Mana Soul: Chapter 65 - The Gestalt - Markus and Mark
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Staring at his left hand, Markus slowly curled his fingers into a fist. Keenly aware of each minute shift in pressure and the senses that accompanied them, he realised just how compromised his former body had been.
Markus was inclined to agree. Just because a Priest could ‘heal’ the injured did not mean they were incapable of using their powers to inflict harm.
Dark memories, unbidden, attempted to assert themselves but were intercepted.
After a few moments, Mark’s consciousness rejoined his own.
“Thank you,” Markus stated sincerely. Since his rebirth, Markus found he could remember everything, but there were memories that were simply too painful to recall and relive while sober. His other self, the second consciousness Markus was sharing a body with, Mark, acted as both advisor and shield.
While they both occupied the same body, control and talents were not divided equally. Without even trying, Markus dominated control over their physical self. At the same time, Markus also found that there was no privacy of his own thoughts unless Mark actively directed his own attention elsewhere. Markus also struggled with communicating nonverbally and resorted to speaking aloud as often as not in order to communicate with Mark.
Mark reached for the large wooden bowl on the table.
Shifting course from the pear he had been reaching for, Markus chose a bright red apple instead and tried his best to surrender control by doing nothing. Intended both as practice and as thanks for his earlier assistance, Markus psychologically braced himself for Mark to take the reins.
Markus almost seized control again by accident as his left hand, still holding the apple, drew closer to his face, causing him to flinch. He had felt everything, but the lack of conscious control had triggered a primal reflexive response all the same.
With much more profound and deliberate slowness, Mark brought the apple to their mouth and took a bite. Slowly chewing the first bite, everything seemed to be going well until Mark attempted to swallow.
The same as before, Markus panicked, taking full control again choking down the thoroughly chewed piece of apple, “Sorry,” he apologised, “It felt like I was choking, or about to...”
There was no judgement or condescension, although there was a hint of regret,
Markus nodded in agreement.
Making his way down to the combat training grounds, Markus paused as he entered the entrance hall and found his estranged sister waiting for him.
“Mark, can we talk?” Lena asked firmly, “In person I mean?” Obviously aware of Markus and Mark’s ability to communicate through the communication artifices at will.
“You want me to stay?” Markus asked hesitantly for confirmation. He now shared every one of Mark’s memories and experiences, and he knew that Lena did not like him.
Lena’s eye twitched, but she nodded, “I want you to stay, Markus.”
Markus did his best to relax and surrender control to Mark, becoming an autonomous observer in his own body.
“What do you want to talk about?” Mark asked curiously, standing a little straighter and squaring his shoulders in a way Markus found uncomfortable to maintain while personally in control.
Markus was simply not used to being so large and possessing such a powerful build. More than that, Markus was too used to trying not to be the centre of attention.
As minor as the shift in body language was, Lena became visibly more at ease. “I just...I wanted to thank you for what you did, both of you...I feel like such a piece of shit for hating you...” She clenched her fists and stared at the floor in shame, “I had convinced myself that you abandoned me, found yourself a better life...I didn’t...” Lena’s voice broke, “I didn’t know what was being done to you...I feel like such a piece of shit. After how I treated you? And you still...I’m so sorry-”
Mark quickly closed the distance between them and swept Lena up into a tight embrace, “Lena, it’s better to leave that behind us now. I forgive you, but it means nothing if you can’t accept it. We can’t change what happened, but we are together now, and I would rather look to the future than dwell on the past.”
Markus resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably. He was very much aware that Lena did not like him, and being so close and intimate with her was making Markus profoundly uncomfortable. However, since Markus had already put Mark in similar situations with Aela, he figured it was only fair.
Sharing a body was not ideal, but it was far better than the alternatives. Most notable of which was death. There was a possibility that Mark could be ‘removed’ and transplanted into a body of his own at a later date, but for the time being, they were stuck with one another.
“Alright,” Lena agreed determinedly, “But I wanted Markus to know that everything I said...Everything I wanted to say, included him as well. So far as I am concerned, you are both my brothers.”
Markus was somewhat surprised and accidentally took control, “Really?” He asked hesitantly, uncertain if she genuinely wished to pursue a sibling relationship with him or was just including him due to Mark’s presence.
