~I am Barzal, weapon of the Monarch.~ The spear sighed in her mind, seeming to settle into itself as if it were blowing out a breath.

~I am yours to command, my Master.~

[Imprint complete. Protector-Commander Class Weapon designated ‘Barzal’ has been fully attuned.]

[The Host now has access to the memory files of previous weapon Masters. Eleven memory files available.]

[Available skill software downloadable from memory files: 58]

[Warning! The Host has reached the four-hour limit of software downloads. Further downloads or excessive stat augmentation may result in damage to the Host.]

‘Damn.’ Leta sighed, holding the spear with two hands, ‘Well, something for tomorrow, then. I still need to get the nanite ports made.’

She nearly yelped with the weapon broke into two pieces and flowed up her arms like a living silver blob before crawling over her shoulders and under her t-shirt. The sensation was cold and left goosebumps in its wake as the putty-like Barzal split chilly tendrils that connected to two halves on either side of her body.

The metal seemed to adjust itself as it settled on her before blessedly warming to her own body temperature.

~Reformation complete. Is this an acceptable form for when not in battle?~

Over her hands were two finger-less gauntlets similar in design to those she’d been wearing earlier but much thinner. So much so that they looked like someone hand-painted her palms and wrists black before covering them with metal plates as thin as paper. They were made of a matte black material that looked almost like fabric in softer sections like her palms.

Around the edges of the plates were small Atlantian glyphs that proclaimed her titles.

The Monarch.

The Atlantian Heir.

The True Crown.

Queen of Storms.

Master of Systems.

Heir to the Lady of Mysteries and Atlan herself.

Each of her knuckles was adorned with small black caps, and as she flexed her fingers, the knuckle caps flattened to cover the entire section of her fist that would make an impact.

The gauntlets were as malleable as linen and light enough not to impede her movements.

Barzal had also covered the skin on her right elbow and arm with the thin plated armor that was also similar in concept to the Chosen plate armor, but had also encased her shoulder in a plate pauldron. this, too, was made of the matte fabric-like material and plating and edged in Atlantian script.

Leta paused as she saw something etched over the backs of her hands and on the shoulder pauldron that she didn’t recognize.

Two bird wings stretched upwards like a bird about to take flight. The pair were connected by a clearly defined halo with beams of light extending downwards. Set between the wings and over the top, the halo was a thin line that looked like a spear tip pointing towards the heavens.

‘What is this?’

~It was customary among the Atlantians to have a personal sigil. I have created this sigil for you based on those used by the doctors and engineers of Project Black Fire from memory files. The wings symbolize the Master’s Atlantian tiles -wings were part of the Atlantian banner as well as a common physical augmentation among the Atlan population.

The halo and light represent the Master’s right to rule over the Systems of Earth, as the halo is more divine than a mortal crown could ever be. It is also symbolic of you as a person, as your abilities, in an active state, produce an electrical corona around your head.

Based on data from the Master’s memories as well as memory files of previous Masters, we have determined that the spear would most suit the Master’s fighting ability and make for a suitable standard for royalty, as the spear is often used in place of a scepter for ancient kings and is a symbol of divine retribution.~

Leta frowned, ‘I really haven’t done much with using a spear as a weapon outside of my training with Koa. I’m no spear master.’

~You are not a spear master yet. As the Monarch, you will undoubtedly be a master of all manner of weaponry in the future. Would you like to change my default weapon design to something else?~

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

‘No, not-’

“Your Majesty?”

Leta’s head popped up as De Mar’s words cut through her mental conversation.

The Judge had taken a few steps back after she’d started the imprint process. Unbeknownst to her, rocks and stones had gone flying in all directions as Barzal had heated the sediment around it.

He looked at her before his eyes drifted down over the pauldron on her shoulder to her fingerless gauntlets and then back up at her face.

“What?…” He swallowed audibly, his eyes wide in shock, before he tried speaking again, “What happened? Are you well?”

“Oh, yeah.” Leta drew out the last word as she slowly turned to see the crowd around them in various displays of disbelief.

A handful of Chosen, John included, had knelt on one knee where they stood watching, their heads lowered in reverence.

In the back of the gathering, Atreus, Allister, and Hayato looked like they were questioning everything. The Hunter and the General were looking between themselves with speechless expressions of disbelief as if they were saying, ‘Did we just see that?’

Hayato’s lips had parted at the display of power, a look of surprise she’d never seen before replacing his usual scowl.

Even Bonnie the wolf had lowered her head as if she were bowing down.

‘Make an impression? I’d say that was mission accomplished.’ Leta thought to herself before taking a deep breath and holding her head high as she addressed De Mar.

“I’m fine. The weapon is a part of me and requires integration with my being.”

De Mar still looked like he’d swallowed a bee as his gaze was glued to her sigil etched on the pauldron. “That was no simple claiming.” He stated it as if it were a matter of fact.

