Chapter 7

The loud clicks of heavily armored feet struck the stone floor as Atom paced outside the council chambers. It had been three months since he had returned from Golar with news on what had happened. The plane had been lost completely. All but the staff at the gate Atom used had been killed.

That had been a blow to the Council. An entire plane lost. Their protection, though limited as it was, withdrawn from the inhabitants. The event had been isolated, fortunately. The Nine had responded to the Council's demands on the event by sending an envoy. But Atom was required to leave the chambers for some reason while the discussion took place.

He didn't like it. No, he did not like it one bit. It had the makings of more work for him if he didn't miss his guess. He knew he shouldn't have ever gone to that planet. He just knew it. The feeling of a rather large migraine was setting in behind his eyes.

"Stop pacing, your footsteps are giving me a headache," came a feminine voice from which he was positive, said migraine came from.

Atom looked at the speaker. Layla Breeze-Walker. His new follower sat primly on a bench to the left of the colossal door. A glare that he found only women he annoyed could manage aimed directly at him. He smiled at her, but of course, she couldn't see it. His suit prevented his face from being seen. He could take it off, but the effort of suppressing himself would only make the pounding in his head worse.

Pausing, he took stock of the girl. She was an enigma to him. The girl refused to speak once they got back. Walking around his house in a catatonic state for weeks before he finally confronted her. An attempt ending with Layla throwing things at him in rage, blaming him for every bad thing that had ever happened to her before petering out into a crying mess on the floor. Of course, he went straight back to the dog house with Tess.

Honestly, worse than the dog house. She had outright refused to do anything for him. Tess and Layla became the best girlfriends ever while Atom had to actually do his job. The amount of work that he had been subjected to post Golar was ridiculous.

The Council on high alert and constantly in session. Mountains of bureaucracy usually handled by the orange-haired companion now his problem. He had to find a way to get out of this. He couldn't take much more forced social interaction, especially with the ego-driven idiots that made up the other Council members.

Atom swore that he had to be the only one that didn't actually want to hold a Mantle because clearly everyone else loved the position. The drive for more power was the only way to even get to a level where you could get a chance at a Mantle. Atom did not have that drive. The power was forced onto him like a rancid fart in an enclosed elevator.

A side door to the meeting chamber opened and a figure in elegant robes stepped out. A mop of calico black, orange hair topped with silver turned his way. Her heterochromatic feline eyes took him in before motioning him over. She was the Mantle of something, but neither he or Tess could discover what. He did know that she headed the intelligence division of the Council and was someone you absolutely did not want to piss off. If you wanted to keep your life, that is. Atom had always been on friendly terms with her.

He hoped that she had good news as he made his way over to her though that seemed less and less like the case if he was judging her expression correctly. Once he was within hand-shaking distance, she made a gesture, and a globe of silence surrounded the two.

"Atom, in a few moments your going to need to walk into the meeting. I'll be straight with you. It's not good. Compromises had to be made," she said in her sing-song voice.

"Compromises for what?" He said back, confused.

"The Nine are claiming that you started the conflict on Golar."

"Whaaat! Don't be ridiculous. Come now Dory why would I do something like that? I simply answered a prayer from one of my followers." He gestured dismissively.

"While causing billions of credits in damage and destroying a third of a city. Killing multiple assets of the Nine and nearly killing one of their disgraced members. I won’t even mention the moon." She replied back patiently.

"I did no such thing! Karen attacked me as I was trying to leave. I literally pleaded with her to let me go in peace." Atom spat out. Ignoring the part about the moon and the credits.

"Where is the proof? Overwatch was blacked out. All that the feed showed was you entering a part of the city and then a crater with dead bodies everywhere or at least what was left of them." She raised an eyebrow.

He sputtered as he tried to come up with an explanation for what happened. It was looking like the precautions he had made to cover his tracks were coming in to bite him in the ass full force.

"They were attacking my follower."

"Again Atom, where is the proof? We can't just take the word of a single child." Dory gestured towards Layla, who eyed the two suspiciously.

"Dammit Dory, I didn't cause this. They were already attacking before I did anything. I broke no rules. Yes my exit from the city might have been a little eh-uhm... forceful but the Praxis sect members had already leveled the area before I retaliated." He voiced in protest.

This was ridiculous. He had nothing to do with the Nine's schemes. Hell, if he hadn't run into Karen, then he wouldn't have even interacted with the Nine at all. This smelled like a setup.

"You're using me as a scapegoat aren't you?"

