Leviathan.

Alongside Behemoth and Simurgh, he was one of the Chaos Dragons. Powerful beings even by a Dragon's standards. Creatures that towered so far above others that cults had formed around them. People prayed to them in place of the Gods in some regions, and in rare cases, they answered, becoming [Patrons] for willing and devout [Champions] seeking great power. Although they sometimes granted it, they expected something in exchange. A sacrifice, a job to do, or simply sheer, undying devotion.

It still felt surreal that Fareel of all people had managed to call a being of that caliber to Divastyr. Still, as unbelievable as it was, the facts were staring me right in the face.

For the past while, I'd been trawling through forum after forum, post after post. Building up all the knowledge on the thing I could gather. I saw countless stories and pictures or wrecked ships and ruined coastal downs destroyed by colossal fangs and crashing waves. Blurred pictures of a massive draconic head with blue scales and glowing sea-green eyes. Faraway shots of small cult groups in scale-covered robes praying by the ocean's side, half-hidden by rain. Apparently the weather helped to call his attention, too. It was hard to tell what information was real or fake, given how much of what I found was hearsay and rumour.

For whatever reason though, Fareel seemed to be able to tell truth from fiction on this matter.

That was the kind of creature Fareel got mixed up with. The kind of danger he was risking for... for what? And why? Was it some sort of cultural thing? A ritual or ceremony he didn't tell us about, or had no way of communicating? Some secret agenda or allegiance he'd kept quiet? A mere desire for strength?

Fareel was hard enough for me to figure out when he wasn't trying to hide things. This was far beyond my abilities, but...

The hyper focused attention on the bright screens hanging over my new desk was broken as I turned to look at Streiphen. He was lying on his side atop my mech, with his back to my glass cube. The boy was fast asleep, his head planted on one of the grey cushions that I was beginning to suspect would only be used for visitors.

Earlier, he'd guided those kids back to their room after they'd stayed around for a while. I hadn't thought that anything would be able to break my focus in relation to something as big as this, but the arrival of the Don's children had been enough to distract me. I remembered the family photograph on his desk, the one that had always faced the black window of his office. Even if the picture was a little dated now, I'd recognised the children as soon as they'd stepped inside. There'd been an older girl too, one that would've been my age or Sigura's. Well... if our 'aging' had remained consistent and normal. She hadn't been with them, nor acting as a chaperone. It was strange, but I had far bigger things to consider right now than the Don's familial situation.

Power seemed like the most likely reason for Fareel to do what he did, but why? If he wanted growth, he could've asked us for magical help or advice. Was he certain he couldn't grow through normal methods? I knew he couldn't risk Boost or the like, given what Sigura's reaction would've been, but there had to have been an easier way.

No. That was a bad way to look at it. There wasn't anything as carefree as an 'easier way' when it came to magical growth. Risk was everywhere, no matter what path you took. That in itself was an ironclad rule.

But... it didn't 'feel' like he'd left for good.

On a logical level, none of this made sense without the explanation of him desiring power. He'd made no indication he had allegiances elsewhere. Fareel seemed far too carefree and isolated to care about anything beyond our little group, if he even cared about that at all.

On an emotional level... the shock had hit me hard, but not as hard as I expected. It didn't leave a hole in my heart like Toya's departure had. I couldn't help but feel like he wasn't 'gone' for good in the same way Toya was, but... I had no real proof to support that feeling. I felt annoyed and a bit helpless, but not... hollow.

I trusted Streiphen's deductions on all this. This wasn't Fareel permanently defecting, just... a temporary leave.

I had no proof of that, but that was how I'd felt. For now, that had to be enough for me. I'd been doing research all day, and the only logical conclusion that seemed to fit was that Fareel was suddenly trying very hard to attain power. For the 'war' with Aerasthetic maybe, but that was the only reason I'd been able to guess why he chose now to do it.

[Champions] were those that petitioned powerful creatures for magical boosts in power. They formed deals and magical links through [Arcane Marks] with those strong enough to serve as [Patrons]. Fareel had to be trying for that. It was less risky than becoming a Demon's [Vessel], but it was still far from anything I'd be willing to attempt.

