Unable to establish connection. Fail to reach Constituent.
Retrying…
Retrying…
Unable to reach Constituent.
Constituent Shotin Kazahara's ontology has been altered. Constituent cognition and foundational mythology scrambled. Outside influence detected.
A shard of the stillborn?
Unable to confirm. Vote proposed: Motion to deploy a specialized strike team to retrieve Shotin Kazahara.
Vote at 39.35%.
Vote failed.
Vote rejected.
Low likelihood of breaching Axtraxis Academy without suffering significant casualties.
Unnecessary risks.
Alternative proposal: we access Shotin through Chambers; we access Chambers through Constituent Denton. A chain has been established.
The path is clear.
Unity is destiny.
-The Majority
31-7
Shapeshifters (I)
—[Draus]—
EGO ID UPDATED
TAMIND RESEQUENCED
COGNITIVE MASKING COMPLETE
REBOOTING COG-FEED…
Draus's perception flashed on like a switch, and she found herself staring at an unknown face. The alterations made to her sheath were already completed. Between Vator and rcy, she went through all the adjustnts needed to blend in on Axtraxis right there in the interrogation room.
Standing, she squinted at her new face, observing her short crop of blonde hair, her thinner, narrower chin, smaller nose, the greater distance between her eyes, and her far paler complexion. She was, in a strange way, aesthetically attractive, much like many of Highfla's actual Citizens were. The strange dinsions her body took on displeased her. This wasn’t the sheath of a weapon; this was the body of a part-ti warrior that still wanted to love and be fancied by allies, lovers, and rivals.
"So, what do you think?" Vator said, poking a head out behind her and appearing in the mirror. Draus held back from offering a response. The only reason she trusted Vator enough to do this was because rcy had been monitoring him. She didn't trust rcy that much either, but between the two, the Famine showcased absolute loyalty to Avo, and the other, well, the other was determined to be on this ride for the sake of appeasing their Heaven alone.
"It'll do," Draus finally said. Hells, even her voice sounded different; softer, higher-pitched. With matters related to her biology and cognition settled, she moved on to the final step of her so-called infiltration.
A dormant combat-skin lay at the far end of the room. Its back was unfolded like a blossoming flower, and all she needed to do was step in. Without further delay, Draus commanded her ldskin to recede back under her skin and approached the armor she would be wearing as a disguise.
PRAETORIAN MARK V
STRENGTH AMPLIFICATION: 600% STRENGTH BOOST FOR HEAVY LIFTING AND LEE COMBAT.BRIGHTSHROUD: GENERATES AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF SHIELDING SHAPED FROM NATURAL LIGHTINTEGRATED HUD & COMBAT SUITE: REAL-TI TARGETING, BIOTRICS, WEAPON PORTS, RETRACTABLE FREQUENCY BLADES.ENVIRONNTAL SHIELDING: RADIATION, ACID, CHEMICAL PROTECTION, AND CONTAMINATION LOCKDOWN.THERMOGENESIS IMMUNITY: IMMUNE TO HEAT AND FIRE DAMAGE UP TO 5000°C; CONVERTS HEAT INTO POWER FOR EXTENDED OPS.SUB-CON DEFENSES: MONITORS USER’S TAMIND FOR ANY HINTS OF INFILTRATION; ARMOR COS WITH ITS OWN SET OF PHALANX WARDS.SOLAR REGENERATION: REPAIRS ARMOR IN SUNLIGHT; FULL RESTORATION UP TO 50% INTEGRITY WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE.INTERNAL PHYLACTERY: ONE-TI RESURRECTION FOR USER IF KILLED, RESTORING 70% HEALTH WITH 60-SECOND STASIS SHIELD DURING REGENERATION.SHORTWAVE LUMINOSITY COMMUNICATOR: CAN USE NATURAL LIGHT TO COMMUNICATE WITH ALLIES WITHIN VISIBLE RANGE.
Classic Praetorian. Upgraded, sure. But the standards are still there. Survivability, made for dayti combat. Minimal training required to achieve optimal usage. Practically all Highfla Godclads would wear a Praetorian at so point. And now Draus would too. But after all her ti with the ldskin, she found herself wondering if the Guilds were over-reliant on thaum-tech.
