So, this morning I was driving to work (ironically, I’m a teacher) and I was pulling out of my neighborhood and saw a school bus stopped at a road perpendicular to mine, lights flashing, about 50 feet behind a stop sign. The stop arm did not extend into my road, so I did not believe I needed to stop because it was on a different road and I was not behind or approaching the school bus. As I passed, I immediately heard the police lights turn on and pull over. He came up to my window yelling “did you not see those big flashing red lights?!?!” and I explained that as it was on a different road I didn’t think I had to stop, as all the diagrams posted by the state and in the drivers manual only have pictures of following or approaching a bus head on. I know that ignorance is not a good enough reason in the eyes of the law, but I wanted clarification on the law so I can learn from the mistake. He wrote me a citation for passing a stopped school bus- my first citation or ticket ever. On said citation, he marked that it was “same direction traffic” and on a “2 lane highway,” when it was neither- the bus was facing east and I north, and it was a subdivision with subdivision roads, as well as that there were no passengers under 18 present and my son was with me in the car. I am located in Arkansas and there are very steep penalties for passing a stopped school bus, including a suspended license for a minimum of 21 days. The incorrect information on the citation is kind of a kick in the stomach as well, seeing as it makes it seem as though I intentionally went around a school bus on a two lane road.
How should I go about handling this? Call the county clerk? Wait for my court date in July to plead my case? Lawyer up in hopes of getting a lighter consequence as it’s my first offense of any kind, ever?
Update: I’m getting a lawyer. This court has a history of sending people to jail over this.

First Chapter Previous Chapter
We sat at the counter of Saxon House, a tavern built like a Norse dining hall. It had one long table under an angled roof, propped up by unstripped tree trunks. The bar was to the side, carved from an oak trunk that looked like it had been left where it fell, and the bar around it. Orange LEDs shimmered at us from behind the counter, while everywhere else was bathed in the flames of wooden torches and the blinking warmth of slot machines. Erik and I sipped bitter beer from long, skinny horns that came with plastic stands.
It was early in the evening, and we were the only customers. A jute box screamed with the aggressive vocals of a metal cover of an old Germanic folk song, whose title roughly translated, "Crows Will Feast on Your Eyes While I Dance In Your Entrails." It was strange to hear it in a bar, as it typically only played at weddings.
"What's up?" I said. We were on tall stools, leaning into each other. I'd forgotten how easy Erik was to be around. I wasn't certain he had a sexuality. He never dated and didn't seem to want to. Girls usually forgot he was there, so we said things we wouldn't normally say around guys. He knew our menstrual cycles better than we did. He once gave me a couple of chocolate bars. He wouldn't say why, but later in the day my period started. It was a Ven Diagram of creepy and sweet.
We sat on stools facing each other, our knees touching. Erik wore the same brown and white jacket he wore all through high school, emblazoned with raised letters spelling "Barbarians," our football team. He didn't play sports but was friends with every athlete. "A lot. But I want to hear about you. You're carrying on with the investigative journalism."
"Yeah, got the job straight out of high school. My social studies teacher, Mrs. Vanheim, brought me to her class after school and introduced me to this guy."
"This guy?" We clinked horns and drank. The beer was cheap and tasted like it was fermented inside a yak with flesh eating disease.
"Yeah, never met him. Bright red hair like you but, in a massive fro." I held my hands over my head to demonstrate the girth of the man's hair. "He spoke like he'd just got off the boat from Norway, 'I vill mak you an offeer over dineer, hey?' He had a brief case full of articles I wrote for the school paper. He wanted me at Midgard's only newspaper."
"Who was he?"
"You know," I said, "I never found out." I spilled some beer on my sleeve and sucked it out.
Erik tilted his head. "You didn't ask?"
I picked some lint off my tongue. "I'm sure I have it written somewhere." His questions sparked a grinding feeling in my stomach and I didn't know why. "I told him I had two questions. 'First, when do I start? And second, 'We have a newspaper?"
"Smooth."
"Like drinking broken glass." I patted his knee. "He wasn't put off. He said I was perfect. I assumed I was going to intern. He brought me to the office, the one you've seen. It looked like that when I first got there."
"Exactly like that?"
I raised my hands in a shrug. "It might have looked slightly less lived in."
"It looks lived in by racoons in the before portion of a hoarding show."
"Yeah well the cleaning lady has been busy putting out a paper."
"So what happened?" Erik's fingers were manicured and smooth.
"When he brought me to the office, I expected him to introduce me to my new coworkers. Instead, he handed me the key and started to leave. I'm like, 'What?' I had to block the door to keep him in. 'What do I do? Who's my boss?'"
"He said, 'You're de boss. Put out a pappeer.' Sometimes tears of terror speak louder than words, and once my panic attack passed, he showed me the pink binder that told me how to use the layout programs and how to send the paper to press."
"He just put an eighteen-year-old in charge of a newspaper?"
"Wild, right? Two years and going strong."
I hoped for some giggle, but nothing. Erik didn't smile much now. This is not the same kid who wore nothing but a pink speedo under his grad robes.
"How does it work? The paper."
"Pretty simple. I gather the stories in the early part of the day, lay it all out and send it to press. Money goes into my account every two weeks."
"Who prints it? Who delivers it?"
"Don't know. I hit send and the next morning, the paper's on the stands."
Erik leaned on his elbow, watching me. "How often does this man come around?"
"Haven't seen him since." Erik looked at me like I told him I gave my life savings to a Nigerian prince I'd met by email. I didn't ask anything about this man or this job. Was I a bad reporter?
"Was he older? Younger?"
"He was... it was hard to tell. I'd say he was between twenty and sixty."
"Right."
"Is that weird?"
Erik shook his head. "Less than you'd think. Go on."
Erik pulled a palm-sized rectangular vape from his jacket pocket. His green eyes darted around, then he took a hit. He passed it to me. "A fully working newspaper that had never had a single person working there. You must have had some questions."
"At first, yeah." He passed me the vape. I didn't smoke, so I put it to my mouth and pretended, and handed it back. "He told me my salary, which, straight out of high school, seemed like a lot, but now... let's just say that you're paying for these drinks. But at the time, I was too scared of messing it up." This was a lie, because I couldn't explain why I didn't ask this man anything.
"Do you have any way of reaching him?"
"Why? You want to talk to him?" I moved my knees away, crossing them.
"No," he said. "It just seems, strange."
I recoiled for a moment into my thoughts. I am a bad reporter. "I have an email address," I quickly said. "He said if there is anything I can't handle, I can reach him there any time of day. The binder has a list of codes for different types of emergencies."
"Codes?"
"It's all in emojis."
"Have you ever used it?"
"Nope. Never needed it." I realized I'd been slipping into work habits. Two years of trying to get politicians to admit things made it so that conversations always had a winner or a loser. I'd been losing. "Why are you so interested?"
Erik's horn was almost empty. He gestured at our bearded bartender, who refilled them from a wooden barrel. "Have you ever turned your bloodhound nose inward?"
"What do you mean?"
"Have you ever thought of looking into who your boss is, who owns the paper, or how the papers are printed or distributed?"
Dammit. Back to this. I shifted on my wooden stool. My bum felt itchy on the hard surface. "Well, ah..."
"It never occurred to you, has it?" His tone softened. He almost sounded sad.
"I... no. I've never thought about looking into it."
"Stange, isn't it." Erik leaned in. He glanced at the bartender, and when he was satisfied the man was too far to hear, he said quiet enough I could only just hear him over the music, "You're this investigative journalist who never stops asking questions and digging for the truth, yet you have no questions about this situation."
"So you admit I'm a good reporter."
He cocked his head. "I never said you weren't."
"Right, sorry." I'd forgotten that part of the conversation was in my head.
"You never thought of trying to find out more about your boss?" When did sweet little Erik become a lawyer?
"I guess not." I took a long sip, to give myself time to think. "I was young, I thought that's just how it goes."
A group of barely legal teens came into the bar. Erik watched them out of the corner of his eyes until they took a seat at the far end of the table. "It's not just you. It's everyone. But once you start asking questions, it's hard to stop."
"What do you mean?"
"What if..." His voice lowered. "...you're missing the biggest story? By design."
"Whose design?"
Erik swiveled and placed his elbows on the counter and he hunched over.
I put my hand on his back. "What's this about, Erik?"
His head cranked and waved me to come close. "This will seem like a weird question. What is the sun?"
"Is this an astronomy lesson?"
"Just answer."
"The sun," I said, "is a giant ball of gas burning in space."
"Right," he said. "We'll both need more drinks for this." He waved at the bartender and waited for us to get our horns refilled. He took a long sip. "There's this picture. You show it to one person and they say it's a duck. You show it to another person, they see a rabbit. So, if you saw a duck first, you can't see the rabbit. But stare at the picture long enough, squint your eyes, eventually the rabbit appears."
I nodded. "Yeah, there's a lot of those kinds of pictures. Optical illusions."
"Here's the weird thing about them: you can only ever see a duck or a rabbit, but never both at once. Try and see both a duck and a rabbit at the same time, you can't. Your brain goes back and forth."
"Sure, that's true, though I never thought about it. This is the big secret that tortures you?"
"No." He made sure the bartender wasn't watching and put his fist to his mouth and puffed on his vape. "Didn't we learn in Kids Grove that the sun is Sol driving his horses and chariot across the sky, being chased by the wolf, Skoll?"
"Yes," I agreed. "It's Sol."
"You're saying that the sun is a man in the sky?"
"A god, but yeah."
"Which is it? Is it a gas giant or a god on a chariot?"
"Well, it's..." My head started feeling cloudy. The beer didn't usually hit me this fast. "It's Sol."
"So it's not a fireball in space." His eyes were narrowed. Mine blurred.
"It's a fireball in space." I felt sleepy. It was hard to think.
"It's the duck rabbit all over again. You feel that weird fog that comes into your head when you try to hold both thoughts? I believe it's a hunk of burning gas, then I believe it's a dude in a chariot, but I never believe both at once."
"I've never thought of it." I put my horn into its stand and crossed my arms over my stomach. I shook my head to try to throw off the drowsiness.
"It's like this everywhere. In the Greek Quarter, it's the same thing, only instead of Sol, they have a god named Helios, who wears a golden crown, also driving a chariot."
"Well that's just bad theology."
"In the Egyptian District, it's a guy named Ra sailing his boat through the heavens." He flattened his hand and arched it over him.
I laughed at the image. "That's ridiculous. How would they get a boat into the sky? It's a chariot."
"They could use a catapult. The point is, they all have the duck/rabbit problem."
I tried to hold both thoughts at once. The sun is a god. The sun is burning gas. My head had two worlds and I could jump back and forth between them but I couldn't stand in one and look through the door to the other.
"Why," I said, picking up my horn of beer and watching the bubbles push to the surface, "why have I never thought about this?"
He seemed to relax. He even smiled. "That's the most important question. I'd like you to meet someone."
"Who?"
"He's not from around here."
"Where's he from?"
"I'd rather not say. I'd just like to take you there." He finished his beer.
"Out of Midgard? To another borough?"
"Yeah."
"That's dangerous." I pictured knife wielding generic thugs lining up at the subway to take turns robbing people as they got off the train. "I know what those other neighborhoods are like."
"Do you? How do you know?" He tilted his head back and stared down his nose.
"Well, ah, that is..."
"Exactly. Your parents."
"Not just them."
"Who else?"
"Their friends."
Erik chuckled. "That's the first thing you need to accept. Our parents are all hiding something from us."
"Hiding what?"
"Everything. Come with me and I'll show you." He tugged on my arm. He lowered his head to look upwards into my eyes. "Please, Yvonne."
"Alright. When?"
"Now."
"Now?"
"Right now." He stood up, watching me. I chugged my beer, ordered a shot, downed that, and then forced myself to my feet.
"Alright," I said.

First Previous Wiki
Admiral Tenrah returned to the battle map, looking at all the various icons and routes to and from star systems. So far, the Sennes Armada was keeping its pace mostly on track. The delay due to the diplomats from the Misan Li Heptarchies no longer would matter.
King Siran had pulled back from the battlefront against the High Federation in an attempt to pivot to the Hive Union. He had won the battle, but the stragglers included the remaining leadership of the High Federation anyway, so they could continue to remain somewhat organized. The massive civil war would soon spill into a more international affair, due to the King's rhetoric. But that was entirely his fault when he so strongly advocated for the deaths of Cawlarians who had lived on planets for generations that he happened to desire.
And he would not let his name be stained with even the suggestion of a loss. The Battle Planner and Fleet Commander Annabelle Weber were also now on their way to the front, and the diplomats from the Heptarchies were tagging along. Phoebe was in discussions with them now, and supposedly there'd been a few breakthroughs on that front. Whatever she'd promised them or get them to agree to, the fleet buildup along the Hive Union's border with the Heptarchies was slowing.
The Interstellar Gathering seemed to have realized no amount of bluffing would get the High King out of war. Even if he was a proxy force aligned with them, King Siran was not valuable enough for them to risk a wider war. It was just as Tenrah had expected and had told Eyahtni, Kawtyahtnakal, and the Patriarchs when he'd met with them several days ago. Just as a young hatchling couldn't be allowed to stray too far from the nest, there was simply no sense for the Heptarchies to risk economic ruin.
Orith and those who ruled over him would shift their tone while pretending it was a natural decision, not one they'd been forced to make to align with reality.
"I must commend your tactics in the latest training exercise," Tenrah said, ruffling his feathers slightly before respectfully nodding to Annabelle.
"I am pleased to hear such high praise from you, Admiral," the woman said. She was fully dressed in her regulation spacesuit, meaning most of her face was obscured. But Tenrah wouldn't complain since it was more than prudent to be ready for anything. The next unknown ships might not be friendly.
He had also looked into the parties responsible for the lack of communication or warning of the Misan's arrival. As it turned out, general incompetence was to blame. A receiver hadn't been properly calibrated, so the transmission signal had just been noise. He'd given the officer in charge of that an earful before eventually letting up and telling him to do better. A personal visit with the Admiral was one thing. But a second personal visit was quite another.
Tenrah drew a vector toward some of the outer systems controlled by the High King. A few garrison forces were there, but they would be swept away almost instantly. What most concerned him was the shipyards in the region that received most of their metals from a select group of planets in those systems. They were rich in the metals required to forge the alloys needed in the High King's fleet.
The High Federation had been something of a dumping ground for either overthrown species or other alien species that had been deported from their homeworlds before the war broke out. This was reflected in the number of species inhabiting the worlds, each with unique names, traits, and temperaments.
"We plan on taking this path, and then splitting to conquer these systems and disable their metal exporting abilities," he explained. "Then we will move to this system."
He zoomed in more and drew a new vector from where the previous one ended. "We have intelligence that they have at least four planet crackers there. Brey will send FTL suppression satellites through portals on the outer edges, with her portals boosted by our psychic amplifier fields. we will be able to take over the system quickly, and begin the process of either disabling the planet crackers or moving them back to our territory."
"We will need to know the angles the superweapons are at before committing to the battle," Annabelle said. "Otherwise, judging by the trajectory cone you have, we can bypass them entirely and reach Siran within two weeks."
"And that is an interesting proposal. Can you lay out your plan, in that case?"
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Annabelle did so. She and Tenrah discussed the strategy's risks, and they eventually decided that such a tactic, while bold, wouldn't do what they set out to do: ensure the safety of the Cawlarians near the border. They were already trying to evacuate from the coming war front, but cities and planets were large things that took a lot of time to completely empty.
And more garrison forces, whether they were androids from Phoebe or specialized and highly trained defenders from the Union, were still moving in as the civilians evacuated. Kawtyahtnakal had established a fund for them, but many people were too stubborn to leave. Despite the looming threat of war and possible massacre, they still refused to board the passenger ships. Annabelle could respect their tenacity and courage, though she personally believed it was counterproductive.
A few encroaching splinters of Siran's fleet had already struck the evacuation forces. He'd sent around 2% of his ships away to harass all the border systems within reach in an attempt to get the Armada bogged down in defense. But with such small forces and the Union on such high alert, all of the important stations with weak shields were well within the protective layers of planetary shields in the area.
Larger garrisons than necessary were still required, of course, but Tenrah had managed to navigate the desperate concerns of the Feathers and those like them in charge of governing their planets with his natural political skill. He didn't need to ask them for favors because, as an Admiral, he alone held power over how his portion of the fleet would respond. Annabelle had witnessed that loyalty and control well within the organization of his fleet. Even at his advanced age, she continued to be impressed with his adaptability and skill at monitoring three-dimensional battle planes and fields.
She pointed to the cone of possible directions Siran was expected to take. They were generally adjacent to the border, though they would head around the left side of the territory he claimed from the Union. If he reached it, millions of lives would be lost every day. Once he broke the shields entirely, the planets would be utterly glassed down to their mantles.
She'd read up on his methods and had seen videos of them in action. Despite all her training, it still was haunting. The hivemind helped to soothe her when the unpleasant parts of command sizzled up to meet her in the middle of the night.
But they would not impede her on the field of battle. When she went to war, the hivemind suppressed all that wasn't necessary for the mission. It was their agreement, one which she'd asked of it. And being a node of the network meant that her stability was paramount, even more so than her title as Fleet Commander. For if she fell, others could take her place. Protocols ensured and demanded that.
But her place in the hivemind was what allowed it to have any strength this far out. It could form avatars and help with long-range communications, though the main mind back on Earth and Luna obviously remained disconnected from this distance.
"I would normally agree with you, Fleet Commander, but I am reminded of your tactic to use decoy hard light holograms."
"They will suspect that any ships heading right for the barrels, or close enough, are either not valued enough or are the decoys."
"Then all you have to do is make them impossible to ignore," Tenrah said. "I can lend you bombs capable of remaining armed and capable of being triggered inside of hard light holograms, even with jamming involved. Then, they will be unable to ignore them, and the explosions generated would destroy the shields in place around the planet crackers. If they fire the weapons, then the residual magnetic interference will allow us to destroy them, since the shields will be far weakened."
Annabelle could see the potential brilliance of the strategy. But it was just that- potential. In space, there were no obstacles. Without stealth fields, there was no hiding. And with hard light holograms, stealth was obviously off-limits.
They would be left approaching from angles that they would be unable to adapt to. She had her VI plot several routes but was unsatisfied, so she had Edu'frec link into the network to do it. Phoebe had been replaced after contacting a Sprilnav network to ensure she could scrub any programs that may have gotten through to her without distraction.
It would be a terrible thing for a Sprilnav AI to make it to her dreadnaught, for sure.
"We will likely need a threefold diversion at least," Annabelle said. "Maybe fourfold, if we can spare the forces, and brave any minefields that may exist."
"Well," Tenrah began. He pulled up a few schematics of the weapons her dreadnaught carried. "I believe you can solve the minefield issue from a distance, even with the lightspeed limit. After all, they can't move easily. As for the actual attack? I suggest a sixfold flower formation, with a twisting wings accent."
"You will have to show me a diagram of that," Annabelle said, grasping uselessly at the unfamiliar words. Before their integration had begun, there had been a limit to how much doctrine she could memorize.
Tenrah pulled up an image of an alien flower blooming with six petals. And then the image faded, overloading with a stylized ribbon of red shapes. The ribbons spun on their sides every thirty seconds, like corkscrews that were flatter.
"And in this case, the ribbons represent the drone formations. I can send a few carriers into the battle with fighter escorts, though we will need to keep them spread out to avoid any direct lines of sight from the planet crackers."
"I heavily doubt they will waste such shots on carriers," Annabelle said. "And if you commit more, you will overwhelm their defenses. I believe your drones are highly reflective, so only missiles and bullets can deal sufficient damage at the involved speeds and numbers we are working with here."
She tapped the diagram, shifting it by about 45 degrees.
"I believe I can fit a stealth force here, which will engage the back defenses of the planet crackers once they focus their shields frontward. I can likely get a full battlecruiser group in, and if you can press in as a wedge around 10 million kilometers above me from where I come in, and around 30 million kilometers below," Annebelle paused to draw the vectors with her hands, "Then it will aid in my ability to subdue them. It would likely shorten the battle time from a week down to four days."
"Assuming their detection satellites are not capable of seeing it."
"And we will target those too. I believe the first strike can fall on those, since the planet crackers will interfere with their ability to scan behind themselves, and such large power signatures can be noted."
"There is one more problem," Tenrah said. "We are generally working on the assumption of trying to capture these ships, yes?"
"Yes," Annabelle said.
"Then will we board them?"
"Yes, but no. Edu'frec and Phoebe's commando androids will open up the beach heads on the physical surfaces of the planet crackers, while our specialized mental warfare agents will take the fight to them in the mindscape. I assume you have your own plans in that regard?"
"It depends on how we will split the planet crackers. There are 12 in the system. Half and half?"
"That seems prudent," Annabelle replied. She selected the ones that would be most advantageous for her various gambits and strategies to work. They were closer together, which meant more capacity for coordination, mutual aid, and shielding. But it also meant a larger target, one which she could hit from many vectors without worrying about each enemy ship having a wide field of view. Some battlecruisers and cruiser groups were scattered around, but they were not enough to resist the Armada. And once Siran was robbed of a quick way to end the war, the Union would hold the upper hand, capable of committing devastating power to a fleet that remained in a system for a long time.
Yet the same was true for the Union and the Alliance. If the battle took too long, or their command positions were located, then the terrible might of the planet cracker beams would be turned upon them instead. Annabelle's dreadnaught was powerful. More so than all the ones before it. But that didn't mean she wanted to test her shields against alien planet crackers.
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Penny was talking to a group of freed slaves on Justicar. These were recent ones who still held quite a bit of trauma. They'd taken to calling her 'Liberator' despite her never identifying herself as such. It was oddly endearing and did make her feel quite a bit better. It was good to just be able to go out and help people.
She felt some perturbations in the mindscape but ignored them. Right now, she needed to ensure that the gangs couldn't continue their horrific industry. She'd taken out most of their heavy equipment and was now waiting for the Guides to finish searching.
Sirens and alarms echoed in the distance. Penny sent psychic energy into her eyes, but she was too far underground to see anything without using the energy itself instead of light to see. Justicar's mind seemed busy, so she couldn't connect with him. As time went on, Penny felt that something was wrong. It was a gut feeling that she couldn't place. But because of that, she was on edge. She made a large shield of psychic energy above them.
She held it for several minutes. Nothing happened, but Penny wouldn't let it down that quickly. Justicar still didn't respond. Her communicator rang. Kashaunta was calling.
"What's going on?" Penny asked.
"The Grand Fleet is-"
Light and heat smashed into her, easily breaking through her shields. She briefly saw tens of thousands of Sprilnav burning before the light overwhelmed her eyes. Her communicator was destroyed. The onslaught was accompanied by a monstrous level of sound. Shockwaves drilled Penny into the melting and fracturing ground, forcing her lower and lower into expanding pools of magma and liquid metal.
The city's upper layers fell upon her, crashing with great and terrible force. But Penny was now fully reinforced with psychic and conceptual energy. She erupted furiously from the rubble. The air around her burned with heat as she continued to accelerate. The armor plates now surrounding her glowed cherry red, but they were white by the time she'd reached space.
She reached the first planetary shield.
"Displace," Penny growled. She forced reality to move as she willed and to place herself where she saw fit. The Grand Fleets were high above, firing upon a small group of ships that had detached from Azeri's fleet. They seemed to be directly attacking the broken-off contingent and not Justicar itself.
So Penny increased her eyesight and analyzed the battle in both real space and the mindscape. Nilnacrawla helped her identify Justicar's targets. The massive Elder was angrier than she'd ever seen him, and his size, which was even larger than Tetelali, made that incarnation of him appear more like a god of wrath. She saw him brutally tear through groups of minds desperately running to avoid him.
She could faintly see spheres of psychic and conceptual energy area denial fields. From this distance, the flagships' strength was truly impressive. Both of them were at least ten times as powerful as Azeri's had been during their battle. It was clear both Kashaunta and Valisada had ordered upgrades.
Then, her attention came to the dreadnaught, which seemed to be at the head of the attack. Penny explored the ship with her psychic power, pushing aside all resistance. Several lasers struck her, but she ignored them, denying their impact in reality against her own.
It glowed with the fury of weapons firing. Missiles and fighters flowed out of its bays. Bullets, nukes, and lasers streamed from red-hot gun barrels. A nuke hit her but didn't explode. She ripped it apart, using the materials to add energy to her reserves.
Justicar continued to go in inside the mindscape. He tore at them like a shark at a school of minnows in a coral reef. His ravenous anger and hatred were frightening, but Penny rapidly got used to it. Calling up her own memories of the innocent people who'd been killed for no reason, Penny wrapped herself in energy and began to erase her signature from the area.
Fighters flew past her, no longer hitting her psychic shields with bullets. Lasers stopped firing at her since she'd moved from her last position, and there was no longer anything for them to track. Penny floated in the stars, with bright blooms of white fusion explosions blossoming around her. And so she moved forward. She reached a cruiser. She reached forward, teleporting past its shields, and shut down the ship's reactor by teleporting all of its fuel into the void.
Soon, a missile from Kashaunta's Grand Fleet found the vessel, and it vanished in another sphere of heat and light. Of course, it was all silent in space. Penny could only hear her heart beating and occasional warnings from Exile or Nilnacrawla at incoming attacks. Exile occupied the area in her ears, which felt weird, but it allowed him to speak without showing himself in the mindscape. Given his nature and the fact that the Grand Fleets likely had detections for speeding space entities, it would be a terrible idea for him to appear there. Nilnacrawla continued to help Penny with the mental aspects of the battle.
He processed the energy input and output that Penny was giving off in the hopes of keeping her off the sensors of the dreadnaught battlegroup. She didn't want to attract the full focus of one of those massive guns. The explosions on Justicar would have been capable of cracking apart a mountain range if not for the extensive dampening Justicar's shields had done. And she'd withstood them only because she could shunt off most of their impact into reality, leaning into her conceptual nature and the nature of Cardinality to escape certain death.
Even with her power, as high as it had ever been, the blow she was taking were the most powerful physical impacts she'd ever endured.
She also suspected Yasihaut's work in this, though she had nothing to prove. She also had to remain vigilant about the Judgment. She couldn't take overly hostile actions, so she didn't just teleport the Sprilnav in the area out of their ships. She tried it on a smaller scale, and a weak pressure from the dreadnaught made her power fail to affect them.
But those Sprilnav were still doomed to die by their commander. But Penny didn't wish to doom the Alliance and herself by taking their deaths into her own hands. And she was stained with enough blood, metaphorical and literal. The ashes of the people she'd freed had fallen away with her ascent into the atmosphere, but the gritty memory and feel of them never would.
Once again, she'd been powerless to save those who'd needed her. And if she'd had that power, what could she have really done? Would she have been forced to stand there and take it? Or could she have really fought back in a way that wouldn't be turned against her in the Judgment? And was she wrong for considering all of that during such a horrendous time, when she'd literally seen thousands of people turned to slag and ash before her very eyes just ten minutes ago?
Penny burned with shame and grief. She hated this. She hated that things always turned to this. Why couldn't the galaxy just leave people alone? Why did there have to be so much suffering? Her anger threatened to overwhelm her, but with a herculean effort from her, Nilnacrawla, and Cardi, it was beaten back.
Penny felt Justicar getting close to breaking through the shield. She sent a small jolt of power to its underside. A thick bolt of psychic lightning infused with rage leaped from her arms, shattering the shield completely and taking roughly half her power. In the dreadnaught, the antimatter reactor she could sense radiating its energy suddenly lost all coolant access.
She pushed her psychic energy into herself and her conceptual energy into words that she harmonized into existence with the force and might of her will.
"Cardinality: One to zero. Reversal."
A heap of her energy left her instantly, stopping a budding explosion from ripping the dreadnaught apart. Justicar absolutely ravaged whoever was inside that ship, including what appeared to be a leader figure in the mindscape. Penny watched Justicar smash the Elder's corpse in his jaws and tear his soul from his body before shredding it violently with a contraption that looked straight out of a horror movie.
She let the explosion go, and so it went. The dreadnaught cracked in half. The Grand Fleets, which had never stopped firing, finally broke through the shields as the circuits failed to supply them with power. Hundreds of thousands of lives winked out instantly, torn to subatomic particles by beams coming from two different flagships. Penny went straight to Kashaunta, appearing on the ship's bridge still in stealth. To their credit, her guards noticed immediately and bared their weapons at her.
The guns that were powerful enough to blast holes in skyscrapers and sturdy enough to withstand a fall from orbit with hardly a scratch unloaded their payloads into her. Penny opened her mouth, and strings of psychic energy writhed outward, wrapping themselves around the guns and wrenching them out of the claws of Kashaunta's guards while the impacts' explosions were contained by thick shields.
Kashaunta herself had already drawn her sword but hadn't moved an inch.
"Penny," she said dryly. "Welcome to my ship. I apologize for your reception."
A new shield came down on both of them, preventing their words from reaching the ears of Kashaunta's subordinates.
"Think nothing of it, Elder Kashaunta. What punishments will be given to the Grand Fleet Commander?"
"Well, technically I am not the Grand Fleet Commander of this fleet," she said. "So that is not really something I can enforce. However, the Grand Fleet Commander of the 85th Grand Fleet does wish to talk with you, Justicar, and myself about what just occurred."
"And you believe him?" she exclaimed.
"He sent transcripts of the message he sent to one Elder Solei, asking him to cease his actions before it was too late."
"Even the Alliance can make deepfakes," Penny said.
"And do you think I would be ignorant of such things, child?" Kashaunta asked. "We have ways around those. That is why we still have a society after billions of years of time to screw it all up. Deepfakes are a problem of less advanced species and cultures, not those with the tools to handle them."
"Which are AIs, which you also ban throughout the galaxy."
"Yes."
"Isn't that hypocritical?"
"Yes, it is," Kashaunta said. "You can go and complain to the Judges who decided that if you wish, though asking them to think of the children instead of preserving the power of the entire Sprilnav species will get you laughed at by a billion mouths."
Penny felt something in her mind take offense to Kashaunta's wording. It didn't feel like it was part of her, but it also did. The shock of all the lives lost hit her again, making her scowl.
"So there will be nothing done?" Penny growled.
"No. Prepare for a neutral and level-headed discussion. If you wish to have any seat at a table such as this, you will conduct yourself with decorum. You will not accuse Elder Valisada of being responsible for whichever fool did this, and you most certainly will not baselessly claim that Yasihaut is at fault for this, even if it is likely that she or her backers are. It is time you learn the lesson that all Elders have: there are always more Sprilnav. Recognize that this was a strike against you without casting aside all of your goodwill among those that matter."
"Those that matter," Penny mused. "Sometimes I forget what you are."
Kashaunta stepped forward, eyes narrowing. She let out a hiss.
"You saw a few thousand people die, and now you're back to the racism again? Grow up. People die all the time in this galaxy. You complain about the status quo. I would respect that, if you could stomach what is required to change it. Death will continue to run rampant, and you will be the reason more die no matter what you do. 760 sextillion Sprilnav, Penny. And you cry over ten thousand?
During the Source war, we sent two years olds to war. You don't get to slide back into comfortable dumb hatred of our species because of a few stupid people. Rest assured, if you ever get this Alliance-based order, you or your successors will become tyrants. There will be a human who has the power and will to start wars, and enact genocides, for functionally no reason. Need I remind you of World War Two, and World War Three? If you multiply the population of Humanity by a trillion, that means you'll get a trillion Pol Pots, or Hitlers, or Genghis Khans.
And a hell of a lot more dumb idiots in power, which ascribes most of the history of nearly every species in the galaxy. Notice how Valisada and I both fired on Solei once he decided to be an adult daycare nominee? Notice how Valisada has not fired at us, or Justicar, and is trying his best to start a constructive dialogue? People die in war, Penny. This is reality. And you cast your disdain onto me, the only Sprilnav keeping you alive in this place, because I happened to be born an Elder. But no. I'm still some alien, right? Just another dirty animal for you to kill when the Judgment ends."
Kashaunta's fury caught Penny off-guard. The Elder truly meant her words. Penny had deeply offended her, cracking open the facade she usually maintained. The smug feeling at having made Kashaunta go on such a tirade faded when she considered the circumstances. Maybe she had acted like a child. But she hadn't said anything truly deserving of such a furious tirade, had she?
Not unless her proclamation that she remembered 'what Kashaunta was' had an implication that she didn't understand. Kashaunta was a mass murderer, one who was more than willing to justify it when necessary. And she downplayed the fact that this attack was on Penny herself and on thousands of innocents on a Sprilnav planet where she was meant to be safe. This wasn't a pair of assassins in the night, slipping poison into water or dropping snakes into a bed. This was a much more insidious and terrifying evil. Penny had been powerless to stop it.
Penny knew she was right, but Kashaunta did not. Could she truly weigh her scant decades against Kashaunta's billions of years of age? Perhaps. Age was not wisdom, though it certainly could be experience. Kashaunta turned around and started to walk away. Sadly, Penny still needed her.
"I'm sorry, Kashaunta. I am... incredibly charged. I am very pissed right now. I am not apologizing for how I feel about this attack. I have every right to be upset, and I will remain so. I will not be bullied or cowed into submission, even by a thousand more tirades. There comes a point where something must be done. But if you are upset over what I said, then I would at least like an honest clarification why."
"Because you had showed me you could think like a person should. That you didn't see people's species anymore. That you were becoming less racist. And yet, when you are cut raw, you still see me as a Sprilnav Elder alone, and therefore complicit in this massacre I literally did everything I could to do stop before it worsened. You said you knew 'what I am' as if you'd forgotten that. And it is clear that you meant that you'd forgotten your belief that I am some dirty criminal Sprilnav, who deserves to be slaughtered in the dark for the crime of being born in her species.
You care more for the ash on Justicar than you do for what I have given you. Your simplistic view of reality would mean that if you could push a button to kill us Elders, you'd do it, robbing countless families of their loved ones, because you now remember 'what we are,' and are again regressing away from your previous growth."
"I am one person, Kashaunta. I don't understand why you care this much about me. But I can recognize that the message you received is one of terrible bigotry. I am suffering, every day, every week, that I remain in this god-forsaken place. It hurts for you to dismiss the people I care about, even for a moment, dying just because there are many of them. But that does not excuse what I said to you despite the death toll you carry on your own head. It was a half-truth."
Kashaunta laughed. "Do you know why I care so much about what you think, Penny? It is because you are the other aliens. All at once. The Alliance is the face of all things 'alien' in many places. Remember what conceptual energy is? Lecalicus told you, I believe. You represent more than just your own views. And if you're able to forgive a speeding space entity, but not me, then it shows that we will never have peace. That no matter what, this cycle of hatred will continue, and I will need to either build a new galaxy with aliens that don't hate us for our ancient crimes, or just figure out another way. You are the face of the rest of the galaxy, Penny. And you have just told me that you still hate me for being an Elder. After I thought you had changed."
"And you believe you are undeserving of such hatred?"
"Penny," Kashaunta said. "The Alliance didn't exist when many of these events happened. Some of your grievances are older than the mountains on Earth. You say you hate us for genocides that happened so long ago that they no longer hold any meaning. There is no compensation we can give to dead species on dead worlds. What you want is an alien species to hate and blame for all the universe's problems. Because it is easier to hate us than to confront reality. And we are the ones you have been told to hate."
"They were not small things. It was the deaths of trillions of people, Kashaunta."
"Yes. And it was wrong. I can understand that. But what do you think will happen when your Alliance, filled with people who hate us, takes over? You will see humans bombing Sprilnav schools, and the hivemind will do nothing, for it will share that hate. Acuarfar will abduct and torture us. Knowers will devour our children. And in the face of that? You would turn a blind eye, because it is too hard to solve with a simple fix. You will only propagate generational hatred, just as all the Alliances and Galactic Republics and Peace Unions did before you.
Because underneath your message of equality for all species is oppression and genocide for us, the villains in your little story. That is what happens in reality, once the benevolent dictators die. And you, who have lived with us, eaten with us, and talked with us, will sit upon your golden throne, and when I am brought before you, naked, bleeding, and in need of support, you will throw me away, because all I am to you is an Elder. That mindset is exactly what stands in the way of peace. It is why I stopped giving you aliens chances for so long. And having to argue this with you at all makes me think you may no longer be worth my effort."
More manipulation. Penny was ready to shout at her, but Nilnacrawla pulled her thoughts away from blind anger. And it did feel unnatural for her. Alien.
"This is not peace," Penny said. "This is war. And we are circumstantial allies. I will not become what you claim."
"I have sown the seeds of a thousand despots," Kashaunta said. "I recognize them when I see them because I have reaped the heads of a million more."
Penny sighed. She wanted to resist and continue arguing, but it wouldn't get her anywhere. Now that she had thought about it, she was unlikely to overturn a viewpoint set in a billion years of experiences. Perhaps Penny could explore this later, when she had time to properly process it all.
"Very well. I will go to this meeting of yours, and I will conduct myself with decorum. However, while I refuse to belittle or forget thousands of deaths, I am sorry that you feel this way."
"But you are not sorry about making me feel so."
"No," Penny replied. She suppressed her emotions more, taking the time to carefully consider her words. Kashaunta was wrong and oddly sensitive right now. Saying the wrong thing could damage far more than their mutual feelings. As much as she wanted to win this argument, Kashaunta was who she was. She was the alien dictator keeping the Alliance alive.
"We are both right in some ways, and perhaps we might be both wrong, too. This only shows how tough the road will be. We at least are consciously trying to come to an understanding. But for the billions of Alliance citizens, quintillions of aliens, and sextillions of Sprilnav? It is a gargantuan task. And... right now, I don't think it is possible."
"It isn't," Kashaunta said. "And it won't be for thousands of years. But we don't get some neat little time skip to wait and solve all of our problems for us. Change will start only when we make it."
Kashaunta was throwing her a bone, then. They both knew the argument couldn't continue right now.
"So we have an understanding, then," Penny said. "Hatred will remain, but it must be minimised. That way, cultural and social pressure will eventually stamp it out, and we may have peace."
"No. We will have a truce, which will only become peace with much more work. The Alliance is a nation that is 24 years old. Only a single generation has grown up within it. Negotiations will be hard with so many who remember the hatred. But Valisada is not like other Sprilnav. He will seek to bring a hybrid war to you and the Alliance, unless you can convince him that you truly mean to bridge the divide. You are clearly misguided, but have a genuinely good heart. That will make life hard for you. Your words today would have spelled the death of you and the Alliance, had I not established this shield around us to hide them. Out of the spirit of our friendship, I will not request a favor in return for this boon."
"Thank you, Kashaunta. Though I'm not sure I can consider you a friend."
"The fact that you bothered to listen to my side of things, in this limited aspect, despite the hurt you must feel right now, proves otherwise. I am well aware of my past crimes, Penny. I know that my emotions today were a weakness I should have been able to seal, and that you will still see me for who I was, and not who I am. I know how it sounds for me, a killer and a ruler, to be upset at being confronted. But that is how I am. I still have my pride as an Elder, and there is only so far it can be pushed. Who I was certainly would qualify as beyond evil. But to remain at the top, there are limits to how far you can swing into benevolence.
I cannot atone. Do not try to make me repay debts that you don't own. If you are ever to have more Elders on your side, whether Progenitors or otherwise, you will need to learn to deal with this. There will be people with death tolls higher than the population of the Alliance, who were once the heart of evil and are now at least acceptable. The first step will be recognizing that, yes, we are in fact friends, despite my history. Because only from friendship and understanding can hope come."
"I will think about this more. My feelings about this, and about you, have not yet solidified."
"I was wrong for what I said to you, Penny. We are both on edge, and said things that we didn't properly express. We should get our heads in order before re-entering this argument with logic instead of emotions."
"I agree. I will go and see who I can save. And I will think more about this. I freed people from slavery, and watched them die today. Respectfully, I must spend some time away from you for now."
Penny left the ship. In something near her subconscious, anger remained. When she landed in the rubble once again, she missed a small but steady stream of conceptual energy wafting into her from below.

