The illusion cut with a ripple of magic that passed through the room, rubbing over my skin like a cool breeze. Solai murmured, rolling over onto her back in a lazy sprawl of limbs. She still had some of my blood on her claws.
“Phew.” I went into my Inventory to equip my armor—then realized that I’d handed everything over to Suri the night before and not taken any of it back.
“Suri?” I tentatively shot her a P.M. “I’m… uh… trapped. Can I get an assist?”
“Oh, an assist, is it?” Her mellow, wry voice, lovely as it was, felt like an ice-pick to the brain. “Seems to me like you had everything firmly in hand last night.”
“Please. Not so loud.” I bit down a moan, sneaking around the bedroom to try and find something to cover my shame.
“Hair of the cat that bit you?” She dropped her voice, but it was full of laughter.
I found a discarded sarong and hastily wrapped it around my waist, hissing as the hem dug into some of the deeper cuts. “More like claws of the cat that mauled me. The Avatar wants to meet. He told us to get together in the Lotus Plaza, wherever that is.”
“It’s the big terrace just before the entry to the temple. You know: the one with the giant fuckin’ lotus stamped on it,” Suri replied drily.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t notice the decor over the six hours of sensory torture I went through last night.”
“Poor baby,” Suri said. “Does widdle Hector need his binky?”
“Widdle Hector is about to see if the ‘Fire-blooded’ thing makes you flammable.”
Suri laughed. Softly. “Given how much I drank last night, I’m betting it does.”
I glanced back at Solai one more time, then crept out through the beaded curtains shielding her door and out into the temple. “Where’s Karalti?”
“Sleeping. She polymorphed down and danced herself into a coma after eating about three tons of lobster. The music in town was a lot better than the racket you had to listen to. Need me to get her up?”
“Please.” I paused in the breezy hallway outside the queen’s chambers as Suri’s words sank in past the fugue of alcohol and hallucinogens. “Is she gonna be pissed at me?”
“About Solai? Hard to say.”
“I’m covered in scratches and fur and who knows what else. But you’ve got all my potions.”
“Might be best if I come and see you first, then. You might want to consider a bath, too. Given you probably smell like, ahh...”
“Yeah.” I grimaced, rubbing my eyes as I stumbled against a wall and stayed there for a few seconds. “Jesus Fucking Christ. Does this make me a furry now?”
Suri chortled. “Come to the bathing pool, lover boy. Let’s get a look at all your boo-boos.”
“Screw you.” I grumbled, good-naturedly, and called up the mini-map to orient on Suri’s position. “I’m on my way.”
“Don’t trip and fall in another pussy,” Suri laughed, then hung up the chat.
Chapter 44
An hour later, we were mostly upright and assembled in the Lotus Plaza as instructed. I was surprised to see Gar waiting alongside Rin. He looked owlish and tired, a crumpled cigarette hanging from his bottom lip.
“Hell of a night,” he grunted. “What was that racket going on at the back of the temple? Sounded like they were flayin’ people alive back there.”
“I think it was like that CIA black site torture method where they put you in a brightly lit room and blast Chinese opera 24 hours a day? But there was a demon and a princess.” I rubbed my face. A bath, some food, healing potions and a sympathetic massage from Suri had gotten rid of all the debuffs except the Fatigued penalty: -5% to all skills. Potions had patched me up, but I still had a few faint scars on my back.
“Decided you want to come after all, did you?” Suri asked Gar acidly.
He shrugged. “Why the hell not?”
“You tell me. You’re the one who said you didn’t give a rat’s arse about anything other than your bloody ship,” Suri said.
“Yeah, well, I got talkin’ to some bigshot here at the temple last night. She said Queen Whatshername will pitch in to help repair the Strelitzia. They got airships and spare parts. Reason we ain’t seen of them is because their hangars are camouflaged underground.” He shrugged again, a quick jerk of his shoulders. “I’m hoping it's true. Startin’ to get worried about Ambrose and the others.”
