"Ethan!" Zhao's voice filters through the Interface with a little bit of static, like the voice is being partially suppressed. I suppose it is, in a way. "I hope you rember . I do not know when you will receive this, so I am leaving this ssage to ensure it will reach you as soon as possible. Also, I do not want to keep checking my Interface to see if you are online. I already do it too much."
I snort, a little amused by the introduction. It's a fair point. I do rember him—it's hard to forget the first and only human I've managed to have a conversation with since my Trial began, even if we didn't manage to have all that much of a conversation.
That, and he'd ended up with a rather awkward userna. I bet he's glad that the chat interface has audio now.
Before I continue, I shoot a quick glance at the others. Soul of Trade doesn't seem to be able to hear what I'm receiving through the Interface. Neither do Guard or Gheraa.
Ahkelios, however, is paying a rapt sort of attention. "Is that what other humans sound like?" he asks. I shush him, trying to pay attention to the ssage instead. The others seem to recognize that sothing is going on, at least, because although they eye curiously, they seem willing to wait until I'm done.
"Adeya—" Zhao cuts himself off just as he begins the sentence, presumably realizing I probably won't be able to recognize the na. "There are so of us trapped within a dungeon. You may be familiar with it? I am not sure. If you are able to assist, please do so as soon as possible!"
A dungeon I might be familiar with? I frown—I've only ever unlocked one dungeon, and I feel like I'd have noticed if there were other humans around in the Empty City. Unless they were able to unlock and get into it while I was in the Fracture, but it's not like that much ti has passed.
"The dungeon is called the Sewers, if that helps," he adds.
Ah. That does clarify things. Ahkelios ntioned unlocking and exploring a more restricted version of the Empty City called the Sewers back when he was the primary Trialgoer. I'm not sure if they're physically linked, but Zhao must have so reason to think I might have access to it.
Ahkelios, anwhile, is frowning at the ntion of the Sewers. I make a ntal note to ask him about it later.
"Contact as soon as you can," Zhao says. "There is much we need to catch up on."
No kidding. The ssage cuts off there, and I stare at the Interface for a mont, a little tempted to reach out and call him imdiately.
Alas, there are other matters I need to settle first. The matter of Soul of Trade, for instance.
She watches as I look up from the Interface, studying with tired eyes. It's hard to tell exactly what she's thinking. There's a weary sort of hope there, coupled with an acceptance that whatever move I make next isn't likely to involve her.
As far as I can tell, she doesn't want to fight. All she wants is for the Trial to end, and she's hoping that giving this one small advantage will be enough to make a difference.
Which brings up a rather important question.
"Why didn't you try to find yourself?" I ask. "Especially if all you wanted to do was give this to ."
If I'd had this even a few loops earlier...
Soul of Trade snorts at the question, then gestures to herself. The Firmant within her flickers weakly at the movent.
"As I said, I cannot be seen by my people," she answers. "What would they think if they were to find like this? For that matter, what would the rest of Hestia's Trialgoers think? We're allies of convenience at best—to show weakness would be to invite my downfall, along with that of Inveria.
"No. The best course of action was to wait until there were signs of a new Trialgoer operating within Inveria." Soul of Trade frowns. "I'll admit, I didn't expect you to just teleport here. It certainly made things easier for , though."
"You were basically just hoping I'd co this way." I can't quite keep the disbelief out of my voice.
"That's correct." Soul of Trade shrugs. "It wouldn't change much if you did or didn't arrive. The help I can offer is minimal. But..."
She hesitates. "It gives peace of mind, I suppose," she says. "To know that you aren't simply blindly following their plans."
There's more she wants to say, I can tell. She glances at Gheraa, and there's another admonishnt on the tip of her tongue, but she chooses to swallow her words and look away at the last mont.
It finally hits why all this bothers so much.
It's how defeated she is. All the Trialgoers I've t have so agenda or the other; Soul of Trade is no different, but she's long since lost any interest she had in pursuing her goals. She's willing to just wait for it to co along. It's the sa reason she didn't try to hide the nature of her skills or push harder to establish so sort of deal with that might negate the effects of her curse.
I could do sothing for her, maybe. I'm not sure. I haven't had the chance to examine the skill construct or her core, but more likely than not there's so sort of link there that I can interfere with.
The question is mostly whether or not I want to. I've just co back from watching her nearly ruin Fyran permanently—and as far as I can tell, in this tiline, she did. I don't know what happened to the pocket of ti I was just in, but it's clear that this version of her succeeded.