Leta chuckled. “Be honest. When was the last time something was simple in my presence.”

His eyebrows twitched ruefully. “It worries me that I taste sweet truth in your words.”

“Yeah, I’ve started to get used to it.” She smiled before something tickled her enhanced hearing and dropped the grin from her face.

“What do you mean? What?”

Leta’s head turned to look at Atreus who had stepped away from the press of people to press a phone to his ear, fingers on his other hand pressed to his forehead as if he were trying concentrate.

“Your audio is breaking up. You’re…” The confused pinch of his brows smoothed as his face went lax with undeniable shock.

He slowly turned his gaze to her, and the look in his eyes had her heart sinking to her stomach.

Whatever was happening, it wasn’t good.

Mic had noticed his expression as well and stepped towards him with a frown. “Atreus?”

“Where are you now?” Atreus nearly shouted into the phone, which finally got the attention of the other Chosen in the room, their heads swiveling behind in curiosity to see what the commotion was.

He nodded at whatever was said in response. “Good man. Stay the course. Continue to send me updates. I’ll contact you again when it’s safe.” He exited the call and looked at her before turning to Mic, his eyes hardening as thin lines of anger bracketed his tight lips.

“Get word to the Governor while we still can and prepare to be under siege.” He gritted through clenched teeth to Mic and Allister as he began backing away towards the entrance door.

“Atreus! What happened-“

“War has come!” Atreus’s bellow was that of an angry beast he he shouted, “My Sect was attacked and is aflame, our Priestess and people are on the run, and the Blessed are preparing an attack on the city as we speak! This was a trap.” He waved a violent hand to indicate the room around them, “A trap to get you, me, and the Queen in a hole with one way out.”

Mic was in action before Atreus had finished his tirade, barking orders as the Chosen sprang into action. Someone was at the tech station, presumably to get the word out to the rest of the Chosen, while others were pulling on armor and readying their weapons.

Others still had gone in to the Vault and began securing the artifacts inside as an alarm counted down fifteen minutes until the door closed.

“Allister?!” Leta shouted over the commotion as she sprinted to the Hunter’s side. “What do you mean the Sect is on fire? What happened to the rest of the crew?”

“That was Koa.” The giant answered as he pulled out a futuristic looking bow and checked it over, “Just as Atreus said. The Blessed attacked the monastery and our people are in vehicles headed to a safe house.”

Satisfied with the weapon, he fixed her with a hard gaze, “Costez is launching an assault on Greece, but in truth, Costez’s government has been under the thumb of the Blessed for some time. The Blessed are invading with the Costez army and are coming for us.”

“Can’t Hayato get us out of here to safety?”

“Too many layers.” He paused to prepare his weapons and looked up at the ceiling as if he could see right through it. “In the open air as I was on the hospital roof, it a simple enough task. But every layer of the matter I must move us through puts more strain on me and draws out the time needed to build a gate. Also, I can only bring us back to places I myself have been, and as Atreus said, our Sect is in flames. Where would we go?”

Leta turned her head to look back at De Mar and two assistants scrambling to secure artifacts in metal cases. “How strong are the Vault doors? Can we all get inside while you build your gate?”Hayato shook his head, “There isn’t enough room in there for all of us, and that would be another layer.”

“Mic! They’re here!” One of the soldiers pointed to a screen showing a feed of a surveillance camera pointed at the back door they’d entered the building through.

They could see on the display at least a dozen people in various states of dishevel, all of them with manic expressions as they periodically twitched and snapped sharp teeth at each other. Their limbs seemed too long for their frame and their eyes reflected like an animal in the lamplight of the darkening sky.

At their feet, two bodies Leta recognized as the guards that were standing watch were lifeless on the ground, three of the most terrifying creatures Leta had ever seen crouched over their corpses.

They were human-shaped, with long, lanky arms and legs. Its skin was a mottled gray and had a rough texture like decaying wood. Its head was large, too large for its thin neck, and its fingers were tipped in serrated claws as long as her hand.

Its feet were long but not flat-footed like a human. Instead, the creature balanced on the tips of its claw-like toes like a feline with its heel high off the ground. Where the heel should have been was a swollen growth that reflected on the screen like an eyeball.

One of the creatures picked its head up and hissed at its compatriots, allowing Leta to get a better look at its face or lack thereof.

It was completely bald without ears or a nose, and where eyes and a forehead should have been was a puffy mass like the world’s largest blister that jiggled slightly with its movements, similar to the bulge of a beluga whale.

Its mouth, though, was anatomically in the same place as humans, though its unhinged jaw opening unnaturally wide to show off long teeth that made it impossible for the creature to close its mouth was certainly not human.

“Aigamuxa. Nasty things.” She heard Allister shiver at her back. “Nightmare fuel, they are.”