Icarus Awakens

Rait stood outside the doorway, not daring to move. At least he’d done what’d been asked of him: find Lord Aucrest Seliri. Council member. One of the only people who could help put an end to this madness. The person he was secretly reporting to in exchange for his freedom. The one who knew Thomas could bring people back from the dead. Currently, by the sounds of it, also fighting for his life.

The manservant didn’t move, because if he knew he was here, Rait was dead. He should have known before getting this close, but it had taken the muffled sounds of a desperate struggle to finally clue him in. If he’d been more attentive, he’d have remembered earlier that the walls in this part of the Sun Spire weren’t painted red. He saw, firsthand, that indeed the dreaded Assassin had never left Aughal.

…

Watch Sergeant Doran fought his way to the front of the crowds trying to reach the Sun Spire while the dusker and her gestalt spoke. Looking up, he could see the barrier that was always active around the Spires, the Shroud, as there was a very thin shell of clean air around the towers. The entrances were an exception, though the large doors were closed and a line of guards provided further shelter for the doors behind them

Spire guards were a separate entity from the main city guard. While they worked together, there was less separation between the authority of the Council and its forces than with the regular city watch. Additionally, they had a higher allotment of Blessed. Doran himself had received offers for promotions to their ranks, but that would have meant leaving the rest of his squad behind. As it turned out, he’d done that anyway.

One of the spire guards was projecting an illusive outline of a shield in midair in front of her, sourced from a physical shield she was holding in both arms. The width of the project shield more than covered the bottom of the steps leading to the main entrance, blocking off the crowds trying to force their way through. The power pushed against him as well, but Doran was sturdy enough to resist and the Knight selectively allowed him to pass once she saw him.

“Watch Sergeant Doran, HURT squad leader,” he announced to the ranking guard. “We encountered a high-level enemy threat that wiped out most of my squad. I’ve got citizens swept up along on our retreat choking in this storm. Why are the damn doors closed?”

The look the other man gave him spoke of someone who’d just been told to jump off the Eye. “By order of the Council, the Spires are to remain closed to all but members of a recognized noble house.”

“Sir! We have a member of the Talus family requesting entry.” One of the guards holding the line spoke over Doran’s reply. “They’re passing the verity test, but they want to bring someone unauthorized.” A pointed finger indicated an avianoid who had been allowed to pass by the Knight. She was standing, fighting someone holding her, reaching out to a man still being held back by the ephemeral shield.

The lead Spire guard sighed loud enough to be heard over the wind. “Our orders were clear. She can stay out with him or come through alone.” He bit off a curse towards the end, and Doran could imagine why. He watched as the woman held back tears and stepped up to pass by Doran, who looked back at the crowd. Anticipating.

A few moments after the front gate was opened, the front of the crowd pushed forward. The Knight stumbled back, the floating shield coming closer to her, but she held on with the assistance of several others pressing at her back. It was a brief moment, no one in the throng ahead actually wanted to fight their way through, but the sight of safety was irresistible. Even if it were only the crack of a door that was now closed once more. “This is a fucking mess,” Doran said. “We’ve got an HL tearing through this city and this is what the Council is doing? If it comes this way everyone here’s dead.”

“Watch Sergeant, are you reporting under my command? Otherwise, you need to return to your post.” It was an effective dismissal from a superior seeing five steps ahead in the conversation. In truth, Doran knew this wasn’t going anywhere either.

Doran had to push his way back through the crowd, working against the now more tightly packed front. He picked up a man who had been thrown down in the press on the way, making sure he wasn’t too injured. There wasn’t much he could do with his powers, not being a devotee of the Hand, but Doran wasn’t about to leave someone down.

Most of the people he’d gathered were now indistinguishable amidst the crowds, but the two he’d tagged, as well as the remainder of his squad, were easier to pick out. Out of practiced habit, he removed the glowing outline along Khiat and the gestalt when he returned to them. “Well?” one of his men asked.

“It’s bad. We’re close to a riot here, in terrible conditions, with the city under siege. How did this happen?”

“Why aren’t they letting people through?” Khiat asked.

“Someone on the Council’s an idiot.” Doran thought for a moment. “Damn, there’s only two left. Silver Eye must not have gotten an order through first, he wouldn’t be this stupid.” Even his own were confused at that. “The spire guard obeys the majority will of the Council unless they’re specifically attached to a noble house. There are only two left so it’s just the first order that matters. Guess that makes Bennar Hammerson a coward and an idiot.”

Vascott looked uneasily towards the crowds, some of which the squad had brought here because they’d expected to find safety for them. “So what do we do?”

