"You know him?" Juni asked, looking confused.
"Aye, we go back a ways," Krevan answered. Jurik then offered him a chair, but the captain waved it off, still smiling politely. "I'll stand. I'm older, not dead. At any rate, we went to army basics at the same time. Nearly died a couple of times together while defending Riorin Pass. We both were too stubborn to die, he with his crazy fire powers, and I put my maul to use, smashing foes to bits."
"As I recall, there was a lot more than a maul involved," Jurik added calmly. "So what happened to your arm?"
“What happened is, a bone fiend nearly cut me in half last year. The healers barely kept me alive.” Neska saw Krevan's left arm truncated at the elbow. The remainder had been replaced by a metal limb that carried a faint hum of energy in the air. The metal fingers formed of fine metal scales creased slowly, with arcane light dancing between the seams, and she heard pistons emitting small pneumatic sounds.
Yet, the man carried on as if it were little more than putting on a glove. “I stubbornly refused to be retired. I've still got monsters to kill. But now my job is to train the young lads and keep them alive longer, which is close enough in my books.”
“Bad enough you lost part of the arm. Looks like it didn’t slow you down, though,” Jurik said observantly.
The man chuckled softly in response. “Bah. This golem arm isn’t perfect, but it’s a decent replacement. Gotta be careful when I take a leak though,” the man said with a hearty laugh. Juni went wide-eyed and shied her head from the two, looking anxious. Krevan then pointed to her and Neska. “Oh, sorry, that might have been too much information. Let’s see if I got the names right. Juni, and Neska, correct?”
{Yes.} Neska took the parchment pad and wrote her answer. The captain raised a brow, but Jurik had him take a seat at the small table near the bedside.
“She’s still working on her communication. I think that’ll be an issue that clears up at Second Tier, but this is a workaround we’ve got going. Juni is my ward, a terramouse. Neska is…Well, I haven’t worked that one out yet. But a viper of some kind. Unusual color pattern.”
“And capable of witch hexes. Which should be impossible,” the man let out a grunt, peering at her as if this were an examination. "Care to explain that, Neska?"
{I cannot say I know how my witch managed it. She researched rituals to trigger my Awakening manually.}
Krevan watched with curiosity. “Interesting. Also, I must commend your...well, tail-writing, I suppose. You seem practiced."
{Thank you. Still learning. Remembering. My witch…some memories stuck. I was aware for a year. But my Interface was locked. My guardian found a way to fix it.}
He responded with a warm smile. “Well, I’m glad to have you, at any rate. Due to this monster incursion, we’re pulling more men in from the backlines. Though based on the number of wolf corpses, it must have been some fight, indeed.”
Jurik gave a slow nod. “It was. There's more, of course. But not here. We need to talk in private."
Krevan nodded. "There's a briefing room down the hall, I saw it on my way in. Are you able to move?"
"I'll manage. Sergeant Wellik?" Jurik asked, as if he needed permission. Neska realized that with his rank, he could order Wellik around. She found that interesting.
"Yes, follow me," the sergeant affirmed, and motioned them forward. Neska and Juni took the cue, with Juni grabbing the parchment paper and pen. Neska winced at the motions; she was still somewhat sore, but at least she had some mobility.
Once everyone was inside, Krevan latched the door and let out a soft sigh. "Okay, Jurik, I can tell there's something big going on. It's rare for you not to reveal your whole hand, and I'm wondering why. Even the new Sergeant told me to speak to you in private."
"Apologies, sir," Wellik replied stiffly. "It's as the Lieutenant states. There are sensitive matters to discuss."
The captain nodded. "Alright, Jurik, I'm all ears. What have you stirred up, exactly?"
"Not me. Her." Jurik stood slightly straighter as he waved to Neska. She wrote down her response to Jurik.
{I need to know we can trust him first.} She showed the paper to the group.
Jurik folded his arms, looking contemplative. "Yes. We can."
The captain let out a grunt. "Okay, Jurik, level with me. And none of the military parlance either. I need a no bullshit assessment. How important is this?"
Neska gave Jurik a subtle nod and a single message. {Tell him who was at the cottage the night Risha died.}
"Infiltrators have compromised some of the Seekers. My guess, mimicoids and dopplegangers, or worse. And they are desperate to kill Neska, as a witness to their treachery."