“How long will repairs take?” I asked.
“If we work together and have NPCs helping us? Maybe a day,” Rin said.
“Yeah. Then I’m coming with you to your damn castle.” Gar glowered at me.
I raised my eyebrow. “You seem super stoked about that.”
“I am.” He pointed at my chest. “Because you’re going to extract your damn murder chicken and pay me extra for letting her use my bed as a fucking incubator.”
I glared back at him. “Why are you here then, Gar? If you don’t care, why’d you show last night?”
He made a show of thinking about it. “... Guess y’all helped me win a few levels day before yesterday. For what that’s worth.”
“We’re in an RPG. It’s worth everything.” I said. “You don’t level? You’ll fall behind, and one day, some asshole like Lucien Hart is going to come along, kick your ass, and take your ship and everything else you care about.”
“So what? I’ll build another one. There’s more to life than being ahead of other people.” Gar slowly raised his eyes toward the sky. “There she is. Yer big flying lizard’s back.”
Karalti landed at the entry to the temple, careful not to crush any of the gawking Meewfolk there, and vanished behind the gates and stairwells as she shrunk down. A few minutes later, she ran up the stairs, pink in the face.
“Sorry I’m late!” She licked her lips as she joined me, reaching out to grasp my hand. “I was having a bath. Are we gonna see the Avatar now?”
“I guess so?” Now that we were all here, I looked around, unsure if the Avatar was coming out to see us, or what. “Maybe we have to be here at a specific time, but-”
No sooner had I said that than the world around us warped, blurred to black, and then unfolded again. Instead of the bustling temple terrace, we stood in a darkened room. It was simple and elegant: smooth floors, hand-carved lattice walls, all of it wrought from teak and fragrant sandalwood. We’d arrived inside of a permanent magic circle, a ring of metal inlaid in the floor. At the far end was a small, low Asian-style table, and behind that was the figure I had seen early in the morning.
“Please, all of you. Come and take your seats.” The Avatar’s voice was as low and musical in person as it had been in his projection. He was heavily robed, with a veil obscuring his features. However, we could see his hands as he deftly measured out some bright golden powder with a small scale. They were a Meewfolk’s hands, clawed, with prominent knuckles and rough bean pads on the fingers, but they were completely hairless. His skin was as smooth and grey as smoke, and his fingertips were tattooed in small lines of script.
One by one, we filtered over. I took my place in the middle, with Suri to my right and Karalti to my life. Rin and Gar sat down at either end.
“How did you know to find us?” I asked, settling into a relaxed kneel. “We hadn’t even-”
“I know everything that takes place on this island, Paragon.” The Avatar whisked the spices into a dish of thick milk, turning it an attractive shade of yellow. “The Ancestors who protect our domain are an unseen army of eyes and ears. Every ship who passes through the dome that shields this island is seen and known by them. Any person can be found. Any weapon—such as the legendary Spear of Nine Spheres—can be identified.”
“How?” Suri asked. “With... all respect, I mean. The Priest-Queen didn’t really tell us anything about you. Who you are, what you do. Nothing.”
“Mmm.” The Avatar stirred the milk until it was frothy, then divided the liquid between seven small stone cups. When he was done, he lined the cups up in a row in front of us.
Then he reached up to remove his concealing headdress. “It is customary for all dignitaries of our people to use their names with their guests, no matter their position in colony. You may call me Sanayam.”
Sanayam resembled a Sphynx cat: he was heavily wrinkled, his muzzle drawn with deep lines and folds of dark gray skin. He had no whiskers, and huge green eyes that glowed in the semi-darkness of the room. Every inch of his skin was inked: rows and rows and rows of tiny, precisely scribed sigils that crawled with tiny flickers of light and color.
“I am the keeper of the lore and history of my people,” he said heavily, the tip of his naked tail twitching back and forth over his lap. “And I am also the conduit between the living and the dead. Our ancestors imbue the Lesser Shield which guards this island, and which has protected it from invaders for three millennia.”