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Cannoli’s heart hammered against her chest. She wanted so badly to look behind her and make sure that Buttons and Freckles went unseen. That the blanket hiding them hadn’t moved. But even the tiniest glance could mean their capture—if Muzhira hadn’t spotted the blazards already.
“S-Sister Cecilia,” Rozalyn stammered, then bowed deeply. “My apologies.”
Sister Cecilia had blue hair the color of the sky that tumbled over the dazzling white and gold of her robes. Dozens of sapphires sparkled from their tendrils, wrapped and twined in mindful placements where none touched the others. Her soft features would suggest a kind face, but her silver eyes glimmered with disappointment. She stood just as tall as Muzhira, and her slender ears and thick tail ended in white tufts of fur.
“Cannoli, you were late to your lesson on your first day,” Sister Cecilia chided. “This is unwise and a bleak look for your future.”
“I’m so sorry, Sister Cecilia! I think my nerves got the best of me.” Cannoli mirrored Rozalyn’s bow. Tears burned in the backs of her eyes, and she forced them down. I will not be a disappointment! “Rozalyn was very kind in showing me this room as a place to catch my breath.”
“There are correctly sanctioned areas of the temple for which you may regain composure, Cannoli. Rozalyn, in your three weeks of attendance, you should very well be accustomed to them by now.” Sister Cecilia’s voice lost its edge.
Cannoli caught her breath. They hadn’t seen the blazards. “I will familiarize myself with them immediately, Sister Cecilia. Outside of my lesson time, of course.” She rose, cautiously searching Cecilia’s face. The pink on the sister’s cheeks had vanished, and her eyes warmed.
“Pardon my interference, Sister Cecilia, but I’m certain I overheard them speaking of hiding something,” Muzhira said, pitching her tone toward curious innocence.
Cannoli’s heart skipped. She forced her features to stay blank. Muzhira had been following them in the shadows.
Rozalyn straightened. “Ourselves,” she replied. “It is as Cannoli says. Such a drastic change in our lives feels overwhelming at times. Not all of us have taken to our path as adeptly as you have, Muzhira.”
For a split second, Muzhira furrowed her brows and frowned. It vanished when Sister Cecilia turned to look at her.
“We are wasting valuable time, ladies. I would ask you to refrain from visiting this wing of the temple and utilizing acceptable resources in the future,” Cecilia instructed. “Now, Cannoli will come with me, and I trust you two will return to your studies?”
“Yes, Sister Cecilia,” Rozalyn and Muzhira replied in unison.
“Very good. Cannoli? If you will?”
“O-of course!” Cannoli skipped forward, forgetting her attempts to soften her steps. After the first two fell like boulders crashing into the ocean, she remembered herself and slowed. Now that Buttons was safe, she couldn’t let her excitement get the better of her.
Sister Cecilia smiled—a warm, genuine reaction that reached her eyes. “Let this be our first lesson.” She gestured to their feet as they entered the cool hallway. “Silent steps require a sound mind and prepared body. We must first be aware of our surroundings and steady our breathing.” Raising her hands to the height of her chest, Cecilia took a deep breath in, then slowly exhaled, lowering her hands with it. “We will walk as we breathe. Let us start there. Try to match your steps with mine.”
It sounded simple in practice, but Cannoli realized it required her to pay close attention to the cadence of her breathing alongside the timing of her steps, and that was outside of keeping up with Cecilia. She was so focused on the task that she didn’t see Rozalyn or Muzhira pass her. They reached the hallways and continued around the storage boxes. Cecilia was a patient teacher, offering tidbits of advice here and there, a much different approach to the streams of information Cannoli had seen in the Venicia School of Etiquette.
Cecilia stopped at the double doors to the library and raised a hand. “Very good, Cannoli. We will work on this first thing each afternoon.” She opened the doors and gestured for Cannoli to enter.
When Cannoli stepped across the threshold, her eyes widened, and her breath caught. “Oh my goodness,” she murmured.
Multiple shelves flanked by golden columns protruded from the walls, each housing six rows of polished wood and filled from edge to edge with books. The design continued to the second story, where smooth railings protected curious initiates from stepping over the edge. Painted murals of Saoirse and her masked prophets appeared in detailed circles on the ceiling, surrounded by ivory sculptures and gold filigree flecked with sapphires. The tiled floor featured floral mosaics among the alternating gold and white squares.
Inside the alcoves created by bookshelves were initiates poring over books and taking notes. Others with two thick tomes open seemed to be copying scripts and hymns. A few read for pleasure, curled up in a corner chair with their tails tucked around their ankles.
“Marvelous, isn’t it?” Cecilia asked.
“Yes. Oh my, yes. How many books are here?”
“Fifteen hundred. It is Nyarlea’s largest collection to date.”
Cannoli gaped. “This feels like a dream.” It seemed impossible to have so many books in one building. As a kitten, Mother returning home with a book was a cause for celebration. Cannoli had treasured her small collection of reading material and read them so many times that the ink was beginning to fade.
“Let us hope you feel the same way while you study.” A knowing smile twitched at the corners of Cecilia’s lips. “You will spend much time with these tomes.”
“I look forward to it,” Cannoli replied honestly.
“Good. Today, however, we must attune you to a weapon.” Sister Cecilia marched forward before Cannoli could ask what she meant.
Cannoli skipped to catch up, then focused again on her breathing and keeping time with Cecilia. Her steps had quieted just a little, but it was a start. They made their way to the back of the library, where Cecilia unlocked a white door with a key around her wrist. Cannoli moved inside, and Cecilia locked the door behind them.
“This is the armory,” Cecilia said. “You are only to come here with an instructor, regardless of whether your peer has found an errant key.” A hint of humor touched her words, but Cannoli blushed all the same. “Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Cannoli said with a nod.
“Excellent. Over here, then.”
Cannoli crossed the circular room, noting the different weapons on the walls, the complicated sigils and diagrams sketched on aging pieces of parchment, and the Enchanted lamps that flickered to life as they passed.
“Please shift to [Combat Mode], Cannoli,” Cecilia instructed.
Cannoli recalled so long ago when she’d found so much joy in changing into her [Combat Mode]. The idea of saving her friends and helping her Party had made her truly feel magical. Matt and Keke had teased her, but she still loved turning the routine into a spectacle.
Now, changing into her offensive gear twisted her stomach. It meant something, or someone, was about to die. And there was nothing she could do about it.
“Cannoli?” Cecilia repeated.
“S-sorry. [Combat Mode].” Cannoli watched as the white robes vanished, replaced by the resplendent silks and satins Cailu had purchased for her. The gear was stunning, perfect, and beautiful. Cannoli still didn’t feel like she deserved a single piece of it.
A look of stunned surprise widened Cecilia’s eyes and mouth. “Where do you hail from, child?”
“Ni Island.” Cannoli’s blush deepend. “I’ve been with Matt— …with my island’s man since his birth. We were in a lot of fights, so San Island’s man, Cailu, bought us all armor.”
“They work together? The men?” Cecilia remarked.
“Well, Cailu’s trying to get them all to work together.” Cannoli’s stomach twisted. The duel between Cailu and Magni flashed in her mind’s eye. It felt blasphemous to say what they’d done out loud, especially inside of Saoirse’s temple. “Does…uniting the men go against Saoirse’s teachings, Sister Cecilia?”
“I see you carry difficult questions.” Cecilia observed Cannoli for a long time, eyes thoughtfully searching her face. “While there is not a set precedent for the men uniting, we will make it a lesson for another day. Can you summon your weapon for me?”
Cannoli did as Cecilia asked. Her armor may have been luxurious, but she wielded the same scepter she’d held since she could first access [Combat Mode].
Cecilia held out her hand, and Cannoli passed the scepter over for inspection. “Quite a dichotomy in quality.” Cecilia chuckled.
“I’ve never tried anything else,” Cannoli admitted. “I wouldn’t know what weapon to ask for.”
Cecilia nodded and turned toward the wall of weapons. “This Level of equipment is what I’m more accustomed to seeing from new initiates. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.
“You will still gain benefits for using a scepter if you so choose, but it is best to test them all and find what fits you. Your weapon serves as an extension of yourself and thus an extension of Saoirse.” Cecilia selected a hammer and held it across both hands in a display. “Hammers will grant you great Strength and fortitude. They are an excellent choice for those seeking the best protection for themselves or those who journey alone.” She passed it to Cannoli.
Cannoli accepted the handle and was surprised by the weight when she lifted it. Her arm drooped as she choked up toward the carved metal block. “So I would, um, attack things with this?”
“Yes. There are multiple Spells to imbue the end with the holy element. It would also require you to allocate a section of your Stats to Strength.”
Matt cleaving Encroacher after Encroacher came to mind. Cannoli shook her head furiously and held out the hammer. “I can’t use this.”
Cecilia nodded and accepted the weapon before returning it to the wall. She lifted a staff lying horizontally on its two prongs, then turned to Cannoli. “Staves are for those who seek to attack from afar, granting the wielder a fiery offensive holy magic that is incredibly potent against the Defiled.”
The staff was lighter in Cannoli’s grasp, and she found it most comfortable if she held it in both hands. Fiery offensive… But they already had Ravyn’s unmatched fire Spells. Besides, Cannoli didn’t want to hurt anyone anymore. She wanted to heal them. Help them. “I don’t think this one is for me, either.”
“Understood.” Cecilia replaced the staff, then reached for the final weapon—a golden scepter imbued with glittering sapphires. “This scepter is of a higher quality, so it may feel different in your hands.” She passed it to Cannoli. “Scepters will grant you additional healing abilities, as well as assistance to your Sigil Spells, which you will discuss with Sister Madeleine in your evening lessons.”
The balance of the golden scepter was perfect, and the grip in Cannoli’s hand felt right. “This is it, Sister Cecilia. This is the weapon I want.”
“Very good, then. Once you’ve passed my initial training, we will forge you one just like it.” Cecilia exchanged the golden scepter for Cannoli’s with a nod. “It seems you’ve had much experience traveling in your Party, Cannoli. I look forward to your sessions.”
“Thank you, Sister Cecilia. I do, too.”
For just a few heartbeats, Cannoli imagined her [Combat Mode] routine again, and she smiled.
​
Cannoli Pro Tip: I'm glad that scepters will help me heal more efficiently. They feel the most natural to me now. This one's so pretty!
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28F/5'11/300 lb/White
Taking Nebivolol 5mg, Desloratadine 5mg, slynd 28 day tablets, otc iron and b12
Have been previously diagnosed with tachycardia, high blood pressure, PCOS, Anxiety and depression
No drinking/smoking/drugs
This is sort of a weird timeline of events, and I'm not sure if it's all related or if it's two different things happening at the same time, but about three weeks ago now on a Saturday night, I managed to pull something in my right wrist. I was stirring batter for a cake and it felt like I pulled something because I was suddenly in a lot of pain. I Tried to rest my wrist and take some ibuprofen, but the next day it didn't go away, so I made an appointment with my GP to make sure I wasn't dealing with something like carpal tunnel syndrome because at the time, I was experiencing numbness in my hands and fingers and wrist as well as pain. I made an appointment with my GP the following Monday, but because I couldn't be seen for another week, I decided to go to the urgent care while I waited, and I was diagnosed very quickly with tendonitis. They weren't very thorough, so I don't know how accurate that was, but they gave me a steroid injection and some diclofenac potassium 50 mg tablets.
And that seemed to be helping for a little bit, but then I started feeling more pain and numbness going up my arm and through my shoulder. Then I started feeling numbness and pain in my left hand shooting up my arm, but not all the way up to my shoulder and not nearly as severely. I suspect this one is from some kind of strain from trying to make up for my lack of my dominant right hand, but I'm not sure, I couldn't get anyone to actually pay attention to that wrist.
By Friday, things were starting to feel better for the most part, I was still experiencing some numbness in my arms and hands, but the pain was mostly gone. That evening, however I started noticing that my right leg was feeling numb, and I thought it was falling asleep because I was laying weird, but despite changing my position, I wasn't feeling any different. I go to bed not thinking too much of it because it's really mild and not super noticeable unless I'm like actively paying attention to it, but when I wake up the next morning on Saturday, I notice that the whole right side of my body from my head to my toe is completely numb. Not quite like pins and needles numb, except for the back of my head, but like a partial loss of sensation.
I tried moving around, I tried different stretches because I figured maybe I slept really, really weird somehow, but after about an hour, it still wasn't going away, so I went to the ER. They did an X ray on my wrists, they didn't find anything, they did a CT scan, and they didn't find anything there either, so they gave me one of those medrol packs and sent me on my way with a referral to a neurologist. However, due to several issues in trying to get ahold of the neurologist, or any neurologist, I haven't been able to make a proper appointment yet. In the meantime, things have stayed relatively stable until yesterday around 2:00, where suddenly I noticed that the whole rest of my body feels numb outside of a couple of areas like in my left leg, but most notably, my chest and stomach, as well as in the back of my head. Suddenly, I found myself with a headache and my head feeling not quite dizzy, but fuzzy, it's hard to explain but it was an extremely uncomfortable feeling. I left work early and went to the ER again, but they were being dismissive and not taking my concerns seriously, so after an absurdly long wait time, I just gave up and went home, because I figured if I wasn't dying after that long without help, I could at least be uncomfortable at home.
Cut to today, my headache's gone away, but the back of my head, neck, and upper back are feeling intensely like pins and needles, while the rest of my body, with the exception of a couple places in my left leg and the left side of my face is varying degrees of numbness that comes and goes (at least on the left side). The right side is much worse and far more consistent, to the point that even inside of my ear feels numb, but I'm not in any pain beyond a bit of lingering wrist pain. I can sit, stand, and walk normally, turn my head, and grip things without an issue. I'm not experiencing any sort of cognitive effects or face slouching. I'm just numb, and the fact that it's spreading the way it is scares me.
I don't know if it's a pinched nerve somewhere, a bunch of pinched nerves, or something more serious, but I made a diagram to show my neurologist whenever I can get that appointment, so maybe they can look at it and go, "ah, that looks like ___!" I then also updated it to where the numbness had spread yesterday. If anyone qualified can point me in some type of direction for what this might be and what I might be able to do for it as I try to get someone to give me an appointment, that would be great. Links to said diagrams will be in the comments.

PART ONE THOUSAND AND ONE
[Previous Chapter] [Next Chapter] [The Beginning] [Patreon+2]
Sunday
I told you to get your area senses up, Rubin sneered as Kulon turned and placed a hand on Sam and Geraldine, who were still on the floor.
“Are you two alright?” he asked, ignoring his smug clutch-mate.
Geraldine nodded, but Sam took a few seconds to answer. “I will be. That crap hurt.” He then twisted his head to glare at the remaining two men at the other end of the room. “What the hell was that all about?” he demanded, despite the fact both men were staring wide-eyed at Kulon.
“You took out all twelve men in seconds,” Donald said, his voice a mixture of awe and disbelief. “I assume your wrist darts had some manner of poison on them to be that efficient. Are they dead?”
“No, but only because Geraldine asked me not to do anything permanent to them. Like Sam, they’ll walk it off as soon as they wake up … shortly.”
“Maybe not that guy,” Sam grimaced, thumbing at the broken man outside. “But he shouldn’t have tried to grab Gerry. What frightens her automatically angers me.”
Kulon wasn’t thrilled with the taser guy either, just saying.
“I’ve heard when people mix adrenalin with electricity, they’re able to do fantastical feats of strength,” Tucker Portsmith’s words were barely whispered as he stumbled forward. “But I’ve never seen…”
Kulon’s hand went up to ward him off. “Stay back,” he warned.
“No one was supposed to be hurt,” he insisted. “We were simply trying to prove a point.”
“And what point would that be?” Sam growled, rubbing his chest where the prongs had connected as he climbed to his feet, bringing Geraldine up with him. Kulon was confident that motion was more out of annoyance at being hit, for unlike mortals, Sam and the other hybrids healed from those types of injuries almost instantly. “Because I doubt you’re going to like the outcome of the point I’m thinking you were going for here.”
Wow, kiddo - could you sound any more like your grandmother?
Watching the way Geraldine clung to Sam had Kulon remembering how she’d been clinging to Sam during the blitz attack. Gerry was holding Sam when he was tasered. Why wasn’t she electrocuted? he asked the only other person in the room who could’ve done something.
Rubin proved his hunch correct. Geraldine is Sam’s ultimate weakness. He can ignore almost anything but her being deliberately harmed, even if it’s only temporary. I put a layer of insulation between them right before the attack to prevent her assault from pushing his medication to breaking point.
You could have told me two more guys were sneaking up behind us.
I told you to get your area senses up. Rubin circled back to that statement like it was the ultimate defence in the matter.
The problem was that Kulon hadn’t wanted to come off as looking too good. As it was, the trained warrior standing with Tucker had identified his combat prowess as being higher than it should have been. If he’d adapted to the added threat coming in from another room, the only way the veil could hide that was by convincing everyone he was a real-life Terminator, capable of scanning through walls.
“We wanted to show you that it’s too easy to grab either one or both of you when your bodyguard is distracted,” Tucker answered, despite the plan being Donald’s. “The exercise would’ve been over the moment either or both of you were dragged into the hallway.”
Tasering a friendly non-combatant during a proposed wargame amongst mortals was a tad extreme, even in Kulon’s eyes.
Geraldine clung to Sam, resting her head on his shoulder. He turned to breathe in the aroma of her shampoo, probably to ground himself before breathing out deeply. “I think this little display is over,” he said, with the finality of his father.
Tucker looked at his unconscious men. “I would say so,” he agreed.
Sam then seemed to realise what Kulon had already put together. “That’s why you wanted to take Gerry’s place. You knew she was going to be grabbed.”
“I didn’t want her to be scared.”
Sam pointed back at the downed guard outside. “Then that is on you, not me.”
Just then, noise came up the corridor, and Tucker quickly moved around Sam and Gerry without coming any closer to them to intercept the newcomers. Donald walked at his side, keeping himself between Tucker and Kulon, which the true gryps had to give him kudos for since the guy had been shocked by Kulon’s capability.
Donald then closed the doors behind them to keep the room's contents from prying eyes, so Kulon moved up to them, sliding a minute tentacle under the door that then blossomed into a compound eye the way a dandelion sprouts a flower. He also gave the eye the hearing capability of a greater wax moth so as to miss nothing.
“Kulon,” Sam whispered, moving to his side, but Kulon raised a silencing finger to his lips.
* * *
Tucker was shaking. Of course, he’d heard Thomas’ detailed accounting of Kulon’s fighting prowess during their brief entanglement, and he’d seen with his own eyes the reaction the man himself caused in his bodyguard. But for some stupid reason, he’d been dismissive of it all, assuming Thomas had either embellished the details of the fight so as not to appear weak or, more likely, was drugged into thinking things were worse than they were.
He did NOT think that anymore.
As Donald closed the doors, Tucker drew a steadying breath and moved across the hallway to kneel at the fallen man’s side. Sam did this. Not even Kulon … but Sam. The skinny college kid. It was unbelievable.
Donald went into medical mode, rolling the man onto his back, removing his tie, and unbuttoning his shirt, all without removing the man’s sidearm. The swollen bruising was immediate, with the area from his right hip to the lower two ribs the obvious strike point of Sam’s foot. He looked like he’d been struck with a fence post being swung by King Kong.
In his peripheral vision, he saw the hotel staff and security guards rush down the hallway towards them.
Tucker knew many things, but first aid wasn’t one of them, and Donald was an experienced medic. So, instead of hindering him with pointless questions about the injured man’s wellbeing, Tucker stood up and turned to face the oncoming crowd. When he could see that he had their attention, he held up his hand and said, “If any of you has any medical experience that can help Donald with his colleague, it would be greatly appreciated. Otherwise, please stay back.”
Two came forward, acknowledging they had first aid knowledge. The woman at the front of the group dressed in a business suit stepped aside to let them pass, then looked between the downed man and Tucker. “What happened, Mister Portsmith?”
So the woman knew who he was. That made things easier. “As you know, I hired the conference hall for an impromptu training exercise since my guards were only assigned to me last night, and I wanted to test their ability.” His eyes broke away from hers to look at the downed man. “Unfortunately, things got out of hand in the heat of the moment and one of them used a taser that he wasn’t supposed to.”
He took his hat off to Sam. Had he been in the same situation, he couldn’t guarantee his first instinct would be to save Geraldine and not take apart the guy who’d hurt him.
“I saw this man flying like he was shot out of a cannon before he hit the wall,” the woman said, leaning around to look at Donald and the guard. “Due to the number of complaints the front desk received, I’ve contacted the police.”
Tucker pulled out his phone. “Thanks for the heads up.” He dialled Julian, who answered on the third ring.
“It’s Sunday,” he growled in warning.
“I didn’t hire you to be a speaking calendar, Julian. One of my guards has been hurt, and the hotel called the police. I’m going to need you down here and maybe Mister Kitikan as well. An exercise between our guards got out of hand.”
“Don’t speak to anyone until we get there.” And then the phone went dead.
“Has anyone called an ambulance?” Tucker asked as he pocketed the phone.
The woman in charge nodded. “Was anyone else hurt?”
Tucker shook his head. “Everyone else went down to sleeper holds and the like. They’re all unconscious but will be fine as soon as they wake up.” Looking down at the injured man, he added, “As I said, things only escalated when an unauthorised taser was used.”
The woman’s gaze narrowed. “Are they still inside the conference room?”
“They are, but I can’t let you go in there…”
“And I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist.”
Tucker stepped sideways, blocking the doorway. “What is going on behind those doors is the business of Portsmith Electronics.”
“Not once people start getting hurt, sir, and you’ve just admitted to at least one other person being unconscious in there. I am responsible for the well-being of everyone in the hotel, sir, and I must ask that you step aside and let me through.”
Julian is going to kill me, Tucker thought to himself as he moved away from the door, knowing if he’d followed the advice of his lawyer and kept his mouth shut, they’d have no grounds to force entry.
The manager opened the door and walked inside. “What in the world…!” she demanded, and Tucker quickly followed her in. Four of the downed men had regained consciousness enough to be sitting on the floor, dazedly rubbing their heads or their chests, depending on where Kulon had struck them. Two of them chose that moment to moan. The other eight were lying where they fell, and Tucker’s stomach sunk as he took in the scene with fresh eyes.
Especially when he realised Sam, Geraldine, and Kulon were at the other end of the room where he and Donald had been standing. Sam was seated in a conference chair with Geraldine on his lap nestled against him, and Kulon standing at his side with his arms folded, looking like he was ready to pick up right where he left off if Sam said the word.
It honestly looked like a mafia war scene, where the reigning mob boss had claimed victory by sitting on a makeshift throne with the girl of his choice on his lap. Geraldine had her head angled into his shoulder like there was nowhere else she wanted to be.
The woman had her phone out and was barking new orders for more people to come to the conference room, her eyes roaming from one unconscious man to the next in disbelief.
Sam didn’t bat an eye. It was eerie how calm he was; the twenty-year-old lad amongst a dozen unconscious men that all looked like they should have snapped him in half. His calm might be because of that pill he took earlier, though. He did say at the time it was to help him keep a level head.
Tucker wondered if he should find out who Sam’s physician was and get a script for those pills himself. God knows there were times at the office when he could use a calmative that actually worked.
“What in the world happened here, Mister Portsmith?!” the manager all but screeched, probably having never seen carnage like this.
“I’m sorry, but I’ve said all I’m prepared to say until the company lawyers get here.”
The woman’s nostrils flared in annoyance, but she turned to Sam and Geraldine. “Are you two alright?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Sam answered on behalf of them all. “We’re fine.”
‘Fine’ was definitely not the word Tucker would use to describe the situation.
[Next Chapter]
* * *
((All comments welcome. Good or bad, I’d love to hear your thoughts 🥰🤗))
I made a family tree/diagram of the Mystallian family that can be found here
For more of my work, including WPs: Angel466 or an index of previous WPS here.
FULL INDEX OF BOB THE HOBO TO DATE CAN BE FOUND HERE!!

