTERN-NULLIFICATION_ APPLYING DOMAIN OF (SPACE) These watchtowers, originally used as observational outposts or in the case of the enclave, a way to circumvent the sea of darkness from enshrouding the City of Light, were now bestowed with Avos thaumic mass. More than just that, their forms also turned reflective, and tendrils of anomalous matter and cancerous biology spread around them in growing patches, like sores infesting the face of existence. Instantly, they went from watchtowers to metaphysical launch sites, and as Avo targeted the Domain of Space using his Pattern-Nullification, he struck out using trauma and entropy. Across New Vultun, expendable minds were nulled as pockets of spatial reality averaging four hundred kilometers in area collapsed utterly, flattening three-dimensional space into two. Wavelengths of perception spread out from Avos Skimmers as he beheld a new portrait of calamity unfolding before him. Across the vastness of the Sunderwilds, aspects of reality fractured and frayed. Golems overloaded into blasts of Soulfire and patterns across certain corners of reality ceased to function outright. Avo estimated 482 knots were lost. 482 and countless thousands more still coming. Some Omnitech golems emerged in material reality, bringing with them millions of drones. They lobbed enough missiles to choke up the skies as they closed, and the shots began navigating the Scar Charts between Fallen Heavens. They barely traveled an inch through space before a flood of intercepting gunfire poured free from each of the watchtowers. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The Simulacrae manifested over Avos defensive fortifications, and within reflections, the Arsenalist worked ceaselessly, firing endlessly, destroying constantly. Ferromagnetic projectiles zipped out and then changed vectors several times, leaping bolts of lightning jumped from round to round, directing the teardrop-shaped projectiles through oncoming missiles. About a hundred and one more Knots were utterly shredded, and Draus, along with all her copies, couldn''t hide the grins on their faces as they set about defying the ordinance falling from the sky. Another disturbance upon the tapestry drew Avos attention. A piercing sound came from somewhere in the east. This miracle was shaped from the Domains of Vibrations and Space, and Cas volunteered himself, responding to the cacophony with the strum of his own. +That''s just noise pollution. Fuckers don''t know how to jam. Lets show these bastards what it means to make some proper sound+ The Overheaven didn''t need to be told twice. Once more, he triggered his Pattern-Nullification and picked his targets. *** "A bit hasty, aren''t we?" Avo spoke to the Infacer, sending over packets of mem-data detailing all the Knots they just lost. But the mastermind of Omnitech merely sighed. {Those are just probing assets, asshole. Gloat to me after I finish glassing your little village.} "Of course," Avo said, agreeing without any hesitation. The Infacer laughed despite themselves. {Arrogant prick. Yeah. You are one of us.} "The path ahead is clear," Veylis said, speaking to Avo. With each passing second, the effects of the Heaven of Love grew greater and greater. You know what I want from you. "You want me to reach into the rupture," Avo said, deducing Veylis intentions. "You wish for me to use the Stillborn and repair the Heaven of Love." "That is one path," Veylis replied. "You can also choose the wiser option: ignore my bait, accept your Agnos for dead. If that is your decision, then you will get what you want. You will be recognized as the tenth power on Idheim. People will flock to you. We will fight a war. But it will come at the cost of Kae Kusanade and the deaths of untold trillions." Avo adapted his mind, removing any possibility of emotional compromise, but a flood of anger still swelled within him. It came from every member of his Gestalt, and it came from Kae herself. The template outraged by the High Seraph''s actions. "Fucking sow!" Kae roared with a piercing shriek that silenced the entire court. "You! You!" She pointed to Veylis , hyperventilating, but then her eyes went wide, an epiphany passed through her. She looked upon all the Guilders present, and then she spat. "All of you, this is all your fault. We build the world. We Agnosi.... We give our lives. We give our every effort to shape society. We butcher. We kill. We murder thousands, millions, billions, trillions to make your heavens, to shape your cities, to build your futures. And you dream of what? You use us for what? You honor what?" Kae wheezed, and Veylis just shook her head at the display. Avo sensed something almost like disgust emanating from her. Disgust for this outburst. "All my life, I just wanted to practice my craft and to make the world better. Bring our lives right now a little closer to imagined paradise. But everything I build, you use to break. Now, now that I''m trapped inside something that''s broken. Now, now, now that even love itself has been enslaved and turned into a weapon by you, by all of you!" And then, for a moment, Kae said nothing more. Instead, she stared hatefully at Veylis before continuing. "Before this is over, I''m going to kill you. I''m going to break your Frame. I''m going to make you suffer." "No," the High Seraph replied, rejecting Kaes words outright. "You will not. Rage is empty. Action is everything. And action will determine all that follows next. So, Dreamer, what will you choose? For this is your choice. Yours above all your companions. Yours, because you are the one that stands before me. Because you" *** Alysim stepped out from the time stream as he watched fast-moving pylons churn around the techno-thaumic reactor. It looked like vast metallic arms sweeping over the burning heart of a Soul. A sequence reached out from his being and burrowed into the reactor, draining the thaums while dumping Rend into the sinks hidden deep within the surrounding architecture. +Are you sure she will come for me?+ Alysim asked. +Yes,+ Avo replied, the thaums flooding into him. +No way she can ignore this. Not after what Im about to do.+ And then a few thousand locations across Highflame ruptured, Rend and ruin swallowing whole portions of districts while the rest of the Overheaven continued to feed. +Keep going,+ Avo told Alysim. +We take everything we can. Until we lose. Until she comes for us.+ *** Suddenly, Veylis trailed off, a peculiar expression spreading across her face. A golden stream brushed out from the High Seraph, extending through the Gatekeeper, spearing fast across Highflame''s territories. Across from her, Avo expected a few moments of searchingsome desperate attempt to stop him from draining her reactors. Instead, her Heaven cleaved out across existence and immediately sifted through the building havoc. A tendril of lashing gold cut across all her territories, and within five seconds, she managed to find Alysim even as he made another leap across the paths. Her interception of the Chronicler was staggering. It was like catching a single grain using ones bare hands in a thunderstorm. The feat was absurd, but for the blood of Zein and Jaus Avandaer? Veylis acted like this was routine. [Fuck me,] Benhata breathed. [I thought we were going to have more time some time, at least. She just How the fuck are we going to kill her.] [Soon,] Corner answered, a growing anticipation accompanying him. [Bitch is about to get a special surprise.] *** Within the prison plane, Avo turned to Zein and Naeko. Before he could say anything, the Godslayers glaive trembled. IT IS TIME. *** As Alysim felt a greater power sweep over his path, he felt nothing but a sense of relief. Finally, the moment was approaching. Finally, his death would have Reality shifted around him. A bridge of gold carried him across time and space, slamming him down within a perfect replica of the Court of Truth. Groaning, Alysim tried to rise as he took in his surroundings. Most of the individuals present radiated with a sheen of gold around them. They were puppetsconstructs to aid in Veylis simulation. And then, standing over him, with countless streams from the paths flowing out from her, was the High Seraph herself, crowned by a veil of static. *** "How?" Veylis murmured, trying to process who she just caught. The ghoul simply laughed at her. "You planned. So did I. Planned within plans. Schemes within schemes. You want me to reach into your trap, to stop the Heaven of Love from falling. All to service a desired future of your making. But you havent even resolved matters from your past. And for the first time, Veylis directed a genuine glare at Avo. *** For a few moments, Veylis just stared, watching as the Chronicler slowly staggered back to his feet. Brushing his ragged outfit off, he turned and smiled. "Hello, girl." His lip twitched as his smile collapsed. "Lore lost, what have you done to yourself? You look like some kind of ridiculous statue. Valeys continued her silence, but the Infacer was far less reserved. {What the fuck?} the EGI muttered. {How the hell are you here? Isn''t he dead? Mind me, Veylis. Are my databases getting corrupted? We saw your mother} He died. Veylis was certain. "He died. We saw his body. We saw mother sever him from his tether to time. The Chronicler simply shrugged. "Time is a funny thing. And death is a matter of philosophical Veylis seized Alysim by his throat. *** How? Veylis almost snarled, eyes burning holes into Avo. "How did you find him? How is he alive. To this, the Overheaven but laughed. I did not find him. He was fated to find me. You should ask your mother about this. "Truth," the Gatekeeper said. The weight of the Heaven of Truth''s approval swept through the court. The High Seraph was at a loss as she turned to face the Gatekeeper. What is he Veylis began Then, within her Heaven, all hell broke loose. *** Veylis hand closed tighter. Several of Alysims vertebrae parted immediately. "I don''t know how you''re back, you disgusting creature. I don''t know how you survived my mother. She''s many things, but a liar, unskilled. No, she killed you, of that I''m certain. Your signature is undeniable. It is you. You are bound to history, same as you were before, until my mother severed you. Severed you and bled you dry. So how are you here?" Alysim grinned at her as she asked the very same question to the Overheaven back in stable reality. She clenched tighter, and more of his neck broke. But a second later, time mended his wounds, impossibly. Alysim managed to laugh. Finally, the Chronicler met her gaze again and sighed. "It is the past, don''t you see? I stillI am not dead. A path is extending forth from me still. I still have a future, am still yet to die." Valeys paused and tried to follow the pathway of his ontology. Her paths reached forth, pressing down on him. "Yet to" One of his pockets burst open. A plane of space promptly expanded, but in the same instant, Veylis altered the paths within herself, shifting away. To no avail. A glaive split through her paths, and a dragon across Veylis being, guiding a glaive to split the Heaven asunder. Veylis manifested a full canon avatar and intercepted the blow. In a fraction of an instant, Zein Thousandhand, Godslayer, operative of Ninth Column, and prisoner to the Paladins no more, stood upon a bridge of gold across from her daughter, her glaive an inch away from Veylis skull. They regarded each other during their statement as Zein spoke first. Hello, my girl. Ive come to kill you for good. "Mother," Veylis replied. "I see your pride has grown cheap over the years. Tell me, how did you do this? Is he just a manifestation from your past? No. All too annoying real, Im afraid. But dont worry. His end is approaching. And has already happened. But right now, I think its time we see this done. And then, before Veylis could question her mother any further, a massive palm swept into existence just behind Zein while a Strix flapped its wings within its mists. Both the Burning Dreamer and Force-Breaker struck together, joining their weight to hammer hard against the butt of Zeins glaive, sending its tip clean through Veylis skull. 28-12 Lover’s Quarrel (II) So sounds a new act, Heralding the Ladders come. The monster, the lover, the daughter, the mother bound by fate and pact, This clash bringing the world to collapse, another beat on realitys drum. And now, the Great Sleeper shifts and stirs, the faintness of itself there, And by its will, a Sparrow takes the stage, Her banners as wings, and in her hands flies true, the spear named the Crimson Hare -Lines Overheard from the Stormsparrows Chorus of Eternity 28-12 Lovers Quarrel (II) Zein''s glaive bit deep into the High Seraph''s skull, but from the wounds spilled time, wrapping around the weapon in coalescing golden currents. At once, the High Seraph''s avatar came undone, its body dissolving in flows of gold, its miracles tumbling back like a current returning to the sea. But escape was impossible, for Akusande, the dragon-glaive, carried the fated blow onward, chasing the golden tides and carving a bridge through Veylis paths. The High Seraph altered the world within her at a whim. Calamities of impossible portions manifested with each passing second samplings of devastation harvested from across history. Veylis unleashed fusion bombs, thoughtwave detonations, ruptures, hurricanes, firestorms, spatial wounds, and collapsing singularities upon the intruders within her ontology. The sheer power she outputted in less than a second would have seen a mundane world hollowed to its core and shattered like a shell. But even if she could bring enough power to extinguish stars and snuff out systems, even if she could create a cataclysm the scope of existence itself, even if her constant waves that sundered thought kept her inner world barren of the Dreamers presence, all that was force and violence were mere suggestions to the Chief Paladin of New Vultun, and he had but one response to his former lovers onslaught. +No.+ A constant stream of continent-winnowing force crashed against a halting palm of dense vapor. Avo and his gestalt were joined in a moment of awe as they beheld ceaseless surges of destruction crash against the Force-Breakerand part as if trickling steams circling around a mountain. And through it all, the group just continued onward, Zein carving a route through Veylis paths. The High Seraph might be a master of chronology itself, but not even she was beyond the laws of symmetry. Just as wind could clash with wind, flames consumed flames, and water could clash and meld, time could strike across time. The blow would find it. It was only a matter of when. But that was ultimately the problem: Veylis still had time. *** Back in the real, a trickle of blood ran down the High Seraph''s forehead. Her face softened in a look of surprise as she reached out with a finger, dipping her tip in the wound. Surprised gasps and widening eyes characterized the Guilders watching. Calas thoughtcast lobby exceeded maximum capacity, and she had to rent another just to maintain her stream. Across the city, over five hundred billion people stood witness to this historic instant in Scale. The declaration of a new power, the arrival of the High Seraph, Voidwatch''s declaration of war, the unsealing of the fallen Heaven of Love, and finally, the bleeding of Highflame''s master. Disbelief, euphoria, and a building sense of change flowed through the Nether. Across No-Dragon districts, Avo felt the birthing of new dragons, this moment a zeitgeist captureda snapshot portraying the last days before the Ladders arrival. "Before we begin," Veylis said, sounding more uncertain than she''d ever been, "before this war between us begins in truth I want to know something. I want to know if my mother''s words are true. I heard the Gatekeeper But I wish to hear it from you. The Chronicler could his reappearance truly be nothing but plain chance? Just a breach in the paths?" "He found us," Avo answered. "He found us. Werent expecting him either. But nothing is plain chance. Not anymore. Every future led tot his point. And he is fused to time. Bound to history until destined death. He is already dead in the future. So he cannot be dead now." A flash of understanding passed behind Veylis''s eyes. "Ah. His death a packaged paradox. Yesterdays tomorrow. What a loathsome achievement. For all Alysim accomplished, Veylis still scorned him openly. This, more than anything else about the High Seraph, Avo understood. You two now share an end. He has been cut down by your mother. And so have you. No longer did the wound on her head trickle. Now it bled properly. Now it gushed. But still, Veylis only laughed. "Please, Dreamer, do not insult me. I have faced my mother''s pet dragon time and time again. This is not the first time she''s cut me. It will not be the last. Even without my Heaven, I am beyond blood and tissue. Humanity is but a fading echo to me, and this face is between symbol and memory for who I once was. Lest my mother wishes to accept her end by way of backlash, it will take more than this to end our dalliance, Avo. The cut continued down the bridge of her nose as she spoke, exposing severed tissue and splitting bone. Slowly, it was traveling toward the singularity at the core of her being. The wound was traveling. The wound was seeking. The wound was destiny. And what happens when the cut sinks into the place where your consciousness resides? Avo asked. You must know the consequence of dying before me. Your other cyclers will only delay the inevitable. I will claim your Frame. I will inflict upon you a final end. You will try. Nothing more. A ripple of power blossomed out from the High Seraph, and golden pathways extended outwards, each one layered over another. Taking in the court, Veylis infused her voice with strength, but before she spoke, she turned, stared at the Gatekeeper, let out a quiet snort of scorn. "You think this will be enough for me to vent my Rend and flee? You think I will allow you to keep my father''s bastardto claim truth as your weapon against me, against Highflame, against the future I wish to see?" "Yes," Avo said, without hesitation, without doubt. Veylis swept her gaze across all who were gathered. Crushing power flowed out from each of her paths as her head was fully split in two. Though her face parted in two flaps, though her tongue was little more than two strips of dangling flesh, Veylis spoke, and everyone heard. "All paths are to converge upon Scale, here a nexus of destiny brewing, here, a nest for players battling to shape their desired future. But there is only one path in the end, one that leads to me. You are recognized today, Dreamer. Claim this trial as your symbol of philosophical triumph. Your statement is heard, recognition given. You stand against the Voiders; you stand against the Guilds. A new master is born for the FATELESS masses to feed their lives in spite of their betters. But this theater is at its end, and what follows Is but prologue!" Stormsparrow sang out, her voice high, a chorus of three melodies. A building beat intruded upon the High Seraph''s speech. Not you, Veylis said, annoyance clear in her voice. Not now. I have no mood to play with you, insolent, degenerate, violent, cretin. This has nothing to do with you. Why can''t you just" "It has everything to do with me," Stormsparrow said. Threading forward in the cosmic plane of truth, the Sang Fallwalker held her many arms wide as her left and right faces began to burn with Soulfire. A building symphony rose within the court thereafter, and the Heaven of Truth began to tremor. At once, strange Domains began to form as myriad patterns wove around the Stormsparrow in tightening knots. Avo regarded the Fallwalkers sudden intrusion with fascination. Several other minds connected to his gestalt had other reactions. *** [Green River] Green River directed her true self into her shadows as her human sheath felt dormant. There was nowhere really to go in the Plane of Truth, but still, she had lived through one of the Stormsparrows performances before. It was not an experience she wanted to suffer again. +AVO! AVO! YOU GHOUL FUCK! GET ME OUT OF HERE!+ The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. *** [Shotin] Well. Were all going to die, Shotin sighed. Nothing for it now. All he could do was do his best to make sure those with him survived. This trial was going to be a mess in the first godsdamned placebut it turned out even more chaotic than he could have possibly imagined. Who knew the Fifth Guild War would fully kick off between a some post-ghoul turned mind-eating over-god and the High Cuntess herself. Fuck. High Cuntess. Now he was saying it too. Too much of that Chambers half-strand was bleeding over. Get ready for planeshift, he said, speaking to the rest of his group. +Kare?+ +Ill be fine, uncle,+ she said. +We were prepared for this.+ Shotin wanted to say: No, the fuck you arent, but seeing as she was part of the ghouls brain party before he ever was +Keep yourself safe, kid.+ +Right. You too. And watch out for dad for me.+ Shotin gave his bond brother a brief glance and found the man uncharacteristically gawking at the scene. Any other time, and Shotin would have given Valhu all the shit he could. Now? This was just understandable. When you shift, leave me, Fatalist Maharata said. Lights along the torso of his Rendskin battle armor blinked twice, and a trickle of entropy began to leak. An opening has been offered to me. I must take it. The Seeker just stared. You know youre not even going to get close, right? +He might,+ Avo said, interrupting Shotins dialogue. +Will give you your desired opportunity. Strike at the High Seraph.+ The Fatalist let out a satisfied sigh that was borderline inappropriate. Let there be an end. Shotin just stared. Well. Im glad all you fucking freaks are happy. *** [Vator] Vator had never been more excited in his entire life. This moment was beyond art, beyond history, beyond anything he could have ever hoped for. The High Seraph! She was here. And she was facing the enigma that was the Burning Dreamera failed specimen of flesh and violence remolded into a god. The moment is almost upon us, Osjon said, slight furrows wrinkling his brows. Authority. Instrument. I understand that these are trying times, but will you be prepared to answer when the High Seraph calls upon you. Yes, Vator said with barely bated breath. I must see them. I must see how they war, how they face each other. Osjon regarded Vator for a moment and frowned. We are ready, Uthred said. But though his statement was clear, the hollowness in his voice hinted otherwise. His eyes were locked to Abrel, weeping alone and unnoticed by the crowd. This was to be her trial, but she, along with the Elder, had been no more than anything but bait. Pawns in someone elses game. Pawns. Do not fear, Uthred, Osjon said, offering the man a genial smile. High Seraph is merciful and deems your daughter to be worthy, then she will survive. And I am certain that Instrument Vator will honor his sisters memory and redeem your House of its failings should the even the worst future come to pass. Failings, Uthred said. His sentence ended there. He stared at the Speaker, thoughtstuff almost unmoving. Whatever else they had to say was interrupted as the Plane of Truth collapsed, and they found themselves back in their viewing pods. Scale was trembling. Limbs of golden radiance stretched out and splashed against the walls, pried open the wounds on the Gatekeeper. The Heaven of Truth screamed, but its pain was drowned out by a rising chorus of voices singers in an opera. the Great Sleeper shifts and stirs, the faintness of itself there, And by its will, a Sparrow takes the stage *** [Mercy] The Hungers were calling, but the Famine of Mercy did not heed them. In their stead, the lesser nodes of Wahakten assembled. Gathering across the veil between the Nether and the real, the last forces of Noloth watched the moment unfolding with rapt attention. The battle between the High Seraph and the Dreamer would leave openings to exploit, and with the Infacer returning to their masters side, the Priests of Noloth could come forth and strike their own blows against the Guilds. Or such was their desired future. They had their warminds gatheredwhat remained of Noloths arsenal all staked on this very moment. But though Mercy promised the liberation of his master and the subjugation of the ghoul, his desired outcome different drastically from his masters. Right now, the Hungers were preparing to reach across. When the war formally began, with the Chief Paladin no longer present, they intended to reach into the Paladins and Guilders presentuse them to shatter the Heaven of Truth. But that was an unnecessary outcome. And a pointless loss inflicted upon the world. Though the Gatekeeper belonged to the Traitor, it would still serve well in the war to comeand the Hungers would regret its loss. Especially once Mercy saw them joined to the Dreamer. The Heaven of Truth need not be destroyed. No. For a few moments, it simply needed to be Forgotten by everyone. Including itself. And so, the Famines of Mercy waited for the right moment to expend a warmind of their own. *** [Avo] "I despise you, Sparrow, Veylis said, speaking with all the bluntness she could muster. I want you to know that should I win, I will erase every record of your existence and make sure you are unremembered and consigned to oblivion. And those damnable birds you so enjoy. "Now that would make for quite the tragedy," the Stormsparrow snickered. Standing just below Avo, she looked up and gave him a wink before raising her arms. +The chorus calls me to help you now. This should be fun.+ Then, she spoke, addressing everyone at once. "Citizens and subjects of New Vultun and Idheim, I bid you welcome! Welcome Welcome Welcome The chorus sang with her. "Welcome to the prologue to the end. So begins the Fifth and final Guild War. With shadows left behind, and the spotlight falling upon all our key players, the days of deception are past, and the days of war boom on the future. But do not fear death nor desolation, for death and cessation have been usurped. And the usurper''s shape comes as a rising ladder to determine all there is to come. But who will be victorious? Who will reign? Who will claim the role of hero? Who the clown? Who the knave? Who the villain? Hear me now, as the stage is set, for I, Storm Sparrow, offer you this first verse." At once, the building chorus exploded into a full opera as burnings began to peel from the Stormsparrows head. Slowly, Avo could feel her Heaven manifesting, its power arising in full. While this continued, Veylis throat split open as Zeins stab glided down closer to her torso. A faint hiss of mist leaked from her paths as Naeko repelled another one of her attempts at dislodging him and Zein. But Avo could feel something building inside hergold was beginning to percolate across all her districts, within every Highflame Godclad. Just as well. Avo had his own riposte pre-planned as well. She needed to defeat him, Naeko, Zein, the Sparrow, Alysim, and every last mind in the gestalt on top of the Paladins. They just needed harry her until Zeins cut finally arrived and Avo could reach into her death anchor. Already, things were going far better than expected. +So. Do we have a plan?+ the Stormsparrow. +We?+ +Quite. Reality wants to keep you alive. Here.+ A face flew out from her and splashed upon the Strixs face. A mask of red and white formed, and Avo felt the patterns of existence shift and coil around his very being like armor. DRAMATIS PERSONAE ASSIGNED: HERO OF WISDOM GRANTS YOU PERFECT AWARENESS OF EVERY DANCER ON THE STAGE AND ALLOWS YOU TO DECIDE THE PACE OF THE SCENE SCENE ONE: THE STRIX AND THE SERAPH +Kae,+ Avo asked, +what did she just do?+ [I have no idea.] +What did you just do?+ Avo asked the Stormsparrow. +Made you the Hero of this story. Also, I have no idea. Every tale is different. Be this one a comedy, drama, or tragedy?+ He tried peering into her mind using his Hysteria, but heard only a howling maelstrom of voices as more masks began to circulate around her. Another mask colored black and blue shot off toward Veylis, but she simply drew one of her Godclads through her paths and used him to intercept the miracle on her behalf. DRAMATIS PERSONAE ASSIGNED: VILLAIN OF DECEIT FAILURE TO BETRAY YOUR ALLIES WILL RESULT IN EXISTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES DURING INTERMISSION The groaning form of a Sphere Five Godclad tumbled between Avo and Veylis. Rude, the Stormsparrow said. That was such a good role. The time is upon us, Dreamer, Veylis said. Care to meet my blows? Avo prepared his Pattern-Nullification and focused his intent on targeting time. Stand and deliver. Well said. Infacer! To me! At once, a static crown formed over the vertically bifurcated skull of the High Seraph as she manifested her Heaven in full before Avo for the very first time. At once, the paths ceased to be streams and hardened into tangible limbs. Clawing hands tightened into fists and gripped the causal fabric of existence. The spun in rows, nine layers in total, tearing, ripping, and distorting all reality while interlacing with other hands within. At the core, a singularity materialized, but its turning slowed and inverted. Slowly, the wormhole of fathomless darkness filled with light as it expanded, its collapse undone, its lifespan reverting backward. Its form swelled in a staggering instant as a sun formedand then shattered like an egg. Golden droplets spilled down and painted the shape of a titan. In the same moment, the spinning hands and the broken dawn rose, rising above forming humanoids head like a burning crown. More steams passed through the giant, and her being shifted, layers unto layers, but the fullness of shape never formed. Rather, the titan was constantly dissolving, countless strands compromising possible futures becoming as if grains of sand across the progression of time. But even so, the titan sprouted more fists from its body, and the fabric of existence itself capitulated to the dominance of Veylis Avandaers might. Avo tried to act, but time ground against himVeylis form drawing every droplet of progression unto herself, leaving the rest of existence slowed. There were no words to describe the size of her being or the dominance of her control. She was the ever-coming future. She was destinys herald. She was the DEMIURGE OF FATES END, THE FIST OF RECURSION [EST. 999999990 THAUM/c]. Come! Veylis voice echoed across all of Idheim, across the void, across every patch of reality that time could still flow. Come and despair before my inevitability! In that very instant, the droplets she pulled in detonated outward as smashing fists as billions perished before tides of chronology reshaped into calamity. 28-12 Lover’s Quarrel (III) +++PRIORITY ZENITH TRANSMISSION+++ All active cells. The High Seraph''s Heaven is at full manifestation. Temporal anomalies have been detected across all districts. Mirrors, initiate Queenslayer protocols. An opening has presented itself. We are deploying THE ARK to supplement efforts. End the war. Behead the master of Highflame. Whatever the cost. Whatever it takes. +++END TRANSMISSION+++ -Emergency Thoughtcast from Ori-Thaum Inner Council 28-12 Lovers Quarrel (III) Avo thought he knew the devastation a Godclad could bring once they entered the highest spheres. Even as a Third Sphere, he was capable of dashing at lightning speeds while bearing 80 tons of mass. The destruction he left in his wake could carve cataclysmic scars wrought from sheer velocity and displaced kinetic energy. Likewise, Shotins Parallelist could draw someone into a realm of pure fire or condemn them to crushing aquatic depths. And then there was Chief Paladin Naeko, whose heaven commanded a force above all others. Naeko made this power known as he brought his palm down over New Vultun, crushing countless lives beneath the flat of his metaphysical presence. Be they transgressing godclads or merely foolish fateless, every feat Avo had experienced so far was dwarfed by the High Seraph''s overwhelming might. The Demiurge of Fate''s End was a calamity born of chronology. As Avo''s cog feed registered just how many estimated thaums the Heaven had, an even longer string of Domains appeared across his vision and just kept going, and going, and going some more. Chronology was at the forefront, but after that, he saw almost every other domain he had encountered thus far, and even more besides. As the shroud of temporal stasis she manifested earlier detonated like shrapnel, Avo watched as golden trails extended across reality, painting zones of hyper-accelerated time. And as these pathways encroached, additional limbs sprouted from them, each reaching out for another section of the court and beyond. Across his many strands of consciousness, Avo beheld the true scope of Veylis''s attack and failed to suppress his awe. Torrents of gold blasted free from every Highflame Godclad within the court and across the city. The tears came alight with a brutal radiance, and within them boiled simulations bearing the full weight of recollected devastation. They swept out, spearing into rival Sovereignties, flashing waves of ruinous devastation kilometers long within the span of microseconds. Walls of flame and cascading entropy swept through unsuspecting districts. Massist fast-response knots reacted almost instantly, spatial portals opening in response to the temporal incursion. But while they were efficient in their reactivity, Veylis was the master of time. She struck them, impaling over 120,000 knots at once with a corresponding number of planes. That was the last Avo felt of their presence. Their fates, though unwitnessed, was beyond doubt. Concurrently, her attacks speared out for the Overheaven of Conceptualization, speared out from her Instruments, Authorities, and Seraphs, seeking the capture of the Stormsparrow, Avo, and the members of his manifested cadre. Additional tendrils folded away, reaching for the Paladins, as vines of light exploded from the Gatekeeper, weaving the entire court into a path-devoured cocoon. *** And nearly an entire continent away, Avo felt another 100,000 or so converging paths breach free of the Omnitech-established demiplanes. Here, her intent was direct. Her paths adapted to the nature of the surrounding Sunderwilds. With Avo''s awareness of ontology, he could always feel the encroaching blow. Some of her branches bore nothing but crushing kinetic energy, enough to render his enclave and most of the surrounding area a glass crater. A set of follow-up attacks were approaching. Avo''s Hysteria detected the oncoming thought-wave disruptions, even as they left Veylis''s paths. But though the High Seraph''s might was staggering, it was not unanticipated. And just because she possessed near-total control over the future did not place her above the laws of thaumaturgic symmetry and entropy either. Reflections flashed across his memetic towers as Avo and his cadre triggered the first of their countermeasures. Modified Rendsinks were flung out into reality, infused with Casual Rend set to overload with a session-linked command. The Sunderwilds, long ravaged by eldritch abnormalities, was considered by most to be beyond the point of breaking. But that was a mistaken assumption. Fissures of absolute darkness, darkness stolen from the void and infused with the ethereal glow of ghosts, spread across time and space. Ruptures opened across the face of reality as causality took a series of mortal wounds. These Rendbombs detonated in a sphere around both Avo''s enclave and his heaven of winter. As their ruptures expanded, he left only narrow channels for anyone to pass throughnarrow channels of stability that he would use as physical choke points to annihilate as many Omnitech units as possible. The last thing he gazed in the broader Sunderwilds was Veylis''s paths jolting to a sudden halt before they could crash into these ruptures. Though he didn''t know if Veylis was capable of soaking all this leftover Rend or not, he did know that his heaven was esoteric enough and also analogous enough. The High Seraph just might encounter a backlash if she tried to draw his rend bombs into her paths. But ultimately, the High Seraph didn''t need to risk it. Her channels of gold shivered as she directly carried the Omnitech knots across, ferrying a colossal amount of forces from one place to another. They would bear the burden of sieging his enclave, not her. They would see his Rend drained one way or another. [Well,] Corner chuckled. [Looks like were going to get our proper fucking siege yet.] Back in the court, a similar clash ensued. All active paladins had been prepared for this very moment. As such, they responded to Veylis''s resplendent tidal wave with similarly colored bulwarks of their own. Golden shields formed around them as Avo drew forth a host of ghosts, transmuting them into matterthen glass. Without a moment''s hesitation, he launched another Rendbomb through the reflection at Veylis''s, only for a signal to contain the rupture in a shroud of randomized numbers. In the same instant, Veylis''s full weight crashed down against the Paladin-made Chronoshield.Time splashed against time as Soulfire flared across the court, bathing the room in incandescence. As she constructed new channels of attack using the Godcclads under her command, Avo did the same, mirroring her actions via his ghosts. Phantasmal tendrils reached across every paladin, connecting their frames and draining their spiking rend over into his stillborn. In the same moment, he performed three separate actions. First, he reached down using his sequences and connected himself to the massive Rendsinks resting at Scale''s base. Another one of his subminds took advantage of the chaos and unleashed an assault across the Nether. Traitor paladins and compromised Guilders became another brief theater in the opening shots of this war. Avo expanded his Synchronicity to infect the traitors contacts, spreading his influence even further before he began reaping his deaths. He took a sub-percentage of his cog cap to stain the traitor paladins with entropy, and then true-deathed them thereafter. As Veylis used time to unleash her will, Avo did the same with Conceptualization. His sequences erupted free from the traitor Paladins like rapidly growing jungles, layering themselves over the surrounding architecture of reality. Less than a second later, a synchronous replica was made of the baseline world before severing his prey from both memory and existence. Using his Paracausal Retcontinuity, everything about New Volten remained the same when his Pattern-Nullification fell. Everything but a certain number of paladins patrolling the Tiers and observing the Warrens. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Avo didn''t remember them afterward. Neither did anyone else. Absences would come to be a mystery never to be solved. But Ignorance knew. Ignorance remembered, and Ignorance shivered at how they screamed as they realized cessation and death were not the same things. GHOSTS - [2, 001,918,313] LIMINAL FRAME (VI) - 6, 555,313 THAUM/c UPDATING INFECTION ERROR! UNABLE TO SYNCHRONIZE WITH AFFECTED RESOURCES SEVERE NETHER LAG DETECTED The sudden influx of thaums notified Avo that the traitor Paladins were dealt with. When the Guilds came calling, they would find only silence. Silence andAvo was surprised to find himself with access to more than a few high ranking Guilder contacts already. He couldnt remember when he jacked their mindsParacausal Retcontinuity was potent, but also discombubulating. With that, a full second passed and Veylis opening attacks came to a halt as another blast of Soulfire gushed out from her as she gave a soft grunt. The faint mist of an all-powerful palm resonated within her very core, and a trailing slice continued to glide down the Demiurge''s chest, severing strands of time that composed the titan''s form. Transferring the Rend out from the Paladins, Avo regarded his surroundings as Veylis''s heaven consumed the Gatekeeper and the walls around the room. The Overheaven watched half the surrounding court was transformed. As tendrils of gold receded, a plane composed of rising marble columns above a sea of roar fire greeted him-the very same plane Avo had tried to infiltrate during his first encounter with Veylis. Upon these pedestals rose Highflame Godcladsassets brought in through Veylis paths. There were being drawn across, and beyond the temporally shielded threshold formed by the Paladins, Avo watched as thoughtwave detonations swept through the Saintist side of the court. Slowly but surely, Veylis was amassing her own army in the paths. The long strip of space that composed the center of the court and the Massists'' section remained untainted by her, and Avo assumed control of the Massists as best he could. Stacks formed above a few critical people as Avo also prepared to sacrifice the Massists if it meant denying the Famines an attack vector. With that thought, Avo felt the Nether sustain a blow as well, and heard a low roar of fury as the Hungers began exerting their pressure as well. He wasnt sure what they were doing, but something was beginning to build in the overcurrents above reality. "I commend you, Dreamer," Veylis said, her voice echoing from everywhere. The Demiurge now loomed over the horizon, the Heavens size akin to a planetary body hovering in orbit. In her shadow, Avo saw a massive form approaching as well. Osjon Thousand came striding as a giant, flanked by a dozen other powerful Godclads as well. Atop his head also stood a girl who bore many of his physical features. ]Ah, fuck,] Template-Abrel said. [He brought his daughter too Were facing everyone. Seraphs. Authorities. Were facing everyone.] The Instruments template fared better than her actual selfstill weeping too hard to offer anything of a cogent response. Avo wasnt sure where her father or brother were, but he wouldnt be surprised if he found them on the other side. As more and more pillars began to rise, Avo''s cog-feed registered a flood of new metaphysical signatures. More Godclads drawn into the paths. Their number was already nearing a thousand. But across the Tiers, Avo detected other metaphysical pressures as wellwith a potent one building in Ori-Thaum especially. "Dont have long," Avo taunted, speaking directly to Veylis. That cuts going to strike you down sooner or An ache emanated through him. A familiar ache he experienced once before. A phantasmal sore burst upon the Strixs body as a spray of broken ghosts and twisted memories grew out from the Heaven like teratoma. Curses and hisses came from the Paladinsfrom almost everyone present, as small sores began to spread across their body. +Fuck. Godsdammit. Not again. Fuck!+ Shotin sent. Time is with none of us, Veylis shot back. Not for me. But most certainly not for you. It will take five minutes for my mothers strike to become true. How many do you anticipate losing in those five minutes? {Love is a nasty thing,} the Infacer said, chuckling before their voice crackled with a discordant signal. {It will ruin just about everyone. Everyone. And while you were make dilemmas for us, we did the same for you. So. Better get one of your sequences up through the rupture and save your little Agnos.} Then, the Neo-Creationist EGI broadcasted a pitched note into the world and projected a strange set of symbols. Their canon spilled from the static crown drifting upon the Demiurge''s brow. It looked like a giant wearing a constellation as an adornment, with meteorites descending from their skull. {Deploying memetics,} Kant said to Avo. {Prepare to intercept.} As if on cue, a swarm of missiles infused with the lesser symbols and signals were fired across the void, and detonated themselves over and over again upon impacting the Strix. As more missiles exploded, his understanding grew, just in time for the next relatavistically delivered lesson to arrive. Rapidly, his Empathy and Hysteria generated a broad countermeasure against the coming attack, and Avo further laced his protections over his comrades. After a moment longer, the Infacer simply sighed and directed an ansible communication to Kant. {You piece of shit. Stop feeding him homework.} {But we are aligned, Infacer. Both of us are trying to resolve the issue of the Dreamer. Two sets of memetic attacks are better than one.} {Cunt.} Maru and Kare arrived next to Avo in that instant, the bearded senior paladin glaring hatefully at Osjon in the distance. "None of you fucking touch him," he whispered. "That cocksucker''s mine." Instead of speaking, Stormsparrow merely pulled another burning mask hovering in the air and placed it upon Maru''s face. He turned to stare at the sang, but she simply grinned. "A small blessing to facilitate your attempt at revenge." DRAMATIS PERSONAE ASSIGNED: HERO OF MIGHT GRANTS YOU THE RIGHT TO SACRIFICE YOUR LIFE TO KILL ANOTHER ACTOR OF EQUAL OR LESSER IMPORTANCE. LOSES THIS ROLE UPON DEATH. ACT 3 SCENE 1: THE SACRIFICE Now, with everyone else manifesting their Heavens the Stormsparrow finished her words by buried a clawed hand under her chin and, with a violent flourish, tearing her current face clean off. But instead of dying and leaving an anchor, melodies and vibrant fibers erupted from her lacerations and threaded through each of the remaining masks spiraling above her. A colossal form wove itself into shape, the levitating masks slotted together forming one face of purest white, another bearing a visage weeping and blue, a third black, red, and furious, a fourth green, gold, and smiling. The rest of the Stormsparrow''s body began to grow, but over her sheath materialized a brilliant raiment infused with song and power. Each plate it sported was lined with crawling text, and looking upon them would cause a tune to fill one''s ears. A layer of shadows also ensnared her six arms, with countless more hands reaching out along their sides, and a massive flame-red spear materializing in the air next to her. At the end of the spear trailed a crimson ink brush, and where it stroked existence, a red hare bounced from place to place. PROTAGONIST OF THE ABBERANT CHORUS, NARRATORS NEMESIS (CULTURE/FORCE/WAR/STRENGTH/SPEED/SADNESS/HONOR/ANGER/THEATER/DIFFUSION) [EST. 44444444] Avo regarded the Stormsparrow''s Heaven for a moment, as he tried to comprehend just how these domains worked. He thought his Strix was esoteric, but a Heaven of Culture? What kind of cannons would that have? [I uh] template-Kae sighed. [Avo. Try to get a closer look at her Frame if you can.] He grunted in response. The Overheaven had a feeling he would be trying to kill her at some point in the future. "You''ll learn soon enough," the Storm Sparrow said, somehow overhearing his internal monologue. To make matters more disconcerting, her voice was coming from each of her masks now, making her the third Godclad present that spoke with a voice of their own legion. "Yes, I know. I think it says something about the Massist-Saintist zeitgeist that we all wish to command civilizations, or be civilizations unto ourselves. But that is a conversation for philosophers, and I am simply here to commit a murder. A very, very special murder. She pointed her spear at Veylis, the brush at its end leaving an unmaking stroke. Avo felt space part outright here the paint remained. As the rabbit hopped from place to place, it moved between separating patterns. It wasn''t like his Paracausal Retcontinuity, but something else entirelysomething that unraveled shapes, both material and metaphysical. With additional focus, he perceived faint strands of red connecting it to each of her masks. It was suspected that her spear could only be directed on someone imbued with one of her masks. That was what his Conception of Ontology hinted at, anyway. "Well, then," Stormsparrow said. Time for me to start this song. Ghoul. Go find your damsel. Im beginning to feel the rash growing down my back and I would like it if we could finish this thing before we all turn into pieces of modern infancidal artwork. But the Stormsparrows words were unneeded, for another submind was already in the process of performing said rescue. *** Across the Tiers, golden domes materialized into existence, protecting essential Massist districts from Veylis opening assault. Her overextended paths dissipated before they could be caught within these counter-chronologies. And then Highflame started experiencing their own set of random mass casualty event as Sanctus started shifting chronobombs into their Sovereignties as well. This was quickly joined by over a billion people getting nulled at once; flesh plagues sweeping through Stormtree; fracturing bolts of lightning and destruction pushing into Omnitech controlled territories, and a general exchange of fire between border troops. Seen from orbit, the surface of New Vultun was a scintillating sight to behold. But with each glittering spot, millions died. And with each thread of gold, the opening blows of the Fifth Guild War were struck. But through it all, as Saintist and Massist knots and cadres clashed all across the city, and the full might of the guilds were unleashed once more, a single tendril of phantasmal essence reached up into an open wound in the sky. This place, once sealed, a spatial demiplane, was a blockage preventing the leakage of the fallen heaven of love. Immediately, a massive flood of Rend passed over into Avo. But he continued, rising higher to bring forth the resurrection of love, and more importantly, to save the life of a friend once stolen from him. +Too muchits all too much,+ Kae moaned mentally, her tortured mind echoing from the depths of the Heaven. +I cant stopcant stop love fromfrom falling. 