The tide was already turning.
I caught glances of it in the vertical windows that lined the buildings stairway. Groups of armored and ard Users, strategically picking apart Chiras.
Whoever the necromancer was, they didnt have much of a plan B. Theyd doubled down on plan A, hiding a few dozen powerfuland undoubtedly expensive to producechiras in our region to sow chaos and cover the assassination attempt. The remaining chiras had more or less accomplished that initial objective. Problem was, even on an ordinary day, Region 14 belonged to the cross-categorization of well-defended and not to be fucked with. And assuming that the mbers of the Order fighting alongside Adventurers Guild mainstays ant the deal had gone through, that listing had just been bolded and under-lined.
I took ti to re-summon Talia before Astrid and Astria t us at the base of the stairs.
As they shared the sa half-shaved light hair and ensemble down to the golden-wood wands and dark mages robes, it was almost impossible to tell them apart at a glance. Astrid stood with her back-straight and was acerbic, the clear leader, while Astria lurked in the background, ek and lilting. But they both looked and acted more alike than they once hadAstrid losing so of her innate confidence, and Astria finding so to speak of.
Sorry. Lot of stuff to wade through out there. Astria said, her voice low and shy.
Dont apologize to them! Were the ones out here risking our butts for so spoiled asshole. Astrids eyes locked on mine as she barred the door.
Sae snorted and elbowed . Second part anyone would agree with, but spoiled? Girls gotta recalibrate her people senses.
It was amusing, seeing this side of them.
Youd never know it, witnessing the headless-chicken-hustle to secure the periter, but the girls were stone-cold hitters. So of the best Id worked with.
Id found them for the second ti in the sewers. Nick and I were chasing down a leadour resident deity directed us there hoping to lock down The Queen, one of the five remaining mbers of the Orders Court, a key piece in Hasturs win condition. Why wed find royalty mixed in with sewage and shit he never answered. Never found her, either.
What we had found, huddled together inside a makeshift lean-to cobbled together in one of the many maintenance runoffs, were the twins.
The two of them had been lying low ever since the events of the transposition, unsure of whom to trustunderstandable, given the confusing detonation at the endand had been operating mostly on their own, exploring the sprawling subterranean sections of the city and delving into dungeons that appeared there. Which apparently, were not infrequent.
Nick encountered them first, and theyd almost imdiately run him off, sporting a battered ego.
When I followed up as Myrddin later, Id received a much warr greeting. Astrid had apparently connected with over the events of the transposition. From her account, what had happened to was apparently an influence in their ongoing refusal to sign with any large guild. I got the feeling they wouldnt have, anyway. Aligning with any large group went against a core tenant of the transient code.
Trust individuals. Never institutions.
I owed them both. And even if I hadnt, they were too powerful to leave on their own. My solution to Astrids problem was the Strike-team. It was, functionally, a small group of Users with varying alliances and backgrounds that took on contract work I was mostly self-funding. Myrddin provided access to the rchants Guild site at the Allied Guild discount, sniffed out jobs, and the strike team carried them out.
Astria glanced at Sae. Do you want to say the thing, or
Right. Sae cleared her throat. Report.
Not fucking good. Astrid said. She grunted as she finished the barricading, stumbling back as sothing slamd against the door hard enough to leave an imprint.
Bunch of lizard people chased us here. We thought about diverting to lead them away
and that wed go at least another decade without muttering about lizard people, but with the way you were hollering, Exo, figured we should just push through. Astrid finished.
Sae bristled at the tag, doing her best to ignore it and nodding. It was an unfortunate nickna, rcifully limited to the strike team, more unfortunate that it was accurate enough to stick. Whatever she said went when Myrddin wasnt present, and well
She had an exoskeleton.
Thought it was clearing up out there. Sae said, perturbed.
It was. Astria said. She hesitated. The ones clawing at the door were being pushed back by a larger group, then they spotted us and peeled off. Just dropped what they were doing.
That doesnt make sense. Saes brow furrowed. Were you the only mages in the area?
Not even close. Astrid groused. There was several levitating in the group they abandoned.
Icy fingers tightened around my spine as I realized why the twins had been targeted. They were both female, and despite their power, diminutive. Closer in size to a child than an adult. Just around Iriss height.
The necromancer hadnt bothered with a detailed description for his rank-and-file. Judging from Saes grimace, shed reached the sa conclusion.
Whoever you are? Congratulations. Youve cented yourself at the top of my to-do list.
Sae glanced at my back, where my sister was still silent and restless, then back to the twin mages. For now, just assu that these things are going to act like idiot magnets and plan accordingly.
Astria angled her head toward Astrid. Is she just calling nas as usual or giving genuine advice?
Yes, Astrid said.
So, what now? Sae elbowed . Back up to the second-floor so we can recon and kick out a window?
Maybe Id recognized the civilians most likely to be targeted if we bypassed these things. Maybe I was just pissed. Either way, I didnt feel like taking a detour.
Mages pack a punch?
Sae chewed her lip, probably annoyed at for asking questions I already knew the answer to. When they need to, yes.
Why bother finding a way around, when theyre all grouped up and vulnerable? I said. All heads slowly turned to look at .
Claiming this region must have fucked up yourow. Astrid cut-off mid-sentence as Astria smacked her upside the head.
Instead of squabbling with her sister, Astria waited, watching Sae attentively. Orders?
Sae thought about it. Depends. Got anything heavy and directable thatll blast through but wont bring the building down around us?
Boreas embrace? Astria looked over to Astrid.
Astrid raised an eyebrow. High profile but itll work. Manas about equal between us. Prep or incantation?
Prep. Youre the better shot.
Yeah. Thats why. Nothing to do with being nervous youll miss.
Hush.
Though Id seen it before, and was too distracted to properly appreciate the mont, it was great to see how far theyd co as a duo. When Id t them, between Astrids hovering and her own social anxiety, Astria had barely strung together sentences. Shed hidden in her sisters shadow to the point she almost faded into the background entirely. So of that still lingered, but for the most part, she was far better at taking initiative.
We moved towards the rear of the stairwell, as far back as we could go without pressing our backs against it. Sae took the stairs two at a ti, checking windows on the second floor and confird it was clear of anything beyond monsters.
Astria knelt, reaching down with glowing hands and pressing against the concrete. Two curving lines extended from beneath her gloves, forming a perfect circle so bright it was difficult to look at. The longer she maintained it, the more complicated it beca, a ss of undecipherable runes scrawled within smaller circles. Two imprints ford in the center, one slightly in front of the other, oblong and asymtrical compared to the rest of the circle until Astrid stepped directly onto them, obscuring them from view.
I shifted Iris to my front.
Astrid raised her wand, pointing it at the door. It had dented inward enough that we could hear the scrabbling of the chiras on the other side who were picking up the pace now that they were making progress, scaled fingers and flicking tongues pushing inward, trying to widen the gap.
Shatter
Astrid mouthed the word, and all the considerable mana from the circle drained into her, leaving only dull etchings and the imprint of a circle on the ground. She floated upwards around a foot, braced her wand with both hands, and loosed.
User Comments
0 comments from readers