Division took its price. Watching it in action through the occult sight was sothing all right.
On the other hand, I now know why Atiuss sword was so mangled up and about to break while every other occult weapon didnt have that problem. Those fractals Id discovered? Not the full complete thing. Enough to divide in the physical world and not much more.
This? This felt like the real deal. The concept so fine-tuned the fractal within cut bits of itself with each strike. I let go of the hilt on reflex, though in hindsight I wasnt ever in danger of being cut. It only felt that way.
For an instant the fractal remained working - and then sothing within it was no longer recognized as a fractal at all and the sword promptly stopped glowing entirely, having cut its last cut.
But not before it had completed the grim work.
Occult faded, leaving only the body of ToAacar standing, still taking steps backwards, the dead sword still firmly logged in his chest.
He didnt fall on the floor. Staggering a few more steps back before standing still. Only a blank face remained now. No emotion, nothing. Then his spear went right back up and I knew I was in for a rude awakening.
Keith! ToWrathh hissed at from the ground, her working hand quickly grabbing one of her discarded swords, the only one that still worked. She threw it at , hilt first.
Reflexes snatched that weapon out of the air, hand turning it on. Not a mont too soon really, the concept of a spear jabbing right at ca next and I found myself parrying the strike and attacking back, other hand spewing out fire in a torrent in front of again.
How the gods are you not dead? I spat out, watching as ToAacar calmly stepped backwards away from the fire again.
He didnt answer, face still showing no emotion, moving around with Atiuss sword stuck right through his chest. Didnt even try to remove that either.
The Occult sight was what helped see what was really happening. There wasnt a soul, no sign of the occult anywhere in his body. Before was nothing more than a chanical machine, following the last set of orders. ToAacars shell waited patiently while his systems cooled, the violet eye holding nothing.
And then he walked forward and began to attack again. Nothing more than stabs, pure optimal attacks making full use of the spears range. There was no style, no life to it. Outright predictable too. Any other opponent, Id have let my shields take a hit, dove into his guard and yanked the spear out of his hand.
Except this wasnt a human.
ToAacar was dead. Whatever individuality he had, along with all his skills and experiences, was gone. All that was left was the shell of a Feather - but that was still a gods damned Feather, and they moved faster than my armor could. His jabs were too quick for to really do much against.
This. Is fuckin ridiculous. I snarled, trying to batter the dead machine out of the way. Another torrent of fla from my free hand had him step backwards, like clockwork. Whatever program was still pulling his strings, it didnt like fire and wouldnt engage anywhere near it.
Maybe if I sprinted into him I might be able to slice his head off. That would end him. Feather or not, he didnt have a spare hand to use and was out of shields.
The mont I paced too far to the side for so room, the dead Feather turned and began to march to ToWrathh. I took a few steps forward, and the enemy promptly turned right back in my direction.
That told what the priorities were.
Baiting him away from ToWrathh didnt work, anyti I took too many steps away, ToAacars body would turn back and continue a death march after her. There wasnt much ToWrathh herself could do in her state other than try to drag herself further away using the only hand that remained functional.
On the other hand, he didnt pose a real threat to anymore. Anyti his jabs started to beco too overwhelming for to handle, Id open fire with my flas and that would chase the Feather off. The only tis I saw him do more than walk was when the flas were out. So the undead Feather could do more than walk, but only when he really needed to.
Sprinting at him also triggered his own speed response where he would leap backwards at a calculated rate, keeping his spear in optimal jabbing range, all the while stabbing out with that again and again, cold dead face staring down blankly.
Five minutes passed while I tried to figure out how to put an end to him when he turned and swiftly tried to backpedal away from a black blur that sped across the ground directly at him.
With my normal sight, I wouldnt have been able to tell what that was, two occult trails spinning on one another, obscuring all detail of the central black blur. With the occult sight, I had little trouble figuring out whod arrived.
Finally decided to show up? Right when Ive done all the heavy lifting too. I called out over comms.
You were taking too long, dear brother. Kidra said, blades flashing out, twisting and slashing at the enemy Feather.
On his part he made a good show of it, at least for a few seconds. But his attacks remained predictable, as was the chanical way he backpedaled, trying to keep her at a distance at all tis above all other options. That was the worst possible thing anyone could do against Kidra.
