Zero Six-Six (Luthando)

It takes a bit of convincing but the ghoul bandit eventually decides to risk it, finding offending Silent Resolve a greater risk than offending his access point to the Gaian world. Thus, in less than 60 hours I find myself meeting a pack of Bantu Pride lion warriors bristling with adrenaline preening themselves passively as they assess our gathered group.

‘’Greeting to our partners in the Pride,’’ the clever-eyed fidgety man sent as my guide says tilting his head to expose his neck to the large beastmen gathered before us.

‘’What do you want meat, no shipment is due for a while still,’’ a silver faired muscley one says stepping forward to look down on the man who now seems much smaller than he did a moment ago.

‘’We are all friends here, we have benefited each other greatly in our partnerships and making new friends is always welcomed,’’ the man says before taking a step back as his two guards flank forward to have him within their cordon. Large brutes both of them, one a mixed breed oger the other some sort of miniature cyclopes.

‘’The Pride has enough friends. Do not presume to know our business, whelp.’’ A grave insult amongst the Prides being called a ‘whelp’ but the man just takes it in stride, clearly more interested in business than any form of posturing. This one doesn’t understand the Prides at all.

‘’This here is friend Zero Six Six, a person of importance with important friends that help keep our arrangements from being interfered with. Surely such a person deserves at least the courtesy of an audience with the Leo,’’ the man is clearly unimpressed by the three large Pride specimen before. So this is the pre-meeting before the actual meeting.

I step forward as I’m indicated to, my man Napa large and intimidating a step behind. All three of these lions are in the 1st Continent my chi array tells me, threats to be sure but they don’t know that. ‘’Greetings to the tribes,’’ I say extending my manna domain to enfold us all as I gesture in ceremonial greeting.

[Mhggr], all three growl instinctively at my gesture.

‘’How does an outsider know the signs?’’ one asks, shushed harshly by the bigger one which steps forward with extended claws.

‘’You do not know your place,’’ it sniffs towards me rudely, ‘’human.’’ The designation an insult.

I circulate the air within my Mana Domain under my control pulling, coercing, shifting it around and out.

‘’You do not know your place nor are you smart enough to understand it,’’ I say with a voice oozing contempt.

[Voo], it launches at me with sharp claws rending the air.

[TLAA!], Napa is there to stop the strike.

[VFOO-], I vacuum the air out of my domain in a single pull of my manna. Chi users might be impervious to manna but the environment around them is not.

[Mgrh], Napa knocks the breath out of it with a well-placed punch to the solar plexus.

The ground at its feet opening-closing around its waist at my urging as it gets a knee to the face for its troubles from my man.

Everything happens within a heartbeat before again silence reigns. No one able to speak without air to inhale, no one moving but me as I casually saunter forward to ruffle the large beastman’s fair whilst donning a Bantu fur coat with a shaggy mane depicting my station.

The two Bantu fall on their knees quickly, bearing their necks as is proper when in the presence of their betters. It’s so fortunate that the bandit’s portal is controlled by the Prides, Prides beholden to the Bantu-jin for their protection.

‘’I’ve changed my mind, you will lead me directly to this portal informing no one of my interest.’’

I’ve been exiled from my home a shameful disgrace that has been crippled his whole adult life. But in Gaia there is a chance, a slim one but a chance none the less that I could find my redemption.

‘’It will be as you say lord Bantu-jin,’’ one of the two lions says expelling the last breath from its lungs.

* *

Aeonian Black

It’s a very beautiful time to be alive, beautiful indeed.

''The laws of the universe are being written as we speak throughout all the planes of existence as things unfold all around us.

''You know, things are happening now that have never happened before and through every thought, action, experience there is a president being set as to what... the laws of everything are set for the future.''

''What are you on about now Sleeker?''

''It's a very auspicious time I tell you. All these strange things happening? These are what will become legendary times in the future and whoever survives the longest will end up some of the most interesting most talked about people in existence.''

''Have you been smoking dream weed again old man? You know that stuff makes you loopy, you’re a terrible scout. Hey Kresa, who put Sleeker on scout whilst his on the weed?''

