by Skyler Grant
"Your bracer interacts with your dissonance field. With a lot of training and practice, night vision would be possible for you without it, but your bracer makes things a lot easier," Yasmine said.
"So, these swords do the same, lass?" Morgan asked.
Alex said, "When she fought the Aryx, she struck the blade with her hammer."
"Exactly. Today we'll be practicing with each other. We are Glitch and we can hear each other’s dissonance fields. For example, watch Glaive."
Yasmine pulled out her hammer and struck the sword close to the hilt of her blade with a light tap.
Alex cried out in surprise. It was deafening. Unlike the day before where the noise had been almost soothing, now it was like knives digging into his ears. Staggering a few steps backward he collapsed onto the ground with blood streaming from his ears.
Yasmine struck her sword again and the hum changed, the pain instantly dissipating.
She said, "Every Glitch has a unique frequency and as you become more familiar with it, you can match it with a counter-frequency. You won't be able to find each other’s that well, not yet. Glaive slept with me last night despite my best warnings, and that let me tune in on his far more than usual for a stranger."
"Point made," Alex said, wiping at the blood still dribbling.
"To be fair I didn't expect that intense a reaction. You're more sensitive than usual to dissonance. That’s going to help you in some ways and hurt you in others."
"So, when we match the frequency? What then?" Helen asked.
"You'll be able to cut through creature’s hides that non-harmonized steel normally bounces right off. Whatever weapon you wind up settling with, even if it isn't this combo, they all will make use of this fundamental principle," Yasmine said.
"That’s why we're such adept killers," Helen said.
"Part of it. What we do doesn't start or end here. We're also superior at investigating and tracking, because of our dissonance. That’s for another day. We practice alchemy to better exploit Glitches’ weaknesses and defend against their attacks. You may be capable of some minor magical cantrips."
"When you first engaged the Aryx, you threw some sort of fire vial," Alex said.
Yasmine held up her right arm. It wore something like a bracer, but far bulker than the one on her left. Alex and Helen were wearing similar ones, taken from the corpses, and hadn’t realized until now it was anything special.
Yasmine said, "Another fun little toy. Glaive and Ranseur have these too, but you'll need to find your own, Pike. Called a potion-caster. Artificer-made and standard equipment for the House of Bats. Today is not going over their operation in detail but I'll give you a quick demonstration."
Yasmine turned and extended her arm towards an abandoned cart. "Standard loadout is three potion shells. I run with fire unless I am fighting something specific. Angle your arm just so, pull back sharply and tighten the muscles of your middle three fingers."
Yasmine demonstrated and a small glass ampule shot out from the bracer, smashing into cart where it shattered in a burst of flames.
Alex and Helen both tried to duplicate the motion, neither could accomplish it.
"It takes practice. I'll work with you both privately later until you're able to use yours," Yasmine told them.
"Not that I want to sound ungrateful for your time, lass, but ... these two have got a lot of things I haven’t. I get any cash to buy this stuff on my own or what?" Morgan asked.
Yasmine said, "Should you survive to level ten the House of Bats will provide you with a weapon set, a decent one. Special services for the House may also get you unique rewards—but no, they aren't going to give you an allowance. We also aren't expected to hunt for free. If someone is being terrorized by a monster, you don't just kill it. You haggle your fee and then you kill it."
"Well, fuck me," Morgan said.
"I had some basic gear set aside for the four of you. Ranseur and Glaive don't need it and Flail is off in the wind. Instead, I'll let you have it to sell. It should let you get a set of armor your size custom-made and maybe you can find a used potion-caster." Yasmine said.
That seemed to mollify Morgan, who gave a grateful nod.
"I've got you for three weeks. The House of Bats is small and losing four at once hurt us. Normally training is done alongside a skilled Glitch Hunter, but since there are so many of you we're trying something different. Combat practice is going to be our mainstay. Hitting a frequency on demand as well as using sword and hammer," Yasmine said.
"That isn't enough time to get good at a new thing," Helen said.
"You're all killers and good at it. This is totally new, but you'll be surprised how fast you pick it up. Once you have the basics down I'll teach you how to hunt properly."
"More Aryx?" Alex asked.
"They'll probably be above you, but we'll see. I hate leaving them down there. For now, I'll work with Ranseur, and Glaive and Pike will pair up. I just want you to practice listening to the other’s frequency and trying to attune your sword for it," Yasmine said.
"How?" Morgan asked.
"Trial and error. There isn't a better way."
Alex’s ears were still ringing from Yasmine's demonstration earlier. He and Morgan headed towards one corner of the courtyard while Helen and Yasmine went towards the other.
"You want to try first, lad?" Morgan asked.
"I wouldn't mind a chance for my ears to rest," Alex said.
"Looked brutal."
Alex already had some ideas how he needed to proceed—the focusing that he'd been doing to call prompts from his bracer. If it really did interact with dissonance fields, then it made sense that he'd been able to pull up Helen and Yasmine's information because he'd been focusing on their specific fields.