But then this version of her is also suffering the consequences of that decision.
Problem is, whatever Zhao was talking about sounds urgent. I'm not sure I'm going to have the ti to figure out what's going on with her core or the skill she used. Even if I wanted to help her...
I hesitate again, but to my surprise, it's Gheraa who makes the decision for .
"So!" he says. He gives Soul of Trade a grin sharp enough to make her flinch, and she stares at him, her expression sowhere between wary and terrified. "Wanna make a deal?"
"Absolutely not," she says imdiately. Gheraa frowns at her.
"Why not?" he asks. "I could make all that pain go away! Well, not entirely. But it'd be better, at least."
"You're an Integrator," she hisses. "Working against them or not, I can't—I've already lost my life to the Integrators once."
"Yeah, and frankly, you don't look like you have anything else to lose," Gheraa says. I watch him closely. Soul of Trade might not know him all that well, but I've spent a long ti with him in a relatively confined space—I can read his body language better than she can.
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He's putting on a brave front, but there's guilt in there. Not because he's planning sothing nefarious, but because he feels responsible for what happened. If not for the glint of mischief in his eye that tells he's got more planned than basic self-sacrifice, I might have stopped him then and there.
That and he turns around to give an exaggerated wink, as if to tell he knows what he's doing. I just raise an eyebrow. If he really wants to take this, I suppose I'll let him.
"I can't guarantee instant recovery," he warns, turning back to Soul of Trade. She's still watching him warily, but I can tell she wants this. "I know how your skill works. I'm sure as hell not giving you any power over . What I can do is give you enough Firmant to start repairing all that damage you've done to your core."
"And what do you want in return?" Soul of Trade asks. I'm surprised she's considering it at all, given how afraid and angry she seems, but then maybe that's the reason she's considering it.
"Just a little favor," Gheraa says amiably. Soul of Trade narrows her eyes.
"You will not betray this Trialgoer," she says. "That will be one of my terms. You act in service to him, and if you contract to , I will use the power you give to ensure it."
"Sure," Gheraa says, even as I grimace and protest.
"What? No," I say. "I don't need one of your contracts to bind him to ."
"It'll be fine," Gheraa says dismissively. "I'll make sure it's not anything weird."
"That's not what I'm worried about!"
"Ethan." Gheraa turns to , and for once, he's perfectly serious. "Trust . I know how the skill works. It will not change anything between us, and it will give her peace of mind."
I stare at him for a long mont. "I hope you know what you're doing."
"I always do," Gheraa says dismissively. In a mont, he's back to his grinning, more playful self. "What do you say, Soul of Trade? Shall we make a deal?"
"I want to know what favor you want, first," she says. He leans in to whisper sothing in her ear, and she gives him an incredulous look. "That cannot be all."
"All I want," Gheraa says without missing a beat. Soul of Trade grits her teeth for a mont, then waves a hand; there's a brief pause as her Firmant flickers, a skill attempting to co to life. She has to try another two tis before a gossar-thin sheet of paper forms out of her power..
Gheraa glances over the makeshift contract and imdiately suggests several corrections, which Soul of Trade begrudgingly changes with a grimace. While this is happening, I turn my attention to Guard and Ahkelios. Gheraa knows what he's doing.
Probably.
He better know what he's doing.
For now, I need to get Guard caught up on the situation so we can decide what to do next. He's been quiet since our little diversion to Inveria, and I have my suspicions as to why.
"I got a ssage from Zhao," I tell him, and then I quickly detail what I know about him—how we first spoke to one another, then his request for help and the apparent situation developing within the Empty City.
Other human Trialgoers from the current cycle, trapped within the Sewers. Guard's processors whir as he takes in this information, and I see the hesitation in him. "I..."
"There's sothing else you need to do," I say. Guard doesn't respond for a mont, but then gives a slow nod.
"I do not know the specifics yet," he says. He looks over at Soul of Trade and Gheraa, who are now arguing animatedly over the details of the contract. To my surprise, I can see the life flowing back into her even as she speaks. I guess she lives for this kind of stuff. "Would you mind if we speak about this outside?"
"Not at all," I say. "Ahkelios, mind keeping an eye on those two?"
Ahkelios opens his mouth to protest, then changes his mind and nods. "Can do," he says.