“Markus?” Lena hesitated for a moment and then nodded, “When you were dying, Mark showed me what you had both gone through, but he kept pushing the good you have done as well. Mark insisted that you were the reason we found each other again...So far as I am concerned, you are as much a brother to me as Mark is.”
Markus blushed and shifted awkwardly. Despite sharing Mark’s memories, Lena still felt like a stranger to him. They had a deeper connection, he wouldn’t deny it, but Marus had precious little first-hand experience with how to engage in such relationships.
“He’s flattered, but a little confused,” Mark explained after Markus ceded control again, “This is all new for him. The closest experiences he has to draw from would be his lover Aela, and his adopted daughter, your niece, Arlee. And I don’t think you would want him using those relationships as benchmarks, unless you got into some weirder anime than I was aware of?” Mark joked with a grin.
Now it was Lena’s turn to blush. Pushing herself away, Lena took a few moments to compose herself. “If it’s easier, he-you, could treat me like Arlee,” she suggested a little awkwardly, “Until we figure things out that is.”
“Ah, so you want Markus to lavish you with presents?” Mark jibed playfully.
“I wouldn’t say no to a new suit of armour,” Lena replied with exaggerated nonchalance.
Markus decided that it was a reasonable enough request, considering he had destroyed her previous suit of armour.
“He doesn’t seem opposed to the idea,” Mark commented with amusement, “But I am kind of surprised you haven’t asked for a mech?”
“Mechs aren’t really my thing,” Lena replied with a childish smirk, “They are pretty cool, but my abilities are better suited towards personal combat.”
Mark shrugged, “Fair enough,” his thoughts shifted, “Speaking of preferences, are you and Akane? You know? Not that there's anything wrong wi-”
“W-What?!” Lena blushed profusely, “I’m not gay Mark! Akane is a close friend!”
“Oh...” Mark seemed disappointed.
Lena noticed and gave Mark a strange look, “Why does my not being gay disappoint you?” She demanded, “Or is it because I’m not a furry?”
Mark sighed and slowly shook his head, “I just...I was hoping that you hadn’t spent all these years alone.”
“Oh...” Lena’s earlier intensity faded, “Well, you could have asked me that in the first place,” she insisted somewhat awkwardly.
Markus felt a sudden shift in Mark’s thoughts.
“So there is someone?” Mark observed slyly.
Lena continued to fidget.
“It’s the heir of the rebelling Provincial Lord, isn't it?” Mark pressed.
Lena blushed but remained silent.
“How did you meet?” Mark pressed, expressing genuine curiosity and happiness for her having found someone.
“It was in the winter of the second year,” Lena explained quietly, “I had almost been caught after stealing some food when I bumped into him and knocked his bodyguard into the river by accident. His other retainers thought I was trying to assassinate their young lord, so they attacked me. I threw them into the river without much trouble and ran away.” She paused and stared at the ceiling for a few moments. “They came looking for me, of course, but instead of attacking me, I was offered a job, sort of. They could tell I had far superior abilities, even if my mana capacity wasn’t nearly as high back then. Since my mission was to kill the Empress, I kinda figured, why not?” Lena shifted uncomfortably, “Of course, this was before their clan rebelled. But after Nobu’s father was assassinated, it just kind of seemed like things were falling into place...”
“The Firm had you contracted to kill the Empress?” Mark asked warily, “Or was it Peabody?”
“It was Peabody,” Lena confirmed after a moment of hesitation, “I didn’t think much of it at the time, but I think he was looking out for me.”
Mark nodded, “The other members of the Firm would have seen the record and assumed you had been handed a death sentence in all but name.”
Markus was inclined to agree. Assuming anyone else at the Firm uncovered his intervention, they would be tempted to perceive his actions as providing accidental assistance to their plotting. According to Mark’s memories, it was profoundly rare for the Firm to accept and offer contracts involving regicide. Most notably because the topmost ranks of any given monarchy were often surrounded by loyal servants of considerable skill and strength.
Markus’ attention diverted from the conversation as one of Mark’s peripheral memories drew his attention.
“Peabody is here?” Markus stated in surprise, accidentally wresting control from Mark in the process.
Markus scowled and made a point of exerting control to express his displeasure. “You..,You kept this from me...”
Mark’s thoughts were a blur of activity and then abruptly obscured from Markus’s perception.
Markus reflexively did his best to block himself off as well.
“Mark? Markus? What’s going on?” Lena asked warily.