''I don’t know, you know he always goes where he pleases. Maybe the bossman sent him out.''

''It’s literary a free for all right now in whats possible, for this little while everything is happening all at once, everything is in flux. New things are happening everywhere all the time, old treaties are lapsing, old covanents dissolving.'' It’s really exciting!

There are anomalies everywhere these days, things that just shouldn’t be yet they are.

Everything is in flux. Things are being made anew, different things are possible now.

‘’Sleeker, if you don’t have anything to report get out of my face before I sic Spike on you.’’

''I found an anomaly out by the Salt Falls.’’ I show them the curled up molten piece of metallic rock.

‘’What is it,’’

''It’s a person, its alive.''

‘’How do you mean?’’ Mandrake asks calling over Doc to inspect the object with his Cosmic Eye.

''I’m not sure myself whether its the actual person or there is a person inside it but it definitely a person. I’d dare say human for that matter,’’ Doc knocks a small hammer against the thing eliciting a dull ring that’s gone a moment too soon.

‘’It’s-... definitely unusual,’’ Doc says looking around in paranoia. Meaning he doesn’t want to speak here, meaning he sees something spying on us. If I can’t sense it its probably too strong to worry about but the man will refuse to speak. A useful man Doc, but his Eye has made him paranoid beyond what is reasonable, why worry about what’s looking at us if you can’t do anything about it?

‘’How is it an anomaly?’’

Mandrake is a bore but the man is competent and almost always takes me seriously.

‘’It shouldn’t be alive.’’

‘’Well I suspect that from the condition it’s in, care to elaborate further?’’

‘’We really should find a... less... crowded place to discuss much further,’’ Doc says fidgety. More so than usual.

‘’Tell brother to alert me when he examines it,’’ I say then leave them to it.

The world is unfolding anew. There is a greater amount of chaos in the universe than usual and each of us are pieces of a potential order. Each of us can take some of that chaos and shape it as we see fit.

''Beautiful time to be alive I tell you, beautiful time.''

So much raw potential in everyone I meet.

*

‘’How are you still alive?’’

‘’What do you mean?’’

‘’Are you very powerful?’’

He almost snorts but stops himself, self humour?

‘’Compared to who?’’

That’s a good question, conveniently a person’s mana break-through level is a fair indicator of power.

‘’What level are you?’’

‘’Level?’’ he asks sipping slowly of the hot brew eyeing me with big eyes.

‘’You’re not from around here,’’ that’s clear from the language and accent but he isn’t even from anywhere close if he doesn’t know what levelling is.

‘’You might call it something different from where you’re from,’’ I mime for him energy coming into me. ‘’mana comes and you become stronger, that’s called levelling around here.’’

He nods in understanding, he’s looking around at things curiously. His foot taping lightly, rhythmically at exact intervals on the tent floor.

‘’Where is here exactly?’’ he asks.

‘’You’re in the healing tent, I found you in the tuning-stone all covered in molten metal curled up like a foetus. How are you alive?’’

‘’Who’s tent? Tuning-stone? Foetus?’’

‘’You’re with the Black Explorers, this is the company’s healing tent. You’re lucky I found you, the tuning-stone is a giant tuning fork that resonates with the frequency of the waterfall. The locals have been using it to kill themselves for millennia. A foetus is an unborn spawn.’’ I give him the answers, I wonder what I’ll learn from this one.

He remains quiet, touching thing, touching himself, looking around.

‘’You’re an anomaly,’’ he baffles me completely. ‘’You don’t know who the Black Explorers’ are, do you?’’

‘’Should I?’’

‘’Well if you were important you would, so you’re not very important or don’t have much connection with the outside world. But you’re here, clearly very far from your home if you don’t even know what the tuning-rock is.

‘’You’re not strong enough to travel across continents on your own, not from where your language of choice places you so you definitely shouldn’t be here. Not alone anyway, you’d be dead 10x over.’’

I assess him as carefully as I can, definitely an anomaly this one. This is so exciting!