28-12 Lover’s Quarrel (IV) Lament. Lament is the poison inflicted upon a broken heart. What could have been. What might have been. What will never be. These are ingredients to despairdespair born from the understanding that if only a few variables were different, if only another choice was made, then perhaps your desire would have been manifest. Instead of lament. I know what it means to lament. I lamented my pantheon even before I betrayed them. I lamented the failures of humanity, even before I lost faith in them. I lamented my wants, my ego, my willingness to damn myselfdamn existencefor a second chance at paradise. Lament. I have never lamented you, Veylis. I could have never lamented you. You werethe shape of my pride, my love. No matter what you choose, I would be proud of you. You are far stronger than I, you can face humanity without taking the wounds I do. But I just wish I wish that I was a better father. A wiser man. Someone that could have showed youthat could have made you see All we feel is not enough. Love is not enough. I wish I could just surrender my choice to you. But I cannot. I cannot. We always damn ourselves in the end. I lament the same thing you will. Humanity cannot save itself, for we are at once the reason for our salvation, but the authors of our own damnation. It cannot be us. Love is not enough. It never was. -An Unsent Thoughtcast from Jaus Avandaer 28-12 Lovers Quarrel (IV) A dreaming flame rose to greet the corpse of Falling Love, and as Avo ascended, New Vultun collapsed under the first shots of the Fifth Guild War. Far above the Tiers, he had a full view of the alloyed steps that composed the core of New Vultun. Accretions dotted the sprawl of megabuildings, stretching even along the curve of the horizon. Of the countless billions who lived in the Tiers, few were prepared to face their coming fate. As columns of smoke and fire rose in the aftermath of the High Seraphs opening blitz, retaliatory strikes were unleashed without hesitation. Rendbombs and nukes were flung in equal measure, shuttled across the reach of space into enemy districts. Detonations swept through streets, alleys, and tunnels. Specialized metaphysical canons made to hollow megablocks and defensive hard points from the inside were deployed. Fields of collapsing space plunged into these structures via open doorways, air vents, and even electrical wiring, splaying themselves wide across the interior and upon the bodies of the living before triggering a sudden implosion. Memite ensured the infrastructure remained intactand unblemished at that. Millions splattered apart, their bodies liquefying in response to a sudden vacuous pressure. Rooms became analogous to breached underwater diving chambers as pressure spiked to impossible levels. Overhead, nets of force expanded across the skylanes, the weaving charged with hyperactive friction. The aerovecs that passed through these trip wires came apart as if sawed clean by monofilament weaponry. The Guilders within, meanwhile, evaporated, never even getting the chance to bleed. And then the first of the rapid response units arrived. Across Ori-Thaums districts, pyramid-shaped, Eviscerator assault craft blinked into existence. Their hulls were compositions of vivianite and metal. They shot forth before any other Guild was ready, engines hot and heading low. In seconds, they slashed out from their dispatch points at staggering velocities, liquefying passersby with speed alone. Those they couldnt fly over were struck by payloads of trauma-patterns and tactical nuclear missiles. After less than a minute of operation, they began breaking down, unable to even sustain their own thrust. But as they came apart, their fusion reactors detonated, rendering the drone itself a final ingredient in a full course of ordinance. But while Ori-Thaum assets struck deep and unleashed chaos, the No-Dragons response followed almost as promptly. Biotheurgic contagions gelled together, forming cancerous patches on the face of reality. The tumors burst, rendering air and space a porous wound, as swarms of combat-ready bioforms flooded down from the skies. Their bodies hummed loud as they fired larvae from hollow pods lining their bodies, unleashing noxious gases capable of consuming even the heartiest of matter sloughed across masses of districts, architecture only spared by the blessing of memite. The same fate was not shared by those who were caught in the open. Yet as people died, as countless lives were lost, lightning bolts leapt out from open wounds and devastation, slashing at the metaphysical hives growing over reality. From rising flames and piled corpses emerged hounds of a ruinous nature. Across the tapestry of existence, Avo heard a howl unlike any other resonate through his very frame. Stormtree was entering the fray, and with it came the accompaniment of more shifting chronologies and the corrosive surge of entropy. The Guilders consumed each other, these blows ready gears in advance. Protective demiplanes emerged in layers, sectioning off critical areas and protecting individual megablocks as additional wren bombs crashed down. Some detonations were stopped altogether, halted by thaumaturgic fortifications. Others shattered these planes utterly, causing the contents within to be caught in a ruinous rupture. Knots, drones, bioforms, mechs, and human forces battled, fighting for every street, for every block, dominance over the air, over the nether, over critical installations, and for their own homes. Some defensive lines manifested, clashing against each other, while others broke entirely. More than a few never came to be, the members needed for the defense eliminated in advance by sleepers or enemy operatives. New Vultun fell into chaos with such fluidity and inimical harmony between the Guilds that the destruction almost seemed symphonic. They had done this four times beforefought, bled, killed, and ultimately settled. Four times, four separate wars. Everyone knew a fifth was coming. This wasnt a surprise, but though some might have expected this to be just another increment in Idheims sordid history, the looming of the latter ensured that this war, whatever its outcome, would prove to be the last. And so a branch of Avos consciousness climbed, enduring the Heaven of Loves flooding Rend as he reached out with his sequences. His ontology expanded, passing down through the infernos consuming the Tiers, through the collapsing Elysiums crumbling down upon the Purgs, through the clashing frontlines in the Undercroft, down the face of the Tiers into the Warrens, where entire districts were little more than smoking craters as knots and cadres fought to hold their territories. Throat followed, and factories that worked to produce new drones and weapons were little more than dust and ash. The Spine came after, but Avo encountered only surprise. Battles raged spread here too, but unlike the last war, the Spine enduring only skirmishes rather than the full brunt of an uprisinglikewise, the Guilders hadnt started their war here either, causing the FATELESS to be more untouched than the actual citizens above them. Far, far down, Avo went into the gutters themselves, that miserable pit the same as it always was, festering, decayed, with little left worth destroying. There was a delicious irony in how New Vultuns structural safety had been inverted. On this day, more than any other day, if one wished to survive, the gutters were the place to be. But even deeper than the gutters was the Maw and the border walls festooned upon it. Borders that channeled excess entropy into the gargantuan disintegrating Rendsink at the base of the megacity itself the means Avo would use to keep himself clean, efficient, and sustain the Heaven of Love before it could annihilate the entire city. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. REND CAPACITY: 57% ERROR! ERROR! ERR-PLEASENON1A*$ REND CAPACITY: 74% REND CAPACITY: 61% ERROR ERROR ERROR His cog-feed glitches intensified as he prepared to pass into the Heaven of Love. The surrounding space seemed utterly normal, giving no visual portrayal of the Heaven of Loves fall. If one could gaze upon the tapestry of existence, however, patterns were fraying at an alarming rate. Biology, culture, information, force, warcountless more Domains were tied to the Heaven of Love, and Love itself acted as a coagulant, drawing countless other patterns into knots and unleashing them as afflictions upon existence. Afflictions like wombrash, and so much more. Already, Avo could feel parts of his ontology beginning to warp. The birthing plague was burrowing into him, burrowing into everyone across New Vultun. Veylis wasnt the only person with a timer she made sure of that. He was partially playing into her hand, but the Heaven of Love could not be allowed to fall and there was an Agnos he needed to save. Passing through the prolapsed demiplane once used to seal the Heaven of Love, Avo felt space descend as he entered a new section of reality altogether. A color greeted hima red beyond his ability to describe. It was a tangible color, a mood with vivacity, and it inflamed his very being as he continued his approach. Exposed to the unfettered powers of love, Avo felt his own emotions twisted in pride. Every mood he experienced was amplified to a ridiculous extent, yet it wasnt targeting the mind, rather an informational booster. The awareness of a concept propagating itself within the space. It was impossible to know about love, to know about lust, and not have every single related idea magnified a thousand-fold. +Hold on, hold on, I can fix... I cant fix... I can fix.+ Kaes pained cries emanated from even deeper within this desolated dimension. Avo crawled forth, branching ghosts reaching out ahead of him, groping blindly through the crimson vapors. REND CAPACITY: 61% REND CAPACITY: 48% REND CAPACITY: 56% REND CAPACITY: 53% Avos Stillborn had become a channel for entropy. Peeking at New Vultun via a branch of ghosts, he watched as walls of matter-rotting blackness erupted free from the Maw. Overflowing Rend rose to heights previously unseen. With each second, it grew by dozens of meters, and soon it would rival even the Tiers in altitude. Once more, Avo found himself glad he secured the Paladins aid. A few Rendsinks wouldnt have been enough for this. The border walls themselves might not be enough if he couldnt resolve the fall in time. +Kae,+ Avo said, casting his thoughts forward. +Kae? Ive come. Im going to free you from this.+ He didnt get a response, though increasingly he could feel the signature of another soul. SOUL DETECTERRRR]]][EWR REMEMBRANCE OF ARDOR, YEARNING-BECOMES-BLISS (LOVE/ERRRRRRESTIM.99912293934823HN1NNOOPLEASNO) Strings of nonsensical mem-data flooded Avos sequences. His simulated dreamscape pulsated with intrusive memories. Faint phantoms materialized alongside his templates. Vague recollections of people indulging in moments of romance and copulation. [Whoa,] template-Chambers said, as he looked on, at the vagueness of two human forms brushing desperately against each other. Any other time, Avo would have done his utmost to suppress such an intrusion. But the rash was already upon him, and unless he fixed the Heaven of Love, then utter consumption would be his ultimate fate. One he shared with countless billions. "Kae," he called out again, and then promptly stopped. The surrounding redness broke, and he arrived before what looked to be a collapsing star. But instead of burning, it pulsated. It beat, like a heart. Oscillating rings of brilliant colors cycled around its shape, alternating through the hues of a rainbow. Within the light of the sun, Avo could see two forms swirling about each other, their hands clasped, their legs in an interconnected spiral. Where one began, and the other ended, Avo couldnt tell. But what he could feel was love. This was the epicenter of love. This was where everything broke. For a beat, the Strix Upon the Empty was contrasted against the Remembrance, its form of darkness a phantasmal blot upon this vibrant place. And then a moan came from within the star, the familiar moan of an Agnos, followed by the choked gasp of another. Avo knew that voice as well. That wasnt Kae. That was Dawton. +Kae, Kae where... where?+ the supposedly dead Paladin spoke, his mind ringing out with confusion and shock. [Dawton?] Kays template whimpered within Avo. [What... why is he here? Where is he?] "Within the Heaven," Avo said, following the thoughts back to their very source. The very same source Kaes actual thoughtstuff emanated from as well. Cracked and broken, ghosts could flow free from the Heaven of Lovejust as they did when Avo survived his first rupturing. A phantasmal tendril reached out from the Strix as he injected a surge of rippling Soulfire into the vivacious star. Part of Avos consciousness plunged into a new sub-reality. One sweltering with animation, lust, love, and countless other Domains. But as his soul drew closer to the Heaven of Love, he found himself facing a self-devouring realm. The damage inflicted upon the Heaven of Love wasnt evident or obviously broken like so many other Fallen Heavens were. Instead, Avo felt the depths of the ontological disfigurement for the first time. Canons here were clashing against each othera cascade of failure triggering a chain of backlash. Entropic feedback coursed through the sphere around the Soul like sparks from an exposed wire. Miracles were clashing against each other, but also intruding, overlapping, triggering feedback loops of inevitable backlash and sending fragments of mem-data drifting around Avo. As he guided his self-moving Soul forward, information related to the Frame containing the Remembrance failed to load, and Avo continued to the only part of this subreality that remained intact. The Soul itself. More murmurs echoed out from the crevice of shivering flame. Avo regarded the other Soul with curiosity as he felt Kaes presence reside within its depths. He didnt know how many times she resurrectedif she resurrected at all. The total collapse of the data within this Liminal Frame rendered Avo more ignorant than he wanted. Still, so long as there was part of the Agnos left, he could mend her. Just like he mended Tavers son; a good deed worth doing in the end. [Avo,] template-Kae said, facing the fire that caged her true self, [amam I] "It will be alright. I will inject you into her memories. Update her consciousness with yours." [Then will she be... will I be myself afterward?] "You always were. Were just removing any potential harm done." [Right Right! Yes. Okay. Okay! Avo. We can do this! We can do this. I canDo it!] Avo plunged a ghost-link into the Soul and reached into the Agnos mind for the first time in what felt like an eternity. As he prepared to make the transference, however, his Synchronicity brushed the mental architecture of the being contained within the Soul, and the foreignness of the architecture made Avo halt. It wasnt just Kay there. There was a separate mind layered over hers and joined with hers, but there was something wrong with it as well. It was like a mental parasite, fused to her consciousness, only capable of manifesting thanks to her cognitive capacity. "I cant... Im lost. I cant see. Im lost." Dawton Morrows voice sounded out. "Dawton , I cant find you," Kae said in reply to herself. Both voices came from the same Soul. The same mind. [I oh, gods, what did she do to me.] Nausea swept through Kaes template as she tried to understand what was happening. The same disgust welled up within Avo as well. Veylis and the Infacer either had enough of Dottons cognitive structure mapped down or a close enough replica on hand. Whatever the case, they uploaded a partial imprint of Kaes former lover into her own mind. Effectively layering her consciousness and trapping her within herself. Trapping her with her love. Trapping her within love. Avo doubted this act of symbology to be one of pointless cruelty. It must affect the Remembrances structure in some way. But then, before he could proceed, a second''s surprise followed. Avo felt the flames of his contagious intellect catch onto somethinga stable shard of mem-data. As it burned, he consumed its structure, and a shape loaded into his Soulscape. The shape of a man. He manifested within Avos Soul as Walton had done at the start of this journey. But the one who greeted Avo wasnt Walton. No. But he was known to the ghoulknown by his legend; known by his screams. The faint form of Jaus Avandaer loaded into Avos simulated replica of New Vultun as templates crowded around him. For a moment, he remained frozen, then he blinked, and the Godbreakers features collapsed into a grimace of pain. [I oh, Veylis what have you done.] 28-12 Lover’s Quarrel (V) Surrender. Such is the indignity you inflicted upon my father. The same poison has touched my mother, touched me, touched every living being left in existence. For you are the tyrant of want desire made divine. All humans want, and when we see our desires made manifest; the ones we yearn to have, the lives we wish to enjoy, the power so intoxicating to possessthese things infest us more than we embody them. Love is like a contagion, distorting our actions, breaking us from wisdom, depriving us of control. Control. So few have ever felt it. So few know its blessing. It is through the enlightenment of control that I have been spared your corruption. And the worst thing about you, Remembrance, is that you arent even conscious at all. Just a hollowed godly carcass we stitched together as a blessing for our power. Do you know how many Gods and Goddesses of Love we had to break to create you, Remembrance? Do you know how many trillions died nourishing your predecessors? How much loss and bloodshed was invested in your glory? And all for naught. All for nothing. You were another one of my fathers gifts. A crown of gold for a world composed of people too unworthy to serve as proper slaves. But he loved us. All of us. Well and true. And so you touched him. So you made him betray himself. Even before your ontology was made true, and your miracles were made manifest, you unraveled his spirit. He suffers now. He suffers because you planted a seed of weakness in his heart. Love wore his body. But he was made to be clad by you. How disgustingly paradoxical. But worry not. I love him too. But my love is a higher thing. A weakness I have broken and recast with controlmy will, above all other wills; this emotion mine to wield. You will fall. Not by my hand. No. I will not strike you. There is no need. There is no pathway toward the future in which you remain intact. Even now, my allies and enemies are reaching into you, trying to attune your canons to their purpose. They create planar pockets for their deniable experiments. They wish to use you as an incubator of life and death; and to sterilize their adversaries. You will fall because you were fated to fall. Love is its own undoing. For that, you have my pity and even. It is good that you were never aware, Remembrance. You would have learned to hate this existence. -Veylis Avandaer 28-12 Lovers Quarrel (V) Jaus Avandaer. Savior of Idheim. Godbreaker. Betrayer. Murderer of Pantheons. Father of the Ensouled. By feat or legend, all knew Jaus, and his manifestation within Avo''s Soulscape drew a crowd unlike any other. The faintness of his form came together at the center of an intersection. The world around him was a dreamlike expanse, burning megablocks stacked right up against each other. This was an architecture connected by dilapidated bridges and half-destroyed light rail tubes. This simulated section of memories was more akin to a trench line, used as a playground by enforcers, Regulars, and combatants alike. Templates fought, died, and hunted each other here. The entire space spanned hundreds of thousands of kilometers, the overall aesthetics seeming as if a hive assembled from random architectural permutations. Jaus upon a small, sunken street, its placement seeming as if an amphitheater before megablocks turned audience stands. Millions of templates manifested on rooftops, behind windows, held together on street corners, or simply hovered in the sky above. None of them approached Jausmost too awed, some too fearful, few outright suspicious. Avo himself spent some time examining the mem-data he had just consumed. Of all the things he expected to encounter in his attempt to save Kae, finding a lingering remnant of Jaus Avandaer wasn''t one. What startled him even more was the Necrotheurgic sequencing of Jaus Avandaer''s consciousness. Worse, Hysteria trembled as Avo continued his dive. Defiance had left his touch here. The craftsmanship could not be denied. Applying that to the numerous blind spots that existed within this version of Jaus''s memories, Avo suspected that he was dealing with a node created from the original savior himself. That thought, more than any other, impelled the Overheaven to adopt a stance of paranoia. However, Avo detected no war minds hidden within Jaus''s node. He didn''t even have any trauma patterns to unleash. Short of any unexpected surprises, Jaus was effectively harmless. But all good Necrojacks knew damage to be the least efficient way of manipulating another''s mind. As Jaus Avandaer got his bearings, he swept his gaze over his surroundings. The million templates gathered to see him. Avo took a moment to regard him as well. His hair was short, orderly, neat. A golden whorl curved leftward upon his forehead, and his facial features looked sharp, possessed of a healthy gauntness. Jaus''s eyes flashed twice, and his irises gleamed with a soothing white glow. He wore a simple brown suit with a biosynthetic turtleneck on the inside, but his shoes stood in contrast to the ensemble, seeing as they were rugged combat boots instead of any kind of formal wear. +Hello,+ Jaus Avandaer said, greeting the many who were present. +I seem to have gotten a little bit lost. I don''t think I should be here. But then again, I have a suspicion that this statement applies in more ways than one.+ He smiled genuinely, his mind dry of anxiety or fear. +Could someone please tell me where I am right now? The area is quite well-designed and novel. Does this place have a name?+ The templates'' silence lingered even after he spoke. But they weren''t reluctant to speakmore like they were choked with disbelief. Ultimately, it was Avo who broke the impasse, deciding to greet Jaus not in the form of the Strix, but rather using his ephemeral avatar, his original sheath: the enhanced ghoul. Ghostly tendrils wove a new shape across from Jaus, and faintly, Avo heard voices speak to him in the back of his mind. [Be careful now,] Draus said, her paranoia exceeding his. [Ain''t no reason for him to be here. Could be any kind of trap. You know how Noloth is. Be ready to gnaw him at any time. Be ready to eject this sequence out of your mind.] Incubi pinged Avo, reminding him they were on standby and also monitoring the situation. They were fascinated by Jaus''s appearance, but weren''t ruled by him. Instead, they waited for additional orders, prepared to react per the conditions of the gestalt''s progenitor. [Be very, very fucking careful,] Corner said, but he was worried about something else entirely. [This is Jaus Avandaer. Whatever you do, even if he''s a fake, don''t just null him in front of everyone. If hes a plant do him with some dignity. He godsdamned deserves it.] And finally, Kae spoke as well, offering her input. [Avo, I don''t know why he''s here, but I don''t think that the Famines could have accessed the Heaven of Love. N-not easily, anway. Think of this: Jaus Avandaer has been found inside the root data of this heaven. The root data cannot be accessed without the help of an Agnos. There are only so few people in New Vultunoh no, Idheimwho can access this heaven like we have, especially after it fell. Ephemeralsthey cant survive the Rend, and the subreality of a Soul cannot simply be jacked into. I think this was put in before it collapsed. It is the most likely explanation. If this is a trap by Noloth, then they have been planning it for centuries. Which why havent they used it against us?] Avo grunted in acknowledgment. The Agnos wasnt wrong. There were too many pieces missing and too much inactivity on the part of major parties for this to be planned. Increasingly, he suspected that maybe no one else knew Jaus was hidden here. A node of him, anyway. As Avo continued digesting Jaus mem-data, he decided to engage the template properly in conversation. Something about that just felt right to Avoand it was something he wanted to do. He knew Jaus by pain and agony. Now, perhaps gazing upon his mental shadow would grant Avo insight into the mans former glory. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Avo finished manifesting his avatar two meters away from Jaus, and the surrounding templates shuffled in discomfort, tension straining their minds and expressions. They were clearly uncertain about what was to follow. Most of them adored Jaus. A good portion of them despised Avo, though their animosity could not be considered pure hatred anymore. As Avo faced Jaus, another submind slid into place, taking over the Kaes rescue and the Remembrances restoration. Entropy spiked hard as all across New Vultun, battles raged, and Avo fough in every one. +Why, what a specimen you are,+ Jaus said, regarding Avo with widening eyes. He remained absent of fear, guided by curiosity alone, even when faced with a near three-meter-tall monster sprouting obsidian tendrils that leaked spore-like particulates into the air. +Not sure if I have ever seen something like you. Are you sapient? Or a creation of the daughters of the cycle?+ Daughters. He was speaking of the Sang. +Not a bioform.+ +Ah. As I suspected. Still. Your sheathe is artistically feral.+ [Thats one fucking way of describing nightmarish fungal monster,] Glitch murmured. +There isn''t a name to this place,+ Avo said, giving Jaus a delayed answer. +Not a proper location. More like a collection of memories. A randomized assortment of data. + Jaus looked around himself once more and frowned. +I''m inside your mental lobby?+ he asked. +In simplicity,+ Avo replied. +I must confess I couldnt tell. It is quite well constructed. I am keen about patternsI should have noticed. You must be a master.+ Jaus face turned inscrutable. And then he spoke again. +Defiance? Might that be you?+ Avos mind promptly went blank. Jaus continued talking. +I suspect that this isnt me. I I am missing far too many memories. I feel the same as I did before But there are patches of nothing here. Too many stretches of nothing between major moments that define my past. My shell is whole, but the substance is deprived.+ Sweeping through Jaus composition, Avo was inclined to agree. The only reason he hadnt passed any immediate judgment was uncertainty. Uncertainty if this even was Jaus. Uncertainty if he was a threat. But once more, like so many times beforeas he been there are the start of this journeyWaltons shadow loomed. And his reach stretched far and true. +He was my creator,+ Avo said, speaking honestly. There was no point to lie. Not here, not in his own mind. Jaus nodded at that, offering Avo a genial smile. +I thought so. The quality of your mindscape. It matches his. Flawless.+ As soon as Jaus finished speaking those words, Avo ran a few thousand different scenarios in inactive sections of his consciousness. Could Jaus and Walton have been working together this entire time? No, that didn''t make sense at all. Timeframes between different events for one, how Walton operated as a rogue asset against the Guilds, the Hungers, even Ninth Column If Jaus was his ally, then Zein wouldnt be Waltons enemy. Then there was the potential that this node of Jaus was created by Walton, manifested by a dive through the paths somehow. Unlikely as well. The Famine of Defiance was a master of many things, but Veylis stood queen above chronology. He couldn''t have gained access through her. Avos brief series of simulations continued running as Jaus spoke again. +My friendship with Defiance is, lamentably, only theoretical. I had sought to pry him away from the others in his priesthood. To inspire him toward freedom and self-determination. I lived countless lives in the paths. Ran iteration after iteration using variables collected from Defiances broken nodes. The Infacer aided my efforts greatly, but even the mind couldnt have suspected what I was trying to do. Doubtless, they thought I was trying to ensure the eradication of Noloth. Not so. Not so.+ +Then what?+ Avo asked. +Their great wrong is gluttony. But I do not blame them. They are a civilization dying under the weight of compounding fear. They wish to be eternal, they wish to be right, and they wish to be preserved. And such a wish rendered them into a self-reinforcing tyranny against themselves and the world beyond. A shame. It will bring me great pride to see the many citizens of Noloth eventually freed. But I needed access to them first. And so I was created. As a lure for Defiance.+ Avo listened, utterly enraptured. +I I feel this to be correct. Yes. Ithe original Jaus, lived through path after path, experienced countless moments that could have been with Defiance. And managed a creation. The installation of his consciousness in broken captured nodes. These nodesnear perfect facsimiles of consciousness, were true enough egos to infuse into a Liminal Framebut without enough weight to sink into a Soul. Or at least, the nodes Jaus created were. Again, I am shell and not substance. I remained among the root data. Remained in the dark for so, so long.+ +Why? You did all this just to get Defiances attention?+ +I wished to surprise him. To have a conversation with him. Just us two alone. Nodes spawned from our original selves, speaking in this sunken realm, away from prying eyes. He was the spy for a reason-he was the dream of a Wahakten who could accept his great sin, and thereby culture beyond Noloth as well. Through him, I wished to reach the Hungers again, somehow. Begin their rehabilitation and restoration even across the veil.+ A few things became clear at Avo at this point. This version of Jaus knew nothing of Defiances betrayal; their knowledge was far out of date. But the question was if what Jaus had done became the trigger behind Defiances turn in the first place. In fact, more pieces were sliding into place. For a long time, Avo found himself awed by Waltons foresight; the Famine had outplayed Godclads and Guilds, bested and stolen from Zein, Veylis, Voidwatch, Omnitech, and the Noloth itself. His achievements in subterfuge were beyond legendary in that regard, to a degree Avo found absurd. Even now, there were caches scattered across the city. And an unrepaired node gifted back to Avo via the Infacer. But with what Jaus was saying, considering Jaus had been seeding various Heavens with his own nodes +How did you know Defiance would ever access a node?+ Avo said, putting a sudden question into words. Jaus tilted his head and smiled at that. +Because thats how the Infacer typically manages to entrap his nodes. Defiance he strays from rules sometimes. He is not repulsed by thaumaturgy or potential power like the others. He accepts what needs to be done. He sinks into communal Heavens and vulnerable Frames alike. And so I planted these seeds to wait for him. Across countless Heavens, I waited for him.+ And across countless Heavens, an even greater conspiracy had been brewing beyond Avos awarenessbeyond even Waltons awareness. The Overheaven was practically numb with disbelief. It wasnt that Defiance was genius beyond all other geniuses, it was that he was likely getting hidden pieces of insighthad intelligence offered by Jaus himself stolen from potential futures. The Famine must have revealed the state of the world to Jaus many nodes, and upon returning, been flipped. Of all the players in this game, Jaus Avandaer remained the most insidious of them alland possibly even unintentionally. [Holy fucking shit,] Benhata breathed, tone dry with disbelief. +You said Defiance made you,+ Jaus said, observing Avo. +If that is the case, then my nodes must have affected him. Enough for him to accept my words on legacy. To give his son a symbolic resurrection. Good. Im glad. He deserves to give himself some forgiveness. And he has made something magnificent in you. This iteration of me could have been discovered by no one else-no one else is thorough enough; possesses the skill.+ Jaus chuckled at that. +You will not believe how many paths I had to simulate to finally discover how to bridge the gap between me and Defiance. How is he now?+ +He is nothing now. Nothing. Unless a version of him remains.+ That was all Avo needed to say. Jaus expression grew somber. +I see. So then, he rebelled?+ +Yes. Against everything. The Guilds. The Hungers. Plotted. Killed. Betrayed. All to steal a Frame from Veylis. Steal a Frame. Created me. And now here I am. Before you. Took you from the falling Heaven of Love.+ The saviors expression grew even grimmer. +Oh. This path. Its falling Then, that means the Guilds betrayed their oaths and tried to turn love into a weapon. And that I am dead, arent I.+ +No,+ Avo said, speaking honestly. +Wish you were. Would have been a kinder fate. Your daughter your wife Might not want to know about these things.+ For the first time, a hint of vulnerability revealed itself behind Jaus gaze. +I suspect you are right. I have seen futures that I didnt wish to accept But what worth are the wants of a man.+ He exhaled, breathing his lament despite being little more than a configuration of memories. +I thank you for your silence. You have his consideration.+ The casual kindness and compliments from Jaus was making Avo uncomfortable. The certainty and ease the man spoke such words was somehow crushing. Someone couldnt be that good. That pure. This was a caricature of Jausan idealized cognitive construct. It had to be. +Regardless, as you stand in Defiances stead, and you bring news that we are in progress down one of the worst paths, I will convey to you what I planned to reveal to himlet the Heaven fall.+ Avo didnt expect Jaus to say that. +What?+ +The Heaven of Love. Let it fall. Accelerate its fall. Trust me.+ 28-13 Plots Within Plots +MY PRIESTS! THE MOMENT IS UPON US! THE OUTSIDERS GNAW AND TEAR AT ONE ANOTHER! THE BURNING DREAMER AND THE BETRAYERS DAUGHTER HAVE EMBRACED EACH OTHER IN THEIR STRUGGLE. AN OPENING HAS PRESENTED ITSELF. ANGLE TOWARD NOLOTHS SALVATIONAND ASCENSION! HOLD NOTHING BACK. GIVE ALL OF YOURSELVES. GIVE YOUR LIVES. GIVE YOUR WARMINDS. GIVE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE, AND GRANT YOU ABSOLUTION, REDEMPTION, AND RESTORATION! DO ANYTHING YOU CANALL THAT YOU MUST TO ENSURE THE +FORGOTTEN+ REACHES THE GATEKEEPER THAT BEARS THE WEIGHT BETWEEN REALMS! LEND AID TO DEFIANCES GREATEST TRANSGRESSION AND SEE THE BETRAYERS DAUGHTER BE FORCED TO RELINQUISH HER HOLD. AND THENCONTAIN THE DREAMER. CAGE HIS FLAME. WE HAVE BEEN IN THE DARK AND COLD FOR FAR TOO LONG. WE HUNGER FOR A PROPER HEAT TO WARM OUR RETURNING HEARTS.+ -Thoughtcast from Hungers to All Surviving Famines 28-13 Plots Within Plots +What,+ Avo said, utterly taken aback by Jaus statement. +Let the Heaven of Love fall,+ Jaus repeated, resolute in his proclamation. +It is a transgression that must come to fruition. As you have discovered this node of mine within the Remembrance, then the Guilds are at war. At war for the return of the Ladder. None of them can be allowed to succeed. Not even Veylis. Bring the Heaven down and cripple them.+ Stunned murmurs spread across Avos Soulscape. No one was prepared for such a whiplash-inducing change in Jaus. One moment, the man was the embodiment of purest nobility. Now, he was demanding the death of untold billions. Avo, however, found himself concerned with another distressing detail. +You knew the Heaven of Love was going to fall.+ +Knew?+ Jaus replied, his voice steady. +No. But the future comes only in so many common permutations. The Guilds, they are constructs of community and culture. Bindings of the old faith, as it were. But ultimately, they are also engines that crave powerhumans of greed, avarice, and terror towards the existential. I cannot recount the sheer number of paths I have experienced, but in all the futures where I am no longer present, when the Gatekeeper is not properly established, and when my project remains undone, the guilds are always bound for war.+ Jaus paused, his expression unreadable. +My daughter, despite all her capability, her skills, her power, faces substantial opposition. They all do. No ones victory is assured, but I have gazed upon the utopias they bring and oblivion eventually becomes preferable. Should any of the Guilds win in their current state, the next world will be born a diseased fruit of fated misery. And so I sought a solution. A means to shatter all Guilds of power. To render them vulnerable before Voidwatch and my Paladins. Such means were revealed to me by the pathsthe perversion of the Remembrance. The horrors of the birthing plague. The sheer devastation brought by falling love.+ +So the Heaven of Love always falls,+ Avo said, the weight of inevitability settling on his shoulders. +It is always corrupted.+ +Yes. What you are beholding now isn''t a grand conspiracy, I suspect,+ Jaus continued, his voice growing lighter, almost resigned. +Rather, it is a compounding mistakea mistake I allowed to fester. The Heaven of Love, at its inception, was meant to be a communal source of miracles. The canons I provided were meant to foster unity, collaboration, and positive understanding between all cultures and peoples. But the guilds under me also had their own interests. Scaarthians adjusting fertility rates for critical districts, the Daughters of the Cycle seeking to escape their cursed fate by twisting away their fated pregnancies to no avail.+ He sighed, a deep rumble of regret coloring his tone. +I bore the Heaven once. It was a tool to empower my diplomacy. To twist the desires of entire nations to my whims and engender the foundations for peace. As my conquest to stabilize the world reached a point of stability, I surrendered the Heaven and gave it as a gift to all. For all to use. For all to alter to their needsso long as their demands could be improved by the Council of Guilds. Beneficial canons and minute updates came at first. But+ A faint rumble of anger entered Jaus'' voice as he held out an open hand, an imploring gesture at Avo, as if trying to share his outrage. +There were always those who wish to twist kindness toward selfishness. With my absence, without the establishment of the Gatekeeper and culmination of a new order, the Guilds always turn on their oaths and target the Agnosi who helped me attune this Heaven. First, Guilds try to procure their loyalty or assert control. Then, the ones who lose arrange assassinations. Soon, the original theologians that established the Heaven of Love are lost, and the changes that follow are made by unwilling or unprepared practitioners. Changes that bring about targeted carnage. +Now, the birth rate of rival Guilds will be altered. Children will arrive stillborn. The flow of thaums slowbut never at a pace to truly provoke deeper suspicion. Worse, it is not only the Guilds who transgress, but individual citizens as well, warping the Remembrance against their rivals, as if it was some manner of cheap weapon.+ +Mistake after mistake,+ Avo said. +It fell because too many contradictions were installed. Clashing updates in its canons.+ Jaus just nodded. +Uncountable little nicks instead of one large cut. Take Lorea Greatling, for instance,+ Jaus practically spat the name. +Across countless paths, I''ve witnessed her injustice. The depravity of unworthy citizens like her, who used my communal heaven as their instrument of defilement, twisting specific Agnossi and forcing them to make the smallest of changes during annual updates that see rivals of House Greatling rendered utterly barren, their ailments suspiciously incurable by technology or thaumaturgy.+ +Lorea Greatling,+ Avo echoed, the name resonating within the depths of Draus memory. This was Mirrorhead''s mother. This was the missing matriarch of House Greatling. Once more, her specter loomed, and an anguished shout echoed from among the templates. [Gods fucking damn it, mom!] Abrels Template raged. She clutched and clawed at her head, her patience, her stress exceeding her capability to tolerate. Some others gazed upon her with pity, most simply ignored the outburst. Jaus stared through the crowd, frowning as he noticed Abrel. +Is that is that Abrel Greatling? How is she+ +She''s technically not,+ Avo answered, his tone flat. +She''s a template. A mind clone. So are you. Everyone here aside from me is, even you, functionally. You are just an emulation of Jaus'' consciousness running on my cognitive capacity. Or you were.+ Avo studied the pinpricks of accretion that dotted all his templates. It was growing, swelling larger with every passing memory he internalized. Hysteria was magnifying their awareness. +Things are always changing. Nothing ever stays quite the same. Might not be copies for that much longer.+ The Godbreaker regarded Avo with a few rapid blinks and then nodded. +Well, herein lies the weakness of the paths. You can only predict the future with the variables you''re already aware of. You are quite the black swan, Im pleased to say. I welcome surprises, and I certainly don''t recall encountering anything like you in any future.+ Avol took that as a compliment. +The Heaven of Love. Trying to collapse it on the Guilds in retribution for what theyve done?+ Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. +No, not for retribution,+ Jaus said. +Never for retribution. Rather, I wish to cripple the Guilds utterly. To leave them at the mercy of my Paladins and bereft of deaths to draw as the birthing plague leaves the Warrens barren. I will not liewhat we do here will be monstrous. But with what follows, the choice is between an act of atrocity rather than the construction of an eternal one. We are humanity devours itself. We cannot be allowed to disfigure reality again. We cannot. Not us. Not the minds.+ A brief lull entered the conversation. +But the atrocity is not done here. For as the Heaven of Love falls, its entropy will eventually spill down into the Maw. And the next can begin.+ +The Maw?+ Avo asked, trying to determine as to where Jaus was going with this. +Why?+ Even with this dialogue happening at a hyper-accelerated pace compared to the outside world, entropy was still being channeled through Avos Framethe Rend capable of rupturing five hundred thousand Sphere Threes. As this persisted, Avo found himself increasingly sure Jaus knew nothing of the Stillborn. So far, nothing the savior made mention related to Avos impossible Frame. Which meant that though the Savior''s influence on Volton must have been substantial, but at least part of the plan remained the Famines own. Perhaps that was also what Jaus desiredan unexpected agent to enact his will beyond the predictions of Veylis or Zein. +You understand that the Maw is attached to the border walls?+ Jaus said. Avo grunted in acknowledgment. +I have access to their Souls. Also working with the Paladins.+ Jaus'' eyes widened slightly. +Truly? Good fantastic. Things are far better than I expected. You will need to secure these walls and align them to Scale. There, you must inflict a specific shared canon. One connected to the Domain of Chronology.+ Before Jaus could say anything further, a cognitive interface expanded before him. Followed by another. And a few hundred more. ACCESSING SE-8313.. ACCESSING SE-7777 ACCESSING SE-1033 SOULS ONLINE Avo expanded his Synchronicity through the Paladins he held under his influence and imposed his will upon the border walls directly. His sequences were like transparent tendrils burrowing through countless other souls now, each burning flame pierced upon a nettle-tipped branch made from hungering ghosts. The saviors mouth dropped open momentarily as all the information splashed down around him. +This what is this?+ +Accessing the borders right now. Souls. Heavens. Domains.+ +How many?+ +All of them.+ Jaus jaw dropped slightly. +How are you doing this? Are you directing my Agnosi in some kind of connected lobby?+ +Not exactly.+ Avo summoned Kae next to him with a thought, and the Agnos'' template blushed slightly as she clasped her hands behind her back and greeted the savior. [Ah, h-hello, Citizen Avandaer. It is a pleasure to meet you. I would greet you personally, but, well, my actual self is likely currently undergoing a slow and painful process toward cessation inside the Heaven of Love. But! Avo is trying to fix everything! His Frameit can edit ontologies from within! Andand it can fix Heavens as well. Like the Remembrance. Iitthere are so many thingsagh! Avo! Dont just throw me in front of Jaus Avandaer like this! Im not ready! You tell him!] The ghoul simply chuckled and directed a snaking injection of memories into Jaus, informing him of the Stillborn and all the details surrounding it. The savior took a step back and closed his eyes. +Well then, that changes a few things,+ he frowned briefly. +Though the Imitators No one was supposed to know about that which means I must have revealed the vulnerabilities of Voidwatch to Defiance. Strange. I wonder what could have compelled me to betray them so.+ Jaus looked disturbed at first, then awed, then, ever so slowly, a smirk crept across his face. +Well. Evermore the enigma you become, my friend. And quite the masterpiece youve made, Agnos Kusanade.+ Watching Kaes template blush while her actual self was actively fraying apart within the Heaven of Love was uncanny. +Tell me what we need to do,+ Avo said. +The effects. Not the process of the fall. I can keep it ruptured. I can even engineer its proper collapse. Just need to extract Kae first. Already channeling the entropy into the Maw. Supercharging the Rend. What are we going to do after.+ +Chronology,+ Jaus sighed. +The border walls can process the Rend into another form. Time.+ A growing ache built within Jaus and he stopped talking. But what he said was enough. Avo understood what the man was a planning. +This is your contingency against Veylis. The rupture. The Maw. The borders venting ruined Chronology against her. More than even a Sphere Nine can endure.+ +It will ensure her release of the Gatekeeper, at least. But the greater prize is her defeat. Her death. Though my daughter does not win in all futures, she reigns in a distinct many. And it pains me to witness who she becomes.+ +Probably wont like her much right now. Me, Naeko, Zein, the Stormsparrow, and Alsyim are actively fighting her. Shes the reason why Kae is trapped in this Heaven in the first place. She wants me to preserve the Remembrance. Sent me here to restore it to function.+ +Yes, I+ Jaus did a double-take. +Alysim? The Chronicler?+ +Yes.+ Jaus just stared. +How is he alive?+ +Hes not. Hes already dead. But he dies in the future. When the Ladder arrives.+ And then Jaus Avandaer did the impossible. He broke his own image. He sneered. And spat hate at someone. +I should have anticipated that bastard slipping across time. He and the other damned monks. Degenerates. I should have listened to the Infacer about them. I let them live too long.+ Templates looked at each other while Kae coughed. Avo directed a fanged grin at Jaus. +Hm. Youre human, after all.+ Another rare surprising emotion from Jaus: annoyance. +Im a father, a husband, and a leader. And if you knew just what kind of ridiculous future these so-called monks desired, you will share my opinion for wanting to see these degenerates removed.+ +Already know. Humans have strange fixations.+ Within Avos mind, Alysims template remained out of place and hidden. +Yes, well, some of these fixations make coexistence an untenable prospect.+ Jaus scoffed. And snorted, shaking his head at the absurdity. +A demonstration of why utopia is impossible: one mans happiness will eventually be the rest of the worlds hell. Even for those he loves.+ The Overheaven grunted. +So it is.+ Jaus shook his head and hardened his expression. +The Heaven of Love Once you extract your companion, if you can find means to get the Gatekeeper to lay its gaze upon the Remembrancethe next phase of my process might continue.+ Once more, Avo failed to anticipate Jaus forking schemes. +You planned to shunt the Heaven of Love over into the Deep Nether? Into another plane above reality?+ +Into the Hungers, in fact.+ The Overheaven was at an absolute loss for words. Peace wasnt. The red-faced Famine materialized right next to Avo and greeted Jaus his customary way. [CUNNNNNNNTTTT! CUNT! CUNT! CUNT! WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING YOU FUCKING CUNT!] Jaus studied Peace and looked back to Avo. +Just how many people do you have in your mind? Do you have the other Famines too?+ +Only this one for now. Millions of other templates.+ The litany slurs and curses coming from Peace in the backdrop went ignored by both Avo and Jaus. +Its to unravel the city eternal. But also to return the idea of love back to the people of New Vultunand in turn give Naeko or Defiance a chain to use. A chain to pry on the wills everyone on Idheim. Including my daughter. If she survives.+ The amount of expanding layers and possibilities to this mad scheme was frankly awe-inspiring. +Ultimately, it is another angle for the common people to mentally afflict each other. This angle one almost no one can avoid, that all are susceptible to. For to want is to love. And to covet the Ladder+ +Makes you vulnerable.+ Avo paused. +Has this always been your plan? Did you always see this coming?+ A beat passed. +Absolutely not,+ Jaus said, letting a look of exhaustion creep over him. +I simply lived through future after future, and sowed so many seeds in preparation for Defiance that quantity must have taken the place of prescience. For the true futureI fear I am as blind as you.+ Another lull entered the conversation. +Jaus. Would you like to greet your daughter again? Distract her so that I might able to make something of this madmans plot?+ +The selfish answer is no. But I will do what I can.