I didn't understand why Beatrice was having so many problems with her new skill. I watched as she focused on her breath again, her brow furrowed, and her eyes narrowed. Air rushed to fill her chest as she attempted to breathe in. But as her lungs inflated, she shook her head and frowned before resetting back to her previous position.
She had explained the skill to , of course. However, I found myself unable to provide much more insight. It seed as natural as cleaning was to .
I watched as she held the rock in front of her face and focused again. I had shown her how it worked several tis, but for so reason, her mind just didn't let her do it. I beeped worriedly as she focused on the top of the carpet as we sped closer and closer to the city.
Our dragon friend and his companion talked quietly amongst themselves, discussing sothing, but I was too busy splitting my focus between Beatrice and the capital. It had been a long flight back ho. I had resisted the urge to zip ahead and check on things myself. Instead, I was using the winds to greatly speed up our progress. I might have been able to get there a little bit faster alone, but we would all arrive within the day this way.
Thankfully, my worries didn't seem like they'd been warranted. My sensors were telling that the city walls still stood way off in the distance, just over the horizon. Soon, the others were able to see them, too. The wall stood tall and unblemished. No host surrounded the capital, and our flags still flew.
I let out a whir of relief, my actuators releasing their tension. I projected the image I saw above my head, and the other three all similarly let out big sighs of relief.
Beatrice, though, was still concerned. "And the castle? Is the college as safe as the capitol?"
That was a good question. I was reasonably certain that the castle would be safe, but
Archibald and Daedalus frowned. "We shall continue on there," Daedalus rumbled. "I need to visit my lair. We will make sure that it is safe and drive off any threats that may be nearby. You two should check on the capital, though. Let us know if there's anything wrong. We'll keep in touch."
I beeped my appreciation and waved goodbye as the dragon banked slightly. His massive form sparkled in the sunlight and headed off on a course that slowly took them away from us. As they headed toward the castle, I calculated their ETA. They would be there in a few hours, and I sincerely hoped that all was well.
But as it was, we needed to inspect the city to make sure nothing had gone wrong. As we soared over the walls, several people pointed us out, and a cheer grew, echoing through the city as people welcod our arrival. I projected a very large image of myself waving with my arm as I greeted the people who seed very pleased to see . It was good to be back.
---
Bee absolutely hated her new skill. She couldn't stop herself from ntally cursing, wishing that she had chosen Still Movent or even Granite Mind as she tried for the umpteenth ti to inhale a rock.
As usual, it had co with instant knowledge of how it worked. An innate understanding of its use. Sure, so experintation was required to find the limits of any skill, but the basics should be instinctive, like how her Scan ran. But no, that wasn't the issue. It wasn't that she didn't know what she needed to do; her mind just simply wouldn't let her do it. Because it didn't make sense.
And how could it? How did one breathe in a rock? She had choked on it more tis than she cared to admit on the way back to the capital. At least Archibald and Daedalus had found it amusing as she spat out the gritty stone over and over.
Stolen story; please report.
She attempted to breathe in again, this ti focusing on the switch that shifted her airway between its new tracts. One deposited things it into her lungs, where air was supposed to go. The other went sowhere else. Sowhere she wasn't familiar with. But the skill told her it was ant for this kind of thing, so she had to trust it.
But as soon as the rock started to shift in her palm, the switch seed to flip back to her lungs on instinct. It felt as though she simply couldn't reconcile the idea of the skill with its practical use. It was infuriating. She had seen her master use the skill hundreds, if not thousands of tis, and it looked so instinctive and simple. But it just didn't work for her.
She grimaced, but refused to give up. This was sothing she'd have to work through, and preferably soon. She couldn't let a level 60 skill selection go to waste just because it made her uncomfortable.
Eventually, though, she took a break from her efforts. Bee placed the rock behind her as they soared over the city towards the palace in the center. Her master waved to the adoring crowd below as they welcod ho their god. She could only imagine their faces if and when they found out that it had killed four more Lieutenants. Permanently. Though she wasn't sure how many people would actually believe the legends. But the ones who did would be filled with relief and awe.
But at the sa ti, Bee herself couldn't help the concern hanging over her. Seven more were left, and she was not confident in their plans to deal with them.
In the inner wall of the castle, two groups welcod her. One was the pair of n she left to rule the city. Arthur and the Warden stood in front of the doors, hands clasped behind their backs, watching Void co to a stop in front of them. Off to the side were Zeal and many of his followers. Zeal's white-garbed followers were glaring at the two n, but Zeal himself appeared calm as he genuflected in front of Void with a shout. "We welco the Lord!"
Many mbers of the welcoming party followed, though Arthur and the Warden just bowed low.
"Welco back, Lord Void," Arthur intoned.
Bee looked around, sensing that sothing was wrong." Thank you. Tell us what has happened since we've been gone."
Arthur remained focused on them, but the Warden shot a look over at Zeal that seed to contain so hidden aning. Bee didn't like the look of that. Not at all.
"There have been disturbances, my lord," Arthur said, but Zeal spoke up from off to the side.
"No, there has been no disturbance. Simply a keeping of the peace."
"As I said, disturbances, my lord."
Bee raised her eyebrow at the n. "And your soldiers were not enough to keep them quelled?"
"We have prevented any mass unrest or large-scale issues, but the citizens themselves cannot be ruled by force. Not sustainably, at least." Arthur said in a asured tone. "My n are soldiers, not peacekeepers. And if they were to take such forceful asures against relatively minor offenses... they would be seen as conquerors instead of liberators."
Zeal nodded. "Yes. The people demand their own justice. And they have seen the right of it. They follow the Lord's most particular commands to the very letter. We've kept the city clean."
Bee didn't like the way the man said that. Between what the n did and did not say, she was starting to get a clearer picture of the issue. Still, so part of her hoped that he was wrong.
She had known that this confrontation would need to co eventually, but she had hoped it would take longer.
Arthur nodded reluctantly. "The city is not disturbed by a lack of order, but rather a too stringent enforcent of it." He gestured over the wall. "We have heard disturbing reports of prisoners being taken and marched through the city to be left in stockades. No trial nor posting of their cris, though they were watched by the whole populace in sha."
Zeal scoffed in the background. "No posting of their cris. It was not necessary when they were witnessed by many, and the whole city stood for the verdict," he said indignantly. "The man spilled a cup of wine on the floor in a tavern in front of all. Such drunkenness and ssiness shall not be allowed. It offends our god."
Bee watched as Void let out a slow beep as he rose up and vanished over the city walls. "See?" Zeal said. "No doubt our Lord has gone to administer punishnt as he sees fit. We've only held those committing such heinous actions in captivity. As we wait for the Lord's final judgnt of them."
That was enough. Bee let out a slow breath, clenching and unclenching her fists. "Zeal. What have you done?"
Reviews
All reviews (0)