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Of Ghouls and Ghasts
Book 2, Chapter 25: The hermits

Book 2, Chapter 25: The hermits

Gathering the shadows around me I stepped out of the hidden entrance and walked around the edge of the torch light that the one with bone bundles strapped to his back held. Both men were heavyset, the one with the rats nearly to the point of obesity which made me wonder what they ate given they looked worse than some of the homeless people that had been brought in by the stalkers let loose in the sewers. On a hunch I used identify on both and at the sight of their classes and races I identified those as well.

Name: ????

Titles: Rat Hermit

Race: Ettin-blood Human

Classes: Apprentice (Rat) Wrangler (lvl. 35),

Ettin-blood Human:

Humans with the blood of Ettins within them. Originally bred to be their servants the Ettin-blood humans rebelled against their Ettin parents and drove the Ettins to the far north. Now centuries have past and this once strong people have become deformed as their Ettin and Human blood battle within their bodies as their numbers have declined to near extinction.

Wrangler:

A Wrangler is a rare class that doesn’t often appear. Records of this class over the centuries have indicated that this is a subservient class that grows according to what kind of master the Wrangler has pledged himself to. The Wrangler has a singular animal to which they have a higher affinity and no two Wranglers are often the same. The animals to which the Wrangler has an affinity are easier to be manipulated and even understood or influence more at a higher level. Some manage to develop more influence over more than a single animal. These rare individuals become Beast Wranglers and are the among the pinnacle of those classes with influence over non-sentient living beings in Imerith.

Name: ????

Titles: Bone Collector

Race: Ettin-blood Human

Classes: Apprentice Rune (Bone) Carver (lvl. 32),

Rune Carver:

Rune Carvers are those rare enchanters that have learned of the arcane runes and use them in service to other classes depending on the material they have an affinity for. Every Master Craftsman worth their salt when it comes to seeking to perfect their craft would kill for a Rune Carver to be among their allies or servants.

Interesting. These two were definitely minion material however it did make me wonder. What exactly were they doing here?

I stood behind the two as they looked around and then began to converse with hesitation over the situation clear in their tones. The language they spoke however was strange to me, it was the same harsh guttural language I’d heard the council speak at times. I remembered one time when Németh, Verona and Zalruk speaking that language had caught my attention. However O’Malley kept most of my attention since he was using me as a punching bag and calling it training. I’d felt I had needed to be able to understand them as I was sure it would give me more of an idea what they were thinking in regards to myself.

Not that I didn’t trust them but I certainly couldn't trust them fully all that much. I knew I could for as long as I was doing something that they could use or required me to do for them. After that I was certain things might get a little difficult between us.

Then I stopped contemplating when one of them said my name, not Felix but Vlad von Carstein in it’s entirety. The people I had told my name to that I knew of were under soul oath not to speak of it unless they were in the presence of myself and the others who knew. So how did they know it?

I let out a low growl as I unveiled my aura a little while allowing them to only see both of my red glowing eyes when they turned around right as a shadow bolt destroyed their torch. Both men stared frozen in shock at my eyes for a few moments before they both went down on their knees and almost cried in relief. “My Lord! Please take us into thy service.”

I stared at the two with wide eyes and highly raised eyebrows. I was confused so I decided to get some answers. “Who are you?” I started with while I conjured up six flames of bale fire around us, lighting up the small cave outside my new cavern with pale blue light.

Around the men were four royal guards along with a pair of both stalkers and inquisitors surrounding them.

The rat hermit looked up and started, his face was strange, like a slightly too wide skull with a slightly stretched face that gave him this perpetual sneering smirk. “My lord...” He paused as he noticed that the area was lit up and his slightly stretched eyes widened just a little at the undead around us. “I-I am named Nerev Xebat and this is my brother Dixaz Xebat.” He said as he then bowed his head to me once more.

The Bone hermit was similar to Nerev but where Dixaz differed from his brother was that much of his body was bandaged with the upper hands and upper part of his face covered so only his eyes could be seen. His lower face revealed a strong pointed jaw that forced him to almost perpetually bare his straight teeth in a mad smile. As he spoke another difference was revelaed as their voices differed. With Nerev’s voice a clear near slimy and snivelling tone similar to the Chamberlain from the Dark crystal but clearly deeper and stronger given the man’s size. Dixaz’s was a deep yet smooth one like a deeper voiced Gorge Takei. “My lord we were granted a vision from our goddess, The Weeping Mother has sent us to aid you as best we can.”