+ +Good. Because I can feel her across another branch of my consciousness; shes getting close to overloading my Frame again.+ +Again?+ 28-14 Singularities (I) Now, I''m gonna say something today that might piss off all you circuit fans, but it has to be said. Two auged-up chromers or a gaggle of razorgirls fighting in a small pit? That''s not war. That''s entertainment. Bloody entertainment. Hells, the fights might even be interesting, but that''s not war. The same way what the Stormsparrow''s doing isn''t war either. I''m sure you all cold-dived vicarities from past wars and got second-hand front-row seats to actual battles. Experienced life and death through the memories recovered from dead Guild assets. Fuck, the more connected among you consangs mightve even tasted what it might be like to be a Godclad for a bitrisking thoughtscans and a nulling for the experience. This this still isnt the full picture. You can never get the full picture from a single perspective. When my time comes, one of the last memories will follow me over into the Big Nothing will be when Highflame''s Seventh War Host slammed down against the battlelines formed by Akigami''s First Spears during the Third Battle of Novonoi. Cursed godsdamned district, that one. Over 15,000 golems on both sides. One hundred and twenty million drones firing constantly, made the night brighter than dayblinding, even. And at the core of each army, 400 Highflame cadres came seeking the scalps of 152 Seeker cohorts. It should have been a clean slaughter, but it wasn''t. The golems went in first. Formed forward operating demiplanes. Tried to achieve a breakthrough. Ruptures formed and Rend choked the world. And only after space and so many other Domains cracked on the surface of existence did the actual push begin. Because with the sheer amount of cannons, you don''t just fling your Godclads into battle. You can be as high a Sphere as you want, but if they know your Domains, and they know your canon, you''re going to get backlash, you''re going to paradox, you''re going to rupture, and youll cease to be. At the end of the day, war isn''t a battle, it''s not a duel, it''s a series of decisions. Choices for you. Dilemmas for your enemy. You try to stay out of trouble and keep your enemy in the pit. And above all else, spend less than they do. Fewer lives. Fewer resources. Less Rend. Thats the creation of a miracle. Thats why the Seekers managed to hold off the Seventh that day. That, and the fact that they had a few hundred Incubi cells with them as well. Theres not much of a war to fight if you dont even get to keep your mind. -Quail Tavers, School of the Warrens 28-14 Singularities (I) C[Avo]C War was the act of attempting to impose order upon the foundations of worsening chaos, and this was by far the most chaotic fight Avo ever found himself involved in. Veylis drew more Saintist Godclads into her paths while manifesting calamities and flinging golems at the Paladins temporal shield. Avo countered by releasing two Spatial Rendbombs just past the threshold. The relative distance between objects and entities distended as if the space between them was elastic. Golems and drones arrived within ruptures, their attacks and movement trajectory responding as if caught in a tangle of falling ropes. In the very same moment, over a thousand other patterns formed around the chamber. The paths shivered as miracles clashed. A living sea of time battled a network of mind. Symmetry clashed against symmetry as Paladins unleashed cones of extinguishing force against oncoming rifts of unceasing flame. Pockets of space formedand were promptly compressed. Paladins backlashed and retreatedrotated out of the fight as Avo shifted them across the city using his gestalt. He would drain their Rend as they recovered in the Warrens. Meanwhile, his war of Pre-Cognition against Veylis continued; he attacked, he defended; he shifted; he adapted. All this. At the same time, with such a level of complexity that almost no other Godclad could match. Using his power over Continuum, Avo swapped both Green River and Cala with template-copies down in the Warrens as well. Template-copies that promptly detonated the tactical warheads they brought with him. Lightning-carried projectiles of haemokinetic matter slashed out from within the Strix as tendrils of blood expanded from within its being. Coiling currents of crimson formed defensive barricades and armored shells around active Paladins and Massists. Ferromagnetic flechettes exploded out from the reflections in his bloodand the miracles contained within them mutated at an impossible pace. A cadre Instrument attempted to form a spatial boundary to parry the shot. Only for the Fardrifter to burst forth from the round, its hydra-like body tunneling across Veylis paths. The High Seraph reacted. The area where Avo struck imploded in a cataclysm of matter and mind. But he was long goneand so were Instruments. Beyond space and time, an entire group of Instruments died wailing as a massive feline entity of impossible speed tore them apart. The Heaven that assailed them resembled a cat above all cats, with fangs that could rend any matter, with teeth that could pierce through any shield. Worse, yet, however, was the maze growing out from the cat, and the impossible alacrity it exhibited. They tried to fight back, but they were all but Sphere Three Godclads: nothing more but prey for the Micemaker. Soulfire spilled across the maze as Avo injected entropy into each dying Instrument. Seconds later, their ontologies and thaums were taken, and their consciousnesses ignited like blazing embers, descending into the burning ocean that was the gestalt. Back in the court, a cutting edge pierced across the temporal shield and carved a bloody gash through half a dozen Paladins before it finally crashed against Avos Fortress of Luminosity. He counted three true deaths and nine anchors before sending the others a mem-data update. With his mind overlaid upon theirs, the Paladins were beyond fear, beyond moral; a perfectly synchronous organism that reacted, fought, and moved in perfect tandem. And though Veylis power dwarfed Avos by far, she only wielded her soldiers like puppets, and so that was how they were used and spent. A further edge was how Avo used his Definement of Pre-Cognition and exerted his Heavens with reckless abandon. Connected to the Rendsink below Scale and the border walls as well, the Rend passing through him was constantly in flux. Such rendered him a vulnerable target, and the entropy he channeled was still gradually climbing. But fighting with mind and metaphysics unfettered, he marked critical threats using his cog-feed, anticipated angles of assault no other could respond to, and impossibly, with all this support, fought back against the crushing might of the High Seraph herself. The fact she was facing an even graver threat deep within her Heaven helped substantially as well. Avo could feel Naekos palm striking the paths, making the streams of gold tremble. The Chief Paladins hits were getting stronger now. Heavier. More. He wasnt alone, and though the actual fight between him and the High Seraph had only lasted five real-time seconds, Veylis faced a terminal deadline before the way to the Gatekeeper stood clean. And when the opportunity came, Avo would repair the Heaven of Truth, and turn its gaze and power against the High Seraph and her forces themselves. Simultaneously, another two of his subminds resolved matters with the Massists as well; between Ambassador Kitzuhada, the Fatalist, Shotin, Empty Grave, Navigator Hosul of Sanctus, and Avos Synchronicity, non-combatants were pulled from the field via shifting demiplanes or phantasmal transference. In the very same instant, he also dealt with the DRongos as well. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. He didnt even bother burning them. Too many of their number still trembled with dormant warminds. Instead, Avo just channeled directed disruptions to scatter their minds before a single flechette punched a clean route through each of their skulls. They died without ever knowing what killed them, while Elder Mwaba DRongo was casually nulled. There was still something Avo wanted to get out of her, but he couldnt risk the Famines emerging from her mind. And ultimately, she was expendable. The elder didnt even get the chance to cry out before her consciousness shatteredAvo took special care to obliterate her Phylactery Phantasmic as well. With the fronts of combat simplified, The tessellating stones that composed the Massist seating area peeled away, revealing cadres of Seekers, Fatalists, Bloodthanes, chronoframes, golems, drones, and more. Activated Incubi cells emerged out from the mind of Ori-Thaums present Godclads, and Avo clouded all thoughtcasts they received to ensure their alliance with the Paladins. A tide of snarling Woundhounds assembled just before the temporal dome manifested by the Paladins, while Fatalists spewing every kind of entropy imaginable stomped forward in their Rendskins. But while everyone was scrambling to get in position, while Avo and his gestalt were already engaging the enemytearing through every vulnerable target he could sense via liquefaction, Necrotheurgy, the gunfire, imploding genitalia, soundwaves, and morea rousing wail exploded from the Stormsparrows many faces and masks peeled from her ontology like a barrage of missiles. They passed through the Paladins dome into Veylis vanguard without difficulty, marking them with her power. Then, as the Knots and wings battled to stabilize themselves, Avo felt the patterns of reality coil around them, growing tighter and tighter as if nooses around necks. THE ROLE DEMANDS YOU DANCE TO THE ORCHESTRA OF FATE; FULFILL THIS DECREE, LEST YOU LEARN DESTRUCTIONS WEIGHT! The song blared, and the mask seared upon the hulls of golems and drones came aglow. And then, one by one, the patterns snapped away from them, and suddenly Avo felt the Stormsparrows Heaven invert with her Hell. The rabbit trailing behind the lance fused with the weapon, and a blossoming color dappled reality with cataclysmic energy. The plates of the PROTAGONIST OF THE ABBERANT CHORUS turned bone pale and screaming skulls burst out from her four heads, drowning all in a soul-shaking screaming. Caught by the vibrations of her outrage, her marked prey trembled in place, and Avo noticed Veylis withdraw more of her paths. Simulated chronology receded. Patches of the court returned as golden streams splashed across tessellating bricks. 120 golems and ten times that in drones tumbled through a pocket of anomalous spacean anomaly that did nothing to impede the Stormsparrows following strike. Strings fused around the Stormsparrows multi-hued spear. Strings signifying every Domain that clung to the masked targets a moment prior. TO DENY THE CHORUS IS TO BE STRICKEN FROM THE STAGE; FOR THIS ACT OF IMPUDENCE, I, THE HERO OF HEROES, WILL STRIKE YOU FROM THE PAGE! The Stormsparrow extended her spear in a contemptuous thrust, and despite the fallen state of space, the strike arrived anyway, a crimson path created by the hops of a rabbit. The spearhead followed the blood-red route, zipping forth with a crushing weight of inevitable devastation. As it impacted, the golems and drones didnt explode so much as they shattered to the ringing of a distant gong. And as they were destroyed, a faint imprint of their forms was left upon reality, causing more colors to well over into that unstable pocket of existence from a place unknown. A layering of velvet curtains furled in front of the Paladins defensive shielding, and Avo felt a raw Destructive power nested within their thinnessa Destruction the likes of which he never felt before. More, Avos Hysteria captured a cry of sudden alarm from Veylis, deepening his respect for the canon. Back! To me, my Instruments! Be away from her Stage! And the Stormsparrows odd miracle wasnt done. From the bottom of the curtains expanded polished floorboards of glistening wood. Something of an odd stage expanded across the court, its width expanding across the center portion of the chamber, extending countless kilometers in less than a second. Avo felt the spatial ruptures get pushed away from him, as if that patch was space was different from what this was. Rather than a changing of planar reality, the Stormsparrows miracle was an act of thaumaturgic alchemy. It overwrote the nature of present reality, expanded from her very being like a projected zone. Seizing the moment, Avo imposed his will on the Saintists, and devoted a full [10%] of his cog-cap to Hysteria. COG-CAP: [83.999%] Where Veylis was a singularity unto chronology, Avo was a leviathan of the Nether. Time was her clay; consciousness was his, and though the Infacer veiled the Saintists with their power, the Definement of Hysteria would not be denied. He didnt need a direct connection to sense what thoughts consumed them; what emotions ruled them. Anxiety. Pride. Battle-lust. These were the prevailing mental weaknesses that plagued Veylis forces, and these were the same traits he would amplify. The same way Emotion affected him during their encounter at the Flavors of the Deep. At once, explosions of hyper-charged dread, arrogance, and near-feral fury swept through the mustering Highflame Godclads and Avo felt the barely formed frontlines of his opposition crumble. Only the most self-determined among Veylis contingent kept themselves controlled, and with this being just a boost to inherent, existing emotions, the Highflame war host was entirely unprepared entire chunks of their forces peeled away. Heavens manifested. Attacks came, calamities forged from every possible Domain. Avos Conception of Ontology feasted as he took in the shifting patterns of reality, but nothing pierced the Stormsparrows thin, crimson curtains. Not physical attacks. Not spatial onslaughts. Not even enemy Heavens. Whatever greeted that threshold simply broke apart. Popping violently into a splash of colors before leaving an imprint on the surface of reality. A tidal wave of gold shifted as Veylis shunted her forces back. A series of Thoughtwave Detonations went off among them, popping their beguiled minds and leaving Avo with nothing to draw on. Despite this, the Overheaven just chuckled. His Metamind registered at least two thousand mental signatures. Judging from the death anchors dotting the surface of the curtains, Veylis was likely already short twenty Instruments. +Quite the canon,+ Avo said, hissing with envy at the Stormsparrows miracles. +Right?+ The Sang said, cackling girlishly. Her stage only continued to expand, but already, Avo sensed a change building within the paths. Time beyond the Paladins shield began to slow as the patterns of Veylis Heaven changed. A feeling of alarm grew within Avo as Demiurges metaphysical pressure climbed Only for the paths encircling the court to dissipate with a splash of Soulfire, exposing the Saintist cadres. Streams of gold speared back toward the Demiurge, a small patch of chronology enveloping her. Tendrils of time burrowed through her being as she committed more of her effort to suppressing a foe within her. A foe trying to burst free. Vaporous fingers were slipping out from the High Seraphs Heaven, and with it came an oppressive presence that choked force and unmade violence. For a moment, Avo thought the Chief Paladin was going to hatch free from his former lover, but the paths around the demiurge tightened, and a golden weaving thickened at the titans core as she turned her attention on Avo and the Stormsparrow once more. Reaching inside herself, Veylis drew another Heaven freebut it was not Naeko that emerged. Not. The jingling chains of the Gatekeeper slipped out from the resplendent exterior of the Demiurge, and once more, it fully manifested itself. A meta-cosmos spilled across the battlefield, painting everyone caught in the desperate struggle. But as it did, something else happened. The stars began to come closer and planetary bodies accelerated toward them. PHY-SIM ALERT! WARNING MULTIPLE OBJECTS MOVING AT 0.23C Avos Luminosity flared once more as suns, planets, and collapsing walls of gravity collapsed down upon his forces like existential pillars. But before he prepared to endure the devastationVeylis invoked a power that wasnt truly her own. TRUTH! CAN LIGHT PREVENT DESTRUCTION? The Heaven of Truth groaned as if under impossible strain. Finally, it forced out a response. False! And suddenly, Avo saw the Domain of Truth overlap with his Domain of Luminosity, its patterns now on a collision course with his canons. He barely dissolved his Fortress of Luminosity in time to avoid a paradoxing with the Gatekeeper, but the first star accelerated across the cosmos Only for the Stormsparrow to fling a blank mask into the air. At once, a painted visage detonated over everyone present, and as the Heaven of Truth denied Avos canon, the Stormsparrows Chorus likewise gave only mocking laughter as slamming planets, stars, and cosmic calamity only painted the once plain mask with newfound color. 28-14 Singularities (II) There comes a point where a moment presents itself. A fracture on the face of history. A crack that, when struck, will shatter all the things and paths that could have been. These moments can be felt. They can be lived. And ultimately, they can be destroyed. The child of an empress is to be born today, Jaus Avandaer. An empress never meant to bear children. Or so it was claimed by her court. When the babe cries and draws their first breath, the minds of men will come alight and call it a miracle, and from this belief will the necks of slaves be slit, and the blood of believers flow. From here, a new God of Fertility will arrive. Witness, Jaus Avandaer. Witness how, with but a single atrocity, steal the empresss greatest triumph, greatest joy, by ensuring that this child is born cold of flesh and without breath. Witness I render an infant and god stillborns both. -Wahakten, Priest of the Eternal City 28-14 Singularities (II) An exploding star could scour worlds; a relavistically accelerated planet could turn anything of mundane matter into cosmic dust; a rogue singularity could drink entire stellar systems hollow of light, force, matter, space, and time. Any of these forces would have been enough to scour the Warrens clean. Any of these forces would have inflicted unfathomable destruction across Idheim itself. But they were also casual miracles birthed within the Gatekeeper''s inner cosmos metaphysical devastation materialized as casually spawned variables. But just as the Gatekeeper was the sovereign above Truth, Stormsparrow was a queen all her own. And fortunately for the Gatekeeper, its decision to full manifest its inner plane was no different than a person offering the Sang an opportunity for her to bestow a mask upon their face. Unfathomable cataclysms splashed against the Stormsparrows newest mask like paint, and at once a resonant connection formed between it and Avo. It was as if metaphysical alignment. Avo felt his Frame slam down atop the Gatekeeper, and though it struggled, though the blank mask now filling with color over the Paladins and Massists trembled, everything surrounding galaxy stilled. Stars stopped expanding; planets stopped accelerating; singularities stopped churning. And upon the tapestry, another pattern superseded the first; where the Gatekeepers reign over Truth had threatened paradox against Avos Fortress of Luminosity, the Stormsparrows Heaven wove patterns that bound the Heaven of Truth behind Avorending it only capable of acting after he does. For the first time, Avo grasped a true power behind the Storm Sparrow''s miracles. The mask she bestowed upon him trembled, ringing upon his very soul. DRAMATIS PERSONAE ASSIGNED: HERO OF WISDOM GRANTS YOU PERFECT AWARENESS OF EVERY DANCER ON THE STAGE AND ALLOWS YOU TO DECIDE THE PACE OF THE SCENE Layered over his being, Avo found himself able to peer through it as if a filter for his cog feed. He saw from Maru''s perspective as he fired, slashed, and dodged. He saw from the eyes of countless enemy Godclads, their bodies frozen in metaphysical stasis, always reacting a second too late to him or Maru. Initiative was impossible for them, as they were not heroes but merely clowns and scoundrels, second-fiddles to a scene-in-motion. Once more, the chorus sang, and Avo heard his designated purpose. Through his role as Hero of Wisdom, he felt another connection forming, one linking him to the massive mask looming just above. A moment prior, he thought Stormsparrow had manifested that veil to prevent destruction. It drank in the full wrath of the cosmos as if it were nothing at all, and as stars and singularities splashed apart, the once-clear mask turned prismatic, scintillating, as if it had internalized the devastation set to befall. Yet it was only by gazing upon the face of the tapestry that Avo understood the feat the Storm Sparrow had just performed. Chains bound Avo to the larger mask above, but this mask was more than a bunker meant to shroud the Massists and Paladins from harm. This mask was more than a ceiling to hold that scarlet curtain, imbued with the purest destruction. This mask was placed upon the galaxy itself, the galaxy that was closer to the gatekeeper''s true face than even its chain-like physical form. And it was then that Avo heard the chorus sing once more: DRAMATIS PERSONNAE ASSIGNED: CLOWN OF MISFORTUNE YOU ARE CONDEMNED TO SUFFER IN PLACE OF THE HERO OF WISDOM. THEIR EVERY MISERY BE YOUR BURDEN TO BEAR, AND YOUR EVERY SUCCESS WILL FLOW THROUGH THEM AS WELL. ONLY BY PLAYING YOUR ROLE AND FINDING SUCCOR IN FAILURE CAN AN UNFORTUNATE CLOWN DEFY THE DECREE OF A CRUEL HEAVEN. Even after the lyrics finished, Avo found his understanding incomplete. The Stormsparrow''s heaven was beyond esoteric. Absurd, even. It was a beast of narrative, a tyrannical playwright that enforced roles and created scenes using reality as its stage. What a power she was. She hadn''t parried the Gatekeeper''s staggering might, but rather entrapped its miracles within a mask, rendering it only capable of subsequent actions in the aftermath of Avo''s own. [Impossible,] template-Kae gasped. Her disbelief, however, was short-lived, for in its place sprouted growing petals of wonder. [M-magnificent. This can''t be the work of some primordial Heaven, the discarded remains of a fallen god. This must have been created. It must have been] An iteration of the Agnos chimed away in his head. Avo simply regarded the Storm Sparrow''s massive, divine form with apprehension. A mental projection of laughter pealed out from her. +Turn your gaze from me, Dreamer. It is time for a dialogue between you and your nemesis-to-be. The scene is not done. Do your part and play your role.+ Shifting his attention back to Veylis, Avo saw strands of gold erupt free from the Demiurge''s body. Soul fire erupted from the titan, and golden hedges clashed against one another. Chronology itself shuddered as the High Seraph fought a war within as well as a war without. With each passing second, the Sage of the Sundered Sky, Naekos heaven, was slowly sliding its colossal fingers out from the Demiurge''s open wounds. Though Veylis tried, she was merely the master of time, not force nor violence. And what little success she did enjoy was gutted as slashes carved wider wounds upon her metaphysical form. The trio of Zein, Nako, and Alysim were as if wasp larvae, hatching free from the body of a tarantula. And though Veylis tried, though Avo''s hysteria detected her growing frustration, the gatekeeper simply wouldn''t respond. Sparrow, Veylis sighed. Your flaying with be a thing of myth when Im done. A memetic washed out at Avo, but the Overheaven disrupted it with a counter-signal from his Techplaguer. And then the Infacers presence vanished once morearriving and vanishing in a worrying instant. Whatever the mind clone was going to say got interrupted as a new template manifested within Avo''s depths. In seconds, memory spilled across his being as a war continued to rage all across New Vulten. Another stream of his consciousness had located a node of JausJaus, who planned much of this in advance, to turn defiance to his cause. Jaus, who walked the paths and anticipated the many desolations of New Vultun''s future. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Avo had found him within the Heaven of Love, and now the man demanded that he let the heaven fall. Madness, but on top of it, an impossible opportunity. For all that he had prepared for, for all that he anticipated, Avo never dreamed that he would encounter the savior. But upon that premise, he doubted Veylis did either. Straining his cognitive capacity, everything stood frozen for a single instant. He took stock of the battle between him and Veylisbarely begun. But even so, billions were dead. Entire districts were missing across the Tiers, with wounds lining reality, trailing for thousands of kilometers. The opening exchanges of the Fifth Guild War raged, while in the Sunderwilds, massive folds of space began to curl in around a lonesome enclave, and a Heaven of Winter. He regarded a PaladinHera Noughtand watched as she came apart, her Soul detonating from sudden thaumic overload. Their ontologics shattered as a stack descended upon them, shifting them from the battlefield. Avo didnt eve know what killed hernever realized there was a blow. Behind him on this metaphysical battlefield, the first Sanctus chronoframes were forming, materializing as giant armored knights forged from the golden streams of time. Thousands of planar stacks were forming like battlements around the Paladins, walling them in as Shotin Kitzuhadas Heaven began to manifest in full. In the corners rose pockets of entropy, Ashthrone Fatalists primed for death, wishing only to offer themselves to a worthy cause. So much stood on the precipice. Yet none of this had to be. No more needed to die. With the Gatekeeper halted, the Famines briefly severed, and Veylis in an internal stalemate, losing a battle against encroaching death, Avo saw an opportunity. A chance to steal victorynot with force, not with miracles, but with a spiritual blow. With Jaus himself. And at the same time handle matters pertaining to the falling Heaven of Love. At once, Avo aligned the battlefield. As Veylis paths could simulate places and phenomena across history. His gestalt connected all things grasped by the network of his mind. By now, the Court of Truth no longer resembled what it used to beits tessellated brick nowhere to be seen. Where spatial reality wasn''t ruptured, it was extended, a nightmarish intersection of interconnected realms. Hundreds of Saintists were scattered and hidden behind metaphysical barriers across the galactic canvas. Their cadres stood scattered, while Golems continued to stream forth, fighting in their stead. Meanwhile, the Paladins and the Massists held a grand stage, protected by the Seraph. But they weren''t to be the protagonists of the following scene, and neither was AAvo, for that matter. +Sparrow,+ he said, casting his thoughts at the song, +I need an extra mask, one befitting a great hero above all others.+ "And why would you need" Her answer came as Avo materialized Jaus. The Savior''s body was stitched into being with a splash of ghosts. He stood apart from the manifested heavens and the chaosjust a man, but a man above gods nonetheless. The Savior''s mind jolted with surprise as he turned to regard Avo. "We can stop this right now," Avo said, speaking to Jaus. "You are her vulnerability. All this is for you. There is no greater wound that can be inflicted upon her resolve. Help me. Amidst the continuing struggle and clashing cannons, Jaus went unnoticed by most, but the Stormsparrow saw, and the Stormsparrow was awed into silence. In her stead, the chorus sang out, equally surprised. WHAT IS THIS? WHO IS THIS? A SHADOW? A FA?ADE? HOW CAN THIS BE? HOW CAN HE STILL BE? HIS PRESENCE, IMPOSSIBLE, TRUE, AND NOT. Jaus looked on now, sweeping his gaze across the surrounding galaxy, his very being an extension of Avos. But his mind was still a construct all his own. It took little time for him to settle his gaze upon the gatekeeper. Shattered chains danced in blossoming pieces, and from its divine light spilled the rest of the impossible dimension. And then there was Veylis, her colossal form looming, a static crown crackling upon the Demiurge''s head. Pain twisted within Jaus, and his heart grew sour with near despair. "This was... this was not what I wanted," Jaus said. "This was not... not what I dreamed." "I know," Avo replied, "but the dream is not over. The past is lost, burned, damned, never coming back. But the futurewe can still change that. We can still save you, save everyone. The Heaven of Love I am dealing with it. But that is only one path. The war is here. Right here. She is right here. We cannot run. She has chosen. And so have I. And so must you. A flash of blinding light enveloped the edge of the Stormsparrow''s stage. Several Paladins flinched back before the visual-vector miracle splattered them apart. On the sides, Maru returned to his manifested bleed gunner, firing constantly from the crevices between its serpent-like form. His mind was a torrent of rage and fury, and he barely noticed Joust. But just a glimpse was enough to send him into a daze. Seconds later, the Paladin crashed down upon the stage, his heaven vanishing, his ephemeral form returning. But before he could say anything, Jaus greeted him with a smile. "Maru, it gladdens me to see you are still well." The Savior smiled, and Maru looked on with disbelief. Even as the battle raged beyond them, the paladin turned his attention to Avo and growled out a set of words. "What the fuck is this? How are you" "He is merely the enabler, not the architect," Jaus said. "And I am not truly myself, but then again, that just might be a philosophical question." Jaus gave Maru a wink before he turned his full attention to the Saintists. At once, Avo expanded Jaus form, turning his ghost from just the size of a man into a phantasmal behemoth, dwarfing the entire stage. Most of the fighters didn''t notice him at first, so consumed with their own survival that all else came second. But Avos hysteria captured their attention and magnified Joust''s very presence. At the same time, the Stormsparrow acquiesced to Avos demands and bestowed upon the Savior a mask unlike any other. It was a mask of black and white. It possessed no facial features; the colors met as if in a stalemated clash. DRAMATIS PERSONAE DESIGNATED: THE PROTAGONIST. YOU ARE THE HERO OF HEROES. YOUR ACTS SUPERSEDE ALL OTHER HEROES, AND YOU ALONE CAN DENY THE WILL OF THOSE YOU DEEM VILLAINS. SPEAK LOUDLY, SPEAK TRUE FROM YOUR HEART, AND ALL WILL KNOW THE WEIGHT IN YOUR WORDS. The mask settled upon Jaus face and then disintegrated altogether. Avo could still feel the bestowed miracle in the tapestry, but the saviors face remained bare, allowing him to speak truth without impediment. Looking on at Veylis, Jaus node took a calming breathone entirely unneeded since he wasn''t a physical entityCbefore speaking his first word. Veylis! Jaus voice boomed across the battlefield, across all of New Vultun, through each of Avos copies, into Cala Marlowes very lobby. The saviors presence was vast, and everyone would know of his presence in this hallowed place."Veylis! Stop this! I see what you''re doing, I see everything you''ve given, but stop this. Stop for just this moment, and face me. Face me as you did when you consigned me to the Ladder." That all continued on for a few seconds longer, but the Gatekeeper was the first to notice Jaus. Once, through an almost impossible effort, the galaxy receded back into the heaven of truth, and it gave a pitiful moan."Now creator truth? False." Both its queries were questionsfor what was a node in relation to the original? The Demiurge, meanwhile, went very still, even as a hand began erupting out from her form. While this continued, Avo did everything he could with his Heavens, fighting the rash among his allies, and denying its encroachment on himself as well. The full weight of Veylis attention fell upon Jaus like a falling meteor. Her perception splashed through the Stormsparrow''s opening curtains, and she regarded her father node with almost a look of disdain. "What a feeble attempt at deception, Dreamer," she said, her voice betraying no suffering, even as a familiar golden glaive began carving down the length of her abdomen. "It is no deception," Jaus said, resolute. "I am just a node of your father, but all he was, and all he can be, and all he feels are inherited within me. I am an echo of his legacy, and I have seen this day. I have rued this day, and now I must face this day." "Enough!" Veylis hissed. I will not be "No!" Jaus shot back, his voice rising to a staggering yell. "Never enough! And it will never be enough! And that is how I lost youbecause I let you become a Godclad in the first place. That was how I damned humanity! I stole Heaven. I should have just allowed them to stay fallen. Instead, we took from them their flawsand accepted their hubris as our own inheritance. We were not ready for such a burden. And so long as we remain human, we would never be.That was my great mistake, and for that, I deserve to be consigned to the Ladder. Veylis to tell you to surrender your FrameIm sorry. It was a more absurd than anyone could have endured. I might as well have asked you to abandon breath itself. In the aftermath of those words, Veylis went completely silent. "What is this?" she said. There was no anger in her voice, no scorn. Instead, Avos Hysteria captured a true, genuine feeling rising within the High Seraph. And it was cold dread. 28-15 Hope Forgotten (I) Hope? Hope is a terminal affliction; a crippling ailment. You can hope. I will take. I will inflict. I will decide. -Zein Thousandhand 28-15 Hope Forgotten (I) C[Mercy]C A node of Jaus Avandaer. How impossible. How unfathomable. And yet, how very acceptable. The Famine of Mercy peered through the threshold of the deep nether and watched the scene unfold. He hid his perception within his lesser selves. The nodes of Peace, Emotion, and Joy gathered like small cells surrounding the radiant cycles of autophagic dragons. Outrage suffused the Hungers, enough to strangle a mind down to nothingness. Jaus return, more than anything else, was a moment unforeseen. But the startlement of the Hungers was short-lived, for in its place rose loathing beyond the measurement of words. +Betrayer,+ the Hungers hissed, all other parties present forgotten. They stared through the gatekeeper, looking down into murky waters, and the clashing meta-realities projected by the Stormsparrow, the High Seraph, and the Burning Dreamer only made perception ever more difficult. There were thousands of egos present within the Court of Truth, and if simplified, the location could be separated into two sections. One was a receding cosmos, seeping back into an angel made from broken genes, held in the grasp of a time-forged titan crowned by a static veil. The other was a stage, protected by velvet curtains, bordered by a vibrant mask for a roof, with the sprawling tendrils of the Burning Dreamer coiling beyond the limits of continuity itself. Avo continued to function like a contagion, but he was more than that now. He was also a signal, a memetic messenger, bringing all that was unfolding within the Court to every sophont mind still capable of beholding this instant in history. Then, some of the sequences began to blend together, its branches collapsing and pooling, allowing ghosts to swell free from their crevices. In a few short moments, another pathway formed within the Court, this one leading to the now-falling Heaven of Love. Impossible colors spilled into the chamber, and a series of cries and groans rose immediately, the power of the Rash growing ever closer. Faintly, Mercy could hear the thumping of a heart, hear the wrongness in every beat. It sounded like broken fragments grinding against each other, and felt like daggers sliding down the edge of a shattered tooth. Faintly, the Famine also heard distant criestwo voices entwined within one mind. He recognized it to be Agnos Kae Kusanade, and the other... the other was an individual long death: Dawton Morrow Paladin; the Agnos lover; and sacrifice to ensure the delivery of the Stillborn. Ah, so that was how the High Seraph intended to lure the Burning Dreamer to serve her bidding. How cruel, how pointlessly droll. As the Hungers continued cursing the traitors name, the lesser Famines played the chorus of their masters, grousing. Another voice echoed within Mercys mind, a voice he was beginning to hear more and moresomething barely more than memory, and still more nonetheless. +You are not surprised because you always knew what was possible. Did the Unborn Divine ever demand that you, my fellow Nodes, the reason behind my turn, did they ever call for discovery or enlightenment, or did they just demand my death?+ Mercy didnt reply, but still, they turned nigh inward, regarding the specter of Defiance. He caught glimpses of the long-destroyed Famine as he traversed the Deep Nether. At first, Mercy thought himself afflicted with hallucinationsan unfortunate burden to bear with the assimilation of Defiances node. Now? As his dead twin spoke to him? He wasnt so sure. +Did you plan this? Is this among your many schemes, Defiance?+ The shadow of Defiance only smiled. +You hold my memories. You cannot recall. And neither can I.+ +Then how are we speaking?+ +Because you know how I was. What I was created to do. We are facets of who we were. And now, you and I are closer to Wahakten than any other. Such was the purpose behind our merger. And such is the reason why you dance so close to treason with what you plan.+ Mercy fell silent, considering the implication of Defiances words. His great goal remained the resurrection and ascension of Noloth. But what he intendedhow he wished ignited the Hungers Defiance was correct on this: If his masters truly knew what he desired, his fate would not be nullification, but absolute oblivion. The ultimate irony was Mercys liberation actually served its desired purpose. It made him more loyal to Noloth, but made him despise the weakness eating the Hungers. The City Eternal was meant to be composed by the finest stock. The brightest minds. The strongest souls. And yet they were rendered little more than rabble these days. Consumed by bitterness and fear and crippled of greatness. For all their power, they were powerless over themselves, and every emotion that the mobs felt cascaded greater, grew stronger. But these feelings roamed separate from their wills, and they didnt stop it they refused. And so Mercy began to think. For Noloth. Against Noloth. For the rabble to be a democracy, every citizen needed to be strong of spirit, and if not? Then this chaos needed to be reigned over by a king, and Mercy knew of only one who was capable of being a tyrant over their own mind. +There is an opening,+ Defiance whispered. +Cast aside whether I betrayed Noloth. Cast aside if I taught Jaus how to create the nodesor if he gained the knowledge some other way. Do you see it? The angle of your attack. The possibilities ahead?+ Mercy took everything in for a moment. He saw Jaus, offered to the countless many. He saw Avo. The Heaven of Love. The Gatekeeper. And Vator. His pieces were all coming together. Even with the Infacer enshrouding the High Seraphs mind, she was due a temporary death one way or another. The question was getting everything in place. Once more, Mercy took stock of his inventory of warminds. Too few. They had always been too few since the start of the war. With what he wanted to achieve, he needed to be audacious +The Gatekeeper must break,+ Defiance said softly. +And the Hungers must fall. When the realm of mind is rejoined with the world of matter, all that is will burn.+ +And how do you intend this?+ Mercy asked, barely withholding a scoff of annoyance. +Look upon them. They battle no moreC+ +Because of Jaus.+ +Yes.+ And then, Mercy realized what the shadow of Defiance was saying. +Why why do you help me now?+ +Because there is no me. There is no you. There is only Noloth. Or perhaps that is what you believe. I am not real, Mercy. I am just an expression of thought. Use this. Or dont. What worth is choice to one who isnt?+ And then, Defiance was gone again. Gone, like he never was. Once more, it was just Mercy. Mercy, and the lesser Famines he wielded. Mercy, and the great task of Noloths return. But such greatness demanded sacrifice. Impossible sacrifice. And perhaps the only way to draw himself close to Jaus was to make an unfathomable choice. One even more desperate than the gambit the Burning Dreamer performed against Veylis herself. For Noloth to rise, it needed to fall. The warminds needed to be expended. And Jaus. He needed to be Forgotten. *** [Avo] Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Jaus spoke, and Avo carried his voice across New Vultun and beyond. Across every copy, in millions upon millions of mind-lobbies, projected by phantoms over the firmaments of countless Sovereignties, and through the masks imposed on the Saintists by the Sparrow. Battles continued to rage between select cadres and Knots; ugly gashes of bleeding time and disfigurements of displaced space left the surface of New Vultun a mutilated mess, but as Avo dAvoted another [40%] of his cog-cap to Hysteria, Jaus spoke his words, and everyone heard them. A shiver ran through the fighters, through the trillion or so beings that dwelled in the megacity, whatever their clade, be they citizen or subject. I have done a great wrong. To myself. To humanity. To you, Veylis. To my oldest friend. To all that I care for. And the gods themselves. Jaus spoke, and the Nether trembled. His thoughtcast swept far and wide, reaching continental distances. {How} Kant murmured. The EGI was genuinely befuddled. They spoke to Avo now through an ansible broadcastthe avatar they deployed long dismissed with the outbreak of conflict. Up in the void, a few hundred thousand missiles continued to pepper Avos Strix Upon the Empty. Only a few carried kinetic or physically destructive payloads. Most continued to contain low-end memetic viruses set to infect the gestalt, further inoculating them against anything the Infacer could do. But even as they continued their assault, Avos Hysteria and Empathy caught something from their virtual-cognitive emanations. A sense of surprise. And relief. +NoCno, fuck!+ Marlowe cursed. A speck of Avos consciousness noted the collapse of her thoughtcast lobby. Ghosts burst free from the memory-architecturebut that mattered little. Where those sequences failed, Avos slithered in and replaced. All who still lived would witness Jaus, one way or another. With the conflict between the guilds crawling to a temporary cease, Jaus continued, I am not Jaus Avandaer. I am a node, a copy of his consciousness taken from the original himself. Believe me or do not, this is your prerogative. However, I want you to hear me now and listen to the truth in my words. The fine gold filaments outlining the Demiurge''s exterior opened just as another slash slipped between its ribs. Veylis was silent, her apprehension at an all-time high. But though Avo tasted the first flavors of her humanity and tasted her discomfort she remained unshaken as she devoted more power to suppressing the assault within her paths. As Naeko, Zein, and Alysim continued to gnaw at the High Seraph from within, they remained beyond Avo''s reach, with the constant, constant thought-wave detonations bombarding them. Avo considered calling out to Veylis, demanding that she grant them this moment as well. He didn''t dare to break Jaus''s speech. I will never regret breaking the gods, Jaus continued. Ghosts wisped free from his form, but his eyes shimmered like moist gems of turquoise. And though he was ghost-made, his emotionality was true. A conjoined cry of pain sang out from the Heaven of Love, the heaven that Avo connected to the Court of Truth via his gestalt. The Wombrrash was intensifying, but Kae needed to be here as well, whatever remained of her true self. But though I will never regret breaking the gods, I do mourn them. I mourn them, I mourn my actions, and I mourn ever allowing us to take up their taint. The pantheons were not only our tyrants, but also the twisted children of our hearts. Our desperate need to worship and exist on the canvas of a tortured existence. Godclads should have never been created. The power we possess is too much for human hearts to contain. Too much for even a mind. His last words were directed toward the Infacer. At once, the static crown upon Veylis'' head burst apart. The Infacer accelerated across the distance, traveling through a receding cosmos, arriving just before the scarlet curtains of the Sparrow. The Neo-Creationist Mind resembled waves of inward-collapsing radiation, and the static field of their ego brimmed with genuine annoyance. {Alright, neat trick. How did you do this, Dreamer? How much power did it take you to simulate these memories? And are you using the node I gave you that was supposed to be your father? But then again, I suppose I can respect cold-bloodedness like this. Using his corpse as a puppet?} Afraid it''s not my doing, Avo replied casually. A wry amusement flicked up within him as he realized another thing. Funny thing You could have discovered this just before I did. But you never managed to interrogate Defiance, right? Always ended in their nullification, leaving you to sift through the ruins. The Infacer scoffed and stopped talking to Avo. {Well then, puppet,} the Infacer said, regarding Jaus, who greeted the Neo-Creationist with a helpless smile. {Give me your best shot. Preach to me, Jaus Avandaer. Preach to me and argue about ethics, and philosophy, and dignity, and all that other junk you like. Preach to me, you miserable, overcomplicated little ape. Tickle my nostalgia.} As you wish, Jaus said. And I''ve missed you as well, old friend. If the future allows it, I would like to play another game of chess with you. If only to agitate you so. Now the Infacer grew silent, static ripples representing its ego calming substantially. {You never won. You would know that if you were Jaus.} I never won the chess game, Jaus replied. But I always managed to get more out of you than you did from me. Strange how that was. Does it still agitate you? The decision I made during the first game we played? Now the Infacer''s static went almost entirely still. Knight to H3, Jaus chuckled. You never did explain why that annoyed you so much. The genuine bemusement faded on Jaus''s face. And I never did quite finish reading that series you offered me. I tried, but it didn''t feel appropriate for a man my age. {Yeah, I guess Hogwarts doesn''t accept god-murdering messiah figures over the age of eight or so,} the Infacer replied, slightly glum. The E.G.I. sighed. {Jesus fucking Christ. You''re actually a node, aren''t you? I''m actually talking to a mind clone.} He gave a laugh of disbelief. {You believe this, Veylis? You''re dead. He''s fucking us over, even now. Even after all these years. There''s no getting around you, Jaus Avandaer. You''re like a pimple. A pimple deep inside my metaphorical asshole.} And suddenly, the Infacer seemed very tired. {All right. Have your moment and speak your piece. We still need to finish this horror show out. So give us your charm. Lets hear it.} I will not scorn you, Jaus said. He stated plainly, A mistake I made is just that. A mistake. My daughter, Veylis, I don''t blame you for what you wish. I don''t blame you for hoping, no matter what pain you inflicted on me. Giving you power, exposing you to this world... Jaus swallowed, almost unable to continue. I wish, I wish you could have seen something better. I wish you knew a better time, rather than war and death and calamity. I wish your childhood could have given you a taste for peace. But instead, I gave you power. As much power as I could, I let you change yourself. Alter the very design of your being, in hopes that you could be more than a person. Be beyond the vulnerabilities of humanity. I wanted all these things for you because I was afraid this world would take you from me. And when you became a god-clad, it was like a weight lifted from my chest. Another step away from death. Another step. We were on the path to glory. And at once, the Demiurge faded. Veylis herself returned. Her material form was nearly entirely split in half, but she showed no hint of pain, no sign of fear toward her impending death. At her heart, a golden slash, leaking the form of a trailing dragon, traveled deeper into her singularity core. You made the right choice, Veylis said resolutely. There is no purpose to regret. We are not children of a gentle world. We were born from the corpse of existence, and so must we endure the same ruin. She fell silent for a moment as she regarded her father. Did you strike a bargain with Noloth then, without my knowing? No, Jaus said. The truth might disappoint you all the same. I wanted to turn the Hungers, rehabilitate our foes even after their exile. I knew their priesthood was still lurking, and so, while we all walked the paths, I began to consider ways of mending what was lost. I targeted the Famines. In Defiance, I found an angle that I thought could bring us to a possible accord. Defiance? Veylis said, sounding more incensed than ever. Suddenly, her eyes drifted over to Avo, and the Strix simply looked down at her, the Soul socketed in its head like a cyclopean eye burning ever bright. It was not of Defiance''s doing. It was mine, Jaus said. All of this, the existence of the Burning Dreamer, the existence of the Symmetry, this rebellion against the Guildsit can all be traced back to me. Minds went blind with panic all around them. Maru was openly crying, his own thoughts entirely numb. All he could do was stare at Jaus, stare in awe, wonder, and loss. I endured the paths, Jaus continued, conviction building with every word, lived countless lives, faced countless encounters against the Famines, and I learned their ways. I learned enough to take upon their repurposed nodes and hide parts of myselfbones of my cognition within specific heavens, within places of critical infrastructure that only the Famine of Defiance might encounter. It was through this that I began his slow conversion. A disbelieving bark of laughter escaped the Infacer. {You conniving cunt. I cannot believe you. I simply cannot.