Resist

by Derek Belfield

  Now that his detection abilities had improved, Slate wanted to work on his interrogation skills. The Enticers had been able to use their abilities skillfully throughout the city, and Slate wanted more ways to influence people himself. Ideally, in a way that they wouldn’t know they had been tampered with. At first, he considered his duotoxin. The venom caused his victims to become afflicted with an almost religious experience as their body suffused them with oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine. He hadn’t had the opportunity to utilize it much, but he wanted to combine the effect with something that would allow him to acquire information from his victims. After searching through the options in the menu, he found a new minor mutation that would help him immensely.

  Telepathic Cognition: this mutation evolves areas of the brain to work with the neuroimaging techniques in the eye. Using a combination of imaging and mana, telepathic cognition allows the user to transmit ideas and thoughts into the mind of their target and get a sense of their effects on the subject’s brain. After a short period during which the telepathy acclimates to the mind of the subject, it will allow the user to effectively read the subject’s mind by interpreting the activated centers of the brain.

  Slate knew that this particular minor mutation hadn’t been available before he chose the thermoelectric upgrade to his eyes. Looking at the description of the mutation, he understood why. Telepathy required that he be able to see every aspect of the brain to see how his mana affected the user. This would be a more effective technique on subjects he knew well. It wouldn’t be beneficial for a single encounter. However, he was willing to make this ability a state secret. There wasn’t a leader in the world that would allow one of their trusted confidants to be in a room with him more than once if knowledge of this mutation spread. This mutation had serious potential. It was unfortunate that it relied upon the vision that was difficult to maintain. He considered that it wasn’t realistic to expect some kind of cheat code to Somnium even if the world had magic and miracles. Some things were simply too powerful to give away for free. Slate wondered for the first time if this was how Lucidus had been reading his mind this whole time. If so, she must know him extraordinarily well if she was able to his thoughts so clearly. The idea made him uncomfortable. He didn’t like the knowledge that there might be something out there beyond his understanding that he knew more about him than perhaps he knew about himself.

  As he neared the central citadel, he realized he was reluctant to make more changes. He had already altered his vision and the way his brain worked in a significant way. It wasn’t logical to play with the settings of life right before one got into a fight. It seemed like a losing strategy to Slate. He dismissed his menus for now and let his wings take him closer to the citadel. He stopped flapping and let himself glide down to the building. When he eventually landed, it would be completely silent, and then his massacre could begin.

  CHAPTER 17: THE MYSTIC LEADS

  LYNIA COULD FEEL a presence drawing her toward the mountains, which weren’t far from their current location, and she sent a small prayer of thanks to Lucidus. She sprinted off into the night, carrying her queen to safety. As the last member of the Scourge passed the perimeter of the clearing, a whistling sound could be heard behind them. Lynia didn’t look back; she could feel through the Scourgemind as one of the others did, and she watched with their eyes as she remained focused on the path ahead. The whistling turned into a whining sound that carried through the air. In the sky, it looked like a small star had drifted off course and was heading toward their location. Fear began to grip Lynia’s heart as she had a premonition of what was about to happen.

  Run faster! She cried. The wrath of Lucidus is near!

  She followed her orders and moved herself to greater effort. Her breaths dripped from her maw in ragged gasps. She felt like every muscle fiber was straining to its absolute limit. She could feel her bones creaking and her tendons straining. Her body sounded like a thousand drawn cords, and yet she still pushed herself. She had an animal desire to put as much distance between herself and what was coming to the clearing. Still trying to ride out the tidal wave of emotion through the Scourgemind, she saw as the small off-course star coalesced into a massive white meteor. The white fire that it emitted lit up the sky for miles around as if it were daytime. Animals of all kinds fled alongside the Scourge as they made the best time they could from the clearing.

