Imagine, for a mont, the darkest secret you have. Sothing that haunts you, lingers in the forefront of your mind like an incomplete shadow. It should be sothing you are desperately afraid of, sothing youve managed to live with by shoving it as far down and deep as possible.
You know the one.
Now imagine that your hand has been forced, and youre now required to reveal that secret in front of everyone you care for. Despite knowing how their opinion will change, imagining the looks on their faces.
That was how it felt, summoning the lithid. Like fighting through a wave of never-ending sha, reaching the bottom and sohow finding more.
A swirling gray mass of orange and black exploded before , wind pressure pounding against my armor and knocking to the ground. The second floors serene blue sky filled with clouds, a spiraling wind funnel descending to the summons point of origin.
It shouldnt be able to attack! Talia shouted in my mind.
I dont think it is. Doesnt make sense with how high its bond started. I responded in the sa manner, our surrounding environnt far too tumultuous for anything more than telekinetic communication. As if to directly contradict , the wind picked up speed, rampant gusts competing to lift off the ground.
I looped my arm around an upraised root, anchoring myself to a nearby tree.
Release it before its too late! Talia said, her panic ringing clear.
If it gets worse. Just hold on a little longer.
When I looked back towards Talia, I saw her clinging to the tree beside vertically like a squirrel, shooting daggers in my direction. Her claws were dug deeply into the tree, but she was clearly slipping. The wind grew even more intense and one paw ca free.
I ntally prepared to release the summon.
Then the wind died. An eerie silence fell over the clearing.
A shadow fell over , and I looked up.
Less than a foot away, a silhouetted figure towered over . Where it had once reminded of viscous motor oil before, its skin was tinted dark blue, its reflective aspect of now bringing to mind a dark ocean, or a moonlit night.
Slowly, it raised a hand and waved. Hi.
Hi?
The panic in my mind slowly eased as I shifted to my feet, studying the summoned version of the lithid carefully. It had no facial features to speak of, and the silhouette didnt register as female, as it had before. It read more androgynous than anything else, its voice equally in-between. Strangely enough, it sounded nervous.
Talia, I called back, refusing to look away from the lithid for even a mont. You good?
Apart from the several nails I left behind in the tree? Yes. Talia sounded genuinely annoyed at the loss.
Ill resummon you later. Subconsciously, I straightened my back. As petty as it sounds, I didnt like that the lithid was taller than .
Suddenly, it shifted form, legs and torso shortening until it stood half a head below .
My eyes narrowed.
Now that I was looking for it, I could feel a subtle vibration from
You are welco to try. It would take you a long ti to learn in your current state and require significantly more mana than you possess. The lithids statent was oddly candid, stating the reality without rubbing it in.
I waved it off. Thats not I stopped. It should have known that wasnt what I was trying to achieve. You stopped reading my mind?
I sensed you didnt like it. The lithid inclined its head towards Talia. She doesnt either, but as shes also fantasizing about eating , turnabout is fair play.
Thats a lie. Talia snarled.
Still, this level of cooperation wasnt what I expected.
Can you isolate how deeply you look? I asked.
Yes. The lithid confird.
Read my surface thoughts again.
I braced myself and turned my focus inward. Now that I was looking for it, the intrusion felt like a whisper, a tiny spectator lodged in the depths of my mind. When I felt confident that I could detect it again, I told the Lithid to sever its connection with Talia and , and the feeling of being watched receded.
There was an underlying sense of anticipation as it leaned closer.
Well, you already know why were here. I leaned slightly away.
The tiny spectator popped into the back of my mind again.
No. I scolded. The spectator receded imdiately, and the lithid huffed in frustration.
How am I ant to respond correctly when I dont know soones motivation? It whined.
The sa way as every other being. Talia growled. She crossed over in front of as she had during the battle, acting as a shield. You guess.
Start by explaining why you seem entirely different from before. I added.
Oh! The lithid smiled. Or at least, I think it smiled, from the way its gelatinous cheeks seed to stretch. Because Im not hungry anymore. Its very nice. Before I was a summon, I was starving constantly.
Talia and I looked at each other. I studied the lithid warily. Youre not hungry now?