Chapter 5: Perfection is Impossible
I've been running from some rather strange-looking men and women wearing all-black suits. I kept seeing them out of the corner of my eye when I would walk to a store to get food. Strangely enough, they seem to stay just out of sight where I can see them but as soon as I try to focus on them they disappear. I don't like being followed in all my adventures I have had something following me never came to be good. While I am safe I have another place to tell you about. This one was directly after meeting with Alex.
After a quick flash of light, I was transported to a new dimension. Oddly enough while I was traveling I was able to see the space outside the dimensions. It was warm and peaceful. The area seemed to be a blank empty page that expanded beyond imagination. It was a white canvas ripe for painting. In the distance, I could see scribbles appearing on the page like words were being written. However, I couldn't make it out as it was so far but as soon as I was able to focus and read the first line I was flashed into a new universe.
The song of birds was filled the air. The gentle song of the wind and the trees rustling, dancing to the music of the wind. It was the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Serenity was the definition of this place it was as if this place was the concept of peace. It was just a moment of bliss in my otherwise bleak future. The smell of sweet flowers and honey. I was in a daze when a woman walked up to me. Naturally, I was very defensive and stood up in shock. "Whoa easy there, I just thought I saw lightning strike my field here but it was just you. Are you ok stranger?" The mysterious woman approached me with a smile with soft expression. I looked in confusion as she was dressed head to toe in leaves and vines. "I... uh. Yes, I'm fine. Just where am I?"
​
The beautiful woman answered, "Uh, let's start with the name. My name is Tikvah. What's your name stranger?" I looked puzzled, it's not every day I see someone of such immaculate beauty and pose. "Uh sorry! My name is Auren... Auren Da'at" She looked at me and smiled before she said "Well Auren. Nice to meet cha! Why are you here? Do you need help?" I smiled back awkwardly. I never knew someone can pull at my heart with just a smile. I felt like an ice cube and she was the sun. Making me melt in her bountiful radiance. "Yes... I need to talk to you and whomever else I can" She waved at me and pointed at what was her home "Well let's sit down and talk I would like to know why are you wearing such a strange get-up." I was a little confused about her dialect and slang but SUIT was able to explain it to me "I uh... Built this suit. It's made of very advanced technology I can't explain in detail right now" She scratched her head "Tech what? Never mind let's get inside and warm up some tea. We can talk then"
We looked at each other and she held her hand out so I gently held her hand. Assuming that's what she wanted and she led me to her home. My thoughts at the time were racing "Was this what love felt like? Did I meet someone who I am compatible with?" We arrived to the house and as I walked in the front of the home I noticed it was made of all wood. It looked like it was one large tree that was shaped into a home. The more I looked the more of this I was certain. The wood was all one piece and wasn't a single carving mark at all. Down to the table and chairs. "Is this..... How is this made?" She looked at me puzzled again. I later learn to love that face. Such innocence and wonder. "What do you mean? The world tree provides us a home silly. You know that!" I looked back into her green eyes. They looked like I was staring into a forest during dusk or dawn. As if the light was shining through bright green leaves.
"Whatcha starin' at Auren? Are you ok?" She responded. I shook my head to snap out of child like trance. I was swooning for this woman... for the first time In my life, I felt hope. "I was lost in your eyes my apologies. I need to speak about an issue but I need to run some tests... wait.. your home is from a tree? So this is one tree?" She laughed and blushed a little "Well Auren, You sound new somehow you don't know what the world tree is? We are just on a branch high in the sky. Here I'll show you!" She gestured me to a window. I can feel the gentle breeze. As she pointed to the outside she said "Look that..... that is the world tree." I rubbed my eyes... I had never seen anything as beautiful. I giant tree stretching hundreds of miles up. We were so high that clouds were covering the ground and the roots looked like small sticks. I see thousands of settlements scattered across the branches. Large cities and homes. People were walking about in the distance around a town hall.
I closed my jaw as Tikvah said "You ain't from around here huh? Where are you from Auren" I snapped out of my stupor brought upon this pristine civilization? "Yes, that. I am from a very advanced race of humans in a different dimension. I must warn you to have is a possible threat to the universe. It's called the...." She cut me off "The void yes? Yea it was a threat long ago but it seemed to skip us and gave us the greatest hope and gift. The world tree. Without it, this planet was barren and we were all struggling to survive. The Void gave us hope and life." I... didn't know what to say. This was the first time I felt true peace. I started to cry uncontrollably. "you....you... You don't understand all the pain I've been through. The lifes I saw perish... Whole universes and dimensions completely erased from existence when this was the answer. Thank you." She hugged me as I collapsed "It's ok you are safe now. Hey tell you what, why don't you stay here and help me around the farm? I could use a helping hand."
Months have passed and we fell in love. We had a great life. Sometimes when I scanned with SUIT it always came back with no traces of The Void in this dimension. Things seemed too perfect as my fiancée woke up one morning and was sick. She kept vomiting and having massive cramps. We decided to go to a doctor after a week of this. We headed to the main town which was across three branches. The center of the town was immaculate. Oddly enough this is the first time I have been here. The wood roads were soft and lush. Full of life and creativity. Down to the very flowers and moss covered roads. The memories of this place warm my heart to this day.
As we entered the hospital it seems like it was empty. Some doctors were there waiting for patients I assumed. "Where is everyone?" I whispered to Tik. "Well, no one is sick here. The world tree keeps us in perfect health. There is no death or illness only life and prosperity" Tik said to me in a cheerful tone. "Interesting I will need to run some tests later," I thought to myself. After a few minutes of waiting, we were seen by a doctor who ran a few tests but the manor was entirely holistic. There were no tools, diagrams, or machines. To describe how intriguing this was the doctor rubbed some powder on his hands and they started to glow. After he hovered his hands over her body and they started to glow different colors. He got to her stomach and it was bright pink.
The doctor proceeded to get a bowl and wash his hands off. He came back with the news "Ma'am you are with child and it's a girl." It was the happiest moment of our life. We jumped in joy and something beautiful happened. The room was growing pink flowers that smelt of honeydew. I don't know what it was doing but it felt like the tree was celebrating with us. Shortly after we went home and laid down to sleep.
That night was .... rough. It started in my dream. I was on a boat with my wife and daughter. We were looking out into the massive expanse of the tree from below by the roots. It was majestic and beautiful. Lights filled the sky as bioluminescent lights filled the branches. It was a sudden shock when the lights started to dim and the tree looked as if it was wilting and rapidly dying. I can hear the pained scream of the people as the leaves turn black and began to fall. All those people fell to their doom. With a sickening splat and splatter, they slammed into the base of the tree near us.
The blood of the people filled the ocean painting our boat a dark crimson. The smell of iron filled the air along with the sound of screams. It wasn't until now I notice. A large mouth approached the tree. as it opened the tree started to splinter and uproot itself all the lives that were on the tree still were sucked into the massive maw of the creature. A black hole was formed in his mouth as I can see the tree spaghettified and bending light as it entered the event horizon. The boat was slowly rising to the creature's maw as my daughter was rocketed. My wife tried catching her but she was only able to secure her arm the gravitational pull was too great and her arm was torn from her socket and her body flew into the beast's mouth.
I couldn't breathe or think I was in a daze the pain was too much for me. My wife jumped into my arms and all I can feel was pain. We held each other one last time and shared a kiss as we flew into the black hole together. Before I could touch the event horizon time seemed to pause. I heard a voice "This is a warning, keep moving I need more stories I need to feed" I was able to move when I saw the same creature earlier. Pale-skinned, with no eyes or nose sharp teeth, and thin lips. He slowly floated toward me and smiled "It's time to wake up Auren... And you.... Don't forget I can still hear your heartbeat. I can smell your fear. I am coming."
Just as quick did the nightmare come on was just as quickly as it faded away. I awoke screaming in terror. I was covered in a sheen of cold sweat, my body felt as if it was being torn apart from the inside out. Tik woke in worry as my pain was so massive all I could do was rock back and forth. It took hours to subside. Tik asked "What happened? Are you ok?" I looked at her worried "Tik... I need to build you a SUIT that the void is coming back. "I need to show you something" Tik waved me to a secret part of the house. I had never been here before but it seemed to be in the branch itself. "look, love, This is why we don't worry about the void."
She moved a curtain hiding a giant mural of the void. The exact creature I saw being slain.. the person who stood over his body .... was.... it was me... I don't know how but it is. "Tik what does this mean? How do I kill this thing?" In the background was the world tree. IT filled me with hope and then Tik responded. "We must all follow our path, yours seemed to follow greatness. Deifying all odds and possibilities to overcome the void. The ultimate evil, the great dying." Tik smiled at me. This smile was always comforting filling me with hope. "If I'm destined to defeat this being how or where do I start? Is there anything on my process of doing so?" Tik looked and continued to smile. "No silly, it is just a prophecy told by my people and written by the tree. The void has left us alone for a reason. It helped us thrive!"
With a moment of clarity, I realized this void isn't destroying this place because this place is her story... She must be tied to his narrative. There is no other reason why she would just bring life to a place and then just leave while leaving countless other dimensions in complete ruin all the be swallowed by her massive maw. If I can somehow remove his link from this dimension I can beat her and end her story. With my new theory, I set in motion a series of tests. Many years pass by with nothing conclusive it wasn't until the few days I was there did I Find something concrete to use.
Don't you dare you worm...
In my testing, I found the world tree itself contained a massive core. This core had the same general wavelength as the one the void emits when he speaks to me. This is it... The link between the two. I found a way to end the void... The only issue Is if I do this then my daughter Kirin and Tik will either have to come with me or die on the tree. I must destroy this tree. So I sat my wife down.
"Tik I have found a way to end the void once and for all" Her face lit up in excitement as she contained her screams. "Auren!! Really? What is it?" She asked excitedly. I looked at her in her beautiful eyes "It's the tree. The soul or origin of the void is within the tree. If I destroy the origin I will effectively destroy the void. However, everyone on the tree will die. I can't live without you or Kirin. I need you to come with me to a different place after we destroy the tree... we will be safe." Her smile drained from her face but she had a look of determination and acceptance. "I will get our daughter and we will meet you by the boat." I smiled and gave her a large hug. I then pulled a device out of our closet. It was a spatial disrupter designed to take any wavelength and reverse the polarity effectively destroying anything I set it to. "I need to plant this in the tree where the voids soul resides and once I do I will get on the boat and we will get a safe distance away from the tree." She shook her head and stood up
We got to the base of the tree I gave my daughter a hug and my wife a kiss. "Daddy please be careful!" I smiled and waved with an act of confidence however I was terrified. I started drilling into the tree and got a layer into the bark when I notice... It was hollow. I shined my light in the tree but the light seemed to be consumed by the ever-expansive darkness in the tree. I had to go by my reading luckily SUIT kept the exact quadrants of the wavelength so it was a rather easy climb. On my way down the trunk deep into the roots, I can hear a rhythmic thumping vibrating in the tree. I was only but a mile from the spot now. It sounded like a heartbeat.
As I descended downward and the dark expanse I kept hearing its voice "turn back now child, you will regret this action." I just yelled into the dark "This ends today void!!" I kept descending roughly a hundred feet from the spot. When I am bombarded with images of horror. People's arm muscles are being ripped out tendon by tendon. I was seeing creatures eating someone's teeth like candy crushing them into a fine powder. I saw a man see his friend being bifurcated in front of him by an ungodly creature. All these images flooding my mind sent chills down my spine.
I hid this part of me... The only real humanity I had left. Auren. If you do this I cannot guarantee your safety and you will release the absolute evil that is The Void.
It was then I saw it... The bleeding, beating heart of the monster. It was large and every single beat of this thing was so massive it sent shockwaves throughout the tree. I was so close to it that I can smell the disgusting stench of rotting corpses emanating from it. I repelled further down where I was hovering just above it when I dropped the signal disrupter on its fucking heart. The void Yelled and cried as I activated the device. "I will kill you and your family Auren. How does a mere story dare try to harm me!!" Its words shook me to my core as I winched upwards as fast as possible. Reaching the exit of the tree I can still hear it cry and curse at me. I got on the boat and my family and I speed off.
It hurts .It hurts .It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.
Within no time at all the tree slowly caught on fire. It was a black flame covering every possible inch of the tree. The cries and screams of the people were horrible. Some jumped off the tree and splattered in the water nearby. The lake below became thicker as more blood and viscera poured into it. The smell of iron and burning bodies filled the air. The very community my wife helped make was crying out to her as they died. I can see her cry silently and cover her mouth as she tried her best to cope.
I tried to warn you Auren...
I held her and my daughter firmly to support them. I have been through this before but they were pure and innocent and I don't want them to deal with or feel the pain I feel daily. After an hour of screams and the splashing of dead bodies hitting the water, it went silent. The tree was just a smoldering pile of ashes. The black fire was still slightly burning in the background. Finally, it was over. The light of the sun was rising in behind the trees. Birds were chirping in the air and I felt hope. "I beat him Tik ... I Won... We and countless others will be safe from here on out..."
This is your hero? Reader you may be rooting on for this monster to end my life but you just saw him commit genocide for the second time. Why didn't he warn the other people? He's the monster.
When I looked Tik smiled a large smile and it was as if hope was spilling out from her every smile. For the first time in thousands of years, I have felt peace... Then time seemed to stop. All sound was deafened, the birds frozen in the air and the warmth suddenly grew into a deep cold. A cold is so chilling I could feel my very soul being frozen solid. Somehow I was able to move in this frozen time.
It was then I heard it speak "Ah hahaha silly child! You tried to end me there, didn't you? You found my home and decided to burn it down. You destroyed my heart... I do not need mortal instruments anymore. All things will become the void.... except.... you... I have much larger plans for you still... but your family will only hold you back... don't try to speak it won't work. Now watch as I consume them too." The void appeared in the sky above consuming the sun and filling the whole planet with pitch-black darkness. I grabbed for my family and held on as tight as I could... But it separated us. Its power was too much for me still.
The void opened its mouth and I could see each layer of my family's skin being peeled off inch by inch. Then the muscle and blood followed. They were being flayed in zero time I couldn't even cry as I saw my daughter Kirin die first... She was only six years old... Tik was killed slower as she was stripped starting from the feet up. His bones turn to ash as the void made sure her smile was the last thing I saw before stripping it all from me...
I told you I will strip your hope from you...I will stop you... You can't take this narrative Void. How did you do... that? I am evolving Void. Run away for I will be o you soon.
My hope was stripped from me... all That I love was destroyed .... again... I...I couldn't even mourn before SUIT decided to remove me from the dimension... In a blinding flash of light once again I moved up the stack. And once again my life was made trivial being but a story...

PART ONE THOUSAND
[Previous Chapter] [Next Chapter] [The Beginning] [Patreon+2]
Sunday
Wow. I wasn’t huge on the whole social cues, but even for me, Tucker’s exuberance was over the top. Kulon and Donald silently followed us into a dining room that housed a twelve-seater banquet table. Only one end had been set up with breakfast options, with the three seats around the head of the table for eating. I saw an older, portly man in all white placing a dish on the table when we approached, and his smile not quite reaching his eyes when he saw Geraldine.
My hackles were immediately raised.
“Miss Portsmith, so good to see you again,” an older woman in a maid’s outfit said with a small curtsey, her smile just as forced.
What the heck is wrong with these people?
Geraldine broke away from her father and rushed to the elderly maid first, wrapping her arms around the woman’s neck and clinging to her as if her life depended on it. “I’m sooo sorry, Mrs Kendricks,” my girl sobbed. “I can’t believe I was so horrible to you and Chef Rawlins.”
The woman’s eyes went to Tucker in confusion as her arms curled awkwardly around my girl. Tucker looked at me with the same level of bewilderment, and I couldn’t help myself. I smiled like I was the king of the world. Remembering what my girl had been like before she moved in with me, their wariness now made sense.
Mrs Kendricks offered her hushed words of comfort and tried (failed miserably but tried) to discreetly slip Geraldine a handkerchief to use while rubbing circles between her shoulder blades. Her eyes were just as damp, so I figured this was a long time coming.
As Gerry repeated her heartfelt apology to Chef Rawlins, Tucker took his seat at the head of the table, leaving Gerry and me to have a seat on either side of him. I wasn’t thrilled with that layout, preferring my girl beside me, but this breakfast was for Gerry. She needed to hear about her parents’ divorce from her father. I opened my arms once she pulled away from Chef Rawlins, and she flew into them, pressing her face into my throat. I held her tight, not caring that all eyes were now on us.
“You did good, angel,” I whispered, nuzzling her hair. “But I think your dad’s getting hungry.” I knew I was.
She eventually pulled just far enough away from my shoulder to slip the hand with the handkerchief between us to wipe her face. “Do I look okay?” she asked, staring across at me hopefully.
I was glad she hadn’t gone all out on her makeup, or she would’ve looked like a melting racoon, and I sucked at lying. As it was, there were very faint streaks in her foundation that I was able to wipe away with my own handkerchief. “Perfect,” I assured her with a light kiss, then walked her to the nearest chair.
As I pulled it out and helped her sit, my eyes slid across our breakfast options.
No egg-filled baguettes?
The thought popped into my mind, and I immediately wanted to slap myself stupid. Just because I was really partial to them, and Robbie always made them with the perfect amount of fluffy— What the hell, Willcott?!
Keeping a stranglehold on my snobbery, I waited until Gerry was situated before I moved around behind Tucker to my own seat across from her. In doing so, I walked between Tucker and Donald and was rather proud of the fact that I didn’t shiver under Donald’s blistering gaze that I swore was attempting to incinerate my soul. Kulon’s, when I checked where he stood behind my seat, wasn’t any happier. Great. The Titans were facing off when only one was the genuine article.
“Daddy, what’s going on?” Geraldine asked, finally noticing the excessive number of armed men.
“They’re from the company, cupcake, and it’s what I wanted to talk to you and Sam about.”
I froze alongside my chair. Okay, this part's new.
He turned to me. “I understand your guard there is from your father’s personal militia?”
I glanced at Kulon again and made a mental note to thank him since his face resumed a neutral expression instead of scoffing at the idea. A thank you and a favour of his choice. Not one of those ‘you-must-or-else’ favours that Dad talked about, but a personal one from me to him. He could have easily destroyed my dad’s credibility by pointing out how Lady Col’s military answered to only her and Hasteinn, but for our sakes he was choosing to pretend he hadn’t heard it.
“One of three that have been assigned to me,” I agreed, not mentioning that another was in the room with us. “Eight-hour rotations.”
“Do you think you could ask your father to expand on that number?” Tucker asked.
I shook my head as I slid into my seat. No way would the true gryps give me any more guards. Knowing them, they probably didn’t want to provide me with the ones I had, except Lady Col was making them.
“We don’t need any more,” I assured him, waiting for Tucker to start eating before I helped myself to what looked like cinnamon toast of some kind. At home, Gerry took her cues from me, but this was the first man in her life, and we were in Tucker's home, so I would follow his lead. I knew they didn’t say grace, as Mrs Portsmith preferred to believe in things she could lay her hands on, like the rewards of hard work and a whole lot of other garbage she rammed down my girl’s neck.
Donald cleared his throat. “With all due respect, Mister Willcott, one person to protect you and Miss Portsmith in these potentially volatile times is both exceedingly short-sighted and woefully insufficient,” he stated, probably voicing his boss’ concerns so that Tucker didn’t have to.
Nevertheless, I felt my vision narrow as I slow-panned to the man who had intimidated me right up until two seconds ago. Is this guy for real?
He spoke again before I could. “The fact that he remained on your side of the table proves his priority between the two of you is you. Miss Portsmith will be an afterthought at best. Is that not correct, sir?”
Is that what this is?! A stupid test?! “Kulon could single-handedly replace the entire presidential Secret Service all by himself, so I would say, yeah, he’s plenty enough.” You asshat. Seeing the red start to creep into my vision and knowing I couldn’t afford to lose my temper here, I put down my cinnamon toast and reached into my pants pocket. Pulling out my pills, I took one, and the red vanished as quickly as it came.
“What was that?” Tucker demanded.
“Medication that helps me stay calm. I take it before things get said that can’t be unsaid.” Not to mention actions. I still didn’t care what people thought of me … but come after those I consider mine at your own peril. As much as my divine temper was brought under control, there was no mistaking my irritation as I stared at Tucker, waiting for him to get to the point of this breakfast so we could leave.
“Daddy, for goodness’ sake! What’s going on?” Geraldine demanded as Tucker paled under my stare. If I weren’t so annoyed, I would’ve been amazed that I had that effect on anybody. “Why is Donald insulting Kulon, and why are you making Sam angry?”
“He’s—we—we’re not baby. He’s … we are worried about you. Kulon is only one man, and one man cannot prioritise two people equally. It’s physically impossible. If the worst situation were to occur, he'd have moments to make a judgement call and decide who he'd save first, and we all know his duty is to Sam. No one’s blaming him for that, but now that he’s seen the extent of my detail, I was hoping he would understand the situation warranted extra personnel for you as well…”
“What situation?!” Geraldine screeched.
I pushed my chair back with every intention of going over the table if I had to, to reach her, but Tucker’s hand shot out to keep me where I was.
“Cupcake, I’m divorcing your mother. The paperwork has already been drawn up that has her getting half of everything and the condo if she agrees to leave us alone.”
All the blood drained from Gerry’s face. “You paid her to stay away from me?!” she asked, crestfallen.
“NO!” Both Tucker and I shouted as one. We then looked at each other, and I gestured my apology for interrupting. “No,” Tucker repeated, taking her hand in both of his and twisting in his seat to face her more than me. “I’m not paying her to leave you alone, Geraldine. I would never do that to you.”
I would, in an effing heartbeat.
“I’m terrified that she’ll do something to you out of spite of me, and I’m paying her extra in the hopes that she doesn’t. But we both know your mother can be quite vindictive when she puts her mind to it.”
Instead of being comforted, Gerry pulled her hand out from her father’s and shot to her feet, her eyes on me. I pushed back farther from the table and gave her a small flick of my fingertips for her to come to me.
She flew around the table and threw herself at me, crawling into my lap. I wrapped her up in my arms, angling my head to make as much contact as possible. “It’s okay, angel,” I whispered, giving her father the stink-eye over her hair. “No one’s asking you to pick sides. In fact, he’s asking you not to.” My gaze narrowed. “Isn’t that right, Tuck?”
My tone was anything but friendly, but he had to know none of this was okay with me. Since all I’d had was a few bites of toast, and Geraldine hadn’t even had that, I slid my hand under her knees and lifted her into the air.
Tucker gasped and went to speak but stopped when Kulon moved sideways and pulled out the empty seat directly beside the one I’d been allocated. I sat back down, still cuddling my girl close.
“Tuck,” I repeated, not sure I should still be using the friendly term given we were back on shaky ground but willing to try and keep things civilised. “Would you mind having Mrs Kendricks move my plate to here and Gerry’s to where mine is? Once Gerry’s calmed down, she can sit between us, and I trust you won’t try to separate us again?” It was posed as a question, though if it had teeth, it would have bitten him.
“Of course. Geraldine, please, I’m sorry. I would never do anything to hurt you intentionally. I just want you to be safe. Safe and happy. That’s all.”
“Take your time, baby,” I whispered as she continued to cling to me. “We have all day.”
As Geraldine started to settle, I watched both Mrs Kendricks and Chef Rawlins come forward and move the settings around until they were as I requested. They both smiled at me as they worked, which was nice.
“Why are you and Mother divorcing?” Gerry finally asked, sliding into her own seat. Her left hand never left my thigh, and I twisted in my seat to make it easier for her to reach. She needed that tactile contact.
I saw Tucker’s eyes glance at me and held my tongue.
“I can’t take being hurt anymore.”
Geraldine gasped, and her father reached forward, taking her right hand once more. “It’s between me and her, baby girl. I don’t want you to come into the middle of it. If you still want the details when it’s all over, I’ll give them to you then.”
“But Sam doesn’t have the authority to order more guards, Daddy. They come from the family’s estate.”
Tucker’s eyes found me again. “Then the company will supply…”
“No,” I said as I shook my head, cutting him off. “Dad’ll never allow that. No one outside the family and those who already live there can be at the apartment all the time.” Holy hell! Just thinking about some stranger being in our space twenty-four-seven, witnessing things he or she shouldn’t be witnessing and reporting them to Tucker was enough to have me breaking out in hives, let alone what Dad or any of the true gryps would do.
“But Geraldine must be protected!” Tucker argued.
“And I’m telling you she is,” I countered, just as fast. “No one is going anywhere near her. Not on our watch.”
“Sir, if I may?” Donald asked, and Tucker nodded. “Sam, may we all agree that we are attempting to do what is in Miss Portsmith’s best interest at this stage?”
“Of course,” I said.
“Yes,” Tucker agreed.
“Your guard may be experienced in one-on-one combat; however, the point Mister Portsmith is trying to make is that no one can be in two places at once. If your Mister Kulon needs to use his body to protect one of you, only one of you will gain that protection.”
“You’re assuming I won’t see the trouble coming and intercept it before it becomes a problem,” Kulon said, speaking for himself. “That is your first mistake.”
“And yours is to assume you are capable of more than you are, lad.”
Kulon’s gaze narrowed, and I must admit, I was getting annoyed now, too. “You might want to ask Thomas what I’m capable of,” Kulon growled.
Donald drew in an angry breath, but Geraldine got in first. “Kulon, Donald, please!” she insisted, seeing how badly this was spiralling.
“Kulon, my concern is for my daughter. Would you be able to prove your claims to my satisfaction?”
Easily, I thought, trying hard not to snicker. Gerry pinched my abdomen, so I guess I wasn’t as discreet as I hoped.
“What do you have in mind?” Kulon asked.
“Awwww, no fair! Why does he get all the fun?” Rubin whined in my ear.
“Ssshh,” I shushed sharply, not even bothering to wonder how Rubin was doing that.
“What?” Tucker asked.
“Nothing,” I said, waving the subject aside. “Just thinking out loud. What would it take for you to be satisfied?”
Instead of answering, Tucker turned to Donald, who was frowning thoughtfully.
“Sir, if we hired one of the hotel’s large conference rooms, we could have Sam and Miss Portsmith walk down the centre of the room, and the men we have here could attempt to capture Miss Portsmith.”
“Except I already know who you’ll be targeting,” Kulon argued.
“Many animals know they’re being targeted by an ant swarm, Kulon. It doesn’t mean the numbers won’t win in the end. Thirteen trained personnel against one, defending two targets simultaneously … you simply can’t beat those numbers.”
Kulon looked at me, and for those few moments, I got a hint of what Dad must feel like being a worshipped god. That or an ancient times emperor, for I know my smirk was that smug when I maintained eye contact with Kulon and said, “Prove him wrong.”
Kulon folded his arms, his superior grin matching mine.
“And unless you think I’m gonna detonate, you stay out of it, Rubin,” I whispered as quietly as I could. It would frustrate him no end to see Kulon having all the fun, but this was in-house, and whatever they had planned, it wouldn’t require Rubin to reveal himself. And it was highly unlikely that I would detonate, since I’d just taken one of Lady Col’s pills.
Fifteen minutes later, Gerry, Kulon, and I were standing in the doorway of a conference room that had been cleared to reveal deep purple carpets with silver Greek-like borders and one accent wall done in circles ranging from white to purple. White was everywhere else: square white posts and white blinds that covered half of the nearly floor-to-ceiling windows down the right side.
Six men were lined up on either side of the room, with Tucker and Donald at the far end. “Kulon, you don’t have to do this,” Tucker insisted, his voice echoing off the almost empty space. “These men know what they are doing. The numbers are impossible to beat. I have all the respect in the world for you, young man…”
“If I can’t win this, I’ll have no respect for myself,” Kulon replied, cracking his neck in both directions just by tilting his head.
“Then, at least let me take Gerry’s place,” Tucker said, taking a step towards us. “It makes no difference for this display whether it’s her or me in the firing line.”
“That won’t be necessary, sir,” I answered, curling my arm around Gerry’s shoulders while she leaned heavily into me. There was no doubt in either of our minds that the safest place in the room for her was at my side, hands down.
“Kulon, don’t hurt them too much, okay? Daddy needs them to protect him.”
Kulon’s shoulders relaxed ever so slightly without answering, and I had to wonder if he really had intended on going all out on these guys. For all of our sakes, I certainly hoped not.
“Very well,” Tucker said, his expression resigned. He nodded at Donald, who raised his hand to his shoulder and snapped his fingers.
Pretentious git, I thought, as the men left their lines in a bid to reach us first. Kulon left us and met them about five feet ahead of us. And he was so fluid in his strikes! Damn, watching him mow through them was a glorious sight, and I was so captivated by his movements that I failed to see a subsequent problem until Gerry gasped and whirled around in front of me, using me as a shield.
I spun around with my arms outstretched to defend her, but I wasn’t quick enough to avoid the silver prongs that shot out at me or the familiar tac-tac-tac that had my body convulsing with electrical charge. It felt like it went on forever when it was probably only a couple of seconds, but over the rush in my ears, I heard Geraldine scream, and I realised someone had grabbed her.
My reaction was as instinctive as it was detrimental to the guy who held her.
Still jolting in time with that damned taser (which I was seriously thinking about force-feeding to the scumbag who zotted me) on my way to the floor, I kicked out with all my strength at the guy holding Geraldine.
Being completely off-balance turned out to be a good thing because when I connected with his stomach, he was driven back past his taser-wielding colleague, through the open doorway and slammed into the wall on the other side of the corridor; all without losing any height. If I’d have kicked him that hard while upright and braced, I’d have probably torn him in half.
Relief swamped me a moment later as about two feet of taser lines dropped to the ground beside my head.
Glancing at the cut lines, I knew despite my earlier ‘request’ for Rubin to stay out of it, he’d drawn the line at me being hurt. The fact that that was all he’d done instead of breaking cover and going on the attack with his brother was a testament to his training.
Kulon was another matter entirely.
“You fuckers!” he swore and threw his hands out, the first digit of his fingers almost detaching except for a thin fibre that connected them to the first knuckle. Each finger shot towards a standing guard, and as soon as it connected with them, they went down in what I hoped was unconsciousness. I made myself believe they were unconscious because if they weren’t, we’d be in so much trouble.
Geraldine dropped her weight on top of me, wrapping one arm around my neck and using the other to remove the prongs from my clothes. “It’s a Nascerdios thing,” she said loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear.
A quick reverse of Kulon’s hands' motion had his finger joints flying back into their original position. Ignoring Donald and Tucker at the other end of the room, he was with us in two long strides, but instead of stopping, he stepped over the top of us to go toe-to-toe with the guy who zotted me.
The guy stood frozen, shaking as Kulon loomed over the top of him. “Run … or die, motherfucker,” he snarled, his voice no longer human as his hands fisted angrily at his sides. “You have two seconds to choose.”
Dropping the taser gun, the man chose life by fleeing from the room.
All three of us then turned to look at Tucker and Donald.
[Next Chapter]
* * *
((All comments welcome. Good or bad, I’d love to hear your thoughts 🥰🤗))
I made a family tree/diagram of the Mystallian family that can be found here
For more of my work, including WPs: Angel466 or an index of previous WPS here.
FULL INDEX OF BOB THE HOBO TO DATE CAN BE FOUND HERE!

Standing at a podium once again Scryxl is joined a Human who is cirrently speaking with them as many other species are excitedly piling into the large circular conference room. A whole new section having been made housing a small amount of humans who are staring in wonder at all the different species around them including a few recognisable species from old movies and even comic books.
Soon the entire roons lights dim and the chatter snd talking dies down as Scryxl speaks up to everyone. "Hello once again to the esteemed gathered species of the galaxy. Today is a very special day indeed. It is indeed as i spoke 6 Stellar cycles ago. Humans have indeed discovered us and made first contact. They have some... Information to claridy so as they have told me Please feel free to ask what ever questions you have. But please, Keep the questions appropriate for this council chamber." Scryxl merely moves aside and takes a seat nearby as a human being walks up to the podium and takes a calming breath.
"Greetings to you all from the Human Race! My name is Mathias. I have been asked to represent the human race in this meeting and I'm happy to answer any appropriate qestions you all may have about the human race. Confusing or contradictory information is also going to be corrected so don't worry if you get something wrong. Now first question The cute Owl woman. Your species is known as... Oylynx correct?" Mathias speaks as The Owl woman nods her head and speaks.
"That is correct chancellor Mathias. My name is Oyxnael! When translated to human speech it is pronounced Octane. You may refer to me as that. My question is about your world and it's drinks. Your species is able to drink things that have been fermenting for months is this true?" Octane speaks as she tries to keep the feathers around her neck and cheeks from fluffing up at the compliment from the human.
"Fermented Fruits? you mean alcohol right? Yeah we can drink them. It takes a special process of ensuring mashed or blended fruits or starches are combined with sugars and Yeasts which are left alone to ferment after boiling them together. The human liver has adapted to in conjunction with the kidneys filter poisonous substances from our blood. Though we have to be careful because if we drink to much alcohol it can lead to our livers failing and killing us. I believe that the lethal dose is considered to be base don LD50 which is the lethal dose to kill half the population and that's believed to be 0.40% but that also varies based on a persons weight. The more weight a person has means more blood and longer travel and filter time so the more a person weights the more they drink." Mathias says as Most species ammend some data.
"Facinating. i asked because as an avian based species we can not handle yeast at all like in your drink called "Beer" as it could lead to our stomachs inflating and killing us." Octane says as she sees Mathias still looking at her.
"Alright You there! The Brown male Ha'loon. What is your name and question?" Mathias asks as he notes the uncanny resemblence to the video game species of minecraft.
"My name is sczr'val. Yes we are the Ha'loon. We have a question about your dietary needs. What do humans subsist off of?" Sczr'val asks as Mathias thinks of a way to explain it.
"Well, we of the human race are Omnivores. With the help of Scryxl we learned of other species such as the Guzvaldi who also share a similar diet. We eat anything from roots, starches, grains, legumes, vegitables, fruits and lots and lots of meat. We have entire indistries dedicated to the safe and human treatment of animals we raise for food. Not a lot of indistriesignore the laws we have but the less scrupulous ones do slip through the cracks. We eat Poultrt, Pork, beef, venison and many aquatic shellfish and other sea life. As you can see here." Mathias shows images of the many different indistries and farms that provide food and livestock. A lot of species seeing truly less evolved counterparts to themselves were also beinf eaten The Ha'loon included as they get a bit scared.
"Forgive me if i offend you or other humans but um... Do you plan on including some of the species on the council a part of the menu?" Sczr'val asks as sweat runs down his neck making Mathias animatedly shake his head in denial.
"No! Nuh uh! That is not going to happen! We eat the lesser minded versions of yourselves only. They have sentience sure. That means that they have basic needs and thoughts of filling those needs but the needs they have which their sentience makes them go for is simply "Need food, need water, need to poop, run from danger, have sex" they are literally unable to think beyond what is genetically driven instincts and have no concept beyond those instincts. It is sapience which is considered awareness of self that consciousness gives us where we draw the line. Any being capable of actual communication between itself and another party with full range of thoughts beyond instinct such as yourselves which can openly give proper thought and consent are considered Sapient and thus inelligable for eating. It is more a moral choice than an actual rule but nearly all society follows concensus on majority moral decisions." Mathias says as Sczr'val nods happy with that information as atleast 300 hundred species felt themselves relieved at his word.
"Hey i have a question squishy! The names Nikka! I'm a Dix'clixian! Can i go since none of these pansies will ask the real juicy ones!" The near 7' tall Anthropomorphized shark woman asks as she adjusts the water container around the gills on her neck.
"Ask away Nikka I'm happy to answer anything." Mathias says as Nikka smirks and brings up a diagram from a website showing artistic depictions of Anthro Sharks.
"Are their really Human beings on your world who actually wish to mate with the other species of the council such as mine? The Art pieces and 3D rendered models your people made on these various sites are surprisingly accurate for never having met any alien race before. Honestly when i sent word to my leaders and homeworld about your race and the info on this want of that portion of your race quite literally every science caste member and even a few portions of Warrior caste wished to "Experiment" with the possibility of mating. Myself included by the way." Nikka licks her lips staring down at Mathias the 6' tall human with a lustful gaze.
"You mean the furry and scaly communities right? Oh absolutely! Its a bit of a funny thing actually but even early humans had depictions of anthropomorphized animals being dieties for war, love, lust, fertility and creation which has persisted for literally a full million years in our genetics and it as a concept evolved as we humans evolved. From early carvings, to cave paintings to cartoon shows where we make more humanoid shapes for animals since they were far more memorable designs from simple human designs. As an example lets take the 1990's movie Space Jam and the Looney Toons character Lola Bunny. She is a Species of rabbit that is orange and light cream colored, blue eyes, long floppy rabbit ears and the iconic bunny cheeks and teeth but has been given human features such as long legs, curvy heart shaped backside, slim waist and lithe torso and slender arms with a very destinctive, attractive face. That design is a far more memorable thing to recall than simple human faces since human faces can't really be made too unique or they fall into what is called "The uncanny valley". Also sure they can have freckles, or tanned skin or a strange hair color but ultimately it's still a dull boring human for a cartoon design. As such entire generations of children grew up watching cartoons of anthropomorphized animals both male and female Anthros mind you and well, kids often get crushes on things they find cute or relatively attractive. That innocent attraction if not outgrown can soon blossom into what is known as a sexual attraction to said fictional character or the entire concept of anthropomorphized animals as a whole which can be classified as a kink or Fetish. A staggering amount of the human population can be considered one of these "Furries" or "Scalies" since a lot of them never outgrew the crushes they had and felt deep, long lasting and meaningful connections with those characters and even went as far as to envision themselves as being one of those species!" Mathias happily answers a bit emvarrassed on the subject as Nikkas smirk grows more and she leans forward asking with a slight jeering and playful tone.
"Are you one of the humans in the population who find species like mine Attractive? Are you as you said a "Furry" or a "scalie" Mathias?" Nikka asks as her tail begins swaying in interest.
"Myself? Yes i fall into both of those catagories but i also have very strict rules to follow as do the other humans in this chamber so sadly, as of right now Humans are banned from interacting in any way that is considered sexual with any of the gathered species of the galaxy. That is mostly for us to actually get ourselves situated into our newly discovered surroundings and gain what little a foot hold we can for ourselves as we join the galaxy at large in full. So while yes Many of the human species would very much enjoy a quick rendaevous with the other species of the galaxy who would allow it, it is currently off the table." Mathias says as that information took the wind out of Nikka's sails and she huffs aggitated before crossing her arms and sitting back down.
Scryxl actually stands up and walks over to the podium to try and get the council back on track but before he could another species raises it's hand gaining Mathias attention as it is actually a Kan'yanx. A small flightless bird like species which resemble emporer Penguins as Mathias calls on them.
"Yes? You are a Kan'yanx am i Correct? What is your name ans question?" Mathias asks as the Kan'yanx points it's flipper at them.
"My name is Skiy'per and i have a question for you human! I hear your planet has frigid ice continents on it that my species actually enjoy as well as polar waters in what is called "The tropics" Would it be possible to maybe Visit these places?" Skiy'per asks as Mathias actually smiles and nods his head.
"As a matter of fact it is entirely possible. During the time it took us which according to your guys calander is 6 stellar cycles, which to us humans we call Months. We had built space ports and teleportation stations to act as travel destinations just in case we met a species early and wanted to invite them to earth! We actually were going to invite the galaxy as a whole to please consider visiting earth at least once so that we may interact more personally! the stations are built and ready and only need permission for embasies to be built so that we can activate the the teleportation arrays to allow quick travel between worlds! If the Kan'yanx would like to visit please don't hesitate to contact our Home world and ask for visitation visa's!" Mathias says happily as Skiy'per turns to another Kan'yanx next to him who is holding a glass pannel clipboard.
A strange species makes itself known. An inorganic species obviously having been crafted by something else. This species seeming to have mostly human proportions. but digitized screens for faces. The robotic species actually having rather pleasant voices.
"We are the Nyent! We of this platform are designated as Morgan. We wish to know about these reality perceiving altering devices humans have." Morgan asks as Mathias smiles and brings up diagrams of video game consoles, Computers and virtual reality headsets.
"They're called VR systems, Game consoles and computers. Humans in the late 1960's and early 1970's actually created computers and such for technological advances but old equipment was used to experiment and sone people turned old radar equipment into games they could play. it soon evolved as time went on to where actual coding and programs were created specifically to create these games to stimulate peoples minds and let them relax and have fun. As technology got better so did the programs used to create the video games! Consoles from the Odyssey to pong to the atari. Then more innovations creating computers making things like the commadore 64 and even the Nintendo entertainment system. As time went on with these systems graphics got better, stories got better and soon enough games were being made that could be considered true works of art people wanted to go into! It created the concept of Virtual reality! We take a system and instead of having it require a secondary apparatus to show whats on it we create an enclosed system that covers the eyes completely so as to immerse ourselves in the virtually created universes we loved. It took forever for virtial reality to kick into full swing but it is mostly to enjoy ourselves. if your species is mostly code based you all would probably really enjoy video games! I'm a very avid Gamer and actually brought some consoles and a VR Headset." Mathias says as he shows the very headset hebwas talking about as many species actually wish to experience these things called games.
"We very much would enjoy visiting these "Games" as you call them. They seem interesting to explore and learn about." Morgan says as the machines screen face shows it smiling.
Scryxl takes the microphone away and begins speaking to the gathered species. "As you all see, Humans are very social and very vocal about many things. Watching them as we have was at first was offensive when they found out but relented in the fact it was a needed precaution. We also updated our information on earth as everything we obtained from voyager 1 was outdated or bias information. The updated information shows that i actually reffered to the Hypocampus in the brain which regulated HGH and other chemicals as the adrenal gland. The humans have since corrected the data entries showing the proper adrenal gland is just besides the kidneys. The gravity of earth is actually 9.84 Meters squared and void bubble i discussed? Our visual equipment was being impared due to fluctuations in the sun nestled inside our solar arch array. The earth and its sun create a heliosphere and that Heliosphere is actually only 162 Astrological units in radius. The void bubble itself is well over 1000 Light years across. The humans had brought ammended data just incase but their researchers were facinated as they knew earth and its solar system were within the so-called "Local Bubble," a giant void surrounded by thousands of young stars and funny enough they discovered that all nearby star-forming regions lay exactly on the Local Bubble's surface." Scryxl says as he turns to Mathias and asks him.
"How did your people actually come across this information? It honestly boggles my species minds and we are considered to be the smartest of all the gathered species here and we can neother understand or begin to comprehend what went into understanding this." Scryxl says as he wants his question answered.
How did your people actually come across this information? It honestly boggles my species minds and we are considered to be the smartest of all the gathered species here and we can neither understand or begin to comprehend what went into understanding this." Scryxl says as he wants his question answered.
"Oh well thats easy really. We happened to stumble upon the answer and discovery by pure luck! You see The research involved mapping three dimensions of space, three dimensions of motion and a time dimension. With those we were able to literally 'turn back the clock' and see how these star-forming regions evolved over the past millennia." In contrast, "most of our traditional understanding of stellar birth has been based on static 2-D images of star-forming regions. Analyzing the motions of these young stars helped the scientists reconstruct the chain of events behind the creation and growth of the Local Bubble. They discovered that these stars were traveling mainly straight away from the bubble's surface, which suggested they were moving because the bubble was expanding over time. The researchers found that a series of about 15 catastrophic Supernovae likely began taking place near the Local Bubble's center about 14 million years ago. The supernova explosions triggered a shock wave, and this expanding shockwave subsequently swept up a shell of dense, cool gas that is, the surface of the Local Bubble which has now collapsed to form thousands of new stars. A lot of stars are actually inside the bubble as well but our solar system is uniwue as the closet star to us in the void bubble is Alpha Centari which is around 5 light years away!" Mathias speaks as Scryxl's eyes open wide in astonished horror as he takes in what is being told before he asks.
"M-Mathias...can i ask you how many neurons do human minds have? The ability to have this kind of advacement and progress of research and learning BEFORE reaching interstellar travel is....unheard of." Scryxl says as Mathias just shrugs his shoulders.
"Well when examining the dumbass bugs the reaver species used as fodder and the reaver species themselves we discovered they only had a range of about maybe 200,000 to 789 million neurons. Humans! Yeah the difference between us showed because Humans have well over 86 BILLION neurons! The gap was pretty fucking huge! We also were not shy about abusing that intelligence gap either because we're pretty sure we created a flame throwing helicopter even physics is pissed off about and if that don't get your dick hard just wait until you see the giant 50ft to 200 foot tall pilotable mechinized suits we created called Gundams. Man those reavers didn't know what to do when we whipped those bad boys at them! We're so glad the other species of our galaxy are much nicer!" Mathias says as Scryxl and the rest of the collective species are silent in the news of what just got spoken.
"Well, as i have said many times to the council.... As you can see. Humans are just built different. This shall conclude the meeting of species and the introduction of Humanity. Now who here votes humans be welcome to join this council with 7 chancellors and have 1 member of the high council?" Scryxl asks as Every species speaks up as one.
"Aye!" All species respond. "All species opposed?" Scryxl asks hearing silence. "All Abstaining?" Once again Scryxl Is met with silence as he turns his head towards Mathias and places a hand on his shoulder.
"Mathias, You are hereby as of this moment appointed as high counciler of Earth and Humanity. This is not a decision the Species makes it is one our council makes as per the data we sent to your people. You and your species are a welcomed addition to the galaxy at large. Please appoint the 7 chancellors of your species by planetary vote and just please, PLEASE don't squish us!" Scryxl says as he walks with Mathias back to the elevator making sure to bring Nikka and Octane with him as they were appointed as High councilers to replace the two elders who passed away a few stellar cycles ago and it was no better time than now to reveal that to the two.

