Chapter 18

Stone Walls and Aberrant forms: conflict of interests

“Mistress, please stop reaching for your knife.” E4 said, easing into a stance. The Hymn seemed to guide her to the ideal stance and anchor her in place. Telekinetic fields surrounded her hands and feet, ready to answer her commands with far more ease than they had on Earth. “Mistress please, I just got charged and I’m both tired and hungry. I do not want to fight you.”

“E4, you’re going to need to give me a sign you’re not one of those things. I don’t want to hurt you, but that thing took the five of us to bring down. Do you know how rare something that takes two imbued and two charged regulators are?”

“I suppose it won’t help to tell you that was a young one?” E4 replied. Marissa slowly backed out of the charging room, hand over her blade but she hadn’t drawn it yet. “You can tell by the horns. Feral ravagers have big racks like a deer or an elk. Every time they eat someone it accumulates more prions in the brain and body, causing them to develop more points. Once they get to 4 they go into a short hibernation and get stronger, and again at 16. The one you slew was at 15 points.”

“You’re saying that was tier 1?”

“Maybe? I don’t know if the power scales like it does for Aether Blessed.” E4 paused. “Sorry, not helping… um… give me a second. So the first symptom would be losing your vision in one eye for a while, which I clearly do not have. The second would be increased hunger,” At that moment her stomach let out a loud growl. “Not helping. Ok, The Bleeding Hearts did a lot of study on Ravagers trying to learn how they became so hard to kill, there’s got to be something. Um… They have a form of telekinesis that makes their claws incredibly sharp, ok that doesn’t help. They have six fingers,” She held up her hand, which showed five fingers and two thumbs. “See, I’m not a feral, I have… seven fingers. Ok, not helping. They have a secret language which lets them communicate vast amounts of information quickly, they can mimic any voice they have eaten, they’re easily distracted because every person they eat stays in their head. They don’t have the ability to make long term plans because every voice in their head is starving.” She paused. “You heard what that thing was saying, how hungry they were.”

“It was making an odd clicking sound…” Marissa drew her dagger, “Just like you used to. I’ve heard you make that sound in the train before we lost you… But, that means,”

“Fangs of the Lady.” E4 sighed. She felt an itch in her eye, and wiped an isopod from her face. She eyed the critter, then looked back at Marissa who was staring at the isopod. “Seriously Red? Bleeding havoc, now of all times?” The isopod gave her a little wave and E4 placed it on her shoulder where it dug in its claws. “And of course NOW it occurs to me to remind you ferals can only mimic voices and scream in hunger, they can’t actually think clearly enough to communicate. That or remind you we were together for weeks without incident despite the fact I was a charged ravager that entire time.” She flicked her tail in annoyance. “If this were Earth I’d be vanishing into the night and adopting a new name right about now, but unfortunately there’s a purifier up stairs and I can’t just fake my death again since apparently we come back from that. He’d be on my tail the moment I came back.”

“Maybe, but you could die and come back as human.” Marissa replied, drawing her dagger. “You were just charged, you wouldn’t lose much. We could find you again.” From the wavering in her voice, E4 could tell she wasn’t sure.

“It wouldn’t work. I was a ravager for years before I came here, and I regained my isopod the first chance I got.” She winced. “Still feel a little bit bad about forcing that on E4, yet this new body had an isopod before I even got to it. If I hadn’t shown up maybe it would be like the body in the freezer. Even if I got to a body before the isopod did, I don’t think it would be long before I found another one. E4 had an isopod’s egg inside a cut on her hand, no clue how.”

Marissa took a step up the stairs. “E4, before she swallowed your soul, cut her hand on a crystal we found in a ruin.” She took another step. “Big round place, lots of melted wires, and a lot of ash.”

“Makes sense, I broke into a purifier research lab trying to destroy some blackmail and they were working on, oops.” E4 lunged, kicking off the wall and jumping over Marissa. She landed just before the door and with a single movement cut a strip of her own flesh off and stuck it to the door. Immediately Myst coalesced on the door, locking it shut. “Sorry, can’t let you go getting Kindred.”