Doran bit his lip. “The rest of the guard should be mobilizing. Churches too. But we’re going to need the Hunter’s Guild working with them. Damn it, we might need everything to take whoever this is down. Look, if you want to wait here for your friends, go ahead. My team’s not up for another fight right now so scooping up hunters makes sense. We know the city, and we can move fast in a sandstorm. Bring all that back here and even those topheads wouldn’t stop us from letting people in. We just need… need to…” Doran trailed off as cries rang out from ahead. The spire guard was pulling back up the stairs rapidly, but not because everyone had decided to charge at once.

Instead, the blank space representing the Shroud was falling over the gateway to completely close it off. While the barrier extended outwards from most of the stonework, it directly covered the main door leaving the stairs and the spire guard still exposed with their backs now to a wall. Doran might be able to bring everything back to this spot, but that no longer mattered. The Shroud around the Spires was a fragment of a fragment of the power of the Octyrrum. As far as they were concerned, unbreakable.

…

He looked for the emotions that had come before, wary of them. With surprise, the jealousy didn’t return. Part of it might be the active zombie apocalypse, which in this world meant super zombies. Were the undead duskers weak to sunlight anymore? Probably, that would make sense. But beyond those thoughts in his head, when Daniel heard the news of Hunter’s new power he was only glad he was alive.

In between that was consoling the confused avianoid, Tlara’s sister somehow, and coming to an understanding with the Artificer who had effectively kidnapped him. One of those conversations had been considerably less pleasant. Arpan was out of mana and in a very poor position to ask Daniel to get back in the strange mirror. In fact, without his store and with the mana in his armor depleted, he was just about helpless. Level disparity had been unkind to the attributes he could have used to directly fight with. Daniel wasn’t sure what would happen or how he felt about Arpan now. It was all happening fast.

What he was sure about was time had healed his reservations about Hunter’s other bond. That and seeing how it kept him alive. Though, even if Daniel had no jealousy, he afforded some incredulity. Ok wait, so this power quarters the damage you take!?

No. It halves it, Tak’s voice chirped. He and Gadriel were almost at the Sun Spire and, Willow’s familiarity with the streets willing, they were headed that way too. Two people take one person’s damage. The math is simple.

Well, yeah, but you both have Regeneration. So it’s half damage which gets healed twice as fast. Hunter gave him a furrowed stare. What?

Why does that matter?

Because… Daniel trailed off. Well, he was technically right, but without concrete damage numbers it didn’t matter. This world didn’t have abstract damage numbers, so did having an exact, clinical understanding of how each power worked down to the numbers matter? Yes, but Daniel didn’t feel it was the time to argue the point. So do we know where everyone else is?

No. I heard everyone else right after, but then it cut off, Tak replied.

The storm, yeah. The air was so thick he’d probably get some kind of lung condition if it weren’t for Regeneration.

“This is the main road,” Willow said, breaking them out of the mental conversation. She was sad and scared, pushing forward only because the bodies she’d appeared around made it clear this was flight or fight time. She peered up at one of the street signs, and the small mark on one side that indicated the way to the Spires in case there was a storm. Sometimes familiarity beat both cunning and intellect. “Maybe ten minutes away in this.”

“The streets are so empty,” Arpan commented blearily. “I might have come out more if they were like this.” They passed another building with a broken facade and kept moving, knowing what they’d find inside. “Damn it. I didn’t have a choice.”

No one gave him any comfort. In fact, they were trying to keep the noise down in case they attracted more of them. So far they’d just encountered the wreckage the zombies had caused. It was a small mercy that these undead didn’t cause their victims to also rise. Daniel was starting to wonder if his initial assumption was right, but there was no denying that whatever they were, the people they used to be were definitely dead. Even thinking that, Daniel feared fighting them. He didn’t want to kill anyone else on these streets, even if they were just monsters now that looked like people.

The storm was making everything worse. He’d never seen anything like this, even counting the few that had come through before. Someone was blocking communication powers with it, and the effect was strong enough to suppress Lograve. Also, were Hunter’s flank right next to him, he wouldn’t be able to see his head. Strangely, Identify Creature still functioned despite not being from a Bond, so that was less of an issue. It seemed only specific types of powers were being blocked. It’s too bad we can’t share this with Tak, he could at least tag himself.

I should have marked everyone on the way here, Hunter rumbled.

You were worried about me. Daniel smiled despite everything. It’s fine, I’m sure they’re fine. Unless they run into that sand thing, everyone else should be able to take care of themselves.

Thomas?

Well, you said he was in a Spire right? He’ll be fine. Hunter, illuminated in the storm, stopped. What?

A hand grabbed Daniel by the throat and pinned him against the wall. They’d come from the storm so quickly. Hunter tried to jump for him but crossed something that flashed on the ground. A rope appeared around one of his back legs and yanked him into the air.