‘’But you are here so I’m missing something, and you survived the tuning-stone. Not unless you have the power to hold back that waterfall would I have believed that’s possible, you don’t seem capable of holding back the Salt Falls to me.’’

Nea, no way this guy is stronger than Eldest. ‘’Yet you survived long enough to get yourself here, then you survived the tuning-stone.’’

‘’So that’s a tuning fork huh?’’ he says under his breath before looking up at me deadpan. ‘’Why would people commit suicide in suck an unpleasant way for millennia?’’

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Was he conscious the whole time?

‘’I don’t think people stay conscious long enough to realise the unpleasantness.’’

[Pfff], he actually snorts this time. Pulling the blanket tighter around his shoulders.

‘’Or maybe they’re already trapped by the time they realise how much shit they’re in.’’

I shrug at that, I’ve never been in there. ‘’Maybe.’’

He places the empty cup on the stand.

‘’So what’s so important about the Black Explorers?’’

‘’They explore dangerous places looking for treasure and interesting things for the Black family to collect. If you don’t know the Blacks then you’re not likely to be very well connected.’’ So you must be strong to be here all the way from Pangaea if my guess is correct.

‘’So what level are you?’’

He sighs; seemingly he’s tired which I would understand after his ordeal if Victoria hadn’t said she’s never seen a physically healthier specimen I’d expect him to be immobile still.

‘’You know, where I’m from that’s a rude question amongst strangers,’’ his face is deadpan again. Is he being intimidating? He hasn’t made any moves in threat, hardly seeming to move at all besides that foot tapping on the floor. He’s more at ease than is usual I guess but I can never be sure what constitutes a normal response from people.

‘’I promise not to tell anyone if you want to keep it a secret,’’ best offer I’ve got.

He nods slowly, ‘’okay. I’ll tell you if you tell me what level you are as well, and I also promise not to tell anyone.’’

‘’You realise I’ve been giving more answers than I’ve been receiving in this exchange.’’

‘’I know and I appreciate that, but I’m at a clear disadvantage here. I’m naked, unequipped, in your care without a clue where I am with more questions than answers. So I’ll husband the few answers I do have carefully as much as I can.’’

He’s honest. I like him.

‘’Okay, I’m at level 4.’’

He stretches his smooth chin like he’s used to having a beard there, ‘’level 4, does that mean you’ve Awakened 4 times?’’ he asks slowly, his foot tapping with a bit more urgency before it again slows down.

‘’ 'Awakened’, you’re definitely from Pangaea then. Yes, I’ve Awakened 4 times,’’ I’m pleased my guess was correct. It was Either Pangaea, South-Western Atrium, somewhere in Terra or the archipelagos around there. Pangaea Common is quite popular as a lingua franca amongst those parts.

‘’Is your power level common with all explorers around here?’’

‘’You first,’’ answers. I want answers.

‘’I’m level 2 Awakened, I’m not sure how I’m alive.’’ He pre-empts my next question.

‘’Best guess?’’

He stops tapping, looking around the tent again at the three empty cots, at the healing ward making up the centremost tent pole while caressing the clean sheets with his right hand absently.

‘’Best guess, an ability I have helped me survive the tuning stone.’’

‘’How come I can see you, I don’t notice any lanterns in here and we’re not on the surface.’’

Observant.

‘’I buffed you.’’

‘’Buffed?’’

‘’I cast a spell of dark-vision and attached it on you so you can see.’’

‘’I don’t feel it.’’

‘’I’m very good.’’

...

‘’What’s your name?’’

‘’Sachihiro, what’s yours?’’

‘’Aeonian. But everyone here calls me Sleeker, best not to mention ‘Aeonian’ at all if you can help it. You were covered in wet metal when I found you, I’ll call you ‘Steel’.

‘’What happened to the metal you speak of?’’ He’s trying hard to pretend not to care, so more answers to trade for that one.

‘’How are you here?’’

He pauses at that one, turning towards the tent flap just as Victoria storms in. She pauses, surprised he’s ambulatory but quickly moves forward with a no-nonsense expression.

