Jas awoke at the crack of dawn, his alarm beeping mildly by the side of the hotel bed. It felt weird to wake up; hed grown used to burning Aeviternum over the past couple of weeks to keep going at all hours.
A luxury they could no longer afford.
For a mont he just lay there, arm resting over his brow, not looking at the empty half of the bed. His thoughts then strayed to Es. Where was her body? Where were all the bodies going, for that matter? Were morgues still a thing? No, probably mass graves at this point. Barges laden with the dead. Potters field. Big trenches, hundreds of corpses toppled in. Were they even wrapping them in shrouds?
Probably not.
Jas felt his gut twist at the thought of Es and Luca rolling stiffly amongst a hundred other dead into the dark, to be buried in corpses, their faces pressed into the dirt forevermore.
With a grunt he sat up, rubbed at his face, stood, and entered the bathroom. He took a scalding hot shower, mostly to wash away the dark emotions, and then stood for a while, brow against the tiles, staring straight down as twin drops of water fell off his out of focus nose to rge into one just before hitting the ground.
He toweled off and got dressed. It was just past six A.M. The Sola Anima lay on the desk by the large windows. It glead softly like a pearl espied through several feet of water. Jas checked his sheet. Aeviternum should be replenishing any minute now.
So he sat and stared at the construct. Allowed his thoughts to wonder. The Monitor in Jessicas form, then Jessica herself and offer to reveal her secrets. Belanger, Old Crow. The rune amulets. The Second Wave hitting today.
Every few monts he checked his sheet, and when the numbers finally reset he sat forward. Hesitated, hand over the Anima, then placed his palm on the hemisphere of black glass and willed an Aeviternum into the construct.
He felt a rushing roar as great power flooded through him, the might of the Aeviternum like channeling a flash flood through a slot canyon. Words appeared in his vision:
Imbuing Sola Anima
Gloria Detected
Sola Anima imbued at Gloria Immanence 1
Jas drew back his hand. A speck of crimson light had appeared in the center of the black hemisphere, and this grew rapidly into a small sun, a bright, searing yellow surrounded by a corona of crimson.
But more; each hairline seams that ran down the length of the Anima beca edged in gold, a gold that Jas intuited corresponded to his own Gloria, and then the seams split, the ivory hull becoming white enaled plate armor over black interior chanisms.
The Anima floated into the air. Jas sat back. The portion above the black hemisphere parted, and a white head erged from within it, gold filagree spiraling elegantly across its miniature yet handso visage, black vertebrae holding it firmly in place. It was a mannequin of sorts, or a small robotic being. Its legs were long, slender, its four arms tapering down its length in the form of wickedly sharp black blades.
A foot-high flying robot, elegant, delicate in appearance, with a burning sun for a heart within its chest sphere and a blank, stylized mask that looked vaguely masculine in appearance.
The Anima rotated to face him, and then the masks eyelids flicked up to reveal twin burning sparks of gold.
Jas felt the Anima regard him, imprint upon him, connect in so fundantal way to his very being.
Hello, said the Anima, its voice cultured, refined, its tone sowhere between bemused and mildly surprised. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Jas Kelly.
Ah managed Jas. The Anima hovered with perfect poise above the table, and Jas was uncomfortably aware of the four-foot-long blade-arms that were draped down its length.
I am your Sola Anima and see that I have been imbued with Gloria. Most excellent. That will allow to operate at maximum potential.
Hi, croaked Jas, then tried to get his shit together. What what are you, exactly?
I am your Sola Anima. It paused, and its ivory face quirked to one side in a manner much like a birds. I sense your confusion. You seek to understand my quiddity and function. My purpose is to safeguard you from harm and increase your chances of survival for as long as possible.
Youre speaking in my head.
Correct.
Can you speak out loud?
Its small mouth moved. I can.
OK. And, ah, what can you do? Thatll help , ah, survive?