In monts shed already figured out how to make the dead Feather move to her beat. It was less a fight and more Kidra puppeteering the Feather by proxy into just the right position she wanted him in.
She had so kind of jet packs attached to her belt, letting her take very quick bursts of speed. She fainted an attack that triggered a stupidly predictable backwards leap at a higher angle, and now helpless in the air, Kidra leaped after him like a cat catching a rodent.
Two strikes, one to batter away the spear jab, and the other to strike at the Feathers shell. She then twisted around in the air, delivering a kick that launched the machine right back down into the ground.
ToAacar landed in a heap, hand letting go of both his spear and cohesion as a whole, falling apart into individual pieces. The violet eye dimd, flickering for a mont before shutting down. Leaving only sparks flashing inside the hole Kidras sword had punched out in his forehead. Soon even that died out, all power and circuitry faded within.
It was over. So part of half expected the machine to wake back up, giving one last speech before escaping again, but Id seen how his soul had been cut apart in the occult sight. There hadnt been a consciousness left to hold off against the void of the world around it.
Another knight appeared in my sight, slowing down to land at my side. Teal armor, along with the standard decorations of House Windrunner. His helt turned away from the Feathers to . "Since when did you have a flathrower attached to that armor? I could see that from a distan--
I didnt have ti to talk to him, already racing across the battlefield, where Kidra stalked darkly forward to ToWrathhs wrecked body. Blades still lit. The Feather stared at her coming, making no attempt to escape or even crawl away.
I leaped right between the two. Wait, wait - Shes on our side. I said, hands out, turning off ToWrathhs borrowed blade in hand.
Kidra outright halted, staring down. This isnt ti for jokes, She said. That thing has Fathers soul held captive inside! Im going to cut him free and then stab her until nothing moves but , and if you dont want that to happen, you had better be very convincing with your words right now.
Wait, she has Fathers soul? That took the wind out of .
I glanced back at the broken Feather. The two soul fractals I saw in her heart in my occult sight. Her ability with his skills. Father left behind in a bunker. Puzzle piece clicked.
Kidra shoved aside. I have a reserve soul fractal he can use, whatever happens after we can decide later. She needs to die while she's weak.
Her blades twisted around in her palm, ready to thrust down into ToWrathhs chest. The Feather seed outright resigned to her fate, not making any move to escape. I watched, numbly, as my hand reached out and grabbed Kidras wrist at the last mont.
I cant let you kill her. I said. We can save Father, but I cant let you kill her.
Both Wrath and Kidra seed equally surprised. Explain. She said. If youre doing this because she has a pretty face, I swear to the gods I will wring your neck and hang you to freeze dry in the snow for a few days.
I said the first thing that ca to mind. I owe her a lifedebt.
She saved your life? Kidra repeated incredulously, turning back to the Feather. How do you know that wasnt so ploy to obtain information? Gaining goodwill like so?
I just know. I said. Call it intuition. Ive been traveling with her for a few days. Just trust this one ti. Shes not allied with the machines anymore. She fought side by side against ToAacar, and nearly got killed for it. That wasnt so theater display practiced beforehand, they were really fighting each other to the death. At the very least you could ask why before you end it.
Kidra said nothing. Then, her head turned to the broken Feather under her. Are you going to behave? She asked.
ToWrathh stared back up and blinked. My shell is crippled. Ive betrayed the pale lady, she will notice soon and co to balance the scale. I have nowhere to escape to.
Kidra turned off her blades and kneeled down, getting a better look at Wrath. The girl wasnt kidding about being crippled. Wings were scattered loosely all over the place, with only the most basic outline remaining. Legs, outright torn off. No walking that off. And her left hand had been crushed by ToAacars heel, a few fingers and her thumb outright separated, the rest looked mangled. Not to ntion the rest of the damages that marred her pretend armor. Shed taken hits in places no human would have survived.
I want to talk to him. Kidra hissed.
The white world surrounded , partly inside the soul trance but also part of a more digital world. Normally Id have started to investigate every nook and cranny to get a better idea of the bridge between the soul and the digital world, but right now the only thing I had eyes for was the man sitting a few paces away, watching .
Father. I said, more out of surprise than anything. He really was here. It was him.
