POV Main

I was broken. I was functioning somehow. Just inside me there was world of torture. I talked with friends and inside was asking myself, if I would need to kill them. My feelings to people were tainted by visions of future betrayal. You can’t laugh honestly with people, when you know, that you would probably fight against in future. It was some kind of mental poison that made me sour. I knew, I became sour, so I avoided contact. It was easier to me to talk with people who weren’t hosts.

One day I was talking with Noel. He was teaching me to play chess. So we met at some evenings and talked about different things during game. Those were games with clock, so too much talk was distraction.

Noel was telling me, that chess was team game. Players weren’t team. Pieces on the board were team, your pieces. Adversary pieces were enemy’s team. Board and set of rules were world in which two teams competed. He told me, that chess was perfect information game, which differentiate it from games such as poker. From the beginning we knew all there was on the board. There was nothing hidden. It was similar to tic tac toe in that aspect. But tic tac toe was much simpler and since I played it as teenager I knew, that no one would win when players were experienced. Chess was complicated, chess was mystery. Even nowadays, when AIs were conquering the world, result of best play wasn’t known. But chess programs were much better players than humans.

The point, Noel tried to show me, was, that human couldn’t comprehend chess to its deepest levels, so grandmasters found some rules of thumb, how to made good moves. Those rules of thumb worked in majority of situations on the board. That also meant, that they didn’t in specific occurrences.

He told me, after I was able to play without losing in ten moves, that I need to change to strategic thinking. He confessed, that he couldn’t foresee all good moves or good replays. He checked, if his king was safe and if it was, so moved his pieces as they were one team. Team wasn’t strongest, when star piece was playing by itself. Team was at it strongest, when all teammates were sharing efforts to win. It worked in chess.

It was too much for me, as I couldn’t control or understand how pieces could support each other. What was the best, what was necessary at the moment. Noel said, that I just needed more experience. I asked him, what would be at following step, after I would master my teamwork. After I would be able to reason my plans, he said, I should focus on countering his plans. Then I should learn how to join two at the same time.

-= How to do that? – I asked.

-= Which one?

-= How to counter your plans?

-= When I move knight, - He moved knight. – you look on knight. But more important is, where is my knight pointing. If it’s obvious like attacking your king, there is not much to think about. If it’s not obvious, there can be some strategy behind my move.

-= Why are you using knight as example? – I didn’t understand his move.

-= It’s easier for you, as knight range can’t be blocked.

Maybe that was true, but I couldn’t see purpose in that move.

-= I can’t see it.

-= Because you look on finger, not on moon that finger is pointing at.

I lost that game. Knight wasn’t main reason for my loss, but it took his part in destruction of my forces.

Then there was my part to teach. I was teaching Noel some magic.

Before I went to sleep that evening, I thought about teams, knights and where moon was. Not about chess. About my complicated situation as host. Did I have team or was I star piece that would fuck off all chances by solitary play? Was I able to trust people, close people? I wasn’t. I always was able to trust only to some extent. I needed to find a way to trust more. Then, when I knew what I needed, I felt better. Not totally good, but not as bad as earlier.

POV Huntress

Me, Hail and Lily met with retired policeman, Jack. Bio-stone military gained after Kirk’s death didn’t produce any mixture by itself. They tried to research it, without destroying it, but to no good effects. Jack came to us for information, as he trusted us more and his principals too, than they trusted Vivaldi. Jack was disappointed, that Coal couldn’t be present.

We had some small talks at beginning, then I stated our position. Bio-stone to produce mixtures needed human host, that would be linked to it from that moment. Procedure of linking had its risks. We could help and share some info, but only to one, that would be host.

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Retired policeman tried to negotiate, to get something more from us. He failed. He told us, that he had some good news to Noel, but we coldly stopped him, telling, that all matters were pending till host matter would be solved. He wasn’t happy. I warned him, that he shouldn’t try to contact Coal or Noel behind our back, as we took over main decisions for that moment.

Jack asked about risks of linking. He got his answers and we told him, that we had procedure that minimalized risks, but we would do it without military supervision, if they would decide to trust us. He said, that he would know our real identities, as military and police forces helped each other, so we shouldn’t try anything shady. That ended negotiation. He would call us after he would discuss situation with principals. He left.

He didn’t understand, that our aliases became our real identities. Our former names were somehow fake in our minds. My real life started as I embraced my host identity and new name.