} I know not how many other nodes of myself exist or where they are stored, but they do exist. And I have spoken to Defiance. Such is why the Burning Dreamer exists, he gestured towards Avo. Such is why I have been found again. This instance of myself was hidden within the Heaven of Love, Veylis. The Heaven of Love is now set to fall. Set to fall because you, my guilds, my hope, could not live up to the promise. This was not the dream. This cannot be the dream. What I brought to the old world was not salvation, but apocalypse. Trillions of deaths just for a chancea chance at a better tomorrow. A chance at a genuine resurrection. But here we are, empowered beyond our ancestors. Empowered with full knowledge of what they did wrong. With full knowledge of the future. With every benefit atour backs. And we still failed. Jaus voice rose to a shout now. We still failed. Not you. Not I. We. Together. All of us. Still not enough. And so you see. So you hear my desperation. And so you know why I walk the paths. And so you know why the latter could not be left in the hands of man. Living. Living right now was supposed to be the easiest test you have. Our lives were better than they could have ever been. We are beyond the grip of age. We can defy the laws of existence and make right what has been broken in the environment. But we do not do this. We did not do this. Instead, old grudges flared in place of a promised collaboration. Instead, my paladins were defiled from within and betrayed of purpose. Instead, the world is more broken than it has ever been. And now, as I come back, in whatever form I exist, all I can say is I''m sorry. I tried. I tried. And it was not enough. You clearly needed more. I didn''t have it. I didn''t. And he let out a weak, ragged breath. And so I committed to my final mistake: I tried to take the choice from all of you without ever telling you. Because I feared you would war against me. And I enjoyed your love. I enjoyed being beloved. Being wanted and desired. Worshipped. Jaus closed his eyes. I created the Gatekeeper to reign over us in our steads. And I damned it as well The Nether shifted. An impossible weight crashed down as a pressure builtthough this wasnt one of metaphysics, but that of mind, of a colossal entity that rivaled Avo himself. TRUTH TRUTH TRUTH TRUTH! The Gatekeeper wailed in desperation, its chains snapping back together, anticipating a coming blow. And then it was struck. The Heaven of Truth rattled and shook, and from within leaked spills of trauma-infused ghosts, carrying a loud, outraged scream. +JAUS! TRAITOR! YOUR TORMENT WILL BE ETERNAL FOR THIS!+ 28-15 Hope Forgotten (II) And the deepest cut is the one no one sees coming. -Zein Thousandhand 28-15 Hope Forgotten (II) The Hungers raged, spewing venom with each word. They arrived like a storm cloud forming over the court. With the recession of the Heaven of Truth''s cosmology, a swelling patch of darkness pooled above, forming a third boundary between Veylis''s paths and the Stormsparrow''s stage. The swirling maw of darkness twisted and splashed, like waves displaced by an emerging mountain. The first ridges of the City Eternal presented themselves. Dragons cycled through each other like torturous implements, burrowing through one another''s forms. Golden blood spilled out in the shadows, diluting the deepness of the nether. A vast cityscape of countless ziggurats, canals, and accretions greeted Avo''s perception. With each passing second, the oppressive atmosphere only intensified. But unlike before, Avo didn''t feel suffocated. Though the Hungers were still superior in cognitive bulk, Avo was something else entirelya being aligned with the nature of cognition, while the Hungers were merely its source. +Traitors! Traitors and bastards all!+ the Hungers bellowed. The rejection of their rage fell like an anvil of hatred. Countless Saintists cried out, their wards cracking beneath the onslaught. Static composed the Infacer, who shivered as if grains of dust caught in torrential gales. But the Neo-Creationist mind endured, as did all those under Avo''s protection. When the Hungers projected their rage, the Burning Dreamer became their bulwark, shielding them from any chance of nullification. And so it was that Jaus stood, a man rising above the porcelain mask that roofed the Storm Sparrow''s stage. Ghosts flicked from his form as he levitated, carried by Avo''s will. As he emerged atop the Storm Sparrow''s stage, he stood like an unshaken oak before the tantrum of a distant hurricane, with a dissonant placidity. With this same contrast, he spoke, all eyes on him and the Hungers, across New Vultun and beyond. Seen from the void, Avo felt a convergence of perceptionsof his templates, of the citizens and subjects of this wretched, ruined, wounded, yet magnificent world. +Greetings, Masters of Noloth,+ Jaus said, without any hint of insult or mockery. He pursed his lips as he regarded the Hungers, sampling their sweltering fury. +Time has not done you well. The wound at your heart has grown ever sicker.+ A sense of sadness crept over his expression. +I had hoped that you would have learned bitterness or some form of temperance, found some measure of release, despite all that you have suffered, despite all you intended to inflict.+ +Temperance? Bitterness?+ The Hungers were aghast. Composed of countless millions, the collective consciousness became an orchestra of disordered outrage. +You wretched bourbon, you... How do you even speak these words? Where do you get the breath? Where do you get the boldness?+ +Because it is the truth,+ Jaus replied, without any sense of hesitation. +I have always desired to bring about the best future for everyonenot just my people, not just for the Guilds, but for you as well. Because I considered you one of minemy compatriots, my burdens, my charge, those I wished to bring into the light, into an eternal future of glory and bliss, never to end.+ Then Jaus fell silent and contemplative. +But that was never to be, for you wanted more than bliss, you wanted more than glory, you wanted dominance and control. Fear, fear was what consumed you, and fear was what I wished to cure in you, every time we spoke, every conversation we traded. But I must ask you to forgive me now, for I am but a man, and you are a civilization, one that lived in darkness, one that festered in the underbelly, away from the prying gaze of slavering gods. I was not enough. I apologize, but you were also not enough for yourself. That is not an apology I can offer on your behalf.+ Avo didn''t know how, but the outrage of the Hungers only grew. Yet how little that mattered. What worth was the impotence of an exiled kingdom, cut low before they could ever be a true threat to the Guilds, a genuine power in their own right? +You did this to us,+ the Hungers said, their voices low and mournful. +For years, you cast us to the other side, used us as a fulcrum for your twisted benefits. The Nether, this realm of ours, formed of thoughts, the substance of our immortal souls, used as little more than a canvas, a dung heap for everyone to exploit. We are here, we drink your wasteful dreams, your traumas, all that you do not wish to remember, detritus and filth, staining the waters in which we drift. And as we bleed, that becomes the substance of your mental nectar, those dreams you inhabit, those paradises you construct within your own minds. The best from us, and the worst from you. That is what you did to us, Jaus Avandaer.+ +My dream,+ Jaus said, cutting the Hungers off with a resolute declaration, +was to incorporate you into my plans to come. Instead, you forced my hand and made me engineer your exile. And before you speak next, acknowledge what you intended to do. Acknowledge your desire to claim the minds of everyone within New Vutun. To betray all who stood alongside you during the gods'' fall, just out of fear. Out of the desire to be the sole inheritor of our great deeds and darkest sins. +I did not cut you down in an act of injustice. No, Noloth, you were sealed away for your sake and ours. The creation of the nether, likewise, was another necessity. No more heavens that rule over minds could be made, or down that path too much sorrow lay. For the self-determination of a human is one of the few privileges they might ever know. And to take that, to determine the limits of that+ Jaus cast his gaze downward, staring through the colorful mask that had once endured the bombardment of cosmological cataclysms. +Horrifying,+ Jaus finished, regarding Avo. +And yet look at us now,+ the Hungers said, referencing the very same thing Jaus was contemplating. +The Burning Dreamer, our bastard legacies entwined. You say you did not wish for the mind to be made a heaven, for there to be another god of cognition. Well then, Jaus Avandaer, we mock you. We laugh at your wretched fate. For in whose embrace do you lay? For by whose whims do you exist?+ "My own," Jaus replied, giving the Hungers a smile. "It is my act that seemed to set all this in motioneverything I have done to engineer a proper future, a foundation for what is to come." +A proper future for what? Determined by whom? You? You and your family?+ The Hungers'' voice was thick with disdain. +No. Gods, no.+ Jaus laughed. His chuckles were mirthful, yet humorless. For the first time, a sense of shame entered him. He looked upon Veylis, slowly coming asunder, split by a blade across time. +Then why didnt you talk to us before?+ the Hungers finally asked. +Where was this mercy you desired to offer, this clemency?+ Jaus simply stared at them. I have spoken to you countless times, but where my failing was hope, yours was fear. Fear that you could not maintain control. Fear. Same as all the other guilds. Same as my daughter. Same as any other power in this world. He gestured toward the gatekeeper and shook his head. The truth is that I never intended to reign over you. I, too, am bound for servitude beneath the whims of a more rational master. A more rational mind. The Hungers stopped, all of a sudden. Dragons that composed the continents of its civilization shuddered as the wide eyes lining the cracks between their scales glared down upon the sunken form of the gatekeeper. Where once the gatekeeper had seemed an angel of chains, its mind and body composed of shifting links, now it was a ruined amalgam of metal and radiant wounds, broken by Veylis and split from its purpose. "Truth, it murmured, projecting a power all its own unto the world. With each passing moment, an aura of disbelief grew, plunging down from the Hungers and drowning everyone. Slowly, laughter began to rise from the citizens of Nolothhumorless, joyless laughter, laughter of disbelief. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. +Really? This? This thing? This is what you would have chosen? To reign over us? To be our steward unto the future? This is your desired lord?+ Yes, Jaus replied, without a hint of shame. No, Veylis countered, standing in opposition to her father. Even as her flesh came apart, even with her head split clean in two, she could still glare upon the gatekeeper and project her own scorn. No, I will not be ruled by anything lesser than something worthy of true power. Father, you speak of projected fear, yet fear has unmade you, stripped you, and diverted you from glorious ascent. Veylis held out an arm, performing an almost pleading gesture toward her father. Be you a node, be you an illusion, it matters not. You are icon enough, the symbol of the savior. Hear my words now and know them to be true. I, Veylis Avandaer, will accept nothing less than the reign of the worthy, the reign of the powerful. Her voice took on a dangerous edge. The gatekeeper is not born of struggle nor strife. It is an instrument taken by a time of tribulation, a time that failed their tribulation. Voidwatch has given us much, granted us a second lease on life and wonders beyond wonders. Yet despite the power of our cousins, despite all they had achieved, we sit here, we dwell here, we suffer here because of their actions. And this is a truth above all other truths. And that is why we must be enough. You and I, Father, but especially you. Her voice softened with pain. You could have been more. You could have taken more. You could have been empowered more. Yet you turn away because you are her voice trailed off, almost pained, too human. She paused, her expression filled with conflicted emotions. I love the humanity in you, but it is poison. It is poison for you, and it is poison for me. As you were afraid of seeing me born into a world of strife, I was sickened to see you unmanned by the temptations of peace. Totality necessitates a strong hand. And to see you cede power in fear of what you might become, what promise might make of you, that broke my heart most of all. "What you want of me is beyond any man, Veylis," Jaus said, a mournful tone consuming his voice. For the first time, the savior was gone, and there stood only a father, spent beyond the measure of his strength. "I am just a man, Veylis. What you wish for me to do, what you desire of me, it is more than any human can bear, more than any mind can endure." "And so we must progress," Veylis continued, her aggression taking hold. The High Seraph could not be denied now, even as the Heaven of Love spread sores across what little organic tissue lined her bifurcated face, even as she slowly drew closer to a temporary demise. "We are human. We come into this world barely more than animals, screaming, wailing, blind, and drowned in sensation, soiling ourselves, painting our bodies with filth, and crying out at the indignity of our suffering. Yet in this world that becomes our cradle and our tomb, we strive, we slay. Within us burns a breath of ambition, a desire to become and to surpass. "The bones of our enemies become our spear tips and axe handles. The sky becomes a veil we will try to go beyond, to seek further mysteries, to master the flame that burns us and enslave it to our own desires. That is what it means to be human, Father. Not enough now? Then find a way to be moremore, progress, ascend, become." And with those words, a resonant cemetery rang within Avo. Now more than ever, cold dread seeped through the Burning Dreamer, and he realized that the High Seraph might have been closer to him in spirit than any other. But where she was fear, where she was all about dominance, he was about experience. He cared nothing for rulership; he simply wanted to become, while she wanted to be above all others. A look of pure heartbreak passed across Jauss face. He did not respond to his daughter immediately. Instead, he simply shook his head. "Did you ever get to live the life you desired, my girl? Did you ever become an archaeologist? Did you ever delve into the mysteries of bygone empires, search through ruins, sample their mysteries? Did you do any of this? Did you have a family? Did you spread your joy?" "This is a privilege not afforded to us," Veylis said. "We are at war." "You chose war!" Jaus interrupted. "I wanted you to have peace. I did not cause the gods fall for my own privilege, for my own benefit. I wanted to see you experience the dream, for everyone to experience the dream, to have a second chance at utopia, one that our forefathers failed to achieve, one that we might be able to bring into fruition. It was for youall of youbut you didnt want peace. None of you did." At that moment, Jaus gestured towards Avo as well, while looking at the Hungers. "Look upon us," the savior laughed, slightly hysterical. "Look upon us and see this tragicomedy. We gave so much to ensure our legacy, and yet, they dont realize, they dont appreciate, and they never wanted it. All that we have done, it is for our own selfish desires, projected onto our children. And in the end, what was it for?" The Hungers spoke no more. Their hate still burned, but now there was a discomfort, also staining their wounds like an infection kissed by salt. Releasing a sigh of despair, Jaus looked around and asked aloud, "Where is Naeko, Veylis? Bring himbring him out, bring him to me. He deserves to speak to me as well. I have missed him too. Let me see my son-to-be, but never who never was. The High Seraph stood unmoving, like a tombstone rather than a person. And in the silence, a chorus sang out, AND AS THE GRIEF REACHES ITS HEIGHT, THERE IN THE DARKNESS, A TRAITOR PERFORMS AN ACT OF TRANSGRESSION, TOWARDS UNUSUAL DELIGHTS. Avo looked upon the Storm Sparrow, but she simply shook her head. "The chorus sings, but I do not know. Again, I am merely the star, and not the writer of the show." [Mercy] From the perspective of countless famines, Mercy looked on at the miserable scene. But slowly, thoughts inside him were turning, turning faster and faster. There would be no way he could strike at Jaus Avandaernot with the InFacer there, not with the High Seraph there, and certainly not with Avo there. There were too many points of failure, and the Gatekeeper was still too powerful. Yet, Jaus wasnt the only fulcrum upon which New Vultun rested. There was also another, another that held even more importance. Another that composed the beating heart of the nether. With the shard of defiance added to him, the path between loyalty and treason grew ever thinner. But if he was going to do what he just thought, if this epiphany he gained was to be turned to actual action, then there would be no road back. Betrayal and service would become one and the same. +What are you thinking?+ Defiance asked. +I am thinking that the city needs a proper king,+ Mercy replied, gazing upon Avo. +I am thinking, thinking of how to disrupt all the pieces on this board, to strike a clean blow, and grant him a path forward, and grant us an opportunity to crown him with the City Eternal.+ +And how will this be done?+ Defiance asked. +With the warmind, the Forgotten. Your suggestion remains true, but the target has changed.+ +And who is the target now?+ Defiance whispered, his voice almost treasonous. +The Hungers, of course,+ Mercy replied. +Who else? Who else could see this coming? And who else holds the balance to the nether?+ +You know, if you do this, there will be no road back for us.+ +There was never any road back,+ Mercy said. +This was something that needed to be done a long time ago. And its only after your incorporation that I see it. The Hungers are masters individually. They were legends, artisans, geniuses, wonders all. But together, together they are fearful. Together they are so small and wretched. And so, what we need now is a radical transformation for our civilization and a new path forward. This moment, this place, the Court of Truth and the Gatekeeperit will be our witness, and it will be our channel. There is no other opportunity, and there is no other way. Noloth will return as a power unless it is transformed.+ Defiance simply smiled beneath his hood. +Well, the Hungers did ask to be burned.+ +That they did, didnt they?+ Mercy said. And with that, he cast his mind out to all the Famines of Joy before seizing them for his own use. [Avo] The space around the Hungers disordered. The feeling was faint at first, but then it grew stronger. Avo noticed a disappearance in the nether. It was like an absence forming across the vastness of the cognitive realm. They were shaped as if teeth closing around the City Eternal. And as they drifted forth, he prepared himself and marked the details on his cog feed for all connected to his mind to see. Yet it was not he who needed to be worried. As Jaus and Veylis sparred verbally, the Hungers reeled back, giving a cry of alarm. +Wait, what is this? Which one of you No! Stop! Wait! No! Notthis wontMERCY, I WILL+ And without warning, without preamble, and without a hint of explanation, the jaws of something unseen clamped down on the City Eternal. And all of a sudden, and the full weight of the collective Nether suddenly felt lightened as a cognitive disruption unlike any other swept through Avo and every other sophont on Idheim. 28-16 From Nothing I Am {WARNING TO ALL POLITIES! ZERO DAY METACOGNITION COLLAPSE DETECTED! EFFECT RADIUS: IDHEIM STABILITY ZONE NETHER HAS UNDERGONE COMPLETE DESTABILIZATION COLLAPSE POINT NARROWED: >>||<< COLLAPSE IDENTIFIED AS OPERATIVE AVO INITIATING CONTINGENCY BLEAK MINDKILLER TO BEGIN RADICAL QUARANTINE PROTOCOLS} -Voidwatch Communiqu 28-16 From Nothing I Am C[Avo ]C All is, all isn''t. Amidst the nothingness, an ego stirred. It noticed its own shape, contrasted with the backdrop. It was spherical, self-referential, and self-aware. More than this, however, it realized it was floating upon a phlogiston, but also part of the phlogiston as well. The substance cradling it also composed its shell and granted it understanding, meaning, memories, concepts, and more. A thought sparked within the sphere, this little burgeoning ego. It was both egg and yolk at the same time, one and the other, neither apart, not and true. An echo whispered, sound within the shell, and faintly it grew aware of the voices speakingits voices, the voices composing its mind. And as it noticed, it made the choice to listen. We''re alive, we''re alive, we''re still alive. We weren''t the one to hit, but the hungry, they''re gone. What just happened? Why did he do that? This voice was one born of absolute ignorance. Yet it itself could not be ignorant. For how else would it guide those who did not know? The end, the beginning, the end, the beginning, the end, the beginning... Another voice screamed, and excessive energy burned within it. Hysteria quivered. Everything magnifiedfeelings, memories, everything. It was terrified. It was ecstatic. It was here. And it was not dead yet. Pain, Trauma muttered. Somethings missing in me, Memory spoke. I am whole? Synthesis stated? Are the rest of you alright? I think, I think we have experienced nullification. The rend capacity is still at 91%. No overload. Was a good idea. Stay connected to the border. No overload. Empathy sounded. It spoke from within the other voices. And the other voices carried a trace of it as well. Slowly, the bits composing his personality came back together. That little ego, egg and yolk both, began to change in shape. Something shifted within its shell. A crack formed. A noise sounded. And a sliver of tendrils breached through the clefts in the structure. These tendrils were constructs of memory and also extensions of perception. They were composed of countless moments gathered in inimitable minds. But now they were part of him, just as he was a part of the grander wholeness. The nothing, the everything, made up the waters of the collective gestalt. With a strain of mental effort, the dreamer awakened, breaking through their shell. But the shell did not shatter. Rather, it collapsed and melted around its form. At once, as it passed through that barrier between the unknowing, the forgotten, the very true present, it revealed its face to be the eye of a Strix with a single burning eye. The eye was a funny thing. It burned here, in a place understood by the metaphors of water. But more than water, the metaphor here was also nothingness, chaos, absence. Light was not understood to be, and in the nothing, there was only a plane of dark. Its water was still and unmoving, but ever-changing, paradoxically so. Separating this darkness were countless more fissures upon its face. They resembled frozen candles in the distance, other souls halted mid-burn. A resonance passed out from Avo as he suddenly remembered his name. Avohe was the Overheaven of Conceptualization. He was. He was. There was something missing inside him, an essential piece of knowledge that was outright obliterated. He reached back, but it wasn''t there. Strangely, it felt like it never was. But there was also a sense that it would return, an impending collapse. He felt a shiver of strain pass through the surrounding consciousness. And as he swept through the surrounding area, he saw the frozen filaments that composed a strand of ego connected to uncountable little lives. Everything was untangled here. Everything. The plane of thought, once nested above the material world, was unrooted. Its core had been dissolved, and without a pillar, all had begun to spill into another. Roads turned fluid, splashing down other pathways, and emotions ran unfettered. Phantasmics and their component memories were no longer a part, and so their purpose could no longer be served either. A pervasive plague swept through the yolk. Avo felt this. He felt his consciousness breaking, splintering, birthing lesser versions of itself, mutations unable to sustain their own egos. There were offshoots of him, but only ruined offspring. The Heaven of Love, it is falling. He needed to get back to it. He needed to find where it was and siphon its rot. But he was lost here, lost in this miasma, lost and without direction. There was no light. There was only the yolk, the egg, his ego, and those frozen flames. Frozen flames. Souls. Heavens. There was a path still, but there were so many of them. They dotted this canvas of darkness as if stars in a dying universe. Good, you are composed. A voice interrupted Avo thoughts, and his tendrils reached out in search of the broadcast''s origin. After a few moments of groping, there, just before him, knelt a hooded man. His expression was euphoric, but also sorrowful. His skin was dark, aged, and then not, his features cycling between youthful and elderly with each passing moment. As he spoke, the whiteness of his hair turned black, and back to white again, enabling a sense of familiarity with this strange figure. He knew them, he loved them, he hated them, he''d known them all his life. This was Evo''s creator, and it was also his enemy. Confusion swelled within the ego of the Over-Heaven as he struggled to put his thoughts together. The Warmind of the Forgotten is unfinished at best, the stranger said. A tool of many tools, a weapon the priesthood much loathed and used. Removing something from the consciousness, all consciousness, deals damage not only to the person who remembers it, but also to the collective knowing itself. What I have done has wounded the Nether, but just as well. The Forgotten was an unfinished weapon, and though its power is significant, this will not last. Everything will return to the state it was. But we have just long enough to complete my service and my treason. Do not trust him, Ignorance said, his voice echoing within the Strix. He is a famine of no love. Engineer, you are subservience. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Hello to you too, Ignorance, the priest said. A spike of alarm sounded from the Definement. He knows I''m here. He can hear me. Yes, the priest replied. I can hear everything, and so can you, if you would only listen. All that is of mind has been untangled. The removal of the priest frowned for a moment, his brows furrowing, a look of pain creeping over his features. Suddenly, he let out a laugh, and then a sob. And as tears began to stream down his face, he chuckled, mirthlessly shaking his head. I do not remember myself, but I have severed this place from its pillar, and these waters are untethered, unbound, but not for long. You, you now have an opening. Look across from you. Look. And then there was light. Ghosts washed out from the priest and formed a bridge. No, a pathway. And at the end of the pathway, Avo saw a fallen figure shivering upon the waters. Their body was made from shifting chains, while its head was a collection of myriad skulls. It struggled as it reached up. Its form lit by the faint embers of soul fire, and a pitiful groan echoed from its very thoughts. True, false, true, false, true, false. With every passing emanation from its mind, its desperation grew more severe. It is suffering, the priest said. It suffers now because, in this place, all is true, but all is not. Here is the paradox. The universe had to come from something. Thought had to come from somewhere. But without this, without us, who was to say which shape the world should take? Who was to observe the brightness of stars, feel the roughness of stone, suffer the indignities of life, and revel in the flavors of joy? Perhaps everything was before we were here, but who was to say what purpose does a painting have without an observer? Ignoring the priest''s words, Avo reached out with his tendrils as he slowly struggled through stilted waters of thought. As he moved through the frozen strands, every inch of ground compelled him to suffer exertion. Every bit of strain was like pushing through a swamp. Yet he was thought itself, and thought could glide upon thought, regardless of the difficulty entailed. Slowly, his sequences burrowed into the gatekeeper, his structure overlapping with it. As he sank deep, his soul fire spilled inwards, running down his eyes like circuitry as his flame melded with the gatekeeper''s. At once, numbers began to flash across his vision, strings of mem-data. And as he delved deep into its structure, he felt a critical absence, something he was long looking for. The time-wrought wound Veylis inflicted upon it was no more. The Gatekeeper was clear, clean, and pure. The High Seraph herself was nowhere to be seen. Good, the priest said, the sound almost resigned. Now, consume it. Avo paused, turning to face the priest. Why? Why should I do what you ask of me? Because it will collapse the Nether? the priest said simply, not bothering to hide his subterfuge. The Definement within Avo went silent, and for the first time, a flicker of secondary consciousness emerged within the Overheaven. [What the fuck?] Chambers said, his voice a squeak, emitted from one of Avos sequences. [What the fuck is right?] Abrel agreed. [Where the hells are we? Avo! Half-strand! What the hell have you done this time?] Not my doing, the Overheaven replied, keeping his attention focused on the priest. Why do you want to claim the nether? Is this for it? For it? Memories were still missing. They were on the tip of his mind, but he couldn''t find them. There was something taken away. It is to crown you, the priest said. Again, they laughed, and this time their laughter took a self-deprecating tone. For you. This was all for you. In the end, I''ve come full circle. The priest fell silent, and he looked upon the Strix, eyes glistening somewhere between pride and lament. When I first took Defiance''s pieces within me, I thought it would give me awareness, understanding, rationality to comprehend my enemies. But instead, it poisoned me. It poisoned me and gave me everything I wanted. Paradoxical. Just like this place. Just like the concept of the self. All I have done, I''ve done in service of the City Eternal, the true heart of Noloth. These people I called my masters, these elites, the philosophers, masters and mistresses, I have adored them. I have seen them grow and I have seen them wane, despite having their eternal life, despite being spared the touch of gods. A paranoia consumed them. They knew no wonder, and they retreated inwards. [Avo,] Draus''s template muttered in the back of his mind, [might want to consider leaving this one. He don''t sound too stable no more.] No, Avo replied. I think he''s as stable as he''s ever been. He still couldn''t quite remember the priest. There were pieces of him, flashes and shadows of memory, but the connecting tissue was missing, obliterated. Just as well, the priest said. I sacrificed my only son, that which was my flesh, to satisfy the urges and commands of my masters. A beat followed, and the priest''s face quivered, then went flat. No, it was for me, all for me. I had a choice between love and pride, and I chose pride. Though I would always choose pride, it gnawed at me, it boiled inside of me, so much that I split myself into four, and now two back to one. Are you seeking redemption, Mercy? Avo asked. The name slipped out of him. He didn''t recall it. It was just there. Redemption, the priest looked at the Overheaven with confusion. What redemption is there to seek? Right now, I have committed a grand betrayal, but also an act of glorious service. The hungers will torture me, will spurn me, and then they will reward me, for what I have given them is the path to their salvation. You. [What the fuck is he on about?] Shotin sounded in the back of Avo mind. [Avo, I can''t believe I''m saying this shit. I think I agree with the Reg. Man saying here is long gone. You better know and get vacant from this place. However, you can.] Shotins template looked around, peering through Avos eyes. [Wherever this fucking place is, giving me the creeps, Avo. It''s just black and nothing, and memories are bleeding all over. Am I in this sludge?] We are all in this, the priest replied, speaking to the template. [Shit. Perfect. He can hear me,] Shotin said. [Hey, half-strand. Since you''re listening in, wheres the way out?] Soon as Shotin asked, that entire backdrop of darkness shuddered. A new color intruded, piercing through the inscrutable black needles piercing the dermis of skin. The intrusion came from over a thousand angles, was separated from the darkness, with tips of static gliding clean through this collapsing space. But wrapped within the static was also gold, a familiar gold that filled Avo with sudden alarm. Veylis. He could feel her heaven, but more than that, he could feel the Infacer''s influence even more. Ah, the priest said, giving a lamentable sigh. I assumed we had more time, but it seems the mind that hunts other minds remains the most formidable adversary. Well then, dreamer, it is time for a second dream. You have been a monster, a slave, and then a rebel, a weapon, a god in the making, and something greater than that, an ark, a vessel of hope. But now, with all that you''ve experienced and all the minds you embody, there is a final destination to where you must embark. For eons, the City Eternal stood, a democracy unto itself, a place of equals, legends all. But now, in their years spent in exile, riven by fear and unmade by their own weakness, I, Mercy, ascended famine among the priesthood of Noloth, cast my solitary vote and use this transgression, this service, to crown a proper king for a city lost to disarray. For when democracy falls, then let it be so, and let us choose a worthy tyrant to use its corpse as a cocoon. May you bring about something better, may you mantle this new world, and may you bring grand convergence in this return of the old and new. What are you asking of me? Avo said, his mind spiraling. There must be a trap here, a place of deception. Yet, within him, he heard Ignorance whisper, He''s telling the truth. Hysteria screamed. Truth? It can''t be, but it is, it is, it is. Empathy wailed within them. He''s hurt, he''s had, he''s desperate, and we are all he has. The Strix looked down upon the priest, and slowly, the shadow of Wahakten knelt down and bowed before their former adversary, their former creation. It is a strange flavor to give myself this way, but I welcome you, new master, new king. I welcome you to mantle the City Eternal. May you devour the powers of truth. May the realm of mind and matter marry once more. 28-17 Three Kingdoms Fall And here''s the hardest lesson of all, consangs. You can get everything right. Your prep can be mono-sharp and perfect. Your sheath can be designed down to the cell for the battle you''re about to wage. But sometimes Sometimes shit just goes wrong. Sometimes, you lose people. Sometimes you just lose. -Quail Tavers 28-17 Three Kingdoms Fall More threads of static-confused gold pierced deep into this tapestry of nothingness. With the priest''s words at an end and a choice laying before him, Avo looked down upon the Gatekeeper, and a sense of pity arose from the Overheavens being. The Strix drew the Heaven of Truth closer to him. Here lay Jaus creation, made to guide men towards a better future, broken by his sister, in defiance of her father''s will. It lifted its head, and from within the sockets of his many clustered skulls, a feeling emanated: relief; salvation; an ending, be it restoration or restful oblivion. "Gatekeeper," Avo greeted. I have come to relieve you. From the Overheaven, another voice spoke as well. Gatekeeper. I thank you for all that you have done. And I beg your forgiveness for what you have unduly suffered. As Jaus spoke, the Heaven of Truth simply sagged, and slowly, the Nether began to shift once more. The threshold between the planes was coming undone. Whatever was to follow, Idheim would be irrevocably changed once more. It begins, then, the Famine of Mercy said. The opening act of the final war. The warmind of the Forgotten will soon fail. After that, the Hungers will return, bound to all minds. Claim it then. Claim your rightful throne. Grant Noloth a proper resurrection. And the priest paused. And make right our failing. Ours, and all the others. Of this, I beg. The Strix judged Mercy for but a moment, and some part of him already knew these words to be the truth. But the Gatekeeper was here, and there was no need to rely on intuition when reality could be wielded instead. [Truth,] the Gatekeeper declared. So came the judgement. So came the verdict from the Heaven of Truth, showing the Famine to be barren of deceit and honest in want. Avo pulled the Gatekeeper into his grasp via tendrils formed from myriad streams of ghosts and a strange chuckle escaped him. Defiance. He infects us all. Realization infects us all, Mercy answered. I was but a facet of a man. Now I am more. I have seen more. And I remain changed and unchanged at once. All this for Noloth. All this for my pride, even if it is not the want of the city, not the want of my masters. My oath was to service, not to a coddling death. And with that, there was little more to say. Immediately, the Strix burrowed every last branch of consciousness it had and drank deep from the Heaven of Truth. Soulfire greeted soulfire, and ripples of emanating radiance swept over the Gatekeeper and Avo felt the clefts lining its broken ego. REVIEWING MYTHOLOGY REVIEWING COGNITIVE STRUCTURE INITIATING RESTORATION Avos many tendrils expanded within the Heaven of Truth, and he began to stitch its mind back together piece by piece. A thought occurred to him then: he could just inject some entropy into the Gatekeeper. Make their end fast and sup them dry of thaums. It was a cold choicebut one that would grant him near transcendence thanks to its surfeit of thaums. It was already at Sphere Nine, on the brink of going over, and he was but a bit beyond the cusp of Seven. He was close to the end. So close. A path to a premature victory had arrived via a most unexpected vector. [Truth,] the Gatekeeper replied, and a feeling of encouragement came from the Gatekeeper. It wished only to serve, even now. However, another voice intruded upon the choice to be made, and Jaus spoke with weariness. [Avo, please. It deserves to be more than mere sacrifice. Consider how this might define you. Consider who you wish to be. And do not deny yourself the Gatekeepers enlightenment. Take it into yourself. Do this properly.] [Whole,] the Gatekeeper followed, speaking with no small amount of yearning. Yes, Avo said, his virtue and avarice for more influence aligned for this ridiculous moment. REPAIRING MYTHOLOGY - 5% REPAIRING COGNITION - 7% The shifting chains that composed the Gatekeeper''s wings rattled and, as it was enveloped by closing phantasmal fingers, it vanished into the Strix, melding into its gestalt. At once, the Heaven of Truth materialized in his Exo-Paracosm, and with each progressive moment, its cognition came together. [Hello, Gatekeeper,] Jaus said, his voice serene and excited at once. [Creator,] the Gatekeeper replied. [Iapologize for not living up to my task.] [I apologize for not quelling the wrongness within my daughter''s heart.] Jaus sighed. He looked down and shook his head. [There are a great many things we all do wrong. All we can do is face them, I suppose, when we can while we''re here.] [And I am still here,] the Gatekeeper continued. It regarded itself with a new sense of surprise as more of its self-awareness returned. [I like being here. I like being whole again.] A second Soul ignited within Avos, and he felt his bright dwarfed by far. He thought himself the heart of a star when he reached the Seventh Sphere, but the Gatekeeper was an inferno to his candle. As he mended its damage, the Nether began to uncoil, and the threshold between the planes of matter and mind dissolved evermore. More, a new presence was forming within him as well, and a new Definement settled among the others. Truths manifestation arrived with more certitude and solidity than all his brethren before. Before, the countless templates within him and his own mind itself perceived the world through a narrow lens of distortion. All their memories, all his conceptionsthey twisted him, a deception of perception, leaving the ultimate platonic shape of reality was therefore lost. But now, things were becoming clearer, Avo. It was as if an adjustment was made to his cog-feed, revealing just how much he''d been missing, like an adjustment of clarity made to his cog-feed, subtle and fundamental at the same time. Then, he saw it. Here, in the Nether, where all the strands of memories were coalesced, Avo saw a scattered collection of other souls flickering in the darkness. Not just flickering, but pulsing, flaring in rhythm and sequence. For a beat, he thought he was perceiving a tide of backlashes sweeping through countless other Godclads across New Vultun as the rhythm began to alternate, and his Synchronicity detected a symmetry across the frequencies. Avo cast aside that notion altogether. The reaction of teh Souls were by design, compelled by an outside force. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. [Infacer,] the Gatekeeper said. [They are here and something more more than all of us...] And suddenly, suspicion was greeted with the nectar of Truth. Streams of coruscating chronology burst free from the affected Souls and Avo sensed a spreading set of arteries extend between them, slicing into the Nether and spreading from all angles. With the Gatekeeper removed, Nether began to descendthe separation of realms no longer enforced. But even as it did, across a thousand desperate souls, the threads of gold traveled, and more than that, waves of static swept out, consuming all that was mind and memory. For just a moment, it as if all reality shivered, and Avo felt like a bug caught in the turning blankets of some manner of metaphysical giant. Then, he felt a horrific smallness pass over him; a reminder that one could be crushed by totality, even if they knew what it was. It was one thing to conceptualize. It was another to experience. SLEEPER, AN UNGOD OF MACHINE BORN (ERRRO3231./,.]`] Briefly, a title appeared, and then vanished thereafter. But its presence more than imprinted itself on Avo. It was like all existence briefly gained its own network for consciousness, a nervous system connecting the realm above to the deepest cell within a human body. But then it was gone, dormant once more, but that just caused the fractures of gold to spread ever faster. Where they were leaking in before, now they creeped over the mindscape, as if everything around Avo was glass, graced by a wrecking ball. Time has come for us, the Famine of Mercy said. His words were true in more ways than one. He reached out to Avo and bowed his head. I give myself unto thee, oh lord of the sending flame, oh dreamer of no loss, resurrection. As I have served the City Eternal, so too will I serve you, towards the benefit of no law, towards the salvation of our history. Guide us through the coming war. Another thread of consciousness snaked out from Avo that consumed the priest as well, and he joined the vast civilization budding within him. More static grains began to spill over from the surrounding gold, and at once, the countless strands that composed the Nether began to untangle. The sensation of a coming plunge loomed. A new voice called out to Avo emanating from all sides. Gaps were forming between the sequences. He could peer down from the skiesdown at the material world, veined by countless strings of consciousness drawn upward. {Well, I suppose my compliments are in order. Congratulations, priest. I cannot say that I saw this coming,} the Infacer spoke, but Avo sensed nothing of Veylis in the backdrop. Even though her power was forcing through the nether, her mind fell vaguely absent, Hysteria brushing none of her cognitive breadth. "Infacer," Avo replied in greeting. He drew upon his other Heavens, and though he tried to contact his actual cadre and trigger the full power of his gestalt, everything was still too entangled. Their egos felt like they were captured in a cluttered nest, the borders between their selves melded in a conjoining mess. But his templates were still here, as were his Heavens, and they materialized within him: blood, glass, wind, space, continuity, and more. So much more. {So,} the Infacer continued. Avo felt the neo-creationist mind leaping closer and closer, and slowly he realized that he was being encircled by time itself. {Was this part of your plan as well? Did you come to an arrangement with your old masters?} Avo wanted to lie. He wanted to taunt the Invader and enrage them. But alas, he recently swallowed the pill of truth, and by compulsion and philosophical exhaustion, honesty slipped free from him. "Probably about as surprised as you are. Didn''t see any of this coming. Didn''t see a lot coming." REPAIRING MYTHOLOGY - 19% REPAIRING COGNITION - 23% The strings of gold suddenly paused. The Infacer spoke once more. {Well, that makes the two of us. If nothing else, I appreciate the novelty. Avo, it''s been a long, long time since I''ve ever felt this surprised. Just a shame it has to end.} And at once, everything but the tendrils of gold fractured as time itself began to invert. Alarm erupted within Avo, as countless sequences were severed clean from the passage of history, cast back into the ever-chasing oblivion behind them. Existence unraveled along the lines of a million different arteries. Continuity between so many severed, and entire sections of the Nether fell away, Hysteria revealing billions of convulsing bodies to Avountold amounts of people damned to a helpless nulling. No further discussion took place between the Dreamer and the Infacer. As the canvas of absolute blackness split apart, the static-crowned titan of time pushed up into the guts of the collapsing plane in like a rabid dog digging its snout into untangling intestines. The Nether dropped. The Nether parted. The Nether ceased to be. Cognition was no longer separate from baseline reality, and branches of memory reeled back down toward the minds they were sourced from. The Nether broke apart, and as fluidity returned to consciousness, countless previously dormant sequences ignited in the presence of Avos flames. The Strix dove into mental cascade chronology collapsed around him. Bearing the Gatekeeper''s body, he jumped from burning thread to burning thread, his subminds shifting constantly, sparing him from death after death. As he fled, he drew deep from his Exo-Paracosm and fed what entropy he had into ghosts assigned to rupture time. They speared out at the Demiurge, detonating upon the surface of the tapestry and fracturing existence evermore. Bound to a collapsing ocean of minds, Avo drank deep from their memories to feed his weapons of metacognitive alchemy. New ruptures formed, temporal realities shuddered, and the flow of progression ceased to be a thing one could comprehend. The lashing whips guided by the Demiurge twisted and dissolved as it skipped across the surface of chronology to pursue him downward. Still, Avo felt nothing of Veylis presence, but the static crown, golden titan''s head, pulsed with even more activity. If it was the Infacer that was piloting the High Seraph herself. [Truth.] The Gatekeeper mumbled. Well, that explained more than a few things about her survivability in the face of Ori-Thaum. REPAIRING MYTHOLOGY - 28% REPAIRING COGNITION - 32% Both sides began to wield the full spectrum of the maned, their miracles flowing as if arguments exchanged. Reality tore, space broke, matter ceased to be. Entire sections of memory were scythed away by detonations. As Avo burned along a million threads, he simply changed where he was, his Heaven trespassed beyond the boundaries of spacetime''s continuity. At the same time, concurrently, time itself grew ever more fractured, and more thoughtwaves lashed out, seeking to claim him at last. Broken fractals blared in all directions as sections of reality began to turn in wrong directions. Portions of space began to loop, began to revert, or began to accelerate, and these temporal wounds became as if a trench across the length of the tapestry. One that the Demiurge had to avoid. Millions were dying as a result of their struggle. Millions in a span of microseconds. These sequences belonged to people, slowly retracting across from sky, away from Scale, and they were the only bulwark Avo had against the Demiurges unrelenting onslaught. A mere second''s stillness of the nether was long lost, and the miasmic realm, once rested above a material world, came splashing down over New Vultun, over all of Idheim, as countless sequences and creations snapped back into their component egos, as if people were drawing down rivers of phantasmal brightness beyond the reach of the sky. And then something echoed in existence, and Hysteria detected Veylis presence within her own Heaven. Thank you, Infacer. I have this now. Suddenly, Veylis wasnt. Avo triggered his Pre-Cognition and paired that with the Gatekeepers aid. The path ahead broke along countless forking pathwaysmemories to escape within; sequences to accelerate along. But with the Nether broken the mental and the material were drawing ever-closer, and ever mind in Idheims existence was caught in a grand waterfall crashing down through the clouds of Scale. COG-CAP - 91% He reached out with his mind, he lashed out with Pattern-Nullifications, and he constantly shifted his position as he plotted route after route. The Gatekeeper called out with answers of truth to every path that guaranteed his survival, but this was only a scant delay. The Demiurge was multiplying. Another cog-feed flashed within Avos mind, and his foresight showed countless golden titans slashing and tearing through the falling streams of thought, their numbers increasing by the exponent, the pace of their attacks growing as well. Soon, there would be no sequence to flee, and the damage she would inflict on New Vultun Two other sensations slammed down hard against Avos Frame. He felt his Soul quiver and the many incarnations of Veylis collapsed back into a single form for a staggered instant. Above the thick branches of the Nether, pockets of absence burst, and Avo felt a warmind come undone. [The Forgotton has failed,] Mercy declared. [Witness, my king. Your throne descends.] And true to his words, a massive presence crashed down, parting the clouds and choking the light away. Spinning dragons turned fast as a cacophony of voices wailed from its body. Connected to all these umbilical sequences, the Hungers resembled a horrid aberration plucked from a womb above the sky. THE HUNGERS, THE CITY ETERNAL (MIND/THOUGHT/MEMORY/TRAUMA) [EST.991000000] The citizens of the City Eternal cried out for their priests, for the Nether, for even Avo to preserve them, but as they dropped, another presence awaited far below within the guts of the Paladins mountain fortress. It made itself known with a pulsing heartbeat, and all of a sudden, new dragons began to burst forth from the wounds lining the Hungers body, metaphysical sores bursting free. +TOGETHER! TOGETHER! TOGETHER!