Knives in the Night
Page 8
Noted, I replied as I headed to my room, realizing that I had better cut my remaining tasks for the day down to just what was necessary, and to make sure I considered a good night’s rest as the final and most important duty.
I found that the rooms weren’t anything like the palace in Atlantis or my manor-turned-keep in Avalon, but they beat the daylights out of sleeping on the ground.
The only complication was going to be dealing with Breena. Or rather, dealing with Breena trying to deal with herself.
She cleared her throat as I set Breaker down on the bedside table near the modest-sized bed. I turned to look at her, and found that she was currently four feet tall, her butterfly-like wings still present, and outfitted in her sparkly pink pixie dress, but with her feminine charms still very noticeable to me.
She was also clearly nervous.
“So,” she said as she tapped her forefingers together, “I know last time, we talked about sleeping arrangements…”
“Yeah,” I said slowly, “I remember that. We had decided that it was problematic. I think,” I clarified as I thought over the most recent events, “if we’re both referring to ‘Breena-Stell,’ not ‘Stell-Stell.’”
“That,” she stammered, holding up a finger, “that’s the thing. I know my primary body has uh, reconsidered her stance on her—our—the relationship,” she blushed as she corrected herself, “but she was not a hundred percent clear on what that would mean with me, Breena-Stell, specifically. I mean,” she added quickly, eyes widening a bit, “she gave some direction, but it involved hyperbole. I think.” She raised her hands in a placating gesture. “I mean… I’m not saying I’d be completely opposed to it; I mean, I’m not really opposed to it, it’s just that—”
“Hey, Breena,” I interrupted, beginning to see where she was going, “what do you, specifically the fragment of Stell that I’m talking to right now, feel comfortable doing? At this moment. After a long evening of travel and violence.”
She blinked at that. For some reason, it reminded me of the fact that I found her beautiful.
“I, uh,” she said, and I could tell that she was puzzling through the question for the first time, “I have no idea. I’m tired. It’s been a long day, and I gotta help fight a guerrilla war tomorrow. I kinda just want to go to bed.”
“Same here,” I agreed, “except for sending a message to Avalon and fixing my mindscreen.”
“Is it acting up again?” she fretted, sounding tired and annoyed. “Ughhhh…” She ran a hand through her spiky pink hair. “Every time I think it’s finally fixed…”
“Yeah, it’s something to do with the power I gained from the last Challenge,” I replied, “the one with killing Fragglerock. I think it’s having trouble processing the benefits I gained. I haven’t been able to bring it up since then. Also, the Planetary Lord put some kind of bounty on Fragglerock’s head, and I don’t think the system was prepared to process that.”
“That’s actually a good point,” the pretty fairy said with a sigh, “since we didn’t even know what Planetary Lords were, until you went and became one. I had no idea they could even assign power to the completion of a task, and I’m terrified to find out what you’re going to do with it.”
“I haven’t even thought of anything yet,” I replied, “but when I figure out, I’ll let you know. I should probably check to see if I gained any new abilities to wage Stellar War as well.”
“Okay, okay,” Breena muttered, giving in. “Let me go ahead and take a look at your mindscreen, and I’ll see if I can fix it. Then I’m going to bed, and I’ll just have to trust that you and my primary body will be okay with wherever I decide to sleep.” She flew over to me, hummed, whispered some spell I couldn’t understand, and then nodded in satisfaction. “There. Looks like you have a whole bunch of updates to go over. But since I didn’t feel like dealing with any of them, I just skimmed through them to make sure there weren’t any warnings about your head exploding. I’ll let you tinker with it and talk to Avalon. Good night. Tell Stell not to yell at me for sleeping on your pillow… or for not doing anything more…”
“That’s fine. And hey,” I said, stretching out an arm to catch her as she floated past me. When she didn’t resist, I gently pulled her into a hug. “Thank you for everything. And as far as the romance stuff goes, let’s just take it slow for now, when we’re less tired and able to answer a couple more questions regarding what kind of pace we’re both comfortable with.”
Pretty sure we’re comfortable with sex, Teeth spoke up, or is that the sort of thing I’m supposed to work on not saying?
You’re not exactly wrong, I admitted, forcing myself to remain calm as Breena’s lithe body relaxed against mine, gossamer wings gently beating against me. Then she drifted away and shrunk until she was small enough to fit on top of one of the two pillows, and sank down onto her new bed.
We definitely want sex, I admitted, shaking my head, but we’ve got to work out some of the details first. What happens to Stell if we start getting intimate with one of her bodies? What happens to her Satellites if we’re with her? How much can they feel? Can they choose not to feel it if they’re not the one we’re with? Should we start with her first, or only ever sleep with her? Can Starsown or their Satellites get pregnant? We have to be especially careful with Breena. She’s attractive, but even when she’s full-sized at five feet, she’s a lot smaller and more delicate than any of Stell’s other bodies so far.