He... must have felt strongly about this place, to risk so much in order to gain strength. That sort of devotion to gaining strength must've been why I felt like he wasn't gone for good. He'd be back.

But now, I was exhausted. I'd been stuck in this room because of the Don's rule, and the Vox had been my company for most of the day. I'd felt indignant and irritated by his imposed rule earlier today, but once I'd had time to cool off, it made sense. Not going outside for a little while was the right decision.

Ugh. Whenever I couldn't go outside, whether it was because of the injuries I sustained in battle, or because of issues like this, were the times I wanted to go out the most. Emotions sucked sometimes. If they could be as reasonable as my mind, I wouldn't have to put up with this.

It was late, but despite my exhaustion, I had no desire to sleep. I'd been on this thing all day, but I didn't feel the least bit tired. If anything, not finding something concrete I could use to help Fareel or reassure the others had just made me feel more restless.

I was done researching this for now. Clearly searches like this were fruitless, but I'd try something else in the morning. It was far too easy to fall down rabbit holes on the VoxNet, going from post to post searching for that golden shred of information, only to find repetition and vague nothings.

Now though... I wanted to relax a little. To use it for some fun and recreation, like I had with the others last night.

Last night...

I hadn't drank enough, clearly. Despite alcohol supposedly dulling one's memory, the thought of the chat with Sigura ending in tears was still fresh in my mind. The thought of Sigura crying at all didn't feel right, but crying because of me...? I could just chalk it up to the alcohol, but feelings like that had to come from somewhere. I couldn't just brush that off, so-

No. I can talk with her later about this. Maybe. But right now, I needed to relax and unwind. Shafu had always said 'relaxing' was part of work too, so that's what I needed to do. Raising my metal hands controlled through my [Telekinetic Field], I began to tap away on the keys once again.

From what I'd learned last night, some people liked watching funny pet videos, but there were only so many times I could watch a person's Dog, Wuffle, or Dust Bunny perform some sort of 'trick' before it completely lost its appeal. Streiphen had been invested in videos like that, but they weren't for me. That being said, some people had interesting pets that had caught my attention. Unconventional 'pets' like Skeletal Fish and Bakenekos. I didn't see myself as the type of person who could handle a pet, given I already had to manage my team, but it was interesting to consider. Maybe in the future, when I had less work on my plate.

I could've looked up Vox games. Becoming more knowledgeable on those might've been a good idea, but... I didn't really want to. It would be better to go in fresh and let Conahan explain the workings of such things to me himself. He was the type to really enjoy talking about things he liked, so I decided not to avoid taking the chance to gush about controls and mechanics away from him.

The thought of the Gnome's rooms had brought stories and comics to mind! I could refresh myself on... No, wait. Streiphen had bought some books from Bookwyrm a little while back, and we still hadn't read them. He'd need something to do while stuck inside because of the Don's rule, and I didn't want to take the experience of rereading them fresh away from him either.

Why was relaxing so hard?

Finding myself unable to decide on a specific forum to search through, I stayed in the Entertainment Forum section, scrolling idly until I found something interesting. While the forum itself had plenty of subsections, the front pages boasted a massive variety of topics. Singing, performance, art, and of course, crafting.

Scrolling through, I saw one post with a picture boasting a Minotaur on the front. The massive brown-furred Oxfolk was wearing a pair of gigantic black metal gauntlets with a collection of small silver marbles arranged in a triangle atop them. I had to admire the craftsmanship, and felt a mote of joy float through me as I was reminded of the gauntlet I'd created, too. Even if the Heat Gauntlet was long lost, the sight of quality work like this brought back pleasant memories.

Clicking into the crafting section against my better judgement brought with it many more interesting creations. A massive dark wooden bow with glass canisters of glowing fluid held by a Centaur woman, one with a revolving section around the hand that made it look like the canisters could be quickly loaded or used in battle. I didn't understand how it worked, but the craftsmanship alone was beautiful.