Story: It's hard adapting to a new world, especially to an ancient one. So when Lei found himself in a Xianxia world, he thought the best thing to do was to go against all these strange things with the only thing he knew -- Cooking. Though he had to admit, the hovering screen before his eyes that told him to 'Feed People' certainly helped in that decision.
Come along, and watch as Lei starts with a makeshift stall, then dives into a sect full of cultivators, and conquers the heart of these cold-blooded people who can command the winds and the skies with his tasty, a touch too strange for this world, dishes.
This is not a slice-of-life story.
Our MC will cultivate, although a touch more different than others.
The LitRPG elements will be light. There won't be any stats.
[First Chapter] - [Previous]
Chapter 12 - Yellow Maiden's Blessing
[Only by gazing upon the inner heart, one can hope to find the true core of one's being. Within that core lies the gift of the Great Mother, the inner flame waiting for a single spark to blaze alive once again.]
There was a cauldron. Smoke puffed out beautifully from its half-opened lid, curling around a thousand blinking stars, up through the shoulders of a faceless man. He stood behind the cauldron. A black cape spilled down his shoulders, its edges dancing lazily in outer space. Ladle in his hand, he stirred slowly the mixture, shoulders towering high over a big ball of molten rock, its surface barely seen under the giant cauldron exploding with bright flames.
Is that a cauldron placed on top of a sun?
Then he stopped. Stars lost their glint, burning flames wavering as though they were afraid as the man reached with one hand to a distant star, smoke coiling around his arm, carried by the motion. His fingers clutched the trembling celestial body as though a pebble, plucked it from its roots, tossed it into the cauldron, and the mixture hissed at the touch of it.
[Dao is the path that can't be spoken of with mere words. It lays within one's heart, belonging only to one's inner core. It is the foundation of one's being, the true purpose of one's existence.]
An ethereal voice dinned inside Lei's mind, soothing like a spring breeze. He felt it close in his arms, and heard it beating inside his chest, but his body was nowhere in sight. Yet it was speaking to him, this voice.
[It is a calling one can't refuse, for refusing to adhere to this call is to revolt against one's own heart. But it can be changed, just as one's heart can be changed through the waves one experiences within many lives.]
He stirred the cauldron, leaving the skies with one less star. They wouldn't miss it, Lei thought, there were thousands of them dotting the endless space.
[To embark upon this path is to defy the heavens, to adhere to the rules of one's own being, to stay true to one's self.]
It was beyond understanding. Unrealistic. He felt like a dream, a blink away from existing, but then he felt he was everywhere at once, flowing with the smoke, dripping down the edge of the cauldron's lid, shivering senseless like those stars that lost their glint.
[No path is simple. No path is unimportant. Even a glimmer of light can cleave apart the darkness, even a candle's flame can light the path for eyes to see. To walk upon this path one must take the first step.]
A fire blazed, this one burning white. Within the chest of the towering man it roared, spreading warmth about the cosmos -- felt like a mother's touch. So welcoming, yet brimmed with a power mighty enough to make the molten rock's flames seem like they were nothing more than tiny sparks.
[From darkness rises a light, through death begins one's mind to unravel, thus the path beckons the core back to one's inner heart, back to where it belongs, to unite once again as a whole.]
The scene changed, and Lei found himself perched over on the man's right shoulder, staring down at the cauldron, to the boiling mixture of a thousand colors. It was a mess, the mixture was, but then it did seem to have an order of its own, as though twisting colors were all splashed out with purpose. Grains sparkled amongst them, and one of them flashed blue like a sapphire.
Earth? Is this our galaxy?
A long sigh escaped through the lips of the giant man, turning into a gale that sent the stars hurtling about the space and made the burning suns shake like leaves. Before long he was holding the lid, fingers trembling as he closed it shut over the mixture, cutting short the curling waves of the smoke.
But then, his fingers stopped, leaving a sliver of opening at the edge of the cauldron. A tiny ball broke free from the fire burning within his chest, dancing across the lid, hopping like a little child until it found the opening, and jumped straight into it.
…….
When Lei opened his eyes, there was a sensation distorting his mind as though he had been torn away from that strange world, the reality crackling like a glass, before finally twisting and settling into the familiar sight of the Outer Sect Library.
As he was about to breathe, to try and understand what just happened, his legs dragged him through the bookcases, head foggy with confusion as he stared at the hovering screen before his eyes. He blinked to clear his vision, but though the screen faded, the call beckoned him all the same, pulling him toward the edges of the Outer Sect Library.
His steps took him to an old bookcase where he found three manuals, their covers made with a different sort of leather, tattered and torn by what seemed like thousands of nails. Their edges were twisted, and curled in hard use, breaking the bloody line of characters written upon their faces.
Lei pulled the one that stood by the right side, pulled it closer, and opened it wide, blood thumping in his head. He gave a quick look at the writing as the world went spinning, his feet sliding across the dust-choked tiles, wobbling near the bookcases before he slammed the back of his head to a hard wall, heard a strange buzzing, choked out words to get someone round to help him.
But the words came out as an intangible mess as he wheezed weakly, blood trickling down his nose and warm on his face. Some whispers, some faraway calling, and yet the voices were trying to tear him down, near his chest, as though wanting to run him through the heart and leave him breathless.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Fatty Lou dash round the corner, blurry face pale with worry. Once near, he kneeled beside him, taking him by the shoulders, and he shook him hard, snapped his head back as he called out for the others, someone, anyone.
I'm fine…
Lei wished to say, but the buzzing wouldn't stop. The fingers holding the manual burned painfully hot, as though he clutched within his hand a molten rock. He tried flinging the damn thing away, but something stopped him at the last second. It felt wrong to get rid of it, rather he pressed it tight to his side, and tighter still until his whole side went alive with excruciating agony.
"I-I'm fine…" Lei said. He breathed and forced himself to relax, but felt as if the ground slipped slowly away from under his feet, away from under his feet, away from under his…
…..
Lei wheezed out a breath, heart pounding in his chest. He searched blindly around him as his eyes opened a crack, sharp sunlight poking holes into his brain. Raising a quick hand over them, he peered about him, and saw Fatty Lou right there, leaning onto a wooden door, face red with thrill.
Just as their eyes crossed a blinding pain shot up into Lei's brain, making stars swim in his vision. He clenched his teeth as a warmth slowly spread from within his chest, down his legs, up his head, easing the pain like it'd been a lie.
Shit. What the hell is happening?
"Thank the Heavens," Fatty Lou said as he closed the guidebook in his hands, stepped near him, and kneeled by his side. "How are you feeling?"
How? Like a man who saw the whole universe's been cooked in a fucking cauldron.
"I'm fine," Lei said with a strained smile. "Mind's a little heavy, that's all. What happened?"
"You passed out holding that manual," Fatty Lou said, pointing with his eyes to the booklet clutched tight in Lei's right hand.
I didn't even feel the damn thing.
"We tried to take it away, but you wouldn't let go. And that Library Elder came all of a sudden, said 'Let the kid embrace his good fortune', something like that. In short, Elder Brother Bai and Elder Sister Mei decided you to keep it."
"This?" Lei raised the booklet doubtfully, scowling as he tried to read the ancient letters on its cover. "Yellow Maiden's… Heart Flame?"
"They don't know what it is," Fatty Lou said with a frown. "Even Elder Sister Mei and Elder Brother Bai said they had never seen anything like this before."
Heart Flame?
Lei raised a hand over his chest. It was warm. And there did seem to be something different about his body, as though he gulped down a miraculous drug that somehow made his chest swell with energy.
"You sure you're good?" Fatty Lou said, brows creased as he stared deeply at him.
Lei shook his head. It was… not easy to make sense of the scene he'd witnessed what felt like some seconds ago. A faceless man cooking the Milky Way inside a cauldron? Plucking stars like they are onions, adding them to the mix without peeling their skin? And what about that stove? Sun, was it?
Are you trying to say that the Dao of Cooking means that you can cook everything, even the universe with your hands… like soup? How?
He leaned back to his bed, having decided there wouldn't be any stopping to these questions of which none he had the answers for. He was a simple cook, but it started to seem like this system was slowly forcing him to become anything but.
Well, when you think about it, cooking soup isn't much different. The man was a towering giant, after all.
He chuckled at the thought. That was helpful. Another helpful thing was the wide grin creasing the face of Fatty Lou who, after making sure he was alright, started trembling like an excited kid.
"Look what I've got," he said, pulling another booklet, its cover looking bright as though somebody licked it clean.
Lei's eyes widened when he read the manual's name, "Calamity Demon's Indestructible Body? What the—"
"Sounds good, right?" Fatty Lou's smile was almost too bright to look at. "I knew from the first time I laid my eyes on this manual, and Elder Brother Bai thinks this is the best one for me. Can't say the same thing with Elder Sister Mei, though. She wasn't too… enthusiastic about my choice, saying that I should've picked the Soaring Hawk Manual."
Lei glanced over the contents after he took the booklet from Fatty Lou's hand. There were all sorts of strange diagrams drawn inside of it, but the part that got his attention was the 'Indestructible Body' part. Supposedly, once trained to the Adept Stage, two stages above the Foundation Realm, the body would become as hard as jade, allowing the practitioner to be unrivaled amongst the same stage opponents.
But then, Lei came across another crucial fact, this one making him a little nervous. "Are you sure you can endure a bolt of lightning? It says here that you'll have to absorb lightning energy, sitting bare-chested under a heavy storm, waiting for lightning to strike your…" He pointed at a page that depicted the heavenly seal nodes in a human's body. There was one node hanging dangerously close near the crotch. "Nodes."
Fatty Lou stared at him oddly.
"What?" Lei asked.
"What do you mean 'what?' Didn't you check your own manual?" Fatty Lou leaned closer, tapping with one finger on the other booklet which was still clutched in Lei's hand. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but read the first page. It's… a lot worse than my manual."
Lei frowned as he gave the Calamity Demon's Indestructible Body Manual back to Fatty Lou, once more sighing at the grand name, before he opened his own manual's first page. Then he blinked. For a second he thought he'd seen the words glistening with a golden hue.
Something's wrong with my brain.
He trailed a finger as he read one sentence after another, his mouth slowly opening in response. He stared back at Fatty Lou to check if he'd read it right.
The man nodded sadly.
"A volcano…" Lei mumbled, dazed, and light-headed. "I'll have to soak myself fully into magma to break every third seal, absorbing True Flame essence to strengthen my inner flame. And the only way to absorb spiritual energy is through burning… spiritual beasts?"
"With your inner flame," Fatty Lou said. "You'll have to burn spiritual animals, wood, herbs, anything with a whiff of spiritual energy. You'll suck the ashes through your pores in deep meditation. According to Elder Brother Bai, this manual can break even a rich Young Master of some noble clan."
"B-But why? I don't remember I've accepted anythi—" Lei stopped when Fatty Lou gave him an uncertain look.
Right. He doesn't know. But how can you explain something so bizarre to a man? He won't believe me. Even I'm not sure if I'm supposed to believe it or not.
"Uh," Lei grunted, clearing his throat. "You have to make the best of it, right?" he said after he took a deep breath to calm his nerves.
Thankfully, Fatty Lou was too caught up with his own manual to think much about Lei's strange mode.
"Don't worry," he said instead. "Elder Brother Bai said that every manual has its own rhythm, a sort of… system that once you get the hang of it, everything becomes a lot easier."
"System, you've said?" Lei knitted his brows in thought. Felt as though he was missing something.
Shit. The system!
"I think I'll sleep a bit more," he said hastily, intending to check the system after sending Fatty Lou to his room. "I'm still tired."
"Mm." Fatty Lou gave him a little nod. "I'll leave you alone. I was planning to check the manual, anyway."
As Fatty Lou made his way toward the room, Lei called the system with a thought, blue lights bursting alive from seemingly nowhere.
[Dao of Cooking]
Inner Flame: Spiritual
Name: Lei Liang
Age: 20
Cultivation Level: Half-Step into the 1st Seal.
Cooking Skills: [Heartburn]
Tools: None
Wait, what?
He paused when he saw the additional information that appeared on the screen. There was a skill. That was a good thing. But then there was this thing called Inner Flame which made him remember that tiny ball of white-hot blaze hopping over onto the lid of the galaxy-cooking cauldron.
Can't be that flame, right?
Though he thought as such, there was a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him otherwise. There was no other explanation, considering the Yellow Maiden's Manual somehow stuck itself to his hands as though they were once a complete whole.
Shaking his head, Lei sent another thought at the system, this time calling his one and only cooking skill.
And he heard that same voice again, an ancient voice echoing inside his head.
[Heartburn… The first step. Mix the Inner Flame perfectly with the cooking fire, careful not to overdo it. Once a dish is influenced by the spiritual Heart Flame, it will gain a special flavor that will allow a cultivator to break past any obstacles in the path of immortality. With your little flame, your dishes can only affect the cultivators still crawling through the Seal-Breaking Stage and Foundation Realm. Cultivators who are above such realms will only experience a slight increase in their spiritual energy absorption.]
Elder… Much thanks.
Lei trembled uncontrollably as that tired, ancient voice dinned inside his ears. There was a good chance that this voice belonged to that faceless, galaxy-stirring man, but there was no way to be sure of that. Instead, Lei acted as respectfully as possible, even going as far as to cup his hands and bow his head, making Fatty Lou who had just opened the door stare back at him strangely.
Then another hefty sigh made him flinch on his bed, sending a shiver down his spine.
[Be grateful for the blessing, and never take it for granted. Use it wisely, for Heartburn is not for the weak-hearted.]
……..
I've been thinking about this chapter for some time now, and then I said 'Why not think of the Universe as the perfect dish, stirred and cooked perfectly by an Almighty hand, perhaps? And there, it brought us here. Dao of Cooking, now you can't expect it to be something simple, right? Thanks for reading, and I'm always grateful for your comments, your watches, and your precious time. Cheers!
[First Chapter] - [Previous]

Will left his ground floor apartment and breathed in the rotten air.
Two years ago, he would’ve thrown up on the spot, it had been impossible to stomach the indescribable sewer reek that filled one’s sinus and caked one’s tongue. The closest definition Will could come up with was: moldy bananas festering in a broken urinal. But time and experience had played their part, and eventually the repugnant smell was assimilated into Will’s day-to-day. It became the balmy spice that simply lined his saliva. A mild discomfort but nothing more.
With cane in hand, Will gently sauntered over to his refurbished floater-car. In appearance it was a harmless four seater with auto-steering, but two years ago it stood as a defeating reminder of Will’s divorce, his near-bankruptcy and his firing. Just a momentary glance used to crumble him into a regret-fueled stupor followed by a sleepless night on the floor.
But not anymore, Will forced a weak smile and prepared for boarding.
No matter how gently he stepped into the seat, Will’s lower back would always protest. Only by sitting perfectly still for five minutes would the fiery wire eventually uncoil from his spine. Though sometimes it took ten minutes. And other times a little longer.
He used to enjoy the self-piloting feature of floater cars. It allowed him to observe the tapestry of subways, the weaving of other vehicles and the flashes of red sun peeking out between the thousand-floor suites. But today’s headache once again proved too greedy. Will applied his blindfold and embraced the darkness.
Calm, soothing darkness. It allowed Will to breathe and remember his new existence wasn’t so bad. Just like at his old job where he would downgrade bank accounts from premium to basic, his own life had switched from being a complicated blend of relationships and responsibilities to something far more modest. Like basic chequing.
A beep and a gentle thrust indicated the Ford was now ascending. Despite his blindfold, Will could almost discern the exact elevation based entirely on smell. The higher he rose, the further the city’s drainage disappeared. The air became fresh.
The car quickly reached the required airspace and bolted along a designated route. For the next seven minutes, the world became a loud, vibrating hum, full of precise dips, lifts and turns.
Once docked at the clinic’s five hundredth floor, Will removed his blindfold and gently rolled out of the car. The ceramic promenade was not gentle on his feet, but as long as he kept moving, the waning pain could not settle on any particular bone.
Past the frosted glass, Will quickly reached the front desk and flashed the appointment badge on his phone. He was quickly directed down the hall. Room 5420 - Hirudotherapy.
As usual, the waiting space was empty. Before Will could inspect the window into the physician’s office, Dr. Montgomery had already opened its door.
“So...you’ve had a relapse?” The greying doctor was never one for introductions.
Will stared blankly for a moment. “Yes, I think so. Thank you for seeing me.”
With the utmost care, Will collapsed his cane and seated himself on the patient’s recliner, here he would try to move as little as possible as his spine settled.
Montgomery drifted past the many tubes, leech tanks and metal trays before perching upon on his tiny stool. The doctor had always seemed a little strange to Will. It had something to do with the black toupe resting on sideburns so obviously grey, but Will supposed the physician had gone past caring about appearances. Everyone is suppressing something.
Montgomery raised his head from his tablet, “You say it’s on your back?”
Will nodded with a grimace. Shoulder bones flared as he removed his shirt and leaned slightly forward. Staying still was always difficult at the clinic.
The doctor adjusted his glasses and came over for an inspection. “I don’t see any eczema.”
Will was prepared for this and did his best to sound convincing.
“Ahem. I know it's very faint. But I can definitely feel it. The characteristic tingling I mean. I usually get it before the redness swells up.”
There came a long sigh from the doctor. With cold hands, he inspected the skin around Will’s shoulder blades and lower back.
“Mr Lin, I can’t even spot the faintest signs. Also, I can see on your file you’ve been requesting other practitioners about the same thing.”
“That’s because it's been acting up.”
Another sigh. Montgomery wiped a smear of dust off his glasses. “Mr. Lin, Our leeches are very specialized and very expensive. There’s a woman coming after you with extensive psoriasis. I can’t spend hours each day on rashes that have already been treated. I thought the last time you had come —we confirmed it was gone”
“I know, I know, but please understand, the leeches...” Will tried to find the right words.
“—Have cured the symptoms they were prescribed for.” Montgomery stood up and began tapping on his tablet.
A new barb formed around Will’s vertebrae. “The leeches allow me to cope with other pain from my accident.”
Montgomery perched back on his stool. “We don’t overmedicate.”
The tendrils of defeat began sagging Will’s head, he tried his best to stay upright.
“I know there’s regulations, and I know you can’t prescribe them for just anything. But honestly it feels like they draw it out. The leeches have a way of removing all my discomfort. For a whole month I feel alleviated of... everything.” That was about as well as he could put it. Will didn’t expect the doctor to fully comprehend. But truly it felt like the hirudotherapy had a way of draining the ‘bad blood’ of his trauma.
“Mr Lin. You’re at the wrong place.” The doctor removed his glasses, revealing lined, tired eyes. “The leeches aren’t designed for this.”
The barb tightened further, Will momentarily stuttered. ”Y-Youve got my file. You can see the amount of Fluoxetine and other pills I’ve been prescribed. I’m telling you —none of that works as well as this. None of that.”
The doctor entertained the request and perused the tablet again.
The medical history should be obvious, Will thought. He never had the energy to re-explain what he’s gone through. What he’s going through. Carrying himself and bottling the car accident was already an all-consuming activity. Putting anything on display felt impossible.
“Hirudotherapy is not designed for anything neuropathic,” Montgomery said. “Nor can it cure depression or mood disorders. Whatever you think it’s doing for you. It’s not related.”
A shudder travelled through Will’s skin. He grimaced again and forcibly slipped on his shirt. “If I could buy my own leeches I would. I’d even consider going to the lake, fishing my own if I had to.”
“That is ill-advised.”
The dormant anguish was now bubbling inside Will, it had been months since emotion had overcome apathy.
“I… I don’t know what else to say. You’re a physician. This helps me. Improves my life. Isn’t that the purpose of medicine?”
“Mr. Lin, I don’t want to sound rude ... but I know your type.” The doctor stood up, the harsh lighting cast a shadowy veil across his face. “I can smell it on you.”
Will now realized the situation he was contending with. The unspoken tension. Does he think I’m some bottom-dwelling Junkie?
“Whatever claim you’ve got to travel up here is long expired. I know how far the gene-hacking in these leeches has come —their enhanced anesthetic should frankly be classified as an opioid. I don’t just prescribe them willy-nilly.”
A moment passed. The fire renewed inside Will.
“Doctor, excuse me, but I used to live on the two hundredth floor of a nearby tower. I used to work for Metro Bank. Whatever you think I am—”
Then came pain. Abrupt and sharp. A release of sparks melted Will, broke his composure. He fell back into his chair, groaned, and dug nails into the padded foam.
“That’s quite enough Mr. Lin. This act you're putting on isn’t going to get you what you want. Your eczema is gone. I’m not going to waste my valuable leeches on your addiction.”
Will waited for his back spasm to acquiesce before continuing to speak. All he could do is focus on breathing. He closed his eyes.
“I’m writing you a referral to a psychiatrist and an orthopedist. Their expertise is far more appropriate for the injury you’ve got.”
Will exhaled, shook his head. The insurance limits had been used up on ortho and psych. He needed the leeches. Nothing else worked.
“Up we go now, take your cane.”
There came flashes of Will’s old floater spiralling out of control. An incoming commuter train. He could barely see the room he was being led out of. Tears began to form.
Montgomery seated Will in the waiting room outside, and placed the printed referrals on his lap.
“This is for the best Mr. Lin, believe me. I’ll leave you here to gather yourself. When you’re ready you can call a cab from the front desk. Alright?”
Will could feel himself being pressed beneath broken glass. For a moment it felt like he had to crawl his way out of the wreckage all over again. One agonizing arm at a time. Then the bright headlights became the ceiling LEDs. He was back at the clinic.
“Are you alright Mr.Lin?”
There wasn’t any energy left to talk. Or disagree. Will gave a wan nod.
“Very good. Take care now.”
Will eased into the hot coals. For the next little while he would have to truly focus on staying absolutely still. Not moving at all.
Maybe I have formed an addiction without realizing it? A dependency? He wondered if the leeches were just a band-aid on a disorder that now truly delved far too deep. Perhaps he had to reset his recovery by a different means.
He stared at the papers resting on his legs. The names of the orthopedist and shrink seemed totally unfamiliar, they must have been out-of-district. But maybe that was a good thing, he thought. Somewhere new.
Then he wondered how he could possibly afford the coverage. Additional treatment was all beyond his means. He might have to start seeking additional employment at another bank again, and hope they somehow overlooked his record.
Christ. He bent over, ignoring the pain. Starting over is so hard.
He considered where he might find the nearest lake.
***
Dr. Montgomery shut the exam room door and obscured the window. He stared at his warped reflection on one of the leech tanks. A furrowed scowl stretched across the moving black bodies. What has become of my profession?
It seemed like every other day someone was crawling their way into his office with personal trauma this and separation anxiety that. The leeches were predominantly designed for skin conditions, coagulation issues. He didn’t have a degree in clinical psychology. Nor did he care to acquire one.
Let the psychologists deal with the kranks. Montgomery applied his gloves and with reluctant expertise of a master, he thrust his arm into a tank and snagged half a dozen blackstripe leeches.
This bio-engineering has gone too far. It’s turning them into something unwieldy. Something aberrant. He placed the creatures on a tray and wiped away the excess moisture. They recoiled. Squirmed. Then Montgomery wheeled the tray over beside the patient's recliner. And sat in it.
He thought about the dozens of email drafts he’d composed about returning to standard leeches. He’d written long lists about the unintended effects these new lab-breeds came with.
Eventually I’ll send something. I’ll have to do something about it. In time. Then he sighed, stared at the elongating lifeforms and knew that it wouldn’t happen.
Dr. Montgomery had his own set of problems. A daughter who wouldn’t speak to him, a legal debt from three different malpractice lawsuits, and not to mention his persistent bouts with glaucoma. He removed the black toupe off his head, revealing a pale scalp riddled with teeth-marks. Red circles overlapping each other. Venn diagrams.
One by one, he applied the leeches onto his head. Their cool bodies writhed against his scalp and squirmed along the bumps of his skull, turning all sensation frigid. Had he used any specimens on patients today, he wouldn’t have been able to reach the same level of relief as he needed. His tolerance had grown too high.
It is a knowing self-delusion, this habit of mine. But there was no use worrying, all material concern would always end in the last hours of his office —when he had the space to himself.
With eyes closed, the doctor waited for the first instance of the needle-pricks. His serotonin levels would reach the requisite levels, and his synaptic receptors would become blocked. He’d feel at ease for another few days.
When the bite finally came, Montgomery slightly winced. It was like the puncture of a mini-stalactite. Every bite afterwards grew increasingly numb.
He gave one last glance at the door —to make sure it was closed— and caught his reflection on a hung mirror. What he saw was a gorgon. A medusa-like monster with leeches instead of hair. It hissed and laughed at him, sparked a momentary horror. Then Dr. Montgomery turned away, sank into his chair and felt nothing at all.