‘’How do you feel?’’ She asks poking him in the arm with a healing wand. It sparkles, his fingers twitching before he closes his fist to stop it.

She waves the wand over it to scan, the light passing from head to toe before she goes back up. Removing the crystal from the wand she places it on a platform which brings up Steel’s biometric scans for her to access.

‘’I’m Victoria, a healer, how do you feel?’’ she asks again turning back to face the naked bald man on the cot.

‘’I think I’m better than I have any right to be,’’ he says following her movements without my buff giving him sight any longer. Interesting.

‘’You’re certainly better than I expected you to be. I’ll get someone to bring you clothes and escort you to the boss, I find nothing wrong with you. Has Sleeker been to see you?’’

He raises a questioning brow but doesn’t turn to look at my direction though I can tell he knows exactly where I am.

‘’I notice you’re looking at me in the face, you have natural dark-vision or a spell that helps?’’

‘’No,’’ he doesn’t elaborate.

‘’Alright then be that way, I’d advise you be less reticent with the boss. He’s known to take in strays but none that can be a danger to the expedition,’’ she says pointedly.

‘’Have more tea,’’ she points from his empty cut to the steaming urn of the already brewed liquid. ‘’It will help nourish you quickly, get some meat on those bones,’’ she says sauntering off.

‘’Thank you,’’ he says to her retreating back.

‘’Some manners at least,’’ she mumbles leaving the tent.

It's just us two again.

‘’Why did she behave like she couldn’t see you?’’ he asks pointedly looking at me.

‘’Because she couldn’t, how come you can?’’

He shrugs, ‘’because I can.’’

He gets up slowly, like a geriatric. Moves to refill his cup, blanket tight about him then sits back on the cot and starts sipping again slowly.

‘’It’s my buff on her, she doesn’t see me if I don’t want her to see me.’’

He nods, ‘’I have an extra sense that gives me awareness of things within close proximity.’’

That’s convenient if you expect a dagger in your back, unless it's not Omni-directional. I wonder what the range on that is.

‘’How did you get here?’’

He hesitates, thinks furiously before answering. ‘’I don’t know, some sort of summoning left me stranded here.’’ He shakes his head, ‘’the metal that covered me?’’

‘’It just dissolved into your skin over time without much prompting, I’m surprised the scan didn’t indicate your bone are made of metal in fact.’’

He nods slowly like that makes sense to him, ‘’anything else you found with me, any equipment?’’

‘’Nope, just you in a metal casing. So you have no-where to go then?’’

‘’Home,’’ the word is laced with emotion. He really means it.

‘’Yea... that’s not likely to happen anytime soon, I’ll let brother tell you where you are if he deems it necessary.’’

‘’Brother?’’

‘’They call him boss.’’

‘’And you call him brother, so you’re also a Black family member?’’

‘’Indeed I am. Looks like our time is up for now, see you later, Steel.’’

*

Sachihiro

A lizard-man walks into the tent and heads straight towards me. Beautiful shimmering scales, a snout like a turtle, slick built with wide netted hands reminiscent of an aquatic creature. I can still see with my eyes I realise, so Sleeker left his buff on me active this time. But I pretend like I can’t see anyways, I was careless when the healer came in and didn’t hide my awareness.

‘’Sleeker been here yet?’’

I don’t respond. I can’t feel the guy with my awareness anymore but he could be just out of range and I wouldn’t know it. Besides, something just has me reluctant to talk about him just yet.

‘’Stupid slacker,’’ the lizardman grumbles passing me a vial of dark liquid.

‘’That will give you dark-vision for a few hours,’’ he places it in my hand. ‘’Drink it now," he says watching me.

I drink.

Nothing changes but I assume that’s ‘cause I can already see.

‘’Are you slavers?’’ I ask, the thought has occurred to me despite my conversation with Sleeker and apparent healing.

‘’Plenty of slavers down here, some of them pretty decent folk even but no, that’s not our profession. We’re grave robbers. These are clothes, they’ll fit so don’t worry about that. I’ll go stand by the entrance, when you’re dressed I’m taking you to the bossman. He’ll decide what to do with you.’’