No. Well, I could eat. But it isnt remotely the sa.
For suffering. Talia said flatly.
Not just suffering. Catharsis tastes far better and tends to be better for the host. But its harder to achieve, and most hosts break long before we can get to that point. The lithid shifted from side to side, and shot a series of nervous glances.
I sighed. What?
Just, Id love to know what you thought of my work.
Your work?
The lithid nodded vigorously. It was more an-spirited than it needed to be, perhaps. Because of the hunger. But I was very proud of it. It was so of my best, I think. Pathos coupled with self-realization and growth. I really let the muse run wild.
The verbiage and persona suddenly clicked.
I felt the vein in my forehead begin to pulse. Jesus Christ.
What? Talia glanced between us, unsure of what she was ssing.
Its an artist.
Aw. The lithid approached . When I held out a hand to stop it, it settled for hugging itself excitedly. It ans the world hearing that from you!
Im lost, Talia said dumbly, unknowingly cutting off my scathing retort.
Explain it to Talia. I stepped aside, not trusting myself to refrain from throttling the creature.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as the lithid crouched down in front of Talias face, planting its hands on its knees. Ah. Right, a wolf wouldnt have a lot of experience in that regard.
Dont talk down to , wretch
Art is a living beings attempt to imitate the objects and events of life. The audienceor rather, those witnessing the art can experience a variety of emotions and feelings through the eye of the artist. However, so emotions have to be earned. We cannot, for example, simply be told the protagonist is victorious. We have to see them struggle to attain that victory, feel empathy for their pain, to truly feel the magnitude of the victory once they overco it.
A wave of irritation washed over .
What an asshole.
It took Talia a second to get it. When she did, her lips pulled back, and she unleashed a full-throated growl, taking a threatening step towards the lithid. You used my pain, my tragedy, as fodder for your art?
I did my best, considering the source material. The lithid shrugged, oblivious to the growing anger of the wolf. Its difficult to draw water from a stone. The system didnt give you much of a backstory. The mother who outlives her children trope is so clich.
Talia dove forward, claws outstretched, snapping and snarling as the lithid danced around her, shouting in surprise. It dodged around the clearing, swearing loudly as Talia pursued it. Talia was faster, but the lithid was more mobile, creating a chase that looked very much like a matador evading a bull.
Itd be wise to stop it. And I would.
In a mont.
It was easy enough to fill in the blanks. Most lithids probably started out similar to this one. More symbiotic guides than parasites, looking to draw from the release that ca from a deep emotional revelation. But when the host died, they turned nastier over ti, drawing nourishnt from suffering instead, gearing their delusions towards it. As much as I wanted to believe the lithid was deceiving us, it wasnt. If it was trying to ingratiate itself, it was doing a terrible job. Of course, it could know that and be playing it against the grain to achieve the sa ends, but I suspected that wasnt the case.
Because I was pretty sure I knew why our bond was so high. Why it was so pleased with my recognition, and delighted to see , even when the hunger was twisting our perceptions. Sothing Talia said echoed in my mind.
Enough. Both of you. I said, putting plenty of authority in my voice. The two of them stopped next to the lake, still staring each other down.
Lithid. I called. It returned to , glancing backward at Talia as it walked, nearly stumbling over the sa root Id clung to when Id summoned it.
She is completely unreasonable. The lithid huffed. It cocked its head at . Have you made your decision?
Not yet. I still have several questions.
Ask away. It seed pleased to be interrogated, sohow.
I held out a finger. How much of the abilities you displayed have you retained?
In a realm of flauros, most of them. The lithid confird. Simple manipulation and cerebral deep dives are easy enough to perform on the fly. I can possess simple minds easily and use the host as a weapon. Sapient minds are more difficult, scaling to a significant degree contingent on the hosts intelligence. The more in-depth hallucinations take a significant amount of preparation, as does detailed duplication of a particular being.
I raised an eyebrow. Id expected its abilities to be sowhat nerfed, but this made it an incredible asset within a dungeon or similar analogue.
Outside a realm of flauros? I asked.