  Every creature for miles around felt when the comet made impact with the ground. There was a tremendous crashing sound as rock ground into the earth, and the extreme pressure caused the ground to crack and shake in all directions. The worst sound was the cushion of emptiness that followed the impact. It sounded like the collision simply absorbed all sound in the area, and everything had been muted. Everything was silent for a moment that lasted no longer than a heartbeat, but that felt like an eternity.

  After that, all hell broke loose in Somnium. The comet violently exploded in all directions. A massive pillar of white fire ascended into the sky and could be seen back in Soulreach. Citizens of the Collective watched the pillar of white flame and wondered what god could have been angered to produce such a result. Mothers ushered their children to bed, and fathers talked amongst each other about what it could mean for the rest of the world. The Faithful in Bastion saw the blaze and were cheered by its presence. Deep in their hearts, or perhaps in their souls, they could feel the mark of their Lord on the world. It was a miracle. It was a sign that Lucidus was growing in power. They could not remember the last time that a Lord of any aspect had enough energy to intervene in the world so directly.

  After the pillar of flame came the rest of the effects. The world shook violently like a raging elemental had decided to shake the world itself. Members of the Scourge and Collective alike lost their footing and tumbled to the ground. They clutched the earth like drunkards wishing the room would stop spinning. The shockwave of the collision spread from the impact like the coming tide. It was powerful enough that most of the trees in the immediate area were flattened like blades of grass. The brittle and dying vegetation that had been weakened by the obelisk’s corrupting influence evaporated. The shockwave had a piece of Lucidus’ magic within. Everywhere the wave touched, the corrupted, weakened, and infected were swept away or destroyed. Those that were too far gone to Nocturnus’ influence were simply wiped from existence while those that could be cured were mystically healed. The effect took up the better part of a square mile and was an example of how powerful the Lord of Light could be.

  When the wave passed over Lynia’s forces, many of the wounds that the Scourge were suffering from were immediately healed. Most of the Scourge that had to be carried were suddenly returning to consciousness and trying to figure out what was happening through the Scourgemind and their comrades’ memories of the events. Lynia was disappointed to see that Shale still had not returned to consciousness.

  Her wounds must have been more severe than anyone else’s, she thought with a measure of awe.

  Shale had suffered the gravest wounds, and yet, she was still alive. It was a testament to the strength of the Scourge that she had made it through the Vallyr trap alive.

  No, that isn’t right, Lynia thought. It wasn’t a trap. We performed something significant for the Lord of Light, or she wouldn’t have blessed us with her direct intervention. Slate will know what happened. I just need to worry about surviving.

  She got to her feet and hoisted Shale onto her shoulders again. The tremors had faded to a manageable level, and Lynia felt a little guilty for accidentally tossing Shale to the earth so violently. She hadn’t known the earthquakes were coming until it was already too late, and she lost her balance. She looked around and noticed that the rest of the Scourge were busy picking up their charges as well. There were only a few that had burdens now. Most of the Scourge had been healed enough to travel.

  Once Lynia noticed that everyone had picked up their burdens, she took off into the dark once more. There was a feeling in her heart like the
point of a compass guiding her in a particular direction. It wouldn’t be long until they came upon the location that Lucidus was leading them to.

  Close to an hour later, Lynia finally came upon the destination she had been guided to. It was a small valley protected on both sides by sharp ridges. The walls of rock were so sheer and so jagged on three sides of the valley that Lynia was unsure that even the Lurkers could scale it unscathed. It made Lynia feel better because it meant that there was one opening into this valley. The entrance itself was artistically crafted. It was made by intelligent beings and not the product of nature. The entrance was arched and worn smooth like the entryway of a castle. Lynia didn’t see any of the murderholes that would make this entrance more suited for castle defense, but she did see strange divots in the floor and the ceiling that looked like they were meant to hold a portcullis. She walked through the arch that cut through the rock for twenty or more feet. It was dark and cold inside the tunnel, and Lynia’s eyes started to pick out places where multiple gates should’ve been. This place was older than she first imagined.

