Chapter 5-4 The Agnos

Chapter 5-4 The Agnos

The Agnos are not theologians. Nor are they worshippers of the old faiththough some among their number most certainly wished they were, and could be.

Instead, they are engineers of metaphysics. Those who know the structures of metaphysical philosophy and scripture so well that they know what parts of each canon can be tweaked, and what must remain for a god to be anchored to their Domains.

Under their guidance, the offeredthose sacrificed and sent in to fix a Heaven or Liminal Framefor the only method of access to the absolute by creatures of mortal design is to diemaintain the power of the city and help the Guilds keep their hard-fought peaceÑøv€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on Ñôv€lß¡n.

-[REDACTED], Trials of Agnosis

5-4

The Agnos

One of the junior Sang had led them toward their abode, slithering instead of walking for her body was joined with that of a twelve-foot serpent spliced with the fur and muscles of a hound. Between kitchens with walls lined with chimeric wombs delivering wailing creatures biosculpted to taste both novel and delectable, Avo and Draus followed, their presence shrouded from the proper clientele, guided toward the employee elevator.

At once, the structure reeked of iron and bone, a corralled enclosure shrouded by a layer of muscle and tissue, pulsing with each moment. It struck Avo then that he was looking upon something analogous to a heartthat there was an active force lancing through the entirety of the shaft.

He could sense the surging, pressurized liquids propelling the elevator up and down.

Blood. His primary throne of power. One that ensured his victory against the Scalpers even when paired with his lacking skill. And now, all around him, he could feel a building mass automatically gravitating toward him, like he was singularity on the cusp of emergence.

All he needed to do should he wish to collapse this place was plunge a tendril into the walls, and tug.

Then, by Heaven and Rend, he would cast this place into ruination.

Stepping into the elevator, a shiver of pleasure ran up his spine at the thought. The urge teased his mind and incensed the beast. Through the entirety of the establishment, he counted hundreds of accretions scintillating with thought, moving like a dance of constellations. How many could he claim in thaum and ghosts? How many could nourish his strength and

You doin alright there? Draus asked, her voice thin, the intent behind her words cutting at him.

Split free from his building bloodlust, Avo blinked. Yeah.

The Regular nodded. Good. Keep it that way, if you can.

Warily, the Sang turned to fix Avo with a wary glance. He glared back at her, trying not to imagine what it would be like to strip her of flesh from the inside out and how nicely she would suit him as a mangled coat.

She drew away, lip-twitching, and turned to Draus. Does it always reek of murderous intent?

Does the sun always shine? Avo asked, tired of being ignored. Draus wasnt his owner. Mirorrhead wasnt his owner. He had no owners, and now that he was a Godclad, he would greet death eternal before he went back to being someone elses pet.

The Sang flinched at the harshness of his words; a child not expecting such a stern reprimand, especially from a creature considered barely more sophisticated than a nu-dog.

Draus chuckled. Word of advice, girl: Dont make no assumptions bout folk in their presence. Its rude. Its impolite. And itll get you snuffed.

Iyes, apologies, the junior said.

Not to me, Draus said, flicking her head at Avo. To him. And Im not kiddin. You was rude. I dont like rude no more than he does, you gettin my sync?

Again, the Sang turned, her mouth opening, eyes narrowed at the absurdity of what she was about to do. I beg your forgiveness and understanding, esteemed ghoul.

Esteemed. Avo chuffed a low laugh. How fascinating the way someone quailed when pressed with the weight of superior force. How easy it mustve been to spend life coddled in such a way.

A sudden silence intruded into his mind, preluding the spark of an epiphany. Was this how Mirrorhead knew life? The Guilds? A world that bent to themalways bent to them? How warped would he be if such privilege was all he knew instead of bloodlust? Instead of hunger?

All chained to our design, Avo said, trying to fuse the matter of his words with his fleeting thoughts.

Draus fixed him with a look. Whats that?

Understanding, Avo said. I think.

She didnt press him further. And for that, Avo was thankful.

At the top floor of the Second Fortune, the atmosphere was infused with a muted serenity set by the ambiance of waters flowing down from canals of bone along the walls, while the air was suffused with flavored incense, sweet and crisp.

Their room, was far down the corner, in the southern section of the building. Past walls of hardened bone inlaid with jewels and jade depicting grand battles from the depths of the sea to the cold of the void, they finally reached their destination.

Room of the Crane. 88.

Avo pushed his whisper through to get a closer look. Just three. The junior; the third party; an augmented nu-dog carrying an alloy shotgunthe same kind Avo used in the Crucible. Opening a narrow crack, Draus muttered her thanks and let the newcomer in.