I narrowed my eyes at them and brought the side of my index finger up to rub at the spot between my lips and chin in thought. “If you are lying, know that I will know tonight.” I began as I strode around them, clearly examining them. “If you speak the truth then I will see the two of you here again tomorrow. I am sorry but I am a careful man, I will verify that you two are speaking the truth before inviting another's servant to my service.” I stopped as I felt Ashes send me a mental message.

Breathing in and exhaling slowly I pulled out one of the spy spiders and allowed it to crawl along my forearm and then dangle down from my middle finger like a pendulum in front of Dixaz’s face. His eyes were wide in wonder at the craftsmanship of my undead, my slight OCD tendencies coming through clearly in the undead I crafted as I always wanted them to be just right.

“Here hold onto to this one for me, it’ll lead you back here tomorrow.” I said and watched how he gently opened his palm for the spider to land and marvelled at it.

“I’m afraid that I have prior engagements gentlemen so I must leave you now. I do hope to meet the two of you here tomorrow.” I said and the two men bowed to me and followed my gesture to follow one of the bale fires out of the small cave the wall seperating the underground cavern from the sewers had created.

I frowned and quickly ordered the bone rats all over the sewers to try and find and follow the two without being seen, the same with the few spy spiders in the sewers as well. Then I quickly made my way back to my mansion as I went over the mental message Ashes had sent me.

The message was an image of a messenger from the palace making his way towards my manor. I made it into the manor from the catacombs while bathing my body in bale fire to get rid of the smell that clung to me. In the process however I burned up the robes as the flames would burn everything safe it’s master which was me. I sighed as I clad myself in materialized shadow and mana to create a sort of facsimile of the robes I’d ordered from the tailor. Only instead of the deep red embroidery I’d wanted there was the pale blue of mana.

Congratulations skill increased!

Proficient Mana manipulation lvl. 2 > 3!

Proficient Mana materialization lvl. 3 > 4!

Advanced Shadow Materialization lvl. 3 > 4!

I smiled at the notifications and headed upstairs, stopping by Bau and asking if I smelled to which she replied I could use a bit of a scent and she handed me something she’d bought for me on her shopping trip with the others. Morice having locked himself up in his room with several books he’d purchased, Gandas and Akasha were playing in the garden while Freyja and Camille were enjoying the afternoon on the patio together. Selma had gone back to the palace on the way back apparently.

Applying the aftershave that smelled a little of smoky pine which I found rather appealing. With it applied I walked out of the Manor to greet the messenger who had only had to wait for a minute or two. “Can I help you?” I asked with a smile as I saw the messenger stare up at me as he reached just about to my chest.

“Ah... yes, I have messages for Baron Aesir are you him by chance?” He asked and at my nod he handed me two letters then saluted me and left. I was curious as the man had been a little mousy but shook my head as I turned back and opened the letters. At reading them my smile widened as my now covered eye turned red and my fangs extended in a predatory manner.

I’d finally gotten permission!

---------------

(Dixaz Xebat)

“That was rather shocking.” He said as he looked towards his brother walking next to him in the largest of the sewer tunnels. His brother nodded his head excitedly. The two stockily built men trudged along for a small while more before anyone said anything. Dixaz playing with and poking the little bone spider with a slightly glowing blue abdomen every so often with a curious smile on his face, for him that is.

“Yesss... He was grander than I had thought too. Those undead were nothing like I’ve ever read about before. They looked like Anubi but larger and stronger built than is usual for their kind. Oh how I envy you brother, your use is so much better for the master.” Nerev said almost whining as he petted his favoured rat, Umilio.

“Come now brother. You will have a task from the master I’m sure he’ll see your value as I do.” Dixaz said as he placed his large hand on his now slightly depressed looking brothers shoulder.

“I hope so, he is possibly our last chance after all.” Nerev said with a deep sigh.

Dixaz patted his brothers shoulder as the same mood took him. “I know brother, I know.” He said with a sad tone.

Then the mood made the two begin to reminisce about the unfortunate circumstances of their births and lives. Not realizing that the spider held in Dixraz’s palm was recording everything to send back to it’s master later.