  Once she cleared the first tunnel, she was brought into the actual valley. It wasn’t large, maybe a few acres of space, but it would be more than enough to house her soldiers. Lynia looked up at the stars and the moon and said a prayer of thanks to Lucidus once again. She would never doubt the deity’s ability again.

  Keep going, a voice whispered in her head.

  The prompt startled her, and she trudged forward, now determined to see what else this refuge had to offer. Once she crossed the length of the field, she saw there were two large doors carved from stone in the face of the monument. The carvings resembled the images that graced the doors of the palace back in Bastion. In awe, she drew closer and placed her hand on the doors. They began to glow with a dim blue light in the dark. Startled, she brought her hand away and reached out through the Scourgemind. In addition to feeling the regular members of her party like small planets in the solar system of her head, she felt a connection to the doors in front of her.

  Open, she commanded.

  There was a grinding sound as the stone doors opened on hidden hinges. As they opened, the glow that had graced them began to fade away, and Lynia found herself looking into an entryway carved from the same celestial marble that comprised most of Bastion. She took a cautious step forward and then another. When she crossed the threshold, golden sconces on the wall began to light themselves with white Cleansing Fire. Lynia realized that she was in a structure similar to the Royal Guardhouse in Bastion, where the Guardians were billeted.

  This must be something similar, she mused. She couldn’t help but become curious at the magic that was clearly at work in this structure.

  First Mystic, may we find places to recover? A voice broke her from her reverie.

  Lynia looked over to discover that an Enticer at her shoulder had asked the question. She searched her memories for the woman’s name. She had been a convert from the native population of Bastion and not one of the initial elves from Lighthaven. Blinking, she suddenly remembered. Yes, of course, Jendai, she said.

  Do you want me to take Lady Shale as well, First Mystic? Jendai asked.

  Lynia was torn. She wanted to be the one that made sure Shale found proper accommodations, but she had so many questions about the structure and what it was doing here.

  Yes, please, she said. She convinced herself that, when Shale awoke, the woman would want all the information she could get about the structure anyway.

  The Enticer nodded her head, and Lynia gingerly transferred the queen to her shoulders. The rest of the Scourge filed in after Jendai and went to find their accommodations to rest for the night. As they passed by Lynia, they each placed a hand on her. It was a show of silent support that warmed Lynia. They had made it to safety. Now they just needed to figure out what to do next.

  It took about a week for Shale to return to consciousness. In that time, the other Scourge had been healed, and Lynia had been running operations from the mountain fort they had taken to calling Refuge. The complex turned out to be far more extensive than they originally estimated. It held enough space to house a couple of thousand warriors comfortably. It had a series of kitchens, crafting locations, gardens, and other essentials to support an army that size. There was even a small library that Lynia visited whenever possible. There were ancient texts on history, religion, and magic that Lynia knew Slate would be interested in. He seemed always to try to find out why the Scourge existed in the first place, and this seemed like a good place to start. In the grand scheme of things, it was a small outpost in comparison to Bastion, but it turned out to be a major blessing for the Scourge party. Lynia had the Lurkers scouting out the territory around Ithicus.

  It was only a few days’ trip from Refuge to Ithicus, which meant that the Scourge could maintain communication by using Lurkers as messengers at intervals between the furthest scout and Refuge. By placing each member of the Scourge at the most distant range of the Scourgemind from another one, Lynia had been able to create an almost instantaneous information collection network.

  By the time that Shale awoke, Lynia had discovered that there were roving bands of Collective all over the area. Strangely enough, they didn’t seem to be looking for the Scourge; they appeared to be looking for other Collective citizens. Groups of warriors led by a Vallyr officer would raid a person’s home and arrest every member inside. Not a single person was spared. Women and children were taken just as quickly as men. Lynia had yet to discover the reason for their actions, but that was because she had been unwilling to take any actual chances until Shale returned to consciousness.