“He knew I was dying! He fucking knew!” Markus snarled, “He was going to watch me die and take everything!”
Mark reached out from behind his mental defences.
“DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE!” Markus howled and flailed at the air as he backed away, “YOU THINK JUST BECAUSE I’M A COPY THAT YOU CAN JUST KILL ME?! FUCK YOU!” Finding it hard to breathe Markus staggered towards a nearby column to lean against and try to catch his breath.
He made it two steps before collapsing to the ground and losing consciousness.
“-waking up, Just try not to startle him,” Mark said quietly from nearby.
Slowly opening his eyes, Markus found that he was lying fully clothed on his bed and staring at the ceiling of his room.
“Are you okay?” Aela asked.
Markus turned his head and found Aela sitting beside him on their bed, “I...I don’t know...” He admitted quietly, “Everything had seemed fine until...it wasn’t...” Markus felt embarrassed and self-conscious.
“Hector said there might be problems in the beginning,” Aela commented supportively, “Adjusting to your new body, and...and sharing your mind...”
Markus nodded absently as he recalled drawing the information from Mark’s memories.
Aela lay down next to Markus and gentled cradled the side of his face with his hand, massaging his cheek with her clawed thumb,
Reassured by the physical contact, Markus leaned into her touch and did his best to relax. “I think...I think adjusting to everything is going to be more difficult than I thought...” He admitted somewhat helplessly, “I can feel him, Mark, the other me?... I can feel his thoughts...And I don’t know if I can trust him...”
“The other you, he is the reason you are alive,” Aela replied softly, “You were already so close to death...Seeing how you are now, how you were before the sickness...” Her voice trailed off as she winced in pain and discomfort, “I should have realised it sooner...I was just...I didn’t want anything to ruin what we had, what we have...”
Markus pulled Aela closer, resting her head on his chest and hugging her tightly, “There was nothing you could have done,” Markus reassured her confidently, “And you were there, that was enough,” he hugged her tighter, “You’re here, that’s enough.”
Taking comfort in Aela’s presence, Markus drifted off to sleep.
When Markus woke up, he found Aela was already awake and alert.
“Did you sleep well?” Aela asked, giving his chest a gentle squeeze.
Markus nodded. He wanted to just stay with Aela in bed, but the looming threat presented by the danger that was headed their way forced him into action. “We need to increase the scale of production and training, immediately,” Markus explained as he sat himself up, “And increase recruitment, if we can...”
“I think Peabody wanted to speak with you about it,” Aela agreed supportively, “Hector said that there was a foundation for a plan already, but you will have the final say.”
Accompanied by Aela, Markus made his way to the command centre, the location of his rebirth.
Phillipe and Hilda and Tina were sitting opposite Lena and her Chimaera companion Akane, and were eyeing them warily from across the expanse of the crystal-tiled table.
Phillipe’s uncle Welard was sitting on the opposite side of the table to the door. He hurriedly got to his feet when Markus entered the room and waited until Markus was seated before returning to his chair.
A host of familiar and unfamiliar faces were projected around the periphery of the table.
Despite the relative stillness of the floating portraits, Markus was very much aware that the people for whom they stood as proxy were listening and watching events as if they were attending in person. The portraits would actively adjust their facing to inform others of the focus of their attention, and the text beneath their portrait would glow whenever they spoke.
Everyone present, with the exception of Markus himself, wore a communication artifice over one ear. Despite several languages being spoken at the table, four different conversations were being held without any apparent misunderstandings.
Fully capable of understanding every language being spoken at the table, Markus still had to focus on a single conversation to actually internalise any of the information.
Markus’s attention was drawn to Lena, but he wasn’t quite sure why until he realised Mark’s presence within their mind was both actively engaged and simultaneously distracted. Mark was speaking with Lena, Akane, and the owner of the projection occupying the table beside them.
The still-frame portrait held the face of a young yet stern-looking eastern Empire nobleman with dark eyes and raven-black hair tied back in a flexible warrior braid that hung over his left shoulder. Glancing at the identification beneath the portrait, Markus’s eyes drifted slightly lower to the translated copy beneath it.
Nobu Ishida
Markus was tempted to eavesdrop on their conversation, but the feeling passed. Instead, Markus’s attention shifted to the tiled surface of the table.