“I was thinking Vienna.” Marissa dropped her blade to her left hand and as E4’s eyes followed it she almost missed the zap pistol that seemed to appear in her hand already spitting lightning. E4 ducked under the first two shots, the third one catching her on the shoulder, though not the one her new isopod was on.

“Not worried about Vienna, she’d only kill me.” E4 replied, throwing herself down the steps. She rolled under another shot and came up swinging. Marissa stepped back just enough to avoid the claws, but not the telekinetic blades that came with them. Immediately seven tiny cuts lanced across her flesh just barely breaking skin. “Might even escape, wouldn’t be the first time I crawled my way out of my own grave. Kindred would poison this entire town,” Another swing, this one Marissa ducked under, blasting E4 with another bolt which just barely missed, “salt the Earth, poison everything within 5 kilometers. He’d kill all of you, and probably try to do it again if you came back.”

“And you only want to turn me into one of those things.” Marissa turned and ran. E4 lashed out with her claws, yet a half second too late she noted a field of Aether and telekinetic force appear to delay her just long enough for Marissa to avoid the blow. In the time it took her to realize this she also realized Marissa had left a small glass flask, just before it exploded in lightning. Immediately she felt her muscles lock up and a burst of serotonin shot through her skull before she was thrown back into the metal door.

“To be fair, the one you fought was feral.” E4 replied, slowly pushing herself up off the floor. She stretched, half expecting to be hurt. She had a few bruises, a couple burns on her skin, yet she felt good. Even as she stepped forwards those minor wounds healed. [[Genetic memory is attempting to reinstate healing hands. Regeneration protocol up to 75% capacity]].

“Is this why Patterson killed you, because he found out you were a ravager?” Marissa took cover behind a wall, zap pistol at the ready. She poked her head out and fired a trio of shots, yet at the worst possible moment her hand drifted as the ravager toxin did its work. With inhuman agility E4 was behind the stairway.

“Maybe, but I’m pretty sure he killed me because he found out I had a patron. He practically came out and said it. Which is kind of funny, since it was the purifier’s poison that killed him.” E4 poked her head out of the stairway. “Why are you even taking cover? I don’t have a gun.”

“Right,” Marissa stood and took a single shot, before E4 reached out and grabbed her gun with telekinesis. “What the?”

“Feral ravagers can’t use telekinesis outside of their claws,” E4 gestured and pulled Marissa’s gun up. In the time it took for her to bring it back down E4 was within arm’s reach. “Yet The Red Queen taught us much.”

“That your patron?” Quick as a wink Marissa’s arm seemed to move just enough to evade E4’s grip and she fired three times right into her chest. Yet E4 barely flinched. With a kick she knocked the pistol out of her hand and quick as a whip she grabbed it with her tongue and threw it behind her. “What the?” Marissa drew her knife, “How?” She nimbly turned aside a blow from E4, though even as she did she received another tiny cut from E4’s second thumb.

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“Ah Ava…” E4 pulled her tongue back in her mouth. “That ravager was a myst folk, no protection from Aether.” She pushed a hand forwards throwing a telekinetic shove that set Marissa off balance long enough for her to step forwards and deliver a pair of lightning quick slashes. Yet to her surprise Marissa seemed to accelerate, blocking twice and lashing out a cut that should have left a nasty gash in her stomach. Instead the blade barely broke skin.

“And that means Aetheric weapons aren’t going to work.”

“That knife cuts both ways, or doesn’t in our case. Good thing were not using medical tools, we’d probably both be torn to shreds.” E4 replied. She feinted left, spun, and slashed towards the right with both claws. Marissa blocked, but it wasn’t enough. “That’s that, open wide.”

“What?” Marissa’s eyes went wide in horror as the right side of her face went numb. As E4 feinted and spun the isopod on her shoulder had dropped off, and with a flick of her tail it went flying right onto Marissa’s forehead. “No, no.” She slowly reached up, only for E4 to grab her hands.