Will left his ground floor apartment and breathed in the rotten air.
Two years ago, he would’ve thrown up on the spot, it had been impossible to stomach the indescribable sewer reek that filled one’s sinus and caked one’s tongue. The closest definition Will could come up with was: moldy bananas festering in a broken urinal. But time and experience had played their part, and eventually the repugnant smell was assimilated into Will’s day-to-day. It became the balmy spice that simply lined his saliva. A mild discomfort but nothing more.
With cane in hand, Will gently sauntered over to his refurbished floater-car. In appearance it was a harmless four seater with auto-steering, but two years ago it stood as a defeating reminder of Will’s divorce, his near-bankruptcy and his firing. Just a momentary glance used to crumble him into a regret-fueled stupor followed by a sleepless night on the floor.
But not anymore, Will forced a weak smile and prepared for boarding.
No matter how gently he stepped into the seat, Will’s lower back would always protest. Only by sitting perfectly still for five minutes would the fiery wire eventually uncoil from his spine. Though sometimes it took ten minutes. And other times a little longer.
He used to enjoy the self-piloting feature of floater cars. It allowed him to observe the tapestry of subways, the weaving of other vehicles and the flashes of red sun peeking out between the thousand-floor suites. But today’s headache once again proved too greedy. Will applied his blindfold and embraced the darkness.
Calm, soothing darkness. It allowed Will to breathe and remember his new existence wasn’t so bad. Just like at his old job where he would downgrade bank accounts from premium to basic, his own life had switched from being a complicated blend of relationships and responsibilities to something far more modest. Like basic chequing.
A beep and a gentle thrust indicated the Ford was now ascending. Despite his blindfold, Will could almost discern the exact elevation based entirely on smell. The higher he rose, the further the city’s drainage disappeared. The air became fresh.
The car quickly reached the required airspace and bolted along a designated route. For the next seven minutes, the world became a loud, vibrating hum, full of precise dips, lifts and turns.
Once docked at the clinic’s five hundredth floor, Will removed his blindfold and gently rolled out of the car. The ceramic promenade was not gentle on his feet, but as long as he kept moving, the waning pain could not settle on any particular bone.
Past the frosted glass, Will quickly reached the front desk and flashed the appointment badge on his phone. He was quickly directed down the hall. Room 5420 - Hirudotherapy.
As usual, the waiting space was empty. Before Will could inspect the window into the physician’s office, Dr. Montgomery had already opened its door.
“So...you’ve had a relapse?” The greying doctor was never one for introductions.
Will stared blankly for a moment. “Yes, I think so. Thank you for seeing me.”
With the utmost care, Will collapsed his cane and seated himself on the patient’s recliner, here he would try to move as little as possible as his spine settled.
Montgomery drifted past the many tubes, leech tanks and metal trays before perching upon on his tiny stool. The doctor had always seemed a little strange to Will. It had something to do with the black toupe resting on sideburns so obviously grey, but Will supposed the physician had gone past caring about appearances. Everyone is suppressing something.
Montgomery raised his head from his tablet, “You say it’s on your back?”
Will nodded with a grimace. Shoulder bones flared as he removed his shirt and leaned slightly forward. Staying still was always difficult at the clinic.
The doctor adjusted his glasses and came over for an inspection. “I don’t see any eczema.”
Will was prepared for this and did his best to sound convincing.
“Ahem. I know it's very faint. But I can definitely feel it. The characteristic tingling I mean. I usually get it before the redness swells up.”
There came a long sigh from the doctor. With cold hands, he inspected the skin around Will’s shoulder blades and lower back.
“Mr Lin, I can’t even spot the faintest signs. Also, I can see on your file you’ve been requesting other practitioners about the same thing.”
“That’s because it's been acting up.”
Another sigh. Montgomery wiped a smear of dust off his glasses. “Mr. Lin, Our leeches are very specialized and very expensive. There’s a woman coming after you with extensive psoriasis. I can’t spend hours each day on rashes that have already been treated. I thought the last time you had come —we confirmed it was gone”
“I know, I know, but please understand, the leeches...” Will tried to find the right words.
“—Have cured the symptoms they were prescribed for.” Montgomery stood up and began tapping on his tablet.
A new barb formed around Will’s vertebrae. “The leeches allow me to cope with other pain from my accident.”
Montgomery perched back on his stool. “We don’t overmedicate.”
The tendrils of defeat began sagging Will’s head, he tried his best to stay upright.
“I know there’s regulations, and I know you can’t prescribe them for just anything. But honestly it feels like they draw it out. The leeches have a way of removing all my discomfort. For a whole month I feel alleviated of... everything.” That was about as well as he could put it. Will didn’t expect the doctor to fully comprehend. But truly it felt like the hirudotherapy had a way of draining the ‘bad blood’ of his trauma.
“Mr Lin. You’re at the wrong place.” The doctor removed his glasses, revealing lined, tired eyes. “The leeches aren’t designed for this.”
The barb tightened further, Will momentarily stuttered. ”Y-Youve got my file. You can see the amount of Fluoxetine and other pills I’ve been prescribed. I’m telling you —none of that works as well as this. None of that.”
The doctor entertained the request and perused the tablet again.
The medical history should be obvious, Will thought. He never had the energy to re-explain what he’s gone through. What he’s going through. Carrying himself and bottling the car accident was already an all-consuming activity. Putting anything on display felt impossible.
“Hirudotherapy is not designed for anything neuropathic,” Montgomery said. “Nor can it cure depression or mood disorders. Whatever you think it’s doing for you. It’s not related.”
A shudder travelled through Will’s skin. He grimaced again and forcibly slipped on his shirt. “If I could buy my own leeches I would. I’d even consider going to the lake, fishing my own if I had to.”
“That is ill-advised.”
The dormant anguish was now bubbling inside Will, it had been months since emotion had overcome apathy.
“I… I don’t know what else to say. You’re a physician. This helps me. Improves my life. Isn’t that the purpose of medicine?”
“Mr. Lin, I don’t want to sound rude ... but I know your type.” The doctor stood up, the harsh lighting cast a shadowy veil across his face. “I can smell it on you.”
Will now realized the situation he was contending with. The unspoken tension. Does he think I’m some bottom-dwelling Junkie?
“Whatever claim you’ve got to travel up here is long expired. I know how far the gene-hacking in these leeches has come —their enhanced anesthetic should frankly be classified as an opioid. I don’t just prescribe them willy-nilly.”
A moment passed. The fire renewed inside Will.
“Doctor, excuse me, but I used to live on the two hundredth floor of a nearby tower. I used to work for Metro Bank. Whatever you think I am—”
Then came pain. Abrupt and sharp. A release of sparks melted Will, broke his composure. He fell back into his chair, groaned, and dug nails into the padded foam.
“That’s quite enough Mr. Lin. This act you're putting on isn’t going to get you what you want. Your eczema is gone. I’m not going to waste my valuable leeches on your addiction.”
Will waited for his back spasm to acquiesce before continuing to speak. All he could do is focus on breathing. He closed his eyes.
“I’m writing you a referral to a psychiatrist and an orthopedist. Their expertise is far more appropriate for the injury you’ve got.”
Will exhaled, shook his head. The insurance limits had been used up on ortho and psych. He needed the leeches. Nothing else worked.
“Up we go now, take your cane.”
There came flashes of Will’s old floater spiralling out of control. An incoming commuter train. He could barely see the room he was being led out of. Tears began to form.
Montgomery seated Will in the waiting room outside, and placed the printed referrals on his lap.
“This is for the best Mr. Lin, believe me. I’ll leave you here to gather yourself. When you’re ready you can call a cab from the front desk. Alright?”
Will could feel himself being pressed beneath broken glass. For a moment it felt like he had to crawl his way out of the wreckage all over again. One agonizing arm at a time. Then the bright headlights became the ceiling LEDs. He was back at the clinic.
“Are you alright Mr.Lin?”
There wasn’t any energy left to talk. Or disagree. Will gave a wan nod.
“Very good. Take care now.”
Will eased into the hot coals. For the next little while he would have to truly focus on staying absolutely still. Not moving at all.
Maybe I have formed an addiction without realizing it? A dependency? He wondered if the leeches were just a band-aid on a disorder that now truly delved far too deep. Perhaps he had to reset his recovery by a different means.
He stared at the papers resting on his legs. The names of the orthopedist and shrink seemed totally unfamiliar, they must have been out-of-district. But maybe that was a good thing, he thought. Somewhere new.
Then he wondered how he could possibly afford the coverage. Additional treatment was all beyond his means. He might have to start seeking additional employment at another bank again, and hope they somehow overlooked his record.
Christ. He bent over, ignoring the pain. Starting over is so hard.
He considered where he might find the nearest lake.
***
Dr. Montgomery shut the exam room door and obscured the window. He stared at his warped reflection on one of the leech tanks. A furrowed scowl stretched across the moving black bodies. What has become of my profession?
It seemed like every other day someone was crawling their way into his office with personal trauma this and separation anxiety that. The leeches were predominantly designed for skin conditions, coagulation issues. He didn’t have a degree in clinical psychology. Nor did he care to acquire one.
Let the psychologists deal with the kranks. Montgomery applied his gloves and with reluctant expertise of a master, he thrust his arm into a tank and snagged half a dozen blackstripe leeches.
This bio-engineering has gone too far. It’s turning them into something unwieldy. Something aberrant. He placed the creatures on a tray and wiped away the excess moisture. They recoiled. Squirmed. Then Montgomery wheeled the tray over beside the patient's recliner. And sat in it.
He thought about the dozens of email drafts he’d composed about returning to standard leeches. He’d written long lists about the unintended effects these new lab-breeds came with.
Eventually I’ll send something. I’ll have to do something about it. In time. Then he sighed, stared at the elongating lifeforms and knew that it wouldn’t happen.
Dr. Montgomery had his own set of problems. A daughter who wouldn’t speak to him, a legal debt from three different malpractice lawsuits, and not to mention his persistent bouts with glaucoma. He removed the black toupe off his head, revealing a pale scalp riddled with teeth-marks. Red circles overlapping each other. Venn diagrams.
One by one, he applied the leeches onto his head. Their cool bodies writhed against his scalp and squirmed along the bumps of his skull, turning all sensation frigid. Had he used any specimens on patients today, he wouldn’t have been able to reach the same level of relief as he needed. His tolerance had grown too high.
It is a knowing self-delusion, this habit of mine. But there was no use worrying, all material concern would always end in the last hours of his office —when he had the space to himself.
With eyes closed, the doctor waited for the first instance of the needle-pricks. His serotonin levels would reach the requisite levels, and his synaptic receptors would become blocked. He’d feel at ease for another few days.
When the bite finally came, Montgomery slightly winced. It was like the puncture of a mini-stalactite. Every bite afterwards grew increasingly numb.
He gave one last glance at the door —to make sure it was closed— and caught his reflection on a hung mirror. What he saw was a gorgon. A medusa-like monster with leeches instead of hair. It hissed and laughed at him, sparked a momentary horror. Then Dr. Montgomery turned away, sank into his chair and felt nothing at all.

Will left his ground floor apartment and breathed in the rotten air.
Two years ago, he would’ve thrown up on the spot, it had been impossible to stomach the indescribable sewer reek that filled one’s sinus and caked one’s tongue. The closest definition Will could come up with was: moldy bananas festering in a broken urinal. But time and experience had played their part, and eventually the repugnant smell was assimilated into Will’s day-to-day. It became the balmy spice that simply lined his saliva. A mild discomfort but nothing more.
With cane in hand, Will gently sauntered over to his refurbished floater-car. In appearance it was a harmless four seater with auto-steering, but two years ago it stood as a defeating reminder of Will’s divorce, his near-bankruptcy and his firing. Just a momentary glance used to crumble him into a regret-fueled stupor followed by a sleepless night on the floor.
But not anymore, Will forced a weak smile and prepared for boarding.
No matter how gently he stepped into the seat, Will’s lower back would always protest. Only by sitting perfectly still for five minutes would the fiery wire eventually uncoil from his spine. Though sometimes it took ten minutes. And other times a little longer.
He used to enjoy the self-piloting feature of floater cars. It allowed him to observe the tapestry of subways, the weaving of other vehicles and the flashes of red sun peeking out between the thousand-floor suites. But today’s headache once again proved too greedy. Will applied his blindfold and embraced the darkness.
Calm, soothing darkness. It allowed Will to breathe and remember his new existence wasn’t so bad. Just like at his old job where he would downgrade bank accounts from premium to basic, his own life had switched from being a complicated blend of relationships and responsibilities to something far more modest. Like basic chequing.
A beep and a gentle thrust indicated the Ford was now ascending. Despite his blindfold, Will could almost discern the exact elevation based entirely on smell. The higher he rose, the further the city’s drainage disappeared. The air became fresh.
The car quickly reached the required airspace and bolted along a designated route. For the next seven minutes, the world became a loud, vibrating hum, full of precise dips, lifts and turns.
Once docked at the clinic’s five hundredth floor, Will removed his blindfold and gently rolled out of the car. The ceramic promenade was not gentle on his feet, but as long as he kept moving, the waning pain could not settle on any particular bone.
Past the frosted glass, Will quickly reached the front desk and flashed the appointment badge on his phone. He was quickly directed down the hall. Room 5420 - Hirudotherapy.
As usual, the waiting space was empty. Before Will could inspect the window into the physician’s office, Dr. Montgomery had already opened its door.
“So...you’ve had a relapse?” The greying doctor was never one for introductions.
Will stared blankly for a moment. “Yes, I think so. Thank you for seeing me.”
With the utmost care, Will collapsed his cane and seated himself on the patient’s recliner, here he would try to move as little as possible as his spine settled.
Montgomery drifted past the many tubes, leech tanks and metal trays before perching upon on his tiny stool. The doctor had always seemed a little strange to Will. It had something to do with the black toupe resting on sideburns so obviously grey, but Will supposed the physician had gone past caring about appearances. Everyone is suppressing something.
Montgomery raised his head from his tablet, “You say it’s on your back?”
Will nodded with a grimace. Shoulder bones flared as he removed his shirt and leaned slightly forward. Staying still was always difficult at the clinic.
The doctor adjusted his glasses and came over for an inspection. “I don’t see any eczema.”
Will was prepared for this and did his best to sound convincing.
“Ahem. I know it's very faint. But I can definitely feel it. The characteristic tingling I mean. I usually get it before the redness swells up.”
There came a long sigh from the doctor. With cold hands, he inspected the skin around Will’s shoulder blades and lower back.
“Mr Lin, I can’t even spot the faintest signs. Also, I can see on your file you’ve been requesting other practitioners about the same thing.”
“That’s because it's been acting up.”
Another sigh. Montgomery wiped a smear of dust off his glasses. “Mr. Lin, Our leeches are very specialized and very expensive. There’s a woman coming after you with extensive psoriasis. I can’t spend hours each day on rashes that have already been treated. I thought the last time you had come —we confirmed it was gone”
“I know, I know, but please understand, the leeches...” Will tried to find the right words.
“—Have cured the symptoms they were prescribed for.” Montgomery stood up and began tapping on his tablet.
A new barb formed around Will’s vertebrae. “The leeches allow me to cope with other pain from my accident.”
Montgomery perched back on his stool. “We don’t overmedicate.”
The tendrils of defeat began sagging Will’s head, he tried his best to stay upright.
“I know there’s regulations, and I know you can’t prescribe them for just anything. But honestly it feels like they draw it out. The leeches have a way of removing all my discomfort. For a whole month I feel alleviated of... everything.” That was about as well as he could put it. Will didn’t expect the doctor to fully comprehend. But truly it felt like the hirudotherapy had a way of draining the ‘bad blood’ of his trauma.
“Mr Lin. You’re at the wrong place.” The doctor removed his glasses, revealing lined, tired eyes. “The leeches aren’t designed for this.”
The barb tightened further, Will momentarily stuttered. ”Y-Youve got my file. You can see the amount of Fluoxetine and other pills I’ve been prescribed. I’m telling you —none of that works as well as this. None of that.”
The doctor entertained the request and perused the tablet again.
The medical history should be obvious, Will thought. He never had the energy to re-explain what he’s gone through. What he’s going through. Carrying himself and bottling the car accident was already an all-consuming activity. Putting anything on display felt impossible.
“Hirudotherapy is not designed for anything neuropathic,” Montgomery said. “Nor can it cure depression or mood disorders. Whatever you think it’s doing for you. It’s not related.”
A shudder travelled through Will’s skin. He grimaced again and forcibly slipped on his shirt. “If I could buy my own leeches I would. I’d even consider going to the lake, fishing my own if I had to.”
“That is ill-advised.”
The dormant anguish was now bubbling inside Will, it had been months since emotion had overcome apathy.
“I… I don’t know what else to say. You’re a physician. This helps me. Improves my life. Isn’t that the purpose of medicine?”
“Mr. Lin, I don’t want to sound rude ... but I know your type.” The doctor stood up, the harsh lighting cast a shadowy veil across his face. “I can smell it on you.”
Will now realized the situation he was contending with. The unspoken tension. Does he think I’m some bottom-dwelling Junkie?
“Whatever claim you’ve got to travel up here is long expired. I know how far the gene-hacking in these leeches has come —their enhanced anesthetic should frankly be classified as an opioid. I don’t just prescribe them willy-nilly.”
A moment passed. The fire renewed inside Will.
“Doctor, excuse me, but I used to live on the two hundredth floor of a nearby tower. I used to work for Metro Bank. Whatever you think I am—”
Then came pain. Abrupt and sharp. A release of sparks melted Will, broke his composure. He fell back into his chair, groaned, and dug nails into the padded foam.
“That’s quite enough Mr. Lin. This act you're putting on isn’t going to get you what you want. Your eczema is gone. I’m not going to waste my valuable leeches on your addiction.”
Will waited for his back spasm to acquiesce before continuing to speak. All he could do is focus on breathing. He closed his eyes.
“I’m writing you a referral to a psychiatrist and an orthopedist. Their expertise is far more appropriate for the injury you’ve got.”
Will exhaled, shook his head. The insurance limits had been used up on ortho and psych. He needed the leeches. Nothing else worked.
“Up we go now, take your cane.”
There came flashes of Will’s old floater spiralling out of control. An incoming commuter train. He could barely see the room he was being led out of. Tears began to form.
Montgomery seated Will in the waiting room outside, and placed the printed referrals on his lap.
“This is for the best Mr. Lin, believe me. I’ll leave you here to gather yourself. When you’re ready you can call a cab from the front desk. Alright?”
Will could feel himself being pressed beneath broken glass. For a moment it felt like he had to crawl his way out of the wreckage all over again. One agonizing arm at a time. Then the bright headlights became the ceiling LEDs. He was back at the clinic.
“Are you alright Mr.Lin?”
There wasn’t any energy left to talk. Or disagree. Will gave a wan nod.
“Very good. Take care now.”
Will eased into the hot coals. For the next little while he would have to truly focus on staying absolutely still. Not moving at all.
Maybe I have formed an addiction without realizing it? A dependency? He wondered if the leeches were just a band-aid on a disorder that now truly delved far too deep. Perhaps he had to reset his recovery by a different means.
He stared at the papers resting on his legs. The names of the orthopedist and shrink seemed totally unfamiliar, they must have been out-of-district. But maybe that was a good thing, he thought. Somewhere new.
Then he wondered how he could possibly afford the coverage. Additional treatment was all beyond his means. He might have to start seeking additional employment at another bank again, and hope they somehow overlooked his record.
Christ. He bent over, ignoring the pain. Starting over is so hard.
He considered where he might find the nearest lake.
***
Dr. Montgomery shut the exam room door and obscured the window. He stared at his warped reflection on one of the leech tanks. A furrowed scowl stretched across the moving black bodies. What has become of my profession?
It seemed like every other day someone was crawling their way into his office with personal trauma this and separation anxiety that. The leeches were predominantly designed for skin conditions, coagulation issues. He didn’t have a degree in clinical psychology. Nor did he care to acquire one.
Let the psychologists deal with the kranks. Montgomery applied his gloves and with reluctant expertise of a master, he thrust his arm into a tank and snagged half a dozen blackstripe leeches.
This bio-engineering has gone too far. It’s turning them into something unwieldy. Something aberrant. He placed the creatures on a tray and wiped away the excess moisture. They recoiled. Squirmed. Then Montgomery wheeled the tray over beside the patient's recliner. And sat in it.
He thought about the dozens of email drafts he’d composed about returning to standard leeches. He’d written long lists about the unintended effects these new lab-breeds came with.
Eventually I’ll send something. I’ll have to do something about it. In time. Then he sighed, stared at the elongating lifeforms and knew that it wouldn’t happen.
Dr. Montgomery had his own set of problems. A daughter who wouldn’t speak to him, a legal debt from three different malpractice lawsuits, and not to mention his persistent bouts with glaucoma. He removed the black toupe off his head, revealing a pale scalp riddled with teeth-marks. Red circles overlapping each other. Venn diagrams.
One by one, he applied the leeches onto his head. Their cool bodies writhed against his scalp and squirmed along the bumps of his skull, turning all sensation frigid. Had he used any specimens on patients today, he wouldn’t have been able to reach the same level of relief as he needed. His tolerance had grown too high.
It is a knowing self-delusion, this habit of mine. But there was no use worrying, all material concern would always end in the last hours of his office —when he had the space to himself.
With eyes closed, the doctor waited for the first instance of the needle-pricks. His serotonin levels would reach the requisite levels, and his synaptic receptors would become blocked. He’d feel at ease for another few days.
When the bite finally came, Montgomery slightly winced. It was like the puncture of a mini-stalactite. Every bite afterwards grew increasingly numb.
He gave one last glance at the door —to make sure it was closed— and caught his reflection on a hung mirror. What he saw was a gorgon. A medusa-like monster with leeches instead of hair. It hissed and laughed at him, sparked a momentary horror. Then Dr. Montgomery turned away, sank into his chair and felt nothing at all.

First Prev Next
Rexiel returned twenty minutes later, his face grim. I perked up and paid close attention, because his previous expressions ranged from “irritated dissatisfaction” to “unvarnished bloodthirst.” Grim was new.
He had spent a good deal of time observing other skirmishes occurring across the engineering end of the ship, marking the behavior of the overseers and their guards. It was a well-coordinated collapsing retreat, which all but confirmed my suspicions. A few of the others— Ereia and Messec in particular—gave me sidelong glances. I saw their eyes move out of the corners of my own, but I wasn’t going to let them know I noticed. Matching their gaze might be misconstrued as gloating, which I wasn’t doing: I would have rather been wrong in this case.
Rexiel believed that their strategy was to funnel people toward certain avenues of attack and whittle us down by reducing our resources. Certain bulkheads had been reduced to slag or had their entrances and exits welded shut and reinforced with additional material, which forced encounters on our enemy’s terms. A few of the other teams encountered the same traps that we did but weren’t nearly as successful at clearing them. By the time they had been patched up and were back on the warpath, additional blockades were in their way.
The bad news didn’t stop there. All of our efforts were being funneled into a long, narrow corridor that connected the main part of engineering to the Lifewarden Nexus. The corridor had been stripped to bare metal, and at the other end was a newly installed pair of anti-personnel guns trained down the hallway.
I didn’t know what those looked like, but the way everyone else got quiet told me everything I needed to know.
“…Are there any alternative routes that we could take advantage of?” Heshae said, staring down at the map Messec had laid out before us. “Perhaps other access tunnels that we could use to bypass the corridor? It’s a large ship.”
Messec’s helmet cocked sideways before he responded. “No. The Nexus is part of a series of modules that are built separately from the ship itself and attached after the framework is laid in.” His hands gestured across the bracing in the map he had drawn. “Later, they build connectors from the purpose-built sections to the engineering modules.”
“You tend to see it with the mass-produced transport frigates coming out of the Commonwealth,” he continued as he started pacing, ”Allows you to buy them cheap. Hire some mercenary escorts or keep out of the shipping lanes while you’re hauling cargo, and you’ve got a fly-by-night transport company.”
That answered a few questions, but caused a few more to sprout up. The pragmatic part of me piped up and said, That’s why we’re doing this, right? So we have the time to get our questions answered? That part of me wasn't wrong, just incomplete.
Other groups filtered into our little forward base in twos and threes. Over the next twenty minutes, we went from a meager group of six to nearly three dozen people. My eyes wandered to the other occupants of this ship’s mechanical guts: those varied, strange people of different shapes and sizes. Many of them were dirty. Half of them were bloody and bandaged. But I could see it in their eyes and the set of their shoulders: they were ready for more.
The general consensus was to rush the corridor; we would build a shield and push forward. I hated the idea. It was a terrible plan that only leveraged their frustration and anger since they had no other useful way to channel it.
I knew that feeling. I felt it whenever I talked with my teacher or spoke with the soldiers. I’d take my turn at distributing rations in the habitat and would overhear small conversations about retaking what was ours. Those feelings of jubilation and righteous anger soaked into the Gossamer, and when I’d sleep, the hopes and dreams and determination would carry me to slumber. The next morning, I’d wake up with the fuel I needed to go exploring for just one more day. The will to save just one more person.
What others feel and think and what they’re willing to say or do because of it can impact how humans act. Sometimes, you should resist those influences, and other times, you need to give in to them. This time was one of the latter.
I stared at Messec’s diagram and let their hope and anger wash over me like rain in a storm-tossed sea. I felt it seep into my bones, settling like a new weight on my shoulders. I wasn’t going to just sit by and let these people get recaptured and put back into chains—and if we continued with the half-baked scheme to rush the gun emplacement, that’s what was going to happen. Or worse. We needed a game-changer, some way to shake things up and push us over the finish line.
The small conversations around me faded out as I traced the edge of the paper, leaning closer to get a good look. The charcoal drawing was made with care and precision, with no flourishes or embellishments. Messec did good work. While it didn’t show everything, I got an idea of the scale of the ship itself, and it was huge. A titan swimming through shadow. It felt… beautiful, somehow. Beautiful and lonely.
Surrounding the Lifeweaver Nexus was a spider’s web of bracing, suspending the module in an arrowhead-shaped bay that pointed towards the front of the ship. Two causeways bridged the gap from the Nexus to the angled sides of the arrowhead. From there, the engineering subsections grew outward into other parts of the ship. A jumble of bracing, conduits, pipes, and other connections attached the Nexus with the base of the arrowhead and continued towards the reactor.
It was a lot of empty space. That might be useful.
“Hey Messec, does the empty space surrounding the Nexus have air?” I asked.
His helmet's visor looked across the table at me, and I looked back down at the paper, pointing, “Here. It looks like a lot of scaffolding between the Nexus and engineering, but does that space have air and gravity?”
Messec tapped his knuckles on the tabletop and thought, pacing on his bench. After a turn, he rounded back and said, “I believe it does on both counts. The gravitation envelope is pretty basic if we ignore the cargo bay, and all interior volumes are designed to hold air. I think I know where you’re going with this: any attempt to cut through the Lifeweaver Nexus from the exterior would take time.”
“…And that is time that Selema-vass and Ulketh will use to eliminate hostages,” Ereia piped in.
“I would rather not console any more family members if it can be avoided,” Heshae said, placing her hand on my shoulder.
Taga gently shouldered closer to me through the throng, his face expectant, all four of his eyes bright with curiosity.
I cupped my chin in my hand and closed my eyes, calculating what it would take to get me across the gap and weaken the structure enough.
“Let’s face it: the frontal assault is suicide,” I said, “and they know it. They want that. Let’s give them something they don’t want: a fight on our terms. If we can do that, maybe everyone gets out of this alive.”
I pulled out a sheet of paper from my satchel and let my eyes wander across the assembled faces. A smile spread across my face. It’d take most of what I had left in the tank, but I was still strong as hell in this gravity. I could make it work.
“Get me across that gap, and we’ll be through that wall and on top of them in moments. I’ve got a plan.”
I leaned over the side of the hole that Messec, a half-dozen engineers, and Taga had just cut through the wall to the Lifeweaver Nexus. Maybe there was still time for a new plan. While I’ve never been afraid of heights, seeing the long drop into a mass of undulating mechanical pistons and who-knows-what gave me a fresh appreciation for walls and their intended use. I was able to imagine myself getting crushed in several different ways before Messec sidled up next to me.
He looked down and whistled, which sounded funny through his voice modulation. “That’s the [liquid-anima] respirator,” he said, “it collects any anima we’ve cast off and integrates it with the circulating [liquid-anima] so that it doesn’t crystallize.” His helmet craned up, down, and then to the right, where he pointed to a long shaft of metal bracing that ran from our side to the Nexus. The primary trunk was a thick piece of gray-green metal that spanned the distance with a slight arc. Its smaller branches were spaced close enough to make an effective handhold, even for Taga.
“That’s what we’re looking for,” he said.
“We’ll want to muffle anything that makes noise—Taga’s scales in particular,” I said to him. “We need to be as quiet as possible.”
“It’ll take time for us to get over there,” Ereia said, coming up behind me. “We’ll need a distraction.”
Her, Heshae, and Rexiel disappeared into the horde of assembled fighters, who dispersed into the bowels of the ship with no preamble. Taga used the extra room to amble towards Messec and me. His head loomed over my shoulder, peering at the next leg of our journey with what I judged to be a pensive look. He started making a strange noise by tapping the wide claws on his hands together. Clink, clink-clink, clink.
“Nervous, big guy?” It was a shot in the dark. But, if I was going to be stuck here for a while, I should start learning some social cues.
“…YES. FOR MANY REASONS,” he said. His hesitation gave me the feeling that I wasn’t getting the whole story, but he also seemed like the type who would tell me if I needed to know. So, I wisely kept my mouth shut and reviewed the plan: Get everyone across, quick and quiet. Get in place. Cast the spell, drop in on the ringleaders, get the hostages safe, take everyone else out. I made it sound so easy. I hoped it would be that easy. But I also knew it wouldn’t be.
Nothing had been that easy so far, why start now?
Everything fell into place in minutes. With the amount of cloth wrapped around him, Taga looked like he had broken both his arms and his tail. The fighter crews returned to the room with large metal panels, pipes, and assorted parts, which they began fashioning into a series of mobile barricades they could inch down the corridor.
Heshae, Ereia, and Rexiel were halfway across by the time Taga inched his way out onto the support trunk. His arms shook as he reached out from branch to branch, pulling himself along the narrow structure. Once he was halfway, Messec and I began our journey across; if Messec wasn’t going to make a comment about Taga, neither was I.
Gunfire erupted behind us, and I told myself not to look. I drove myself along the trunk with a speed bordering on reckless, and the closer we got, the more I felt my heart begin to pound. The others slid out onto an arched section of metal devoid of any ornamentation—a prerequisite for the “don’t disconnect this from the bracing and get us all killed” part of the plan—and I followed suit, watching as another dozen of our people made the trip across and set up.
My eyes closed, and I took two deep breaths, then raised the paper in my hand. My eyes opened, and I watched the cascade of tense readiness course through our group as they prepared to strike. My left hand danced in the air, putting the key in the mental lock for transmutation, connecting the circuit between the paper, the metal, and me.
I roared into the dream, and my hand slammed onto the bare metal.
One.
Time slowed down in that strange way that you really only notice in hindsight as I crashed through the panel beneath my feet. I tore right through it as if it were made of aluminum foil. The paper in my hand started to get warm, then uncomfortably warm. A shower of tearing metal paper followed us into the room as nearly a score of rebels breached the Lifeweaver Nexus.
I fell ten feet before finding the ground again and then rolled end over end as I broke my fall. I finally came to a stop in a crouch with the lower panels of my robes splayed out around me like the petals of a black flower. Half a dozen creatures turned towards me, their small arms and blades still poised to end the lives of the slaves they held in thrall.
Two.
Two slaves had been hastily rigging up explosives with shaped charges pointed at the door on the far wall—a present for our distraction—but the sudden noise had brought them up short. The taskmaster watching over them was busy winding up to threaten them with a wicked-looking short whip, its end covered in small barbs.
The paper burned to ash in my hand, but it hadn’t started to hurt just yet. I kept my hand closed and willed a little bit more anima through the spell, making sure everyone was in the fight. I bolted for the door, my blood boiling. The ground shook around me as my allies landed: thump, thump-fwimp, BOOM. Messec, Rexiel, Ereia, TAGA.
The clash of weapons screamed into the room as my backup fanned out and started the mayhem. I saw Heshae land in my periphery, slam her staff into the neck of a creature like Veligrusk, and grab the hands of a young child and their mother as she bolted for an alcove.
Three.
One of the captors in my way turned towards me in slow motion, their weapon matching their movement like a languorous shadow. The barrel of the weapon bloomed in my mind’s eye, growing bigger than the room itself; I ducked before it fired and began weaving back and forth. The shot rang out, smacked into metal on the far side of the room an instant later. The weapon barked two more times and scored hits on the ceiling, but I was already far too close for them to correct their aim for another shot.
I heard a wet crunch as my fist connected with something chitinous along their neck. Their head whipped sideways at an awkward angle, and I was rushing past them before the body dropped. Their Gaal hostage hit the ground and began crawling away with a frantic desperation. It was the right reaction.
I could hear other guards firing shots, a few screams from our side, gasps of pain and pleading from theirs. There was a grim satisfaction in dealing with these assholes, but I didn’t have time to savor it. All I had to do was get to the door and open it, and we were home free.
Two wssht-wssht noises rang out from the dark to my left, and I felt a slash against my left side. The momentum turned me at an awkward angle, and my already bruised shoulder slammed into a vertical pile as thick as my thigh, which sent me sprawling to the ground. I ran my hand against my side and came back with a streak of red across my hands.
Ulketh stepped out from the shadows, looking at me with cold, dispassionate eyes. His crescent-shaped weapon pointed its tines toward me, and I braced myself for the end, eyes open. Alright fucker, if now’s the time, then come get—
Taga’s massive hand clasped around Ulketh’s neck, lifted him three feet off the ground, and Ulketh's skin around his neck started to char. Ulketh’s eyes went wide with pain, and as he screamed, I swear I saw a fire from within his throat burning upward into his mouth. I could smell charred meat, and my stomach turned over in hunger and revulsion at my own instincts.
“ENOUGH!” Taga roared, his body flaring with the exertion. I scrambled to my feet and bolted for the door, happy to be as far as I could from the spectacle as he finished Ulketh. My hands fumbled across unfamiliar controls, failed the first time, tried again: Clockwise to here, half turn to there, three buttons…
The door slid open, and the palms of my hands slammed over my ears. I couldn’t hear myself think over the roar of the guns, and my ears did almost nothing to block out the sound. Desperation and adrenaline drove me forward. My hands grasped around the cables attached to the weapons, and I yanked hard, pulling them out like I was uprooting carrots.
The sound stopped, but the ringing in my ears didn’t.
It was official: Selema-vass was just gone. Everything else on the ship was pacified, but that sneaky little moth-creature was still skulking around somewhere. A general sense of weary jubilation permeated the ship as the crew worked to undo most of the damage they had caused in the uprising, fix hydroponics and the engines, unlock all of the functions in the helm, and help some of those families who were caught in the crossfire to reunite and enjoy some much-needed rest.
We lost twenty-nine of the original seventy people who rose up against the guards and overseers, a little under a third of the ship’s now emancipated population.
I really didn’t know how to feel about the loss. On one hand, I didn’t know them; I hadn’t worked with them or grown up with them. On the other hand, I wished that I had been awake to help earlier. Some of them might still be alive to enjoy their freedom.
I came out of the assault with a trio of bruises on my upper torso and had taken two of those crystal shots to the side. Since I was conscious, I was able to stop Duguf from using healing magic on me again. Instead, I helped him stitch me back up the old-fashioned way. He was rightly pissed at how much damage I had taken, but I gave him assurances that I wasn’t going to fall apart. I couldn’t blame the guy for being cautious: his first encounter with me was one where I was dying because of a claw wound. While I wasn’t going to fall apart, I certainly hurt like hell. At least my hearing had returned to normal.
Last but certainly not least, my Tether was nearly empty, so magic was out of the question for now. Everything left was reserved for keeping my conversation spells cooking. Once Taga heard that I had drained myself to keep the fight going, he gifted me the crescent-shaped handgun from Ulketh, and it didn’t seem that anyone wanted to contradict him. There was just one problem: it used anima to generate and fire those crystals, so at the moment, it was more useful as a paperweight than as a firearm. Hey, it was the thought that counted.
Those of the crew who were still standing broke into four-person teams and began the arduous process of combing over the ship, hunting for Selema-vass. I was once again relegated to the confines of the infirmary to recover, which annoyed the hell out of me, but I didn’t argue too much. Once I was safely sequestered in my original infirmary Laying down caused more aches, which caused me to remember the last time I ached, which ended with me replaying the series of events over the last eighteen or so hours.
Had it really only been that long?
I did some mental calculations, figuring in my normal sleep time, and yep, it had really only been about eighteen hours. I smiled slightly and thought to myself, Some things really don’t change. Head out on a mission, and all of a sudden, it’s something completely different. If this doesn’t qualify as ‘completely different,’ nothing else ever will. Determined to get some rest, I laid back and stared at the ceiling, watching the little spherical bulbs slowly transition from cool yellow to a soft amber, and ruminated.
One of the more interesting things to come out of my efforts in retaking the ship was that my efforts were being misattributed to my species instead of my profession. I tried to correct them, but I had several things working against me: I didn’t know the language, so my ability to explain nuance was out the window, and stories have their own power. Especially if you’re trying to inspire your children, to make them smile or laugh or feel joy for the first time.
Even so, it was strange and more than a little embarrassing to be treated with that amount of reverence. As far as I was concerned, I just did my job. The tallness of the tales only grew faster once the kids got a hold of them. I figured by the weekend, I’d be a folk hero.
“Oh, did you hear about the human? She can leap ten feet in the air and land without a sound!”
“I heard that she can throw fire with her hands, just like the Embrial do!”
“My mother saw her dive straight through a bulkhead panel and then punch someone across the room!”
On and on it went, with the kids pointing and smiling their shy smiles before being ushered away with apologies from their parents. And then there were the parents, who thanked me for helping but didn’t have anything to give other than their thanks and apologized for it. I understood. Then there were the nods of respect from those I had fought with, who knew that I could help shoulder the burden. I liked those better. Those looks felt more like home.
The lights continued their slow shift through sunset colors, and my eyes fluttered a little. Maybe I could take a small nap and feel better, and then when I got up, I could figure out whether or not I could eat something. My stomach growled in agreement, and I reached for the waterskin next to my cot to satiate it until I woke up.
Which is when my hand collided with the soft fur on Selema-vass’ forearm.
My eyes shot open wide, and I sprang up to a sitting position. The dagger next to me was in my hand before she could blink, and I was turning my body to thrust into her throat with everything I had in me in half a second. She barely got out a “Wai-“ before she was forced to evade down and around my reach. Her hands pushed my wrist inward and used my momentum to guide my forearm into the roll of blankets that made for a pillow.
“Wait, damn you! I came here to talk,” she said as her little wings fluttered behind her like Shimmertree leaves in a breeze, casting reflections into the room from their prism-like windows. Her black sclera pulsed a deep purple as the bioluminescence of her iris brightened, and whatever she was doing burst into my mind with an intensity that bordered on the psychedelic.
“So talk,” I spat, trying to wrench my arm out of the pillow. My fear and adrenaline were helping to stave off some of what she was affecting me with, but I knew it was a losing battle. She had enough of her weight pressed against my elbow that I wasn’t going to be removing my dagger from its new sheath anytime soon, and her other hand cupped around my other forearm with a ruthless intensity. And whatever she was doing in my mind was going to send me somewhere, and in a hurry.
“I’m getting off of this ship as soon as I leave here. Come with me.”
“What? You’re crazy,” I said, tensing my arm again. “You just spent the last eight-ten— the last half a day trying to get me… trying to make me… to kill me.”
“I just spent the last two days trying to keep Ulketh from being a vicious bastard and murdering all of your new friends. I spent the last six weeks prior to that researching you, your sarcophagus, and the artifacts that we recovered, hoping that we could find out where it all came from,” she said as she steadied my head.
I didn’t have enough strength left in me to explore the practical ramifications of what she was saying. I tried to lean back, to roll away from her in a last-ditch attempt to yank my arm free, but it was sluggish. I tipped over the back of my cot and began falling to the floor, which stretched out below me until it converged to a single point, and darkness swept over the purple light in the room. My vision shattered like stained glass windows, a kaleidoscope of colors that shifted into a nebula of exploding stars. Their thundering cadence erupted into the silence like cannon fire, and my mind retreated from the noise by folding itself like origami.
I woke up in the chrysalis gasping for air.
The door opened slowly.
Human hands reached in to pull me into the light.