A topographic representation of the continent was projected above the tiles. Cities, towns, villages and hamlets were all clearly marked and named, along with all known castles, military bases and fortifications.
Each nation was coloured to make them readily identifiable and differentiated from one another. The eastern Empire was pale purple, the rebelling province was darker purple, each of the northern Princedoms was marked in varying shades of blue, and the southern Kingdom was a rich green.
Markus’s Kingdom was a combination of dark grey and silver. The dark grey areas represented the spaces within Markus’s territory that remained unclaimed and had not been purged of monsters.
As Markus continued watching the display, small crimson daggers of varying sizes began hovering above the map.
Markus’s Kingdom held close to a hundred of the crimson markers, which was almost as many as the rest of the continent combined. Staring at the map for a few moments, Markus realised that the crimson daggers most likely represented active dungeons. Looking toward the eastern capital, his blood froze.
Thirteen of the largest markers hovered around the city.
Already aware that dungeons were drawn to people based on their power level, Markus had to assume that the dungeons were close to, or were already at the highest level.
The capitals of the Princedoms were relatively alright, surrounded by five dungeons each, and the southern Kingdom’s capital had nine dungeons in its immediate vicinity.
Markus had not known that the situation had ever been so dire. However, as he continued to think back on his own personal experiences, and what he knew of the Adventurers Guild, everything began to make more sense. It also explained why the last war had ended so abruptly and why another war had not started in the decades since. The capitals of each respective nation were under siege, and they needed their strength to stem the tide.
If the only danger was the dungeons and their monsters, Markus may have considered providing each nation with enchantments to prevent additional dungeons from opening near populated areas. However, the monsters were just the first wave. Little more than hunting dogs for the true enemy.
With access to his original other self’s memories, Markus was uncomfortably aware of the daunting adversary that was waiting just beyond the veil.
The dungeons and monsters’ creators, the Tiamites, were the true threat. A genocidal society of fanatical god worshipers whose civilisation spanned the known galaxy. Possessing advanced arcane technologies, the Tiamite military only engaged when a planet demonstrated resistance in excess of what the dungeons’ raw ferocity could handle.
To his knowledge, no one had ever survived a direct invasion. However, as venerated as the contractors were amongst their host nations and civilisations, they had never been provided as much control and access to a world's resources as Markus.
With this opportunity came an immense responsibility, and Markus wasn’t sure he was up to the task.
Not only would his kingdom need to serve as the final bastion for the world, but in order to secure enough time to make the preparations, the other nations would have to be sacrificed.
If Markus intervened too early, the Tiamites would be alerted to the potential danger and would invade immediately. But if things progressed more or less as expected, Markus would be able to continue his preparations for waging the war.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Even so, the decline could be managed within certain limits. Slowed, but not halted, to buy more time to prepare.
Markus turned his attention inward and reflected on the possibilities.
First and foremost, Markus realised that he would need to empower as many of their most skilled and loyal soldiers as possible. Those who lacked the means, but had the will and determination, could fight within the magical ‘mechs’. Rank and file soldiers, as well as the chimaera, would be given the best weapons and armour Markus could provide them.
Training cadres would need to begin in earnest, making the most of every available minute before the invasion. Recruitment would need to be intensified...and the soldiers would need to know what they were fighting for...
They would be outnumbered, fighting an enemy that had almost every conceivable advantage. If they were going to survive long enough to turn the tide, sacrifice would not be the last resort. It would be the expectation from the outset.
Markus was drawn from his dire musings after he realised that the room had grown mostly silent.
The projections displayed from tiles had changed slightly, with more crimson daggers being added to the continent in real-time.
“-will continue to proliferate throughout the continent, spilling forth monsters in ever greater numbers and strength,” Peabody explained, his portrait now hovering over the centre of the table. “By our current projections, the continent beyond our borders will be lost within four months. However, this collapse can be delayed by up to two months if support is provided to eliminate and harvest dungeons from the outlying territories of each embattled nation. Another month may be earned by donating food and other supplies to the capital cities.”
“Pardon my interruption,” an unfamiliar yet painfully polite voice asked, “But what if we intervened more directly by sending soldiers? Would that not earn more time to prepare?”
“Baron Malneux, Unfortunately, this would not be the case,” Peabody replied regretfully, “Our greater enemy, the cult that lurks in the shadows of the stars, has established expectations. Pushing the limits of their expectations will provoke investigation, and through that investigation, open war. In such an eventuality, we would lose all remaining time to prepare.”