They spoke about the small village of the last of their kind in the Khuivian Peaks, the small mountain range that split Khuivia and Neogubia in the west. How it had been raided when the brothers were ten and eleven. The next eight years of slavery in the great desert to a caravan that travelled with a freak show between Desha and Desma and the other smaller settlements around the dessert or other wandering dessert tribes.

How they’d escaped when the caravan travelled to Veta and how the ridicule of the people around them had forced them into the sewers to survive from the harsher and harsher harassment and had been down there for years out of sight. How they feared they were the last of their race, how the deformed forms that their race had taken as the centuries passed caused them nothing but aches and pain.

About the misfortune of their classes when they awoke to them and the fear they’d never find a master to further their own development that wouldn’t treat them as harshly as others had.

They also spoke of the good times, how they’d taught themselves to read by sneaking into the libraries during the night. Of the friendly blind man that stocked and sorted the books within that had helped them and even fed them at times. It was why they had loved the Royal library so much, it was not only a separate building from the palace but the kindly blind man that managed it had been one of the few kind individuals they’d met outside their small village.

How they’d stumbled upon the the weeping mother in one of the religious tomes and how she’d been the only deity they’d called out to that had answered back. They also spoke of their interaction with Vlad, how he had dismissed them so politely, a first for them.

Neither brother realizing that the little spider’s master had grown a slight frown at what it had overheard.

-----

(Sabirah Alocia – Empress of the Empire)

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she sat down. The extension of her belly had begun and she was already feeling a few aches here and there as her body adjusted to the growing weight in her belly. “Are you all right?” The maid next to her asked in a slightly worried tone as usually the pregnancies had ended by now with a stillborn.

Sabirah smiled and nodded. “I’m fine, Yardil. Just getting used to it getting this far along.” She said with a smile but inwardly she hoped this was the miracle they needed to have more children. She always wanted many children with the man she loved and by the gods they had tried.

She remembered the times were they had been huddled in their bedroom sharing in their grief at yet another lost child. Now she was worried for this one as well, much like she had fussed over Aldren and Bertille however this pregnancy somehow felt different.

She was warmer than before and felt fatigued more easily than before as well. It had gotten to the point that she’d sent a letter to Baron Aesir to come and see if he could see something the doctors and healers hadn’t seen with that soul sight of his. After all he’d somehow known she was pregnant even before she was.

She’d felt how life had suffused her when he’d performed that strange ritual over her belly. It had been like a puppeteer and a surgeon were telling him how to move his hand at the same time. The relief and moment of warmth that had filled her when Augustus had embraced her after it when Felix had left the room still made her smile to herself.

A sudden commotion at her balcony drew her and Yardil’s attention as a murder of crows suddenly began to land on her balcony in a cluster. Their eyes went wide when the crows suddenly melted into an almost liquid black smoke that gathered and created a figure from it.

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She almost shrieked as the figure opened the doors only for the revealed form to be Felix only more somehow. She still wasn’t used to how he’d suddenly become much taller and his hair reached his very knees now, not only that but his body looked lither and more compact than before. His clothing had even changed now as they looked like he’d made a fabric of the liquid shadow he’d materialized from with embroidery made with threads made of mana. “My Empress, how might I serve?” He said theatrically and bowed. Only to look up suddenly as Yardil fainted from fright.

Sabirah looked over to Yardil and was about to move to her when Felix moved in and gently picked her up. Moving her to a nearby sofa he placed her down there gently. “She just fainted that’s all. Must have been too much of a shock for the poor thing.” He said with clear amusement.

“Well when someone barges into the queen’s chambers as theatrically and strangely as you it is no wonder.” She said with an imperious tone. “Now about what I called you in here for.” She said a little exacerbated by the theatrics of the grinning Cyclops before her.

His smile turned gentle as he moved to half kneel before her and his eye turned from grey to a pale blue that shimmered. Then he frowned and his brows knit together. The expression sent her fears roaring into her mind and her heart dropped.

“Empress Sabirah… are there any prominent mages in your family?” He asked curiously as he cocked his head to the side a bit. She did the same, cocking her head in confusion.

“Well Master Dermout is my grandfathers younger brother. But other than him we have a few mages in the family.” She said slightly wary of Felix’s intentions with this sudden line of questioning.

“Well that would explain it. You have an enormous amount of mana for someone untrained. So much in fact that it’s almost smothering the child within you.” He said curiously and she realized that while he was interested in the continued well-being of her child it wasn’t the same kind as her own.