That started me down another rabbit hole of idle scrolling as I took in each and every picture I could.

Another post had a Jorogumo woman, Spider-like legs extending from her back, tweaking one of several silver Dolls, all of which had a multitude of legs like hers protruding from their backs with hands at their tips. Even if it wasn't as useful as the floating hands and [Sensory Zone] combination, they were excellently crafted.

Further down, I saw a green-garbed Spirit-like individual holding a silvery box covered in what looked like glitter and colourful stickers. They were something called a 'Glaistig', according to the post, and they demonstrated the abilities of the box through a variety of recorded videos. Naturally, I kept the volume very low to avoid waking up Streiphen, but my sight was glued to the screens as a collection of small creatures of differing types with cartoonish bodies formed of warped, colourful shapes hopped out of the top. Apparently the device created Familiars based on the properties of the user's Aera, something they'd designed as an entertainment method for their Faerie master.

I couldn't tell whether the contents of the post were true, or whether they claimed to work for a Faerie to get the interest of others.

Further down, I saw a Cat Adept standing next to a multicoloured Humanoid mech covered in splashes of paint. Even if the visual design could have used a bit of work, the mech itself was immaculate. At the top of the mech, around the neck area, was a glass sphere and a set of controls lined with Selarium. It was a mech for the Adept themselves.

I silently cheered them on, glad that others were doing something similar to what I was to bridge the physical gap between themselves and other Humanoids!

Maybe this wasn't the 'right' thing to unwind with, though. Would Shafu approve of something like this? Perhaps crafting was a little too close to 'work' to be considered properly relaxing, given that I was taking mental notes as I scrolled, but... It was exciting and relieving to see other people's ideas and designs, even if I couldn't necessarily replicate them due to magical differences.

But... I deserved a chance to unwind, and this was what I decided to do with myself! It was research and relaxation, the perfect combo, and just enough of a distance from real work that I shouldn't feel bad about this.

I continued to scroll, focusing mainly on posts prominently displaying pictures of their work, regardless of whether the artefacts I came across were of high or poor quality. I could learn from the successes and mistakes of others both, after all. Regardless of technical skill, magic had a way of expressing traits of the user, whether they wanted it to or not. There were other posts about smithing, woodworking, sculpting, and the like, but my focus was exclusively on magical development.

During my scrolling, one of the posts caught my 'eye'. The picture attached was a collection of scrap metal pieces glowing softly, all arranged into awkward shapes. I tried to figure out what the purpose of the picture was, up until I saw the title of the post.

Need help. How do subcons work with materials for [Creative Process]. Magic not working.

Ah... So they weren't a completed artefact, just raw materials. Feeling a little sheepish for the mistake, I elected to click into the post.

Entertainment Help Forum: Need help. How do subcons work with materials for [creative process]. Magic not working.

Status: Public/Continent

Associated Tags: Invention Magic. Help. Anvil Caster.

WorkingToWard: Try to get my magic to work, nothing happening but headaches, everyone around doing well. Help.

Seeing the full length of this admittedly short and new post hit me with the reminder that this was a real person on the other end, not just idle letters and a picture. Something I could interact with, an experience far different from that of books or comics. The thought of typing out a reply made me a little anxious, but...

BrainInAJar: If you've got a [Creative Process] going, that's a good first step. Are you sure you're working with the right materials? You should try experimenting with other substances if you've just been using metals.

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: If you have a love for standard crafts, then Invention Magic will come much more naturally. Did you try anything artistic before attempting a [Creative Process]? Like painting, carving, sculpting, inventing, etc? If you're not interested in that sort of thing, maybe you shouldn't try to force it. Magic doesn't work that conveniently.

Another comment. One that appeared almost at the exact same time as my own. Someone else was trying to provide advice.

WorkingToWard: Okay to say one's race here? Others are building easier.

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: Most races don't get major slack unless there's current controversy surrounding them, but there'll always be someone complaining no matter what you are.

WorkingToWard: Yes, am a cyclops. Others around learning faster. Don't know what to do.