He leaves.

I run a hand over my smooth head, under my smooth armpits, over my smooth groin. I look around but see no mirror, I notice a basin of water in the distance and go to it.

What stares back at me from the water is a stranger, not just ‘cause I’m now bald either. I’m really gaunt, my face shaped closer to the bone than it’s ever been. My skin is different, both in texture and appearance, more dusk silver than northern pale-pink, there are striations all over my skin like tide marks on beach sand.

Cupping my hands into the water I wash my face, maybe I have dust on me that will wash off. I’m a bit more vigorous than I probably should be but I’m unnerved by the changes in my appearance. My eyes look big and round in my thin face but they are the only part of me I think is still the same.

‘’You done yet?’’ Comes the call.

I desist, moving slowly back to the clothes laid out for me. Moving is an effort, I’m not sure why. I’m not exactly in pain but I move like I am, everything is heavier, my arms, my legs, my shoulders on my back. Muscle atrophy probably.

The clothes are simple enough to figure out. Two holes for the arms, wrap around until there is no more cloth, then tie tightly. Had I been a size smaller or size bigger they’d still fit. A single robe-like dress, cotton maybe, not too rough not too soft, generic. I put on the sandals before going back to the bowl of now still water.

Nothing has changed, I still look like a stranger. Bone structure is mine for sure, but everything else is different.

The camp is larger than I expected for underground explorers, I’d imagine they have to be able to move quickly but the campsite is large. With trenches and barricades and wards all over the place, it looks semi-permanent with lots of different types of beings in clearly specialised roles judging by how they’re equipped. It’s nice being able to see into the distance, my eyes feast as my head swivels taking everything in while I keep my awareness firmly on my guide and footing.

There are lots of lizard-men like my guide, then bigger meaner looking variants more heavily armed and armoured. I see humans, some androgynous fae like beings, some human variants I haven’t come across before, even a gnome or two before we get to a tent guarded by a single warrior with spear and shield. Female, very fit, very competent as far as I can tell, gazing at me through the gaps in her helm with. Her eyes remind me of Shae.

The tent flat opens by itself and my guide indicates me forward before scurrying off somewhere else.

I’m of height with the guard, her weight is shifted so that she can shield bash me if I lunge for her spear. Experienced.

I duck my head into the tent and come into another world completely.

There are tall vases with intricate glowing patterns holding rare flowers who's scent fill the place with a calm soothing ambience. There are plants, actual green plans growing amongst the rocks of the exposed floor, a fountain bubbling clear water flowing down into large basin where three women lounge naked talking amongst themselves. A thick, well-used carpet is on one side strewn with pillows for comfort, hidden daggers and marble-like magical orbs are hidden everywhere.

Seated on a dark-red wooden table is a stalwart man of severe countenance with heavy brews long hair slick and heavy down his back. He sits casually on a chair of the same wood looking at a painting lazily before his eyes come to rest on me curiously.

He turns his head as though surprised but suddenly realising something.

"You said Sleeker brought this in?’’

He asks the air.

[SShsss]

I flinch at the hissing of the snake in his ear, head suddenly pounding like my brain just got knocked about, I catch myself swaying. Breath Sachi, Breath.

He nods getting up from behind the large desk that vibrates with power; barefooted half-naked, not armed. But dangerous none the less.

‘’What did Victoria say?’’

I tense waiting for the hissing snake, [BZzzz]. There is a buzzing of a swarm of bees instead, which sounds surprisingly pleasant. Soothing some of the ache even perking me some.

‘’What is your name young man?’’ The man asks, direct eye contact. I can see only two but I feel many eyes on me.

So this is the bossman, could he be an Imperium Awakened being also? That Sleeker character could have been lying about his tier but it didn’t seem like it for some reason. These Blacks could be really powerful people that could break me if I don’t step carefully here. My name, there is so much in a name.

‘’Steel.’’

‘’Steel? I suppose it will do for now," he studies me.

‘’How are you here Steel?’’

