Chapter 15-2 Ignite

Chapter 15-2 Ignite

We are being hunted.

Im sure of it now. First, the travesty in the Oversec that saw our Incubi slaughtered, then the sudden theft and murder within our own walls! A Mirror went missing! A Mirror and his entire cell along with him. But thats not allone of our administrative nodes just vanished. Gone. Like it was never there.

Kin by blood and clan, kin near and far, we are being hunted.

Two hours ago, I received a report from the operational mirror of the Oversec dive. Im sure you have all seen the reportbut much has been withheld.

Against the shapeless enemy, one of our Incubi survived, though she remains severely wounded in mind. Our best menders remain at task of restoring her to fullest health, but from all the memories we assembled, I believe we have glimpsed a silhouette of the enemythe only we know capable of engaging us in the realm of thoughts.

One that certain of our number claimed were pacified.

The Low Masters of Noloth have returned to inflict upon us the bidding of their foul masters. Of this, I have no concrete evidence, but I must beseech all who are present to thinkthink! Think of who else could have inflicted this on us? Who else?

What is worse, they have access to the mind of a Highflame Godclad. I know little of how compromised Abrel Greatling is, but two separate dives into her cognition ended in the decimation of our forces.The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ñøv€lß1n.

It is because such unknowns that we must not reveal our intentions openly. If elements of our great foes have joined forces, we must play a soft game in order to encourage them to make mistakes. Further provocation may lead to uncontrollable escalation with our Stormtree auxiliaries already on edge, and open war is not favorable at present.

I am now casting a motion to each of you, fellow elders, to call for Contingency Obscura. Let no truth remain unmuddied beyond these walls. Let no waters remain clear for any who exist beyond this inner circle.

Finally, we are not without a path to pursue. I have been informed that though the true depths of our foe have not been uncovered, there is a person of interest that we must secure. An individual thought to be an acolyte of the Low Masters. Some of you may already have awareness of him considering his exposure in recent news from the incident in the Warrens.

Effective immediately, I recommend that we deploy our most trusted and effective assets in the containment and interrogation of one Acolyte Aedon Chambers.

-Ori-Thaum, Court of Elders

15-2

Ignite

And all of a sudden, the world was new to Avo. Beholding his deedWhite-Rab staring at a nearby edge ebbing with eldritch distortions, wobbling like a toddler steadied by Reva on his armnew comprehension dawned within the ghoul.

He just committed an act of creation.

His power went beyond the merely disruptive or subversive. Now, the spark of an epiphany ignited within him.

For the briefness of his empowerment, his compulsion was a step above base desire. He killed, and he had cause to do so. He tortured, and the targets of his cruelty reaped the bounty sown by their own vices. He consumed and fed a need deeper than mortal hunger each time.

This moment, however, was the truest taste of satisfaction.

Reva and White-Rab had known what he intended to offer, but their understanding was conceptual; theoretical. To know of something wasnt to comprehend it in totality. Thus, granted the gift of godhood to his mind-kindred, what he beheld was awe and disbelief.

He gifted much on the whims of a desire. Much more than many in this city would ever dare dream to ask.

Dream.

New Vultun was so broken. So miserable. And beautiful. Between the rivers of misery and the ever-rising ocean of bloodshed that supped its flow from the constancy of death, life prevailed. So many were dying, but still so many chose to live, and more than the fallen rose the living despite it all.

At the base of his heart, Avo thought of all the lives that were and the siren call of violence ran through his veins. It would be a thrill above all others to torment them all at once, so yearned the beast. But disgust rose in roiling tides from the expanse of his new consciousness, and between the clashing over waves, he perceived a grounds between.

What damned so many was not the vileness of their deeds nor even the avarice in their hearts, but the inability to survive their mistakes.

Avo thought of himself a mere month ago and flinched at the pitiable thing he was. He clawed at the dark once. Died, and died again when he misstepped or was found wanting. If not for the blessing of his resurrection, his journey would have ended before the first day ever closed.

To the city, death was the basic economy. To him, death was his truest instructor. To the FATELESS, death was the greatest enemy.

He glimpsed the tapestry again and saw a question he wished to explore. These new thoughts werent mature enough to be considered a philosophy, but within them was a seed of a promisea potential destination for the world to approach.

What if all could return whenever they wanted? What if all could die whenever they so chose? What if all that existed was severed from the chains of permanence, and every murder was forced to imbibe a replica of their victims consciousness, what if the meek were to be granted the tools of their abusers after their return from death? What world would be birthed from the anvil of such a place of everlasting permanence?

[Dont do that shit,] Corner said. [You know the score. So do it. Take the city. Cut its nuts off and wear that shit like a necklace if you want. Thats what it means to be a squire. Thats what it means to be Clad. Thats the only real way to live.]

Some of the other templates disagreed, but Corner didnt care.

Keep your resistance strong, Avo said, channeling the inspiration passed to him over to Reva. Defy me if you want. Align with me if you will. I am not your master. I am not your god. But live with me. Live with me and I will grant you new powers. I will grant you a new choice. Let the ugliness of what I am be spoken. I could burn my will into both of you. Neither can stop me. Change you how I want.

So why dont you? Reva asked, genuinely confused. So long she has been fighting this war, and now she found herself faced with a monster that refused to crush her throat when given the chance.

Madness.

Wonderful madness.

Because I do not dream of a world in chains, Avo said. But a world without. And a world of consequence and choice eternal.

With that, he settled the last words of his growing ideals and turned inward again. I will see you both soon. Enjoy your new freedoms. Enjoy the peace of today. Nothing will be guaranteed hereafter.

Just burning away without a goodbye, huh? White-Rab said.

Goodbye is for the decaying. The dying. The ephemeral. We will both remain tomorrow. And all the tomorrows after that. Until we do not. Then, it will not matter.

And so Avo manifested the session for Chambers Auto-Seance and across the Nether did fire flood through a tunnel between minds. Before he departed fully, he unraveled his vessel into a splash of crimson mist and hid the evidence of his person in the shadows.

Come a second after, it was like he never was.

***

Well, that was a fever dream and a half, Reva remarked. Staring at the shadow in which the ghoul dumped its remains, she shook her head and forced the creature out of her mind. He was already going to haunt her dreams, but right now, she wanted to look upon the bright.

Taking her love by his shoulders, she centered him and scanned him using her cog-feed. His mind remained normal, and all accounts of his physicality stood unchanged before her eyes.

And so, she rapped him on the arm to see how he would respond and felt an ineffable delight rise as he clutched his cracked appendage as if it was wounded.

Ow, Raldi said, biting back a very sharp whimper. That was a lot harder than you usually hit me there.

I just wanted to see if youre still entirely you, Reva said. Good thing about being one of us is that we dont really need medical attention.

Raldis face contorted into a grimace. Oh, shit, dont tell my Ensouling unchained something sadomasochistic in you.

She hid her smirk well and shook her head mournfully. Therere things you dont know about me, Raldi

Fuuuuuccckk, he gave an exaggerated groan. Please be a debt or a bad mem-porn habit.

--There are things I wanted to experiment, but I didnt think I could risk.

No, he moaned.

You know a good thing about being a Godclad is that we dont really need medical attention. All our problems are a death away from being solved.

He settled back against his chair and let out a soft breath. Well. That sure sounds like itll make a person reckless.

It can.

Suppose we should get out of here while we can.

Suppose we should. Are you doing something later?

I might just be.

And now, the ghoul was but a shadow in the valley of her mind. Real nova response there, Necro. Well see how you dive.