Shit, you’re right, Teeth said with unease. We need to talk with Stell about all of this. Kind of wish we had done that earlier.
Me too, I said, but she’s as inexperienced as we are, so let’s just accept that we’re both going to make some mistakes here and there, and move on. Besides, we’re honestly just as tired as Breena is, and I kinda want more privacy than a dormitory room where I can hear Eadric snoring from three rooms down.
Fine, Teeth grumbled, but I’m demanding some sort of progress on this matter, or I’m going to front-load our brain with whatever annoying crap I can think of.
I was about to say that he was already doing that, but the inevitable bickering would just make me even more tired. Instead, I pulled up my mindscreen and began reviewing the notes.
Wes Malcolm
Origin:Earthborn (Dusk Era, progressing), Avalonian (Challenger), Woadfolk (Elder), Atlantean (True). Other bloodlines unknown
Rise Level: 33nd Rise (Torch)
Saga: Unconquered Hero
Act 3: Renewed Mind. +5 Int, Wis, and Wits. Personal presence helps others resist mental attacks
Strength: 480
Dexterity: 527
Constitution: 481
Intelligence: 526
Wisdom: 464
Charisma: 534
Speed: 533
Deftness: 529
Wits: 529
Will: 666
Paths: War, Kings, Archmage
Skills (averaged): Weapons (40), Ideal Magic (40), Saga Magic (40) Misc Skills (30)
Profession: Leader (Rank: Lunar Viscount)
Art: War (Newly Gained)
Science: Forming
Craft: Forming
I noticed that I had gained two more Rises, as well as a number of Skill points I couldn’t figure out how to immediately invest, thanks to the limitations that the Stellar assholes had managed to implant within my genes. But there was a host of other notes, so I turned my attention to them.
The Challenger has prevented the formation of a new Trial on four different worlds. The benefits normally assigned to preventing a Trial or Tumult in the first place will now be assigned for all four instances.
In place of a one-time power boost to his basic abilities, the Challenger will instead receive more benefits to his overall growth. The Challenger will have an easier time processing future intakes of power. Should the Challenger encounter natural or unnatural inhibitions to his growth, the recently gained power will help the Challenger in overcoming the imposed limitations.
ALERT
: Limitations encountered. The Challenger’s mind, soul, and genetics have suffered extensive tampering specifically designed to prevent growth and function. Assigning part of the accrued power to begin repairing long-term damage suffered.
Notice: Initial reparation attempt successful. The Challenger may now increase any one Skill to six ranks beyond his Risen level. Continued attempts will be made to undo future damage.
This benefit will apply to the Challenger’s retinue and allies as well.
The world of the Golden Sands, the Beastlands of Pangea, the Enlightened Realm of the Spirit Kingdoms, and the Exalted Principalities of the Dawnlands will all benefit from improved weather. Storms will form with more warning, flood patterns will be more predictable, and the local structures will all receive a supernatural resistance to wind and water erosion. Further weather-based Trials and Tumults will both require more time to form, and will display more warning signs in advance.
The Planetary Lord, or Lunar Viscount, has staved off a threat to four nearby worlds, improving his claim and sphere of influence over them. Right to Rule has been gained. The Lunar Viscount has further gained the ability to modify progression or climate to a minor effect on each world.
I took a moment to blink away my sleepiness, and kept reading the updates.
As an additional advantage, the benefit of the Lunar Viscount’s race has been doubled. His retinue will now receive twice the benefits they would have previously received from the Viscount’s own Rises, and the basic population will receive increased gains, as well. Furthermore, all of the Lunar Viscount’s population will receive assistance in processing overall growth, be it from Rising or some other source.
That was certainly good news. It meant that my retinue would have an easier time keeping up. Speaking of which…
The Lunar Viscount has successfully assigned a position of his Court, the Knife. The Knife is the member of a Planetary Court charged with sabotaging threats considered unreachable by conventional means. She will receive an additional point per rise in the following Traits: Dexterity, Deftness, and Speed, as well as an additional point per Rise in the following Skills: Stealth, Detection, Tracking, Disguise, Poison, and Light Blades. The Knife will also have an easier time sensing magical protections, as well as any gaps within said protection. The Lunar Viscount will receive a similar understanding, as well as a sense for whether or not the Knife will be the best person for dealing with any given threat.
Then the updates switched to discuss my accomplishments as a Challenger again, specifically my Paths.
The Challenger has destroyed a key asset regarding the conflicts of several worlds, allowing him to take another step down the Path of War. The Challenger will now receive assistance with coordinating engagements between multiple worlds.
