Starting my Backpotter transformation, I have so much to do, but at least I can queue a lot of it up in the meantime while this transformation slowly engages. Alright, Charles is in, and as promised, he’s got a prototype of the design I want. Those bangles need to be able to have a clip inserted in all of those spaces though, so we’ll have to make another attempt before finalizing it. Right now they’re more like embellishment grooves. Next, I’ve got to request two stages of main gate, to the main tunnel specifications.
Huff, huff. My brain’s fritzing, what’s next? Hold up a note telling the security team to tell Te to get the hell home, and to blitz through Lil’s fire with her seasonal gi on. Oh, wait, she’s got a clip that provides fire immunity too I think. We should get that clip transferred to Lu, since Te’s seasonal gi provides the heat immunity, and Luni isn’t yet immune to fire. That’d let the entire SAP, our entire inner circle, finally be immune to the blaze of flames. Te’ll agree, happy to show off her immunity, even if Lil bypasses a few percentage of that immunity as he ramps up. She’ll be in and out and through in the blink of an eye anyway. Lil’s is one of the stronger Latents, but so is this shapechanger’s.
Latents like this are stronger than we’ve prepared for. Hell, they’re stranger than what we’d prepared for. Hell, we should call them that, stranger Latents. We need protocols in place to deal with them, stranger protocols.
Still panting with exhaustion, my chest heaving with exertion, I meet up with Nala, who’d heard some of the confrontation and my recent plans. I beg, “Nala, are you okay? Have you had time to rest? To work on the goggles to make them able to receive the size-changing enchantment?”
Curator’s response is almost chipper, “Hm? Oh, yes, yes. It took a bit, and a bit of insight from this delightful young woman to my—. Side? Hm, she was just here.”
When a backpack tips over, causing massive clanging, crashing noises, as Littlebit’s random tin, bronze, and brass material falls out, she stumbles out from under the weight of it, yawning. Nala seems completely unfazed by the noise, as if she’s just grown accustomed to clanging occurring already. I wear a wry smile, but then prompt Nala to continue.
Gazing at me curiously, Nala takes a moment to realize the social cue I’m giving her before continuing, “Oh, right, I believe with Miss Bittie’s help, I can continue other projects and still finish about one goggle per hour to be able to receive your enchantment, and give you the exact specifications of reagents you’ll need to be able to apply it in a way that won’t tax you. I do so hope you’ve a stock of high quality gems available. Also, Schism, about this, this protocol, and having an enemy in our midst—. Are you alright, friend Reggie? You, well honestly, look awful, just terrible, utterly dreadful.”
For a moment there, and I’m mostly joking about this assertion, I was worried Nala’d been replaced. That however is the level of tact I expect from Curator. Smiling at Nala, I nod in response. Hm, oh, right.
Turning to Littlebit, I ask, “This might seem forward Littlebit, but I need to provide you with a telepathic link for your own safety. We’ve had a shapechanger scare, and I—.”
Nala interrupts to add, “Oh, yes, and I’ve found a solution to your telepathic bonds costing you to apply as well, though, once again, the compound is costly, but I’ve found how to prevent you from needing additional layers for each network. I wrote all this down for you here somewhere. Ah, right. Oh. Drat. Covered in oil. Fret not, I’ll reproduce it by the time you’re ready to begin. Oh, Miss Bittie, Schism is asking your consent to touch your bare back and such, to apply the rune paste I was mentioning.”
Chipperly chirping, Littlebit jokes, “Don’t even gotta ask, *Tiger*, winkwink. Hehe, but no seriously, yeah it’s fine. Come get me when you need me. Nala’s mad rad with her thinkpad. I’m gonna love it here! Hey, can I talk to Nala with that telepathy?”
Glancing at Nala, I’m essentially asking Nala for consent to put something like five or six other new voices in her head that she might have to put walls up for. She pauses to consider it thoroughly rather than jumping to a yes or a no. After a while, she acquiesces.