“Can it be fixed?!” She almost shouted hysterically, she was terrified she might have been the reason for their misfortunes with having children. Felix almost flinched in surprise at her outburst and quickly stood to grip her shoulders and looked her deep in the eyes.

“Sabirah listen to me, calm down.” He began in a calm tone as his grey eye gained a very slight purple hue to it. “You are not to blame, you couldn’t have known. Now we know and I know how to help you fix this.” His calm soothing voice made her hysteric mind slowly calm down as her breathing turned calm from the near hyperventilation that it had been.

“H-how? How do we fix this?” She asked her fear still audible in her voice.

“Well to begin with I will have to teach you how to meditate and gain control over your mana, then you’ll be able to entertain your little one once they are born like this.” He said as his smile turned a little giddy as he waved his hand and small butterflies of pale blue began to fly from the trailing smoke from his hand.

Sabirah was rather intrigued but she resolved herself to first master her mana to keep her growing baby safe. Seeing her resolve in her eyes Felix smiled and suggested a change of venue and to invite her husband along if he had the time.

Soon enough the Royal couple were seated on small blankets in the middle of the most peaceful clearing in the royal gardens. Both breathing in and out in rhythmic pattern focusing on the two orange sized crystals in either hand.

“Now slowly feel the flow within and tease it out towards your own hands, to your core and back from your hands to the orbs.” Felix instructed in a calm, collected and soothing tone.

Slowly she felt the warmth and slight ache that had grown begin to recede as she funnelled the small streams of mana she’d managed to grab hold of. She kept at it for an hour before a gentle nudge on her shoulder by her husband snapped her out of it. The orbs in her hands shining brightly with the mana held within. The kind smile on Felix’s face showing that she’d managed to take the first step in keeping her baby safe.

“How are you, my dear.” Agustus asked once the session was over and Felix had left, for another matter he’d gotten a letter about right before receiving her own, the two lounging on the balcony of their suite while watching the sun set.

“I’m better now.” She said with a soft smile as she clasped her husbands hand.

Augustus leaned towards her and brought her hand to his mouth to kiss it. “What worries you my moon?” He asked gently as he turned to lean over her a little and run his hand down her cheek, his worry evident on his face.

Sabirah smiled gently as she felt his worry for her, he knew her all too well to not realize if something was bothering her. Gripping his hand she smiled more to him as she rested her forehead against his.

She then told him everything that she’d learned today and the two comforted one another in their grief once more and they hoped that what Felix had said would allow their dream of a large family to come true.

----

(Vlad von Carstein)

“So you sent those two since they‘d be useful to me.“ I said as I sat on the floor of the council chamber with Németh and Verona sitting on their thrones before me. Németh nodded while somehow giving me the impression of a kindly smile.

“Yes those two are rather devoted to those that show them kindness.“ She said with her smile still on her skull. I understood what she meant, she had cast a mental spell upon the brothers that would make them reminisce about their lives solely for my benefit. It was one of the few ways deities could influence their flock if they were devoted enough.

“What‘s in it for you?“ I asked with narrowed eyes. I‘d figured out how to make the eyepatch be see through on one end, sort of like sunglasses only I could control the tint of the colour saturation so both eyes could see just the same to not confuse my senses too much.

Here however, I didn‘t need the eyepatch to hide the fact I had my eye back. So I could display my full suspicion of the goddess before me.

We held one another's gazes for a long while before she sighed and began to speak. “Those two are among the four that truly worship instead of simply acknowledge me beyond those in the north. The other two aren‘t as devoted as these two but now that you have the power to give them a blessing of mine I thought to ask you that favour in return for two devoted servants.“ She said bowing her head just a little.

I thought for a moment before I spoke my reply. “So a you scratch my back I scratch yours kind of deal?“ I asked and at her smiling nod I thought a bit more. “Both would certainly be useful... Nerev especially doesn‘t seem to understand his future potential has as much if not possibly more than his brothers.” Even if Dixaz might have more immediate gain to employ there are a few experiments I could think of towards if he has an affinity towards other Rodentia or even Chiroptera. Those were the species families for rodents and bats for the laymen.