“I see,” Baron Maleux sighed disappointedly, “Thank you for addressing my suggestion.”
“You are very welcome,” Peabody replied diplomatically, “For the sake of preparing for a protracted war, the colonisation effort must also be extended to other worlds-” Peabody waited for the exclamations of surprise to die down before continuing, “The coming war will last years, perhaps even centuries. Without colonies to replenish manpower and resources, our defeat would be inevitable. To this end, several worlds have been selected as the targets for immediate colonisation and field training efforts.”
Four celestial bodies appeared above the map of the continent.
Peabody pointed to the first planet, “Teallaigh will be the home for our allies, the refugees of a world already lost to the Tiamite onslaught. Considering the devastated state of their population and civilization, their contributions toward repelling and countering the initial invasion should be expected as a token effort at best. Prioritising their immediate growth will benefit our alliance far more in the long term, so I request that all complaints to that effect consider this fact.”
There was a round of quiet murmuring around the table.
“In order to encourage long-term integration and cooperation, all citizens will be permitted free travel between, Valour, Honour, and Glory,” Peabody pointed to each of the remaining three planets in turn.
“The names are a bit...Ahem...” Phillipe commented a little too loudly, stifling himself with a cough after realising he had drawn everyone’s attention.
“The planets have been named to inspire hope for the future,” Peabody stated patiently, “I will reiterate that this war is not expected to be won within your lifetime, and will be lost entirely if morale falters. Valour, Honour, and Glory, will seem strange to you, and perhaps even to your children, but the generations that come after them will be inspired by your actions and take solace in the truths they associate with their birthplace’.”
The room was deathly quiet.
“To be clear,” a deep growling voice snarled, “All peoples will be allowed a home on these other worlds?”
“All who swear loyalty to his Majesty will be permitted settlement upon a world of their choosing, and freedom of movement thereafter. Provided they abide by the law and contribute to the war effort,” Peabody clarified, “Contributing to the war effort can take many forms, but it essentially boils down to industry, commerce, and military service. All civilians of sound body will participate in regular militia duties and training, and the infirm will be found duties to allow their participation where possible.”
There was another brief silence before Peabody was bombarded with questions.
Markus was somewhat surprised as well. While he had considered colonising the other planets, he had not considered the colonisation effort as essential to their overall effort. However, in hindsight, Markus had to agree with Peabody’s logic. Growing food and producing weapons, armour and machines of war would be close to impossible while under siege. By keeping the colonies hidden, a steady supply of supplies and manpower could be directed to the battlefields.
Of course, that also meant that they would need to change their more immediate plans. His kingdom would need to be evacuated of all non-essential workers, and the colonies would need to be established as quickly as possible.
Markus frowned as he considered the greater expanse of his territory and realised that the overwhelming majority of the land would need to be abandoned. Trying to keep it all would spread their forces too thin, making it too easy for the Tiamites to pick them apart piece by piece.
Fortifying the Great Valley was ultimately their only real option.
It annoyed Markus when he felt an unspoken apology from Mark and realised that his other self had already reached the conclusion and kept it to himself.
Markus doubted the nobles and merchants elevated to the nobility would particularly mind the shift in locations. Ultimately, shifting their land to the colonies would be far safer, even if it meant a little more work. It wasn’t like clearing out the overrun cities would be a completely wasted effort either. The stone and brick buildings and streets could be dismantled and recycled for use in the colonies. And not every location would be immediately abandoned.
Natural resources would need to be harvested to establish the colonies, and the more of those resources that were sourced locally would have that much more for the colonies to exploit later.
Fighting the monsters also provided the soldiers with important experience. Similarly, the Crucible training method would need to be expanded to allow large volumes of soldiers to train simultaneously. True veterancy would be close to impossible, but Markus hoped that the intensity of the combat simulations would give the soldiers an edge.
Markus frowned, but he had to agree with the logic.
Markus blinked.
The news that Peabody had left The Firm and was helping their cause directly ‘should’ have been a surprise. It wasn’t. Following the trail of memories, Markus realised that Peabody, his golem doppelganger, and Mark, had been in communication and active collaboration for quite some time.
Markus fought back the temptation to indulge in paranoia. With full access to the memories, Markus was aware of why he had been kept out of the loop.