The pressure on his throat choked him as the assailant used his other hand to slap a cord of rope around one wrist. It flowed over to his other hand and, in a matter of seconds, restrained his arms. The ambush was clearly practiced, and there were only two of them. Two of them, and the auras Hunter reflexively placed showed they were mostly hostile. Not deep red like a monster, but-

Qess - (Avianoid, Ranger - 3)

That was feathers brushing against his shoulder, wasn’t it? He tried to talk but couldn’t get any words out. Hunter, it’s Farthest Run. What’s going on?

“Why?” Hunter asked since he was only hoisted up. Despite this, his attempts at Jaunting out were being suppressed. The power restraining him appeared to go beyond the physical. Even Daniel trying Dodge Roll didn’t work as their bond related to the sharing of the power, not the power itself.

“I told you following her would work. Qess, let up but don’t let him speak an incantation,” Gordon said as two more auras flicked into view. Marky, staring at Hunter, and Taloran, looking conflicted. “We’re going to talk.”

“Gotta make this fast, Gordon, either way,” Qess said in the same professional tone like Daniel was their target. Wait, Crest, he was their quarry. Why did people keep kidnapping him? “How long do you think they’ll wait?”

“A few minutes, I’d guess. Don’t do that!” Gordon turned away from Hunter and the tip of a sword became visible through the storm, pointed away from Daniel. There was a soft gasp from Arpan. “And don’t move.”

“What are you?” Marky asked Hunter in the silence that followed.

“I am going to kill you.” The ringcat tried to flex himself upward to cut at the rope, but his body was both too long and too heavy. Tak, help us.

Smart, Daniel thought privately. He should have done that immediately. Screw this. I don’t care what their reasons are, we’re getting out of here. Hunter and Tak began to coordinate as he tried to buy time, both to think and for his friends to arrive. “What are you doing?” He choked out as the arm relented though did not leave his throat. “Don’t you know what’s going on?”

“That’s exactly why.” Gordon lowered his short sword as Arpan complied and, with quick footwork, struck. In a moment he made a small cut against Hunter, sliding in and out of range of his paws. The Ranger frowned for a second, having met some unexpected resistance. Then, he tasted it, spitting a moment later. “Ringcat. Pure, not a morph.”

Daniel was about to ask how he was so sure until the Ranger glanced at Marky and nodded. “You’re not one of mine,” the Druid said, shaky but determined. “This is really you, isn’t it?” He turned to Daniel. “The Crest got to all of you before you made it out. No one kills a dragon like that at your level, even by drowning it in blood. It’s people like you that make everyone hate my class. Spiritualists.”

Qess turned her head to the side. “You know, I heard a rumor one of the Spireborn was pushing that crap and here she is. The daughter of a Councilmember that mysteriously disappeared. What a coincidence. But Arpan? How do you fit into this?”

“I don’t!” the Artificer exclaimed. “I- in fact, they took me hostage!” Hunter growled deeply as he rotated in the air to face the man. “We need to get out of the city.”

“No. We need to find out what the plan is.” Gordon flipped the sword in his hand, catching the hilt again after a full rotation. “They hit the Hunter’s Guild, you know? Those things, the people your side corrupted? We lost people, you bastard.”

Daniel had no idea why Farthest Run thought they were with the enemy, up until he considered that there were very good reasons they tried to keep Hunter’s true identity secret. Even Khiat had struggled with accepting the truth, and these people learning about it secondhand somehow? The fact that all monsters were evil and couldn’t do what Hunter did was ingrained in the religion of this world. It was something you couldn’t easily ignore. “I…” Daniel tried to explain, but what would he say? ‘I’m from another world.’ ‘You have exactly the wrong impression.’ ‘Not all monsters are evil.’ There was no one good thing to say here, no way to explain with the time they had.

No willingness to listen either. “What’s the plan! How do we stop it?” Gordon shouted.

“Guys,” Taloran muttered. “Are we sure about this? Evalyn, I mean, I don’t think…”

“Tal this is not the time to think with your dick,” Marky chastised. “They’re the enemy!” The Bard shrunk away.

“Start talking Daniel, or we start cutting,” Qess threatened, as if they hadn’t already made this dynamic clear. Markus brought his knife closer to Hunter.

“Wait!” Of all people, Willow cried out. “Wait. Please, not him.” Neither Ranger missed the look of confusion on Daniel’s face, though their attention focused on her. “I’ll tell you everything.”

…

“It’s taking him too long.” Thomas paced back and forth, hearing occasional movement when he neared the door but nothing else. The storm raged outside, though it was held at bay by the Spire’s protections. “Hey, earlier we were worried about you finding our Artificer friend. Any way you could track down this Geomancer?”