She stepped into the armor without much concern. rcy was monitoring its Systems for any hints of danger, and the padded interior gripped her body like a glove, she felt a neuro-synchorous chain of ghosts extend from the armor’s locus to her tamind.
SYNCING…
PAIRING USER’S MIND TO ARMOR
SYNCHRONIZATION SUCCESSFUL
ESTABLISHING PHYLACTERY—
The m-data cut off there.
Best that we keep your mind as uncompromised as possible, rcy said. The Famine accessed the Phylactery with ease, and a new line of data crawled across Draus’ perception.
PHYLACTERY RESET
CONNECTION ESTABLISHED.
What’d you just do? Draus asked.
Resequenced and removed the vulnerabilities within the phantasmic.
Draus grunted. Right.
Do not trust . Trust Ignorance. The king will never let a slave such as I transgress against his vaunted knight.
Ain’t that. I know. Just ain’t… easy. You’re an enemy. Was an enemy. Not two days ago, I would’ve scattered you with a disruption.
And not too days ago, I was still resisting a certain truth: That Defiance was right in many ways, but wrong in that the Hungers are still needed. The City Eternal could be saved—Noloth preserved. But not under a crumbling mass of fearful immortals, but an enlightened populace righted by a true king.
That earned a scoffing laugh from the Regular. Still suspect you’re tryin’ to null him. Shit, his ego might get too big and finally pop after enough of him cos back together to be crowned.
I suspect not. I suspect his capacity for arrogance is far greater than what you or I can conceive now.
Been that way for a while, but you don’t see tryin’ to spike him with more nova.
A ping sounded from outside the door, just as the final few plates of Draus’ armor clicked together. She regarded herself in the mirror again and tested her movents. She was about half-foot taller. No discomfort or lag detected. The armor itself was pretty standard in coloring. Heavier chest piece with rounded crenelations along the limbs and enhanced spinal supports. Her helt was ultimately fused into the neck of the armor as well, presenting a flat stump with a narrow visor.
Yeah. Real blast from the past.
A ping sounded from the door, and Draus turned to face Mondelles. As he entered, she caught his steady gaze and noted the thin sheen of sweat glistening upon his brow. Betrayal didn’t co easy to the man—and whatever truths she showed him, that’s what this was. He was picking a side.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
"Alright," he said. "I've entered you into the system. You’re now Instrunt Masvel Juven. Priority One access privileges. You’ve been assigned as my personal second and current have escort duties.”
“Sounds good,” Draus said. She collapsed her helt to show off her new features.
“Right,” Mondelles breathed. “Won’t be drawing any unwanted attention. Uthred’s been diverted to my office. Shotin too. We proceed as planned; get Vator to interface with his father—see how he reacts.”
“Yes, of course.” Vator looked askance, and his rapid blinks hinted at another conversation taking place. The juv really took to speaking with his Heaven plenty often. “I am personally curious as to my father’s current condition as well.”
Mondelles’ expression tightened at that. “He’s experienced... changes. We found him wandering a destroyed district, near catatonic. And also… his Heaven’s been changed as well.”
“Yes, you said he climbed a few Spheres,” Vator replied. The boy then pursued his lips together. “Which… would make him—”
“Sphere Nine,” Mondelles said in a near whisper. “But he’s always at zero burn. Can’t identify his new Heaven either. His Fra’s root data seems damaged, but his primary Domain… it’s Continuum.”
Both Draus and Vator shared a look with one another. That was the Strix’s primary Domain. “Fuck,” the Regular muttered.
Mondelles led them out of the interrogation room thereafter, with Draus taking the rear of the group. She used the opportunity to get an in-person look at Axtraxis facilities and personnel, noting vulnerabilities and constructing new junctions. With Mondelles on her side, active combat was less likely than before, but only fools and the soon-to-be dead didn’t prepare themselves for all possibilities.
At present, they were located in the instructors' observation zone—basically, the external modules of the academy. Back when this place was still just a school, the instructors could gaze inward through a reinforced one-way mirror empowered by mite. Now, the many levels of space beyond the glass were occupied by fabricated housing for cadres and other essential personnel.
“Still usin’ the panopticon, huh?” Draus said.