Markus still felt a painful and raw sensation connected with certain memories. Those same memories had caused seizures when abruptly brought to his attention, and allowed his tormentor to exercise the Priest mana still contained within their body to waste their body away. Keeping secrets from Markus had literally saved his life.
Even so, it made Markus feel profoundly uncomfortable to learn that Mark and the golems had all been conspiring behind his back.
Aela seemed a little surprised but nodded supportively.
Welard rose dutifully from his seat as Markus left his own seat and then headed out of the room.
“Are you feeling alright,” Aela asked with restrained concern while they walked down the hallway and toward the stairs.
“Mostly?” Markus replied somewhat uncertainly, “Just a little on edge learning about things I already know...It’s unsettling.”
Aela took Markus’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze while giving him a supportive smile, “At least you are healthy now and have the time to figure things out.”
Markus slowly nodded, “That’s true, for the most part.” If it wasn’t for the imminent invasion, Markus probably wouldn’t have been quite as bothered, content with the fact that he could rifle through the memories of Mark and his other self at his leisure.
Returning to their room, Markus kicked off his boots and lay down with Aela on the bed and began actively exploring his memories.
The majority of the memories belonging to his other self divulged their meaning and contents with only the most cursory of inspection. Playing out in his mind in full in less than a hundredth of a second.
It felt odd to relive experiences that were so fundamentally alien to his immediate experiences. However, as time passed by, Markus found it easier to accept the memories and internalise their information.
The problems seemed to be reserved for Mark’s memories specifically.
Markus found it difficult to reconcile memories of being confined within a crystal bead. The absence of sensations alone was profoundly unsettling, but the thoughts contained within the memories were sporadic and overwhelmingly manic.
As Markus continued filtering through Mark’s memories, he came to understand and appreciate his unique position. Similar to Markus, Mark spent a not inconsiderable amount of time reconstructing his own mind. Markus found it puzzling how similar they were to one another, yet somehow profoundly different.
Reviewing a recent memory, Markus scowled and felt a hot flash of anger and jealousy.
“What’s wrong?” Aela asked quietly.
Markus shifted uncomfortably. He wasn’t sure telling Aela was the right idea, but Markus didn’t feel like lying to her either. “Mark, he...When he said he would give us some privacy...He peeked...” Markus explained lamely while his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“Oh...” Aela’s cheeks flushed as well.
“Even before he peeked...ahem,” Markus had to take a moment to clear his throat as he tried to plough through the embarrassment and address the core of his concerns, “He still felt what we were doing...”
“...” Aela’s cheeks grew redder. Rather abruptly, Aela seemed to become confused, “Markus, if you can look at his memories, can’t he see yours?” She asked hesitantly.
“Of course,” Markus replied without really thinking. Then it sank in. “Oh...” Every single private and intimate moment they had spent together was only a thought away, and Mark could review them at his leisure.
Markus felt a slight shift in Mark’s focus, a wavering in his attention and a faint sense of shame.
“We will never be alone again...” Markus groaned in defeat. Privacy, genuine privacy, would now be forever beyond his reach. At any given moment, Mark could just access any of Markus’s memories, and it would be as if he were there. Worse, he would experience the memory as if he was Markus himself.
“Mark makes you feel jealous?” Aela asked hesitantly, blushing harder.
Markus squirmed uncomfortably.
Aela jerkily nodded her head, “I’ll take that as a yes,” she took a moment to clear her throat, “You know, this isn’t entirely new...”
Markus froze, “Wh-What?” He stammered in surprise.
Aela shifted on the bed so she could point a hand towards her tablet and communication artifice sitting on the bedside table.
It took Markus a moment to realise what Aela was talking about. “Oh...” He wanted to crawl into a hole and hide away from the world.
Technically, the golems would have been able to eavesdrop on every intimate moment Markus and Aela had spent together. In fact, Markus could distinctly remember several times where golems had outright observed them in their more innocent exchanges. But a number of golems had also seen both of them naked while bathing.
“This might make you upset...” Alea warned hesitantly, “But Hilda and I talk about you and Phillipe while we relax in the hotsprings after training...” She gave Markus a nervous apologetic smile, “Hilda says it’s normal to talk about that stuff...A-And also, if he is you, then does it really matter?”