Then again the only reason I knew that was due to one of the reincarnators of the past was a scholar back on earth and began classifying the animals on Imerith using the same Latin names for each species. I happened to have one of the volumes he‘d published as he had detailed drawings of how the animal looked but also how it‘s musculature, internal organs and skeleton looked. It was like a Bone Crafter’s wet dream if not for Necromancers and veterinarians and the like. I‘d heard he‘d gone mad in his quest to give out as detailed and informative information on the biology of all living things on Imerith and it‘s seas. There was a tome out there on the sentient races of Imerith that could have survived the purge of that particular work.

There was also an experiment on trying to create a sort of servile race of rat or bat ghoul hybrids. I chuckled as I thought of a certain type of rat-men and how I‘d have to figure out a new name for them if they could be made and turned out useful at all. Then again if they ended up as primitive as ghoul‘s they could at least be used for material given the rat reproductive rate so even a failure would have its use.

I then nodded to Németh. “I‘ll take them under my wing. What is the blessing you wished to grant them?“ I then asked as I decided to take yet another chance with these gods and semi-gods that had resurrected me. I felt it in my gut at least that out of all of them Németh was the one most trustworthy of the lot so I didn‘t mind doing her a favour especially given the reward I‘d gain in return.

“I require you to use Bone Crafting to heal the bone deformity that has plagued their dwindling race. I will teach you how to this night‘s session along with Verona teaching you a bit about your vampiric abilities and skills along with a bit of blood magic.“ Németh said and I simply nodded at her in affirmation.

“With that out of the way.“ Verona said slowly as she looked towards me. „I believe a certain trickster has begun to move against you. One of the two who worship me outside the north even does so through proxy of my familiar being a spiritual being now which he worships. Through him, I‘ve found out a fbit of disturbing news but nothing concrete yet so I‘ll keep you posted on that front.“ She said and I frowned. Was it Thesimus? If so I‘d be very interested to know what he was planning.

“What do you think he‘s planning?“ I asked as I continued to think on what that trickster was planning for his revenge.

“All I do know is that he‘s chosen a new herald already and it‘s is a natural born of Imerith at that.“ Verona began and saw my eyebrows rise given that usually heralds were reincarnators of one type or another, rare was the natural born of Imerith chosen as heralds.

„He‘s never had a natural born of Imerith as his herald. Not only that but this herald is doing something with the green skin tribes of the Hardows Peaks. Once I see the greater picture I‘ll give you all the information.“ She said with a slightly sly smile on her lips.

I had to admit it was an interesting test, I was certain that she wouldn‘t give me all the information she‘d gather so instead I needed to gather my own. I‘d have to create more ravens and other information gathering undead. Though she had told me where to direct my gaze.

Hmm I‘d need a few spymasters of which I was rather certain I could have Nerev as one of them but perhaps I‘d make another as a filter between me and the spy spiders and similar undead?

With that in mind I drew up a quick idea for an Arachne like minion for just such a purpose. It‘d come in handy to have something made with some of the greater undead skills. Filing that away for later I looked over at Verona. „Could you maybe teach me how to use swarm form?“

Verona raised an eyebrow as if to say ‚already?‘ and at my smiling nod she looked surprised but pleasantly so.

„It seems your claim to father of vampires might have something to it.“ She said in an almost sultry purr. I smiled and stood up, excited to learn more about the vampiric piece of myself.

„Before that however, you must stabilize your own mana pool. You did just devour two Wizards close to becoming Arch Wizards after all. Your mana pool has grown rather significantly and you said you still have four more of the same level along with an Arch Wizard as well?“ I smiled and nodded taking the lotus position once more and closing my eyes.

Sinking into myself I felt the roiling and turbulent sea that my mana pool had become. I was certain if I spent the entire thing I could form the spell circle and cast a ninth level spell, given that those rings are almost 20 meters in diameter it is a vast amount of mana that is needed to just form the circle itself, with slightly more just to activate the spell.

Of course if I was being practical then using the spoken spell would not only spare me the mana but time as well. People close to becoming an Arch Wizard or Mage were those that could cast a single ninth level spell with all of their pool as the Arch affix to the class began to increase the mana pool much better than what it had before.

Slowly I began to influence more and more of the turbulent sea of mana quieting the crashing waves until they were all but ripples and it turned a mirror flat surface. The pool that slowly swirled right between the area above my navel and bellow my spleen reflecting the divine core in the middle of my chest cavity. I manifested a representation of myself there on the shores of my growing mana sea and stared at the oddly beautiful sight. Above looming as a sun beginning it‘s descent yet surrounded by the starry sky was the black sphere with the tiny halo of orange all of which was reflected in the mirror like surface of the sea.

