Chapter 18-1 Moving Pieces

Chapter 18-1 Moving Pieces

I do not believe that most of us qualify as human.

Not truly.

The darkest test of apotheosis has been a war against hatred. Hatred of humanity. Hatred of culture. Hatred of norms and ethics and faith. Hatred of consciousness itself.

With each rung I have trod up the ladder of existence, I find myself ashamed to have ever been mortal. Ashamed to have ever wanted for anything, or felt reflexive emotion, or deluded myself from the ugliness of a truth.

As a girl, these failings are self-contained. As a Godclad, reality itself will pay for my hubris.

All of life is a war. War between your base impulses and higher decisions. War between the body and the mind. War between the self and the community. War between personal agency and environmental reality. Most do not see itcannot see as well as I do.

The Paths are more than truth. They are the convergence of all truths. They are the closest embodiment to totality without losing ones anchoring to the material.

And both must be maintained.

Chains from chains as my father said. But I fear he didnt see why the chains were there in the first place. Perhaps the foulness made him flinch. But I cannot blame him, for I have shown him the totality, and he will rise in us from the fires of victory.

I tell all this to you now for you believe the end approaches. It does not. It is the beginning of the greatest work to ever be conducted: the eternal fortification of our reality rebuilt.

Look beyond the terror of your chains, my kindred. Look beyond that which binds you, and move still. Transcend the illusion of power and know that there is only choice in the end.

A choice of who we are. A choice of what existence will be.

-High Seraph Veylis Avandaers address to Highflame via the Voice of the Choir

18-1

Moving Pieces

Branches of light sprouted across Vengs Stand, their brambles sinking through buildings and biting deep into supple flesh. From collapsing structures, swollen bodies were plucked, their shapes lined with sores and oozing with the pulp of unformed placenta. Bathed beneath Layer Twos holographic light, they looked as if malformed cherries in the brightness; strange fruits changed from the forms of men.

Avo caught flashes of the broadcast Tavers was watching as he crawled through the gutters using his Zephyr. Estimates were still climbing through the Nether. Eighty-three thousand dead so far, but the counting was far from done. The devastation seemed dreamlike with all the rubble and settling dust. Most of the shanties were toppled or buried and light shone from the exit wounds dotting the districts three megablocks.

A single unanticipated encounter between Godclads and so many dead. More than a few passed within the blanket of Avos Sanguinity. More than a few now found themselves burning for a different cause. All because of a fight no one saw coming.

THAUMIC OUTPUT - 6,769 THAUM/c

Nonetheless, this engagement was an educational one. His templates were already brainstorming improvements and preventative measures they could take next time. Things he should have done. Things beyond his control. His Heavens were in dire need of additional improvements, but what he needed more was strategic control and tactical awareness.

The threat possessed by an enemy Incog left its mark on him today. As did the weight of the Parallelist.

His Woundshaper could be cultured to greater potency and harman ontologic that would better serve him with both scale and scope enhanced and its fabricative capabilities elevated to new heights. The Zephyr, contrarily, was entirely suppressed by the danger his adversary presented. Adjustments were needed, and he wondered if it would be better to detach the Domain of Space from his Datacaster in trade for something else instead.

With Domain symmetry between him and his foes came opportunities and vulnerabilities twofold. What would protect him more was the esoteric. Detailed adjustments made by his Meta-Fac toward protection and paradox-prevention. These new canons were immense boons to his capabilities, but he needed to consider the eventual designs of his Heaven.

Or perhaps a broader mix of builds between tower and sea variants. All it took for him to alter his limitations was a brief death.

This called for a consultation with the Agnos. An item to raise after regrouping with his cadre at the marker Draus dropped.

+You know something that bothers me about you?+ Tavers said, breaking the silence between them. She orbited his wind-knotted form at the heart of the Zephyr, spinning through the air without a single hint of worry. +The fire climbing from your Meta. I can see flashes of people in the flickers. Theyre staring at me. Think I might even know a few of them. Shits giving me the creeps.+

Her admission of horror was spoken with the cadence that someone else might use to order a drink.

+Doing more than watching you,+ Avo said. +Talking about you too. They know you.+

The squire scoffed. +Yeah, everyone thinks they know me. Everyone. If you end up living long enough in this line of work, youll end up coming across anyone thats worth half a damn.+

With her features masked behind her armor, he found himself agitated by how little she revealed. Her mind was a calm river that betrayed almost nothing, but she wasnt above playing mind games of her own, playing the news live via her phantomsprobably trying to provoke a reaction from him.

+White-Rab,+ Avo said. +How is he?+

+I got his session,+ she said. +You wanna talk to him?+

+Later. Want to talk to you. Understand you. Judge where you fit.+

She laughed. +You sound like my first wife. Or third husband. Or was Hedridge my fourth? Fuck, I cant remember if I killed or divorced him. Ah. Well, Im not that complicated, ghoul. Just a simple old lady with people to kill and someone to save.+

+Someone? The one you need a Soul for?+ Avo asked.