The Challenge has taken immediate action to destroy a threat to four worlds at once, and has successfully assumed leadership of a local political body, allowing him to take another step down the Path of Kings. The Challenger will receive further insight in dealing with local leaders.
The Challenger has successfully defeated a Master-ranked Air mage, absorbed a small portion of his enemy’s magic, and obtained his enemy’s research and spell books, allowing him to take another step on the Path of the Archmage. The Challenger will now learn and modify new spells more easily.
And finally, Stellar War.
The Challenger has successfully defeated a Master-ranked wizard in league with his enemies. The Challenger has also managed to establish forces on several worlds capable of repelling Stellar War opponents, thereby gaining massive contribution in Stellar War. The Challenger’s rank has increased from High Captain to Lord Colonel.
The message changed font, allowing me to recognize the original sender of the next algorithms.
Congratulations on your new promotion, Stellar Combatant! The Stellar Council is pleased to commend you, on behalf of productive citizens everywhere, for your contributions in the current justified conflict! Thank you for protecting the Expanse from monsters and rogue elements!
As you are now a V.I.P. member of this very important conflict, the Stellar Council has graciously decided to procure for you a gift that will allow you to serve the Expanse even more effectively! You may now access an expanded mindlink. The Stellar Combatant may also develop a second, broader link that allows for basic information sharing between parties on multiple worlds. Please access the Stellar Council’s requisition office to begin the process of activating your fantastic reward, and remember to keep fighting the good fight on behalf of the Stellar Council’s Expanse!
Denied, I sent back, beginning to pull up the secret armory that the ancient Earthborn had managed to develop once they’d realized just how much the Council was screwing them.
ERROR:
Stellar Combatant, are you sure you wish to postpone activating your latest free gift? The new mindlink network is a powerful, completely free tool that will assist you in gaining even more rewards as you wage Stellar War against the Expanse’s enemies. Also, it’s completely free, and has been determined by the Expanse Health Organization and Center for Vital Guard Control to have absolutely zero side effects on any single member of the Expanse, regardless of race, age, gender, or family history! And best of all, it’s completely free! It will cost no points to purchase
I sighed and covered my face. Perhaps it was a byproduct of the way Stell and Breena had set up my mindscreen, though it was more likely the fact that the Stellar Council was unused to having their propaganda challenged, but any Earth telemarketer, from any Earth country, could run circles around the Stellar Council’s clown show of a con.
Denied, and block further offers, I commanded, taking advantage of the new protocols I had gained from the Earthborn modifications. Open up the Earthborn requisition page.
Skimming through my options on the requisition page, I found that, in place of a suspicious and definitely bugged new mindlink, I was able to modify my existing one to create an improved version of what I had managed to cobble together back in the Woadlands, when I’d led the tribes on the attack against the Hoarfolk. It wouldn’t be perfect, but it would let me have a rough idea of the general state of the other three worlds.
But as I attempted to focus on the other planets, my bracer, armband, and scabbard all flared, and I suddenly gained a significantly clearer picture of all the worlds I had retaken.
So far, they were all holding out just fine. Avalon still couldn’t easily be invaded, because the Pathways were all sealed, and Guineve was now strong enough to counter even a powerful Dark Icon trying to force its way through. The Woadlands had repelled a few Horde invasions quite easily, and the Sun-Jeweled Seas hadn’t had any encounters since Via had sunk what was probably a third of the Malus Members’ fleet.
I was about to contact them, when I realized I still had one last notice on my mindscreen.
The Challenger has also received an additional gift from a powerful entity that has successfully Passed on. This gifting of power will be accessed the next time the Challenger goes unconscious.
I sighed again. The Pendragon was a fierce personality to deal with, and one that withheld information from me until I had a reason to seek it out from him—like whatever the hell he had been trying to do with terraforming Avalon’s moons.
I’ll deal with him after I contact Avalon, I decided.
Then I attempted to contact Avalon directly.
I hadn’t really been able to do so before, with the exception of one time on the Woadlands, but to my surprise, I felt my tattoo shimmer with power.
It had been an odd thing, because I hadn’t gained the same characteristic benefits that the Gaelguard normally received from the Woadfathers. However, the Woadfather I was bonded with technically wa
s no longer a Woadfather—it was a Kingtree: a plant that tied in directly to the kingdoms under my domain, that flourished when I flourished, and in turn, nourished my land and subjects. It didn’t so much augment me as link me more deeply with my realm, and now, with the help of the mindlink and my regalia through which Stell’s Satellites sometimes contacted me, I widened the link and projected my thoughts through it.
Avalon, I asked, can you hear me?
CHAPTER 6: SAFEHOUSES
Davelon’s Perspective