“Easy, easy. You don’t want to mess it up now, you could lose vision in your eye for nothing.” Marissa tried to break her grip, yet a wave of euphoria washed over her. Suddenly, she wasn’t sure why she was fighting. E4 leaned her back, and with a little telekinesis managed to slide Marissa onto her lap. “For the record, we never liked forcing people to join. We lost good folks who weren’t ready, and I really hope that doesn’t happen to you. Yet we can’t let the Purifiers know, we’re only safe if it’s a secret. Just take a deep breath, it’ll be over in a moment.” She looked at the isopod sipping from Marissa’s forehead, before it curled up and dropped off. “Hey, where do you think you’re going?” The isopod turned and waved its claws.

[[Her body is too resilient, we would need a tier 1 isopod to bond to a tier 1 body.]]

“And a tier 1 isopod would already have a soul in it, which bonding two souls together is how you get a feral, or in this world maybe an undead.” E4 paused. “Fangs of the old lady, this just got complicated. So, Mistress…” She looked, to find Marissa had closed her eyes. “Um, Mistress, hello?” She tapped Marissa, but there was no response. “Marissa?”

[[Based on the signals coming from the ravager toxin, she has dropped into REM sleep. You could probably take her to bed and she would not awaken. She may even believe this was all a dream.]]

“Worth a shot. The alternative is to leave, and I think I’m not quite ready to go solo again.” She eyed the isopod as it was currently curled up. “And what do I do with you?” She paused, an idea coming to mind. She quickly procured a jar of pickles, which she promptly consumed in a single gulp, before plopping the isopod inside. “Hey Red, think we can put on a little show tomorrow?” E4 easily carried Marissa up the stairs after stashing the jar. “That reminds me, how did she catch on? I’ve got Innate human mimicry.”

[[Unknown. It is possible she bears some manner of identification skill. Alternatively she could have read off of your nervousness when she asked about your eyes. Clearly she did not know much about ravagers since your ability to communicate should have immediately dismissed the possibility of being feral. Perhaps keep this in mind should the issue arise again. Also I should note that the isopod is ready for metamorphosis.]]

“That… pity. Probably won’t be able to use it but we can always make more.”

[[Approximately 2 isopods can be made every few days.-Red Queen]].

E4 took a quick moment to snatch a few potatoes from the larder, spearing the first right off the shelf with her tongue before shredding it with her fangs. She devoured the remaining five vegetables raw before lifting her mistress in a princess carry and ascending the steps. E4 nodded to the strip of flesh that held the door shut and it immediately withered away, feeding its ATP back into her as it did. In less than a moment there was no evidence it had ever been. As she slipped out she locked eyes with Vienna, who was meditating in the corner.

“So early does the maid awaken.” She spoke without opening her eyes. “What happened to your mistress?”

“She fell asleep.” E4 replied.

“Yet this young mistress does smell ozone and Aether. Were you dual tempering thine flesh?” E4 tensed, while Vienna just smirked. “Ah the pure love of sisters, were it that mine husband would embrace the current of the heavens with me. A word of advice, tempering the flesh is better with a steady current, embrace together the wires of the fence, start with a small town before embracing the full current of Los London and The Heavens shall bestow upon you their blessings, or achievements if you prefer my husband’s crude phrasing. The Darwin Awards is a pathway to many skills some consider unnatural.”

“This grasshopper accepts the expert’s teaching.” E4 replied, at which Vienna smirked before going back to her meditation. E4 quickly ascended the steps before coming to a few doors. Quiet as a mouse she opened the first and peered in to find an office, which as she closed the door she noticed it was marked Guildmaster’s office. Chiding herself she peered into the next, which revealed itself to have a single large bed. Judging by the cane sword leaning against the bedside table and the pistol on said table E4 guessed it was Imnad’s room. Upon touching the brass doorknob of the third room E4 felt frost. “What the blood?” Quiet as a church mouse she opened the door.