“I have to,” Mondelles replied. “With half the Godclads here Chivalrics raring to leave on a crusade and a great deal more separated from their cadres, this is all I can do to best keep track of what forces we can marshal.”
“And keep yourself from getting disposed?”
“Sothing like that,” Mondelles said. He felt silent as they passed by a dozen cleaning chs scrubbing blood from the walls. That told Draus plenty; told her that sothing had already been tried more than a few tis. “You know how it is. Instrunts fight to establish a proper hierarchy in the absence of one.”
“Yeah. I do know how it is. Is what’s bein’ said about Omnitech true?”
“The broadcast to muster our forces there?” Mondelles said. “Yes. But I don’t know if it can be trusted. Osjon was lost to the Substance. And so far, Omnitech has made no move to protect themselves from its spread. I cannot in conscience leave this to blind trust. People are counting on . Such is the reason behind my appointnt.”
Draus heeded his words with curiosity. He was clearly already defying orders to begin with. That explained his willingness to convert on top of the truths she showed him. But then there was what he said at the end. “Appointnt?”
“Yes. Seraph Kalgrave Asangi was one of the few among the High Seraph’s inner council to avoid consumption. He was overseeing an operation in the Warrens when Scale was shattered. Presently, he’s the highest ranking Citizen for Highfla, and by that designation appointed Acting Authority to oversee evacuation efforts; reorganize what cadres of ours remain in the Tiers.”
“And the Regs?” Draus asked.
No response.
“Didn’t see any, did you?”
“No.”
“Reckon they’ve been moved elsewhere for other ans.”
“I suspect you are correct, Instrunt Juven.”
That begged the question: Did the Infacer have complete control over the Regulars now, or were they within the Substance itself, trapped in mories. She knew the Regs and the Chivs weren’t on the best of terms anymore after the last war, so what could Veylis be planning with them? Or the Infacer.
After a bit more walking, the reached a heavily guarded room with two Godclads stationed outside. They planted their fists horizontally across their chests as they saw Mondelles approach, and he casually echoed the action back at them. Draus noted their eyes drifting to montarily regard Vator. Faint sneers twitched on their faces—betrayed how everyone felt about the Greatlings by this point.
As for her, well, they barely gave her more than a cursory stare; a testant to the depth of her disguise.
Projecting a sequence of mories into a security locus embedded in the wall, the door hissed open to reveal a large Rendsink functioning as a pillar for an antechamber. Chairs lined the walls, and the walls were decorated with exquisite paintings and portraits of heroes past and montous monts across history. Veylis’ influence leaked even now.
The dappled splashes of dried blood and scorch marks made Draus guess that the last dean of the Academy didn’t et a pleasant end.
“Dean Kuld is no longer with us,” Mondelles said, answering Draus’ guess with a casual statent. “Apparently, the end of the world has a way of bringing out more surprises. Such as hidden Ori Sleepers.”
That, Draus wasn’t anticipating. Even fucking Avo missed that one—though to be fair, he was running on a short schedule with his Highfla infiltration run. “No shit?”
“Yeah. He dispatched a series of… let’s just say conflicting orders. He almost managed to trigger a civil war, but uh…” The Acting Authority looked uncomfortable. “Uthred intervened. Speaking of which.” Mondelles ca to a halt before a well-carved door of ancient wood. It looked like two gnarled boards shaped by a sharpened blade and installed with a handle. By now, another point of suspicion was rising inside Draus.
She interrupted Mondelles as he reached for the handle. “So, why can’t I feel his Fra? Or even see his Soul? Ain’t like Ninth Spheres to be quiet.”
“That’s just the thing,” Mondelles replied. “I don’t have a fucking clue myself. And he isn’t… isn’t quite himself most tis anymore either. You’ll understand.” He gave Vator a final series of looks and settled on pity. “Maybe he’ll be better with you here.”
As Mondelles turned the knob and pushed open the door, a strange scene greeted her. The first thing she noticed was Uthred seated with his head bowed and body hunched before a grand mahogany table. Past the table was a fake window—actually monitors—that portrayed a bird’s eye view of New Vultun from the stratosphere. A personal escort guarded him, but sothing was wrong with his tamind. The halo spun, but pieces were outright transparent. Like if sequences were hollow sohow.