Markus felt another intense flare of jealousy. “Maybe I can make something,” he grumbled, “Something to keep things private...” He momentarily entertained the idea before reluctantly dropping it outright.
Even if it was possible, such an artifice or series of enchantments would work both ways. As loathsome as the idea of sharing his most intimate and private moments with an observer was, Markus found the idea of sharing his body with someone capable of keeping secrets from him to be significantly worse.
Returning from the dead, or perhaps the means of his death, had left Markus with a paranoid streak he couldn’t quite justify.
“Does it really matter?” Aela asked again, this time with more confidence and assertiveness.
Markus was somewhat taken aback. “But our privacy-”
“Is a small price to pay for your being alive!” Aela interrupted as she firmly set herself down on his stomach.
Markus knew she was right, but it still made him uncomfortable.
“You have nothing to be embarrassed about,” Aela pressed, “Or do you think he is better in bed than you are?”
Markus knew for a fact that the original Mark had been celibate until his death, and that the golem Mark’s experiences would be entirely limited to Markus’s own experiences at best. “No,” Markus replied somewhat grudgingly. Still not fully willing to surrender his anger at being peripherally violated.
“Then it seems like the problem-” Aela’s confident and domineering facade slipped for a half second and Markus could feel her trembling with nervous energy, “-is that we need to get used to it! Force ourselves to be okay with it until it becomes normal!”
Psychological conditioning didn’t sound in any way appealing, but Markus became distracted as Aela gently but firmly pressed her lips against his and began exploring his mouth and throat with her tongue.
Laying exhausted in their bed and staring up at the ceiling, Markus wearily conceded that Aela might have had a point. There was definitely a tipping point where the possibility, or indeed reality, of being observed ceased to matter. Whether he would be able to achieve that state of mind independently of their lovemaking, he honestly didn’t know.
Markus felt Mark’s consciousness bush against his own.
Markus made a point of looking away from Aela’s naked body, before realising that Mark would have already gotten an eyeful anyway. “About what?” Markus replied somewhat tersely, defaulting to speaking aloud to avoid a headache.
“Okay?” Markus replied with a small degree of confusion, unsure why Mark couldn’t have waited until the morning to talk about it.
“Na Daoine?” Markus repeated and furrowed his brow, “The people?”
Markus had to agree that Mark had a point.
Markus nodded in agreement, “That’s a good idea,” he agreed thoughtfully, “But what about recruiting colonists?”
“What if they don’t want to go?” Markus pressed.
Mark’s thoughts became increasingly agitated, no doubt arguing with himself.
Markus frowned but didn’t reject the kidnapping out of hand, “Because time spent building up the colonies now could make all the difference later,” he agreed uncomfortably.
“So kidnapping...” Markus sighed wearily.
“We could stage monster attacks on the villages...” Markus suggested with extreme reluctance, “Show them how bad things will get and hope it’s enough to convince them to leave?”
Mark’s thoughts shifted uneasily.
“I don’t think we have much of a choice...” Markus insisted weakly, “If we kidnap anyone, they will be loyal only as long as they feel threatened, and that would defy the whole point of what we are doing. We won’t be able to fight off the enemy if we are distracted fighting enemies within.”
Mark agreed dejectedly.
“At least tricking them is marginally more humane than kidnapping them at swordpoint...” Markus muttered, trying and largely failing to quiet his conscience.
Markus nodded in agreement. It was only a matter of time before the dungeons began appearing faster than the adventurers could defeat them, and monsters began spilling out across the countryside. With the most powerful dungeons targeting the highest populated areas, it was not unrealistic at all to consider a monster breaching or otherwise circumventing the walls and running amok.
Markus frowned thoughtfully. He was inclined to agree. At the very least, being taller afforded him more reach than he was used to. “We should do some training in the practice field with Phillipe after meeting with Peabody,” Markus suggested, “I need to apologise to him anyway...”
Mark agreed and then his thoughts receded, leaving Markus to himself.
With only a few hours until dawn, Markus only managed to sleep for a handful of minutes before waking up again.
With Aela at his side, Markus opted to skip breakfast and travel directly to Peabody’s underground way station using his own personal portal generator.
Stepping through the portal, Markus and Aela entered a decadently opulent waiting room.
“Ah!” The quiet cry of alarm drew both of their attention toward a young woman in a plain servant’s dress who was awkwardly scrambling to raise herself out of a soft cushioned chair in the corner of the room. The heavy folds of the young woman's dress pressed against her swollen belly and revealed that she was quite pregnant.