There was almost no reaction from the captain, except for how he clenched the fingers of his golem arm on the lip of the desk. It was the only reaction from a man who likely carried a high level of composure before responding.
"Are you sure? Jurik, we've never had problems spotting infiltrator species like that."
"These were different. Even her witch didn't immediately pick up on it, who clearly understood them as a monster species. I suspect she was a critical staff member of the Academy who vacated her role for reasons tied to Neska's Awakening. Them happening on her was bad timing." Jurik stepped in closer. "We need to investigate them. Quietly, especially with shapeshifter monsters. I don't think all the Seekers are like them. But weeding them out will take time and patience."
The captain considered this for a moment, folding his hands behind his back. Then he spoke in a slow, deliberate tone. "Jurik, you and I have fought side by side many times. But pretend, for one second, that we didn't know each other. How do you know I am not a mimicoid or another shapeshifting monster?"
Jurik glanced at Neska. She wrote one more note. {Mimicoids can't hide their scent. Vinegar and chemicals, to the observant.}
Krevan nodded solemnly. "Smart. Her assessment is textbook, though few know it. Doppelgangers are more dangerous, but very, very rare, and usually less perfect in their mimicry. Plus, when you stab them, they don't bleed red; it's usually blue." He let out a hissing exhale. "As for proof..."
He took a belt dagger and pricked his finger, without a single flinch. Jurik nodded solemnly as the blood welled up, its usual red color. "Good memory, Captain."
"Still sharp, even if the rest of me has dulled a bit." He shook his head, looking displeased. "Ah, shit. Investigating those red-clad zealots is going to be a nightmare. I can do it, though, with men I trust. But what about you, Jurik? What is your intention?"
"My priority is to get Neska and my ward, Juni, to the academy at all costs. There is much more to this than I'm divulging for safety reasons. You trust me?"
"Damn right I do." He didn't hesitate to answer. "What do you need?"
"First, send a reconnaissance team to Peolein. Have them check out what happened four days ago. The lead attacker was Marikand. I don't know much else. Neska?"
{Tall. Dark hair, beard, coal dark eyes, plus the serpent helm. Smelled of vinegar, too. But more advanced monster, I think. Mimicked class skills. Fire healed him. Dangerous.}
Krevan wrote a note down. "Mimicking class powers? That's new, if we can confirm it. I can dig quietly, because I know how hard it is to nail down a mimicoid that powerful. But if this blows up and gets worse? I'm pulling out all the stops.
{There's more. Something directed him through the Interface. Something terrifying. I don't have a name for it.}
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Krevan's face froze as he read the last few words. "Jurik...have you ever heard of anything like this?"
"No. Which worries me. I think something is directing or controlling the monsters directly through the Interface," he said in a low tone. "I'm keeping an eye out for high-Tier monsters, see if I can find out anything more. I am continuing my primary mission to the academy to get these two there in safety."
"After what you told me? I'd say yes, it is important. I worry more about what you're not telling me." The captain let out a soft sigh. "I believe I understand why you don't want to tell the whole story. You're worried about what the Seekers might hear, should they come through."
"Correct. We need to be subtle until we're behind the academy walls," Jurik answered in a firm voice. "Wellik and one or two others have been briefed in full on the situation. We're hoping to leave as soon as possible. Preferably just us."
{No. Jurik, that's a bad idea. We should still have a small escort} Neska interjected. Jurik frowned. {It would be prudent to travel with others who can cover our ability shortfalls.}
Krevan tapped the page. "I agree with her assessment. Some protection, but still keeping it a subtle travel group. I know you’re capable, Jurik. But monsters this far south, launching raids like this, this far behind lines? I don't buy it."
"Then how are they this far past the engagement line?" Juni asked. "They're not teleporting. Did another secondary rift open somewhere?"
"If there were, our mages would sense it from over a hundred miles away. I'm thinking it's a less severe, but still problematic issue: the front line has got some pretty big holes in it,” Krevan replied sternly. “Either one is disturbing enough, not even considering the Seeker problem. Avoid them if you can. I’ll send you with a small squad."