Ontological displacent, rcy muttered. A consequence of Continuum, I suspect.
Across from him was Shotin—who still looked like shit. Least he was nursing himself on so alcohol now. Fuck. Chambers actually managed to put his shit back together. An Instrunt served as his handler as well, but they stood a good arm’s distance away from the Seeker.
Then, a flicker flashed in Draus’ cog-feed, and she saw Chambers floating just above Shotin, offering her a boyish grin. {Yo. Draus. Looking different.}
{Yeah. See you put his shit back together.}
{Nah. Shotin’s still pretty fucked up inside. He’s going to be pretty fucked up for a while, but he’s got a goal and I’m gonna help him reach it if I can. How’s shit on your—ah, fuck, Vator.}
{Yeah, don’t mind him,} Draus said, eyeing the youngest Greatling. He was staring at his father, mouth slightly agape. There was more confusion than sadness or fear in his expression, as if he didn’t recognize the man hunched over before him. {He’s cadre now. Mondelles too. I think. rcy cleared them.}
{Yeah, Draus, I’ve been aning to ask you—what the fuck! The Famine of rcy?}
{I told you how he swore—}
{Yeah, but let have this. What the fuck! Shit, consang. I got no idea how you managed to recruit so many people trying to kill us a week ago, but maybe if this Reg shit doesn’t work out, you can try being a diplomat.}
And Chambers kept doing the impossible: Draus struggled to suppress a smile. {I was gonna say the sa thing to you, half-strand. Diplomacy and people-handlin’ was the whole reason I called you here.}
{It was—}
“At ease,” Mondelles said. Draus noted the two Instrunts on watch were saluting as well, and the Acting Authority rounded the table to find his seat. “Instrunt Kaeling; Instrunt Vult, you are both dismissed. The conversation about to take place is rated Priority Zero Confidential. Please inform Instrunts Hadir and Maewind outside to establish demiplanar quarantine.”
The guards for Uthred and Shotin showed no hesitation. They simply saluted and proceeded to their task. As they left the room, Mondelles gestured at Draus. “Instrunt Juven. The door, if you would please.”
As she closed the door, she found Shotin glaring hatefully at Uthred and Vator besides. “You know sothing,” the Seeker began. “If you told that they would be here, I might’ve chosen to stay in my cage.”
“Understandable, but not helpful. For any of us.” Mondelles groaned as he tried to settle in his chair. The armor he wore made its legs creak, but still it held. There was a poetic taphor about Highfla’s current state in all that sowhere, but Draus didn’t give a fuck about poetry.
Finally, Shotin’s attention turned to her—and when his next question ca, she realized Chambers hadn’t inford him about her disguise. “And why the fuck is faceless asshole number whatever still here?”
“Because she must be…” Uthred said. His voice was deep, but there was sothing missing, like thunder stripped of reverberation. Suddenly, Draus felt a surge of tension building inside her. She created another junction using the screens behind Mondelles and a firing solution was created imdiately thereafter.
“Locked,” her Arsenalist declared.
“Father,” Vator said, frowning as he gripped Uthred’s shoulder. “Father. You are not well. She is—”
“She has to be…” Uthred said, reaching out to pat Vator’s hand absentmindedly. “Because she is Jelene Draus… the… seed of my wife’s sin… The… the one we lost to the flas… I have been waiting… I have found you.” Uthred Greatling stood. “I have sothing to tell you.”
Draus went still as a statue. Shotin’s eyes darted between everyone present before he finally snorted. “Shit. So much for a disguise, huh, Reg?”
“Yeah,” Draus grumbled. “Don’t reckon I’d ever make it as a Sleeper. So. Uthred. Start talking.”
And at her behest, he spoke once more, but instead of his voice coming through, whispers echoed across the gulf of ti and sothing that was Veylis and not greeted the Regular. “Draus. Inheritor of the Stillborn. We greet you and offer you this final chance: lay down this declaration—surrender what is ours and give us.”
The Regular sneered. “Nah. Don’t think I fuckin’ will.”
A low series of laughs poured forth, and she heard more Avo there than Veylis. “As expected. As desired. Very well. Then let us speak as esteed foes, as the High Seraph once did for the Drear.”
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