After meeting with Jack I talked with Devas, that were opposing cooperation. Nameless left that matter to us and we would deliver it to the end. Moreover Nameless seemed to be backing off lately, as he had some personal problems. It was little strange. We were kings and queens of human race. We had money, followers, could convince normal humans to be our sex partners by psychical powers. Every basic need we had as humans could be easily satisfied. If somebody among us was shy with satisfying his or her needs, it was because of upbringing, not because of lack of ability to do it.

So, whatever it was, that thing that was harassing Nameless, that he didn’t have much time lately, it was something else.

Somehow I became leader of Devas. Many asked me, if their decisions were correct. I didn’t expect it. After Nameless became less available, I thought that Sith would be seen as most important. Maybe he even was for short moment, but then he seemed to back off. When I asked him, why he didn’t step up more, he said, that he felt lot better, when he was second or third in command and that he was happy, that I could manage so much. That was unexpected. On the other hand I was most capable at the moment counting old core group.

Then, we had another important discussion, with all Devas. We shared info we got from Legibot. He told us, that Beria was creating something similar to political cult, very radical political force. That was, maybe not expected, but within expectations of cultist that didn’t left Ahriman’s Order to the end. What shook me, was info we put together, that Bear had some contacts with Diana, which ended with injuries, but he didn’t told us about it. I was disappointed with Bear earlier, when he ditched us without good reason. No. Because he ditched me too, without telling me why he did it. But I believed he was just, maybe even too just for us, as we accepted our places as hosts. Now he seemed in my eyes as some kind of villain. He was plotting with worst host we had there and didn’t tell us anything, when it backfired. I wanted to confront him and punish him somehow. He already used his trading quota, so we had no leash.

Nameless said during discussion, that we should inform all hosts, even those, that weren’t Devas, that freezing bio-stones slowed their growth and feeding schedule. In case of Bear, we should ask him for some info in return and watch, if he would use that chance to try to warm our relations. If he wouldn’t, we should consider putting him into Wicked Devas category. It was good idea in my eyes.

POV Bear

Devas contacted me. Huntress and Hail were talking to me online. They described, how I would be able to limit consumption by putting bio-stone into deep freezer. They were quite talkative. I asked about things among Devas and they told me about some new Associated and Unlimited Devas. I felt, that they wanted something from me. I asked about Nameless and Sith and Lynx. I was surprised, that they became more of secondary characters. I believed, when Huntress said that and when she boasted, that she was more of primary character at the moment. I knew her, I could see self-contentment in her eyes.

During the talk I smiled a lot and was unusual nice to them. Then, there was that moment, when they couldn’t wait patiently and they asked if I could provide them with some valuable info. I knew it. They had some troubles and were looking for some help from me. I sold them info about Beria and Legibot. I could feel, they were disappointed. I wouldn’t help them with their problems even if I knew what problems they had. I would probably add to their problems.

We ended our conversation at that. I was feeling quite happy, that Sith was put on back sit and Devas had some problems.

Other things that made me happy were anti-personnel mines I bought on black market. I also had grenades, but it was easy to get them. RPG launcher was coming to me. I got some nice contacts on east. Maybe I didn’t have magic abilities, but good weapon was even better. My main worry was, that military weapons were forbidden in Poland, but I cared to not leave traces behind. Everything seemed to go right way for me.

POV Paladin

After Arthur left I tried to drank myself to level of losing consciousness. I couldn’t. My body was changed so much, that I couldn’t restart myself with alcohol. I was very angry at myself.

I drank for few days, till Curse asked for human stuffed meal. I found some hoodlum. I started to lose myself. Days were flowing and I couldn’t gather myself. I lived like some recluse, almost like homeless. If I had some friends for alcohol, rented house would become den. I didn’t have. Rented house became half-den half-hermitage.

What was my problem? I couldn’t go through thought, that someone seemed me as bad guy. That someone pointed my shortcomings. That Arthur was more like me from beginning, than I was at that moment. That I couldn’t turn back time and did better.

One day Lily send me message, that by putting bio-stone in freezer I wouldn’t need to feed it so often. I asked if she wasn’t sad, that she didn’t thought or know about it earlier. We had long conversation. She wasn’t sad. She said, that she was doing her tasks and couldn’t feel responsible for everything. Otherwise she wouldn’t be able to do her tasks. I asked, if they were using dead bodies for feeding cursed stones. She said, that they were able to gather enough dead bodies at some point, but before that point they did, what they had to.

-= Aren’t you ashamed by what you did in the past? – I asked.

-= No. Even then we tried our best. I won’t be ashamed of me, when I tried my best.

-= Thank you for being honest.

-= Sure. You can call us, if you would be in trouble.

-= I will. Thank you once again.

Was I doing my best? No. I was hiding and killing small fries. I should kill big fishes, if I could.