The third party was a mouselike woman, dwarfed both in height and musculature by Draus. Cybernetics ribbed the right side of her skull, an exo-cortex. No doubt then that this augment was to make up for the damage she suffered to her visual memory capacity. External storage to bulwark against metaphysically inflicted wounds of cognition. She was dressed in a red polymer synthcoat, and a thin translucent veil ran along the right side of her face in the fashion of the Ori, hiding her clan mark from outsiders.

Fright bled off her every movement and tension lined her sweeping gaze. Her thoughtstuff fared no better, splashing and spiking with each new sensation that greeted her.

And when she laid eyes on Avo, her breath hitched and she reached out to grab for Draus.

The act was so childlike and helpless that he had to fight his instinctive predator response to maul and kill her.

Draus closed the door. The stranger began to hyperventilate.

Dr-Draus, she squeaked. G-g-ghoul!

Draus shot Avo a look and grinned. What? Him? Aw, Kae, you dont need to worry yourself none bout Avo here. He shit, he bites plenty, but I dont think youre part of his diet.

Kae quivered, shuffling back a few steps to stand behind Draus. The Regular rolled her eyes and made the introductions. Avo. Kae Kusande. Agnos. Well, former Agnos. Kae, Avo. Hes a hes somethin different.

Belief didnt touch the shine in Kaes eyes when she nodded. I-I see.

Alright, Draus said. Reckon we should link up. Get this meetin started. With a wave of her hand, she activated the mechanism she threw down earlier. A stack of three autoguns extended, each tracking something beyond the walls via vibrations.

With the perimeter covered, Avo drew his Whisper back in and held it forward. Draus connected to him first, her peripheral thoughtstuff pouring into his. Kae, terrified and slow to follow, offered her broken mind only after Draus did. Immediately, Avo could taste the metallic coldness where the machine simulated thought for her.

GHOST-LINK ESTABLISHED

CLOSED CHAIN FORMED: [3]

+Yall hear me fine?+ Draus asked, walking over to sit down on the bed. The lung mattress began pumping hard, gathering more air to comfort her mass.

+Y-yes,+ Kae nodded frantically, arms wrapped around herself. Awkwardly, she inched past Avo and went to Draus. He stayed standing. Preferred it that way.

+Alright,+ Draus said. +Avo. Kae heres someone I trust. With my life. Now, in a moment, shes gonna take a look at your Frame. But that might need you+

+I-I might need you to be dead,+ Kaes thoughts surged out, hammering into them. Draus closed her eyes, a twitch of discomfort running through her. Avo, more obviously, hissed in pain. +S-s-sorry.+

+Sfine,+ Draus said. +Just keep countin. Like I taught you.+

Kae nodded. +Okay. Okay.+ She ran her fingers past her weary eyes, grabbing her at stray tufts of hair. Between her index finger and thumb did she grind the strands, her lips chanting counts as she tried to catalog each one, fibril by fibril. +Alrightokay. A look! Letslets take a look.+ She turned to Avo and swallowed. +Gonna need you to die soonif thats okay.+

Well, that was the first time someone politely requested his demise. In a strange way, he found it endearing. As much as a ghoul could find anything endearing; his desire to kill her waned ever so slightly.

+Hes fine with it,+ Draus said, speaking on his behalf. +Done it plenty by now. Should be more than used to it.+

He slashed his eyes over at her, the strength of his glare made twice so by raw incredulity. +More than used to it+

A thought equivalent to a derisive snort rippled from out of her mind. +Aw. Sorry. Did I assume too much? Well, Kae, seein as the ghoul here feels mighty bad about dyin and dont wanna see whats burning under his hood+

+Fine,+ Avo growled, his thoughtstuff crackling. +Do I need to do it myself?+

Kae shook her head and pulled a syringe from her coat. +Manticore. K-kills the p-physical mind in seconds. A-and then Ill follow you in a moment.+

+Follow me? How? You going to die too?+

+N-no. Going togoing to use a False-Hev.+

Avo blinked.

+A False-Heaven.H-Have it b-bound to me.+

He kept staring.

+Iits like a shared lobby.+ She held out the needle, the tip near vibrating in her unsteady hands. +Cancan you please c-come over? We do it on the b-bed.+

Avo grunted. Well, since he was so keen on collecting ways to die, what was one more? +Give it over. I inject. Your hands. They shake too much.+

Looking down at her hand, she nodded. +Yeahyeah. G-good idea.+