  When Shale opened her eyes, she realized that her vision wasn’t quite as she remembered. Unconsciously, she had engaged the new evolutions, and when she woke up, she felt a blinding pain in her skull, and she was able to see around and through everything around her. She knew how many living creatures were nearby; she could even see their hearts beating and how each movement caused a small wave to pulse that illuminated everything nearby. She could see the heartbeats of every living thing in the entire underground complex she found herself in.

  She moaned in pain and shut off the vision. It dropped away, and the pressure in her head immediately subsided. She could see, albeit with the night vision that the Scourge had naturally. She was in a chamber made from stone, and she was lying on an extremely comfortable bed. It was similar in design to the one she had at her palace, and she stretched out and reveled in the luxurious feeling of the soft fabric on her body. She reached out through the Scourgemind to see where Slate was. She was missing his touch, and she planned to invite him to the bed. After a couple of seconds of confused searching, she realized that Slate wasn’t anywhere nearby. She felt only a fraction of the Scourge, and the only other leader she could feel was Lynia. She seemed to be a few floors below in a library that Shale couldn’t remember in the palace. With an abrupt jolt, the events of the devastating battle rushed into her brain. She immediately started comparing her memories to those of the Scourge and determined that she had been unconscious for more than a week. In the interim, Lynia had been in charge of their small scouting party.

  Shale sighed heavily. She realized that she had lost a quarter of her forces. She felt the loss keenly. Slate would be displeased, and more importantly, Shale was vexed with herself. She wondered if the cost had been worth it. After perusing more memories, she knew that Lucidus had intervened in the world directly and kept the bodies of the Scourge from being captured by Collective forces that were out there in the woods searching even now. Strangely, they weren’t searching for the Scourge. They were snatching up regular citizens and sending them back to Ithicus. The lurkers hadn’t figured out why, and Shale was curious why Lynia hadn’t pressed for more information. She would have to ask the woman since she couldn’t rifle through her mind like she did the others.

  Shale went to get up and succeeded in only pushing herself to the side. The motion was so awkward that she look
ed down and was horrified by what she found. Her body was flawless, except for one obvious thing. She was missing her right arm completely. It looked like it had been healing; she had a silvery nub on her should that extended halfway down her bicep. The nub was raw with new flesh. Based on the discoloration, it looked like Shale’s arm had been missing from the shoulder down at the beginning. She frowned.

  This is going to set back my teaching of the Way, she groused. She knew that she would still be able to fight with one arm, but developing the Way, her pet project, would take both limbs to develop more fully. She was more annoyed by the loss of the limb than truly maimed. She rolled to her side and pushed herself up with her right arm. She used her good arm to prod the new growth on her right shoulder. The flesh there was tender, but it seemed to be a tiny, proportionate copy of her original right arm. It seemed like the regeneration was going well, if slowly. It was also distinctly more silver-hued than her healthy pale flesh. That part didn’t bother Shale; she was more concerned with its functionality than its appearance.

  She got to her feet and stretched her wings wide. It was strange that she had lost only her arm in the explosion. When she was catapulted away from the exploding obelisk, she thought her entire back would be destroyed. It seemed like the number of Cultists between her and the explosion saved her life. She knew that she had been fortunate. Slate and Shale were significantly harder to kill than the average Scourge member. The evidence of that fact was left behind in the clearing. Shale lost too many. Each member of the Scourge was precious, and Shale mourned their deaths. They were each a part of her, even if only for a short time. She felt white-hot anger burning in her gut as she thought about the wasted lives.

  I’m going to destroy the Vallyr, she snarled in her head. She stalked out of the chamber to find Lynia. She wanted an explanation for why there hadn’t been more Vallyr lives extinguished while she had been asleep. If Lynia didn’t have a good enough reason, then Shale would be leaving this compound—this Refuge—immediately. She had vampires to kill.