Dory shrugged, "Doesn't really matter. Someone has to take the blame. You were there and without proof to back your claims we have know choice but to accept the evidence that has been presented. You know the rules Atom." Dory sighed.

"You covered your tracks too well. Overwatch is there for your protection. You shouldn't have shut it off. You left yourself open for this attack and we can't protect you. So here is what's going to happen. You're going to go inside here and say nothing. I've been given leeway on handling your punishment. Come find me after the meeting and we will talk." She patted him on the shoulder and made her way over to Layla. The bubble of silence dispersed as she went.

"Layla, right?" Dory said kindly.

The girl nodded hesitantly at Dory. Layla was clearly unsure about who or what Dory wanted.

"I'm Dory, one of the Council members. Atom is about to go inside the meeting chambers for a while. Why don't you come with me? I have some things I'd like to discuss with you."

Layla looked over at Atom in uncertainty. "It's fine Layla. You will be safe with her." Atom said more confidently than he felt. He honestly wasn't sure if she would be safe, but he had no reason to think otherwise either. Dory was a ruthless information broker, if he'd ever seen one but also known for her kindness towards the young.

"Can Tess come with me?" Layla asked.

"You will have to ask her. We aren't exactly speaking right now. At least she's not speaking to me." Atom trailed off in a mutter.

Layla looked around, then called out in a questioning tone, "Tess?"

Tess popped into existence beside Layla on the bench.

"Oh hey, will you come with me? Ms. Dory would like to speak with me and I don't want to be alone."

"Of course honey. Of course." Tess said as she stroked Layla’s hair.

Atom scoffed at the PDA between the two. Tess shot him a murderous glare, and Atom swore mentally. He kept forgetting to block his thoughts. Actually, all three of the women were now staring at him like he'd just interrupted some intimately private discussion.