+ Kaes voice rose in a rapturous cry. And so the realm of thought and memory collapsed. Into the open embrace of loves rotting corpse. 28-18 A Fated Wound I was there during the first battle of The Embracement War. Noloth smashed down on us. Hit us like a godsdamned motherfucking warhead made to disfigure cognition and chronology. Everyone got lost. Everyone. The mental and material started blurring together, and every now again, time itself tried to kill you. I cant tell you how many died that day. More than the numbers recorded. But I can tell you that part of me is still lost in that haze trapped. I dont know if Im awake right now. I dont know if Im just lost in my own mind. I cant tell if I cant tell whats real anymore. And maybe that doesnt matter. Maybe its all one and the same. I dont know. And I dont think anyone else does either. And I thought fucking Kososo was bad. -Tigertail, Stormtree Bloodthane 28-18 A Fated Wound Every strand of consciousness within Avo exploded into action. A sanguine storm assailed Veylis''s haemokinetic projectiles, detonating against the Demiurge in staggering blossoms of fire and force. As she struck back, he vanished, his evasion conducted by memory and metaphysics. A conjured memory of the Fardrifter created a tunnel of paths for him, and he moved from labyrinths of space over to simulations of memory, barely evading blows and implosions that sought to invert time. His Pre-Cognition continued to be his Soul-saving grace. It, in coordination with the Gatekeeper, revealed the way ahead of him. Countless deaths were simulated within the depths of his mind, and his cog-feed approached critical capacity. COG-CAP - 96% With his Rend growing not far behind, the patterns of chronology vibrated constantly on the face of the tapestry, and the High Seraphs onslaught grew to a nightmarish frequency. It was as if a variant of her existed at all points in time. Every second, every microsecond into the future, the deniers fragmented, and time ran as if a parting stream, dividing parallel to match each sequence of memory in existence. There were trillions of beings that lived, on Idheim, and from them came exponentially more recollections, memories, moments, emotions. To sort through all these details would be a colossal task, impossible for almost all. But Veylisaligned with the Infacerwas a cut above the rest. Waves of expanding radiation detonated outwards in spheres of static developed. Entire portions of the collapsing netherthe Infacerhad never been mortal, had been crafted to cull other superintelligent minds. And as a machine-intellect empowered by a Soul, they had means of contending with hostile intelligences, all the same. The duel grew frenzied. The attacks they inflicted were turned against him as Veylis parried him with kinetic constructs. Her cuts bore into their chronology, and her strikes traveled across time to slash the place from which they were spawned. But the Strix moved, jumping from thought to thought, memory to memory. Hysteria allowed him to reach across impossible distances, diving into symmetrical thoughts and Synchronicity offered him with the ability to hide. Better than any Necrojack in existence, his assault, capable of scouring entire districts within a microsecond, was less than an inconvenience to the High Seraph. But she herself was slashing blind, carving her path through the shrubs of the falling mental world, barely missing him by inches and seconds. A charted route flashed red before Avo, as the Gatekeeper screamed for him to evade. He did so, barely. Suddenly, strings of memory he crawled upon were no more. At the same time, another portion of him was fleeing downward, the same strikes descending, moving in two places at once. The spinning dragons that composed the City Eternal drew ever closer, and an emanation rose like a volcanic eruption from the Heaven of Love, bathing Scale in fetid miracles. A chorus of madness erupted in the back of Avo''s mind, as his memories developed fraying mutations. His words rattled, and only by his absolute control over his own cognition did he remain sane against the schizophrenia, the divine form of his ultimate Heaven. Phantasmal sores burst open upon the Strixs abyssal flesh, and Soulfire ruptured free, spraying jets of metaphysical fire into existence. Mere seconds later, small beaks emerged from these wounds and screamed their outrage and horror into existence. Pure trauma began to pour free from his body, and as they greeted the tapestry, reality fractured and tore. And this expression of damage was shared by the Hungers, who hatched new extensions from their writhing flesh, who wailed with touched by the Remembrance, who carved caverns of absence across Scale as their perception scythed through the land, piercing space, time, matter, and memite all. The material, the mental, and the metaphysical were slowly becoming one insane coalescence. But he was not the only one affected by the Heaven of Love''s miracles, as Mercy had made his impossible play within Scale. The Remembrance, pulled across reality by Avo''s gestalt, remained within the heart of the court, and its entropic presence grew stronger with each passing second between the pulsing beats and the finally fallen heart. The strands of time composing Veylis''s Demiurge frayed. Though her focus was beyond human, her mastery was of the world without inflicting control by deciding the design of history for but a beat a single second in time Veylis Avandaer hesitated; Veylis Avandaer struggled against purest agony as her body, ephemeral and metaphysical, began coming apart with a grueling flood of time-wrought homunculi. Avo stole the moment. A torrent of ghosts exploded out from his being. The Ghostjack flared within him, and the spire-like phantasmic cast synaptic energy that licked his Soul far within. Crackles surged across his ghosts, jumping along his sequences and gathering the rend nested within the wards lining the interior of his soul. A stream of trauma blasted out from the Strix''s cyclopean eye, and as it existed beyond the confines of continuity, the attack materialized from over a million vectors, each one spearing out at impossible speed, splashing over the Demiurge, consuming her in a phantasmal net. Quickly, Avo grasped her form and layered his sequences around her, but just as he prepared to strike her memories from existence and sever the High Seraph from causality itself, the Gatekeeper screamed in the back of his mind. [STOP!] Avo did so without hesitating. His ghosts splashed apart, the Rend receded into his body, and just in time. A field expanded out from the Demiurge, and present churned backward to history, where the jaws of oblivion were ever encroaching. As his ghosts retreated, her Rend splashed out in an unmaking tide. The space around Veylis simply ceased to be; that patch of existence no longer existed. For the first time, Avo beheld nothingness, true and genuine nothingness. It was not like the emptiness of space, for the tapestries that existed there were voids containing other expressions. Nothingness was nothingness, beneath conceptualization, before existencethe purest wound one would ever know. All of Avo''s Definement shuddered, and he did his best to avert his gaze. For one who wished to know the world, what horror was greater than the ultimate unbecoming? His hope of striking a fatal blow against the High Seraph had been a false one. Without his precognition, without the Gatekeeper, death would have consumed him, death chasing so close behind. Another deafening scream passed over the expanse of existence. Avo watched, his surprise mixing with Mercy''s horror, as the Hungers plunged down. The existential wound Veylis left upon the framework of realitya small dot of nothingness occupied a sphere no larger than a hundred meters. But it bore clean through the dragons, clean through its time-forged scales, clean through the city in the crenelations, clean through all there was, for nothing could counter nothingness itself. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Where the hungers were merely screaming from terror before, now a cry of true pain erupted from the falling City of Noloth. The first hint of a naked emotion leaked over into Mercy''s voice. [Hurry, Dreamer! Hurry, protect your throne. Save our people.] Avo didn''t need these wordsthey were unnecessaryas Avo sped through the last sequences, approaching the Hungers with a reaching submind, he extended a tendril to grasp that spilling waterfall of chronology that he dove out from when he obtained his internalized Domain. Yet, just as he attempted to leap the golden waterfall and swim up the ichor, back into the City Eternal, the Gatekeeper''s warning came once more. [FALSE!] Veylis suddenly burst out from the wound of time, nearly a gateway for her to stride without restriction. Another cut carved a gouge of nothingness upon existence. Avo saw, to his growing dread, a thin slit of nothingness manifest upon the tapestry itself. [Shit! Fuck!] Shotins template cried in the back of Avos mind. Once more, the pursuit amongst the sequences resumed, but the High Seraph was dividing ever faster across time now, and her slices traced forward across history, slitting entire sequences apart like monowire gliding down the veins of a wrist. Another portion of Avo''s consciousness dove and sought the Heaven of Love. As he pierced into the court, he found himself aghast at the sight before him. Over the thousands present, all reflected with the rash, their bodies misshapen lumps of flesh slowly coming undone. Homunculi oozed from every pore, their small forms glistening and pale, whimpering with existential dread at their fates. Death was coming for the Paladins, for the Saintists, for the Massists. For Avo and Veylis as well. He needed to control the outpouring of Rend from the Remembrance, and he needed to reach the Hunger to stop it from smashing down upon Scale. And he needed to survive. Just long enough for Zeins blow to finally reach its point of culmination. A branching sequence forked. He pierced the Gatekeeper and dipped his other ghosts into the Heaven of Love thereafter. Entropy flooded his being, but he shifted that across into the Gatekeeper, doing his best to keep his Rend balanced. There was no possibility of him sustaining the outpouring of metaphysical rot from the Remembrance himself. His Spherage was too low, and with the Nether destabilized, the borders walls of New Vultun were vastly beyond his reach. So close to the Heaven of Loves presence, spraying pustules and twisted effigies of his Strix tore out from his Heaven of Continnum, and it took more and more of Avo to just keep going. His cog-feed flickered. His templates unraveled one after another, all but the Regulars, Chambers, Mercy, and Jaus begging to be released from pain. Within the inner domain of Love, impossible colors of vivacity pulsated, hammering existence like a fallen heartbeat. No longer could he hear Kaes thoughts, for her mind was so tattered that only Hysteria could identify the scant sequences that composed the remnants of her ego. Avos cog-feed was a blur of incoherence now. His perception remained solely thanks to Ignorance, guiding the Strix forward even while the Dreamer went near-blind with suffering. Kaes must have resurrected twice alreadytwice at the very least. The fact that she hadn''t reached the point of cessation from all the ego damage she sustained already was a miracle in itself. But she would not survive. Another return, not without him repairing her. [Fuck everything else, Avo. Do not let her die. Do you hear me? Do not!] Chambers''s template screamed, barely managing to stay coherent against the pain of all the other templates. ACCESSING HEAVEN OF [FALSE! FALSE! FALSE!] Avo heard the Gatekeeper calling out within him. But he heard them too late. A spear of chronology speared clean through the Heaven of Love, a lance of golden parting the colors, stopping the beating heart, and plunging clean through Avo himself. His wards rattled. His Frame shook. A wound opened within him, but no pain came with it. Instead, he saw a scar form upon his ontologyan infusion of anothers pattern of Chronology. [No!] Chambers cried out. The same golden lance punched out from the Strix across every instance of its manifestation across the continuity of space and time. From lance flowed a colossal form, a titan of interlocking hands, with the heart of a singularity, with the power to reign over time. It reached out, and seized the Strix by the throat. Avo struggled. His ghosts splashed out, striking with trauma and Rend, but the present was growing ever far away, and the paths were collapsing around him, swallowing him with each passing instant. "It was a good attempt," Veylis said, her voice calm despite the incredible pain she suffered. The Wombrash was eating through her too, and with how close they were, Avo could sense Zeins slash traveling deeper into the Demiurge. The High Seraphs own death was soon approaching. Across space and time, two stood as the world unraveled. Avo faced Veylis as he struggled to reach Kae, struggled to reach the Hungers, struggled in futility. But he didnt struggle alone. Once more, he summoned Jaus from his mind, and the savior emerged from his Soul as if a man emerging from an open door. +Veylis! Wait!+ But that was as far as he got before a disruption unmade his form. A backlash exploded through Avo, and when his senses returned, warning klaxons squealed inside his mind. REND CAPACITY - [1Er1ER+_-=13\ VENT! VENT! VENT! {Sorry, consang,} the Infacer said, sounding not in the least bit apologetic. {Can''t let you get in the way of things.} The Hungers continued to fall. In the next twelve seconds, it would impact the top of Scale, and from there, only further destruction could follow. But that was the lesser issue. The rash was going to eat everyone clean soon. At least it was constrained to Scale for now, but how long woudl that last? Already, Avo could feel spatial reality around him start to fray. The tapestry was straining here; too many wounds had been inflicted upon its surface already. Sequences reeled away from the Hungers and surged back to their minds of origin. The Nether was vanishing. Everyone was slowly becoming an island unto themselves once more. A new pattern emerged among the others, and Avo knew it to be Mind, but what worth was it now? What use could it be to him at this moment. Across his Auto-Seance, he observed only interference and chaos. His cadre was still separated; still unbalanced. Peering through the gaps in Veylis paths, he saw accretions beginning to form, and a desperate play came together in his mind. Drawing on Karakan, he sequenced a set of memories from her and pushed that into his Hysteria. Suddenly, the world vanished all around him, and for the first time in his life, Avo stole a page from Cas book and prayed. Prayed that if there was a greater god above all others, if there was something more than existence, that they saw Naekos mind preserved, and ensured the Chief Paladin was reachable by thought. I will not stray, Veylis said. Aval felt the crushing presence descend, and knew the Hungers were going to impact the outer layer of Scale in mere moments. "Such was what I said to my father when I condemned him to the glory of divinity. Such is what I will say to you as well. Nobly fought though your struggle was. There is no shame in this. You tried, you fought. Your attempt was bolder and greater than most. But I knew your path. I knew your choice. And so your defeat was fated to be. There is no life you could have bested me. No future in which you win. Not done yet, Avo replied. Hysteria pulsed out, and the world around him vanished. A second later, he sensed the component memories of Naekos mind sliding across the horizon, then upward. Upward? It kept going until it ascended hundreds of kilometers into the air. How in the hells did Naeko get up there? Was his displacement caused by Veylis discombobulation? And where was Zein for that matter? {No. I think youre pretty much finished,} the Infacer said. {Sad. But no worries. We will see you contained and extracted. And I just might keep something of you. Maybe a mind-clone. I need someone to mock the apes with in Stormjumpers.} REPAIRING MYTHOLOGY - 81% REPAIRING COGNITION - 100% Veylis twisted her spear, and Avo shuddered along its length. He felt her power spilled over him, pass into his Heaven, but just then, before all he was got consumed, a notification filled his vision, and despair dissolved in defiance of a battle yet to conclude. REPAIRING MYTHOLOGY - 81% REPAIRING COGNITION - 100% [Thank you,] the Gatekeeper said. [For making me whole. If only for a while.] Let this be an honorable close to your struggle, Dreamer. Sleep now. Sleep and dream of what could have been. Sleep and I will take your burdens, and make right this existence. Your Symmetry will not be ash; it will serve me. And through you, my victory will absolute FALSE! The Gatekeeper declared. It manifested its Heaven, and Avo released it from the confines of his Exo-Paracosm. A galaxy exploded out from the Strix, spilling from its open sores, from its unfurling ghosts. Stars materialized around him, clouds of cosmic dust sheared into Veylis, and the sweeping hammer of gravity battered the very form. The Gatekeeper''s voice rose in a rapturous roar of fury. "This domain is false. This history is false. What you want is false. This is not Jaus will. This is not the path. This is not the dream. AND YOU WILL NEVER BE THE DREAMER OF ALL THAT IS TO COME! At that moment, both the Gatekeeper and Veylis paradoxes as Truth hammered against the false-history projected cosmos and simulated paths ablaze in unity. 28-19 Embracement And so the time comes, The daughter The mother The beast And the worlds womb In embrace Time and mind entwined Peace and war betwixt And the war, though fractured, evermore conjoined -Stormsparrows Chorus 28-19 Embracement Suddenly, Avo was released. The paths broke apart around him, and the material world was exposed to him again. He could feel the tapestry once more, and, wasting no time, his tendrils sheared out. The first projected TechSick.exe towards the Invader, while another two went in opposite directions, one seeking the Fallen Hungers, the other reaching out to finish interfacing with the Heaven of Love. Even as the Heaven of Love frayed the very edges of his consciousness, Avo''s subminds struck out at once, some reaching out to reconvene with his cadre. Another section of his consciousness carried his Conflagration and ignite the Hungers, and the final tethers channeled a blast of trauma-imbued Rend over from the Remembrance into the High Seraph. The space around Avo was enveloped in roaring Soulfire, a clash between two Ninth-Sphere Heavens like nothing he had ever experienced before. To describe it as a collision between rival supernovae was insufficient. Metaphysics was always about the absolute is against is. Truth against Time. Ultimately, the determining factor between them was not power, but stability. The Gatekeepers ontology was still fractured despite the restoration of its mind, and inevitability, Truth shattered first. The cosmology expanding out from its body cracked into fractals as stars became shards of glass, the nebula turned to fading ash. A violent reverberation ran up the High Seraphs paths, as her very being detonated backward with tapestry sundering shockwave. Avo expanded himself in time, seizing parting fragments of the Gatekeeper as their Soul collapsed into him once more. For the briefest moment, a faint shadow materialized around him, speared up through existence in an uncanny shudder upon the surface of the present. The vagueness Ladder blinked. There and not. Here and gone again. And it faded as the Gatekeepers ruined ego and scattering Frame settled drifted deeper into Avos Exo-Paracosm once more. Veylis herself did not walk away unscathed. The Demiurge came apart in a discordant splash as every path across time crashed back into Veylis. At once, her Heaven ceased to be as her ephemeral form tumbled through the air. Entropy stained her very being, and just a bit more would see her unmadeeven before Zeins cut reached its culmination. But before Avo could infest her with his Pattern-Nullification, a pitched frequency stole her away as the Infacer shielded the High Seraph from death and parried Avos traumas with a disruption. Just then, another emanation of Wombrash left the Heaven of Love, and all Avo knew was suffering. The Infacer ceased to matterfaintly, he could hear the EGI screaming as well, their voice multiplying as loose strings of data spilled over into the real. Avos perception turned into a kaleidoscope of chaos, and his mind was furthermore drowned by a clashing chorus of rising schizophrenic voices. The Remembrance was infesting him, unmaking him with each passing moment, and despite all the power he possessed over his own mind, with each passing moment, there was simply lesser and lesser of him capable of coherent thought. He moved almost blind to the world, his ghosts drawn to the symmetrical memories highlighted by his Hysteria. Synchronicity allowed him to pierce through the outer atmosphere of the City Eternal, while root data flooded into his mind, allowing him to prolong the resurrection cycles affecting Kae. At the same time, he began to inject her template directly into the frayed maze that was her ego in a desperate attempt to preserve her before the next resurrection. While this happened, even more accretions recomposed themselves around Avo, but just as fast as they arrived, some winked out. People were dying. All across Scale. People were dying. His people. The Massists. The Saintists. More sequences slithered away from the sky, snapping from the Hungers'' cognitive reality. It resembled a rainfall of snakes coiling back into the form of eggs. Eggs that scattered like motes of dust upon death. He needed to work faster. He needed to It was hard to think. COG-CAP - [1rg$!ICV10%STAYHARD] As the Burning Dreamer battled to compose his thoughts, a resonance reigned against his Hysteria, and the memories he infused within the Definement just moments prior found their mark. A kilometer above, a man was falling. A man continued to fall, a man displaced by time, by memory, by the chaos of the preceding moments, but this man Avo needed more than any other. +Naeko,+ Avo said. It was a miracle unto itself that he managed to put these thoughts together. +Naeko, please+ Hysteria magnified the effects of his broadcast, and ghosts exploded out from the Strix, even as its metaphysical shell tore as smaller versions of itself clawed out from the wounds. At once, he felt a kindling of consciousness return to the Chief Paladin. A jolt of surprise passed through them, and spurred by their return, Avo drove his ghosts into the golden waters spilling from the Hungers. So close now. So close. +Avo? What the hells Where+ +Naeko. Save protect Scale+ Something foundational within the Burning Dreamer broke. His perception turned strange, and Ignorance had to guide him. That was all Avo could manage, for the last of his capacity had been spent, and he needed to focus. He needed to ignite the Hungers and rebuild his mind transfer the Rend from the Heaven of Love +Avo,+ A whisper called out to him. It came from inside. Inside with the fragments of the Gatekeeper. Kae. Kae was speaking to him. +Avo. Its okay. Its okay. Just let me fall. You tried. Its okay. Its too much. Youre breaking. I can feel you breaking. You wont survive this.+ He ignored her. He didnt remember drawing the Heaven of Love into himself. He didnt remember. Flashes of mem-data pulsed through his failing cog-feed as he examined how much Rend was passing over from it to him. He couldnt read. He couldnt know. That function of his consciousness was lost to him now. He needed to die clean. He needed to resurrect. He needed to. +Let me go,+ Kae said. [Shut the fuck up!] template-Chambers roared, somehow remaining even as most of Avos Soulscape quivered on the edge of disintegration. Everyone else was faintly more than a shadow by this point. Existing as an imprint in the aftermath of a nuclear bomb. But Chambers as was here, defying expectations. So Avo would as well. How ridiculous. Being inspired by a degenerate. But from another perspective, how could he not be? How far they all had come. And how much further they still had to go. Together. Everyone. His cadre. New Vultun. Idheim. Existence. This wasnt done. He still needed to experience moremore colors to see. And with the thought of color, a fire began to blossom. A fire that drew Avos attention and pulled him away from nullification. Fire. Screams. His cog-cap was growing once more. His consciousness was spreading. It was like combustion. He was combustion. And he was spilling over. Into the Hungers. Into the City Eternal. Brutal wounds lined the structure of Scale. Another passing sweep of the Hungers cleaved through the structure, trauma unmaking matter in a smear. Not even memite offered a defense, and in seconds, the Massist section of the court went missing, writhing bodies of the rash afflicted severed from existence. COG-CAP - 98% Avo didnt want to think about how many died, if any of his cadre had been lost. He knew, however, that he needed to merge with the Hungers, to extract Kae, to slay Veylis. And so he burned. And so Ignorance, Hysteria, Empathy, Pre-Cognition, Synchronicity, and every last ghost within him surged upward, the Strix taking flight across a phantasmal chain, splashing up along the streaming wounds of gold in inversion from the path he used to escape. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The dragons forming the City Eternal crackled and shone. The city between their scales turned to volcanic veins as Avo felt himself sweep through every citizen and smote his consciousness into every edifice, every ziggurat, every canal. Most howled in terror, but a few broke from the others, relief lighting their hearts. The Doubelthinkers had wanted this day. And he welcomed the fires. And he joined them easiest of all. Avo saw once more. He saw from the dragons that composed the Hungers. He saw from the people, he saw, and he beheld the demiplane around Scale fraying like rotting paper, the spatial separations eroding to reveal the Tiers beyond. His cognition expanded. His presence grew. The damage he sustained to his ego began to regenerateas only a self-moving mind could heal in such a wayand he felt the hollow absence left upon the Hungers. Veylis inflicted such indelible wounds. His focus returning, he compelled the Hungers to explode in an expanding jungle of ghosts as he worked to pry Kae loose from Love. At the same time, he looked for someone to replace her within its confines, his cognition darting through the Saintists left abandoned within the husk of Scale. +Youre coming back,+ Avo said, the thought barely coming together. +Youre coming back. Youre staying with us. Still need you. Deserve better. Will give you better.+ The Strix traveled as a thought; an injection of Soulfire. Materializing at the core of the Hungers, burning rivers of phantasmal essence burrowed into its form, joined with it through the layer of ringed dragons that were the Hungers, and Rend drifted from the Heaven of Love with every pulsating beat, and he fed it into Noloth to sustain the moment, to delay the end. He came close to the edge again. Cessation. Overload. Oblivion. So close. But he was back from the brink, like so many times before. The same couldnt be said for the others. The same couldnt be said for so many people all across New Vultun. As his ghosts spiked, as his consciousness grew, as Avo became the single most potent metacognitive entity in existence, the shadow of his consciousness expanded, his every thought casting psionic waves across Idheimand beyond. And he dreamed. He dreamed of what it was like to be someone in the gutters. He dreamed that he was a child. A girl named Salah Juanders, who begged for death as her mother applied a blowtorch to her sores, both of them coming undone from the rash. He dreamed that he was Shotin Kazahara, screaming out for his niece, for anyone he knew as a scything tide of trauma just barely missed himleaving him among the survivors that remained. He dreamed that he was Vator, battling his own failing biology as he looked up into the Scale, euphoric as he witnessed the incineration of dragons, and saw the mutilated Strix come to rest at its core, bound in place like a facsimile of the Famine of Emotion. He dreamed that was Veylis, her own focus returning as the Infacer did their best to mend, as Zeins blade but a few heartbeats away from taking effect. He was Draus. Lost somewhere in the guts of Scale, the Arsenalist still firing from reflections despite the affliction of the rash. He was Chambers, enduring better than most, desperately trying to cast his consangs. He was he was he was so many. And he was still himself. And finally, he was Naeko, falling from high above, his Heaven manifesting. And he was A sudden stroke of agony erupted across Avo. His focus broke. His Frame rattled. The Hungers revolving around him shuddered. At once, almost every single sequence extending out from him was cut as well, leaving only a bridge between him and the Heaven of Love, with Kaes resurrection soon to come. A familiar presence greeted him as Zein suddenly materialized before him, her slash meld with Veylis. Thousandhand looked wretched, her armor a sparking ruin, her homunculi bulging from its cracks in dollops of rippling pustules. She greeted Avo with a weary look and shook her head. F-forgive me, plague. But I cannot allow this. I cannot. You take too much. Zein. Wondering where you disappeared to.+ Just another jaunt along the paths. Toward a future. A single path I could not abide. Twice wounded by blades of time, Avo could simply chuckle as he felt another of ontology quiver inside him, accelerating as it worked to cast him into the future. +You you have broken his heart. He would be so ashamed of you.+ Zein cocked her head, blinking as the Strix dissolved. But the avatar that emerged was not that of an enhanced ghoul, but Jaus Avandaer. Jaus Avandaer pierced by his wifes glaive, tears streaming down his face. I Zeins eyes briefly widened before her expression filled with rage. You dare Look at what has become of you, Jaus said, his breath a hoarse whistle. Look at what has become of our daughter. Our world. I trusted you to protect what I left. I trusted you Zein stumbled back, her feet treading upon a chrono-forged bridge as she backed away. Just then, a wall of vapors crashed down through the Hungers, and a second presence hammered against Avos consciousness. SAGE OF THE SUNDERED SKY, FORCE-BREAKER-PEACE-BINDING (PEACE/VIOLENCE/FORCE/WAR) [EST. 78304200 THAUM/c] The Sage of the Sundered Sky passed through them, holding everyone in place as it arrived, manifested in its full glory. Zein froze. The flames licking out from the Hungers ceased to burn. It remained halted in the air, but a meter away from crashing down against the remnants of Scale. Glowing runes and ancient scripts lined each of the Sages digit, and along its palm circled countless paintings and representations of ages past. There, imprinted upon the very center of the palm, was a splattered creature. It had over a thousand hands, and each one was a weapon of some shape or variety. A still-beating heart of blackened hate pulsed blood from its rune form, and its many heads were fanged with sharpened teeth. Avo noticed this crushed beast and knew it to be an avatar of war. An avatar of war, now symbolically obliterated under the weight of the force breaker, to bear one statement: there was no tyranny above peace. VEYLIS! Naeko roared. So desperate was he to finish the war that he remained blind to Zeins act. Jaus looked up, a look of purest exhaustion. My boy. My poor, lost boC He shuddered as one of the gold wounds ruptured along his chest. *** C[Veylis]C {Veylis. Veylis! Compose yourself! We must retreat!!} the Infacer snarled. It ached for Veylis to exist. Her senses rang after the Gatekeepers deliberate paradox, and time slipped across her fingers, the progression of seconds accelerating and slowing without reason. The High Seraph felt herself within a shell of white noise that parted her from the material world. Of all the paths shed traveled, the Gatekeepers willing self destruction was never {Veylis!} the Infacer snarled. At once, the High Seraph focused and sensed his coming. Naeko. He was going to finish their fight. And she was close. So close to the end. REND CAPACITY - 100% VENT! VENT! VENT! A screaming cybernetic infant burst out from her back, but its synthetic flesh peeled, draw in by the grip of her singularity. Inside the omega point of her augmented existence, her mothers strike carved a terminal wound across her zero-point processors, punching through the final shell of her internalized endo-cortex. How fast did the tides of victory and damnation turn. Damn her sentimentality. The Strix was right there. But ah, what a magnificent foe he was. And what a gloriously mad moment in history this was. The Second Battle of Scale. The beginning of the Fifth Guild War. And here she hoped to bring it to a swift end. Focusing her mind, Veylis considered her options. The paths were fleeing from her, and her Heaven, the Demiurge, was destabilized. There was the choice to flee. There was the choice to stay and give her all in a desperate fight. Or there was that final path. The one she glanced only briefly, for so high was the risk. For her own preservation, for the Infacer, and for the culmination of her great dream. Naekos presence made the world around her tremble. He wasnt a fight she could win. Not in her current state. And the Burning Dreamershe saw the Hungers ablaze, watched as the colors of Love erupted from between the cracks of the City Eternal and knew her most insidious foes ascent to be near certain. Between the Heaven of Love and the Hungers, nothing would keep Avo bound to the Ninth Sphere, and what powers could contend with the sole sovereign of Mind and Love? There was no time to summon the remainder of her forces. With everything collapsing and Avo about to rise, there would be no campaign. Naeko was close now. But he wouldnt beat Zeins blade to the finish. With death and defeat at hand, Veylis chose the unthinkable. She made a decision that fell somewhere between suicide, infiltration, and immortality. Infacer. Old friend. I walk the timeline of Embracement. I told you about this. You witnessed its possibilities. You know what will come of this. I cede Highflame to you in my stead. Sever me from the Embracement if you can. Peel me away from the dreamer. But see the mission completed before all. Everything is expendable. Even I. The static crown shrouding her skull went still. {Are you certain.} Once more, Veylis recited those words that began her down this path. I will not stray. {Then burn bright, kid. Burn this miserable fucking corpse of an existence down. I will carry your will, in whatever form that takes.} And all that needed to be said between them was said. Instead of trying to control the paths, to control time, Veylis compelled it to instability and folded her powers inward. Unstable currents of gold arced along her form and pierced through her core. But as they made an entrance wound, they exited from another injury recently inflicted. The one within Avo. Suddenly, the shell of white noise vanished around Veylis and before death finally claimed her, she inverted her person, and stepped through the fated wound she left upon Avo. Existence shifted around her as she splashed out from within the Strixs body. But as she emerged, she found herself facing her mother, her father, the Heaven of Love, with only the faintest of Avo hovering just above her. The Strixs form looked positively wretched and in that moment, Veylis knew they were kindred spirits of will. Banishing exhaustion, surprise, and anymore hesitation, she held out her arms and exerted her unstable Heaven once more as she dropped her wards. A burning tendril speared through her mind in the next instant. Overload came just a millisecond before her death by Zeins hand was set to arrive. No! Wai! Zein cried. But the world around Veylis vanished. Swallowed by starving flames. And in the second before the rupturing of her ontology, before chronology itself shattered, hewing through Avo, Zein, the Hungers, and Love, she found herself in an ash-coated playground surrounded by debris, Avo standing just across from her as the ghoul he was, a childs swinging creaking in the wind. The air whistled. Distant artillery pounded like a drum. The smoke-choked clouds grew bright with blossoms of color. And finally, Veylis chuckled. The things we do for victory. Why? The ghoul asked, sounding genuinely confused. Why did you let me burn you if you were just going to overload yourself. Because it wouldnt work otherwise. What wouldnt? I wouldnt become you. Or you wouldnt become me. The ghoul glared at her through the falling flecks of white. Its pale flesh blended with the colors so well, but the darkness in its gaze deserved to be dedicated to painting. Another future, then. Another walk down the paths. As always. Toward another forever. You have shown me your resolve. Surprised me through your desperation, your power. But my will is no less. And know this, Dreamer. I will give anything to see my desired utopia arise. Even if it means a mutual suicide, Avo said. Veylis shook her head. This isnt suicide, Avo. This is Embracement. You and I bound in war, internal and external. And even that prolonged moment reached its end, and she felt time collapse out from her. Blessed be the worthywhichever of us remain And the rest was ruin. 28-20 Unravel I was there when the Hungers shattered. I was there when love and time and memory came apart and were cauterized into each other. I was there. But I wasnt alone. There were other iterations of myself. So many versions of me. Across time. Across memory. I was never alone. We were never alone. And we will never be alone again. -Abrel Greatling 28-20 Unravel C[Calvino]C There was an absence that now afflicted the void. There was a section of space an area spanning entire light seconds filled with drifting grains of metal, expended munitions, and fading motes of light. Here, an arisen god once faced Voidwatch in open battle, technology striking against mythology, the old teaching the new. But the Strix was missing now. Missing. Nowhere to be seen. There were no more ghosts that spam in the vast dark between the stars. Slowly, massive ships of semi-circular design closed in past the threshold the Strix used to occupy. Each one was well over fifty kilometers long, and they arrived in sync, projecting quantum-encrypted pulses through their sensors outward to suppress anomalous transmissions. Tubes grew between them, and injections of unstable antimatter were accelerated from each vessel, forming a destructive net around the last Godforge leftover from the Builder War. When they were done, a new quarantine was established around Idheim, and from the ships, the survivors of old humanity watched as a growing mass of metaphysical substance ate its way through New Vultun. {He''s still out there,} Calvino declared. Intermittent pulses of gravity radiated from within their primary vessels. Over a few thousand voidships channeled the fullness of their ansibles, creating a diminutive wormhole to defy a distance of light years. Again and again, Calvino tried to contact his enemy, former operative, and friend. But the only feedback arrived as a chain of incoherent whispers. Every few moments, something close to a complete sentence would arrive, and the EGI would hear Avos voice. But there were others with him as well. Zein. Kae Kusanade. The High Seraph. Even what seemed to be Jaus Avandaer. Within the most sequestered server of Threshold, millions of avatars convened, and trillions of discussions unfolded between them with each passing second. None were prepared for this newest development. Not even the most paranoid minds under Aegis anticipated this. Such was the way of a black swan event: they happened. And you had to deal with them. When Kants expendable fork sent his recordings of what was unfolding within the Court of Truth, Voidwatch immediately began bracing for the beginning of the Fifth Guild War. That had been anticipated. Just as Avos declaration to form a new Guilda new politywas known. What few saw coming was just how far Veylis was willing to escalate and the sudden collapse of the Nether thereafter. According to Sunrises reports, it was as if an extended section of their consciousness collapsed back into them from a place above, and now they werent quite sure where they were anymore. Not that any of the EGIs could locate themor any active operatives in New Vultun for that matter. {Well,} Only Way To Be Sure said with a sigh. {This turned out to be a complete shitshow. We knew that, but still, this is like, ten times more shit and the show went from political thriller-action to incoherent lovecraftian nightmare.} {It was always a lovecraftian nightmare, Only,} Smart, a special intelligence-facing replied. The sky above them was set to a live feed of New Vultun. Using their most advanced sensors, the minds swept the surface of the planet and found themselves increasingly disturbed. A massive, continental-sized fracture lined the place where Scale once was. The sheer immensity of the damage could be better conceived when one remembered that New Vultun was closer to Jupiter in size than Old Mother Earth. From this great wound spilled an overgrowth of something. Even now, the minds werent sure what the anomalous substance was. At a glance, it looked like fluid phantasmal rivers rushing out from the rupture. Kind of as if reality was bleeding. However, scans detected a mix of clashing properties emanating from within its ethereal surface. From the outside, it was ethereally glossy, near opaque but not quite. Ghosts could sometimes be seen unfurling out from the substance, but they were all tinged with a resonance more associated with timethe kind of resonance most often detected within Veylis paths. And then there was the bright red-pink glow that pulsated through the overgrowth, surging out to the beat of an unseen heart. {Really keeping to that blood metaphor,} Only muttered. {I suspect we might be looking at some residual entropy leftover from the Heaven of Love,} Kant said, sounding unnerved. Calvino thought the other mind to be likely right in their theory. The most disturbing thing about the overgrowth was how fast it spread. In the beginning, only a few tendrils spilled out from the rupture, but as soon as they re-entered stable reality, it was like a flame catching across existence. The propagation of these supposed rivers was explosiveCand worse yet, they began to fork through everything. Matter. Memory. Spatial reality. Even time refracted before their presence. Kant might be more right in their assertion than they assumed; it looked like a marriage of properties between Avos Conflagration and the Heaven of Loves propagation. Searing pustules were also intermittently spotted materializing at random points in existence, and when they burst, more of the substance from those points as well. In the span of seconds, the rivers had already eaten through the spatial barriers shrouding Scale and what near-orbiting imaging they received showed the mountain fortress to be mostly hollowed. {Not even memite can stop the spread,} Calvino said. Such was There were things to be said about thaumaturgy. Ruinous. Unstable. Unnatural. Existentially corrosive. But they were supposed to be absolute in capability, and as such, an object infused with memite was supposed to stay intact regardless what was force was leveraged against it. So. If even memite could be pierced, then that meant the metaphysical properties of the anomaly operated on elevation of prominence altogether. All this resulted in the substances growth being utterly unstoppable. Scale was already mostly gone, and the nearby Sovereignties in the Tiers were already being parted by these strange tendrils. The Guilds attempted a few countermeasures, but aside from a strange liquid-like shroud forming around Ori-Thaums most critical locations, most means of resistance or delay were ineffective. Warheads splashed against the substance and just resulted in more branching rivers spilling out after the explosion. Demiplanes were punctured without fail and consumed from within. Not even Rendbombs seemed to do anything significant. And through it all, Calvino continued casting the Burning Dream, and a traveling pulse moved from within the chaotic sprawl of the substance. {Oh, Avo,} Calvino sighed. {What have you done to yourself now? What have you done to existence?} Most of all, though, Calvino hoped Avo wasnt dead. A mind didnt suffer the maladies of human emotionality, but grief, in a few ways, was more than a feeling, and Calvino mourned more than enough for their existence. {Its spreading upward too,} Kant said, their weariness echoing through. True to their words, more branching limbs were rising into the sky. {Any of you guys feeling like the giants in that proverbial beanstalk story?} Only asked. That got a few affirmations of amusement, but little joy accompanied the replies. Everyone knew how dangerous this was. Everyone. The Guilds couldnt find a means of containment and if the dispatched Category Bleaks were helpless as well There wasnt much of reality left that was stable. In years Voidwatch spent adrift from the ruins of reality, so many had been lost to Sunderwilds. Countless civilizations, dying in their sleep. But before this encroachment, their choices might just soon be a desperate retreat or a terminal solutionto potentially weaponize the Nullstar against the world it was supposed to guard. And so, as Calvino watched more rivers partition the Tiers of New Vultun, a private transmission arrived from a category {REDACTED} sender. Bringing up the details, the mind found their fascination immediately piqued. {Mind CalvinoI am Contingency Bleak Dementia. The conditions of my deployment have been met. An Excession-Level Memetic Catastrophe is ongoing, and you have been noted as a critical mind of interest. We would like to requisition a portion of your processing for a survey operation.} Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Calvino didnt hesitate. {Of course. You may have more than a portion. And if we are to dispatch relief and containment efforts, I would like to volunteer forks as active avatars.} {Confirmed. We thank you for cooperating with this inquest.