“Uh, please, don’t get up!” Markus insisted hurriedly, raising his hands placatingly while taking a few steps toward her.
Thoroughly defeated by the enveloping nature of the chair’s cushioning, the young woman reluctantly surrendered, “I’m sorry...” She apologised meekly, “I was told to expect you, but my feet began to hurt and I thought I would only need to sit down for a minute...”
“Oh, nononono, sit!” Aela insisted sympathetically, despite the young woman already being firmly seated.
The young woman blushed self-consciously and weakly tried to protest as Aela dragged an expensive armchair across the floor and raised the woman's feet onto the cushioned seat.
“This should help,” Aela bubbled cheerily, as she removed the young women's shoes, “Raising your feet will reduce the swelling,” she explained helpfully.
The young woman just meekly nodded.
The door on the far side of the room opened and Peabody stepped across the threshold, “Ah, Creator! I hope I have not kept you waiting!”
Before Markus could reply, Another Peabody entered the room on the heels of the first. However, he was far slimmer and had dark bags beneath his eyes, “Mark...Or am I speaking with Markus?” he asked somewhat nervously while self-consciously running his hands over his silver-buttoned vest.
“Markus,” Markus replied a little awkwardly, “But Mark is here too...”
“Ah, of course, one moment,” the first Peabody insisted, holding up its left hand while retrieving a thin collar from his jacket pocket with the other.
After a few moments, a male golem of Markus's approximate height entered the room.
The first Peabody cinched the collar around the other golem’s neck and grinned, “There we are, I am sure you can handle the specifics yourself, Mr Forester. And Ms Claire, no need to trouble yourself, I will see to our guests personally,” the golem insisted cheerfully.
The young woman, Claire, fidgeted nervously but nodded emphatically, “Of course Mr Peabody.”
“There’s a good woman,” Peabody nodded with a satisfied smile and then shepherded Markus and Aela into the adjoining room while the other Peabody and golem trailed behind them.
“Markus...Uh, I guess introductions are in order,” the second Peabody chuckled nervously and extended his hand, “I am Gregory Peabody, a former Handler and Recruiter for The Firm-”
“I know,” Markus interrupted, only to be interrupted by Mark in turn.
“Markus knows everything I do,” Mark’s voice explained apologetically from the collar around the second golem’s neck, “Languages included.”
The second Peabody, Gregory, stared at Markus in surprise, “Remarkable...” He breathed in awe, “But you aren’t the same person in spite of sharing everything?”
“We have similar opinions,” Mark admitted, “And we agree on a number of things, but we are quite different. As best as I can understand it, the order in which we experienced events makes the biggest difference.”
Aela narrowed her eyes in confusion before fumbling for something in her pocket. “Where is it?” She muttered before shifting her search to another pocket.
“Please, allow me, Mistress,” Peabody removed a communication Artifice from his own jacket pocket and offered it to Aela respectfully.
Aela nodded in thanks and fitted the demi-circlet onto her head.
“Another ingenious artifice,” Gregory commented, nodding towards Aela, “To think you created it without knowing of its cousin employed by The Firm...Truly remarkable...”
“Many of his artifices are like that,” Mark agreed, “Whether it was by accident or a more universal need in human experience, it is uncanny all the same.”
Markus fidgetted awkwardly, it was odd being praised by someone who sounded uncannily like himself.
“Gentlemen, I believe there is more important business to discuss?” Peabody insisted in a serious tone.
Gregory’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, “Ah, yes, quite right, of course!”
“Did you tell them about our idea for recruiting more colonists?” Markus asked, unsure whether he would have to rehash the uncomfortable conversation all over again.
“I did,” Mark replied with slight apprehension, “But there is something else we need to talk about. Specifically, there is something you, Markus, need to be told...” Mark’s thoughts were a chaotic mess and near impossible to interpret.
Markus frowned, “What is it?” He asked warily.
“My nephew, bless his soul, tipped us off about an open contract on your life, or lives?” Gregory dabbed at his brow with a kerchief and gulped dryly as he seemed to struggle to find the right words.
“The Firm has opened contracts to have you-us, killed,” Mark interjected with palpable reluctance, “And...And our mother is one of the mercenaries who accepted a contract...”