I sat down on the shore and continued to meditate, teasing out drops of my mana sea to move around my body like I had been doing with the mana cultivation experiment of mine. This time I was using some of the things I‘d learned from the cultivation scrolls, tomes and books that those cultivators had on them.

Among their affects I‘d found a scroll with their orders. They had been two fold to find and kill or cripple someone named Elder Void of the Raven sect who had apparently journeyed here to Imerith in search of a worthy disciple and to recruit said disciple to their own sect of the Flame Naga sect. For that reason they had some rather interesting literature suited for beginning and up to just about a middling cultivators, with information clearly conveyed and detailed.

A few of those were cultivation techniques that I was now cycling through using mana instead of Chi to figure out what might work and what wouldn‘t.

I didn‘t realise I‘d spent a full week on the process when I weeded out the parts of each of those techniques that worked for mana and combined them into a singular one, which I could deconstruct to dispense two other such techniques of lessening quality. One lower for the students at the academy and the professors and one middling for the royal family. It would at least cement me as a good ally to have to both of those entities which I needed right now.

I needed the access to materials, funding, knowledge and semi safe training environment that Veta provided not only for myself but for Morice and Akasha as well. Not only that but I had found just about twenty orphan children on the streets of Veta that fit the personality, drive and honour requirements I‘d asked Ashes and Dust to search for.

They would become my little apprentices that I‘d train in the secondary location. Which did remind me what should I name it? It‘s getting a bit tedious to keep calling it the secondary location or the secondary base so it needs a name. I wracked my brain a bit until I came up with the idea for the name. I also wracked my brain until I came up with an idea to provide the light required for a normal day and night cycle for the cavern and found that the name the Starlight Hypogean to be rather fitting.

All I had to do now was fix up the cavern, gather the children and offer them to join my service for which I‘ll require a rather stringent soul oath from them and then the Starlight Hypogean would work as a sort of workshop, research compound and training camp outpost for my forces.

I‘d also like it if some of those children would have a talent for magic, a few more mages under me would be rather helpful after all. I couldn‘t be asked to be the sole link to an entire army of the dead after all.

Not to mention the fact most of the children found were at the eight to twelve range which would make training them extra effective in the long run if I could instil unbreakable loyalty in them. With those thoughts predominantly on my mind I pulled myself out of the meditation and stood, joining Németh and Verona in the lessons they wished to impart to me for the remaining five weeks of compressed time remaining of the night.

While my landings in Swarm Form were still a little like stylish crashing I was rather adept at flight in it overall. Learning the first few spells of blood magic also netted me the Basic Sanguine Manipulation skill which would allow me to control blood infused with my own mana. Due to that the first thing I did was try and manage a sort of passive cultivation technique that would also infuse my blood with as pure a mana as I could manage.

Some of the blood spells I learned included blood bolt which gathered any nearby blood that would be frozen into a jagged spike and then fired it at a target. The point of firing would be where the blood would gather so being able to use spilt blood around me as a weapon like this was a good ability in my arsenal. Most blood spells worked like this, requiring already spilt blood to be collected for the effect but once you got to mastery of sixth or so rank spells you could manage to mess around with the blood of others. That is if you were powerful enough to breach the enemies defences.

Among other vampiric abilities it was how to funnel any blood that I drunk to specific areas for either healing or other effects. This would come in handy in a protracted fight were I have time to drain an enemy or two to revitalize myself or empower myself for one last push or a much needed edge.

Then there was the fine tuning of the visions I had access to that came from the vampiric part of me, such as being able to see through pure darkness like the world had a slight greyscale filter over it, heat vision and the ability to see just the outlines of everything around you besides the very blood flowing through all living beings in sight. Through training these I learned to lessen or focus both visions such as seeing only the veins of species of the humanoid variety.

The proceedure Németh taught me for the Hermit brothers was a rather interesting one as it was also capable of near dna altering. It would search through the subjects dna and work through it to allow for the most optimal skeletal structure to fit the musculature with the material available. Of course this couldn‘t be performed unless by the allowance of the subject itself otherwise it wouldn‘t even activate.

Then once the night was over I opened my eyes and slowly rose from bed with a slight groan from how it felt like I‘d gotten little sleep. A sensation I just couldn‘t really get used to.