“The Lesser Shield? You based it on the Caul of Souls?” I asked. “That’s what it is, right? Like a mini-Caul.”
“No. The Lesser Shield was created first,” the Avatar said. “A prototype, which gave us the time we needed to build weapons capable of destroying the Deceivers. We are the oldest race on Archemi, and our cities sprawled through the forests and jungles of the world. Our civilization was mighty when the Aesari were still living in caves, dwelling in primitive obscurity for millennia. We were here when the Solonkratsu descended from Erruku, bringing with them the tulaq and the first humans. And we were here when the Drachan came... and defeated us.”
“Dragons came from Erruku?” Karalti blinked several times, her untouched cup of milk cupped in her hands.
“Yes. Once, long ago. It was the world of the Solonkratsu.” Sanayam bowed his head. “Your people arrived here some ten thousand years ago… a time when Erruku was green and blue, not dry and yellow with dust. Our most ancient records speak of the dragons as a technologically advanced society, artificers of great machines that let them accomplish wonders we cannot yet dream of. Some great calamity transpired there, many millennia ago, and the dragons came here with their servants.”
“Wow.” Karalti looked down at the table. “I wonder what happened? And how they did it?”
“That, unfortunately, is a mystery lost to the storms of time.” Sanayam paused to take a silent sip of his drink. “You came here to discuss a more recent calamity: the Great Calamity of our planet. The arrival of the Drachan.”
“Yes. And more importantly, how they were defeated.” I leaned in. “We’ve found two Warsingers, and we know where to find the others. There was a map, in the Rose Vault of Withering Rose.”
“A fortunate find. That it worked is a testament to the brilliance of the ancestors. The terminal, the portals, the Warsingers… they are incredibly old.” The Avatar cupped his hands in his lap, regarding each of us in turn. “I should like each member of the Triad to ask the most important question they feel they need answered.”
“Triad?” Gar said. “What’s that?”
“The six in three: six Starborn who bear the responsibility of sustaining the Caul of Souls, which we call the Greater Shield of Ancestors in this land,” Sanayam replied calmly. “The first corner of the Triad is the Paragon, a pair comprised of a Solonkratsu, who acts as a conduit of power, and a hero who bears the master key to all the Dragon Gates, the Spear of Nine Spheres. At its full power, the Spear is a devastating burden, one which requires the strength of two linked minds to endure. Such a bond is only possible between a dragon and her rider.”
Karalti reached for my hand. I squeezed it gently.
“The Artisan is the second cornerstone: a pair of artificers of remarkable skill, united by a passion for creation,” Sanayam continued. “Within the Dragon Gates, there are traps and machina that only they can possibly repair, construct, or control. That includes the Warsingers—but also the ancient devices which funnel the souls of the gods and maintain the Greater Shield. All created things, whether they be worlds or machines, are subject to entropy. Time erodes metal and man alike. The Artisans are able to turn back the clock, keeping the Warsingers and other weapons ready to defend us if the need should arise. The map you found is the product of their efforts, as are all other functional artifacts related to the Caul.”
Rin and Gar looked at each other.
“I’m just tagging along, actually,” Gar said. “Barely know these guys at all.”
“Yeah, he is. And I’m really not able to cope with something this big.” Rin nodded. “I-I mean, I want to help, but…”
“It is not for me to say.” Sanayam turned his luminous eyes to Suri. “The last member of the Triad is the Warsinger: the unity of flesh and metal, mind and machine. The Warsingers were the generals of the armies required to defeat the Drachan. It is the only part of the Triad which is replaceable in any given cycle, as any of the Warsingers and their pilots may fulfil this role. In any case, their fate is battle, to spill blood in the fight against annihilation. There are doors within the Dragon Gates that can only be unlocked with the blood of a pilot, someone who is either genetically attuned to one of the Warsingers, or who has become attuned by successfully activating or controlling one.”
Karalti scratched her head. “But there’s only one person in the Warsinger Triad part.”