Alex stared at Morgan for a long moment.
Morgan Pike
House of Bats
Probationary Standing
Level 1
Right around there then. Now to listen and not simply see ... there was a faint, rumbling buzz that the more he focused on the louder it became. It was like the crashing of the sea and the sound of swords.
Alex drew his Songhammer and tapped his Songblade near the hilt.
No, it wasn't even close. A second tap towards the middle was more correct, but still far away. A third tap towards the tip was too tinny.
Even with a good idea of what he was looking for it took him another five minutes to find the right point. Tapping the sword finally brought a swell of harmony with the sound he heard coming from Morgan.
Morgan twitched and looked uncomfortable —however far from collapsing on the ground with his ears bleeding.
"Do you think I did it right?" Alex asked.
"Aye lad. You got it. I can hear what ye did there and I don't like it."
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure," Morgan said.
Alex was too. This sound was right to counter Morgan, for all the effect seemed muted.
They changed roles and Morgan tried to find Alex's.
A few hours later he still hadn't. No note he struck even came close to making Alex even uncomfortable, let alone as affected as Yasmine's earlier demonstration.
They switched partners around noon and Alex found himself paired with Helen.
"How did you do?" Alex asked.
"I got her. It took an hour, but I got her. You?"
"I got Morgan, but I don't think he got me. I didn’t feel anything."
"Try me first then," Helen said.
Alex focused. This time, just shy of where he thought the prompt should come up, he shifted his attention briefly. He wanted to test if he could force the prompt to not appear—it didn't. But he did have Helen's tone. It was different compared to Morgan's, far softer. It reminded Alex of the whisper of footsteps, the drawing back of a bowstring.
"You have it," Helen said.
"I do. Not on the sword yet, but I do."
"What do I sound like?" Helen asked.
"You
're a sniper’s song. You sound like death from afar," Alex said, staring at his sword. This was far from Morgan's sound. Helen would be closer to the hilt. He tapped an experimental note.
That wasn't it, but it was close. It only took him two more taps until she winced.
"You’re good at this," Helen said.
"That was it?"
"You know it is. My turn," Helen said.
It took her half an hour to strike the right note on her sword. Again, it still wasn't as bad as Yasmine's earlier note. Perhaps their intimacy really had allowed her to narrow in on his vulnerability. Still, it was close—close enough that he knew that the touch of that sword would harm him.
"That’s it," Alex said.
"I'm going to need to get faster. Mind if I go again?"
The next time took her only five minutes. They were learning.
6
“Stab, Repeat. Stick to the basics.” Graffiti from the ruins of the Persopoli military training grounds.
The next two weeks were spent from dawn until dusk in combat practice. They had no practice weapons, getting hurt was part of the exercise and learning just how much damage Glitch bodies could take and keep moving. There wasn't a day that didn't wind up with broken bones and blood as they worked at mastering the sword and hammer in the mornings, and finding and striking a tone in the evenings. Alex learned how far he could push his body. Mundane damage from weapons healed in about twelve hours no matter how severe. Magical damage took a full day. It had taken a full thirty-six hours for the dissonant wounds the Aryx inflicted to fully heal.
Morgan was the early standout in combat. With his great strength, wielding a full-size weapon in each hand was less tiring than it was for the others and that difference could quickly turn a fight in his favor. Morgan preferred charging in with a furious assault that used his strength to best advantage. Helen focused on agility, dodging blows and striking from the flanks. Alex found his own style was all about opportunities, spotting them and seizing them, and quickly changing up his approach.
Alex spent his nights with Yasmine and despite her warnings found things to be pleasantly uncomplicated. True to her word, she didn't go any easier on him in training. She was a formidable fighter. She could even put down Morgan quickly with an unerring sense of when he was going to drop his guard.
Then came the day when, at dawn, they met in front of the keep instead of in the courtyard.
Yasmine waited for everyone to assemble. She was fully equipped, wearing full armor and with a potion pouch on her belt.
There was excitement amongst the new bloods, everyone knew what today was supposed to be. Hunting.
Yasmine said, "Good of you all to come out. You know what we're doing today. You've been spending the last few weeks learning how to translate your killing skills to this world. Today we're going to learn just what goes into tracking, identifying, and preparing to kill a Glitch. The local village that’s been keeping you louts fed has been having sheep go missing. We're going to find out why."
Alex figured she already knew why. Yasmine had been gone most of the night before, and while she'd been close-lipped about why, he didn't doubt it was to make sure today’s lesson went right.
Yasmine led the way from the keep, along a narrow footpath moving away from the cliffs towards some plains.
"Didn't know there was a village. Could have let us know," Morgan said.
Yasmine said, "And have you lot punching and screwing the locals instead of practicing? Place is called Molsa, we won't be visiting. We're just hitting the hills nearby."
It took them half an hour of walking to reach their destination. Yellow and sickly looking was spread across rolling hills with a forest visible in the distance. A few dozen sheep could be seen grazing.