Here was my strategy and detailed breakdown of my study schedule for studying for my PE. Hope this helps someone, and I'm happy to answer questions while I'm on my 4 hr road trip tonight!
First of all, thanks to this entire subreddit for all the resources shared, I really couldn't have done it without the sanity checks, good advice, and genuinely helpful content.
Second of all, this is by no means trying to toot my own horn; I felt underprepared and I hope I can convince others to prepare a lot more than I did, as well as share some test-taking strategies I've used.
I took School of PE on demand, I'm 4 years out of college, and my actual biggest resource was my mom, who is also a PE, who stayed up til 3am to relearn concepts just to teach it to me the next day. Thanks mom.
Test Strategy

• Solve easy to hard: I went through each question and answered anything that took less than 2 minutes. I flagged questions I wasn't sure about or that I started to solve, and I left no answer on questions I had no clue about.
• Budgeted time, kept my pace: I didn't want to spend 6 minutes on simple questions, if I knew a question was a strong subject of mine and I still took a significant amount of time, I would usually flag it. I kept a target pace in the back of my head - breadth done in 3 hours. I was 30 minutes off the mark when I went for lunch, but I also had 3 depth questions in the morning. This let me have an hour to solve 4 question I had no clue how to solve, which allowed me to get one more answer confidently right after spending part of that hour on it.
• Take the lunch: I didn't eat anything too crazy that would upset my stomach (the night before and morning of too). In fact, when I used to do archery tournaments, my go-to meal was a day-old subway footlong, so I bought one of those the night before. I finished eating, paced around, texted my girlfriend, and just sat in the waiting room for about 10 minutes before thinking my time was probably about to start again, so I should go back in. It was then when I took my energy drink for the day, since I know my body tends to crash in the 1-3pm hours, right after lunch.
• When in doubt, unit analysis: I broke down almost every question into simple units. Pounds. Newtons. Inches. It felt overkill a lot, since I think the questions don't actually trick you that much (at least not with unit conversions), but it gave me a sense of security that reviewing my work could go a bit faster and I had a higher confidence on my answers.
• Conceptual questions, you know it or you don't: I gave myself maybe 30 seconds to solve conceptual questions, and flagged if I couldn't get it. I would scourge the code later on to try and find support for any of the choices. Two OSHA questions went like this.

Study Strategy

• Learn the manuals. Learn them. Learn where things are. Learn how its organized. You'll eventually memorize what chapters are what. That's good. You only have ctrl+f in the exam, and some references are broken down by the chapter. If you don't know how to find something in your resources, you won't solve the questions. I spent at least 5 hours just flipping through references, jotting down key topics and where they are. My mom joked that I should bring it with me as reading material into the restroom.
• Look at sample questions beforehand: In order to understand the complexity of what you're required to solve, I looked at questions as I was brushing over topics to understand what may be considered too complex for the exam, that I way I didn't waste any time on topics that wouldn't show up. Disclaimer, I still think you may need to know these complex concepts in your professional career, don't get me wrong, but for the sake of passing this test, I wasn't taking any chances.
• Look at what's required of you: It's really worth mentioning even if it's really basic, but look at the exam breakdown. Look at what topics will have more questions. Prioritize those.
• Do it because it's hard: It's easy to stay on your strong subjects. I could've done beam analysis, frame sheabending diagrams, and influence lines all day every day, but I knew I had to get into the nitty gritty of foundations...
• Ramp up study load: I did one week on, one week off a few months before I started to really study. This was mostly because of personal life getting in the way, but it helped me understand how little time I really had to spend on studying. I ended up taking a back seat on two sports teams I play on and I stopped tutoring for the most part. That way, when it came time to start my intensive program, I had no excuses to be distracted.
• Be a little selfish: You are investing a lot into each time you take this exam, so be a little selfish with your personal life. Your friends will understand. Your significant other should support you. Just make sure you make it clear ahead of time what's happening and maybe do something above and beyond before and after. My roommate was great at asking when I thought noise was intolerable as we both have our desks in the living room. I took my family, girlfriend, and roommate to an all-you-can-eat korean barbeque and hotpot place the night I got my results!

My actual study breakdown:

Breadth (55 hrs) - 3 months out to 5 weeks out, working full time
Not that this may matter anymore, but I went through every breadth video (usually in 1.5x speed with some rewinding) and did about 50-70% of the workshop problems with my notes are reference. Once I Felt confident I saw use of all concepts and saw enough variants of questions, I would usually move on to the next concept/block of questions.
On test day, I felt like I was confident about 33/38 on breadth questions, which was where I was expecting to be.
Depth (40 hrs) - 5 weeks out to 1 week out, working full time
I started fast forwarding through a lot of the depth videos because I felt some of them were way too detailed for the PE exam. I ended up skipping the last 15 or so hours of the lecture videos since I was running out of time before the exam, and opting to do more practice questions.
On test day, I felt like I conceptually was very confident, but I struggled with finishing out questions in references I wasn't familiar with. This ended up being masonry design and timber (nail spacing) codes.
I had my mom go through some of my weak points the weekend before my exam, namely steel buckling and foundation design.
I wish I had spent double the time I had on depth during my studying. I don't think the lecture videos would've been the most helpful, but maybe reading some test prep books on my weak subjects would've helped. Definitely doing more questions would've been helpful.
On test day, I was confident about 24/42 questions on my first pass. 32/42 questions on my second pass (slightly less confident), and 38/42 on my final pass (I had some reason for choosing the answer). I only had to guess 4 questions outright, and I ended up using the last hour to fully solve one of them, adding it to my confident category.
Question Bank (25 hrs) - 1 week out, only worked 2 full days
At this point, I was scrambling to be as prepared as I could be, so I just started doing practice questions. I must've done at least 120 breadth questions and 80 depth questions (mostly design). I always did it by blocks, 10-20 questions, whatever I thought I had the energy for.
To start, I didn't let myself get stuck on questions. I knew I was on a time crunch so I would just take the L and know I had to review the subject/solution after, and remember it for the exam. As I took more question blocks, I would go deeper and deeper each time eventually solving for all questions in the block.
The last few days, I would do simulated exam blocks, I took the maximum number of questions that might show up on the exam for a certain topic and I tried my hardest to do them with a timer. I took the time and result and updated a spreadsheet to see where I was slow, where I was prone to mistakes, and where I was totally fine and could ignore from that point on.
Finally, after reviewing my weaknesses, I did a simulated exam of 8 hours. This was very helpful as I usually don't use that much brain power at work, so I wanted to understand where I would start to fall tired. That's when I knew to go out for an unscheduled break.
Oh, I highly recommend doing test questions on a computer where you have to bounce from reference to reference, using ctrl+f.
Day before
I didn't do anything. I took my girlfriend out for lunch since she'd been cooking a lot for me and doing a lot of errands for me. I did some self care, took care of my hygiene, and got to sleep early. Oh, fix your sleep schedule at least 3 days before your test day.

Overall thoughts

I think I wish I took more time to study. I miss the academia side of engineering a little and I really felt humbled at how little I really know. I want to be more confident in my profession so I'll definitely start adding studying into my week. Hope this helps someone and at the very least convinces other arrogant heads to put in the hours to go and get it done first try, and confidently!

In The Rated RPG Podcast, The Valley of Green Gold, our top Patreon supporters act as in-game nobles who leave gifts for the party (and in real life, they provide generous funding for Rated RPG).
This d100 table contains potentially useful weapons, items, potions, and more. As an added twist, the GM will roll a d20 "behind the screen". If the result is a 1, the item rolled has a curse associated with it (GM discretion and imagination for that). When a result is rolled in-game, we often replace the item with something new. Feel free to use this table in your own game!

1. Sliver of Soap - a small sliver of good-smelling soap is found or gifted to the party. It has a single use and grants the user a +1 on Persuasion or Deception checks for 4 hours after use.
2. Barking Box - This metal cube, 6 inches on a side, has a crank on top. Using an action to wind the crank activates the box for 8 hours. While activated, the box barks whenever it detects vibrations within 15 feet of it, as long as the box and the source of the vibrations are in contact with the same ground or substance. A switch on one side of the box sets the device to emit either a small dog's bark or a large dog's bark.
3. Horn of Bubbles - a small goat horn, six inches in length, fitted with a brass mouthpiece. When blown into, the horn produces a stream of bubbles into the air. When the bubbles pop, they emit a pleasant odor.
4. Lucky 4-Leaf Clover - a four-leaf clover is found or gifted to the party. It has one use, and grants the user an automatic success on a single skill check.
5. A Blessing - a blessing is given to a party member. The blessing has one use and lasts until the next sunrise. A character can use the blessing to add a 1d4 to an attack roll or saving throw.
6. A Net - A hempen rope net, large enough to catch big fish or restrain a foe.
7. Dust of Sobriety - a small wooden tube containing a greenish powder. The tube contains six uses. This powder can be added to any alcoholic beverage to render it non-alcoholic.
8. 1d10 Gold - Your patron has come through with some coin!
9. Diagram of Vexing - A small rolled parchment with ink sketches showing a hand gesture and a word in common. As a bonus action proceeding or reaction after another creature makes a roll, you make a gesture in the direction of the target. The result of that roll is a failure. This ability can be used only once before the magic leaves you.
10. Magic Missile Spell Scroll - a Magic Missile Spell Scroll.
11. 3 Vials of Magical Ink - Three vials of gem-infused ink, perfect for writing spell scrolls or for transcribing a spell into a spellbook.
12. Horn - a bull's horn, black and grey, fitted with a mouthpiece and leather carrying strap. (A Horn of Silent Alarm: It has four charges. When you use a charge to blow it, one creature of your choice [within a quarter mile, not deafened] can hear it - but nobody else can. It regains 1d4 charges each dawn)
13. Protein Shake - a glass bottle containing a viscous brown liquid. This is a “protein shake” made by a local. It’s not clear what the protein is, but it tastes sweet and meaty. After consuming, a character receives a +1 STR for 6 hours.
14. A Dragon Figurine - A hand-carved dragon figurine about 8 inches tall. It's walnut, and depicts a brass dragon.
15. First Aid Kit - a canvas roll containing basic first aid supplies. Can be used once for healing 5 hp.
16. Creepy Doll - a small cloth doll with a porcelain head and what appears to be human hair. Its unblinking eyes follow you. If you give it away, lose it, or destroy it, it will reappear in your possessions 24 hours later.
17. 1d12 Gold - Your patron has come through with some coin!
18. Honorary Degree - Magic Item - A tattered, wadded-up scroll which (after being unwrinkled and laid flat) reveals that it's a hand-written diploma which can grant +4 to any single arcana, history, nature, or religion check. The course of study and the name of the recipient of the "degree" is blank. To activate, the PC begins a sentence with "Trust me I'm a ______", filling in the blank with whatever course of study would relate to this interaction. The PC will receive a +2 on the persuasion check following the interaction.
19. Small Pouch of Tiny Gems - a small pouch of tiny gems worth 20gp.
20. Hot Peppers - A small cloth satchel coated in bees wax. The satchel contains three shriveled, dried peppers. They smell very spicy.
21. Potion of Healing - Heals 1d4+2
22. A Spell Scroll - a tattered, but still usable/readable spell scroll. Usable by a cleric, paladin, or wizard. The spell is Gentle Repose.
23. Glass Egg - Stink - a delicate hand-blown glass egg, the size of a small chicken egg. The shell is translucent green. It appears to contain a cloud of green smoke. If smashed, a pungent stink cloud instantaneously, filling a small space. Any living creature who starts their turn in the cloud must make a CON saving throw, DC 12 or spend their turn gagging and retching. The effect lasts one round.
24. Glass Egg - Dust - a delicate hand-blown glass egg, the size of a small chicken egg. The shell is translucent green. It appears to contain a cloud of white smoke. If smashed, it emits a tiny, harmless puff of dust. Easily confused for either the Smoke or Stink eggs.
25. Ceramic Egg - Oil - a delicate ceramic egg, the size of a small chicken egg. The shell is opaque yellow. If you shake it, you can sense it might have liquid inside it. If smashed, a small amount of oil splashes from within. As an action, you can throw the egg at a creature within 20 feet of you, shattering it on impact. Make a ranged attack against a target creature or object, treating the egg as an improvised weapon. On a hit, the egg breaks, splashing the target with oil. If the target takes any fire damage over the next 10 rounds, the target takes an additional 5 fire damage from the burning oil. You can also put the egg into a fire or heat source and after 10 rounds (one minute), the egg explodes, splashing burning oil within a 5-foot radius.
26. Treats - a woven straw basket containing a dozen homemade chocolate biscuits. They’re delicious.
27. Bullseye Lantern - A bullseye lantern casts bright light in a 60-foot cone and dim light for an additional 60 feet. Once lit, it burns for 6 hours on a flask (1 pint) of oil. Oil not included.
28. Spatula - a well-made metal spatula with a long wooden handle.
29. Sack of Sugar - a five pound sack of sugar.
30. Dust of Sneak - a small leather pouch containing brown powder. It can be sprinkled on up to four creatures, or otherwise contains four uses. Upon use, it grants the user +5 to Stealth checks for ten minutes.
31. Tooth - It could be a humanoid tooth, it could be an animal tooth. Either way, it’s a single tooth.
32. Athletic Salve - a small clay pot containing a gray salve. If smeared on the ankles and knees, it grants the user an additional 10 ft of movement and +2 to Athletics checks for 6 hours. Contains two uses.
33. 3d10 Gold - Your patron has come through with some coin!
34. Dented Helmet - A scuffed and dented steel helmet with adjustable leather straps. It will fit humanoids with some adjustments. It does not provide any adjustment to armor class.
35. Battleaxe Head - A finely crafted battle ax head in excellent condition. Once affixed to a handle, can be used as a standard battle ax.
36. A dead pigeon, stuffed and mounted on a short stick - A dead pigeon, stuffed and mounted on a short stick. A magical item which does not require attunement, but can only be used after being identified.
37. Flark Mining Collective Mining Survival Guide - A thick pamphlet for miners detailing survival tactics for use in caves and mines. If you spend 10 hours studying this booklet, you’ll commit enough of it to memory to provide a +2 to Survival checks while in caves and mines.
38. Potion of Healing - heals 1d4+2
39. 4d8 Gold - Some coins, huzzah!
40. Tiny Skeletal Leg - A tiny skeletal leg consisting of femur, tibia, fibula and ankle and foot bones.
41. Glass Eye - A glass eye, color; blue
42. Short Sword - Summoning Ducks - A short sword with a slightly yellow metal blade and thick gold crossguard bearing what appear to be small jeweled eyes. The grip is wrapped with orange-tinged leather and the pommel is a tight ball of white fluffy feathers. Once per day, the user can summon 1d6 ducks. Recharges at dawn. The sword itself does standard damage, but is considered a magical weapon.
43. Lapel Pin - A small gold tone lapel pin bearing the initials MW. It might be brass, but it’s not gold. A tiny fleck of a ruby is embedded under the M. (The pin belongs to Mormir Warborn, the Merchant Harbor Blacksmith)
44. Caltrops - as an action, you can spread a single bag of caltrops to cover a 5-foot-square area. Any creature that enters the area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or stop moving and take 1 piercing damage. Until the creature regains at least 1 hit point, its walking speed is reduced by 10 feet. A creature moving through the area at half speed doesn't need to make the saving throw.
45. Quartz Bead - This small bead is cloudy white with a tinge of pale green. It must be attuned to. If worn in some way, it grants the user +2 to persuasion checks.
46. Wizard Academy Pin - A small, circular silver and gold lapel pin bearing the words “Wizard Academy”. It must be attuned to. If worn, it grants the user +2 to arcana checks.
47. Silver Diamond Ring - A simple ring made of silver, with a large diamond set in it.
48. Tiny Horse Figurine - A tiny gray horse figurine carved from soft wood. It is not magical.
49. Candle - For 1 hour, a candle sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet.
50. Focus Fern - A pouch containing a single dried up fiddlehead, the early growth of a fern. Blueish-green in color, this plant, when eaten, provides the user advantage on concentration checks for one hour.
51. Clockwork Finch - a clockwork finch that flaps its wings when a slight breeze is present.
52. A Fancy Chainmail Shirt +1 - Expertly-crafted (non-magical) medium armor that provides exceptional coverage (+1) for torso and arms. Your armor class with this item is 14 +DEX modifier.
53. Potion of Healing - heals 1d4+2
54. Vial of Acid - As an action, you can splash the contents of this vial onto a creature within 5 feet of you or throw the vial up to 20 feet, shattering it on impact. In either case, make a ranged attack against a creature or object, treating the acid as an improvised weapon. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 acid damage.
55. Amethyst - A small chunk of amethyst worth 50gp.
56. Willowshade Oil - A vial of dark blue oil. A creature can use its action to apply the oil to another creature that has been petrified for less than 1 minute, causing the petrified condition on that creature to end at the start of what would be that creature's next turn.
57. Fishing Lure - A small metal fishing lure encrusted with bits of colored glass and bearing several sharp fish hooks. If used where there are fish present, there’s a fifty percent chance of catching a fish every five minutes.
58. Leather Ball - A well-inflated, round leather ball approximately 10 inches in diameter. It appears to be made of horsehide. If ruptured, it emits a cloud of noxious gas. All creatures within 5 feet need to make a DC 10 Constitution Saving Throw or be incapacitated for three rounds with fits of coughing.
59. Mummified Frog - A large green and brown frog, long dead, which has been mummified by unknown means.
60. Garish Hat - The most obnoxious and garish hat you’ve ever seen. Strips of leather dyed in neon blue and green, stitched with hot pink cording, a bill that sticks out a foot in front of the wearer’s head, long safari flaps on the back, printed with multicolored flowers. The top of the hat comes to a point, much like a traditional wizard or witch hat - a black hat band emblazoned with silver stars - and two obscenely long peacock feathers arch to the rear from either side of it.
61. Vial of Thick Black Liquid - A small glass vial of gooey black gel. It’s a unique substance of unknown origin. Touching the liquid bears no result. Ingesting the goo will give the user stomach cramps and diarrhea. Coating a blade or piercing weapon with it will result in 2hp of poison damage per use. Vial contains 4 uses for this purpose.
62. Jug of Fermentation - A glazed jug with a wide mouth and a large rubber stopper affixed to the neck of the jug by a metal clip. Printed on the jug are basic instructions for fermenting fruit into “wine”.
63. Block of Dark Chocolate - A small chunk of dark chocolate wrapped in beeswax coated parchment. It seems to be in edible condition.
64. Caltrops - As an action, you can spread a bag of caltrops to cover a square area that is 5 feet on a side. Any creature that enters the area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or stop moving this turn and take 1 piercing damage. Taking this damage reduces the creature's walking speed by 10 feet until the creature regains at least 1 hit point. A creature moving through the area at half speed doesn't need to make the save.
65. Blackberry Preserves - A small clay jar of expertly made blackberry preserves.
66. A Very Nice Satchel - A satchel con.
67. Wukka Nut - This fist-sized nut rattles when shaken, causing its shell to shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. This magical light fades after 1 minute, but shaking the nut again causes the light to reappear. If the shell of the nut is cracked open, it loses its magic.
68. Pirate Treasure Map Piece 1 - A rolled-up piece of vellum (paper made from animal membrane) with a very basic map drawn on it with black ink. You can tell it’s been crudely cut down the middle, with the starting point being a north-facing beach at the top of the page - a trail that leads to the west along the shoreline, and around a small mountainous peak in the middle of the page, coming to what looks like a field of rocky tidal pools, and then just heading a bit to the east before coming to the cut.
69. Pirate Treasure Map Piece 2 - A rolled-up piece of vellum (paper made from animal membrane) with a very basic map drawn on it with black ink. You can tell it’s been crudely cut down the middle. You don’t know where the map starts, but the drawing of a mountain peak takes up the upper half of the drawing. A dashed line runs along the southern edge of the mountain and leads to a drawing of a cat, and then heads north to a cave on the eastern side of the mountain.
70. Ruby - an imperfect ruby, still worth 50gp
71. Makeup Kit - a small makeup kit with a variety of pigments.
72. Knuckle Dusters - a set of crude “brass knuckles”. The finger holes and palm pieces are made of wood, with a strip of copper making up the striking surface. +2 damage to unarmed strikes. If a natural one is rolled while striking with the knuckle dusters, they break.
73. Ledger - a black leather bound journal with parchment pages, wrapped with a black silk ribbon. The text of the pages is written in common and details the buying of small amounts of raw ore and precious metals, unique or rare woods, unfinished leather, cloth, and other supplies.
74. Bucket of Mess - a tin bucket with a handle, dented and rusty, half-full of dark, viscous goo. Inspection reveals bits of bone, scraps of flesh, clumps of hair and a couple of teeth.
75. Glass Bottles – six glass bottles, the size of a beer bottle, empty, ready for filling with whatever you like.
76. Magnifying Glass - a round, heavy glass magnifying lens bound to a black wooden handle by a strip of silver. +1 to Investigation checks.
77. Fire Powder - a small leather pouch, perhaps a bull scrotum, full of a grainy red powder. If exposed directly to high levels of moisture (like a pool of blood or a cup of water), it rapidly heats. After one minute, it achieves combustion. It burns with intense heat and bright red light, burning hot enough to melt metal. It ignores moisture of any kind. It burns quickly and after one round, it extinguishes. It causes 2d12 fire damage.
78. Wind-up Mechanical Frog - a clockwork frog, the size of your fist, made from wood, leather and metal parts. Colored to look like a real frog, it has a small hole in the center of its back, from which sticks out a small metal “key” for winding up the frog. Fully wound, the frog will hop approximately 30 seconds, for a total distance of 30 feet.
79. Dried Vegetables - a burlap satchel containing an assortment of cut, dehydrated vegetables. Onions, carrots, celery, turnips, peas, corn… Typically used for making soups or stews. About a pound of them, enough for four pots of soup (if meat is provided).
80. A sleep spell scroll
81. Diamond Dust - a small bottle containing over 200 gp worth of diamond dust.
82. Salt Shaker - a hand-carved wooden salt shaker full of salt.
83. 3d20 Gold - Your patron has come through with some gold!
84. A Fainting Goat - a small goat with nubbins for horns. If frightened or excited, it will faint for 1d6 turns.
85. 10d100 Gold - A pretty sweet haul, if your dice roll well.
86. Matchless Pipe - A switch made of flint is built into the bowl of this fine wooden smoking pipe. With a few flicks of the switch, the pipe lights itself.
87. Potion of Greater Healing - heals 2d4+4 hp.
88. Zabou Mushroom - If handled carefully, a zabou can be handled without causing it to release its spores. If crushed or struck, a zabou releases its spores in a 10-foot-radius sphere. A zabou can also be hurled up to 30 feet away or dropped like a grenade, releasing its cloud of spores on impact. Any creature in that area must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. The poisoned creature's skin itches for the duration. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
89. Cracked Silver Goblet - A small silver goblet with a two inch crack down one side that prohibits it from holding liquid. If the crack is repaired, the magic of this goblet is restored. If an ounce of liquid is poured into the goblet, the goblet magically replicates and refills with the same liquid over and over again for one hour. It can be spilled out, one ounce at a time, indefinitely over the course of one hour. The goblet can do this once per day.
90. A Potato - A potato.
91. Mysterious Potion - an opaque black bottle holds dark liquid inside. What it does is anyone’s guess. Only a few drops remain, so tasting it might tell you what it does, but would use it up at the same time.
92. White Wood Staff - A wooden staff that appears to be carved of ivory or bone - but closer inspection reveals it’s actually white wood. On the top of the staff, a small white crystal.
93. Potpourri & Incense - Dried flowers, herbs, berries, and chunks of desiccated fruit are packed into a small tin along with several cubes of incense. They smell floral, yet fruity, and will freshen the aromas of any large space if scattered about or burned.
94. Silver Hug Coin - A thin silver coin with The word HUG - and drawings etched on either side. One side is etched with the drawing of a stick figure holding up a heart at the end of a stick, a rudimentary sun shining overhead. The other side is emblazoned with a heart shape, and raised dots in Braille spelling out the word HUG.
95. Tiny Citrine Crystal - a tiny citrine crystal, which appears to have been scorched on one end. It may have been part of something else. It may have magical properties.
96. 300 gold pieces - In a small wood and iron chest, you find 300 gold pieces.
97. A Different Big Honkin’ Diamond - a big honkin’ diamond, but not the one you already received. Like the previous big honkin' diamond, this one is worth over 1,000 gold pieces. You could keep it whole, or if you find a skilled gem cutter, split it into 3 diamonds worth over 300 each.
98. Magical Inks - 500gp worth of gem-infused magical inks. Perfect for writing spell scrolls or putting spells into a spellbook.
99. Shield of Arrow Catching - A small circular shield made of wood and iron banding. It’s battered, splintered in spots, but holding together well (for now). You gain a +2 bonus to AC against ranged Attacks while you wield this Shield. This bonus is in addition to the shield’s normal bonus to AC. In addition, whenever an attacker makes a ranged Attack against a target within 5 feet of you, you can use your Reaction to become the target of the Attack instead.+2 to AC
100. Turd - a large, firm turd. Stinky. Is it just a turd? Is there something in it? Is it magical? What are we supposed to do with this? I ROLLED A 100! A TURD? REALLY!?