He turned to the sergeant. "Wellik, I need escorts for these three, first thing tomorrow morning. Most of my men are on a damage assessment and hunting down the remnants of the pack. Who can you suggest?”
A tap at the door interrupted them. Wellik checked the window, narrowing his eyes. "Hadley, is this important?"
"I heard."
Those two words said enough for him. "Damn scout powers," Wellik grumbled. "Well, come on in."
She stepped lightly into the room and saluted the captain. "Corporal Hadley Feywind. Apologies, I overheard part of the earlier discussion. I was there with Jurik and the others during the defense last night. I want to volunteer for an escort." The young woman's eyes still burned with a fire that showed her fighting spirit hadn't been dampened entirely. She stiffened lightly when she caught Wellik’s gaze. “If you’ll permit me, Corp–I mean, Sergeant.”
Wellik smiled faintly. “After that fight, you’d still want to go?”
“I…would appreciate a change in scenery for a bit.” Neska imagined it had something to do with the betrayer's face, burned into her memory. What he had done was all too fresh in her mind. “It’ll give me a chance to scout out any more monsters behind the lines.”
Kraven nodded. “I see morale isn’t lacking here, good on you. Wellik, give me three others you can rely on by the end of the afternoon. Jurik, we’ll send you and your Awakened along the main path, the way we came. There should be no issues along the way.”
Neska and Juni nodded. It might be nice to have a little company along the road, though she secretly wanted to test her new abilities. Travel in a wagon might limit that option. But for now, she’d wait for an opportunity and put in a quick response.
"Well, it's settled, then. Make sure you pick reliable men, Wellik," the captain reminded him. "In the meantime, everyone rest up, gather supplies this evening. I get this feeling your efforts are just getting started.”
Though her body had recovered by later in the day, Neska felt restless. Like all her scales, they itched along her body, and she couldn’t scratch them.
They conversed for a short while longer, but most of the day was spent resting, until the itch of inaction grew too much to bear. Neska was adamant about testing out her new [Sudden Molt] in the late afternoon, and the barracks courtyard was the opportune place to test it.
First, she had to know how fast it would trigger. She was slowly mapping out a feel for her abilities. There was also a strange sensation she had started noticing, particularly with the abilities she'd used the most. Was it a sign they were changing slowly…or was it her perception and connection to them?
Each one was distinct, and some were more apparent than others. The first hex she’d used, [Rooting Hex], left her with a crawling sensation on her scales. It felt like the vines and roots were coming from her, winding around, if not physically.
She checked out the others, just to see if she could get a similar feedback. A quick test with her [Spring Scales] gave her a brief flash of insight before triggering. She could, for a split second, see the exact landing point. The duration of the leap she still predicted based on speed and angle, but…it was now a small instinct she didn’t even need to process.
Mana bolts also changed trajectory in mid-air, depending on her eye focus point. The shift in trajectory was small, so it was limited for now. It did get her thinking: with more training, perhaps she could direct them more precisely, or arc them around surfaces?
What she did know was that she had only glimpsed the full potential of the Interface. She’d need to keep testing to find out.
Juni kept her company in the meantime after a quick break. “Okay, let’s see how it works.” The mouse sat on a bench and grabbed a writing implement, though it was almost comically oversized in her hands.
Neska let out a slow breath and activated her [Sudden Molt]. She felt the crinkle of her scales sloughing off, and then a blast of air that left her disoriented.
She swiveled her head around, trying to reorient herself. She turned to see Juni several feet further away, jumping up excitedly. Neska swivelled her head to see her body right behind her. It stood perfectly still, and if she hadn’t known what to expect, she would have sworn she duplicated her body.
But the illusion didn’t last, and the scales of her fake body crumbled to dust in a matter of seconds. She also felt the cooling sensation sink in immediately after activating the ability, which meant it had drawn a significant energy reserve.
One thing was clear: this ability was for emergencies only until she built up her reserves or reduced the cooldown. Wait. I still have attribute points unspent. I should use them.
She tossed two more points each into Perception, Soul, and Agility, locking in the selections. Though she didn’t feel anything dramatic, something inside her felt slightly emptier. As if the well of energy her mana came from had expanded, and its current contents remained unchanged.