With Nala’s consent, I respond, “Yep, we’ll get Nala on that network. Also probably some people that are normally down here near you guys. Some of the blacksmiths, maybe Shiz, maybe Zelshiz, Leeza, and the like. Before I get sidetracked by some *other* emergency, I need some sort of storm-elemental focus, that can bind the power to the target of the focus. Specifically elemental planar power, attached to a specific wavelength of energy, the signature would look like, hm, here, I’ll draw it. That’s the format for an energy-based evolution-tether. The range of the frequency is marked down, and oscillation patterns and so on. That should tell you everything about the tether. I’m pretty certain we can supercharge Lil’s evolutions with Te’s powers if I first get her to absorb what I think is causing the current Worldstorm disruption.”
Before I can converse too much more with them about the projects I need them on, I notice Induul approaching the entrance, and being balked by Lil’s flames. Lil grumps, but pauses to take a breath, letting Indy through after verifying it’s really him telepathically. *I hope* Lil verified first anyway. Since Lil is on almost everyone’s network. Fudgesickle. If that’s the real Induul, Yui and Yuri are due back at some point relatively soon, and they aren’t networked yet. Mother of crap.
Looking over my shoulder, Leeza appears to be quite done taking inventory of the spawns for the morning, she appears to be sitting patiently, waiting for me. The volunteers thankfully aren’t taking anything from the warrens, only harvesting them to set them down for me. As I’m about to try to take care of that, I hear, “We’ve got a problem here,” from the security center.
Growling in frustration, I look, and sure enough, there’s Ahliyuri, without his sister. I know they were stealthing separately because Yuri is stealthier than Yui, and Yui didn’t want to tip off Induul, but still, this is about the worst time for this. Is Te back yet? This might be a bit mean. What if I get Teuila to ask for a trust exercise, of leaping into Lil’s flame holding Yuri? Would that prove anything? Hm, if our shapeshifter is naturally a Red or Gold, it won’t mean anything. If Yuri is still harboring a bit of mistrust of Teuila for hurting Yui, he might also simply refuse. Oh, we could trick-question him.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Passing along a note to get to Teuila, I want her to ask, “When I dueled you two the other day, which sword did you use, and which sword did your sister use?”
It’ll hurt to bring it up, for both of them, but it’ll also help them breach the topic, to start rebuilding trust. Broach the topic? One or the other. If it’s any other answer than something like, “Is this a trick, or did you hurt your head? Yui used both,” then it’s the impostor.
My guts twist as I relay the information to get it told to Teuila. I feel horrible for making her face this topic. I *am* horrible for making her face this topic like this. I can’t help watching how this unfolds. Crap, I need two more pair of goggles, pairs? For the Spellknight twins, and a bunch more for the, grr. Keep calm Reggie, keep calm. Yuri is looking for ways around the flames. Not a good sign if he doesn’t know we’re under a siege. Or rather, not a good look on him to act as if he doesn’t know we’re under a siege, when we’ve had him scouting and spying nearby over the last couple days.
Vylon and Vyela are backing up Lil, so Lil is safe even if he needs to take a breather, as they keep alternating charges. It is kind of amusing seeing the twin golds raise their scaled brows further and further as Lil’s flames keep going, and keep increasing, minute after minute. The power of the freakin’ Sun peeps, the power of the freakin’ Sun.
Wait, okay, there’s Teuila. Gods she looks so sad as she’s approaching Yuri. Crap, what the hell? Watching the events unfold from a hidden mirrored scrying sensor at the entrance leaves me feeling helpless and confused at the events as they transpire, or unfold. My brain is too addled to think of the difference at the moment.
Regardless, Yui appeared almost out of nowhere, and is rushing Yuri, shouting something to Te. Te looking aghast, turns her ire towards Yuri, who suddenly seems to disappear, the exact opposite of what Yui just did. Fudge! Now is that because of his spells and abilities, because Yui is an impostor, or is that because he’s the shapeshifter Latent wielder? Crap!
Security patches Teuila through to me and she rattles off, “Air, babe, I gotta go on a rescue mission. Yui’s bro got flattened by the siege or something unexpectedly, and she dropped your mission, trying to get her brother back. When she saw him out here, looking fine, she knew it was a trick. I believe her. She’s showing me the, sniffle, scars where I punched her. I can do that, right? Go rescue him?”