Alex looked around. If this was the site of a recent attack there wasn't much to see. No, wait, there a streak of blood on a few blades of grass.
Yasmine said, "I see Glaive is already looking. The rest of you do the same. Give it about ten minutes and see what you can come up with."
There wasn't much. Alex discovered a few more patches of blood that might indicate a general direction the attacks came from, although that wasn’t conclusive. Helen seemed to be having some better success, finding a series of animal tracks she thought might be relevant. Morgan wasn't finding anything at all.
"Enough," Yasmine said. "Hard isn't it?"
"Was this whole thing just so you could gloat?" Helen asked.
Yasmine shook her head, "Nah, it was just to make sure you properly appreciated what I'm about to show you. To date you've been using your bracers passively. There is an active component as well. Say 'Analysis Mode'."
Alex repeated the words. There was a flicker to his vision and then it altered dramatically. Alex remembered what it was like to have vision in pitch darkness. This had an element of that and he could still discern colors as well. It was as if his eyesight had an overlay.
Looking around the field now caused circles and lines to appear in places, and tiny notations appeared.
Unidentified Bloodstains
Unidentified Tracks
Signs of Struggle
"Bloody hell," Morgan said.
"Follow up on what you're seeing. Get a closer look at anything of interest," Yasmine said.
Alex made his way first towards the Signs of Struggle marker. If something had been taken, it made the most sense to start there.
The grass had been flattened, something difficult to see at a distance, but obvious up close. A tuft of wool was near the edge.
Alex's vision flickered again.
Sheep
Attempted to flee
No signs of exiting tracks
Possible Aerial Assault
Possible Spirit Abduction
Alex thought that he could probably filter out the spirit abduction. Yasmine wouldn't have taken them on a hunt of something like that their first time out. If it was an aerial assault, it meant the tracks Helen found earlier were even more mystifying. Making his way over to them he had a look.
Tracks
Two Legs
Tri Toed
Curved Talons
Match Found
Cockatrice
Grimoire Entry for Cockatrice has been unlocked
Cockatrice
Alignment: Green
A Cockatrice is a winged creature with the legs and head of a rooster and the body of a serpent. They are found in family units of three to four and families are extremely territorial. There are several distinct subspecies and between them threat level can vary greatly. The common Cockatrice has a resistance to poisons and acids but otherwise has mundane vulnerabilities.
"What is a green alignment?" Alex asked.
Yasmine grinned. "Found it already? Now see if you can get a direction. To answer your question, nature. Beasts from off-world or local beasts that have been corrupted by off-world power will be flagged green. Usually they're Glitch most vulnerable to mundane weapons. There are some exceptions such as weres."
Alex moved over towards the blood, Helen was already ahead of him.
The blood stains blinked and were highlighted in his vision.
A line appeared in his vision extending from the struggle site to the first bloodstain, to a second and then further forward.
Analyzing
Most likely lair location highlighted
A hill in the distance flashed.
"How much can we trust what we're seeing? I don't like the idea of relying on anything this much," Helen said.
Yasmine told her, "As much as you like. Your bracers aren't infallible, and they'll get it wrong sometime. I'd say for now it is your best guide. As you grow more experienced you'll know when you get to the point when you can trust your own judgment best."
"Are you there yet?" Alex asked.
"Sometimes. I spent three months up to my armpits in cavelings and I can spot an ambush now even when my bracer tells me everything looks safe. Still, I'd be dead sev
eral times over if not for its input."
"Are there any other verbal commands we can use?"
"Eventually, yes. Right now, not so many. You can always preface any statement with ‘Bracer’ though and see what you get."
Alex tried to think up a good test. "Bracer, how many hours until nightfall?"
9.4 hours until dusk
Helen said, "Bracer, tell me everything you know about the history of the Ranseur bracer."
Yasmine looked on in amusement. "I've never tried either, but I'm guessing Glaive got an answer and Ranseur got told she lacked authorization?"
"Yeah. Authorization from who?" Helen asked.
"Your bracers keep information classified until you need to know it. It’s why you can't simply pull up your Grimoire and browse all the monsters in the world, although you can research ones you've encountered. There are many abilities you can ultimately unlock. You're a long way from there. Go ahead and turn off analysis mode."
Alex did as she instructed and the world returned to normal.
Morgan asked, "Why does the bloody thing do that? If we're here to kill, don't it make sense for us to know everything about what we might be facing?"
To answer, Yasmine said, "Follow up and let’s go find us some Cockatrice. We'll talk on the way." She jerked her head towards the hill before setting off.
The others fell into line behind her.
"That’s what you always say when we're not going to like the answer to something," Helen said.
"It’s also what I say when I don't have an answer for you. I have my theories, but they're just that," Yasmine said.
"Still interested in hearing them," Alex said.
Yasmine said, "Alright. One is that it’s an encouragement to do your damned job. If you're out there killing and fulfilling quests for the House you're slowly unlocking the Grimoire anyways. By the time you get the ability to unlock it all you've proved your value and worth."