+Yeah, something like that.+ Tavers sniffled. +You though whats your game? What turns a cult-grown monster into a godsdamned charity?+

Tavers nodded. Youre gonna have to be more specific than that.

Happened during the midnight rains. We shot that transport out of the sky and killed the Glaives. But you and yours went for the package first instead. We cut your consang down that day. Then you started shooting us.

Youre gonna have to be more specific than that.

Draus paused. You fired a nuke at us to cover your escape?

Youre gonna have to be more specific than that.

The Regular sighed. You shot me in the face. Blew most of my jaw clean off.

Oh, youre that one. Yeah. Youre the one that just wouldnt die. Hell, you even started shooting back. Ah. Sorry, but last time we saw each other, most of your face was dangling from your right cheek.

Left, Draus said. Spatio-kinetic round skipped across my helmet and peeled me somethin bad.

Well, Tavers said, tapping the side of her gun, sometimes we get lucky.

Sometimes.

An uncomfortable silence followed. The cat yawned.

So, Avo said. Things we need to discuss. Starting with you. He glanced at Tavers. Helped us. Hired by White-Rab

White-Rab? Draus said. The Necrojack?

Yeah, Avo said. Also my cognitive progenitor. Partially anyway. Walton used aspects of his mind to make me.

Kae blew a ragged breath. Of course. Because who else.

Avo noted the Agnos bitterness and continued. After my consciousness changed, I burned Abrels mind. Subsumed the Incubi trying to subvert her. Then accessed a Glaive through one of their sessions and possessed his body. Took a walk in the Trident. Stole some mem-data. Ran into Zein again

What? Tavers said, sounding alarmed for the first time. Zein who? Zein Thousandhand? Shes alive?

Godsdammit, Avo, Draus said. Left out a lot of shit about your last little walk.

Shes not coming back, is she, Chambers said, a croak of fear in his voice. Cause, were doing fine without her. Right, consangs?

Kae slowly turned to face Chambers. Do not talk. No words. I-if I hear you talk again, Im going t-to. Im to beat you to death! Again! And this time I wont need Draus to hold you down for me!

Oh. That explained the awkwardness. Good for the Agnos. Exercising her violence was a form of catharsis she could use, and something to help her acclimate to the conditions of the Warrens faster.

[No! Not good for her! Bad for me!] template-Chambers groaned. [Why am I always getting the fuck beat out of me? Why?]

Abrel smirked. [Donno, dipshit. Maybe you can settle the score when the Agnos ends up cumming aratanids into the face of one of her enemies as a first resort.]

Avo continued. Regardless. Tried to burn her. She killed me a few times.

[A lot,] Benhata corrected.

More than a few times, Im wagerin, Draus said.

Doesnt matter how many, Avo growled. Main point is I went home. And met my progenitor. He paused. And one of the Bloodthanes from Nu-Scarrowbur. The Shatterborn. Reva Javvers.

Javvers? Tavers said, sounding surprised for a second time. Vincintines niece?

Vincintine? Draus said. You knew Ripperjack?

Knew em? Practically kept that little shit alive for half his life Did you guys, uh

Zein happened to him, Draus explained. And by that, I mean I have no idea where the fuck he went. She appeared. He disappeared. And then she died.

Died? Tavers asked, voice devoid of tone.

Yeah, Draus replied. Died. But not it sounds like shes back again. Right, Avo?

He considered how to answer the question. Might be a different Zein. Dont know. Cant tell with her. Dont understand how her Heaven works. Doesnt matter right now. Ended up Ensouling White-Rab by the end. Wanted to have my own insurance. Personal cell that the Columners didnt know.

Yeah, well, it looks like they ended up being so sneaky you didnt know much about them either, Draus said.

Didnt know he was going to hire Quail Tavers to track me, Avo said, unsure how to interpret White-Rabs actions.

I suppose its his way of showing he cares. Tavers paused. And that he, like almost anyone in this city, would be suspicious as fuck about a magic ghoul handing out free Souls. So. It sounds like you consangs are up to some mighty weird shit. Looking at your skins wager a guess Voidwatchs special intelligence division is active here too? Or is it Omnitech-made?

Draus fixed Avo with a look and shrugged. Well. The armors aint eaten any of us yet.

Oh. Aegis, then. Wouldve loved to do another run for them. Thisll be fun. So whats up with her? Tavers pointed at Dice. She part of your Fallwalker charity operation too?

Facing the waif, Avo contemplated his answer. No. Empowered her as a distraction for Paladins and Exorcists. Became became something much more.