Deciding quickly that he would rather be in the Council getting berated than face down three angry females. He turned to the side door of the meeting chambers and prepared himself to get wrecked by the General.

~~~~

Layla watched her 'deity' walk into the small door that he had to duck into. She sighed at her situation. How had she gotten stuck being a follower to an idiot like Atom? He was rude to a fault and had the attention span of a small child ninety percent of the time. Playing video games at all hours of the night. He didn't clean up after himself. He complained constantly. It was like she had somehow become a follower to a teenager. She was the teenager here. She shook her head.

She had been in a sleepy hazed out depression since the events on Golar. Jogen's death. Just the thought of his name caused a void crushing tightness in her chest. She shuttered, taking in a deep breath, letting the feeling pass. She wasn't stuck in that place anymore. No, he had taken care of that.

Atom, the ass hat, barging into her room asking about what they should be doing with the body. His insensitive words snapped her out of her depressed state and straight into the loving embrace of rage. He had said nothing to her. Not a single word for weeks and then appears at her door with a stupid ass question like that.

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"How do you deal with it Tess? He's such a ugh…"

"Idiot," the two said at the same time, then giggled.

"Yes, he's an idiot man, that is for sure. As much as I want to go on and on about his faults. He does care Layla. He cares about people more than you know." she said as she continued to stroked Layla's hair.

"If you say so." Layla said doubtfully.

Dory cleared her throat, interrupting the two's conversation, "Alright . Atom will probably be a while. Let us go over to my office and talk." Dory said as she gestured down the hall.

Layla looked up at the woman. She was beautiful. Actually, everyone she had met since leaving with Atom was distractingly beautiful. Flawless skin and perfect smiles. Dory's hair was almost disheveled in appearance, but yet Layla couldn't help but think it was perfect. These beings, these gods, had an aura about them that drew you in like iron to a lodestone. It wasn't exactly a sexual attraction but a physical pull. It was like sunshine and laughter mixed with a sense of peace and serenity.

She had felt something similar from Atom on Golar briefly. Once when he had taken off his helmet and right before she had passed out as they were leaving. Layla thought it might have something to do with the stupid suits he wore.

Layla realized she had been staring up at the woman way longer than was proper. She didn't want to seem like a creeper, so she stood and nodded to the patiently waiting deity.

"Good, this way." Dory said as she made her way down the palatial hallway.

Layla looked around at the legendary Citadel of Radiance, for which the Mantles seat of power resided. It was easily the most intimidating structure she had ever seen. The ceiling's height alone caused her knees to wobble when Layla really thought about it. Counting the steps it took them to pass a pillar, she shuttered. Thirty paces. How something of this scale was constructed was beyond her. It made her feel insignificant. She assumed that was its purpose.

Making a turn down a much smaller side hallway. Layla sighed in relief. The sun's light twisting through the textured, colorful panes of the windows, reminding her of a temple she once visited. A door popped open off to the right, and the trio entered what she assumed was Dory's office.

Expecting a massive, opulent office, she found it to be quite homey. A large desk in the back had a glassy black surface. By the lack of items sitting on the desk, she assumed it was a holo terminal of some make. A plush leather chair sat across a tea table and couch. The rest of the office had bookshelves full of tomes and frames with cinemagraphs of Dory with people Layla didn't recognize. Shaking hands or laughing and posing for the camera. The little snippet of memories adding more humanity and realism to a being of unimaginable power.

"Please take a seat. Would you like something to drink?" Dory said as she dropped a holo slate down on the desk.

Moving over to the couch, Layla said, "What do you have?"

"Anything you want." Dory said as she took a seat across from Tess and Layla.

She wasn't in the mood for anything in particular, so she said, "Surprise me I guess."

Dory waved her hand. A black and gold tea set appeared on the table. Little cats walking tail to tail were ornately pictured on the cups and steaming tea kettle. Tess moved to the kettle and poured for everyone.

Layla wasn't sure what to do in these situations. The streets didn't exactly teach you how to have tea with a god and a… uh whatever Tess was. She'd have to ask her later. They had bonded, but Layla had been very selfish with that bond so far. She watched Tess and followed her lead on the edict of the situation.

Dory took a cup and saucer from Tess with a thankful nod. Taking a deep whiff of the dark, steamy liquid, she sighed in pleasure before taking a sip. Layla took hers, mirroring the action and taking a strong pull of the aroma into her nose.

She found herself on the side of a river. The sun's rays warming her skin as the cool running water tickled her toes. The feeling of a perfect summer day rippling through her body. She wanted to laugh and sing and play. The vision disappeared, and Layla was back holding the cup of tea. The feeling slowly fading away.

"It's called Summer's Bounty. It's my own personal blend." Dory said with a knowing smile.

Layla looked down at the substance in awe and a little bit of fear. Could she drink something like this safely? She didn't want to be stuck in the vision. Well, she did, actually, but it didn't seem like a very productive way to have a conversation.

"Go on, it is safe to drink. The vision is only a one time experience. The planes only know that we wouldn't get anything done otherwise." Dory chuckled softly.

Putting the cup to her mouth, Layla sipped. The taste was oddly spicy with a hint of something she couldn't place. Traces of the visions sunshine hit her belly and radiated out bringing a wave of peace to Layla that she didn't know she needed. She felt her mind become sharper and, at the same time, relaxed. It was as though she had been walking around with knots in her brain. As these knots dissipated, only a calm clarity was leftover. The experience was emotionally overwhelming. She felt a tear slip down her face as she revelled in the feeling.

"It was the same for me the first time. You don't realize how much pressure and discord the mind has until it's been smoothed out." Dory said.

The group sat in silence as they let the calming effects of the tea wash over them. Layla was the last to finish her cup. She sat down her teaware and leaned back. Dory waved her hand, and the tea set vanished somewhere. Layla wasn't sure and didn't think much on it. Gods did god stuff. Who was she to question it?

"You might be wondering why I asked you to come talk with me."