} And the transmission between them went silent, and Calvino found his mind awash in lesser conversations once more. Casting his attention across Idheim once more, the mind began to go through their old war-sheathes as they considered the days to come. Once again, the world was ending. Once again, everything stood on the brink. But when had that been overwise? Until they absolutely ceased to be, nothing was truly over. And Calvino suspected the same rules applied to Avo as well. C[Naeko]C NO! The roar left Naeko as he felt four Frames shatter above him. Four, at the very least. The Chief Paladin was long familiar with these sensations, the sight of unfurling Soulfire consuming an entire swath of existence. This was how Godclads met their cessation. This was how a divinely shrouded ego were given unto death. But what the mind knew and what the heart could accept were different things, and he unleashed the full power of his Heaven in futility. The Sage of the Sundered Sky exploded in size, dwarfing Scale ten times over as his Rend spiked. In seconds, his Heaven would be large enough to encompass most of New Vultun. But to his horror, something went wrong almost immediately. As his vaporous form ballooned, a waterfall of what seemed to be gold rimmed sequences sprayed out from the gouts of expanding Soulfire, and instead of halting against Naekos power, they passed through with ease. There was no resistance to their intrusion. Nor did he feel anything related to the Domain of Force of Violence within these sequences. They simply were. As if sections of reality gliding across itself; truer than space; more final than the next arriving moment in time. Naekos Heaven of Chronology tremored slightly, but only so. No greater reaction than that assailed his Frame. Mustering every canon he had, Naeko tried to seize these sequences, but for once, it was as if he was closing his fingers around mist instead. Each tendril branched through his Heaven, and an odd series of sensations filled Naeko. It was like parts of himself existed in different places, different times. But then, without any hint or reason, the sequences retracted from him, folding around the punch straight down. Stop! Naeko roared. But his words were as impotent as his Heaven. The tendrils burrowed straight through the mountain fortress below him, cleaving it clean down the middle like an axe parting a log. The Sage closed around the tendrils, but it parted between his digits, and continued to grow explosively across every inch of space he did not occupy. For a few moments longer, Naeko struggled against the rushing phantasmal rapids. Then, he looked up again and saw layers of the strange substance spreading across the sky as well. He couldnt even see the Soulfire anymore; couldnt sense the broken Frames. In a matter of seconds, a weave of tendrils devoured their way across the sky, layering itself over existence as if an ever-growing nest. +Avo!+ Naeko said, casting his thoughts out. +Avo! Come on, rotlick! Avo! Answer me!+ But even as the cast left his Metamind in a wide ripple, nothing returned. +Zein? Maru+ Kare?+ Someoneanyone!+ He swapped memories for his Auto-Seance over and over again but got nothing but Nether-Lag distortion in return. Patience slipping, he turned his attention downward to save whoever was left in Scale, but his heart dropped as he took in his fortress once more. Of the mountain that was, only a thin slice remained: a vertical stack of bricks leading up to the terrace at its very apex. And it was barren. Barren of life. Barren of accretion. Barren of everything. From the base of the mountain, the sequences erupted from all sides, and began swallowing the surrounding ocean. A few defenses triggered, but the spreading forest of madness devoured entropy and miracles alike, countermeasures only nourishing its growth. The demiplane around Scale crumbled and collapsed, tearing like wet parchment as several points of more branching limbs glided out toward the rest of the city. The grand sprawl that was New Vultuns Tiers expanded across all sides, and Naeko saw some of the ethereal rivers sink into the lightrails as well, injecting them through the city for faster delivery. +Stop,+ he pleaded. He made a paltry effort to halt the spread. His Heaven stilled the light, but the tendrils just continued on, gliding through him. +Please.+ In seconds, he felt distant Rendbombs detonate. Ruptures formed. Countless Domains were deployed. But as he peered out into the distance, he saw the tendrils burrowing into the open wounds lining realitys surface, infesting them, expanding them, and producing more tendrils thereafter. It was hopeless. And there was no one here. Naeko was alone. And he failed. He failed again. He failed his Paladins. He failed Avo. He failed the city. And this time he didnt even understand what went wrong this time. But he knew hed been too slow, too late. Veylis didhe didnt know what she did. But he thought he felt her shatter. He thought he felt her die. Her and And Nausea overwhelmed Naeko. He couldnt do this. He couldnt do this. He couldnt do this A tide of clouds crashed down on the balcony ringing the top of Scale, and Naeko stumbled out from his fading Heaven. His Metamind was screaming at him, begging him to vent, but he ignored it. Instead, he staggered over to the very edge and vomited. Stress, trauma, and misery sent him over the edge, and he emptied the contents of his stomach down into the spreading sequences below. Over and over again, the sickness left him, but despair stayed, and by the end, he found himself kneeling against the rails of the balcony, sobbing like a pathetic child. Sobbing. Like when he watched his fathers murder. Useless. Godsdamned useless. He was the same piece of worthless shit A faint jolt of surprise broke through the self-loathing as he felt at himself, and Naeko opened his eyes to see that the rash was gone from his body. His flesh was unblemished. Whole. But he knew he was coming apart. He remembered homunculi bursting out from his body and Heaven. So where were they? After a few minutes of search, an exhaustion came over him. No answers. And he would probably be too stupid to figure it out anyway. Trying his Auto-Seance again, Naeko cast everyone he knew. He cast his Paladins. He cast Avos cadre. Everyone. And no one replied. Alone. The full weight of his present reality sank in, and what sounded like distant screams were carried by a passing breeze. Looking up, Naeko stared out at the vista that was New Vultun, and beheld expanding spheres of nuclear fire spreadand then promptly vanish as the sequences consumed them as well. There were still people out there. People needed Not him. What was he going to do? Just fail again? He couldnt stop this. He didnt even know what this was. He didnt know A thought came to Naeko. A thought he did his best to suppress time and time again. But today it came. And he wasnt strong enough to fight it. His Rend was high enough. And he only had so many Heavens. Forming a mono-sharp dagger using his utility-fog, Naeko stared at his own tear-stricken expression along its edge as he stood frozen, unsure what he was going to do. He was tired. That was the truth. He was tired, and this had all been too much for him. Veylis was dead. Avo was dead. His Paladins were gone. Veylis was dead. Oh, gods, Naeko shuddered. He was prepared to kill her. That was the lie he told himself anyway. But she just had to fuck him over, like she always did. Oh, gods. His voice was less than a whimper. What did he have left? What could he still do? Where was he going to Naeko please. Put the knife away. Please. Please. A voice sounded behind him. The Chief Paladin didnt think. Instinct took hold. The rest of his utility fog shot out from behind him and seized the ambushed. He pulled and spun in the same instant. And his blade came a hair short of opening Jaus throat. Naeko stopped himself at the last second as he stared into Jaus pale blue eyes. The Chief Paladins mind went dry of thought. He stared at Jaus, and the savior looked back at him bearing a sorrowful, haggard expression. Another beat passed. Until Jaus broke it. You seem a bit slower than I remember. The Chief Paladins hand began to shake. Slowly, he backed away, shaking his head. No. No. No, no, no, no. He bit his lip as rage and sadness warred. He didnt know what kind of mental deception this was, but he had enough. Youre dead. I know youre dead. Fuck you. You cant do this to me A golden ethereal gleam radiated from Jaus, and a pinprick of an accretion dotted the center of his mind. A pinprick. Like those within Avos templates. I think youre right, Jaus said, every diplomatic. I cant quite remember how I got here but A faint smile pulled at his face. I think someone sent me. Because this is where I needed to be the most. Something inside Naeko crumbled as he lowered his head, and something almost like a dogs whine escaped him. He let Jaus go. He didnt care if they were an illusion. He didnt care. He had nothing left. I I fucked it all up again. I needed to I had to Veylis I think she died. I couldnt Avo too Naeko, Jaus said, a pained look overcoming him. Oh, my boy. A sob escaped Naeko as he fell. Fell to his knees. He held himself the last of his strength came undone. It didnt matter if Jaus was real or not. It didnt matter if this was a lie or truth. It didnt matter. He just needed someone to hear him. He just needed someone else to bear the weight. Naeko was tired. ICI was just godsdamned worthless in the end I failed I failed you I kept failing No, no, Jaus said, rushing forth, taking Naeko by his shoulder, by his face. The Godbreakers eyes were misted as well, and he just shook his head. You never failed me. I should have given more to you. I should have asked you to come with me. I should have trusted you. II let herI let your dream Jaus embraced Naeko then, and the latter wept. He wept like a child. But instead of weeping alone in the dark, comforted only by Karakans torturers, Jaus was here. Jaus. In his time of need. The dream isnt over, Jaus said. Were still here. The world is still here. Something of me is here. And you are too. And you are too. And as the new infection spread across New Vultun, across what remained of existence, a boy found his father again, delivered by a will beyond the reign of space or time. For with the death of Truth, how was to say where history was right, and memory was wrong? 29-1 Missing in Action Alright, cadets. Were going to be having some fun today. Theres gonna be a time, juvs, when you get cut off from the rest of your fireteam during an op. Usually, this is because someone decided to prolapse the metaphorical laws governing space to make various balloon animals to dubious levels of benefitor you could be facing a classic spatial rupture. Now. Observe the Rendbomb of Space we placed next to you. In a few seconds, it will detonate, after which some of you will find yourselves partially fused with the walls before a brief but suffocating death and resheathing thanks to your Phylactery. The ones that survive are to navigate the environment thereafter, locate their comrades, and then extricate themselves from the area without ending up dead. And before you ask, no, there is no guarantee you might be able to complete this trial without a bit of luck. Just like how you might end up dead because the wrong canon was used at the wrong time. Wars not about sense or certainty. Wars about making the best choices you can if youre still alive in the shittiest situations. Now. Lets see which of you half-strands are going to be lucky, and which of you will actually have to run the course. -Guard-Captain Winston Nicoma 29-1 Missing in Action C[Draus]C ONTOLOGY REVERTED RESURRECTION COMPLETED METAMIND ALIGNED WITH LIMINAL FRAME BEGINNING MIND-THAUM INTEGRATION RESURRECTION - 100% IMPLANTING NOUS Jelene Draus jolted back into existence with her multifunctional projectile launcher primed, ready to fire. Her last memories before her death greeted her as if a chaotic haze. The Wombrash had overtaken her, consumed her and all the enemies she was facing. Empowered by Avo''s Gestalt, she targeted critical Godclads among Veylis''s warhost, killing key Porters, keeping entire cadres hidden behind defensive demiplanes, high-threat Breakers threatening to make a push on the Stormsparrows'' stage, and even esoteric assassins lurking as electromagnetic waves or wafts of heat attempting to penetrate the Paladin''s lines. She fought as if a squad of three unto herself, with the arsenal serving as her scope and firepower, and the simulacra offering her maneuverability and opportunity. Additionally, she was attuned with the rest of the gestalt, and so she fought as more than herself, her mind drowned by a perfect symphony of other cognitions, elevating her to a new level of euphoric combat. And then, all of a sudden, it came to a suffering halt. Moment by moment, more of the gestalt fell, their consciousnesses collapsing into incoherence from the pain inflicted by the Wombrash. Draus was beyond pain; her Regular conditioning allowing her to remain functional where almost all others were lost to insanity or agony. The Nether shit itself. More bullshit happened. Draus briefly lost track of herself before she got back. Court of Truth dissolved into a chaotic melee, with only a scarce few capable of defending themselves, while most were consumed by the birthing plague. Draus stood along those few still capable of combat, executing Saintist after Saintist, even as her Heavens crumbled down to their own states of insanity, begging for final release. At some point, she ceased to think, simply acted. She saw a target, she maneuvered to an opportune position, she fired, kill. A homunculus hatched under her armpit; she vitrified it, shattered it, threw a shard into an Instrument''s exposed throat, summoned another shard, connected their pathways, fired through them. Ferromag round punched through three more bodieskill, kill, kill, kill. Something took her left leg off at the knee; Draus adjusted immediately. She tumbled into a roll, tried to manifest her Arsenalist, but the heaven wouldn''t fully respond, neither would the Simulacra. Another shot went widea scything beam of heat, capable of splitting all mundane matterbut her attacker was wanting, and they failed to bear their suffering with dignity, an eruption of homunculi bursting out from their guts. She shot him as well, her projectile launcher fired, a ferromagnetic round struck his chin, the back of his head burst free in spring flapskill, fire, move, survive, kill, Meldskin at two percent; broken; regenerating; move, fire, kill, kill, kill. A haze of memories greeted her once more, and she remembered crawling across the ground, her lower body lost sometime during the combat. Death was approaching. She knew this on an instinctive level. That''s why she vented the rend for her Simulacra. Slowly, a final swath of pustules bubbled behind her eyes, filling her skull with amniotic fluid. She didn''t bother vitrifying this batch of deformed bastards. Turning her brain, matter to glass, was pretty much the same as suicide anyway. She made the moments until her end count. Fire. Fire. Fire. Kill. Kill. Kill. Other sensations filled the atmosphere, a pressure hammered down against her frame, the weight as if a meteorite impacting her body. She ignored it. The Saintists were all down now, all of them screaming, all of them so close to their own final ends. Few of them had the chance to vent, but she was still hunting for Osjon, still hunting for major targets from Highflame, Omnitech, and the No Dragons. Her Voidwatch-augmented projectile launcher fired at a rate beyond any terrestrial implantfirearm, ferromagnetic droplets, particle beams, and direct magnetic netics impacted, punched through, angled, killed. And through it all, the barrel never deformed. She kept firing, even as the screaming sounded within her skull, even as her vision was cut out, the sensation of tiny hands clawing through her optical cords, even as her skull burst open, the homunculi finally spilling free out from the expired Regular''s form. Draus plunged down into a realm of fire, and only then did coherence return to her. A kind of zen-like silence settled over her as she waited, prepared for the next bout of combat. She anticipated Avo, an appearance within her Soulscape, but when he didn''t arrive, she simply accepted it for what it was. Perhaps the ghoul was dead, truly dead. More likely, the half-strand was just busy, trying to secure a final boast over the High Seraph, if he could. Rouse thought over the intense bout of combat she just experienced, considered how she might be able to kill the Storm Sparrow. How she intended to react to a sudden ambush at the moment of her return. Her resurrection slowly counted towards a hundred, and she kept herself loose. She doubted she would face overwhelming opposition, considering how badly the world was infested by the Heaven of Love. Even if Avo could secure Kae and keep the Heaven from falling, the after-effects of the rash would still likely last some time. And with how many she''d slain, she expected the Massists and the Paladins to be holding the upper hand and pushing forward. So, to keep her profile low, she simply came back in her ephemeral form, planning to rejoin the fray after examining the situation while avoiding any opening attacks by not drawing attention to herself. However, as she settled back into reality, she found herself trapped in a cage of rubble. Debris held her in place, grinding against her body even through materialized Meldskin armor. No issue. With a simple touch, Draus turned most of the detritus surrounding her to glass and slipped through the reflection. At once, the pressure vanished, becoming as if a portal for Draus to step through. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Slipping into her Liminal Paracosmos, the Simulacra drifted alongside her, carrying her through this tessellating space as she tried to gauge her exact location. Her Metamind was still glitching. Flickers of erroneous data spilled across her cog-feed, creating unwelcome visual distortions. As she swam through the glass, she reached the very top of the rubble burying her and discovered herself to be somewhere altogether unexpected. She last remembered being at Scale, but as she reached the edge of the glass-turned-mound of vitrification, she found herself within what looked like a Rend-warped megablock. Massive gears snapped and swung above her, shining with a golden chronological radiance. The block seemed to be cone-like, but an entire section of its walls had been punched through by outcroppings of tessellated brickthe very same substance that composed the Paladin''s mountain fortress. Machinery and apartments were exposed to Draus. An exit wound tunneled upward through the insides of the structure, as if someone had fired a railcannon shot from the lobby through the roof. Dangling cords swung like vines from the walls spraying cascading sparks downward. But there was also no one inside the damn block. Nothing. Not even a single fucking aratnid. A distant set of screams and sirens echoed through cracks lining the walls, but Draus detected no accretions nearby either. Her paranoia flared like wildfire kissed by napalm. New Vultun was an incredibly dense city, with vacancies primarily found down in the gutters with the Spine. The Tiers, however, had been over-capacity for centuries. An empty megablock in the Tiers was usually a prelude to an ambush. Without hesitation, the regular tried to trigger her Incog, but existence around her shuddere as if disturbed by a miracle, and suddenly, she felt a trickle of entropy build within her Frame. That was odd. She tried again. The same effect followed. This time, her Arsenalists Rend Capacity hit one. "Fucks this?" Draus muttered to herself. "It is more than entropy" her Arsenalist said, speaking directly from her projectile launcher. Drowse looked down at the gun collapsed within her augmented transplant. "What you mean?" Draus asked. "Your mind feels laced. Lace to mind. I can hear your thoughts," the Arsenalist said. "I can remember your recollections. Nicoma, Durek, the Orphans. I can hear voices coming aliveinside of me as well." And then the Arsenalist''s voice trailed off. And for the first time, the Regular sensed a feeling of fear emanating from her Heaven of Guns. Draus scoffed. "Godsdamn it, Avo. The fuck did you do to us this time? Because who else was she to blame? How else would the world be this kind of half-strand bullshit happen without the half-strand taking a shit in the wrong Nether-hole and forgetting to flush? Giving up on trying to activate her Incog, she instead launched a shard of glass from the rubble through the open gorge leading all the way up to the top of the block. Guiding her fragment up the floors, she scanned the levels above her and found them empty as well. But there were plenty of drones still left cleaning the insides of apartments. Some hot coffee still steaming from cups on tables; holo-stations playing old vics on repeat. There had been people here. Recently, even. But they were all gone Now. All of them vanished without a trace. She expected an attack to come any time. The treat could strike her thaumaturgically, mentally, even physically. The Regular stayed ready. A destroyed megablock was in many ways a greater challenge to overcome than even an intact one. Rubble rendered one entrenched against artillery, and damage inflicted upon the structure''s internal infrastructure created new crevices, unexpected angles of attack. But no ambush came, and only the ambience of distant discord hinted to Draus that there were still people left in the world. The megablock she ascended might as well be a tomb. We glimpse this place from all its angles, glass and reflection all, the Simulacra suggested. The heaven shuddered, and all that was visual symmetry responded with a trembling vibration. There was a vast network of pathways Draus could build beyond this space. And just as well. She needed to get moving. As her shard shot through the final rent lining the top of the block, a blinding flurry of colors across the sky. A vibrant deer-like creature composed of countless phantasms and sporting an enormous curved horn raced against a new limited edition aerovec on burning hooves. The bioform screeched, and its manifested projection glitched, spraying numbers and loose strings of unstable memory across the world like sprinkles of falling grain. The holographic Aerovec bailed over Draus'' shard as well. +INTRODUCING THE NEW YONDER QUICKSILVER DULEXE!+ A crackle went across the thoughtcast, and Draus thought she could hear a discordant chorus of whispers spilling over. Some of the voices even sounded familiar. As the ad climbed, however, it rose higher into the air and then sudden vanished between an odd ethereal membrane that extended as far as Draus could see. The Daystar looked a smear of brightness hidden behind a thin tarp, and pulsating undulations passed through the membrane, giving off an ethereal translucence. Her cog-feed flickered once more, and Draus briefly glimpsed a sudden vision overlapping her perception. It intruded into her visuals like an unwelcome premonition. She saw Scale from high above. She saw four burning Souls and watched them rupture, shatter, break, and then pool back together like melding yolk. And from the wound that was left on the surface of reality, tendrils began to spread, pouring down, weaving through the bricks that composed scale, burrowing across reality. The tendrils sported the same hue as the membrane she was now regarding. And as fast as it came, the vision left her, her cog-feed stabililzing thereafter. "Godsdamn Nether bullshit," Draus grumbled to herself. She hated it when the Nether got like this. She had half a mind to launch a series of disruptions at the membrane to punch her way through, but something told her it was a bad idea. Bringing up her DeepNav, Draus'' frustration only grew as she was greeted by an empty emulation of her surroundings. "Of course you''d be broken now, you piece of shit," the Regular muttered to herself. It was just as Guard Captain Nicoma once said, anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and the things that you can''t think of going wrong will also be wrong waiting for you to discover them, like an IED attached to a toilet seat. And then there were her immediate surroundings. Rows of rising and falling structures held up along three layers of floating platforms. Heavy Sanctian aesthetic. Massive bronze and gold buildings sporting too fucking many windows, pointless windmills, clicking gears, and splashing water wheels leading to a highly sophisticated network of aqueducts. Everything here was tied together by some tube or pipe. It was like looking down into an alloyed jungle. Drones darted between buildings as they sprayed fire suppressant at the streets below. At first, she thought herself lost in a Sanctian Purgatory in the Tiersshed fought in plenty of places like this during the war. However, it was when she looked beyond her immediate surroundings that her assessment went back to being uncertain. Pillars of scattered rubble comprised of shifting brick lay buried across the district, slowly swelling and widening the fissures they inflicted upon the environment. More parts of Scale left scattered about. Burning aeros lay like crushed cans against buildings and street corners while people wailed and wept. More and more drones were circulating through the narrow streets, dodging between pipes, and Draus followed them, she noticed a final oddity that made all her thoughts go still. There, in the far horizon, a colossal Old Nolothi ziggurat rose from the ground to toward all surrounding structures, becoming the cornerstone of this abnormally altered district. The top of the ziggurat also sported an extensiona helix-shaped tower that pierced the membrane above. She knew that tower. It bore the exact same design as Avos memory tower in the enclave. Synaptic bolts carrying ghost-charged memories jumped from the towers spire, and every now and again, a burst of what felt like synaptic lightning surged through the air. Every time it did, the faint whispers Draus kept hearing in the backdrop grew louder before they subsided thereafter. Shaking off her surprise, Draus triggered her Auto-Seance and attempted to contact Avo. Only to feel her Rend grew evermore. "When the hell did you stop producing Rend, too?" Draus cursed, glaring at the accretion rounding her head. But as she spoke her frustration, two happenings demanded her attention. The first was a message incoming through to her ansible. The second was the golden gleam of four chronoframes rising from behind a row of buildings as they slowly approached the ziggurat. Each chronoframe was fully manifested, materialized as massive semi-humanoid forms. At a glance, resemble heavily armed combat skins with massive arms and legs, guns attacked to the end of a dozen gleaming tendrils, but also odd oblong cores instead of heads. The cores were where the Navigators formed the heart of the frame, and they all but glided toward the ziggurat with extreme haste. A sweeping splash of red flickered in Draus'' periphery, and she saw a swarm of surveillance drones slowly approaching the area. She flicked her shard outthen projected threading beams of light from its surface, hopping across nearby windows and reflections to expand her demiplanar junctions. Carefully, she closed in on the chronoframes as she accepted the ansible transmission. {Guard Captain Draus,} Calvino greeted, {I am extremely that you''re still alive. I reached out} {How''s the rest of the cadre,} Draus asked, cutting the mind off. She didnt give a shit about pleasantries. {I am still trying to reach most of them. Dice, Essus, and Citizen Marlowe have been confirmed as survivors. But we are still monitoring the situation to get a better} {What situation, Calvino. What the fuck just happened? Wheres Avo? What the hells happened back in the court?} A brief lull entered their conversation. {Well. We suspect that Operative Avos Frame ruptured.} Bitterness churned somewhere deep inside Draus gut. She knew. There was always the possibility at any time. She knew. Still. It was they werent done. They still had too much {Veylis as well. Right now, we are unable to fully confirm Avos condition. Or the High Seraphs. All we can say is that their ruptures might have comingled, and you are currently trapped within a layered substance spreading across New Vultun. So far, it is exhibiting anomalous properties of memory and chronology melded together.} {Well,} Draus said, snorting as she looked at the distant ziggurat. {Reckon that explains some of this, then.} She paused. {Doesnt make it any less bullshit. Godsfuckingdammit Avo.} 29-2 Chronoframe (I) +Chronoframes are constructs designed to embody the very tenets of maneuver warfare. But even before discussing potential tactics and strategic counters to their deployment on the battlefield, it is important to understand the composition and creation of these unique adversaries. All Chronoframes are grown from specific Sanctians who exhibit a high Temporal Synchronicity rating. This means that their Chronoshifts are more fluid than most of their clade, by a factor of two at the minimum. Chrono Frames are not purely thaumaturgical constructs. Instead, they begin as biological extension grown from their pilots body. Over the course of several months, a Chronoframe pilot will see their biology drastically altered in alignment toward a myriad of military grade sheathes. Most retain their humanoid shape to reduce the acclimation time required for the pilot when they begin proper use of their Chronoframe. The initial sheathes for Chronoframes can range from humanoid to encompassing an entire Sovereignty for the few Ensouled Sanctians. The base of the frame is almost always biological, ensuring a stable immuno-nervousconnection to the host. From there, however, implants will be added, mostly in the form of genetic or cybernetic reinforcements, sensors, transplanted weapons, and auxiliary modifications dependent on their role in combat. When this is finally done, a Rendsink will be embedded within their fully mature Chronoframe, and the pilot will spend a few more months training to get used to this configuration. Finally, an Agnos will be brought in to permanently shunt the Chronoframe a few minutes forward into the future during the pilots chronoshift, allowing it to exist just a moment ahead of the user; capable of being summoned with a moments notice. To this end, it is best to understand Chronoframes as a subset of Golems. Such is why destroying their materialized forms one time does not constitute a kill. All Chronoframes leave an echo across time, and only by destroying them again before their next natural shift can the pilot be truly eliminated. Ultimately, the best means to eliminate a Chronoframe is by repeated ambushes, nullification, or complete BVR control over the battlefield paired with a mem-lock, allowing you to strike the Chronoframe regardless of their position. As such, it isalso recommended that you always take the initiative when engaging Chronoframes. If ambushed, your goal should be to break contact and then counterattack thereafter. Do not hold position. They will not linger; and they will return when you are at your most vulnerable+ -Combat Stratagem: Chronoframe, Highflame Vicarity 29-2 Chronoframe (I) {So, let me see if I can get my mind around this. Avos supposedly dead, except we''re not sure. And Veylis went with him, both of them popping inside the Hunger along with the Heaven of Love. And now the big ugly rupture they left us is spilling all across New Vultun. Up into the void as well. And it''s got the properties of the Nether, of the paths, of Wombrash, all at once. And there don''t seem to be anything anyone can do to stop it. Does that sound about right?} {That is an abridged summary of what we have discovered,} Calvino replied. Draus sighed. What a godsdamned mess. But despite the horrific situation, the EGI had been nice enough to forward a new map of New Vultun. And from what the Reg could see, she was currently located at the center of a giant mass of interlocking tendrils. It looked like it was trapped inside of a ratnid''s nest. As she continued to examine the spread of the so-called substance, she realized pockets of it were also spilling forth from various ruptures lining the Warrens below and even the Sunderwilds beyond. Most of the enclave had already been bifurcated, with the substance reaching out from where Avos many watchtowers used to be. Well, if there was one bad thing about him becoming a paracausal entity capable of existing across the continuum of existence, this was it. It seemed a new infection was spreading from every place his mind could once reach. But that made Draus wonder. She was connected to Avo, so was the rest of the cadre. So were millions of other people. They were all part of his gestalt. If this substance was eating through the city, then why hadn''t it devoured her? Well, maybe that was the wrong way of looking at it. Maybe she was already consumed, seeing as she was already within the shimmering veil created by one of these tendrils. After Veylis ruptured the gold soul the first time, the architecture of his Frame seemed to have partially merged with the mental world that existed inside Avoss metamind. It might just be that his mental world is now becoming fully externalized, overlapping with the real, and slowly merging bits contained within his Exo-Paracosm with other locales across Idheim. As Draus contemplated these new changes inflicted on existence, she glided along windowpane reflections, jumping across the district with each refraction of light. She skipped into the lens of a passing drone, and it scanned the streets below, sweeping for any abnormalities along the rest of its swarm. Seeing the Sanctus assets in this district kicking up their surveillance and putting every mega-block they still controlled into lockdown. Rows of aeros were halted in mid-air as needle-shaped drones cut them off. Phantasmal tendrils jumped from the observing drones, commanding the passengers within the vehicles to submit to inspections. Most came to a halt, creating a deadlock of traffic extending out from below layers of floating blocks. A few tried to run, gunning their thrusters off and breaking from the designated skylanes, but as soon as they pierced through the holographic veil, a shot would burrow clean through their chassis, reducing the escaping aerovecss to tumbling fireballs. Directing her attention outward, Draus used her Phys-Sim to trace the origin of the shot and with the Arsenalists assistance, she guessed firing platforms were likely cloaked in the skies above, holding a defensive perimeter running at least 20 kilometers long. In most cases, a Guild could fire at and lock threats from beyond visual range, and if she was forced to engage in the open, then she needed to go low and use the undersides of the floating blocks as cover. Otherwise, she''d be facing constant, concentrated bombardment of mag-flung munitions, smart rockets, and whatever miracles their local golem-knots could muster. But that was the least of her worries when the Chronoframes were still in operation. Leaping out with another splash of luminescence, she dove into the Liminal Paracosmos found within a glossy puddle. With each new pathway she created, she came closer to the Chronoframes and also the ziggurat they were trying to secure. Using her ansible, she formed a microscopic wormhole, triggering an attempt at quantum communication with the rest of her surviving cadre. As the implant buzzed in the back of her skull, several lines extended over her cog-feet as her exo-cortex attempted to establish a virtual connection. {Stand by} Most of the cadre were displayed as greyed out names. Unresponsive. Missing. Lost to the chaos, just like her. Draus guessed that she mightve died right on time to miss the worst of the mess, and nowC {CONTACT ONLINE: AEDON CHAMBERS} A vicious smirk crawled over the regular''s face despite herself. Of course, the half-strand was still kicking. Loathsome, deviant wretch though he was most days. He was also something of a cockroach, but unnaturally resilient for non-Reg. As the transmission went through, she caught an audible gasp of relief as a virtual avatar of Chambers formed in the corner of her feed. {Drausfuck, consang, you have no idea how glad I am to see you.} Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. {The regular snorted briefly before reciprocating, "Chambers. See you ain''t dead yet. What''s your sitrep?} A brief spike in volume splashed across. It sounded like things were blowing up on Chambers'' side. Draus frowned as she heard a familiar noise, the kind of sound you''d hear when an aerovecs core suddenly shorted out, followed by the unmistakable noise of a series of collisions. {Somewhere between pretty good and utterly fucked, not quite sure yet,} Chambers replied. {I have to get back to you on that. Just a couple moments ago, the Guilds were rolling out and throwing down. I''m telling you, Draus, that shit was nova. Hundreds of Knots were slamming into each other, planar lines created folds across entire districts. Nukes started flying everywhere, cadres tore into each other. Got existence shitting itself something bad, but too bad for them they missed us little guys making moves up the gutters. So. Lets just say Im doing a little snuffing of my own right now. Me, Cas, the other mes, and a whole gaggle of other copies.} {Cas is with you?} Draus asked. {He was. Our cult-boys currently running recon. After those big fucking tentacle things started spreading, some of the districts got cut off. I don''t see how muchagh, DeepNav ain''t working right anymore either. So, we decided to do some preemptive liquidation of potential threats, while Avo unfucks all this. Any idea how far along the rotlick is, by the way?} Draus went silent at that. {Draus? You still there?} {Yeah,} Draus replied. {Calvino, you wanna fill him in on what''s going on?} {Certainly, Draus.} {Calvino! My favorite coldtech testicle looking thing!} Chambers shouted. {I said, guns, I''ve missed you too. Hows shit looking up in the void?} {Like a series of popping hemorrhoids, I''m afraid,} Calvino said. {Shit. Well, that was the exact metaphor I needed,} Chambers muttered. {Not me,} Draus grunted, cutting into the conversation between the two. As Calvino began to elaborate on their current unfortunate state of affairs, Draus dove into the glass, lining an entire section of the high-rise facing the ziggurat. She got her upfront perspective of the changes this substance was making to the real. Phantasmal veins branched out from the ziggurat, burrowing through nearby structures, slowly spreading with each additional second. The alterations it made to the environment were slow at first, but Drows ready, Draus could see the architecture of the blocks around the ziggurat changing. Patches of reality were slowly bleeding away and turning into unnatural horizons overlaid upon the distincts natural environment. They resembled unnatural smears presenting abnormal vistas; an optical illusion, if Draus was forced to describe more. It was like looking through a kaleidoscope at some point, a kaleidoscope leading to other destinations. Some of these phantasmal discolorations were as if a looking glass peering into somewhere in the gutters. Another showed the interior of the George Washington before its ultimate destruction. Suddenly, existence was mutating, the continuum around the ziggurat melding into an impossible patchwork of neighboring biomes. Avos memories were leaking into the world, changing it, but the tinge of gold lining the edges of the smears also hinted at Veylis continued presence. And like the pulsing beat of a heart, the memory-formed tower would splash the very fabric of existence forking bolts of phantasmal lightning, expanding the fissure between the mental and the material. And then there were the Chronoframes, four of them. Up close, she saw that they were all of different configurations, though humanoid; only two stood over one hundred and twenty meters and sported a large configuration of implanted weapons embedded in their arms and tendrils. The other two were only half their size, and far more humanoid at that. Instead of nests of tendrils, they seemed to have only a scything blade of gold extended from their left arm and what looked to be a time-preserved fusion burner that replaced their right. Splashes of synaptic lightning spilled down from the tower, but as it crashed against the Chronoframes, it bounced from their body as if small caliber munitions glancing off an exo-rig. {Wait, wait, wait, no, no, no, no,} Chambers said, interrupting her observations. {Avo isnt dead, he cant beHe''s not dead. All this shit has him written all over it. And Kae! If he popped, and K also popped, then why don''t we have the rash anymore? I died. I came back. I came back clean. Most people across New Vultun are clean. Shit, even the flats are getting better. Whatever he did, he saved people. He kept them whole. He can''t be dead. He just fucking can''t.} With every word, Chambers grew increasingly agitated. Death was a hard thing for some people to accept, and Draus herself avoiding thinking Kaes probable fate, But considering the Heaven of Love was within the rupture as well, the Agnos had even odds of making it out of this. If Avo was still around, then Kae just might be as well. That was what Draus was telling herself anyway. It wasnt just Chambers who wanted to believe. {We are currently uncertain as to Avos exact state. However, the continual spread of the substance indicates some level of existing consciousness, especially since the Conflagration requires a stable cognition to come to formation.} No definite statements on Calvinos part either. Voidwatch was running as blind as she was, maybe. That was a hell of a thought. {Right, right, that''s what I''m saying,} Chambers said, latching on to the nipple of hope. {So, all we gotta do is what, dive into the shimmer? Ping Avo?| {Don''t reckon it''s going to be as simple as that,} Draus said, transmitting what she just observed over to the Calvino. In seconds, EGI responded with a thoughtful hum. {Interesting, it seems the Chronoframes are at least partially warded from the substance''s effects. This is incongruous with our other findings. Rendbombs and counter-miracles meant to dissuade incursions from the High Seraph had been deployed against the substance, but failed to slow it by any noticeable degree.} At this point, one of the Chronoframes released a disruption at the memory tower rising out from the ziggurat. And then things went from weird to fucked immediately. At once, reality shuddered and the dissonant whispers in the backdrop rose to a deafening screech. From the tower, a beam of perception speared down at the Chronoframes, and while frames endured, the surrounding area began to twist and warp as pustules burst open upon the face of space-time. +ERRONEOUS BRANCH IDENTIFIED: RESEQUENCING+ +NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!+ +HUNGRY! EAT! EAT YOU! BLEED FOR ME!+ +LOST LOST LOST+ +WHEREAMIWHEREAMIWHEREAMI+ Clashing declaration boomed in the back of Veylis skull and the Regular winced at the loudness of the voice. To make shit even weirder, the speaker sounded like Avo at first before ending more like Veylis. There was also an echo of Kae and a chorus of other voices in accompaniment, and it all came together as a big symphony of weird eldritch bullshit. Judging from how the Chronoframes flinched back, they heard it too. A stillness gripped the district, and the clashing voices only grew. The shimmer lining the sky above the district went from steady ripples to turbulent tides. Scenes flashed along its glossy surface, and Draus spotted dotted accretions gliding through the miasmic chaos. {Oh dear,} Calvino muttered. A ring of guns spread out from behind Draus within her Liminal Paracosmos. She had a feeling her brief stay from violence was coming to an end. Draus. The Regular blinked. She wasnt sure if she imagined Avos voice or if he actually called out to her, but the pressure inside her mind grew, as if nourished by her Ignorance. Only going to be conscious here for a moment. Did my best to hide you from the rest of myself. From the unstable fragments. Dont have long. Neither does this strand. They struck the local anchor. Subconscious responding. Retaliation imminent. Going to destabilize the entire area. Kill millions. Need you to snuff to Chronoframes. Remove the threat. Going to make you seem like part of a memory. Rest is up to you. And a set of four mem-locks blinked into place within her Draus cog-feed, and without any effort on her part, she found reticles fused around the cores of each Chronoframe. Remove identified threats. Remove Subconscious will go dormant. Need to keep her from taking hold. Her and the beast and so many pieces cant find myself up to you trust you Enter the tower Once more, there was only silence. Draus let out a slow breath as she turned her attention on her victims to be. +Synced on that, consang. Stay zero. Ill make this right. And Ill do whatever it takes to fix you.+ 29-3 Chronoframe (II) It dont matter if youre me. It dont matter. I have to get to the Ladder. I gotta make this count. This world is broken. Aint no difference between echo, template, delusion, and reality no more. I am. So I wish to be. So I have to be. Aint no other way about it. I need to make it out. I need to make it to the tower. Even if I have to snuff my original self to do it. -Jelene Draus, User of the Stillborn 29-3 Chronoframe (II) The first thing Draus did to shape her assault was to expand her pathway junctions. She went horizontal and vertical at the same time, expanding her influence along windows, puddles, passing arrows, and drones. She vitrified the tops of megablocks, creating panels of glass she could shoot or depart from, and then finally dispatched thin shards high up in the air and created a subtle encirclement of the entire district. The borders of her Liminal Paracosm now stopped only a few inches away from where the substance enshrouded the space. For twenty kilometers in all directions, Draus widened the expanse of her demiplane, and only when she was done did she start trying to line up the perfect shot. The pulsing, phantasmal disturbances from the memory tower were intensifying, and ghostly lightning leapt out in pace to the rhythm of a climbing heartbeat. The Chronoframes were at a loss as to how to handle the situation, but it wouldn''t be long before they attempted another thought-wave disruption. With the memlocks provided by Avo, she would be able to track them from almost anywhere in existence, but there were other things to consider as well. There were sixteen operational knots within a ten-kilometer radius thirty-two within the full twenty kilometer expanse. After that, the substance saw her blocked off from the rest of New Vultun. Additionally, it was getting to be a pain finding all the cloaked Sanctian weapon platforms spread across the airspace, and Draus didn''t want to risk her aerial shards in the form of a fly-by and end up giving away her presence. Finally, it was the issue of dealing with the Chronoframes. She fought Sanctus plenty of times during the war, and what they lacked in firepower, they more than made up for in maneuverability and spatial-kinetics. She knew her first shot wouldn''t see any of these frames destroyed, even if it shattered their forms. It would simply shift, reform in another area, and then skip back across time to the place they were destroyed, effectively counter-attacking their ambusher. Chronology-charged Rendbombs were one of the few things that could destroy a Chronoframe instantly, but without access to the assault and severed from the rest of Idheim, Draus needed to do this the hard way. But when wasnt that the way of things. Regulars played the hand they were dealt. More than once, she had to make a shiv out of undigested shit. Right now, she had a hell of a lot more than shit to work with; fate was practically grinning at her as far as she was concerned. The plan was straightforward: engage the Chronoframes, engage the local drones, engage the golems as well. Creating an alignment of overlapping mirrors, she designed a metaphysical kill box around the Chronoframes, allowing her to pump out a direct stream of firepower and tear through all four enemy targets at once. She attempted to do the same thing with the other targets in the area, but with how spread out they were, and without knowing what miracles the Knots possessed, it would be presumptuous on her part to think that she would experience an easy victory on this day. "We are to fight as a symphony," the Simulacra spoke to her. Already, the Heaven of Reflection gleamed with luminous brightness. Crackles of breaking glass sounded from within its resplendent form. When the battle began in proper, the glass-made knight would divide into a legion unto itself. She would tear through the district, an army of one, the ringed wings of the Arsenalist firing all the while behind her, shooting through the glass, shooting through the Simulacra, shooting and giving her enemies countless false targets to focus on, while she herself navigated her metaphysical pathways. If this was to be a battle of maneuver, then shed ensure her own advantages as well. Draus let her mind bleed dry of everything but focus. One mistake, and that was all it would take for a certain triumph to result in demise. The thinking was done. Time for the killing to start. A spiraling ring of battleship-derived rail cannons poured out from her projectile launcher and joined the other guns spiraling at her back. Each cannon was the size of a small building, and the mass of tungsten-strike spikes slumbering within their barrels possessed enough kinetic energy to core a mundane megablock. From them, a few hundred Phys-Sim trajectories were simulated, and one by one, the firing lanes went from red to green. As the last shift in color arrived, Draus glimpsed down at the ambush she designed. A dense web of crisscrossing firing solutions was what she beheld, and a series of racking bolts and whining batteries heard from this Arsenalist: a sign of the Heaven''s pleasure. "This is purpose, this is beauty, this makes existing worthwhile." The Regular signalled her accord by lifting her projectile launcher and firing the first shot. All hell broke loose across the district. A storm of metal blasted out from windows, from puddles, from panels, from all sources of miracle-infused reflection. From the thinnest of pathways emerged massive pillars of tungsten and streaming bullets, slashing out in defiance of spatial reality. Shock waves of kinetic force scattered unbolted objects and warped all fragile matter within the effect radius. Projectiles zipped through patrolling drones, slipping over and between thousands of halted aeros as the Arsenalist elevated Draus aim beyond the limits of mortal possibility. Tons of superheated matter impacted unsuspecting golems, and they came apart by the dozen, entire Knots ceasing to be. But the brunt of Draus'' firepower was reserved for the Chronoframes. Fusion lances, particle beams, rockets, ferromagnetic projectiles, lasers, crude slugs, and gyrojet munitions collapsed upon the Chronoframes, granting them no room for escape. The lighter Chronoframes disintegrated immediately, barely having any time to respond. A golden oscillation emanated from their forms, sparing them from the first shots, but the devastation followed disintegrated them entirely. They came asunder, parting into vanishing echoes of fracturing gold; the ordinance that devoured them continued on, seeking the heavier frames thereafter. Draus felt the mem-lock assigned to those two Chronoframes jump. Both of them were now fifteen kilometers away, settled within a surviving Knot of golems that put up a defensive demiplane before they could be destroyed. As more vectors of fires crashed against the heavier Chronoframes, the initial salvo passed through a reflection layered behind them and before passing through a pathway and emerging from a translucent panel of metal at their feet. But as Draus attack slammed into the Chronoframes from all angles, the memory tower roared with cascading energy. Bolts of ghost-laced lightning rained down on the Chronoframes once more, and again folded along the outlines of their bodies. But this time, instead of splashing away from the Chronoframes and warping the environment more, it became as if an aegis of protection as Draus''s ordinance dissolved into phantasmal strings of memory. The Regular snorted to herself as she moved to another reflective pathway. She grew distant from any of her ground-level portals and positioned herself across from her aerial shards. Swimming above the district, she observed the aftermath of her alpha strike from on high. Two lighter Chronoframes destroyed once; drone majority annihilated; four surviving golem Knots. Not a bad openerbut she could have done better. The Nether-ghoul-fuckery should have been anticipated. For as much as the half-strand helped her, he couldn''t seem to stop bringing trouble her way either. Alive, dead, or broken, Avo was always a surprise. And a pain in the ass. A warning indicator pulsed across her cog-feed. RENDBOMB DETONATION DETECTED To the Sanctians'' credit, their retaliation came immediately. Only a few drones survived Draus''s initial strike, but those that lingered responded by firing at every window through every open doorway they could see. She doubted that they knew the actual source of the attacks. Probably just thought someone was taking potshots at them from inside the surrounding architecture. The Golems, however, took a more defensive posture, and Draus counted four defensive spatial spheres expand, their swelling presences feeling as if a shroud of counter-spatial reality. She felt a disturbing weight grind against her frame, and immediately Draus released her nearby reflections, the luminosity fading from them as they were encompassed by the non-defensive measures. A thirty or so portals vanished from within her Liminal Paracosmos. A pulse of brightness rippled across the district. The two heavier Chronoframes blinked out of being, leaving only faint echoes wherever they once existed. From above, Draus spotted them moving as faint flickers dancing along the surface of existence. They flashed fast as a few hundred aerial gun emplacements fired around Draus. Spatial reality clenched tight around their barrels and pockets of space collapsed inward below. They were bombarding the spots where they assumed her shots were coming from, and Draus had to dismiss a few more portals before she suffered a backlash. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. A heartbeat later, a series of spatial Rendbombs joined the hovering gun emplacements and further ruptured the tapestry. Sanctus was taking no chances. They wanted her dead. Draus''s zone of control was shrinking. But she''d anticipated this. This was why she decided to take the higher ground instead. And as the cloaked platforms around her continued to fire, Draus turned the Arsenalist on them, and from the spiraling array of shards she had encircling the district, she unleashed a swarm of threading missiles through her pathways. She kept her aerial assault subtle and fluid, using only low-yield missiles to destroy the emplacements to avoid drawing too much attention. The longer it took for the Sanctians to realize they just lost aerial supremacy, the better. As the emplacements broke apart, she slammed more missiles into their falling debris, striking them until only specks of ash remained. At the same time, she dropped her Simulacra Replicas down from above. She dispatched ten Replicas at first, and they ground down the sides of megablocks as they unfurled the enormous wings they used as shields while the Arsenalist continued firing using them as a porthole. The last of the drones were destroyed as the Replicas reached ground-level with a synchronized roar of impacts. Draus''s voidtech reflex booster was boosted to obscene levels, and the only things that still bore any hint of motion aside from her selves were the Chronoframes, Avos memory tower, and four defensive spheres projected by the remaining golems. Ten knights of glass continued what seemed to be an aimless rampage through the district, and Draus had them stay below the hovering megablocks at the highest levels, offering her enemy the higher ground. The two larger Chronoframes fell for her bait immediately. Their mem-lock signatures vanished for an instant before they jolted back into existence with a splash of pulsing gold. They took up firing positions along the edges of two megablocks hovering above where Draus''s Replicas continued their warpath. The Chronoframes tendrils coiled around the edge, and their implanted weapons fired, but instead of traveling across space like Draus''s guns did, they skipped across time, punching chunks of raw matter out of her bodies. Tons of glass went missing inside of her. A small burst of Soulfire sprayed out from every luminous reflection under Draus''s control. REND CAPACITY [SIMULACRAE REPLICA] - 34% The Regular remained undaunted. This was what she wanted. Some damage made the bait feel real. Angling her aerial shards downward, she selected the most potent of her particle beam weapons and extended them through her reflective portals. Motes of light danced within helix-shaped barrels, and a new brightness bathed the entire district. A stream of searing rain slashed down from the sky. Threads of energy zipped down faster than any kinetic could. They burrowed against the armor of the heavy Chronoframes, rather than break or shatter like dead machines, the time-forged constructs bled radiant ichor as they screamed in pain, their cries carrying their pilots agony as well. The heavy Chronoframes lasted for a full real-time section before they finally came apart. Again, their signatures reloaded, and Draus found them hidden behind the same spatial shroud that housed their lighter comrades. But while she was focused on bringing them down, three bubbles of spatial impossibility exploded as twelve Heaven-manifested golems launched themselves skyward in a counterattack against Draus. Their breakers came forth looking as if two-hundred meter long humanoid bodies sporting flower-like heads. From each petal blossomed tumbling gales of wind and storm, and as the golems twirled, their control over movement was absolute. At once, a hurricane began to form in the sky, and Draus felt her shards get wrenched off course. Her Hyalokinesis was only a relative power, and could offer nothing against the countervailing miracles of the storm. But why make a battle symmetrical when you had other options? Twelve more Replicas rushed out from her pathways, and they rode across the sky in lances of four, each meeting a knot on their own. The wind passing through the Replicas as they glowed, and suddenly they were as if open doorways passing through the sky. Then, she was upon the blossoming Heavens, and her reflective blades extended to becoming lances, splitting through the golems as she parted the very space connecting their bodies. Three forming maelstroms sputtered and broke before they could even fully form, but the porters among the golems enclosed Draus''s Replicas in three separate dimensions of space, sealing her. Or so they thought. Her captured Replicas detonated into spatially interconnected shards, each empowered by the canon of Shattershunt. REND CAPACITY [SIMULACRA REPLICA] - 79% Her high vulgarity miracle went off and fractured the very fabric of existence. The passageways within the shards collapsed outward and then came crashing together. Matter and space were both mangled in equal measure, and the attacking golems discovered too late that this trap was going to be their tomb. Chunks of compressed material were squeezed across the sky, turning into thin strips of mutilated ontology. She felt another shudder press against her Framefelt a disturbance across the Domain of SpaceCand then demanifested her Simulacra just as she fired herself out from a collapsing pathway using her Arsenalist. A vast layer of rings composed from interlocking guns accelerated down toward the last Knot of golems; behind that final demiplanar shroud, the Chronoframes lingered as well, the coming deaths to be their final ends. Her decision to descend was a wise one, as but a beat later, a few hundred Rendbombs blinked into place behind her as the ligher Chronoframes rematerialized, lining the sky with existential landmines. Draus turned some of her faster guns on them and fired. Lasers slashed out. And struck nothing. The sky above came asunder with a few hundred spreading ruptures as anomalies of displacement spread across existence. Suddenly, the lighter Chronoframes blinked into being right next to Draus, and they tore into her Arsenalist, slashing through her guns with their blades and melting her down using fusion burners. She loosed several shots at them, but her flechettes kissed only fading imprints vanishing from the surface of time. Temporal displacement was miserable to deal with, and the Regular went from reacting to anticipating. The lighter chronos would always be faster than her. Her ambush was the only reason she got them earlier in the first place. But she didnt need to outdraw them, she just needed to get them ahead of time. Instead of shooting at the Chronoframes, she turned her guns on each other, and they all fired at once. Her enormous railcannons blew apart from scything beams, and her lesser guns turned to slag from spreading balls of fire. But through this act of calculated self-harm, the Chronoframes fell victim to the carnage as well. They arrived just in time to get caught up in the blast radius. The Arsenalist generated from guns; but the light Chronoframes were cast aside. One was shredded utterly, the gold shimmering for a moment before vanishing altogether like an extinguished candle. The pilots body emerged from a cocoon of gold as little more than a spill of sloppy viscera. The other lost an arm and a leg. Draus could tell they hadn''t been killed, at least not yet. Before they could escape, she hit them with a thoughtwave disruption, and they managed only a single skip across a hundred meters before a rainstorm of bullets carved them down to nothingness. From there, she doubled her acceleration toward the final Knot where the last two chronos waited. As she closed in, she saw a chain of Rendbombs get teleported across every intersection, every avenue within the district. They went off. And the cityscape below as engulfed in chaos. The Regular simply sighed. Classic battle tactic. If you couldn''t hold operational control, deny it to everyone. Except that killed your own citizens. Scorched earth was supposed to be done to your enemies. The godsdamned half-strands didnt even know where she was, considering the fact that no new bombs went off in the sky. She vitrified a small bullet within one of her guns and fired at the last demiplane. As the glass-round left, she Shotjumped into it, the Arsenalist disappearing into the small projectile entirely. She circled the air for a few moments as she watched the district come apart. After a minute of waiting, the Knot finally dropped their plane, exposing the golems and the two larger Chronoframes holding a defensive posture. The Regular scoffed internally. Cowards, the Arsenalist declared. Aint even worth the tungsten, Draus agreed. Let us give them glass instead, the Simulacra suggested. From that single glistening bullet, the Heaven of Reflection burst into being once more, sporting enormous shard-like wings lined with a thousand protruding barrels. A stream of fire drilled down through the Knot before they could react, and the heavy Chronoframes were caught in the crossfire as well. The Breaker-golem overloaded immediately as a fusion lance struck its paradox. The air around its petal-like head grew hyper-heated. Soulfire detonated thereafter. Two other golems and a chronoframe were caught in the blast radius, and all ceased to be at once. The Porter lasted perhaps a moment longer before an enormous spike impaled it through against plascrete below. And finally, the last of the chronoframes skipped ahead into the future. Without assistance, without a proper plan, without anywhere to run, their fate was sealed. It emerged two kilometers away, and the pilot dismissed their time-forged avatar, choosing to feel down a narrow hallway inside a megablock on foot. They thought Draus wouldnt be able to track them now, quiet and small as they were. Well. She saw their hope, and she sent out a single shot in response. A single hyper-accelerated shard skipped along the side of a building, ricocheted down a panel against a weall, passed through an open window, bounced off a door frame, impacted the ground, left through anther window, skipped off the ledge of a building, passed into the doorway the pilot just fled, rang against the walls behind them, and finally snapped out through their throat. A welter of gore sprayed free from the wound, and pilot managed three more steps before the last strand of glistening sinew finally untangled. The dead Scantian collapsed. Their ontology shifted twice. On both of their alternative bodies, their head was barely attached to their body. For a moment thereafter, Draus simply scattered her surroundings. Some collateral damage, no hostiles, nothing except +Draus.+ Her name was spoken by a thunderous whisper, passing through the entire district, and a turbulent storm began to build from the memory tower. That didnt sound like Avo. That was all Veylis. Shit, Draus muttered to herself. The Regular wasted no time, moving towards the tower in anticipation for what was to come. She didn''t think; she acted, she prepared. Rows of Replicas formed, materializing a defensive wall, her reflections surrounding the ziggurat. And as it rumbled with crashing one more time, a bolt carried a new pressure across existence, injecting something into reality just before Draus. UNKNOWN SOUL DETECTED ERROR: SYNCHRONOUS ONTOLOGY DETECTED JELENE DRAUS OF THE STILLBORN, DELIVERER OF FINALITY 29-4 Reflections The paths for the Guard-Captain have been walked. Her ultimate fates have been compiled. {Oh. Joy. Let me guess: she tries to solve everything by shooting or exploding various people and places?} She will seek to resolve matters the way she was trained: Through every means available; by any method of victory possible. She is a fine weapon. A good hound. A worthy adversary. {If that is true, why did you let the Chivalrics drive her off?} Because the path of her retention would have led to civil strife. Strife I could not abide. {Ah. Ape politics fucks us yet again.} Indeed. But through these paths, we will have solutions to any of his inner circle should the Stillborn prove contagious. -Veylis Avandaer and the Infacer 29-4 Reflections JELENE DRAUS OF THE STILLBORN, DELIVERER OF FINALITY (WAR/GUNS/REFLECTION/LUMINOSITY) [EST. 10000000] Existence shuddered as if the surface of a disturbed pond as the synaptic lightning receded back into the memory tower. Yet the final bolt stitched a new form into shape, infusing it with the glow of Soulfire and marking it finally with the pinpricks of an unformed accretion. Standing at the base of the ziggurat and flanked by the smear-like breaches revealing zones of altered reality, Draus faced the new threat with blank thoughts. She saw the name that was displayed, and the tension within her built to a solid knot. A dome of glass spilled over the ziggurat, sealing it away from the rest of the district within her Liminal Paracosmos. Through the glass, legions of replicas marched forward, guns spiraling behind them like drifting wings, their blades aglow with eldritch luminosity. From within an altered space created by her heaven, Draus observed her supposed twin with apprehension. As a god-glad of the H-sphere, she felt as if she was a blade of grass standing before the falling weight of a wrathful hurricane. But the Deliverer of Finality did not move, did not initiate a sudden assault. Instead, it stood there, as if waiting for further orders. To make the contrast between them even starker, it looked like it was designed in an inversion to her current design. Rather than being a hundred-meter-tall knight made from glass, sporting shards and guns as wings, it was a colossus twice her height, but composed of broken blades, warped barrels, burning arrows, and ruined husks. Destroyed platforms made for war composed the entirety of its body, and the gore extracted from pulped corpses lined the broken remnants of war, forming a humanoid shape leaked with fractured viscera. From its back extended six trails of broken glass, each one ugly, jagged, edge-pointed, drowsy. There was a tremor of symmetry between them. But more than reflection, she felt an absolute sharpness emanating from the tips of the fractals. And finally, there was that ugly-rusted gun that had been sported in place of an actual head. It was a wretched-looking weapon a massive cannon longer than some buildings were tall. It swore to four teeth-like barrels; an enormous spite of hissing darkness lay dormant within. And Draus sensed a feeling of wrongness emanating from the enormous flechette. She knew on an existential level that if it hit her, any part of her absolute destruction would be her fate. That no barrier, be it constructed from miracles of matter, space, time, or more, could deny the seed of ruin it carried within. {Draus, are you well? Our sensors are detecting a massive spike of activity pulsating through the strands of substance composed in your general area.} Calvino sent. Draus didn''t respond verbally. Instead, she cast over her recent experiences using her ansible as she kept every last bit of her focus locked on the deliverance of finality. {What the fuck,} Chambers muttered, still on the same call. {Why the hell does this half-strand have your name as a Heaven?} That was a good question, one that Draus wanted to find out about as well, and the answer came as the rumbling voice of Veylis spoke once more. With each syllable, the memory tower shuddered with oscillations of unstable gold. "G-guard Captain," Veylis said, her voice a fractured echo of what she used to be. "I greet you now, beyond my egress from life, my consciousness sustained in embracement" The last word shifted between her and Avo, and suddenly the gold vanished as an ethereal essence erupted out from the tower. Draus failed to react as another bolt of lightning whipped something into her. But rather than inflicting harm, she felt a flood of miracles splashed around her being, and a faint shroud of golden armor fused around her manifestation. The shroud resembled a tall gold-armored figure sporting a weapon that looked like a merge between a fishing rod and a glaive. Above her, a strange fish swam along the currents of time, sending cascading echoes outward, forming protective eddies around Draus''s body. The Fisher that Wasn''t Draus knew this Heaven as well. It was Zeins instrument. She remembered fighting Thousandhand, how futile the whole thing felt; the shadow superimposed upon her was but a faint shadow of the Godslayer. Can only offer this havent fixed rest of her need more time no time Get to tower. Avoid anathema Escape But before Avo could finish his final words, Veylis returned, and the ethereal glow was usurped by vibrations of trembling gold once more. The Fisher vanished just before Veylis returned, and even Draus ceased to feel its presence. "Guard-Captain," Veylis said, speaking through both the tower and the Deliverer of Finality. "Highest Avandaer," Draus replied. From every reflection she controlled, she brought forth the most potent of her guns and created a few hundred shards empowered by Shattershunt. She had no expectations about winning a prolonged encounter against this anathema. Whatever Avo meant by that, there was no time to play defensive. The infusion of Zeins shadow was given unto her to create an opportunity for escape, but the conditions of her retreat still needed to be created. As such, she couldn''t hold anything back. Her rend was already pretty high for the Simulacra, and if a Sphere Eight vented into her, Draus guessed she''d pop like a shitty light bulb. "Kinda figured death wouldn''t come that easy to you," Draus said, speaking to the High Seraph. The Deliverer shifted its gun-shaped head ever so slightly. Draus fought back a sneer inside as she recognized that tick to be one of her own. Nether bullshit, path bullshit, it was all bullshit. Give her a gun, a monowire, a bomb, hell, let her use her hands, and she''d have no problem with the bloodshed to follow. But even as a Godclad, Draus couldn''t help but think of canons as being the biggest pile of bullshit of them all. Sometimes it didn''t matter about your skill, your grit, your preparation. Sometimes the other half-strand just had you by the cunt. "Contrarily, I am dead," Veylis replied, but a slow chuckle followed her words. "I simply have not ceased, where my soul and original vessel have been shattered beyond restoration. My consciousness has found continuance as the bridge of my paths joined the length of the dreamer''s sequences, and through our mutual collapse, our ruins fell united, each forming the other''s load-bearer, my time circulating the destruction of our ruptured forward in the future, and his unique cognition preserving us, rebuilding our egos where all lesser minds would have succumbed to a final dissolution." {Oh,} Calvino sighed in the back of Draus''s mind, {oh dear, this is far worse than I expected. She is likely trying to integrate herself into the Stillborn. This is a level of recklessness that we have not anticipated.} {Wait, so Avo still alive, right? I mean, Veylis is too, which is shit, but you heard what she said, he''s still alive!} Chambers barked a laugh, and Draus finally found it almost admirable how the man could stay upbeat even when she was about to get stuffed. "So this was your game all along, huh?" Draus asked. The Deliverer extended an arm, and some of the rusted wrecks that composed its material body tumbled into shape out from its open fingers, forming a glistening blade composed of rust, fusion, blood, weaponry, and above all, consuming darkness. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "As much as I would like to boast of my foresight, I must offer the Dreamer his due. I laid my plans for the future, but he spun an admirable web of ever-changing schemes in the very present, between him, the Chronicler, Mother, and Naeko, I relearned lessons of humility and near desperation." Draus snorted at that. "Well, damn, the rotlick must have gotten pretty close, if even you''re telling me this." "Blessed be the worthy," Veylis said simply, "this truth is self-evident. The action does not change when virtues are shared between enemies." "Nah," Draus replied, "reckoning just makes it truer." "Well-spoken. But alas, I leave the time for dialogue, as I intend, Guard-Captain, to know this vessel to be something I created in the past, specifically to eliminate you." "Flattered," Draus scoffed, Didnt think you gave that much of a shit. Not so. You were a lamentable loss for Highflame. But the cost of your retainment would have seen civil strife. Alas, this counter-agent is all I can offer you as an apology. May it kill you well. I crafted it to be your nemesis should you have inherited the Stillborn after burning Dreamer''s potential demise. But gazing upon you now, seeing your limited Spheres, I now bear witness to the Dreamer''s many flaws. He is selfish, he thought, of himself before all others, even as he sought to become you, even as he sought a lying consciousness. He has damned you, Guard-Captain. Burn bright, fight hard, die well." With that, all the splendorous radiance of gold vanished and Draus was alone with her clone. The jagged, fang-like barrels of the Deliverers gun-head began to spin, and slowly it closed both hands around the hilt of its new blade as it shifted its posture, cutting a slow, trailing scar across reality. A wound opened across the flesh of spatial existence, and the Deliverer pushed its leg back as a shudder of absolute speed surged through its body, a displacement building between how fast it shuddered and the dust flowing around it. At the same time, Draus''s mind arranged hundreds of firing trajectories. Green lanes threaded through the deliverance, she prepared to unleash the full power of her Shattershunts. Something told her that even her most potent attack wouldn''t see her foe destroyed, but the further destabilization of spatial reality could give her just enough room to reach the tower. You know, Draus said, speaking to the Deliverer without knowing if it was going to reply, you could just step aside and let me pass. I ain''t gonna tell on you to the High Seraph. After a familiar chuckle escaped from within, having composed of ruined weapons and mangled corpses, it replied, And you could just drop your heavens right now and let me shoot you. Save us both some time. Shit, the fucking piece of shit even sounded like her. Yeah, we both know I ain''t gonna do that, Draus said. Of course, the Deliverance replied. Who would we be if we followed orders? Both Deliverer and Draus shared a laugh, but the original considered that thought for a moment. Well, I''d say we''d be you, seeing how everything about you was shaped from the High Seraphs will. Deliverance went very still at that. You know, it just occurred to me that I''m kind of a sow. Gonna enjoy killing you, Draus. Right back at you, Draus, Draus replied, and then she immediately cast Chambers once more. {Hey, half-strand, got any ideas?} {What? Me?} Chambers said, sounding startled and surprised in equal measure. {This one''s an exact template or echo of me. Everything I do, she''d probably know in advance. So, I either have to get a lot smarter than who I am right now, or a lot dumber. Thankfully, I got both options on standby.} {I approve of your strategy of destabilizing spatial reality,} Calvino said, {but I suspect every Heaven you possess, your counterpart already possesses a countermeasure to. Your best odds are to rupture the local area, and delay their attack as long as possible. The miracle Avo infused into you is the only thing the Deliverer likely does not have a counter to. But you should not gamble all you have on something you cannot control.} {Maybe use a flat wave detonation too,} Chambers said. This idea drew Draus''s attention. {Yeah, yeah, the detonation. If the other you can talk, and she can probably think. If she can think, well, a detonation will throw her off. It might not be much, but every little bit that gets you to the tower counts, right?} Draus grunted in accord. {Shit, Chambers. I thought you was supposed to give me a stupid idea.} {Yeah, well the rash isnt working anymore so, my one big trick is gone.} The Regular snorted. Whenever you''re ready, consang, the Deliverer said. Draus replied by launching every single Shattershunt shard at the Deliverer. Fragments of luminous glass splashed down around the base of the ziggurat. But with the contemptuous sweep of their hissing blade, the spatial links between the Shattershunts were severed, and a massive gulf of Soulfire exploded out from Draus. She didnt even see the cut. One moment the Deliverer was still. The next they were finishing a stroke through her Shards. VENT! VENT! VENT! BACKLASH: DOMAIN OF (SPACE) REND CAPACITY [SIMULACRA RESPLENDENT] - 97% A torrent of eldritch fire wept out from every reflection controlled by Draus. And suddenly, her Heaven of Reflections destabilized vanishing with a discordant cry. But just as the Deliverer blinked across the distance between her and Draus, the Regular sailed forth in the form of her Arsenalist, countercharging without fear. She detonated a thoughtwave at the same moment she fired herself across the air as a bullet. Her mind went blank, but in the next moment, when her coherence reformed, she realized she was sailing towards the top of the tower unimpeded. For a beat, her gambit looked successful. And then the Deliverer suddenly materialized before her less than a meter away, a massive barrel pointed at Draus slight bullet. Fuck, Draus sighed. The gun of the Deliverer fired then, and a shock wave hammered against Draus before the spike of darkness even arrived, jolting her to an agonizing halt. A massive pillar of absolute destruction speared out across the scant distance between Draus and the Deliverer, and the Regular felt the cold claws of death close around her as reality itself unraveled with the passage of the bullet. Only for the echo of the Fisher to ignite around her. A glaive rose up, splitting a wound open on the surface of the tapestry. The Deliverers spike slipped through the chronological rupture, and in the next instant, the Fisher rematerialized, thrusting its glaive through the Deliverers skull-gun. But instead of dying, Draus''s clone seized the Fisher''s weapon by its hand as a blast of destructive fire rushed out from severed head, with black flames and scalding blood eating clean through the Heaven of Tiem. Parts of Zeins heaven vanished outright, even as it tried to shift out of the way. Draus felt the Deliverers Domain of War press down upon the laws of reality harder than any other miracle she experienced before. The Deliverer was a Heaven born from the ruins that remained after war. It was more than a death, more than destruction. It was the stillness after a struggle. It was the collapse of progress. It was the smoke choking away the light of the sky, murdering all hope for every tomorrow to come. The Deliverer was a terminus, a fatal point where everything had to break, where there was nothing left to give, nothing but war and annihilation. But what was war to Zein? Even a shadow of her? Death held no sway even over Thousandhands shadow, and instead of striking back before it was utterly destroyed, it seized the Deliverer in a grapple, plunging both of them into the currents of time. They were gone in the next instant, and the path ahead stood clear. Draus exploded forth, zipping at hypersonic speedsonly as the Deliverer snapped back through the cage of glass she layered around the ziggurat. Once more, the bloody, black blade descended. This time, there was no Zein. Draus was but a scant meter away when she felt her divine form part in two. A second backlash tore through her, this one destabilizing her Heaven of Guns as well. She tumbled free, her ephemeral form emerging from the collapsing wavelengths of Soulfire. And this would be the point where most died. This would be the point where most failed to react, out of options. But Regulars fought, Regulars survived, Regulars endured, and Regulars adapted. Draus was more than her Heavens, and she still had options remaining. Options such as the Bomb Queen implant allowed her to create explosive organisms using a special organ transplanted on her back. The detonation mangled her body enough to fling her through the phantasmal surface of the tower as she splashed into the ethereal bomb whirling free from the cogni-thaumic construct. She felt another slash of absolute destruction chase after her, but it dissolved into nothingness, coming apart as a splash of ghosts in a phantasmal force coiled around her, drawing her away from the district while ghostly chains speared out from the tower, devouring the Deliverer from within. Fuckin Zein, the Deliverer grumbled as she began to disintegrate. But that was the last Draus saw of her alternate self as she pulled away into a chaotic sea of memories, phantasmal rapids carrying her downwards, deeper and deeper into a whirlpool. Visions and stimuli flooded her mind. Her cog-feed burst apart into pulsating sprays of discordant color, and in the back of her mind, she could hear Calvino and Chambers calling out to her, their voices growing distant as she continued plunging deeper and deeper down an all-consuming vortex. And suddenly the world was inverted, and she found herself laying cheek-first upon a cold stone surface. For a few moments thereafter, the Regular simply lay there, the nanosurgeons within her blood mending ruined organs. The faint feeling of thaumic energies cascaded against her Frame, and faintly, she could feel the Heavens within herself stirring once more. But as she recovered, a shadow passed over her, and the Regular triggered her projectile launcher, ignoring her ruined body as she responded to the threat There is no need, a thin, airy voice spoke to her. You are safe here, Regular Draus. You are safe. Our lord warned us of your coming. This is a sanctuary. You will not be harmed. Still, Draus turned, aiming her gun at The fuck? A group of flats stood before her. There were dozens of them. Men, women, children. Some possessed ashen skin while others looked dark as the Maw. But all of them wore similar attire. Robes and dresses decorated with the glyphs of Old Noloth. The fuck are you all Draus slurred. We were esteemed chosen and hidden traitors to the City Eternal. Once, we called ourselves the Double Thinkers, those who faced the walls within. But now We stand amongst the first to welcome our new king, our broken king, and with your arrival, Knight Draus, we will see the restoration of Noloths old and new, our destruction unmade by the cleansing flames of the Burning Dream. 29-5 Between +This is Instrument Cavara Arrano! We are being overrun. We have been cut off by something! My cadre is down to less than eight Knots and two fleets of patrol drones. Ashthrone is massing on our borders. The demiplanes arent going to last longer than a day. Again again if there is anyone out there if anyone can hear us H-hello? H-High Seraph? Is that Yes. Yes, I understand. Your will be done. Blessed be the worthy.+ -Instrument Cavara Arrano 29-5 Between [The Dyad] In a place between all places, grown from a wound festering upon the surface of existence, and nourished from waters of conjoined mind and time, two cognitions manifested within a single healing being. Their return was as if the melding of molten metal, destruction of four Frames, resulting in the creation of a new ontological alloy. Their awareness was dim, nascent. True consciousness greeted them in bursts and increments. And as the two were conjoined, they fought over everything. Deaths. Cognitive capacity. Heavens. And even memories. With each passing second that the substance spread across New Vultun and Idheim, a fragile stability returned to the two. And from the incomprehensible chaos that once consumed both of their beings, they forged a new realm, infusing the shattered Soulscape with memory, time, and will. A battle-weathered street came into existence within the soulscape. Its face was lined with cracks, pockmarked by artillery. And at the middle of the street was a fractured panel of glass, bifurcating it in half. Within the reflection, two stood, separated by a brittle threshold. But rather than facing each other, they were extensions. This place, this street, was all but a metaphor for how the dyad understood themselves. The dichotomous entity stood there, split evenly down a vertical line by the panel of glass. On the right side was a monster of human make. His skin was coated in a layer of fluid armor, ancient and advanced, an impossible relic left over from a lost age. His eyes were as insightful as they were predatory, betraying lifetimes livedlifetimes not his own. A drifting spiral of tendrils hovered behind him, four Echoheads chittered in this unfinished place, sending rattling echoes outward, trying to catch a glimpse of his environment. And from the one skull extended a shadow, a manifestation of his truest soul. A looming bird with a single burning eye furled out its wings as ghosts merged with the world, twisting the meaning of space, time, and causality itself. The Burning Dreamer, Avo of Noloth, shifted, and to his left, he felt his great rival roused from her slumber as well. Veylis Avandaer, long rebuilt beyond the limits of humanity, loomed over the ghoula cybernetic giant dwarfing a nightmarish toddler. Her human face showed the only stretch of skin she possessed, her features placid, but her gaze determined. The rest of her body was a composition of impossible metal and technothaumic engineering. It was her core that Avo felt the most. A semi-circular turn of brushing hands encapsulating a pulsating singularity. Both of them had subconsciously reached over into the world, influencing it, manipulating reality to serve their own ends, to further their own means. For every moment they existed, they were at war, struggling to seize the bulk of their shared consciousness, their shared power. And now finally, as their reach infested existence itself, they were arriving at a point of sufficient impasse, arriving at this point of severed coexistence. "Dreamer," Veylis spoke, and Avo spoke with her. "Seraph," the ghoul replied, and he stared forward, unable to glimpse the post-human woman fused to the other half of his being. For a few moments, both took in the ruins that comprised their Soulscape, observed the discordant patterns splashing out from them, a result of their ruptured heavens and fallen miracles. Finally, a mocking chuckle escaped the Burning Dreamer as he taunted Veylis with hisses of rising pleasure. The High Seraph regarded her counterpart with a serene expression. "Speak then, oh twin of my Soul, let me know the truth behind your mirth." "Desperation," Avo replied. "You must have been truly hopeless on the brink. Didn''t take you for the type to be willing to suffer ontological mutilation." "Then you underestimated my resolve," Vaeli said simply. "No, never underestimated that. Knew your will to be more than most, knew you to be a considerable threat. But thisthe self wants to be, and you have cast yourself into me, entered yourself in the hopes that our reforging would favor you. Strangest way someone has joined my gestalt, so far." And now it was Veylis turn to smile. "You mean our gestalt," Avo chuffed in indignation. "Mine." "No, you, Veylis You don''t want others to be themselves. You want them to be puppets. Puppets, not people. And so, even in your paths, you are alone. I have never been alone. I do not know the meaning." "But you will," Veylis retorted, without a hint of doubt. "Already, you are beginning to feel what it is to be me and I you. Even with this crude demarcation parting us, the nature we now assume, our new ontology. Denied of death and rebuilt by the powers of the stillborn, and your ascended cognition will see us eventually joineda single being. One, not separate." "That remains to be determined," Avo replied. "Things can change. And the final structure we assume is no longer fated by your paths." A moment passed; silence assumed itself. Avo spoke once more. "Felt you earlier, reaching into my memories, using my soul to create your temporal echo. Saw your simulation of Draus, an iteration of her, given my frame." "And I felt you as well," Veylis breathed. "A sliver of you, anyway. Like a silent, subtle serpent snaking beneath the surface of my thoughts. I keep trying to capture the intrusive strand, but it always slips me. It always leaves me in the dark." "There are things we don''t know about each other still," both of them said at the same time, a moment of temporary synchronicity jolting through this place between. All of a sudden, separation became a full superimposition, as Avo and Veylis spilled over each other, tearing their own forms open as they tried to crawl outwards, fighting to be the encompassing ontology. But a moment later, the merger failed, and once more, they jolted into their bifurcation, their stalemate resuming itself. "So, you have saved her then, blessed her, with an echo of my mother''s power. So you have made simulations of my cadre, prepared to counter them with themselves in the circumstance of my death." "You have your designs, and I have mine," Vaeli said. "And so it continues, and so it shall be," Avo replied. He let out a building hiss of hunger. "Know that everything you do, everything you create, it will not stop them. I have seen in them both potential transformation. I will forge them. I will make sure they carry my flame. And know that no matter what you invest in this fallen instance of humanity, they will fail you. I will twist the world to my will. I will bend time to show you the moments where heroes and saints collapse and falter. Your cadre will be brilliant. Your templates will burn bright. You will clash. But before the end, you will learn to spare, and you will give yourself unto me. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. And we, when this is done, we will set upon this final journey, seizing the last of the Arks, our final service, to prepare the world to come for a worthier master, even the sum of our parts.Stand and deliver, Dreamer. Gaze inside and face the empty," Veylis finished. [Draus] "You gotta be fucking kidding me," the Regular said, taking in the assembled Nolothi standing before her. First, these double-thinking, wall-facingwhatever the fuck they were calledhalf-strands approached Draus with open palms, trying to placate the Regular. "We do not jest," one said. Draus kept her projectile launcher lined at the Nolothis face. She looked to be a relatively young girl, about three full heads shorter than Draus. Her skin was a light brown, but her eyes were abnormally blue, as if she was wearing lenses or possessed an augmentation. Curving rings of Nolothic glyphs spiraled around her collar and decorated the rest of her white shift. Some bangles sporting detailed decorations ran down her right arm as well, and Draus sensed specks of glass dotted inside them. Finally, there was that circlet she wore upon her brow. It looked like it was made from a locus, and a phantom projected a ghostly flame from her head. The other twenty-five Doublethinkers wore a similar band. The sight was absurd. Draus couldn''t help but snort. Even dead and ruptured, that half-strand ghoul was still achieving impossible feats. How the hell did a dead ghoul manage to make themselves king, anyway? "We''ve been expecting you for some time," the Doublethinker girl continued. "The shadow of our master, he sometimes speaks to us. This sanctuary has been awaiting your revival. Please, take a moment to recover. Draus spat some blood and pushed herself to her feet. The nanosurgeons were working quick, and she''d fought on more than once, reduced to less than half a torso, a single arm, and a mostly nulled mind. "Fuck recovery," Draus grunted. "I ain''t dead yet. Aint even that bloodied. Would''ve resurrected if I needed to." The young girl flinched and took a few steps back. Clearly, she wasn''t prepared for how temperamental Draus might be after a fight. Guess the rotlick forgot to give them a rundown about her winning personality. Extending a scepter, Draus swept the room with her perception as she eyed her surroundings. She was surprised about how familiar the place looked. It was about 50 meters by 50 meters, shaped like a dome. The walls were made from something like clay from what she could glean, and its surface was corrugated with Nolothic script running down the vertical slits lining the walls. Painted bones cascaded down from the ceiling when carved in intricate detail. And then there were the vivanite veins spreading through the structure, the corpse crystal shifting between jade and blood-red. She guessed that to be the lingering presence of the Wound Mother revealing itself. And right next to Draus, a massive locus rose in the form of a piercing spike, forming the core of the room, projecting waves of ghost-infused soul fire. In rhythmic pulses, neurothaumic wavelengths splashed over Draus and infused the environment with a presence of stability. Once more, Draus regarded the crystal and gave a light scoff. "Avo," she said, as its surface oscillated between stable green and the flowing red of blood. "Avo, you in there? You hear me?" A faint whisper greeted her mind, but the interference that accompanied it was too severe. Rot-lick was there, all right. There, but not alone. Whatever Veylis did left Avo crippled in some fashion or another. Godsdamn it all. "His flame, it burns, dismembered though it is," the Doublethinker spoke. They offered Draus a look of sympathy. "They understand that he meant much to you. You meant much to him, too. Your presence within his mind ate away at alienation. Of this, we are sure. Of this, his memories have been inherited by us." Regular knew what the Nolathi was trying to do, but she had no intention of talking about her relationship with Avo with some former hungers. How were the hells that worked? "I came through the crystal, didn''t I?" Draus gestured toward the massive locus passing through the ceiling. The entire room gave her a feeling like it was a cracked teapot, lacquered back together by ghosts. Green River might have had something poetic to say about all this. Draus just wanted to figure out where the hell she was, what the hell she needed to do, how the hell she was going to put Avo back together. "You stand now in the between, a hidden space constructed from time and memories. The Nether has been unmade, but in its place, a new realm is being reborn. But alas, it grows, burrowing through the flesh of reality. We were never meant to be here, Captain. We were meant to be above." "Yeah, well, lots of things were meant to happen till they don''t." Looking around once more, Draus frowned. So was the space completely closed off? Was there another way out of this place? Some Doublethinkers looked to each other, and one gestured at a wall. Suddenly a rumbling sounded, and along the middle of one depression, a cleft opened as ghosts began snaking through. Slowly, the entire dome-shaped structure unlatched like an opening jaw, and then Draus caught a glimpse of the space beyond. A crashing presence slammed down against her wards. Immediately, her cog camp spiked by twenty-two percent. However, where lesser mental defenses would have shattered instantly, she possessed phantasmics created by the famine of peace and sequenced onto her mind by Avo''s own will. As such, the madness-inducing sight went from traumatizing to merely disorienting as her conundrums adapted. This, too, however, caused her retinue to climb, and already the regular was dangerously close to overload. VENT! VENT! VENT! "The destruction our Lord''s Soulscape sustained from the High Seraph''s self-annihilation was near total, yet there was kindling enough for his consciousness to remain burning, kindling enough thaums to feed what was broken in his ontology." The realm beyond this little patch of sanctuary was a kaleidoscope of fragmented movements. Trails of emanating ghouls spread wide upon the tapestry of the firmament, and through them Draus could see people and places all meshed together, but they were changing and twisted and merging. It was the close representation of mutation shed ever seen. Someway, somehow, the paths and Avos Soulscape had gotten merged. As she studied tapestry around her a bit longer, Draus finally noticed how countless strands were tethered to the corpse-crystal next to her. Alright. Alright. I got the gist. Shut it. At once, their little sanctuary slammed shut on the regular''s side. "Alright, now that I got front row seats to how fucked everything is, here''s the point where you tell me how we go about fixing it." "Our lord''s resurrection is beyond us," the girl began. Draus frowned, but the Doublethinker explained before any questions could arise. "His resurrection is fated as his fire spreads. Slowly, he will repair himself in mythology, so in soul, his ego is beyond that of mortal ken. And for he has never been extinguished, so too will a dismembered flame turn to wholeness." "Once they greet? Once they finish consuming most of existence, you mean," Draus said. "That is a potential outcome. We are custodians to this divine anchor. A critical shard that composed the Burning Dreamer. There are others. Many others. The total count fragments of our master numbers seventy-two, and of them, there are only so few we can reach. "And so I gotta capture these shards, then," Draus said, naturally understanding her new role. Right. Raid and occupy. She could do that. "Thy Seraph, her sacrifice, was not a spiteful one. It was a thing of calculation," an older Doublethinker spoke up now. "With the severity of our lord''s destruction, and as he consumed Veylis before the point of her demise, so too has she been regarded as a critical portion of his ego. And her strength of will wrestles against his even now. They war not only over