I've posted this a day later than I wanted to (really want to stick to weekly on Tuesday), but now that my wife and I are on the mend, I can dedicate a little more time to writing/editing and art again.
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We had been clearing rooms in Engineering for two hours, and my body felt like seven shades of hell. I leaned against Taga’s back, enjoying the warmth of his scales, while he sat on the ground, forge-welding bulkhead panels together with his bare hands. A few hours ago, I would have been fascinated with how he did it; now, I just closed my eyes and enjoyed the ambient warmth as it did wonderful things to my muscles.
I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s take it back to the beginning.
Heshae and I arrived in the middle of a firefight: Ulketh and his guards were on one side, and the same squad I saw in the hold was on the other. It was a large, diamond-shaped room split into an upper and lower level—a grated observation deck up top for the overseers and a mess of pipes that descended from the ceiling into a labyrinth of machines on the lower level.
A set of stairs that split the diamond in half connected the lower and upper floors; Heshae and I were closer to them, but the attacking group had the straighter route.
Ulketh’s guards were firing kinetic weapons from the balcony on the upper level with practiced ease, using their constructed defenses to their advantage. Behind the safety of his guards was Ulketh, firing off wild, frantic shots of crystal shards with a strange crescent-shaped weapon wherever he found an opening.
Taga was pushing a crate the size of a small car down the main corridor on the lower level, which kept Ulketh and his guards from getting a good angle on him. Whenever the guards’ fire died, his companions would pop out from cover and answer back with cobbled-together crossbows and captured small arms while Taga continued to push toward the stairs.
I winced as their shots bounced harmlessly around the defenders’ barricades. Our side was making a good show of it, but they weren’t taking the time to be precise with their shots. The defenders on the upper level reloaded calmly, almost unconcerned by their advance. A lack of space or ammo would stop them at some point. Even if it didn’t, I didn’t think Taga could carry the crate up the stairs.
I turned back to Heshae and whispered, “I don’t know how they’re going to make that last charge up to the balcony once they’re forced to abandon cover.”
She peeked over my head as I continued to watch things unfold. Something about the defenders’ tactics was…odd. They had an elevated position and superior firepower; it didn’t make sense to try and pick them off. Why not just flank them and take them out? I couldn’t put my finger on it, though.
Heshae’s quarterstaff tapped the ground. She took a deep breath and replied, “Neither do I. Taga is strong, but he’s not made of [warrior-elite-magic-living-metal]. Perhaps we could distract the overseers and give them enough time to advance.”
“Move further down, you morons!” Ulketh shouted, his gun arm gesturing wildly in the air. As soon as he popped his head out to berate his guards, a firebomb arced over Taga’s crate and shattered against the ceiling, raining fire down on the balcony. Liquid flame dripped through the balcony grating, bathing the entire room in an orange-yellow glow, and a scream of frustration burst from the upper level.
Ulketh slid further in our direction with his guards in tow, speaking in a low voice at his guards before he moved to the back of the room and out of my line of sight. I heard something heavy being moved upstairs, but I couldn’t tell what it was from my vantage point.
“Why don’t you go fuck a [ravenous-slaughter-predator-terror-stalker], you [voidborn-refuse-eater]!” A smaller, modulated version of my voice yelled out from behind the barricade. Even without a complete understanding of what was said, I chuckled a bit and nodded to myself.
I started to sneak out from the doorway in a crouch until a thin fragment of purple crystal whizzed past my face and struck the wall. My head whipped upward, and I saw Ulketh looking right at me, his eyebrows raised. His mouth moved, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying.
A second shot struck an inch from the first. I spun back into the doorway beside Heshae, wiping sweat from my forehead.
That guy may act like he’s out of control, but he doesn’t shoot like it. Screw it, let’s get mean.
I blew a lock of hair away from my face and looked at Heshae. “Once I make it to the stairs, have the others follow me up. Push them towards the fire.”
I didn't give her time to agree and dashed from my cover in the doorway, making a beeline for the stairs. The shh-kee shh-kee sound of two more shots peppered my previous position as Ulketh continued to draw a bead on me. I ignored the shards that shattered against the machine behind me as my hands danced in the air.
Excess anima created a white-gray cat’s cradle from my fingertips, which burst into silver ribbons as my casting completed. I didn’t have the time to ensure my casting was efficient, but I got the result I wanted: part of the bulkhead beside me groaned and sagged as I pushed forward.
“Vass, we have a problem,” he said, one hand pressed to the base of his neck, the other firing his weapon repeatedly. One shard pierced my robes before shattering against my skin, another hit my neck and deflected into the wall, and a third caught in my hair and shook out onto the ground a few seconds later.
His rounds shattered when they hit the bulkhead; now, they did the same with me. I couldn’t catch what he said as he turned around, but I saw him motion to the other guards and jog casually for the door at the other end of the balcony.
“You’re fuckin’ right you have a problem!” I yelled back as I slid to the bottom of the stairs. A guard posted at the top of the stairs whipped his rifle over their barricade and trained it on me; I roared at him in response. My blood was pumping in my ears as my hands yanked at the handrail, propelling me up the stairs three at a time.
The eyes of the Gaal guard widened in shock as I rushed him, and he sprayed a hail of fire down at me. Two shots smacked into me that felt like someone driving their fist into my chest, and I tried to ignore it. Another shot hit me in the stomach and knocked the wind out of me, driving me to one knee. The next shot felt like someone jamming their boot into my right shoulder, and the pain drove me to the ground.
I was now officially pissed off.
My left hand reached through the railing to my left toward the droplets of flame and tensed into a claw, then raked across my body like I was tossing something. I dredged up a recollection of a flamethrower and merged it with the memory of a snowstorm that blew so hard the snow seemed to come from the side instead of above me. Anima trailed from my hands like silver-white claw slashes, and the puddles of flame on the ground raked up at an angle, spraying the guard with gouts of flame.
Before the screaming started I was already up on my feet and scrambling up the stairs. My hand gripped around the barrel of his weapon and tore the weapon from his hands. I must have broken a finger or two because his screaming got louder and he clutched at his hand, still smoking from the temporary blast of flame.
The screaming abruptly stopped once I choked up on the rifle with both hands and smacked it against his shoulder, sending him tumbling against the nearby wall. He struck with a dull whump, but I didn’t have time to inspect my handiwork; I was already shoving his cover into a position I could use to continue my assault.
“…Understood. We’re moving,” Ulketh said with a cold calm, his burning white eyes sizing me up with ruthless curiosity. “Fall back and burn the door shut.”
He bowed to me—actually bowed to me, the bastard—and fired another trio of shots against my cover, then dipped through the doorway on the other side of the upper level. His guards continued to fire their shots in rotating bursts as they followed him.
Three of the people on our side made it up the stairs moments later and dashed for the door, followed by Taga and Heshae. Their pounding on the door was ceaseless, but through it all, I heard Heshae say, “…Very headstrong.”
I smirked and sat down against the barricade as Taga stood over us, watching the door. I wasn’t going to lie to myself, those shots had hurt. I’d probably be sporting bruises tomorrow. Taga’s massive pangolin-crocodile head swung from smiling at me (at least, I hoped it was smiling) to the three at the door.
“WON’T OPEN. WELDED SHUT. WAIT FOR OTHERS.”
Holy shit, his voice was loud. Well, my voice in his mouth was loud. After the initial confusion, Heshae explained how I was able to talk to them, which saved me the trouble. I checked myself for any lasting damage, Taga helped me to my feet, and we retreated a few rooms away while the engineers worked on the door. I looked at the two new holes in my robes with no small amount of regret; it felt like I was whittling on a memory of home.
Overall, it was one hell of an introduction.
The next two hours were a crash course in species and personalities. While I was already well acquainted with the various personalities and vagaries of different species that lived in close proximity to my own, those groups banded together out of necessity and tradition. We stopped thinking of ourselves as a series of different species and just felt like we were the “survivors.”
These people had a common language and a common goal, but that was where the camaraderie stopped.
Rexiel was the fox-lizard with four arms from the cargo hold. He was from a species called the Udari, part of the Corath caste. Over the last two hours, I heard him say a total of six words; he tended to use sign language to converse with the others. That is, when he wasn’t sharpening his shortsword, slinking through the shadows to try and dispatch someone, or brooding like broody people do when they’re psyching themselves up for something self-destructive.
I got the feeling Rexiel was completely comfortable ending people on a regular basis. Either that, or he was a damn fine actor.
The smaller creature from earlier in the hold was another Onalir named Messec. He sported an environmental suit with the same coloring as Duguf and used a weapon that looked like a crossbow mixed with a combustion engine that shot quills dipped in neurotoxin. His neurotoxin. He explained that Onalir stay inside their suits when they’re not in an enclave because of it; if you brush up against them, you’ll find it pretty hard to breathe in the next minute or so.
He disabled the engines during the initial uprising but got separated from his group during his escape from primary propulsion. The mad little guy traversed the access tunnels from one end of the ship to the other just to join back up and continue the fight.
He was the one who chucked the firebomb earlier. I liked him.
The Firoma’s name was Ereia, and she was absolutely stunning. When I was growing up, I found several Pact species and genders attractive, but she put them all to shame. Her dark skin had a scattering of dusky lavender freckles, and her long, straight sunset-colored hair framed her face like a splash of twilight. She wore her hair tied into a long braid that she wrapped around her neck and pinned to the collar of her short cloak.
After the third or fourth skirmish, we found ourselves sitting next to one another passing a waterskin back and forth, and she complimented my hair. I replied, “Yeah, uh… you too… yeah.”
Hooray for eloquence; Gods preserve us.
We actually had a decent conversation once I found my voice again. I learned that her beauty was the reason her parents sold her into slavery. She was trained and eventually auctioned, and I was surprised and disheartened that she didn’t seem bitter about it. I gave her some insight into human anatomy, and she revealed that she had seduced Ulketh and destroyed his “Circlet of Authority,” which was the catalyst for the entire uprising.
I didn’t need much explanation to figure out what the Circlet was for, and her description of the pain it inflicted was so matter-of-fact that I got queasy. My skin crawled when I thought of my attraction to her, especially after knowing her story. It took a little time for me to circle around to apologize for it, but she responded with a nonchalant shrug and said, “You can’t help what you like.”
I still felt like crap about it.
Last but certainly not least, Taga Night-Breaking-Clear, the Embrial the size of a freight train. Of all of the creatures that composed this assault group, he was the most open. My stunt in the cargo hold that nearly got me killed made me somewhat of a good luck charm in his eyes, and he was going to make sure that I and everyone else knew it, too.
His unshakable faith in me was because of his unshakable faith in Lasaret, a two-faced God who practiced honesty and deceit in equal measure.
Here’s how he explained it: acting without warning my enemy was deceitful. But, I also worked out of a need to free an innocent (myself), and there was no guile in that action. So, it was an honest action done deceitfully—the ultimate expression of Lasaret’s will on the universe. Seeing as it was my first action after being released from my chrysalis, Taga took it as a sign that he was acting within Lasaret’s auspices.
I mentioned that almost every action could have ulterior motives but ultimately benefit someone. Taga brightened—and by that, I mean the light under his scales increased in brightness—and he said that was part of the point. I still didn’t get it. I replied that I’d have to read the pamphlet later, but I don’t think he got the joke.
Life settled into a strange rhythm. We’d clear a room of personnel and traps, mark it off our map, breach whatever barricades the defenders had made, reset the doors' codes, and do it all over again. It was grating work. The fighting part of the process lost its luster after the fourth or fifth skirmish when Ulketh and his various Rent-a-Bastards managed to slip away.
Mercifully, we were making progress, and people started talking about the Lifeweaver Nexus in more urgent tones. After listening for a bit, I spoke up, “So the Lifeweaver Nexus controls air, heat, and water. Why haven’t they turned those off, just asphyxiate us or make us freeze to death?”
Messec said, “Safeguards won’t let them. Those systems are ‘always on,’ which keeps owners and captains from threatening their vassals or crew with it. Morality safeguards, the Confederacy calls them.”
“And there’s no way to turn them off,” I said, “No override; they can’t grab something and pry out those safeguards?”
“It’d be like committing suicide, if it even worked in the first place. No, they’re holed up in there because it’s the location most hardened against attack,” Messec said.
“RUSH THEM. FINISH THIS, THEN WE LEAVE,” Taga said, bumping his knuckles against the ground with a whump.
“If we move hastily, we’re likely to have more casualties,” Heshae responded.
Rexiel clapped his hands and pointed to his eyes, then gestured in the direction of the Nexus. We all watched him make an intricate series of signs before he said, “Spy.”
Ereia nodded and shouldered her rifle, “Rex is right: he can get in and see what’s happening, then report back. Until then, we wait.”
I slumped down against the wall and rubbed my stomach, which growled about ten minutes ago. I hated waiting.
Messec drew Rexiel aside, hastily sketched a series of diagrams on a piece of paper, and passed it to Rexiel. He spun slowly as he oriented himself to the map, and then stalked into the gloom of the portside door. The others broke out and passed around wafers that smelled vaguely of soap while I continued to get grumpier over not being able to eat anything. I chugged some more water and pitied the next unfriendly person who crossed my path.
Like clockwork, I closed my eyes and checked my Tether: about a third left in the tank.
I was afraid of that. Since I came to consciousness, most of my time had been spent repeatedly casting translation spells. The spells I cast didn’t have a chance to settle into a rhythm where they’d sip at my anima. Instead, I was casting them, dispelling them, then casting them again. I was causing my anima to surge every time I’d cast, like flipping the switch on a cold light bulb. Repeated casting had chipped away at my reserves.
It didn’t help that I was also being slapdash with my casting; when a Human’s casting is “complete,” it doesn’t emit excess Anima. It just happens. I was sacrificing efficiency for speed. Well, if it worked, I wasn’t going to complain. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can find out where I need to go, and the sooner we can get there.
This brought up another important point: I hadn’t actually set the price for my aid. I had just done it without negotiating. Was that okay? Was that how things worked around here? I was used to just doing things when I was asked or if I saw they needed to be done. So naturally, I just did the same thing here.
Oh well. They might not like it, but I’ll get them to help. Maybe I could just get Taga to bully them into doing it.
That made me snicker, which in turn made Heshae look at me and raise an eyebrow. I shook my head and mentally grabbed at the other tangled web in proximity: what in the hell were the overseers up to? There had to be a reason for the delaying tactics.
Heshae had been worried that they were trying to find a way to cut off life support, but Messec said it was nearly impossible for them to break the safeguards. So if it wasn’t to buy more time to cut off this Lifeweaver Nexus thing, then it had to be—
It made more sense the more I thought about it.
Our side is worried about being recaptured, and they need to control engineering to get away. They’re not the only ones who can prioritize their needs. Someone on the other side must have thought the same, or they had planned for this eventuality. They’re waiting us out until someone shows up to reclaim their property.
I snapped back to the active conversation; I had to know if they were thinking the same thing I was. “…knew what had been said in the Gathering Hall, even though she was unconscious at the time,” I heard Heshae say before she turned toward me and asked, “Amelin? Are you able to explain how you knew what happened during your transport to the infirmary?”
I stopped trying to interrupt and thought, It's not a bad idea, but—
“When I’m sleeping, I’m not here," I said, “I’m somewhere else, in a place where my magic comes from. That’s where all of our surface thoughts, our emotions, our [dreams] go. But more importantly—”
“DREEM? WHAT IS DREEM?” Taga said, inching closer to me.
Godsdamnit, I thought to myself, Let's get this over with.
Many things separated Humans from other species, but the difference that stood out above all the others was the ability to recall our dreams. A tek might growl or bark in their sleep. An Orval, Tevelish, or Alvi might wake up with a start. Ask any of them to recall their dreams, and you’d end up with confused stares.
Hell, most Humans forgot what happened in their dreams by the time they had breakfast. But the ones that remember, that can truly recall what happened? Those are the ones that can become Conduits.
“They’re… thoughts and images,” I said, “that your brain processes when you’re asleep; like a memory, but different. Most of the time they just happen to you, but some of my people learned how to change them. Then, they learned how to store them. Eventually, they figured out how to connect them to reality. It’s how our magic works.”
Blank stares all around. Ereia blinked once and said, “Can we use these dreams to see into the Nexus?”
I was dubious about that idea. I had never attempted a dive into the Gossamer outside of natural sleep before. I had seen it done with narcotics—it was standard practice to do recon before a foray into the wastes—but it was a skill that was restricted to more experienced Conduits.
“Maybe, but I’ve never tried it before. And I wouldn’t try it with the anima I have left. But—”
Heshae’s shoulders drooped slightly, but the others’ expressions didn’t change much. Rexiel was still out there, so I figured they were just asking to see what other tricks I had.
Taga huffed and said, “YOU HAVE DONE MUCH TODAY. TRY THIS LATER.”
Finally, I could get a word in edgewise and blurted out, “Have any of you thought that the reason we’re being hindered is because they’re stalling for reinforcements?”
Understanding blossomed on their faces, and the silence that followed devoured any talk of dreams. A new conversation took its place; one where even Heshae recommended haste. We needed to get to the Nexus and deal with the stragglers, now.

First Previous
Wiki RoyalRoad
Cover Art & Travis Portrait by Pedro Puglisi
Fan Art of Seleyna! - By KyrionDraws
Journal Entry #27
Lesson Number 2 -- You are a mortal with mortal limits. Divine retribution awaits those that try to remake reality.
That one needed some context, but rather than explain, the witch had me learn the lesson intimately by having me cast off wave after wave of synchronized mana. Each time I felt a stronger connection to the world around me, and each time my ease of bending the heat or water vapor in the air became easier, but then the pain came.
It started off small, just stiffness in my shoulders, but then it traveled down, and my muscles began to cramp. I got told to stop, but the power I felt was so addictive, and my mind somehow kept arguing that I could hang on just a little longer.
Then I suddenly came to. I was bound and gagged, violently ill to my stomach, covered in dried blood and feathers, and had no clue as to what put me there. The orc was nearby watching me, and after asking me a few simple yes and no questions that a two-year-old could've answered, removed my gag and bindings, then explained that I went feral, tried to attack the witch, and ate a wandering chicken.
Raw.
I immediately threw up.
Travis
Rainsday, the 6^th of Ninethmonth
Union Fortress -- Jarl's Palace
My feet were unable to fully hide my irritation and exhaustion as they trudged alongside Seleyna's graceful steps when we exited our private breakfast with the jarl. Yesterday was a long day, even before I exited the musical to discover what was happening outside, and the subsequent ruckus at the palace while separated from Arc only turned up the heat on the pressure cooker that was my stress level.
Seleyna checked to make sure we were actually alone in the hallway and away from her bodyguards for a change, then broke the silence with a sarcastic tone, "It'll be pleasant meeting Myrtice when we get back. I'm sure she'll have some wonderful things to say to me."
My head turned in surprise, "Why would she be angry with you? It's not like you're the one to blame for this mess."
She laughed, "You clearly don't have any older siblings. If you did, you'd know that the youngest always gets accused of being the favorite child. Trust me... She'll find a way in her mind to justify blaming me." Seleyna sighed before muttering to herself, "They always do." The princess then shook away the unpleasant thought and nudged me in the arm with a more cheerful tone, "Did you get any sleep?"
Taking the hint to change the subject, I waggled my hand, "A little once I got done getting questioned, but it sure didn't feel like it when my alarm rang. How about you?"
She shrugged, "No true beauty rest on a bed for me, but I managed to at least sneak in a few naps on a chair. Mother insisted that I listen in on the interrogations and [Message] transmissions."
My bleary eyes turned to examine the princess as my sluggish thoughts worked to rationalize the disconnect between what I was hearing versus seeing. Seleyna looked as radiant as the day I met her, with sandy colored hair flowing down past her shoulders in waves, a sun-kissed complexion that contoured her entrancing stone-blue eyes, and... a teasing grin that was having fun at my expense.
She chuckled in chorus with my groan, then reached into a pouch on her belt to pull out a small vial, "Here, give me your hands."
I did as instructed, then watched as a few drops of a strong peppermint scented oil were placed in my left palm.
"It's called Morning Refresher, an infusion of stimleaf and some other herbs. Rub it around your eyes and face. It'll help perk you up."
Eager for anything to relieve my bloodshot eyes, my fingers dipped into the oil, then massaged the tiredness away as the cool sensation pumped fresh blood into my skin. It worked wonders, invigorating every pore on my face, but sadly did nothing to penetrate the buildup of anger simmering deep below.
We eventually approached my room, creating an awkward moment when Seleyna stopped along with me outside my room, leaving me scrambling for a polite way to ask her to leave, "Umm... sorry, but... I'm going to be a few minutes."
"Oh, of course. I'll... see you down at the dock?"
I nodded my head, feeling bad as I entered my room, but knew it was the right call when a guttural growl finally cracked open the seal on my emotions. I was just supposed to do a quick check to make sure nothing got left behind by the corpsman when they came for everyone's storage crates, but I desperately needed the moment of isolation to finally vent the rage that had been building up ever since Arc was returned to me.
"Okay, I get that you're a bit upset... but, hear me out---"
"A bit?!" I barked, unclipping Arc from my belt so I could hold him in front of me and properly glare, "Only a bit? You created a national incident last night while you were ducking around!"
"C'mon bud, you're making a mountain out of a gopher hole; corrupt politicians crop up like weeds all the time."
My grip tightened, "Were you not paying attention when the jarl was profusely thanking Seleyna and apologizing to me? That weed is from an inner ring family, was publicly endorsed by Crown Princess Myrtice before the recent election, and nearly won it. The Jarl took a huge risk when he assembled the guards, and only had the confidence to do so because that Royal Knight was available and willing to investigate."
"Okay... I'll admit I got lucky there... but you know how it is, no plan survives first contact, and even if that part failed, I still had options. It's not like any sane person would presume I escaped on my own into the night with the weapons."
I could almost feel him squirming in my hands as he tried to downplay what happened, but I wasn't having any of it.
"And what would you have done then? Left a pile of weapons on the front door of the palace with a written note? Smuggle yourself back in and leave me reaching to explain why my weapon's rack has extra armaments?"
"I... umm... uh, well... no." Arc's blustering finally ended, and his tone shifted into a morose tenor, "I'm sorry. Private Tomas was about to get killed, and I panicked. Afterwards, when I finally was able to think of something plausible, Bones mentioned that they had stolen other weapons like me in the past, and well... I thought maybe..." Arc faded out, unable to continue.
I sighed, letting the billowing steam inside me vent out completely, then sat down on the bed with Arc laid out next to me.
"Were you at least able to talk to the other weapons?"
"No... the first one I tried to talk to just got upset with me for waking them and told me to leave. The others... they didn't even respond."
My fingers traced along Arc's scabbard until they found his favorite spot and began scratching. It must have been utterly disappointing for him to go through all that effort, only to find the venture pointless.
We sat there for a minute, hearing the shuffle of armored boots exiting the neighboring rooms, the occasional whinny from a horse outside, and the ticking of the clock informing me of the time.
I sighed once more, wishing the tiny respite could last longer, but at least I was able to think of something that might cheer up Arc.
"I'm pretty sure Lancel's figured out that something's off, and he might be growing a tad paranoid. Would you be willing to properly meet him?"
"Already? Umm... yeah, I... I would like that. Did you have a time and place in mind?"
"Well, I was originally hoping to do it this morning, but... ugh, now that I think about it, doing it half an hour before we board a crowded boat might not have been the best idea."
Arc started laughing, "No... probably not. Let me think... there's still stops at Brushstroke and Loggercliff before we start marching to Coldwater Spring. We might be able to find the time there, assuming nothing world-shattering happens along the way."
My head slowly turned down to stare at him incredulously.
"What?"
"You recently berated me the other day for tempting Phymur."
"I did? When?"
"Right when that Mudfish grappler attacked. I remember because you called me something rude in that weird language you won't tell me the origin of."
"I think your memory is playing tricks on you. I don't recall saying anything, and we both know who is more reliable in that regard."
I shook my head, happy that Arc was feeling himself again, but slightly annoyed that meant he was back to his half-mad state of mind.
Checking the clock once more, and figuring it was time to get moving, I got up to open the door and step out but ended up lurching back uncontrollably to keep from crashing into a commando preparing to knock on my door.
The leather-clad assassin held up their open palms, "Apologies Sir Travis, it was not my intention to startle you."
My breathing must have taken a full minute to calm down, but the hooded figure was patient, and simply stood there motionless as I regained control of myself, "None needed, umm... Raven Four?"
"Yes, The Raven Four." They folded their forearms into a formal salute, then did something unexpected, "As the entrusted captain of this battalion regarding mission security, let me begin by extending you a formal apology on behalf of Squad 3. I should not have fully trusted the local palace guard to deter thievery."
"Oh... umm, thank you." I stammered out, not quite sure how to react. Every commando I'd interacted with before always spoke in a gruff monotone with no readable body language. This one was expressing genuine emotion, not just in his vocal tone, but with the way his shoulders slumped in defeat and how their eyes lowered in shame.
Raven Four's demeanor didn't last long, however, and he quickly returned to his usual mysterious nature, "I also volunteered on behalf of the captains to come and ask if you were satisfied leaving the investigation in the hands of Royal Knight Blavot, or if you will be remaining here to conclude the investigation."
Remaining here? What the...? I have neither the rank nor authority to change my own mission mid-assignment. Gods, I'm not even a fully titled mage yet, just an Initiate. Why is he asking me that?
I remained quiet, drumming my fingers against my thigh in confused thought, glancing occasionally at the commando, until the obscuring fog finally lifted.
Ugh... I'm an idiot. Lancel used to complain about officers in the army springing competency tests on him. I should have known this was going to happen eventually. Hector literally stated that the purpose of these expeditions was to give us field experience.
Grinning with satisfaction, I turned to Raven Four, "Sir, unless I'm ordered otherwise, my current mission for the kingdom still stands. I do not intend to abandon my squad over a personal matter."
Raven Four's large eyes narrowed at me for a minute, then suddenly widened enough to show the whites, "That's... eh, correct. We have not issued you new orders... and complications aside, we still have a mission to complete." He nodded as if to reassure himself, then resumed, "If you have any questions regarding the investigation in the future, you are welcome to ask, given that you were targeted."
Arc whispered to me using my earring, "Hey, can you ask him about what will happen to the thief?"
I asked, then felt a tremble of anxiety run down my spine as the commando contemplated the question for a full minute before responding. "That depends on the judges. Paulus has been cooperative so far, despite some clear agitation whenever a commando enters his cell, and is providing information on the local Thieves' Guild, so that will lower his sentence. What will hurt him is that Galoys, his partner, is claiming that they stopped him from killing a corpsman that entered your room, and was left bruised, bound, and abandoned in retaliation."
"Uh-oh... that's not what happened..."
A deep pit of dread formed in my gut, "Will that testimony affect his sentencing?"
Raven Four nodded, "Yes, by a great deal, full calendar cycles of indentured servitude in the capital instead of a few years if the judges believe him."
Rot! I'll never be able to live with myself if I don't figure out a way to help.
My jaw clenched in agitation as my brain tried to think of a subtle way to inform them of the truth, but before I could, Raven Four audibly gasped and shifted into a defensive stance with both daggers retracted from his wrist sheaths.
I stepped back from the twitching commando, wondering what the rot was going on at first, until a sneaking suspicion started tingling in the back of my skull.
Raven Four stood there on the defensive, then after what felt like ages, turned his head my way before raising his forearms to return his daggers, "Apologies again... I... I need to report something." He then spun on his heels and ran out of the room.
I waited a few seconds for him to get out of range, then rapped Arc with my knuckles, "What did you do?"
Arc cackled like the madman he was, "Sent him a Message over his private channel. Given that all the commandos I've seen so far sleep in their uniforms, he's probably panicking at the thought of someone skilled enough to touch his cowl without getting noticed."
I sighed, mainly because my earlier scolding failed to stick for more than six minutes, but also to cover the smile trying to creep across my face.
Arc
Philiadra River -- Hillstripe County
ETA to Brushstroke Fortress -- 8 Hours
My focus floated over the crowded main deck to watch in awe as Varguk's hands dexterously prepared stimleaf concoctions with the speed and flair of a Vegas bartender. And I do mean bartender. The typical lattes were getting interlaced with espresso poured into shot glasses, iced drinks shaken like cocktails, and one weird order where an egg was stirred into a mixture till it thickened enough to get slurped up like a Jello shot.
It was quite the change from the typical morning aboard the ship, and I was curious as to why. Normally the cessation of morning drills would give way for individual training under a tight schedule to fairly divide the time. Though, I had a feeling my answer was walking up the steps to the aft deck.
Spartan Captain Aguk carried a drink in each hand, paused briefly after the ascent to set his jaw, then approached his fellow Squad Captain Adaline, "Good morning, would you care for a stimleaf beverage? Spartan Varguk added steamed milk for nutrition and infused caramel to provide a palatable flavor."
The Royal Knight slowly removed herself from the railing she was leaning on, then turned to smile at the half-orc with noticeably tired eyes as she took the latte, "Thank you. I must admit, I was surprised to see you grant permission to the junior's request."
"His reasoning was sound, given that you and many of the mages and knights were unable to get a full night's sleep." "Plus," the half-orc paused to look down at the battalion as they mingled with one another while waiting for drinks, "I felt it was an appropriate relaxation of military discipline, befitting the spirit of Union Fortress."
Adaline sipped at her drink during Aguk's explanation, then raised an eyebrow, "That's... err, I intend no offense, very un-spartan-like of you."
Aguk cleared his throat and shifted his weight to the other leg, "No offense felt. And... thank you for the compliment. Spartan attempts to integrate more with the other branches of the military haven't always meshed smoothly." His hands readjusted their grip on his drink, "On that note, let me thank you for filing a recommendation to have Varguk join the battalion. A skilled chef is always welcome, but a spartan that can take off their stripes along with the armor... that's... well... Have you ever met some of the more hard-headed spartans who served under the previous queen?"
The Royal Knight chuckled, "Yes, I have." She sipped on her drink, then had a moment of realization before looking back up at the tall and broad man with a nervous smile, "I need to correct you, Princess Seleyna put in that request, not me."
"Oh... I see." Captain Aguk's chest deflated, "That's twice I owe the princess now."
"Twice?"
Aguk nodded, "Yes, back in the spring when I was scouting for talent, I heard the story about the princess attending an outer-ring party, and was surprised that the spartan she danced with was a potential recruit I dismissed. I grew curious, and after a little digging, I was able to find an after-action report that helped explain the glaring contradiction in behavior from what his psych profile suggested. I determined that if he was willing to push himself in such a fashion, then he would be an excellent fit for the Combined Arms branch, and perhaps even act as a role model for future recruits."
He gestured down to where his point was being actively illustrated; Reidar discussing possible equipment options with Travis the mage, Lieutenant Fernrod the knight, and Longspur Eleven the commando.
"I was still a sprout back when Queen Claudette came into power, and one of the first recruits to be subject to her push for cultural integration." The half-orc sighed with a forlorn expression, "I sometimes think I was the only one of my squad-siblings to earnestly try and find common ground with civilians and the other branches."
A gentle hand rested on the spartan's forearm, and he looked down to see its owner gazing up at him.
"I'm glad you did, and that you keep trying."
The two smiled at each other... until the moment lasted a bit too long and shifted into that awkward stage, resulting in them quickly shifting their attention back to their battalion.
Adaline summoned the confidence to speak first, "This social hour seems to be going well. If you're willing to adjust the morning schedule, I'd be amenable to repeating it tomorrow."
"I can do that. However, Staff Sergeant Julien will need your authorization to request supplies at the next fortress. Varguk donated his personal stock today, and I feel we should not take advantage of his kindness."
"Agreed."
"Put me down, you mud-footed beast!" Private Tomas narrated in his terrible rendition of an elven princess. It was sadly much better than his attempt to lower his voice for the grizzled spartan covered in blood and assassin arrows. "I cannot comply. My orders are to escort you safely to the capital."
Ugh, I can't believe I'm listening in for the plot...
With nothing better to do, I continued monitoring the corpsman (and the creepily attentive horses), discovering that after fleeing to safety, Drozuk collapsed onto the ground from blood loss, startling Princess Radelia. Growing worried, she removed the damaged armor from the muscular orc, then began to bandage his wounds with torn strips from her dress.
Bowing out before things got steamy, I floated my focus up a level to where a pair of spartans were waiting for their turn to spar.
"Then after we had enough time to get a feel for each other, we started going at it like beasts for hours. It was exhilarating!" The half-orc paused to catch his breath, "And... exhausting, I almost slept through rollcall this morning."
The female spartan shook her head, "You and your fetishes..."
"Hey, Fortresses & Fighters is a legitimate hobby. It's even on the list of recommended leisure activities to engage in with non-spartans."
"It's a children's game..."
"Originally designed by a Baron General Knight to teach large-scale military tactics." The first spartan argued.
I mentally rolled my eyes, then kept floating along, finding it noticeably harder than usual to stave off the boredom. The anticipation of finally saying hello to Lancel must have been getting to me and was probably compounded by the small taste for socialization I had yesterday talking to Bones. I moved up to the aft deck where the knights were receiving magic instruction, keeping a healthy distance from the former guard captain to keep temptation at bay, and decided to be a more active help to Travis as he taught Galehaut.
"Condensing array number 2."
Travis gestured at the goliath to turn over his forearm, then briefly compared the inactive enchantment with the custom diagram he sketched for the man's large forearms before critiquing, "Your diameter on this line end needs to be wider. If that pull isn't strong enough, you won't be able to recycle the water flowing over from the other side."
Galehaut grumbled, then glanced at the answer key before fixing his enchantment formation. Despite only using a trace amount of mana to create the equivalent of a pencilled-in sketch, the constant reshaping was clearly draining the man's mental fortitude as he kept practicing.
"You're making steady progress. I haven't even mastered this enchantment yet." Travis reassured, then nodded when the corrections finished, "That looks good. Switch arms."
The big knight relaxed as he let the formation disperse, then raised his other arm to start stenciling out the enchantment before tilting his head to the custom diagram Travis wrote up, "At least I have you here to help with the hard part. Would have taken me weeks to make sense of all those calculations."
Travis looked up with a sheepish grin, "Umm... this is the easy part."
Galehaut locked eyes with Travis, then at the diagram, then with his arm, then back to the diagram, and finally back up to Travis, "This..." his deep baritone voice cracked, "this is the easy part?"
My best friend held up a palm, then summoned a thin ball of Water Mana, "Once you have this memorized, the next step will be to maintain the exact same structure and shapes while increasing the density of the mana enough to finally trigger the enchantment." Travis flexed his fingers, forcing more and more mana into the sphere until the attracted water vapor condensed into a bead of water. "After that comes the hardest part, not letting it fall apart in combat." He demonstrated by gently banging his hand against the knight, causing the hovering thimble of water to ripple with instability.
Galehaut sighed, then to Travis' delight, clenched his jaw and redoubled his focus on his next attempt. He still ended up with some lines out of tolerance, but the number of overall errors had gone down. Sadly, their allotted time for practice was almost over, and the goliath had to quit before his elevated mana amperage grew too high.
Travis handed Galehaut the diagram to keep, then gave his neck and arms a quick stretch after the two parted, leaving me an opening to speak.
"You are aware that you just lied to him, right? His affinity should kick in to help once he tries activating it."
"I'm aware," Travis whispered into his arm as he brought it across his chest to stretch his shoulders, "but that will only ever apply to Water spells, and if he cobbles his enchantments together haphazardly, they'll be underpowered and too expensive for reliable use. It's better for him in the long run if he develops a habit of learning spell formations properly, especially if he wants to expand his repertoire. Besides, he's been putting in a lot of effort to teach me proper swordsmanship, it's only fair I return the favor."
"You know, I sometimes miss that little kid who'd loosen the ink jar lids at school when no one was looking..., but then I get reminded that he never truly left." Travis smirked at my comment, but my 360-degree sword vision spotted Vesril approaching, so I figured I better warn him, "Heads up. Edgelord is coming to talk."
The elven Ice Mage sauntered in next to Travis, leaned against the balustrade with his arms crossed, then cast off the Wind Mana collecting around his shield/snowboard to form a [Sound Barrier].
"Captain Adaline denied my request to go wake surfing. Said that boredom wasn't a compelling reason, and that I should be taking this time to 'become acquainted with my squadmates.'" He rolled his eyes behind the twin lens of Shadow Mana floating in front of them, not even bothering to hide the snark in his voice, "Hence why I'm here. Talking to you, the social bee of the battalion."
Travis' face went from confusion over why the anti-social elf was talking to him, to full-blown gobsmacked after being called a social bee, and for good reason too. Despite his best efforts to be more outgoing, Travis was still an introvert at heart, preferring to hang over the railing and watch the scenery pass by (or sneaking below deck to coddle his nameless horse), instead of playing cards or sharing stories. Heck, it was only a year ago that Travis was turning down offers from the other boys in his village to visit Lakewell Fortress, actively ignoring Ingrid's attempts at flirting, and spending every waking hour training to become a mage.
"Figures..." The punk-rock elf covered in piercings muttered after Travis failed to respond, "The one time I actually do what my dad wanted... and you become tongue-tied."
He reached into an elongated pouch to touch a wand he carried, then cast a [Remote Ear] spell in sync with one of the frequencies to start listening to the fantasy equivalent of a gothic metal band. The dark atmospheric undertones crossed with harsh vocals eventually snapped Travis out of his stupor, and they listened in until the end of the current song.
"This is... different. Does this band just happen to be performing right now, or do they take turns with others?"
Vesril groaned, clearly annoyed that he'll have to actually talk, "The band playing right now, Stonebreaker Tempest, is one of a dozen bands booked to play their set once per day on this frequency."
Travis nodded along, tapping the helmet clipped to his belt, "Huh, I guess it never occurred to me that Message channels could be dedicated to music instead of long-range communication."
The Ice Mage shrugged, "Not surprised. Used to be impossible to stop some duck-feathered asshole from adding their own inputs and shitting over everything. But about a calendar cycle back, some genius finally figured out how to make a relay artifice that didn't distort or pollute sound enough to make your ears bleed." He gestured at the spell as it started outputting a new song, "The channel jockey I pay manages a master feed with a dozen other guys, then distributes copied signals. Either a private one like mine, or a shared channel that only needs a couple dozen people to reset in case a mudfoot gets a hold of it."
The two kept talking, but I got distracted by a fast-approaching ship entering the outermost range of my vision and sent out my focus out to get a clearer picture. It was of an older Lakelander style (Viking longship from my old world), but what really caught my attention was the two mana users on board. A woman wearing a wide brimmed hat inexpertly using Wind Mana to fill the sails and propel the vessel faster, and a man with a very blatant Fire Affinity with matching inscribed sword manning the rudder.
The unknown ship exited the river connecting to the lake we were on, and as if guided by fate, turned to face us.
Artificer Volmaegar, standing watch at the prowl, spotted the target and called it in, "Captain, unknown vessel on approach." The beardless then flipped down the visor on their helmet, and pumped Metal Mana into the glass while triggering their mana sight, "I'm seeing over a dozen rowers, a Wind Witch, and... Rust! Confirmed pirate, Verain the Scorcher."
"Prepare the cannon." Ordered Ship Captain Sampson. He then turned to face an approaching Captain Adaline, "Normally I'm obligated to pursue and eliminate any and all threats, but..." The ship captain tilted his head towards Seleyna.
The Royal Knight nodded grimly, "The safety of the princess supersedes that, plus..." she paused to glance at Travis and the other gathering teenagers before whispering, "I'm not a fan of having kids blooding their swords."
Volmaegar interrupted with an update, "We've been spotted... they're turning tail."
Captain Sampson grimaced as he adjusted the wheel, "I need orders..."
Adaline clenched her jaw with indecision but got saved by Raven Four speaking over the Message channel.
"My team is willing to capture all targets, we only require the mages to disable the enemy ship."
I saw the tension bleed from Adaline, and after exchanging nods with Captain Aguk, messaged over the battalion's channel, "All squadrons prepare for combat."
Taking over command, the spartan leader turns into a possessed man as he barks out orders in and out of everyone's helmets, sending the knights and spartans of each squad to the edges of the main deck; Travis, Vesril, and the Creeksmith twins to the foredeck; then assigning Seleyna, Drozuk, Mattius, and Treblana to guard the aft deck. This, I assume, doesn't go over well with the princess... given that her fingers are clenching quite visibly around her bow as she prepares it, but she manages to hide her annoyance in time before her bodyguard turns around and gives a "you will stay right there where it is safe" glare.
Captain Sampson focuses on his attunement with the artifice engine, then begins to ramp up the crystal mana embedded into the gears turning the propeller, causing them to spin faster and faster, until Warden's Hammer increases speed enough to slowly begin catching up, giving everyone on board enough time to get into position before attack. Wanting to get a good view of the action, I moved my focus to sit behind Travis, who is looking like a proper badass wizard at the starboard prowl, poleaxe held in his right hand and his left extended to cast a mixed trio of Orb spells in preparation, waiting in anticipation for the action to start.
A trio of [Fire Bolts] from the mages sounds off the attack, all three aimed high at the sails, but the Wind Witch onboard the pirate ship counters with a swipe of synced Air Mana through the spells to disrupt the formations. Her cloud of mana then raises high in the air before brutally slamming down to deflect a follow-up volley of [Water Bolts] targeting the rowers.
Interesting... I've never gotten to see a witch use magic before. Well... I guess I technically saw Brains back in the day, but he was showing off for a crowd, and wasn't exactly using a completely legal style. Now that I have a comparison, his spellcasting looked more like a halfway point between mages and witches. This lady isn't using spell formations at all, just using the natural pull energetic mana has on matter to force the air to do her bidding and summon strong gusts of wind.
Her witchcraft seems effective too, the mages on the foredeck can't get anything past her, but... as the onslaught from Travis and the twins continues, the more and more obvious it is that her strategy doesn't have staying power. Infusing her mana evenly into the environment is exposing it to getting discharged at a higher rate, which means she needs to keep pumping out more and more freshly synced mana to keep her dominance. Sure, the higher the pulse-rate of mana, the stronger the pull, and the more bang for her buck she's getting with each mote, but I can already see her internal mana amperage pushing into Stage 2 mana sickness. If she doesn't give up soon, she'll go feral.
Warden's Hammer keeps a respectable distance as it pulls parallel to the pirate ship, letting the mages on the aft deck contribute, but despite the pounding the enemy ship is taking (or the looming cannon a very eager artificer is pointing at them), the pirates still refuse to give up.
Growing irritated at having to contribute more than minimal effort, Vesril loses his patience, and pulls his weapon by the handle to lay atop his outstretched arm. Mana flows off his body onto the shield, levitating just off the surface to create three long condensing array lines to summon a cylinder of water in the center. He then adds in additional lines on each end to create forward-pointing triangular flanges, a wide and long set at the base to act as fuel for propulsion and a smaller set at the tip for stabilization.
And... I just now realized why they're called Arrow spells...
The Ice Mage chuckles as he extends his left hand and molds a trio of Wind Arrays into a wind tunnel before he calls out, "Is that the best your feeble magic can do? Let me show you your place human."
The [Water Arrow] launches, and an eye-blink later, a thunderous crack erupts from the pirate ship as a shotgun spray of wooden shards assault the rowers on the other side. The Wind Witch screams in agony as she's hit with debris then looks up in horror as the mast holding up the sails topples over like a falling tree.
Capitalizing on the distraction, the commandos launch their attack, leaping over the knights and spartans, and diving into the water. Except for Raven Four, who goes full ninja and sprints across the lake surface, using his summoned cloak of Shadow to leave behind a mana clone each time he zigs and zags.
Beserking into a rage, Verian the scorcher draws his sword and summons a torrent of Fire Mana into his palm, crushing it till it concentrates into Light Mana, then launches it at the dozen Shadow clones leaping onto the ship. It's not enough to fully negate the spell with the opposing mana type, but it is enough for Verian to quickly spot the real commando and slash with his sword.
Raven Four narrowly dodges by rolling onto the deck, then is forced to leap back when Verian continues his swing while activating the sword inscription to not only coat the weapon in flames but spew out Fire out the false edge like a gods and God-damned rocket, propelling his body to move in a fast 360 to try and finish his foe with an overhand chop.
Holy crap! That is the most awesomest weapon ever!
"I know! Right?" Travis chimes in, fully in sync with my excitement. "That's definitely getting added to the list of possible inscriptions for my poleaxe."
Really Travis? I get to watch a pirate get into a sword fight with a ninja, and you have to ruin the moment?
I ignore the traitorous bastard, opting to watch closely as Raven Four continues the fight, weaving and bobbing through Verian's attacks by using his summoned cloak to obscure his movements, before creating a false arm with his mana, and tosses a dagger at an exposed limb. The weapon flies true, penetrating deep into the pirate's leg, and causing him to cry out loudly in pain. The distraction is more than enough for the commando to go on the offensive, who kicks out the legs beneath the rapscallion, palms the enemy's skull, then pulsates every mote of mana in his body at once to provide the force needed to bury Verian into the wooden deck with a heavy thud.
A pained groan escapes the pirate, letting me know he wasn't dead (yet), but Raven Four takes no chances, breaking all four shins and forearms with heel stomps, then gently picks up the inscribed sword. He then checks his surroundings, nodding with approval that his team was able to successfully secure their onlooking targets by swimming under the ship and attacking from behind, then returns his attention back down.
"So," Raven Four growls, "care to explain why a well-known pirate is traveling on a main thoroughfare?"
Verian wheezes but manages to get enough air to spit up blood and a single word, "Behemoth..."
Well... fuck. That's not good.