Within the room was darker than even the night should have made it. Two beds, one larger than the other, sat within. Standing beside the smaller bed, its hand resting on Marcus’s chest, was a form visible only because it was darker than its surroundings. E4 felt her muscles tense as the creature turned its hatted head and observed her with glowing red eyes. In one hand it held a silver dagger, far larger than the last one

“Y-you again.” E4’s voice seemed to catch in her throat even as adrenaline and ravager toxin roared through her veins. The Hymn screamed at her to run. One instinct told her to drop her mistress and bolt, yet another instinct grabbed that first instinct and throttled it. It demanded she carry her mistress out of danger, by any means necessary. Yet it was the third instinct, the one from her isopod, that she followed.

With a sound like a whip cracking E4 lashed out with her tail, slicing into the abomination’s form even as she practically tossed Marissa on her bed. Quick as a wink she pivoted and the Hat Man gained 14 new holes, each one conveniently connected to its lungs. E4 gave her wrists a quick twist to turn those fourteen small holes into two larger holes and expected the entity to vanish as it had the last time. What she did not expect was it to grab her by the throat and lift. She thrashed, trying to break its grip, yet it regarded her as if she was an annoying dog, lifting her with a single hand without even bothering to remove its other hand from Marcus.

E4 tried to breathe, tried to choke out some quip or speak something, yet the entity’s grip on her throat was like iron. She reached out, pointing at its face, and a stream of bio-lightning burst forth from her hand. Immediately the hat man stumbled, even as the light failed to illuminate it. “Master Marcus, Mistress!” Yet before she could try anything the abomination grabbed her with both hands and squeezed. She felt her throat beginning to give way and heard a low CRACK.

“Hands off my maid!” There was a sound like thunder and for a single moment the entirety of the room was lit by a blinding silver flash. When E4’s eyes cleared she saw nothing but an empty room. She looked over to Marissa, who was now pointing her rifle at E4. “E4, are you, Are you you?”

“Mistress, who else would I be?” E4 asked, doing much better this time. “I found you asleep in the basement, it was nice of you to wait up for me but you didn’t have to do that for me. I carried you up, only to see that thing attacking Marcus again.”

“Ow, and thank you for that.” Marcus groaned as he sat up, hands gripping his head. “Feels like I’ve got a killer migraine on top of horrible nightmares.” He looked up at E4 and his eyes got a little wider.

“You want to talk about them?” E4 asked, sitting down on his bed. She shot a look to Marissa, the Hymn reminding her she was Marissa’s maid rather than Marcus’s, which didn’t make much sense to her since she worked for both of them, but she just gave a nervous nod.

“It was, I dreamed that thing from earlier had gotten you two.” He looked at Marissa. “I saw your bodies get back up, and you were coming for me.” E4 saw Marissa’s expression turn from confusion to fear, and her hand go up to her eye. “We were back in our old home, before we came to the Distant Shores. No weapons, no MIST scores,” He paused. “It felt so real.”

“That sounds scary, as someone who has dealt with feral ravagers both here and on Earth they’re a piece of work. General rule of thumb, the more spikes they have on their horns, the worse they are.” She yawned. “Remind me tomorrow morning to give you guys a rundown.” She looked at the two beds. “Was there another room, or should I just grab a bench downstairs?”

“No, I think Marissa picked a big bed so you would sleep next to her.” Marcus replied, lying back down. “Just, one question first. Is there a risk we’re infected?”

“No.” E4 replied, lying down next to Marissa. Marissa looked at her a little worried, so E4 did something to put her at ease. She promptly stared into her right eye, then her left. “In order to turn into a feral ravager you first need to have a ravager isopod eat your eye, then after about a week you have to eat your first human. I don’t see one in Marissa’s eye. Have you lost vision in either eye lately?”

“Not that I am aware of.”

“Then you’re good. Good night.”