This is just my guess, as Ive never existed outside a realm. But I should still be able to perform surface level mind-reads and possess less powerful, non-sapient hosts.
When I thought of Ellison, my mind ticked over a dangerous possibility. Could you use a duplicate form on the outside?
Im not certain. The lithid mused. Its unlikely Id be able to retain the form for a significant length of ti. Slightly longer if the host was willingpossession will work similarly.
After processing as much of that as I could, saving the more outlandish ideas for when I had ti for more detailed theory crafting.
I ran a hand through my hair. Before, you said you were a little hungry. Im concerned about that. It may have been reset for the mont, with your death and resurrection, but whats to stop it from getting to the point it affects your personality.
Totally reasonable, the lithid said in a schmoozing tone that grated. I dont rember much from when I was born, but I do rember the hunger. It was far worse than it is now, and if I do get hungry Well
Spit it out. I barked.
It put two fingers together in an oddly childish gesture. If you could just let dwell within sothing or soone youre about to kill, that would satisfy imnsely. The lithid said shyly.
I stared at it in horror. Talia made a gagging noise.
If thats too much
Slowly, I put a hand over my face. No no, why not? You can eat their suffering, then Audrey can devour the corpse! The buffet is stocked for everyones dietary needs!
Ive upset you. The lithid realized glumly.
Leaving that disquieting. request alone for a mont, Talia said, The chanics interest . You can dwell within soone without possessing them? In the outside world as well?
Of course. The lithid said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
And they would remain unaware of that? Talia pressed.
Its very unintrusive. The lithid confird.
Picking up on what Talia was driving at, I felt a small surge of anticipation. And youd be able to hear what theyre saying?
The lithid suddenly clapped its hands together, making us both jump. Oh! Yes, Id be an excellent spy.
Are you male or female? I asked suddenly. Talia gave a questionable look, and I shrugged. It had been rattling around in my head for a while, and referring to human-esque creature as it, felt degrading, sohow.
Both. Neither. The lithid placed a hand under its chin. Though I really ought to be male, considering.
Considering what? I asked dryly, not sure if I wanted to hear the answer.
Well, you already have a female summon. The plant is both, but looks and sounds feminine. Add another female to the roster and people might start getting the wrong impression.
Shes a wolf! I exclaid.
Hes a human! Talia said simultaneously, equally put off.
The lithid shrugged. Doesnt matter. Theyll still talk.
If anyone knows about all three of you at any given ti, wed have far more serious problems. I argued, feeling stupid for how heated I felt.
Judging from the mories I looked through, a few gods know already. And while the majority are complete degenerates, theyve co a long way from the wild days. Wouldnt want to screw yourself out of a boon or favor due to an optics issue.
Jesus. Just be whatever you want.
Male. The lithid confird. Its form shifted to reflect the change. Its body was slim but muscular, a figure suspiciously similar to my own.
Talia? I prompted her.
Talia stared at the lithid with distaste. As much as Id like to say otherwise, he is too valuable to turn down.
The lithid hopped up and down in excitent. Then, Im in?
Not quite. I studied him, dreading giving the question voice. Our bond is exorbitantly high. Audrey started at one, Talia at zero. I need to know why our bond in particular is so elevated.
Oh. The lithid shrunk back. I was going to wait and address that when the ti was right. I cant tell you later?
Now or never. I reiterated.
Before I say anything, The lithid hedged, bear in mind I have a solution for your geas issue.
That got my attention imdiately. And?
Ill tell you when the ti cos. The lithid bowed his head apologetically.
I grit my teeth. Fine. Keep your leverage. Now answer my question.
The system didnt force to admire you, or instill loyalty. In truth, Ive been waiting to et you for a long ti. But I am, in so ways, a slave to my nature. You had to run the gauntlet first. Even though you well you made . The lithid was the very picture of anxiety, his arms held close to his body, shuffling from foot to foot as he waited for my response.
Foul creatures sustained by hate and regret, ford in the void between worlds when a sapient being commits the unforgivable.
There were plenty of things I wanted to ask about, but I wasnt sure I could handle the answers. I breathed out, as the small part of that still argued for banishing the lithid withered and died.
Pick a na. We have shit to do.
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