First - Previous - Next
Brun
A cadet entered a dimly lit room, guards in similar uniform, but outfitted with black and yellow equipment, flanked her silently. One of them extending a clawed hand and pressed it into her back as they moved. Halfway across the room she was pushed to the ground, with a gun barrel to the back of her skull and tears welling up in fear.
"So what have you found?" a low growl made her shiver.
The cadet retold her findings with barely contained whimpering "... they've been going at the frig-frigate scenario!"
"Tsk~ Maya is actually trying to win for once... Get back in their machines, do what is good for your health..." The growling woman leaned out of the shadow, her jet black fur melding almost perfectly, that is until her devious grin bared a sharp row of teeth.
"Y-y-yes Dmoyra... I mean Mistress Twa'Lim!" The cadet cried out as she was lifted back to her feet, one guard escorting her out as the other was wiping the floor, where the cadet had just been kneeling with her face pressed against the cold tiles, a vague imprint of makeup left behind.
Just as the door closed again Dmoyra grumbled barely audible "Pff... pathetic. Can't even have a little fun, they all just start crying from the get go." Her fingers traced over a framed picture next to her. "Sis was right... toys used to be a lot sturdier back in her days. Go get me one of my fun toys~"
The other guard that had remained in the middle of the room bowed slightly and snapped a perfect salute. "At once my Mistress!" Two more guards stepped up next to her and bowed similarly, before all three exited hastily.
"Ahh~ I love my competent little bitches~" Dmoyra settled back in her seat, the wicked grin and piercing eyes being the only betrayal that one was even sitting there to begin with.
Kennway was currently going through the unending flood of paperwork, when a buzz informed him of an unannounced visitor waiting in front of his office door. Glancing at the current time his confusion only rose, as it was already in the late hours, way past Jeannas usual unannounced visits. With a raised brow he paused his work and tapped his communicator, confirming the entrance request.
A Desert Nagasha entered, a nervous expression on her face, wearing a species modified Undaunted uniform. She came to a stop and saluted as she was taught, her mind running on automatic instincts that had been drilled into her brain. "Private Tsiera reporting in..." Almost. "Sir."
"At ease." Kennway waved off, causing Tsiera to visibly relax. "Well, seems like everything is on schedule. No rest for the wicked~" He sighed as he scratched his chin, clearing his throat and adopting the appropriate facade for his position. "Your current orders for now, will be to sign up with the academy and get acclimated to how things work, till the rest of your team arrives. Estimated time of arrival is within three days, which leaves us with enough time for each of you to sign up and go planetside per public group shuttle at the end of the week. As soon as you're signed up you're free to contact Lieutenant Ramon and the others to officially join their crew..."
"Yes!" Tsiera fist pumped slightly.
"Ahem~ I'm appointing you for the time being as the temporary team leader, so be sure to brief the other ladies on the process. I'm also hereby officially reminding you about your duties, responsibilities and laws you've sworn to uphold and enforce, should you find the discipline, loyalty or credibility of other recruits to be questionable. If at any point you're unsure, please do not hesitate to seek contact higher in the chain of command to ask for guidance. This is not only for the safety of Undaunted personnel, but also for your own safety, your comrades safety and the safety of civilians. Any questions?"
Slightly caught off guard Tsiera hesitated, but slowly nodded in understanding after a few seconds of deliberation. "No Sir. Thank you Sir."
"Good." Kennway smiled softly. "Then I wish you a good day and again... If any problems arise, we're here for you." he waited for her to nod once more. "Dismissed."
The visibly excited woman left as quickly as she had appeared, leaving Kennway to resume his work. He sent a quick note to his co-workers to adjust the work schedule accordingly and redirect new arrivals to their corresponding temporary team leaders. If Pirate ended up adopting the temporary leader structure to his crew and promote them to officers or not, was not for Kennway to decide, for him and the Information department, it was simply an easy solution to spread the workload.
Planetside~
Diesel, Tanza, Moyra and Zuulyth were navigating the confusing corridors of the academy with the help of Diesels communicator. Their current destination being the gym class, specifically Diesels class. The notification had struck him as a bit odd, but he didn't think much about it at the time, yet he still wondered why he was instructed of some kind of limit of three 'guardians'.
Though it would seem that the workout they were looking for was not what they were going to get. At least not here...
When they entered the 'gym' class, they were greeted by a very small group of other cadets, a total of seven to be exact. Two of which were men, more or less at least, with the other five being women. On a nearby platform stood another man and another woman, both of which wearing the distinct uniforms of academy instructors. As they approached, Diesel couldn't miss the confused stare he was getting from the male instructor and the other cadets.
The other instructor on the other hand, they'd already had the pleasure of having met. The scarred Horchka merely nodded slightly, before her gaze returned to scan over the people, her piercing gaze seemingly lingering on the different women.
"Well, better late than never." The male instructor motioned towards the equipment currently in use by the other men. Not wanting to cause a scene Diesel just followed along and stepped up onto one of the oversized treadmills. His foot sinking in deep into the soft and apparently cushioned material, a glance to the side showed the other men were not even remotely sinking in as much as he was.
'Probably just gotta turn it on, or something...' He shrugged and did just that.
"He's quite cute isn't he?" He overheard Moyra whispering from his side, he followed her gaze to a Nagasha 'man' that was struggling to keep pace even with the other men.
"Cute, yes... but first he needs to grow a bit more and then get in shape." Zuulyth commented, gesturing to their husband. "Now, thanks to... well our husbands, I've been wondering why I've never considered bulkier men, you know? With some muscles and ..."
"The answer to that, is desperation Zuulyth." Diesel interjected. "Consider the Undaunted point of view, with what we've found on not only Centris, but so many other places as well." His jaw tightened. "Desperation caused by the circumstances of how few men are born amongst the other species, leaving women to do frankly unspeakable things..." With anger gripping his emotions, he didn't realize how much force he put in motion, by this point it wasn't even the treadmill accelerating beneath his feet, but his feet accelerating the belt with each push.
While the other 'men' were going at a rather relaxed jog, they were quickly interrupted in their rhythm by the obscene sounds of a machine being used, the 'correct' way. Diesel was still sinking in to his ankles into the soft material, but had more than doubled their pace already. The equipment in question not even being made to handle such a dense load with such speed, didn't even cross his mind before foot finally punched through, causing the large belt to catch, split and, in the end, shred itself against the intruding foot. Rubbery pellets flying across the room, accompanied by the startled screams from several people, men and women alike, accentuated by the gurgling barking laugh echoing through the background, coming from the Horchka instructor.
A strange silence settled over the room, only interrupted by even more laughter as the female instructor curled up holding her stomach. The only other man that hadn't hit the deck to dive for cover, was the male instructor, who was running over in a panic. "By-the-void-is-everything-alright?!" he squealed entirely too fast.
"Huh... uh.. huh? Uhhh??" Diesel pulled his eyes away from his foot and glanced at the panicked man, then back down at his foot, still trying to puzzle together what just happened. All women, except for one, were still frozen in horror, surprise and awe, till Tanza snapped out of it and dragged Diesel off the demolished machine.
"Are you hurt?! Where does it hurt? Get the medical team quickly! Don't worry cadet..."
Diesel however was simply rubbing his foot and shin as if somebody had kicked it lightly. "Uhm, Instructor sir..." The man paused, leaning in and placing a supporting hand on Diesels shoulder. "I'm fine, really. Sorry for the ruckus, but I'm unharmed, sir."
"But-! You? But..." The other man glanced down at the 'gruesome wound'. Minor scratch marks, which upon further inspection were actually being caused by Diesels own fingernails. "But... what? How?" Without even asking Diesel, he squatted down to poke and prod the leg, even squeezing as hard as he could with both hands. "What the fuck..." both mumbled for very different reasons.
"You're certain you're a male specimen?" The instructor blurted out.
"He is a Human. Instructor Opyon." The Horchka chimed in, still grinning. "You know? The Undaunted. The newcomers that have been giving anyone from Dzedin to Apuk a run for their credits?"
"But if he's truly a man, then how... is he so... so... so female?" Opyon gave Diesels shin a slight punch, only to flinch back himself, rubbing his knuckles.
"I'm still here, also that's kind of rude..." Diesel grumbled.
"Well Duncan~"
"It's Diesel, Ma'am." He corrected the Horchka.
"Right, right... Diesel." She glanced to her coworker, who was still muttering incoherently under his breath. "I'm making an executive decision, to allow an exception for you, if you wish to attend gym training, you can use the womens gym. You may take twenty guardians with you, to ensure your safety."
"I don't think that'll be necessary, Ma'am."
The grin on the Horchkas face widened. "Sure... sure... wanna bet on that?"
"On second thought... thank you for your advice." Something about that grin creeped Diesel out and having given the thought just a mere moment to think it over, he recognized that there might actually be a necessity for him to take their wives along. Even if it would just be as a deterrent.
"Clever Boy." She turned to the other men, giving them a once over. "Get those asses moving or I'll ensure double gym exercise for the next decade!" the Horchka barked loudly, causing not just the other cadets, but even her coworker to snap back to attention and resume their training.
All while Diesel and his entourage made their way out, once more searching for their re-assigned gym class.
Pirate scratched the light fluff on his chin as his mind worked through the logistics problem he'd been assigned to solve. In front of him were several diagrams, charts and all the other specifications that had been worked out over this assignment. Coincidentally the logistics he's working on right now, were logistics of another kind of logistic.
"Mhmnhnmmm... 250 per ship carried, 1000 per ship expended... mhh... piggyback...no no no..." He froze mid thought as he recalled a certain incident of a fellow Undaunted abusing a tool meant to dismantle shiphulls. "Salvage!!" He cheered as the answer struck him like lightning.
"Ahem~" He cleared his throat. "I suggest the design for Munitions carriers such as PM-1 to 3 and BOB-1 to 4 to be adjusted in the following way. Manipulating limbs with tractor beam capabilities and salvage equipment to clean up and disassemble ship debris, using the free cargo space to carry back salvaged material. This has the added benefit that they'd carry the necessary tools, should an emergency call for the need to cut through or modify major parts of a ships hull! Cadet... I mean, Fred has access to the blueprints of the ID2 construction shuttles, using the design for their 'arms' and scaling it up to fit cruiser size should be enough."
"PS: Sorry Fred. This whole captain thing... you get it." He added after a moment.
*BZZZZ* The door buzzed.
"Hm?" His head turned, upon realizing it must be some kind of official thing, since none of their wives or his team mates would bother with ringing the doorbell so to say, he hurried back to his desk, placing his communicator upon it as he sent off the message. "Enter." he said, opening the door with a gesture.
A tall Lopen woman with golden blonde hair and similar, yet slightly dimmer fur, entered, followed by two foreign women, presumably her guards and then by Julia, Alexia, Moyra and Joker. Instantly he was able to recognize her rank and position in her advanced captain cadet uniform.
"Captain Ramon." the Lopen inclined her head.
"Captain..." He frowned somewhat as he drew a blank on her name.
She smirked and bowed dramatically. "Soulburns. Captain Maya Soulburns."
Jokers eyes widened and his jaw clenched visibly, but Pirate merely nodded. "Thank you. Captain Soulburns. To what do i owe this pleasure?"
"Oho~ pleasure? Well seems like my sources weren't as outrageous in their claims as I thought~" Maya licked her lips as she stared Pirate up and down. "Human men really are different~"
Pirate blinked, then pinched the bridge of his nose. "While I'll refrain from confirming or denying any conclusions you might've come to right now. I'll instead clarify that what i just said a saying to convey a positive outlook and stimulate the conversation. Captain Soulburns." He gestured to a seat.
The smirk on Mayas face widened to a full blown grin. "No worries Captain Ramon~ You can stimulate me all you want~" Her snicker was accompanied by Jokers suppressed snort, which was quickly hidden by some half assed attempt to be played off as a cough.
"I'll give you that one~"
"You'll~?"
"No! I meant the humorous phrasing... not the stimulation. Now why... are you here?" Pirates exasperation grew by the second.
"Fine, fine~ Ahem." Maya straightened up in the chair. "I am here, Captain Ramon, to offer an alliance for the upcoming tournament and beyond. As the senior crew we'd help in your crews training and give further advice in traversing and handling the intricate academy workings. We'd only require your forfeit if our crews end up paired against~"
"We decline." Pirate cut in.
"B-but?!"
"I'm sorry Captain Soulburns, but I... We have to decline this offer. We're participating with full intent of winning."
"But you're a guy?" One of Mayas guards mumbled, with Maya subconsciously nodding along.
"So? Apart from that statement being sexist... didn't you say yourself 'Human men are different'? I'd like to believe that many men, even from other species could make pretty good captain material, if the broad spectrum of society just stopped coddling them so much. That doesn't mean that I think women make for bad captains, no, just that you're smothering men by being overprotective." Pirates hand waved out towards the window, still holding eye contact.
Several moments of silence passed before Maya got up again. "Damn, you actually got me quite excited now, even hoping we're getting paired against each other, heh. Alright. I can feel the will behind your words, so there is no reason for me to doubt your resolve. Just know that we're not going to go easy on you and your crew, even if you have several men in it. We too are joining with every intent to win. Good luck and may the better crew win." She smirked slightly.
"Wouldn't have it otherwise." Pirate nodded and got up, holding out his hand to her which she reciprocated in a handshake.
Only Joker remained behind with Pirate, whilst Maya and her guards were escorted out.
"Heh... unfortunate name." Joker elbowed Pirate.
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Phonetics... May-A Soul~" Joker trailed off towards the end, rolling the name a bit, grinning the whole way through.
"You're.... you're the worst..." Pirates jaw clenched similarly to Jokers at the beginning, biting his lip to hold his tongue, though not without smacking the german on the head.
"Arrrr~ Arrr captain!" Joker let out, shit eating on full blast as he was laughing, occasionally wheezing and slapping his leg.
"The absolute worst..." He kicked the laughing mess that was Joker, but not without smirking to himself.
Previous - Next

PART NINE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-SIX
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Saturday
It had still been daylight when the Portsmith family jet touched down at Teterboro Airport, but by the time Donald drove Helen to the apartment, the night sky was out, and the city was aglow with millions of artificial lights.
Donald rode up in the elevator with her and walked her to her front door, but as she slid her keycard into the lock, he cleared his throat behind her. “Ma’am…”
Helen was sore, tired, and absolutely not in the mood for anything Donald had to say at that moment. “Don’t,” she warned, pushing her way inside. “Just … don’t say anything. Not tonight.”
When she glanced over her shoulder, Donald’s stoic expression remained unchanged as he dipped his head to acknowledge her command.
Helen felt her lip curl in a weary sneer before she moved farther into the apartment. “MRS KENDRICKS!” she bellowed as she tossed her handbag on the coffee table in the living room, not caring where the maid was. “Run me a bath and fetch me a glass of wine! No, a whole bottle of wine! I’ve earned it.”
In the distance, she heard the front door close with an automated click of its lock and gave it no mind. Donald would see to it that the locks were all appropriately engaged. She glanced into the home office on her way to the master bedroom to see if Tucker was in there, and when he wasn’t, she assumed he was probably still at work. The man certainly did like to work.
By the time she reached the bedroom, it had occurred to her that she couldn’t hear running water. “MRS KENDRICKS!” she shouted again, adding more zing to her tone so the old bag would know she wasn’t messing around. “GET IN HERE!”
The silence of the apartment was annoying. “DONALD!”
More silence.
“What in the world…?!” she growled, now searching the apartment earnestly. “Where is everyone?!” She did three complete laps of the apartment before returning to the master bedroom. It wasn’t until she searched Tucker’s walk-in closet that she realised his clothes were all missing. “Oh, this is getting ridiculous,” she snapped, storming back to the living room, where she dumped her handbag. She dialled Tucker and lifted it to her ear.
The call was picked up; however, just as before, it wasn’t Tucker who answered.
“Hello, Helen,” Martin said with so much icy venom that she was surprised her phone hadn’t frozen solid. “I take it you had a nice flight?”
“Oh, shut up and put my husband on!”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. You see, that would violate the restraining order placed on you.”
“Then where the hell are you?! I’ll come over…”
“Perhaps you are unaware of what a restraining order comprises of, which is surprising as it should have been spelled out in the paperwork you were served with right before you left Pensacola.”
“You can’t keep my husband from me! This is kidnapping!”
“No one is keeping you from Tucker but the man himself. It’s over, Helen, and it’s been a long time coming. Goodbye.”
The disconnection beeps that rang in her ear had her screeching in outrage. “DONALD!”
Still no answer.
She went to call him, only to remember she’d broken his phone earlier that afternoon. Her anger reached a point where she became light-headed, and she forced herself to sit down for a moment and focus on her breathing. Her forearms rested on her knees as she stared at her handbag. Like everything about her, it was a large handbag (more like a tote), and with a final huff, she reached forward and unzipped it.
The paperwork that that asshole cop had tricked her into taking was easy enough to find, and seconds later, she’d sat back on the sofa and opened the first page. Tucker’s new residential address had been listed as a place she couldn’t go, along with the office building whose upper floors housed the company.
“This is ridiculous!” she snapped, but at least she knew where he was, and Sun Tzu said it best. ‘Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak’. In the fine print, she saw that if Tucker broke the restraining order himself, the whole thing went away, and she knew exactly how to make him do that.
“DONALD!”
It was worth trying, even though she suspected he’d gone scurrying back to Tucker now that they were in New York. She called Phillipa a dozen times for that fat skank to do her one job, and even she was ignoring her.
Helen was seething with rage, promising all manner of retribution when this was straightened out. The problem was that being the weekend, Phillipa’s was the only phone number she had for after-hours.
Which meant she had to find her own transport.
Something she hadn’t had to do in almost thirty years.
Twenty minutes later, Helen stepped out of the taxi, shuddering in horror as it sped off the moment she’d shut the door. All the clothes she was wearing would need to be burned for touching the awful-smelling seats of that disgusting vehicle. She had used her card and paid exactly what the fare required because such a menial means of transportation didn’t deserve a tip.
But this was step one in her plan to get Tucker back.
Looking up at the apartment block, she had to remind herself that the outside was a façade. It had to be. The people living there were richer than God, and no one would select a tacky apartment building for their family if they didn’t have to.
Squaring her shoulders, she slipped her handbag over her shoulder and fluffed her hair before heading up the stairs to the building’s front door.
Donald should have been here to do this for me, she grumbled inwardly to herself. She hadn’t dismissed him, which meant he should have still been with her.
Not knowing exactly where in the building she would find Geraldine; she started with the first button and worked her way from there.
1F finally answered.
“Hello?” an old woman asked.
“Yes, hello. My daughter is living with the Arnavs, and she forgot her purse, so she asked me to pick it up on the way. Would you let me in so I can race up and get it?” Helen had no problem lying to the woman. She was obviously an underling who answered her own doorbell—a means to an end and nothing more.
“Such nice people, doing so much work to improve the apartment,” the old bat gushed. “Not that either of our households needs that elevator they put in, mind you. Between me being the only one left on the ground floor and all those fit young men and women taking over the whole second floor, we don’t need it, but everyone else above them is thrilled to have it working again after all this time.”
Helen gritted her teeth on the evisceration she wanted to land on the woman with for even daring to suggest that Geraldine should do something so mundane as taking the stairs. Nevertheless, the woman’s rambling gave her all the information she needed. She couldn’t picture too many apartments full of men moving into better accommodations that just so happened to have spent tens of thousands of dollars fixing up a broken elevator. That had Llyr Nascerdios written all over it.
“Yes, that’s them. Could you let me in, please?” As much as Helen despised asking anything of the senile old prune, she’d learned a long time ago it was the easiest way to get what she wanted. “My daughter’s—”
“Sweetie, you must be very new to New York City if you think anyone’s going to unlock their front door just because you’ve chosen that moment to remember your manners.” The speaker then clicked off.
Can I be any further humiliated?!
Just as she had with the ground floor, Helen buzzed the button to 2A with the determination to try every button on level two until she found them.
“Hello?” a strange male voice asked.
Not Sam … not Llyr … not that cop they brought with them to the apartment … but it could be one of the other roommates, and Helen needed to play nice. “Yes,” Helen said, determined not to ruin this before she achieved her objective. “My name is Helen Portsmith, and I’m here to visit my daughter Geraldine Portsmith.”
“One moment.” And for the second time in as many minutes, the speaker cut out.
Breathe, Helen. Breathe.
A short while later, the front door opened, and Geraldine stood in the half-open doorway. “Mom? What are you doing here?”
Mom? Helen gave her daughter a withering look until she remembered the bigger picture and shelved that rant for another time. Other people had a ‘mom’. Geraldine had a ‘mother’. She forced herself to smile instead. “Hey, baby. I came back early from Pensacola, and I was thinking we could surprise your father with dinner at Jean-Georges to show our appreciation for everything he’s doing for us. Just the three of us like before. He hasn’t seen you since last Sunday, and you know how he feels about staying in touch with us.”
Geraldine looked up at the apartment building above them, and Helen knew she needed to push. “Geraldine, this is important to your father. After everything he’s done for you, the least you can do is spare him an hour or two to have dinner with him.”
“Do I have time to get ready?” she asked, and Helen knew she had her. She also knew that she needed to keep her, and the only way to guarantee that was to prevent her from going back inside and hiding behind her boyfriend’s roommates. The common ones. Not the Nascerdios.
Helen shook her head and grabbed her daughter by the hand. “You can call them on the way and let them know where you are. Your father’s very busy, and even though he’ll be disappointed that you aren’t attempting to keep up your personal grooming to the standard he expects, he’ll still be happy to see you.”
“I-I guess…” Geraldine stammered hesitantly. “But where’s your car?”
“Your father has it,” she lied. “And Phillipa, that lazy witch, is not answering her phone, so we must make our own way.”
“I can call an Uber if you like?”
“Yes … a good quality one. You would not believe the means of transportation I was forced to endure coming here.”
“I don’t have my phone, but I could put the app on your phone and sign in as me…”
“Yes. That. Do it.” Refusing to release Geraldine now that she had her, Helen used her free hand to reach into her handbag and retrieve her phone. “Here.” She also moved them away from the apartment in case someone spotted them and tried to stop them from leaving. “Tell them we’ll meet them at the corner down there.”
“Mom, you’re hurting me.”
Helen gave her a firm shake. “I’ll hurt you a lot more if you ever call me Mom again like some common hussy. Now, come on.”
She turned and pulled Geraldine along and, as such, completely missed the positively murderous look that her daughter levelled at the back of her head.
* * *
Whenever someone popped by our apartment unexpectedly, there was usually a commotion in the living room. Some indication of who was there, be it my family or Lucas’. That was why, after a few seconds of nothing, I left our bedroom and headed into the common area where Robbie was packing all the extra things Gerry and I had bought for the party into Voila. All the things that would fit in it, anyway.
He looked up at me and smiled. “You can’t still be hungry, Sam,” he said, his voice thick with amusement as he eyed my bloated stomach.
I rubbed my overstuffed belly. “Oh, no. I’m one empanada away from becoming a human explosive device. No, I was just curious: Who buzzed us? Was it an accident?”
Robbie shrugged. “I don’t know. Quent answered it and left, saying he’d take care of it.”
My curiosity was tweaked for a second, but then I shrugged it aside. Rubin was with me, and if I needed to know what Quent was up to, I’d be told soon enough. “Well, alrighty then,” I said, doing an about-face. “This little black duck is going back to his cave.”
“Shut the door this time, turkey,” Robbie called after me. “Unless you want professional pointers on the matter.”
I flipped him off with both middle fingers as I walked away from his cackling and returned to my room.
Heeding Robbie’s advice, I shut and locked the door, then crossed the room and slid under the covers to snuggle my girl from behind.
[Next Chapter]
* * *
((All comments welcome. Good or bad, I’d love to hear your thoughts 🥰🤗))
I made a family tree/diagram of the Mystallian family that can be found here
For more of my work, including WPs: Angel466 or an index of previous WPS here.
FULL INDEX OF BOB THE HOBO TO DATE CAN BE FOUND HERE!!

PART NINE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FIVE
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Saturday
Three times, Levi stood under the spray of the most amazing shower he’d ever been in and thought about turning off the shower now that he was clean. Three times, his body refused to act on his decision. He even placed his hands on the faucets but then closed his eyes and relished the last few seconds that dragged on for a minute or two.
No! Turn them Off! NOW! He ordered himself and watched his hands until they twisted the knobs, slowing the multiple-head flow until it ceased completely.
The child in him whined at the loss, but the adult insisted it should have happened the first time around. As the voices in his head argued, he reached out and grabbed the towel Charlotte had left out for him. Charlie! She wants to be called Charlie!
Given the well-known Snoopy comic character with the same name, it was hard for him to accept his little sister wanted that association. Yeah, Charlie Brown was a nice guy, buuuut… It’s what she wants, his inner voice reminded him. And he was sure if he wanted to be called ‘Groo’, she’d do it for him.
Like everything else in this place, the towels had a sense of luxury that, as far as Levi was concerned, bordered on insane. They were thick and fluffy, and if he were home, he’d lay down on the bed and pretend to be a chrysalis, complete with days of hibernation (though he’d skip the part where almost his entire body would liquefy and then reform into something entirely different, even if that did mean he could fly afterwards).
He pat-dried his injured leg first, then removed the protective cover. The rest of himself came next. Once he was done, he held up the lounge pants that Charlie had also left out for him and frowned at the soft fabric that he knew wouldn’t have a prayer of getting over his medical boot. Nevertheless, he owed it to her to try, so hobbling over to the toilet, he once more sat on the lid and eased his feet into the legs.
“Well, damn,” he swore after he used the wall to stand up. He balanced on his good leg and swung his injured one away and then around to the front, appreciating both the comfort and flexibility of the clothing he normally wouldn’t be seen dead wearing. I just might have to rethink my thinking on these. They were shorter than he would have liked, creeping up his ankle, but the added bulk of his baby brother made up for the added width of the boot. There was enough give that if it weren’t for the foot of the boot still showing, no one would even know he was wearing one. “Not bad, Tiny Tim.”
He hung the towel up and left the bathroom in search of his daughter and her new bestest friend. He hadn’t meant to be so suspicious of Boyd’s friend, but this was his little girl, and everyone needed to be vetted thoroughly before they could spend alone time with her. He’d heard too many horror stories growing up (one of the main reasons he’d gone into firefighting and not law enforcement. Well, that … and the chicks digged firefighters way more than cops – ask anyone).
He reached the edge of the hallway wall and leaned against the back of an older leather recliner that didn’t really fit into the décor of the place and watched his baby girl go into excruciating detail as to why Mr Krabs was far more important than Squidward. Larry (and hats off to him, the man was sticking it out when many others had bailed), was listening like she was unveiling the secrets of the universe, and then offered counterarguments to why his favourite character was at the very least just as important. After a few seconds, Levi rested his head against the wall, content with simply watching them.
“I think you need to put your daddy to bed,” he heard Larry stage whisper and immediately pulled himself back up onto his feet.
“Not a bad idea, Peaches,” he agreed then glanced up at Larry, who was watching him with a critical eye. “I was on the night shift last night. Six till six, and I went in four hours early to work drills with the whole house. I haven’t been to bed yet.”
Larry nodded and lifted Maddy off the couch, setting her onto her feet. “Go to Daddy, baby. He needs you.”
Maddy flew around the sofa, wrapping her tiny arms around his thigh. “I take care you,” she declared.
Levi mouthed ‘thank you’ at Larry (who nodded silently in return), then hooked his hand behind her back and herded her down towards their room.
* * *
For a lunchtime party, it was almost dark by the time Boyd and Lucas said goodbye to Boyd’s cousin Emily and her beau, who had stayed back after everyone else had left. Lucas had never been more thankful for his family all having young kids, and for being forceful enough with his friends and workmates to prevent the party from devolving into a drunken mess where half the guests would have to arrest the other half.
He wasn’t sure when Robbie had invited Daniel, but he was just as grateful to have him on site when Pepper’s roommate turned up as Pepper’s Plus-One. He’d been about to confront her on the PG rating of this party (and the distinct lack of PG in what Sarah was wearing as well as her behaviour) when Daniel intercepted him and told him to relax and enjoy the party—that and how he and the true gryps would take care of security.
Meeting Boyd’s family was a fantastic surprise, though as soon as they could be excused, Lucas dragged Boyd up to the mezzanine and made it very clear he wasn’t happy with his fiancé because Boyd had never introduced them to his New York family before now. It was ridiculous. How could someone live eight years with someone and never meet their family who lived on the other side of the same city?
He’d been a little hurt, too, especially when Boyd admitted they’d wanted to meet everyone, but he kept them back. “Why would you do that?” he asked, unable to think of one good reason and plenty of horrible ones.
“They represented my past, and the apartment was my future. I guess I was scared if you heard I’d been in the institute…”
“But I already knew that! Robbie and I both did!”
“I didn’t know that, did I?”
“Oh, my God! Boyd, I swear on all that’s holy, if I didn’t love you so much, I would kill you right now!”
Boyd had probably done the only thing he could think of to defuse Lucas’ righteous anger: he pushed him up against the wall and kissed him until he stopped struggling and melted into the power play. It worked, but they both then had to endure catcalls and a reminder of the party's PG rating.
Boyd had blushed when they’d broken apart, and Lucas had reefed one hand free enough to slap him in the stomach. “Don’t think for one second that’s always going to work,” he warned, but then kneecapped his indignant stance by licking his lips and grinning like an idiot.
At least Boyd had agreed to take his cousin on as an accountant to keep it in the family. It was a step in the right direction.
Given the way Sarah had grafted herself to Levi’s roommate and almost brother-in-law, he wasn’t surprised when Robbie said he had Levi crashing in the training room with Maddy. Robbie then went on to say in no uncertain terms that they were only told that so they wouldn’t be surprised if they crossed paths with them either through the night or in the morning. They were otherwise Robbie’s responsibility.
Which, quite honestly, suited Lucas. A whole afternoon with his family on their own was draining enough, but with workmates from two different walks of life and all the bedlam that went into herding cats, plus an hour of Boyd showing Emily just what he’d done so far in terms of accounting, and Lucas was ready to call time. That, or a police raid.
Lucas and Sivan sat to one side with very little in common but determined to find something to bond over. Of all things, comics had been it. The only difference was, Sivan was very much Camp DC and Lucas leaned more towards Marvel. They each ended up explaining in great detail why their side would win a fight against the equivalent number on the other side.
“Lobo would kick Wolverine’s backside all day long,” Sivan insisted.
“Not when Lobo’s addictions kick him out of play. Wolverine can do it all and still be in tip-top form.”
Emily must have guessed how much Lucas wasn’t enjoying his time with Sivan, for suddenly, she was packing things up and turning the computer off, wishing them both a great evening.
Boyd and Lucas walked them out, and once they drove out of sight, Lucas sagged against his fiancé. “Take me to bed,” he said in all seriousness.
“If I didn’t think it would embarrass you, I’d throw you over my shoulder and carry you there,” Boyd promised.
At least they were on the same page now.
The pair pounded back up the stairs and raced through the apartment, saying a quick goodnight to anyone they encountered on their way to the bedroom.
Lucas may have stayed ahead of him, but he wasn’t quick enough to dodge the arms that wrapped around his waist, driving him forward across the bed. He was quickly rolled over before the wall of muscle was once again on top of him. “Now, you’re officially mine,” Boyd said right before their lips crashed together.
There was no subtlety in either of their movements after that.
[Next Chapter]
* * *
((All comments welcome. Good or bad, I’d love to hear your thoughts 🥰🤗))
I made a family tree/diagram of the Mystallian family that can be found here
For more of my work, including WPs: Angel466 or an index of previous WPS here.
FULL INDEX OF BOB THE HOBO TO DATE CAN BE FOUND HERE!!