“There are two.” Sanayam looked down. “Each Warsinger possesses a soul of exceptional power, bound to a crystal at its core. It is this core which holds the magic of the machine together. Without it, it would tear apart under its own weight.”
Suri sucked in a short breath. “That’s why Withering Rose was scattered all over the bloody place. When Ororgael took the Heartstone, she broke up.”
“How do we fix it?” Rin asked eagerly.
The Avatar shook his head, looking down. “The details of how the Warsingers were accomplished are... technical.”
“Do you have schematics? Records? Anything that can tell us how they were made?” She laced her hands and gripped them together.
The Avatar’s gaze slid to Rin. “A great deal has been lost over five thousand years. However, we know where some records may lie. If there are any left, they are almost certainly entombed in the Chorus Vault of Perilous Symphony.”
Rin let out a squeak of excitement. “Then I was right! The plans are here! We need to repair Withering Rose, the last of the Warsingers. And if we had those schematics...”
“We do not know if there is anything left for you to find.” The Avatar turned his cup in his hands, which was now half empty. “If you know where the Chorus Vault is, then you also know that it has sunk off the coast of this island.”
“We have to try.” I fixed a determined glare on him. “And if we step through that portal and get crushed, so be it. I’ll do it.”
“You will not!” Rin scolded me.
“Spoken like a true Paragon.” Sanayam reached into his sleeve, and withdrew a perfectly round, clear orange stone. As he held it on his hand, I felt the Spear begin to hum and vibrate where I had laid it on the floor beside me.
“This is the Clinohumite of Loving Embrace,” he said, rolling it off his palm and into the air in front of him, where it hovered under the impetus of his will. “The Keystone to the Tomb of Devana, the Solonkratsu goddess of Earth, Eggs, and the Sun. I believe you already know where to find her Dragon Gate. There is a portal there, constructed during the Fourth Cycle by Pathfinder, an accomplished mage, Queensrider, and the bearer of the Spear in that age. Like the first Paragon, Siva Nandini, she was one of my people. Please, present the Spear.”
I lifted my weapon up, and the keystone drifted over and securely locked itself into its slot. The Spear seemed to struggle in my hand, vibrating intensely against my fingers as a new description appeared:
The Spear of Creation
Soul-bound Light/Dark/Fire/Earth Elemental Weapon
Slot: Two-handed
Item Class: Relic
Item Quality: Mastercrafted
Damage: 604—717 Slashing or Piercing
Durability: 25%
Weight: 1lb
Special Abilities
Elemental Triad: At will, you can change the elemental polarity of the Spear of Creation between Light, Dark, Earth and Fire damage, potentially dealing bonus damage to susceptible enemies.
Maker’s Blessing: Learn crafting skills 8% faster.
Nightfather’s Blessing: 9% of inflicted weapon damage heals the wielder.
Mark of Justice: During combat, you may designate one opponent as a marked target. Your attacks against that target increase in priority and deal 10% more base damage for 5 minutes. This damage stacks with ability damage and combos.
Mother’s Grace: If you fall below 10% health, you immediately regenerate 50% of your total Stamina and Adrenaline points.
The energy in the Spear equalized and settled—but as I looked down at it, I had an eerie sense of it somehow staring back at me. The addition of the fourth stone had made it feel lighter and heavier at the same time.
“Take that stone to the portal, and you will be able to activate it.” Sanayam withdrew his hands into his robes. “That may well be all you needed from me, but if you have other questions, I will do my best to answer them.”
I tipped my head to one side. “I’m curious about something. It’s almost like you were expecting us.”
He bowed his head. “We—myself and the Avatars before me—have been noting the decline of the Greater Shield for at least a century. The timing correlates with the planned obsolesce of the Shield Cycle, and thus I expected that I would meet the Triad of the Sixth Age within my lifetime.”
Set the Spear down and scratched my jaw. “Planned obsolesce? The Caul of Souls was meant to fail?”
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