My breath catches in my throat, realizing that I’ve forced Teuila to face this hurt of hers on multiple levels in the last few minutes, and my eyes spring a leak. My tears stream forth, and as Te is about to ask again, I haltingly respond, “Y-yeah. Of course Te. My Wings. I—. I’m so, so, so sorry. Get home safe, bring them home safe. Be careful of impostors. Someone with a superpowered Latent for shapeshifting is out there. I don’t know if it gives them much info about their victim or not though. They might have semi-accurate information up to a couple of days ago. I think it’s Shlendtikuar.”
Gulping back sadness, I refrain from bemoaning to Teuila that it’s my fault. I have to face up to the fact and take ownership of the responsibility for this issue. I mean, unless Shlendtikuar is just sleeping somewhere, and I’m overreacting I guess. Still, genre senses are saying almost eighty percent odds that it’s either him, or he’s a patsy that may or may not know the part he plays, based on current information. Well, him, or that he’s a red herring if this were a mystery novel. Also the senses are putting fifteen percent odds that Pidge is in on it, for not telling us earlier. It’s a tad surprising that that’s not higher.
Seeing Teuila sweep Yui off her feet would almost be cute any other time, but both are putting their faith in the other right now in order to rescue Yuri. No wonder Yui didn’t use her animal spell to get back in contact during the siege, or warn us about it. She had to have gone off-mission. That’s probably why she even happened to find Kagired, injured, because she’d left off tracking Induul. They must have been far out of range of her spell, or something, as they took Yuri captive and dragged him further away.
How did Induul escape notice if Yuri got flattened? Maybe he just out-flew them? I understand Yui, practicing her brother’s stealth techniques, escaping notice, since she was following her brother at tracking distance, quite a ways off. I wonder if Yuri got captured trying to keep the siege distracted from seeking out Induul maybe?
Calling across the psychic network, I request, “Someone get a full sitrep from Induul, even if he’s a bit belligerent from withdrawal. Be thorough. Something isn’t sitting right.”
Huff. Grr. Okay. I’ve got a few more quick details to attend to, then I need to touch base with Leeza, and start prepping for new psychic networks while snagging all the materials and the extra shop to my Backpotter inventory. Hopefully, in that time, Te can rescue Yuri, and Yui can prove that it’s him. I want them in on a network as soon as possible, and to grant them each goggles, even if they never leave Mount Solace again.
Let’s see—, crap. I did not lock my vault after Miraina and I left it, and it’s ajar. Who the—. Oh. Blushing, I cough, announcing my presence as I face away to avert my gaze and mutter, “Morning, Shiz, Zel. I uh, guess I haven’t provided you two with a private room yet, huh?”
Nervous chuckling comes from Shiz as he responds, “Aye, I’m, ah, sorry Schism. Figured you might not mind too much, since you let us in here when The Copper was hurt and all, and it wasn’t locked. Lil and the other Red were getting frisky a couple doors down, so we thought maybe the one with an actual door on it. Erm. If, if I’ve angered you, it’s my fault. Zel had no way to know.”
Turning around, Zel still isn’t fully dressed, nor is Shiz, but at least they aren’t mid-passion at the moment. Casting my gaze elsewhere, while facing Shiz now, I offer up, “Sorry, no, I wasn’t mad, was just trying to give you privacy but let you know I need to catch you up on things. We had a shapeshifter loose, more than just any dragon, one with an impressive Latent for it. I’m almost certain it’s a member of the Evil Claws. I want to bring you two into a psychic network. I trust you both and want you to be safe. Zel, I’d like you to vet your subordinates, get them all down here to be added to psychic networks. Make sure you’re positive they are who they say they are, in case there’s more than one of these bastards. I’d be obliged if you could get Alanea to come down here too. Any idea where Trixxie, Pidge, and Lucky are?”
Chuckling, Shiz responds, “Pretty sure Lucky’s playing a prank on that pair by having them sleep in the nasty weirdos warren with him. Doubt Pawn and I’ll have much left to fight in there when she arrives.”
My jaw hangs slack, and my index finger can’t decide whether to point or curl. I clamp my mouth shut, spin on my heel, and just start walking while shaking my head. When I hear a familiar shriek, I’m pretty certain Shiz is right.