I have a number of distinct capabilities. For one, I can act as a remote viewing focus for you. Simply cast your mind into myself, and you should be able to see what I see.
Jas licked his lower lip. All right. How do I do that?
I dont know. You just do.
So Jas did. He envisioned seeing through the Animas eyes, being inside it, and suddenly he was; he gazed upon himself, seated in the armchair, just as if he were gazing into a mirror. He was gazing out of the Animas black hemisphere, he realized, not its eyes.
Jas blinked and snapped back into himself. Holy shit.
A curious expression.
What else can you do?
I need never sleep, so I will act as an ever-alert guardian. I am capable of attacking with my blades, like so.
Without warning the Animas arms burst into motion, spinning so rapidly that they blurred, turning the construct into a hovering blender whose body shimred within the rotating blade-arms that moved around it faster than Jas could track, each blad limned with the gray fire of Smite.
He jerked back in the chair, and the Anima ceased to spin its arms, reverting with unnerving speed to its hovering stillness.
I can also release a beam of concentrated Aeviternum as a last resort, though that will result in my being depowered.
But I can charge you back up with another Aeviternum?
Assuredly. I am capable of holding more than one point, though I consu a point for every week I am active.
So I could load you up with unused Aeviternum each night, which you could use as a weapon?
That is correct.
Jas shifted in his chair. All right, thats pretty great.
You can also communicate with via your thoughts.
Jas paused. Hello?
Hello, Jas.
OK, wow. This feelsstrange. But sure. There a range on which we can communicate?
I expect we shall soon find out.
So I can see through you, youll guard over , you can attack with your sword arms and unleash Aeviternum blasts which I can stock up inside of you. Thats thats great.
I can also hold your essence. In fact, that appears to be my primary function.
Hold my essence?
Indeed. A more advanced form of allowing you to gaze through my eye. Your essence would vacate your body completely and reside within .
And why would I do that?
Im not sure. Maybe to avoid permanent death? Though I cannot reconstruct your body.
Jas made a face. Can you put back in my body if its not hard?
Im also not sure. Probably? We could find out.
Thats OK. No rush on that front. What does imbuing you with Gloria do?
It enhances my Aeviternum blast, making it more potent, and increases my intelligence and sense of humor.
Jas paused. Your sense of humor?
See?
Oh. Sure. Ha-ha. Great. A funny Anima. Jas studied the little construct. Do you know where you co from? Where were you before you appeared here in my room?
Ive no mories of a prior existence, though I feel I feel as if I have existed before this. My mories and identity begin now, however, with your imbuing.
So you dont know why the demons have shown up now to kill us humans?
I can hazard so humorous guesses?
Thats fine. Jas tapped his chin. But you know about Aeviternum, Gloria, those things.
Correct.
Just not how you know it.
Correct.
But you feel like you existed before. And your mories were wiped. Which ans sothing did the wiping.
Correct? I sense a bit of speculation there.
How much, ah, initiative can you take? Say I get hit on the head and fall over. What would you do?
Heal you with Aeviternum. Which, alas, would depower .
Oh shit, you can do Healing Grace?
Correct.
Do you have any other powers you havent told about?
One more, courtesy of Gloria. It completes our bond. I must insert my primary sword-arm into your left eye so as to channel a one-ti Blessing, raising all your stats permanently by 10.
Jas froze. You have to what now?
The Animas little porcelain mouth curved into a grin. I jest! There is no need to blind you in one eye for the Blessing to take place! It spun in a complete circle, blade arms opening out wide as it ended in a bow. Humor!
Ha, croaked Jas. Thats, ah, really funny.
The Anima straightened. I know.
But you can raise my stats?
Thanks to Gloria, I can raise them by 10. Common Sola Animas can only do so by 2. But we are not common, are we, Jas?