Guard and I make the trip to a more isolated part of the cavern. It's a long mont before he speaks again, and when he does, his voice is heavy with... sothing. Loss, maybe, except he doesn't know what it is he's lost.
It's not the first ti I've seen this from him. It's rare, but I've seen it from ti to ti ever since his phase shift.'
"Sothing is missing," he says. "Sothing important and dear to . But I do not know what it is. I have sent my proxies to search for clues, but..."
"You can't command them while you're in a dungeon with ," I say. He nods, slow and reluctant. Hesitant.
"I do not wish to leave," he says. "And it will not be permanent. But now that I know that sothing is missing, I do not know if I can wait. Even if Aris were willing to command my proxies in my absence, I would spend my ti wondering what she has found. It would be a distraction, and that may make a liability."
It's clear that saying the words hurts him. He's conflicted—he wants to follow , wants to help, but sothing within him is calling him elsewhere. I can see a Thread of Purpose coiled around him, leading him back toward Isthanok.
"I don't think of people that way," I say. "But I can see how important this is to you, Guard. You should go. Find out what you can."
I'm conflicted too, in truth. The words are practically on my lips. We'll do this first. The humans in the Sewers are strangers, and Guard is a friend; the decision to help him first would be easy, except...
Except that lives may be at stake, and there's a much simpler solution, even if neither of us are happy with it.
"You have my help whenever you need it," I say. "We share a bond. All you need to do is ask for help, and I'll be there."
Guard's shoulders abruptly slump with relief, and a certain tension drains out of him. "Likewise."
I smile at him. "One way or another, we'll fight together again. Find what you need to and co back, yeah?"
"I will do my best to be quick." Guard offers a smile in return, in the peculiar way he does it. Then he hesitates, seeming to think of sothing. "Can I..."
"Yes?" I raise an eyebrow.
"I would like to keep the Void Inspiration with ," Guard says. "Just for the mont. I enjoy its company."
"You've basically adopted it," I say with a small laugh. "You're welco to. I haven't been as kind to it as I would have liked."
I may as well say a small goodbye, though. It takes a small effort of will to gather a modicum of Firmant and send it through my bond with Guard; to my surprise, it takes so effort to push it through, like it's a little more than I expected. Guard shudders a bit at the sensation.
"That is strange," he grunts.
"Now you know how I feel," I say, laughing. "It's just a snack for the road. You know, so it doesn't forget about ."
"I am sure it will not." Guard seems amused by the thought. He gives a somber look a mont later, though, and reaches out with a hand to clasp my shoulder. "Thank you, Ethan, for your companionship. I will make my way back to Isthanok once we take our leave. Whisper may have the answers I seek, and I have a few ideas as to where she might have gone."
"Let know if you need help," I say. I'm pretty sure that Thread of Purpose would lead directly to her, but Guard seems to have a good idea of where he's going already. He knows her well, after all. "And be careful, would you?"
"You as well." Guard says the words with the utmost severity. I can't help but chuckle. We make our way back into the building, where Ahkelios gives a thumbs up.
"Nothing weird happened!" he reports cheerfully.
Before long, Gheraa finishes whatever deal he's making—I cast him a suspicious look, and he rewards with an award-winning innocent whistling if I've ever heard one—and we take our leave.
With all the tunnels sealed shut, the best way to leave is through a Phaseslip back to the surface. I wonder for a mont if Soul of Trade was trapped in there, but I doubt it. There was a skill she had that allowed her to rge with the walls of Inveria.
Once we're at the surface, we find... nothing, which cos as a bit of a surprise. I had expected a small settlent, at least. Instead, it's an empty plains. I suppose the entrances to the tunnels are far from the center.
"I will be taking my leave," Guard says to the other two, much to their surprise and dismay. They calm down once he's given them an explanation of why he needs to leave, and Ahkelios gives him a quick hug.
"You better stay safe," Ahkelios says. Gheraa makes a noise of agreent.
Guard only chuckles. He offers both Ahkelios and Gheraa a quick word, saving for last. When he reaches , he gives a small bow. "I look forward to seeing you again, brightspark."
Before I can ask him what that ans, he engages his thrusters and blasts back in the direction of Isthanok. I cast a quizzical gaze at Gheraa and Ahkelios both, but the both of them just shrug at , and I sigh. Of all the tis for the Interface to choose not to translate sothing...
But I have bigger things on my mind, for now. I reach out to the Interface, staring at the list of Trialgoers that I can finally, finally talk to.
Ti to give Zhao a call.
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