"The thought had crossed my mind." Layla answered calmly. The tea's effects washing away the unease of the situation, giving her the ability to speak on a more even footing than she normally would. Plus, being around Atom, the shirker was stealing the wow factor out of being in front of a Council member.

"I know that you just lost someone very close to you. Normally I'd give you a little more time to gather yourself but an opportunity has come up. An opportunity that involves your future."

"Why would you want anything to do with my future? I don't even follow you. Hell I don't even willingly follow Atom." She reached down and thumped the HACK.

"This thing has bonded with me. No matter how hard I try, I can't get it off short of me losing the offending limb. A feat that won't be happening anytime soon. Honestly I figured the only reason Atom has kept me around this long is because he feels guilty for what happened to me and he should. I didn't want this thing. I didn't even want to pick it up. I'm positive I sat it down right after I mysteriously found it in my hands. Against my own will might I add. So I couldn't imagine that anything you are going to offer me is worth my while. Nothing good comes of messing with ascendants, nothing.” Layla emphasizing the last part.

“I'm actually grateful that Atom is a lazy shit who spends the majority of his time trying to get out of doing his job."

Dory laughed, "That boy is most definitely a lazy one. Self proclaimed Mantle of Good times." She waved her hand at the ridiculousness of the statement and continued, "Well, Layla since we are laying it all out I'll be candid with you. This is a very real opportunity for you. If I left you solely in Atom's care, he would eventually get around to teaching you something. Now if you were still young when that teaching happened is a whole other thing entirely."

Layla sort of figured that was the deal. Atom was too relaxed and too sketchy. If she stayed with him much longer, she was reasonably sure that she would be helping Tess do his work. It actually wasn't that bad of a situation. She would probably never want for anything, and Tess was really fun to hang out with. The interplay between Tess and Atom was premium entertainment.

"Yeah I had a feeling that it would be something like that. As much as I don't want anything to do with the idiot, it's not a bad life. It is certainly much safer than the way I was living before." Layla said with a shrug.

"That's just it though Layla. Why would you settle when you could do more, be more. You Layla Breeze-Walker have potential. That's why that relic on your wrist chose you. It wasn't against your will. The selection differs for each Mantle but the rules are the same. You have to meet certain criteria that are frankly unrealistic. It's that way for a reason. You can't even see them if you aren't at least a few steps onto the path of ascension. The fact that you were able to see one without any training shows how much potential you have." Dory spoke excitedly. Layla's cheeks blushed at the praise.

"But here's the deal about the relic. If you truly didn't want that on your wrist it would have been easy to remove. To make a complex scenario simple. The relic spoke with your soul and the decision was made. Now, I know you might have made a different choice consciously but since items such as the relic on your wrist soul bond. Your true self, your soul, was the one that got the final decision on the matter. Situations like these don't normally happen. Again, if you had started on your path to ascension you would have had more conscious control over the situation. That doesn't matter now though. The relic has bonded with you. You're what we call a Holder."

I’m a Holder, huh? What does that even mean? I don't know if I can fully appreciate the information just yet, but this is more answers in a few moments of conversation than Atom has given me in several weeks. Planes, he sucks.

Layla sighed. Taking a few moments to gather her thoughts, she eventually said, "Okay, before smoke starts rising out of my ears from the info overload. Tell me what exactly is a Holder?"

"That is an excellent question Layla but I'm curious. If you have bonded with your relic then how do you not know what a Holder is. These things, although they are all different, do come with the knowledge of what they are." Dory questioned.

Tess coughed politely and interjected for the first time, "I can answer that, actually. Layla hasn't completed the bond yet. You see, and I know I shouldn't be saying this, but Atom may have altered his relics slightly.” Tess's face was red in shame, “They require an extra step to complete the bond."

Dory's affable demeanor began to slip away, "And what pray tell, is this additional step."

Tess was fidgeting on the couch. Clearly, Adam had done something he wasn't supposed to, and now Tess was about to have to explain his sketchiness. "It requires a Shard."

Dory blinked, slightly shaking her head, "I'm sorry Tess. I must have misheard you,” she paused for a moment before continuing.

“Could you please repeat what you just said." Dory voice transitioning into barely contained outrage.

Tess started talking rapidly, "It doesn't require a full one obviously ha ha that would be extremely wrong right but to complete the bond it does require one I told him it was a terrible idea to mess with the relics but he said that if he was going to have followers then they needed to exceed the standards. I explained to him that the minimum standards were already beyond unreasonable but you know him Dory. He doesn't listen to me half the time. I try to help the ones that encounter the relics and make the initial bond."

Dory had closed her eyes and began rubbing the bridge of her nose. Layla and Tess sat quietly, waiting for the woman to speak. After a few moments, Dory took a deep breath and blew it out in exasperation. "I suppose this explains why Atom has almost the absolute bare minimum amount of Holders. His mythical relics won't even function without gaining possession of another mythical relic. What could he have possibly been thinking? Wait a minute. Why would it require something like that?"

Tess lost her look of embarrassment, "I've given you all the information I'm allowed to divulge. If you want more then it will be at Atom's discretion. Those are his words not mine. He also says he will speak with Layla about relics and Holders."

A flicker of annoyance crossed Dory's face, "What is that kid up to? It seems I have been letting you two do your own thing for far too long. Never mind then. I assume that she has one or will be given one?"

"Yes ma'am," Tess replied. Her demeanor relaxing.

Dory's slit pupils expanded and contracted as she surveyed Tess. It was clear that she was not happy about the situation. Tess didn't squirm. A fact that made Layla proud of her new friend.

Dory's gaze finally moved back to Layla before breaking the tense silence of the room, "I'm sorry Layla. It seems your patron has decided to fill you in at a later time. No matter, though. I will make sure it happens dear, don't you worry." She glared back over at Tess, who nodded in affirmation.

"Excellent, but that's not what I called you here for Layla. Tell me, young one. What do you know about Nexus Academy?