Guess not. He shifted his armchair. So
The Blessing? You need simply state that you take on as your guardian and agree to supply with at least a point of Aeviternum each week so that I may remain functional. That will officiate our partnership, and I will bestow the Blessing to seal the compact.
Sure. Yeah. I agree to that.
The golden edging along the pearlescent armor plates shimred, and the Anima inclined his head. As before, so shall it be again. I shall aid you to the very best of my capability, and endeavor to help you survive the dawning of the Void.
Jas felt a shiver run through him, followed imdiately by a surge in his vitality, his strength, his everything. Filled with wonder, he opened his statistics.
Na: Jas Kelly
Class: None
Rank: Novitiate 5
Title: Vanguard
Virtues: None
Benedictions: Smite, Sacred Strike, Heavenly Assault
First Miracle: None
Second Miracle: None
Third Miracle: None
Aura: Iron
Aura Strength: 8
Aeviternum Points: 4
Strength: 15 (25)
Stamina: 10 (22)
Speed: 8 (18)
Agility: 5 (15)
Power: 10 (22)
Arete: 90
Unspent Points: 0
Jas stared at the numbers. Hed gained sixty points across all his stats, with a consequent jump of Aura Strength rising from 6 to 8. That was the equivalent of 12 levels worth of points.
Holy shit, he croaked.
Another reference to this dubious substance.
My Iron Auras gone up to 8.
Indeed. Very nice.
And Jas rose to his feet, moving slowly as if he feared hed break sothing by accident. His whole body felt turgid with newfound power. Strength 25. He reached down, seized the desk over which the Anima floated, and raised it smoothly.
Not that it was a hugely heavy desk, but before hed have had to watch his back, get his legs involved, grunt a bunch as he raised it unsteadily.
Now? It just floated right up.
The Anima floated aside. Does that desk offend?
No. I just like randomly lifting things sotis.
Stamina of 20. He could swing his fire-axe now all day long. Agility 15. Nothing compared to Serenitys, but
He stepped over to an ornantal bowl of fake fruit on the sideboard and plucked three wooden apples from the pile. Frowned, hesitated, then tossed one, then the other, then the third into the air, his hands moving with silky confidence as he wove a juggling pattern with the fruits.
Sothing hed never have been able to do before. Now his hands moved of their own accord, as if hed practiced this his whole life.
Very impressive, said the Anima dubiously.
And Power 22? What would that do to the strength of his Smite and Sacred Strike? Jas realized he was grinning. He snatched the fruit out of the air, set them back in the bowl, and turned to the Anima. My friend, youre the best thing thats happened to yet. Fantastic.
I am a considerable blessing, agreed the Anima. And I am glad you appreciate . I shall be sure to remind you of this sentint often.
Do so. Jas clenched his hand into a fist. His sense of wellbeing filled him, made him want to dance, to just hit the gym and lift really heavy pieces of tal. But weve got to give you a na. I cant just call you Sola Anima all the ti.
Hmm, true. A na. I like Jas Kelly.
Sorry bud, that ones already taken.
You are the only Jas Kelly in existence?
Well, no, but itd be confusing if we both had the sa na.
You would forget and think yourself ?
No. Jas took a breath. Say soone called out Jas. How would we know who they were talking to?
They would be talking to you. Why would they talk to ?
Just lets co up with another na for you.
Hmm, irrational. But very well. Kas Jelly?
No.
Then I shall think on it.
Jas snorted. Fine. Let know when you find one you like.
Very well. Do you have any other questions for ?
If you dont rember anything about yourself, this system, the demons, the Pits, or where you co from, then no. Unless you forgot to tell about anything else you can do?
Negative.
Then I think we should start the day. Weve a Second Wave of Nesis 3s to handle, and its not going to be easy.
Easier, however, now that we have each other.
Thats right bud. Jas smiled at the floating construct. Things just got a lot better. Its good to have you aboard.
Good to be here. The Anima clicked its sword-arms together. Shall we get to work?
Lets do it.
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