Juni padded over, holding the parchment pad. “So, that was something. The skin you leave behind certainly looks like the real you, but it’s also perfectly still. It wouldn't fool them for long.”
Neska took the parchment paper and wrote a note. {Evasion. Hide where they can’t see me. Or go behind them, attack them. It may also improve with proficiency. Will run tests.}
She added one more note. {Maybe I should have taken the venom bolt. Infusion for ranged attack opens tactical options to wear down opponents.}
Juni nodded. “Depends on your style of fighting. You’re using a lot of crowd control and evasive moves. Plus, not everything will be vulnerable to it. I have an earth affinity. I resist toxins and acids, but not fully.”
{Will need a plan for when venom is not effective, then. Risha said, 'Knowledge is your best weapon'.} Neska showed her the note, then realized the cooldown was off for her molt. {Molt ready. Gonna be slow to level.}
This time, she had Juni stand in front of her path. The molt might have better options down the line, since it seemed relatively weak for its placement as an early ability. Her [Spring Scales] already had a good evasion range, and [Coiled Strike] was good in a pinch. She didn’t have the endurance to take many hits, so she had to be fast and whittle down foes with precision.
Sudden Molt Active.
The result was the same, and she appeared almost instantly behind Juni. But her orientation wasn’t ideal; her body wasn’t facing the mouse girl, who looked around before seeing Neska there, swaying her tail. “W-wow. Did you go through me?”
{No. Point A to Point B. Skip space between.} These were other strange words that sounded familiar. Likely, from before she had Awakened. It was reasonable to conclude she had spent time learning in her past life, given her attention to detail and memory recall. {One more.}
Neska once again tried the [Sudden Molt], but also visualized where she would emerge. She focused on a patch of scraggly grass behind Juni as her focus point.
Sudden Molt Active.
The world blurred, and she still needed to twist around to see Juni, who was jumping up with a small celebration. Neska, however, could feel the chill seeping into her body.
“Wow! So can you direct it?”
{A little. But I need to turn. Can’t hit from behind if I have to spin.} She knew this one was limited in how often she could use it. Each failure was costing time. {Want to try something else? Tell me the effects. Does not cause harm.}
Juni nodded, though her paws trembled a little as Neska slid to her initial position. “Ready when you are,” but she also heard the mouse girl whisper to herself. “Please be brave, please be brave, pretty please.”
[Baleful Eye] was similar to the [Ember Hex] in that it needed to be channeled. So, she locked eyes with Juni and triggered it.
What it felt like was as if her eyes had been flung forward in her skull. She could hyperfocus on her target, the mouse girl opposite her.
Juni stiffened, and her fur went on end. Neska felt her eyes fixate on the mousegirl, peering deeper and deeper into her. And with each seeming second, the focus grew tighter.
Individual fur follicles. Small scars. The tensions in her muscles.
Deeper.
She gazed at her with intensity, and Juni wilted under the effect. “C-can’t move my legs. Won’t let me.” She gritted her teeth, trying to will herself to move.
Deeper.
She could see the blood vessels pumping, and couldn’t see, so much as feel that tiny heart pulsing with energy, both mundane and magical. She wanted to taste that flow of mana, feel the flow of blood–no, she had to break this off, now.
She shook her head to break her focus, and she felt an elastic snapback in her mind. She fell to the ground, her head spinning. Juni toppled to the ground, her breath coming in tiny gasps.
“T-that…was intense. Oh, I did not like that,” Juni groaned. Neska fumbled for the writing implement, but her body was sluggish. The chill of the mana drawn from her soulspace felt like the biting cold of a winter day.
{I had a…strange…feeling. I didn't like it. Wanted mana. Yours.} Neska’s tail wavered erratically as she wrote, not caring how Juni would interpret it. {Fell deeper and deeper. I don't understand. Will need to test. But…not now. Tired.}
Juni nodded, but was still willing to get close to Neska, and pat between her two head ridges. “Yeah, I think that’s enough for today. My legs…oh, they’re still shaking.”
Neska worried if she had been looking too deeply. The description of the ability did not match the effect or the sensation it had caused her.
She wondered if there were abilities that could harm her, or, worse, if she’d found something that would gaze right back at her.
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