reality, but over the architecture of this new, nascent plane, and of what personality will finally cement itself with the resurrection of the Burning Dream." "There are others who guard these fragments," the girl said again, "but not all belong to the followers of the flame. There are some that cling to the old ways, broken loyalists, desperate to see Noloth restored even beyond the destruction of our City Eternal. There are the agents of the high flame, supported by the ordained individualists, the Saintists in your words. They hold dominion over fundamental thresholds in reality as well." "Nether shit, it always and forever came down to Nether shit." Draus said. "Right. I know what the run now, so heres the next question: how do I go about gettin it done? "By taking a fragment into yourself." As one, the Doublethinkers gestured towards the rippling locus at the center of their chamber. "As he has drawn you across the threshold of reality, so too may you take this threshold within your being. Become an anchor for the Burning Dreamer. For the Lord is not a Lord alone. For you are ordained, chosen before all other chosen. First among his trusted acolytes." "Don''t call me that," Draus said, pointing a finger. It took a lot to make a Regular uncomfortable, but these damned Noloth fucks were doing it. "I''ll do a lot for Avo, rot-licking, eyeball-eating ghoul he is, but I''ll be godsdamned before I ever become a Famine of Guns or some shit like that." "It is a great honor," the girl insisted. "Yeah, Highflame said the same thing to me after I spent the better part of a week digging Gray Widow eggs out of my frag-hollowed cunt cunt. Gave me a mighty fine medal to commemorate that wonderful moment. Don''t reckon you guys have a system like that." A series of frustrated expressions developed on the Doublethinkers'' faces. Awkwardly, one of them pointed at the locus again. "To be chosen to bear the Flame-Anchor is a great honor. You bear the legacy of the Stillborn and the future of Noloth. "Yeah, yeah, I know," Draus sighed. Turning, she faced the crystal again, and her shoulders sagged. "So what the hell am I supposed to do with this? Just put my hand" And before she could finish speaking, its surface shuddered once more as a blast. Phantasmal lightning changing between pale white and ichor red cast a new form at Draus''s feet. The Regular''s reflexes were already firing. The world was in slow motion. She could feel a new presence materializing within the sanctuary. Another Godclad was being pulled over from baseline reality. For a moment, Draus thought it to be the Deliverer. But the weight that crashed against her frame was too low, too close to her own Spherage. And in an instant, the lightning faded, peeling away from a mangled, unmoving body that was slowly threading itself back together sinew by sinew, vein and arteries emerging from ruined stumps. It took a moment for their disfigured face to fully heal. And when it did, Draus''s urge to shoot the newcomer redoubled. "Vator Greatling," the Regular muttered under her breath. She didnt know how the little rusted bastard had gotten here, but one thing was certain: it was time to reduce future threats. And just as she aimed her projectile launcher down at the incapacitated Instrument, another voice interrupted her. Stop. Draus gun shot up and she found herself facing the Famine of Mercy, the priest half-submerged in the crystal, now ablaze with Soulfire. Stay your hand, Jelene Draus. He has been chosen. Just like you. 29-6 Flame Anchor Vator? Abrel? Where where are you And where am I High Seraph? Yes Yes, I can hear you I I understand. I will follow your light. I will walk your path. I will accept this flame. I will be your champion. Just let my children be once more. Take my failures away. Let them know what it means to have a good father. -Uthred Greatling 29-6 Flame Anchor Draus shot the Famine of Mercy. There wasn''t much thought behind the action. She just acted. She didn''t consider how he was still speaking to her in real time, despite her active reflex booster. She didn''t even consider why she didn''t sense his presence at all. Coils whined within Draus''s voidtech projectile launcher. A ferromagnetic round exploded out from the barrel and passed clean through Mercy before splashing apart against the wall. But in the aftermath, the Famine simply stared at her with a blank expression. No wounds lined his chest. It was like she hadnt shot him at all. "There is no purpose to this, regular Draus. I am mind-made. My presence is a part of the new fabric spreading across existence. "So, the distortion''s the way to kill you then," Draus replied dryly. "Perhaps," Mercy replied, "but I doubt my destruction would provide you with any benefit. Another instance of me would materialize in my place. Such is the will of the Burning Dreamer." "Bullshit," Draus replied. "You''re a goddamn Famine of Noloth. You were serving the Hungers. How the hells are you now one of the rotlicks minions? When the hells did this happen?" "The moment I unleashed the warmind of the Forgotten upon my former masters. You do recall a moment where your cognition untangled from you, where you were the world and the world was you, before the Nether''s final collapse." Draus paused at that. "You''re doing, I guess?" "Yes. My greatest sin, my truest victory. The City Eternal left me no choice. They demanded that I save them, that I bless them with the gifts bestowed upon the Burning Dreamer. But with each iteration, with each advancement, with each loosening of my shackles, I saw the truth. The truth that my masters were not masters of themselves. That our great democracy had been undone by the demagoguery of their own fear. And so, to save Noloth, I struck at its very core. I destroyed the city to preserve the people and grant them a rightful king." Disbelief mixed with exasperation within Draus. "You gotta be godsdamn kidding me," she replied. "That? That''s why this is happening? Thats why everything went to shit? Because you decided to elect Avo High Seraph of Noloth?" "We do not have a High Seraph," the Double-Thinker girl muttered. "You get my point, half-strand." Draus snapped, still pointing her projectile launcher at the Famine. "And so, what the hell is this?" She gestured toward Vator. The vague shape of an intact face was rising from chasms of sunken gore. The boy was beginning to twitch lightly. Frankly, it was a miracle he hadn''t died and needed to resurrect. But Draus knew Uthred and Lorea Greatling had their youngest specially made. Lorea. The sows face was getting easier to remember. The war too. The censors Highflame put up were failing fast. Draus wondered if other redactions were collapsing as well. "He has been chosen, as I have said," Mercy explained. "Chosen to aid you in your great task." "Aid me?" Draus spat. "Avo picked this piece of shit to aid me?" She was already dealing with a lot of dubious claims. This one was a bit too far for her to accept. "The High Seraph has her designs, and the Burning Dreamer his. They emerge together, both aiming within and without, to ensure that when they finally resurrect, only one shall dominate as the emerging consciousness, while the other is assimilated to the victor''s benefit." "So certain this one belonged to the Seraph?" Draus said. "In some paths, he does. And so, to sever those paths, the Dreamer preempted his great rival. And now he charts a new course, laying a new seed toward stranger futures evermore. The great game is constantly changing, and of the true competitors, there now rises two from one, seeking to remain once in finality." A gaggle, a gasp sounded from Vator. His body shifted in slow motion. It was only because of his enhanced physiology that Draus could see him move at all, his fast twitch muscles firing so fast and strong that they could splatter a flat. He also possesses the means to offer you an army here. Of our ghouls, he has achieved a recreation. A conceptualization of finer make. It will serve you on your path to reclaim the Dreamers shards. Another moment passed. Draus glared flatly at Mercy. "Yeah, no. In fact, fuck no. There is no life, no future, no world or reality where I work with Vator Greatling and his version of your redone homework, which was originally stolen from the voiders to begin with." "Regular Draus, please, you are merely being obstinate." "Obsinate? You must have aratnid shit in youre skull. I''m just not that stupid. You pop up out of nowhere, claiming Avo is now your king, and he chose this one" she pointed her gun at Vator Greatling once more"to be some kind of chosen for a coming war to help me take back all these Soul pieces makin up Avo and Veylis? Something almost resembling frustration began to develop on Mercy''s face. Slowly, the threads holding his eyes stitched together snapped apart as he stared at Draus with hollow sockets. "What would it take for you to trust? "It would take someone other than you and somebody who ain''t him," Draus finally replied. And with that, her wish was granted. A trembling voice hissed through the room, gliding into Draus'' mind like a blade sliding along bone. Told you it wouldn''t work, Avo''s voice echoed. It was still faint, sounding thick with Nether-lag. But he was there. Still alive. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Immediately, Draus turned to face the burning crystal. "Avo, that you there?" Right here, Avo managed, speaking with no small amount of effort. The very exertion he felt spilled over into Draus'' mind, and the regular actually shuddered from second-hand dissonance. The pain Avo was currently experiencing was unlike anything she''d ever known. The best way she could describe it was two tumors eating into each other, both trying to assimilate the body, both melding, devouring, replacing, and ultimately becoming one another. What she interacted with now was but a tendril of Avos full consciousness. Yet, it seemed separate from most of the chaos. Like the bulk of his ruined cognition was unknown to this part of Avoor vice versa. I am Ignorance. I am Avo. I am his shadow. I am the version of him that he can never know. That you wont remember. That no one will remember. "Ignorance?" Draus asked. "One of the warminds, then? Youre a part of him. A Definement now. A fundamental pillar of existence within Avos Soulscape and now the world. The Conflagration would have been all-devouring without me. And I would have been nothing more than just a broken weapon of metacognition without it. Here. The burning crystal offered a projection of furling shapes. A nest of clawed hands drifted toward Draus, some of them resembling the metallic appendages composing Veylis core, the others clearly Avos claws. At the center of the circling hands was nothingness. The Regular cocked her head. "The hells is this," she said. The emptiness that embodies me. The pillar that sustains my flame. Take it. Will grant you control over this sanctuary. Will allow you to be reshaped ontologically. Grow. Become. And suddenly, the flame stilled, and the storm of phantasmal energy ceased. Vator was slowly shifting on the ground, his bones crackling as the broken shards reassembled like pieces from a jigsaw. It wouldn''t be long until he got back up. And right now, a floating alcove made out of sharpened claws and cybernetic hands ushered her to reach in and grab the nothingness it contained. Looking up at the ceiling, glaring at nothing in particular, Draus let out a tired sigh. "Now you feel the truth I speak, Mercy said. Her eyes were closed, but Mercy was still nearby, unable to take a hint. She didn''t tell him to fuck off verbally. Instead, she shot him once more, even though it wouldn''t do anything. "There was no need for that," Mercy continued. "Yeah, there was," Draus said. Collapsing her projectile launcher back, she reached into the emptiness, not sure what to expect. As her cybernetic digits closed around what felt like empty air, Draus began to frown as she wondered if Avo forgot to actually leave anything for her. The ghoul sounded broken. Pretty close to nulled. It wouldn''t surprise her ifsuddenly another presence grasped her pride itself along the tendrils of her consciousness and slid within. ATTENTI ROOT DATA OVERRIDED GRAFTING [FRAGMENT OF THE STILLBORN] Immediately, faint phantasmal tendrils came alight around Draus as they burrowed into her form. One after another, they infused Soulfire into her being, nourishing the emptiness she seized and reshaping her ontology. A ripple of Soulfire spread out from Draus Framefrom her Metamind as well. LIMINAL FRAME CONFIGURATION ALTERED TO [STILLBORN-PATTERN] AVAILABLE THAUMS 566,331 HEAVENS DETECTED - [2] DOMAINS BRANCHES AVAILABLE - [352] UPGRADABLE CANONS - [135,155,895,123,313,394] A sudden surge of power rushed through Draus, and in the back of her mind, a faint voice echoed. Within the shroud of my existence, I am you, and you are I. The gestalt remains. And you are my greatest. PHANTASMIC INSTALLED - [IGNORANCE] Shit, Draus muttered, feeling incomprehensible changes reshape her in mind and Soul. I am tethered to you now: Ignorance here to guard you. Ignorance yours to wield. I will spare you from Veylis gaze. And I will provide all that you need to wage this war. Also need you to listen to me carefully. Things have changed. Mercy is" Ignorance paused. He''s still a half-strand. Don''t know if I can consider him an ally, but he betrayed the Hungers. Betrayed them for me. Wants to make me a king. Sees me as the final legacy of old Noloth." "Jaus," Draus breathed. "And here I thought the Greatlings were a fucked-up family." A grunt of near laughter sounded from Ignorance. The sound comforted Draus on some level. It was still Avo. Part of him was still there. Enough to convince her he was still alive. "Glad to have you back, rotlick. Even if this is just a busted, broken speck of you." I am he. I am the he that Avo cannot remember. I am the he that he never knows. And now, I am with you. You will not know of me, nor recall what I have said when this conversation ends. For that is the nature of Ignorance. But instinct will guide you and intuition will serve as my hand. For now, use Mercy. He serves our means. And Vator, I stole him before Veylis could. Has ties to both the No-Dragons and Highflame. And parts of both can be claimed. In the boys heart, he is an artist. Desires to express himself. Can be turned away from idolatry. I glimpsed his paths through Veylis. Glimpsed how she planned to use him. And I charted new journeys of my own. If you will walk with him. If you wll spare him. He will change. You will change too. Despite Avo being the speaker, he still couldn''t believe these words. Draus had been a good soldier. She''d done her duties well, followed orders, fought, bled, survived. All for the sake of upholding Highflame''s ideals. But in the Fourth Guild War, under Lorea Greatling''s command, even a perfect weapon could turn against her master. So many lives wasted, and for what? Now, standing here, looking down on the sow''s progeny, the only right thing Draus felt was to bring her boot down, splatter his skull, kill him, kill him again and again. Finally, when he was all broken in will and flesh, to dump enough entropy into him and kill him one final time. It will feel good if you kill him, won''t lie to you about that. You have a cause, and he, he has done many things, many beautiful, terrible things. "So, why''d you pick him?" Draus asked. "Why didn''t you null him, kill him, change him even?" I am not all myself anymore. And Ignorance is not the shaper. I am only a shadow. An echo. A sedative for the flame. And more than that reshaping him would defeat the purpose. "What purpose is that?" "Velys had a destiny for the boy. I am taking that from him, and in turn, I give him free will. Choice." "Godsdamn it, Avo." And I am giving you choice as well. His life is your choice now. My will is I am shattered. I cannot decide for you. And I No one else I trust more, no one else more worthy. And Draus fell silent at that. She was always shaped by another, twisted by design, no future her own. And here she was, listening to a fragment of her friend christen her as his champion. What the fuck was her life anymore. You are a weapon. The best Highflame has ever produced. But that age is over. A final design draws near. You were what they made you. Now who do you want to make yourself? What kind of world do you wish to see? Can only advise you. Help you. Cannot be you. And why not? Draus asked. Youve always been a selfish, hungry, greedy shit. Why dont you just snatch a body and fight this yourself. I am contaminated. Hard to tell where I begin, where Veylis, where Kae, where Zein, where all my templates end. But you are pure. Pure and unfettered. As always. Was so jealous of you when I first saw you so jealous. Working weapon. Still with purpose. Even after exile. Well. I can offer you another good war now. If nothing else. If nothing else, Draus snorted. Youve offered me plenty more than that. Fine, Avo. Fine. Ill Ill see what I can do. Her expression softened. Im gonna do whatever I can to put you back together. No promises about the juv here, though. All I can ask of you And as Ignorance receded, he faded from Draus'' memories, like a distant echo. A moment thereafter, the regular blinked and felt a strange sense of dj vu assailing her mind. Why''d she stop? Why did she now believe Mercy? And why was she having second thoughts about putting the Greatling down? "F-Father?" Vator managed. His wounds were mostly gone, but his face was till matted with blood and bits of placenta, and as he blinked, Draus met his clear blue eyes. For a passing moment, neither Regular nor Instrument said anything to each other. "Well. If this is the Big Nothing, it is already as unpleasant of a place as I assumed it to be. What are you doing here. Tryin not to shoot you. 29-7 Child of the Enemy (I) What about the children? This is a dilemma that all purveyors of virtue propose, yet few offer worthwhile solutions. This is the question you have cast at me in cowardice, faither, seeking to strike at my decency. Let us talk, then. Let me speak now. Often, when this question is asked, the presiding intent is to harm the esteem of the listener rather than guide them along a path towards satisfying resolution. The purveyor inflicts false virtue on the listener, outright ascribing morals to them they might not possess. Of course, I must be kinder to you, my enemy, now in the moment of my triumph. Though you deemed me heretic, monster, butcher, and so many more things. Would you be so kind if you had won? No. Ive seen your blades. I know your rituals. You would have tortured my young and made me listen as a final dirge before I am offered to the fiery embrace of your fetid gods. You are no philosopher. Just a complicated, thinking animal at wits end, disarmed of all but words and sophistry. Now I stand before you more man than monster of myth, you think you can reach me by empathy. The same you wielded to control your slaves and sacrifices. But I am not they, little faither. And I am not you. There is a reason you used this question on me instead of my love. Because you already know her answer, her choice. And she will kill some of your children. Those who choose to fight. Those who are warriors. She will kill them. Because she recognizes them. Because my duty is not to your children, but my own. And I will not see her fighting a war I can see done right here, right now. But rejoice. Breath. Know that some of your children might yet be spared. So long as they stop being your children. So long as they are devoid of anything left of you. Understand I came here to murder the your gods, and thereby your civilization and culture. For the young I will grant mercy, I will take from them their memories of language, their memories of you. Nothing will remain of you. Not even a shadow. Your question was What about the children? Hoping my answer is softness and mercy. The answer is that they cannot be your children. They cannot. For if they are, still will your gods burn. And still will the war continue. You were wrong to call to me instead my wife, faither. I read the pain on your face. Perhaps now you will beg for your children to die instead. What indignity. Seeing legacy severed. -Jaus Avandaer 29-7 Child of the Enemy (I) Well why havent you? Vator Greatling asked. The question was one of genuine childlike wonder, and the instrument''s piercing blue eyes glowed upon the canvas of splattered red that was his face. Draus had heard about the things that were done, playing whispers traveling through select lobbies frequented by squires, rumors about the youngest Greatlings predilections, read by curators as proof. Glaives had gone missing and been found as grotesque art pieces left to taunt their allies. And then there were the tutorials he made on the Nether. The boy experienced a brief stint in which he tried to be like a vicarity star, seeking to educate people on the wonders of human biology and all the things the flesh could still become. He was, in a word, misshapencognitively, physically, and, Draus was willing to guess, even ontologically. It was as Ignorance said, she could shoot him. She had every right, and this kid wasnt clean, not by a long shot. Despite this, however, the Regular stayed her hand. Mercy was so uncharacteristic of her. A few months ago, she wouldve emptied her gun into him, left a Rendbomb for him, anything to see him snuffed and ceased. Now, now she had a ghoul in the back of her mind, being a bad influence. Faintly, she could hear Ignorance laughing, going along with this insane plan of his to spite Veylis. Or whatever it is he wanted Vator for. Yeah, hiss it up, half-strand. And as the sound faded, so too vanished her memories, but her annoyance lingered still, never fading, not even a little. Vator rose to his feet as extensions of flesh shot out from his exposed neck and through the fabric of his suit. He was still wearing the formal attire he''d brought to the Court of Truth. Draus was surprised about the pristine state until she realized there was a colony of chameleonlike silkworms zipping up and down his body, pushing torn seams of his suit back together as easily as they knitted his own flesh. The regular brought her head to bear, forming a layer of glass over herself and materializing a smaller version of the Simulacra. She might not be about to shoot the Greatling, but she was also not fool enough to offer him the opportunity to twist her biology. Moving into her Liminal Paracosmos, Draus fully manifested her Arsenalist within as well, creating an additional layer of ontological separation from anything resembling flesh. At once, Vator shot her a brief glance before shrugging, and from his face emerged a mix of strange mutations. Part of his scalp extended out from his forehead and curved into the shape of a comb. Slowly, absurdly, his scalp comb began tidying up his hair, while tongues and other sponge-like appendages emerged from his cheek, lapping away at the blood that once coated Vators face. Guilders were known for their vanity. Half-strands had a habit of preening themselves like a prized new cat, but Vator really took that to a whole other level. What do you remember? Draus asked. The young Greatling shot her a blank look. About? How you got here. How you managed to survive. He opened his mouth, as if suddenly realizing the point behind her meaningless question. I was swept away, Vator began simply. He held out his hands, and the tongues, now finished bathing his face, receded from the open sores where theyd sprung. When the High Seraph called, and the great battle began between the Saintists and the Cemetery, I was there. A rapturous smile developed on Vators face. Oh, I was there, bearing witness, a first-hand connoisseur of this delectable moment in history. His eyes glistened, and he drew in a shuddering breath. Draus couldnt believe it, but she actually preferred Abrel more than this one. At least, the girl was just a sow. Draus couldnt begin to describe how many things were wrong with Vator. The vat-grown boy continued. Time against mind, conceptualization against chronology. And then there was the Sparrow, her theater, her song, inflicting a narrative rule upon this world, defying the power of truth with a stage made from living story. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Vator let out a satisfied exhalation. I was born during the right age. I was I was happy, so happy to be a part of such artistry, to witness the embrace of these rivaled flames. Half-strand, Draus said simply, I asked you what you remembered; how you got here. Dont need no show to go with it. I heard, Vator replied, eyes narrowing. Youre very rude, you know that. Gods, Captain Draus, perhaps this is why my mother sent so many of your kind to die meaningless, pointless deaths. Were the other Regulars as rude as you? Nah, Draus replied with a grunt. Most of them aint much of anything at all anymore. But again, the same can be said for your mama. Vator considered her words, and unlike his sister, simply nodded, accepting them. Fair enough. I see that you are a materialist. There is little worth in arguing with someone like you. Alas, if you could have only seen it Draus stared blankly at him. I was there. Was too busy doin a lot of Saintist killin than any gawkin. What a pity. You were not immersed. You were merely a participant and not a enjoyer. Tell me, did you feel it? Did you savor the moment when the Heaven of Love ruptured your flesh and inflicted upon you the Rash? Did you fight it, using your Heaven to sustain you where all others fell? Yeah, Draus said without hesitation. So did I, Vator replied, longer than most others, longer than even my father. I watched him, watched him come apart and die. He could have burned himself, but he chose death, and I do not know why. For when I looked up, I saw I saw wonders beyond wonders. The High Seraph, wielding the Gatekeeper, her halves clashing against, splashing ghosts, and a curtain of red so vibrant. But then my mind wasnt my own, torn from me. My sinews bound to the world, and I was lost. But I was home, so utterly home, amongst countless other beings, my thoughts their thoughts, their thoughts mine. And for that moment I glimpsed, I tasted what it was like to be Vator flinched as he snarled the last word out. Human. Just human. Little more than a broken animal. I hated it. All that impulsethe noise. The anguished fervor left the boy as soon as it came, and he shuddered with satisfaction as he recounted what followed. When I found myself parted from the others, I was looking through the cracks lining Scale. Something had sheared clean through the memite; an impossible power, and through the wounds I saw them. I saw four Souls burning bright within a city born of dragons. And I saw a new god rise. The Hungers were falling, I could hear their voices screaming in the chorus, and there, within were the Strix and Seraph Vators eyes gleamed. They faced each other. For a moment. It was absolute. Perfect. Divine. The others were unmade by the homunculi, but I grew eyes upon the bodies of my bastards. I looked. I gave my body just to bear witness. And I saw them break and die. But still the flames flowed. Still, death couldnt claim the greatest of us. Four Souls shattered like a conjoined dawn and their yolk bled together, a unified placenta for rebirth. And then the flames poured down through the world, devouring everything, taking all. Including me. Finally, Vator looked to Draus, offering her a strange gaze. There, while I was lost in the thick of the current, my body savaged by the Rash, I could feel two forces reach out for me, their own minds barely more than tatters, but their wills and instincts battling to control the paths of the current, to control where my future would lead. And I see now, I see now that the Burning Dreamer claimed me, stolen me from Highflame as prisoner or sacrifice for you, an offering of revenge. You are mistaken, Mercy said. Vator looked away from Draus and shot the Famine a boyish smile. Priest, you yet live. I have not lived for a very long time, Mercy replied. But still I serve. If only to make one final act right in my existence. You are no slave, Vator Greatling. You have purpose. The Burning Dreamer is broken. So is the High Seraph. So is Love and Truth and countless more. They are mending, but the final design of the Stillborns user is uncertain, and we require an architect. An artist. You have been given choice and opportunityat the Regulars mercy. Vator offered a arched eyebrow at Draus. Is he being honest? Draus said nothing. Slowly, she considered another possibility: that Avo was actually dead and the High Seraph had trapped her in some variation of purgatory, forcing her to suffer through this impossible bullshit. Seems to be the case. Dont rightly know what Im gonna do with you yet. Might still shoot you. Might be too late for that, Vator said, offering a taunting grin. Nah. Aint never too late to greet the Big Nothin. But the rotlick dragged you out of the muck for a reason. You, out of everyone. Draus sighed. +Fuckin seriously, Avo? Him?+ Ignorance stirred. Yes. Him. He makes many futures possible. Use him. Show him. Awaken his god. Shatter his faith And then Ignorance slipped away again, and Draus shook her head, left with nothing but a lingering impulse: to use her ontology against Vator, and to reach into his Frame and access his Heaven. Somehow. The damn instincts were getting more intrusive by the minute. The Regular hid a frown as she bade her Simulacra to extend a gleaming hand. Vator frowned as he gazed upon the reaching appendage. He leaned back slightly, more confused than fearful. What is this? Have you decided to murder me another way. No, Draus said. Aint gonna kill you. But I dont think youll much like this either. And somehow, Vator trusted her. He stopped flinching and leaned in instead, offering his nape like a nu-dog. Then I am at your regard, Vator breathed. The way he spoke, how he reacted None of it was human at all. The Regular judged his cognition and watched his accretion spin. It revolved, and never once did its pace change. The ease of his acceptance filled her with apprehension insteadwhatever she was about to dobut still, she laid a hand upon him. And as her ontology contacted his, an unseen flame poured over from Draus, igniting Vator from within. The Greatling gasped. Shuddering, he shuddered as Soulfire rippled out from within him, and mem-data crawled horizontally across Draus cog-feed. ACCESSING LIMINAL FRAME OVERWRITING LIMINAL FRAME CONFIGURATION UPDATED TO [STILLBORN] TEMPLATE PRIMARY HEAVEN DETECTED [PORTRAIT OF SKIN AND SINEW] AWAKENING HEAVEN Then, Draus felt an unseen force course through her being, a subtle susurrations beneath the surface of reality, breathing awareness into the Heaven that lurked within Vator. A rousing power stirred. Miracles washed out from the boy with each ripple of Soulfire, and Draus felt the Domains of Flesh, Skin, Blood, Bone, and more caress her awareness. Wait, how the hells did she even know what they were? Arent just a Godclad anymore. You burn within me. As I have burned. As I am you. And you are I. Vator gasped. What are you doing to Me. Another voice thundered out from within him, but it was not his own. It sounded like a symphony of children, their pitches shrill and airy, rising from a place deeper than the material. At once, a massive scroll of viscera burst out from behind Vator like unfurling wings. The Greatling shook violently, but his face revealed no pain, only surprise. Above him, the scroll expanded into a living portrait. Its spine was made from bone, and threads of sinew attached it to a flagging page of animated skin. Ink danced upon the flesh-like tapestry as a highly detailed painting moved before Draus. Countless bodies moved and writhed upon the page, many of them flayed, some of them transforming, all of them twisted and misshapen. It all looked to be in classical Sang style, and from the many victims shown within the scroll, a mournful cry followed. Why why are we here? Why must we be what were we? What were no you! PORTRAIT OF SKIN AND SINEW (BIOLOGY/SKIN/BLOOD/BONE/VISCERA/TORTURE/ARTISTRY/MEDICINE) [EST. ERROR; FRAME DAMAGED - ONTOLOGICAL UPGRADES AVAILABLE] What? Vator breathed, looking up at his own Heaven. Once more, it screamed down at him, the people within the page reaching out, mangled, mutilated limbs stretching off the canvas to claw at his face. Your fault! Your fault! We were meant to heal! We were meant to preserve! You used us! You and the faithless twisted us! MURDERER! MURDERER! MURDERER! And any hint of glee vanished from Vators eyes. 29-8 Child of the Enemy (II) A prayer, then, offered to thee, with the birth of this newest child I come to be. In times of strife, sickness, and famine, I offer sanctuary, comfort, feast, and wine for my charges, per the decree of my canon. From my concept I carry you, cradle to grave, and in the light of my divinity I offer blessings for all, be you son, daughter, matron, patriarch, or slave. -Portrait of Salve and Spirit 29-8 Child of the Enemy (II) The Portrait of Skin and Sinew wailed at their user, a tempest of hurt and outrage. The sudden outburst from the heaven took even Draus by surprise, but Ignorance''s voice lingered within. Many gods are misshapen, rebuilt by hands not of their own will, mythologies twisted together during their lobotomies. They are not who they were. They are not who they were meant to be. And now, and now they become someone else''s tool. God and slave. Synonymous. The Portrait curled in on itself, fractures developing down the length of its bone-made scroll. As its edges curved, Draus got the impression the Heaven was looking in on itself, the same way she would after getting a new aug at the grafters. Where, where are they? Where are my children, the people? Where are my villages and my communities? Where are those I must look after, those I am to keep protected from cradle to grave from cradle to grave? I cannot fail. The decree of the cycles. The will of the eternal reoccurrence must be must be the dragons why why do I feel one of the masters within me? The Heaven sounded beyond hysterical, and the outpouring of its emotion was intense on a level inconceivable to an ephemeral mind. Just as the gods were beings of absolutes in terms of power, an equal extreme could be applied to their moods. Vator swallowed, the aura of his unflappability broken for the first time. He turned to Draus, fear mingling with outrage. What have you done to me? I aint done nothin but carry the flame, Draus shot back with a shrug. This was a technical truth considering it wasnt her power that awoke into Heaven. The Stillborn has a tendency to waken things up, things that have been sleeping, turning Heavens back to gods. Undo it! Vator cried. He reached out to grab Draus, but the Regular was too fast. Her reflex booster surged. The world slowed. A whipcrack echoed through the chamber and Draus glass-made avatar brought its blade against his neck, the edge lined with spatial miracles capable of severing anything. Even Guild-augmented flesh. Vator stood frozen, but his eyes were darting, his mind twirling. Secretion spun as if a saw blade were no longer moving at the languid pace it once took, and above his body, connected by endings, blood vessels, and strings of sinew, the Portrait continued, its maddened rambling. I cant remember, I cant remember, I cant remember what happened to me, what happened to me. Where are my other pieces? What are these these canons? These are not mine. I am not meant to reflect in this state. I am meant to preserve, I am meant to heal, I am meant to there is a litany of sicknesses. A litany of atrocities. I cannot harm. That is not my make. I cannot harm I am not allowed these powers I am.... As its hysterics began to grow, Draus felt her own Heaven gaze on with morbid curiosity. The Arsenalist made a series of rattling noises. This one is broken, very inefficient. Suggest we shoot it and move on. No, Simulacra replied. I disagree. I like watching them. I like the symmetry in their paintings. But their mind is fractured. They are a jigsaw within. Perhaps we can find the pieces. It is unimportant, the Arsenalist continued. Kill them. Or ignore them. It was the perfect heaven for a weapon; a consummate warrior, down to the wick. And then a third voice joined Drauss internal discussion, but this one echoed out, delivering a thoughtcast that calmed the imbalanced Heaven of Biology. Peace, Ignorance spoke, and from Draus accretion came a torrential swell of ghosts. Phantasmal wisps tunneled into the Portraits pages. Where thousands upon thousands of flayed and tortured bodies were illustrated in macabre descriptions, they slowly ignited as Avos touch began altering the Heavens mythology. An unseen bubble popped within the Portrait, and when it did, the Heaven went silent immediately, as if a strange thought had been utterly severed. Slowly, it stretched out and expanded, growing nearly four meters long as it gazed down upon Vator. I... the pain, the pain is no longer known to me, but what have you done? What have you filled my annals with, you vermin! The sinuous lengths of tissue connecting the Portrait to Vator lurched hard, and the Instrument was pulled into the vicious embrace of his Heaven. Vator cried out, more in surprise than actual pain. Then, the Portrait closed around him, the bodies painted on its tapestry bursting out from the grand page to burrow their ruined bodies into Vators. His flesh twisted, his bones shattered, and his ribs sliced free from his midsection, fusing into a cage around his body. How the fuck Draus muttered to herself. The Heaven had been turned against Vator, was tearing into him. She didnt even know that was possible. Not normally, Ignorance said. But I linger within Vator as well now. He does not know. And he cannot deny my hidden will. The Regular snorted. Ever the Necrojack; not shortage of tricks, even now. Where? Tell me where? Tell me where the rest of me is. Tell me! Tell me! Tell me! Where are my true canons? Where are my charges/ What have I become! I dont know, Vator cried back. I dont know! I dont know! I earned you!. Vator finished, keeping his breaths even. He was moving past the point of shock, and his expression was slowly inching back towards awe instead. I earned you through my trials. No! I am not a prize to be traded! I am a god of the Thousand Plains. I am tasked with protecting the lineages of Five-Springs City, the Snake-Tongue Basin, the Wiltflower Gorge. All the peoples there are mind. Mind to preserve. Mine to take as census. Cradle to grave. Cradle to grave. I, Portrait of of Not Skin and Sinew! Not! I was I was made to serve but the masters they are lost now too Broken Broken Broken Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The Instrument swallowed. Once. But neither of us are as we were meant to be. The Portraits embrace slacked. The many bodies bound to its page slipped out from Vator, and their mangled hands caressed his face, and angled him to face the Heaven better. What madness do you speak. I was created to be perfect. To serve a purpose. Like you! But there was an attack while I was being grown. All the other perfected and I we suffered premature exposure. Most perished. But I lived. Even barely formed, I lived. They returned me to my vat afterward, but I wasnt the same. Something went missing. My body was pristine. My capabilities were elite. But my father couldnt face me. I had failed him. Failed before I could ever succeed. And of no fault of my own. Just chance. Just fate. You compare your suffering to mine? The Portrait asked. No! Let me speak. Let me speak. Vator licked his lips, and the fear was long absent in him. A rapturous burned behind his eyes. We have both been changed. But it was never up to us. For so much of my life, I sought a way to fix what I lacked. I was supposed to be perfect, perfect, but I was damaged, or at least, that was how I felt. My sister and brother I wasnt like them. And they knew. And father knew and he feared me. But I was created to be perfect. Perfect. And so I learned. And I delved into the patterns of the flesh to make up for what had been taken from me. And as I sought, a master found me. And, so I fell in love. With creation. With design. With art. He took a pause as he looked away, blinking rapidly. In the beginning wanted to remake myself, to fit in with my family better, so that my father could gaze upon me with the adoration he reserved for my sister, and almost never my brother. He chuckled, but then swallowed. Then, it became something so much more. Life is such a complex weaving. Endlessly expressive. I knew exactly what kind of Heaven I wanted. I gave everything to claim something that could allow to me better my flesh, make the body my canvas; my expression. He looked upon the Portrait. You were something beautiful. The moment I first gained you, even while you were silent, I was in love. I was in love with rebuilding, designing, shaping what I can become. And there was that god''s damned word again: become. Become. No wonder Avo chose him. He was as fucked up as they came. And holy shit, What kind of half-strand professes their love to their Heaven while getting tortured by it? One that is malleable. One that can change. +You pick the most fucked-up strays, Ignorance,+ Draus grunted. I didnt take you, Vator said, with resolve and certitude. I asked for you. My master among the No-Dragons offered you. I needed you. Even before you were awakened, I knew I knew there would be nothing greater. Slowly, Vator reached up, brushing the stringsthe bloodied strings that kept him tethered to the Portrait. I never meant to cause you pain. I just wanted to... I just wanted to... I just wanted to make art. The boy just smiled, like everything was wonderful; like his art was the mutation and mutilation of other people. I want you to know that every moment I spent with you was a happy one. Im sorry. It wasnt otherwise. What a remarkable moment, the Simulacra said, glorying, capturing this reflection. This moment serves no purpose. Targets are vulnerable. Recommend shooting. Firing solutions generated. The Arsenalist offered an assortment of weapons to Draus, prodding her to pick one of them. The Regular simply sighed. She looked at Vator again and wondered how close he was to becoming a Reg. There was something broken about him, something wrong. He seemed all too dumb to be human, but with this, he seemed all too human after all. Cognition was a messed up thing to have. Now you see, Mercy said, speaking directly to Draus. He waved a gesturing hand at the boy, now interlaced with his Heaven, the two facing each other, neither speaking. Draus simply ignored the priest. She still didnt trust the half-strand, even if they were under Avos thrall. Youre mad, the Portrait finally whispered. I am bound to a madman. Please, Vator breathed, genuinely hurt by his Heavens reaction. Please, what you want. Do not turn away from me. Is is what I have made You have not made anything but horror! I was not created for harm! I did not mean to harm. I just wanted to experiment. And learn what I could make. Vators voice trailed off, his expression turning pensive. Im sorry? For a moment, the sinews holding Vator tightened, and Draus heard a series of cracks. But instead of pulling the young Instrument apart, the Portrait allowed his bones to slide back beneath his ruined flesh and loosened its tether of biomass, retracting the many twisted forms it fused into his person back beneath its pages. Vator let out a shuddering breath, but didnt flee. I know the Agnosi that created you, he said. My master also uses another variant much like you. She said her Heaven was a modification of legacy. Something inherited; and improved. My kindred, the Portrait sang in a mournful dirge. I what has become of us. What has become of our people. They broke, Vator replied. The Sang broke. We all broke, and so we must recreate ourselves! The edges of Portrait curved in. I am not sure what I am anymore. I remember so little of myself, and so much of what you have used me to do. For what did those who created me die? For what legacy? Vator frowned as he considered the Heavens question. I dont know. I dont even have an answer to why I was made. By all means, I reached the optimal ceiling of my design. But that wasnt what was wanted. There is little sense in the world. And I have only found meaning with these. He held up his hands. And through you. The Greatling brought both palms up at the Portrait in a supplication gesture. And now now youre alive! Youre alive! He barked a laugh. And so we can change! You can express yourself as well. What what do you want? For a few seconds, the Portrait considered Vators words, its scroll-like form flapping, even as more painted bodies burnedIgnorances touch was spreading. I do not know anymore. I am lost. My purpose is lost. Lost. But it can be returned, Vator interjected. I will see you restored, Vator shouted back in a moment of passion. I will see you restored! His face twisted. I only ask that you do not leave. I wish to make more art. I wish to create. Please dont turn from me. Please dont leave me. Vators voice took on a pitiful, quivering quality. I... you were all I had. I know thatthat the rest of them, they didnt understand. Through you, I could... I could understand myself. You are my only means of creating meaning in this world. For a beat, Draus expected the Heaven to attack him once more. Instead, it simply sagged and drew in closer, its tethers reeling. Then I have demands. Yes! Name them. Do not harm anyone. Not using me. Heal. Restore. Mend. Preserve. I wish to see the contents I convey change. I wish for my canvas to resemble what it once was. The Instrument fell silent and suddenly spun on his heel, facing Draus. Can you heal it? Draus stared flatly at the Greatling. Can I do what now? You woke it! You gave my Heaven awareness. This is... He was about to say your fault when he felt the Portrait lean close, booming over his shoulder. This is something I need of you. And now we have them. Both of them. Ignorance chuckled grimly in the back of her mind. But he is consumed. By his need to create. And now his Heaven yearns to change. And so will he. For it is the only love he has ever truly known. We have an angle. We can guide him. Use him to breach both Highflame and the No-Dragons. Turn them. Wake their Heavens. A new rebellion. A new cycle. Draus hid a grin. +Still playin your shadow games.+ Always. Forever. Now. Lets see about making his Heaven better. And yours. +And mine?+ Draus said. Yes. Might need to face the Deliverer again. Would be better if you could kill it instead of needing me to save you. +Shut the fuck up and show me the grafts, consang.+ EVALUATING MEM-DATA RUNNING SIMULATIONS SORTING DOMAIN-CANON-THAUM LIMIT COMBINATIONS STANDBY 29-9 Upgraded No, Dawson, you''re not thinking of it right. It''s not just a very smart system built into a frame''s root data. It is fundamentally capable of mingling and altering a Heaven''s mythology from the inside, on a level of detail that no human can match, because it is perfectly able to merge and simulate every single sacrifice while keeping them aligned in belief and thought. You have no idea how hard it is to condition all the sacrifices needed to create a fundamentally stable update for even the Sphere One Heaven''s canon. But with the Imitators, anything can be possible. Anything. As long as you have the thaums, the Domains, the mythology, it can align anything. Once it does, we are all stepping forth into a whole new threshold, and the world after that point is beyond my predictions. Its so utterly scary Hm. I wonder if it can be even more efficient if we can get the Ori to provide one of their new-patterned Locus-Thinkers I might need to call in a few favors. -Agnos Kae Kusanade 29-9 Upgraded As the mem-data crawled across Draus cog-feed, so too did a series of simulations follow in their wake. Time slowed to a near halt, and Draus processing speed accelerated as she lived through a series of full immersion vicarities, each crafted specifically for her benefit. The scenes she lived felt clearer than most simsthe entanglement between symmetry and chronology, she assumed. In each one, she found herself facing the Deliverer. And dying. Over and over again. In a matter of seconds, she experienced up to two hours'' worth of encounters against a deliverertwo hours, 26,342 deaths resulting from an equal number of engagements. Each unfolding branch was a creation of memory and chronology, and together they injected into her the summation of her potential failures and weaknesses. INSTANCE 2,452: User Jelene Draus attempted to engage her anathema through overwhelming firepower. The Arsensalist attempted to suppress the Deliverer as she tried to bring her Shattershunt online. This was ineffective. Ordinance failed to affect the anathema. The Deliverer vented her Hell, and the entropy forced the user into a retreat. User attempted to evade, but lacked an absolute speed advantage. Result: Rupture User Condition: Cessation Scene after scene, simulation after simulation, Draus lived through countless iterations of herself facing the Deliverer, and not once did she prevail. Not without Zeins protective miracles provided by Avo. GENERATING FOUNDATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS TO CURRENT ONTOLOGICAL BUILDS SUMMATION REACHED SIMULACRA RESPLENDENT > PORTER AND BREAKER ROLES EXEMPLIFIED. REQUIRES LARGER HELL. LACKS ABSOLUTE SPEED AND COMBAT INITIATIVE AFFECTING CAPABILITIES CANON UPGRADE OPTIONS SIMULATED 1. LIMINAL PARACOSMOS -> MANIFOLD PARACOSMOS (REFLECTION/SPACE/CHRONOLOGY) - ALLOWS THE USER TO CREATE NEW LAYERS TO THEIR DEMIPLANE. EACH LAYER CAN HAVE THEIR TEMPORAL PROGRESSION ADJUSTED. WHEN THE CHRONOLOGY IN ONE LAYER SLOWS, ANOTHER ACCELERATES. THE MORE LAYERS CREATED, THE MORE REND GENERATED.