Kidra had talked to him in length, before I got a turn. When she was done, shed been crying. Sothing had changed, but those tears werent of hurt. She didnt elaborate, and just let see for myself.
Youve learned a few tricks since we last t. Father said. His face revealed nothing, but in the occult space, more than words were shared. I felt relief radiate softly from him. With my new skills and abilities, I was almost unkillable on the surface.
And he knew that.
How have
How have you been seed like a really contrite thing to say to a dead man.
Oh, well I dont know son, Ive been dead and held captive this entire ti. Could be better. Foods not the best, tastes like wood sotis.
He seed to understand my thoughts, the edge of a grin threatening. I guess the soul fractal go both ways when were were this close to each other.
Death tried. I lived. He said with a shrug.
Im.. Im sorry I wasnt able to co back and save you. If I had been braver, or just a little smarter, we wouldnt be in this situation in the first place.
There was no judgnt from him. If anything, I felt peace from him. It clobbered against all of my older mories of the man.
Scrapshit. Youve changed. A lot. I said. Here in the soul, there were no secrets. It was undeniable. You really have found so kind of peace in here? In this jail?
He stood up, walking towards in the white void. It was less of a jail to than you think. I dont need to sleep anymore. You dont understand how freeing that was. When I was alive, every night in my dreams, I saw you and Kidra killed by raiders or slavers. For years. I saw myself unable to save you, always in a different way. Dying like the rest of our House did. That fear was all consuming, stronger than my addictions. That was what caused to climb out of my pit. And it turned to anger when I failed to teach you how to fight the sa way Kidra could. Anger as sharp as my fear.
He looked away, and I felt sha co from deeper inside him. I never cared to keep living. As a knight, I knew there was little chance I would live to retire. He said. My only goal was to see you and Kidra with the skills to survive, so that my nightmares would never co to pass. And here you stand, capable of fighting even a Feather.
To be fair, I had to cheat a few tis. I said.
His lips twitched in another ghost of a smile. Is that not what our family does best?
A hand reached out and clasped my shoulder, shaking it slightly. My son. You have everything I wished you could have now. And more. What more could I hope for?
Three bundles of frostbloom, if I rember right. I got a little sidetracked on that. Long story.
That ghost of a smile turned into a real one. I suppose, this one ti, Ill allow it. Dont press my kindness, boy.
This this was the real him. The one that was talked about in the past. Before mother died. The one Kidra had held on hope would return one day. I didnt feel any sense of dread being around him like I once had.
"You were with... with Wrath this entire ti, right?" I asked, and I could tell he knew where I was going with that question.
The smile faded from his features. "Don't bla the girl for hiding , it was my request. I didn't wish to burden you further, not when danger surrounded you both. There could be ti for reunion later, if ever. I wasn't needed in your life anymore."
But under his words, I could feel the current of the true reason. He was... afraid. Realizing that he'd made too many mistakes, beco too much of a monster in his single minded goal to teach how to survive. It went beyond being afraid of remaining unforgiven on eting . He wasn't even searching for that. Seeking forgiveness was sothing he found... selfish?
I wasn't able to ferret out more of his thoughts, his mind moving onto sothing he considered more important than himself.
We need to talk, about Wrath. He said, eyes growing serious.
I was about to ask him to answer more about why he had tried to hide away from , but I could tell that wasn't sothing he wanted to face yet.
Is she really the spider that tracked us down?" I asked instead. "I just cant put that image together. She doesnt seem anything like that.
He nodded. She was more of an intelligent animal then. When she first beca a Feather it was to hunt you down and even the score. Simple motivations. She grew since.
She killed you. Painfully. What happened in between then and now?
The gods gave a second chance to do better, with a clearer mind. I did. Keith, weve stumbled onto sothing larger than the clan.
Lejis felt that way. So did Sangrius. As if the world was taking a breath. I knew what he was going to say.
In all my years serving under Lord Atius, I have never once t or known a machine that was even anable to peace. This is unique. It will not happen again. I dont know where this road leads, yet I believe it is worth following.
Guessing you told Kidra the sa? She was ready to cut Wraths head off a mont ago. Now shes brooding off to the side.
He nodded. We do not have the luxury of choosing our allies. Your sister understands. There is no room for animosity.
Gods stay with us, we will need everything and every ally for what cos next.
Next chapter - Epilogue
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