“No.” Silora folded her arms from across the chambers. “Don’t look at me like that. This storm’s blocking everything I can try.” Thomas raised an eyebrow. “Well, damn it. Don’t tell me to do anything! I hate that. Stupid bond. I have a high level power, Regional Log. It keeps track of how many things above a certain level there are, monsters and people. I usually keep it above level 4. I have to read everything that comes up and that’s so annoying. Did you know we have more than twenty over that threshold? Half are Craftsmen though, or some variant.” Somehow, the shavi sounded bored. “I ran it yesterday. No new big monsters or anything like that, and someone took care of the skink that was running around last month.”

Thomas walked back over and sat down in the divining chamber. “That doesn’t make sense. Lograve said there’s someone here higher level than he is. At least one. I mean, someone’s blocking your powers.”

Silora shrugged. “Someone was already doing that. The Council was drying me out over this new Assassin that showed up but they kept coming on and off the log. I thought they were on a border at first, but the other regions didn’t see them so something was messing with my powers.”

“It’s not that.”

Silora’s head snapped around. “Wait, you know what was doing that? I was losing sleep trying to figure it out!” She fumbled with a bottle and Thomas fought the urge to ask her to stop. Concern for her health balanced against his desire to limit his use of their contract bond. He’d left the Thormundz in part because of how he’d disagreed with his family’s ethos. Eddor being in charge of the family was enough to inflict on the world. “Not that it matters now.”

“So there’s nothing else you can do?” Thomas felt a sinking feeling as Silora avoided his gaze. “Please, tell me.”

She looked more pained now than any other time he’d asked for something. He didn’t take it back though. “I- N,n,” The Fate was trying to fight the bond now, straining against it. The former one would have killed her for an earnest attempt. Thomas didn’t know what would happen here, the agreement had been simpler. He could have even ended it here. He didn’t. “I don’t ever use it,” Silora said quietly, forced to speak but trying to put as many words before the truth as she could. “Not even the Council knows about it. I think I only have enough mana left to do it once anyway, I couldn’t even manage it so there’s no point in-”

“What is it?”

Her hands started to shake. “I don’t know if the storm would block it or not. I really don’t. I don’t. I don’t. So let’s just not talk about it.”

Thomas looked down and away for a moment. “I’m only asking because it could help my friends. And because the only reason we’re here is because of you. Tell me about that power.”

“I can see the future.” Silora gave that statement the dramatic pause it deserved, and Thomas couldn’t begrudge her that. “I can’t control what I see. I could see anything and it will come true. I tried to stop a vision once, change what would happen. It didn’t work.”

And I thought I had the cool hidden power, Thomas thought. “Why don’t you use it more?”

“Besides the mana cost? I can see anything, Thomas. Anything! What if, what if I see how I die? I-I already saw what happened last night. The contract killing me.” She shivered. “I don’t want to see another death now that I’ve maneuvered my way back to life. If I use this now there’s no way of telling what I’ll see, and it will take me out for the rest of the day. Let’s just forget about it?”

He glanced towards the window. “I don’t think the storm would block it if you’re looking into the future. Maybe if you use it more, you’ll learn how to control it. What if I told you to use it to see something specific?”

Silora looked briefly intrigued before the fear crept back in. “No. I won’t do it.”

Thomas sighed. “Alright. Damn, but if it happens either way I guess there’s no point in knowing. If we could talk to Lograve, maybe, but…”

The Fate clutched onto that like all the water in the desert. “You’re very kind Thomas. I think your mercy is one of your greatest strengths. Why don’t we just relax and let the guard do their job? They are competent, you know. I’m sure everything’s fine.” At that moment, there was a shift in the air outside. A flash of the membrane surrounding the Spire. “What was that?”

“They adjusted the Shroud?” Thomas stuck a hand through the window, fearing the defenses had been lowered. His hand met no resistance, but he could still see the Shroud. There was now a gap of a couple of meters between the Spire wall and it though. “Can you try to scry the Eye?” It wasn’t an order although Silora still obliged, saving her moments of resistance for when it counted. Also, because she didn’t know what was going on and it seemed Thomas might.

“Oh. That’s different.” She frowned. “I’m still being blocked but it’s a firmer presence now. A wall in my way instead of my power just fading when it hits the storm.”

“They must have raised the siege ward. Do they have enough of a Council left to do that?” Thomas turned back to Silora. “You can still scry inside the Spire, right? We need to find Rait. They just closed us off from the rest of the city.”

“Really? Gods, it must be getting bad out there. I can see if I can find him, but if the Spoke is keeping us safe I don’t see what the problem is.”

Thomas met her eyes. “Silora, what if they’re already in here?”