I’m beginning to think this is some backwater where no human is suppose to be for this question to be of such interest to these people. I can’t lie, I really don’t even know what would sound plausible and lying directly in this first meeting would set a bad impression.

‘’I ran,’’ it comes first to mind. Its vague, I don’t want to tell this man my life story. I don’t yet know what I can get away with not answering so I might as well find out.

The man turns to face his left where I suddenly notice the suite of armour standing there has a face. ‘’He ran,’’ the words are dry from his mouth, the aura darkening heavily.

‘’Try not to waste my time,’’ he says and I feel that he means it literally. This is a man that values his time.

I nod quickly, got you.

He sighs, walking to a small table where he sits to my posterior left outside my line of sight. ‘’How did you get here?’’

Okay, so I really can’t lie. He’ll know, and he really wants to know this, more than even my name apparently. Which he has every right to ask for, I’m a stranger, he saved my life, I could be a spy. I’ve been a spy before.

‘’I was transported here somehow, I’ve been running ever since.’’ I hope I can get away with that much.

‘’How were you transported?’’ He asks leaning forward with interest, still out of sight. But I see him well enough.

‘’I’m not exactly sure.’’

‘’Talk me through it.’’

Okay, this guy really wants to know and his phrasing doesn't give much room to be creative.

‘’It was some sort of summoning as far as I’m aware, I’d say I was summoned here and I’ve been running ever since.’’

‘’You are a sorcerer.’’ Not a question.

‘’Yes.’’ I answer anyways.

‘’As far as I know a human cannot be summoned, the passage through the realm would completely destroy the body. Unless you were a possessed sorcerer maybe the possessing spirit would preserve you and you might eventually recover. Or you were a possessing entity yourself, so a spirit in human flesh but still susceptible to summoning. Still beholden to the old rituals.’’ He doens’t seem to think much of spirits.

‘’So what you’re on a mission for your sorcerer lord now is that it?’’

Actually frighteningly closer guess than I’d like to admit.

‘’No, I am a human fully and completely. I only have natural talents in sorcery I take advantage of, but it isn’t the path of my life’s pursuit. I was waylaid here whilst trying to summon a personal possession.’’

‘’What summoned you?’’

‘’A spirit?’’

‘’For what purpose?’’

I notice he now has a grey orb in his palm facing up at me, its glow grey like the sun behind clouds heavy with rain. It’s looking at me as well I can tell, I’m not sure how or what it sees but I know its looking at me along with all the many eyes the man has trained on me already.

‘’To possess me.’’

‘’Yet you remain unposessed.’’ Not a question.

He can tell that can he?

‘’Yes.’’

‘’So you killed the spirit.’’

‘’No.’’

‘’What then, ah... you made a bargain?’’

...

‘’Okay, are you a danger to me or my expedition?’’

‘’No.’’ I don’t even know you.

‘’Are you a spy?’’

‘’No.’’

He giggles unexpectedly, stowing away the orb somewhere in his ribs, ‘’first actual lie. I suppose that’s good enough for now.’’

He grabs some purple grapes from the table throwing them in his mouth, ‘’would you care for my hospitality Steel?’’

Would I? To place myself under anyone’s care is a mistake from my experience, even those that might initially have innocent intentions. And such people don’t exist in the world anyway.

‘’No. Rather, I may be of use to you.’’

‘’How?’’

I suspect we are looking for the same thing and its close, I can feel that I’m close. ‘’Once I recover I could be a scout,’’ definitely if they give me the ability to see in the dark like this.

‘’Your recovery would take resources and time off my hands, I have plenty of good scouts. The one who found you is pretty good for instance, where is the old eel? He said he wanted to be here for this.’’

[BZzzzz]

‘’No surprise there. What did Sleeker say to you?’’

...

‘’Suite yourself, you can keep the clothes. We’ll give you some water and enough food for two days, you can rest another hour then I want you gone from my camp. Let it not be said Castro Black left another human being alone without water so far from human lands.’’

Letting me know who he is in the third person without actually introducing himself.

‘’You may leave.’’

I shuffle out of the tent as quickly as I can.