My sight drifted to the text box as I began to type my reply, thinking over the best way to word this.

Have you tried practicing any other forms of magic first, WorkingToWard? I tried learning Fire Magic and Enhancement Magic while I was younger before

Woops. I almost mentioned that I'd shedded scales after getting backlash from my Enhancement Magic attempts. I should probably make my comments a little less... racially specific.

I tried using Invention Magic. I just ended up with Soulburn for both. After I learned Invention Magic, I was able to-

Thinking of a better way to word it, one hand rapidly tapped at the Backspace key.

BrainInAJar: I learned how to use those schools through my Invention Magic instead, rather than just through me. Just because Invention Magic is hard for you now, doesn't mean it will be later. Try out other forms of magic and crafts first, or inventing with other materials. Ah, and self reflection helps too, if that's something you're willing to try.

I didn't know much about Cyclopses in truth, or whether self reflection was something their people did, but... they were able to use a Vox, so they clearly weren't just monsters. With a bit of relief filling my form, I sent the message.

Yopler: yeah, what they said

WorkingToWard: Thank you. Will try that.

It didn't sound like much, but that helped to brighten my mood. My emotions were clearly easy to please if that was enough. I hadn't thought of myself as much of a good teacher, but that had been solid advice. I was proud of it, even if it was just something small. I... could only hope it was good advice. Magic was a strange thing, and the process that worked for me might not work for everyone. Still, knowing that there was a real person on the other side of that name grateful for the help was-

My awareness snapped to the top of the screen. One of the gold icons was glowing, a small golden box housing a black '1' inside of it hovering just above it. It was the symbol with the speech bubble.

Tapping on the up key, I sent the golden arrow flying rapidly towards the top of the screen, hovering over the icon before I clicked into it. A small box with the name 'SteelSavant' popped up, and I clicked again as the Vox guided me to a new, albeit very sparse looking window.

Unlike the forum post before it, this was a blank screen with a small chat box at the bottom for sending messages. What was-

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: Hey! You were pretty quick on the draw with that advice. Haven't seen your name around the forum before, but your answer was pretty thorough. Are you new here?

The other commenter from the forum post? I'd hoped my answer was thorough, and this person's reassurance helped to quell the last lingering mote of anxiety I felt over it. Hearing someone with 'Verified Anvil' next to their name approve of it too seemed good. What did that mean, anyway? How does a person get 'verified'?

BrainInAJar: Yes, I'm new to the VoxNet. I only got my setup fully prepared yesterday. How did you get that tag next to your name?

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: The verified thing? Not sure where you live, but there's a Vox Parlor at my local Post Office. You can show proof of magic like a demonstration or Guild Card of some kind. They'll send on a request to the mods after verifying it all. It's a bit of a slog sometimes, but its nice to have some legitimacy when you're trying to offer advice. ;p

That... what was that? At the end of his message? Some kind of code I didn't understand, probably. Still, the comment on the Post Office was annoying. I'd need to go out and do it when this whole Leviathan thing blew over. I liked the sound of having legitimacy on the VoxNet too, even if I wasn't using my real name or Epithet. It would be nice to have that extra layer of assurance that I'd be taken seriously.

BrainInAJar: I'll try that. Thank you for the advice.

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: You answered on a continent post, so you're here on Alvaria, right? Isn't it pretty late for you too?

My awareness went to the bottom right corner of the screen, and I saw-

Ah... It was 3AM. I'd been on this way longer than I'd thought. Trawling through forums for info on Leviathan had been far more time consuming and extensive than I'd thought.

BrainInAJar: I don't need much sleep.

I was glad that speaking over text had a way of providing even more of a 'poker face' than usual. Normally my voice might've given something away, but here I was able to completely mask it.

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: Haha, me neither. I'm a bit of a night owl. Er, not literally. I'd ask if you were a Caster yourself or just curious about the artefacts around here, but it sounds to me like you know your way around spellcraft.

BrainInAJar: I do, I've been practicing magic for several years now.

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: Definitely sounds like it. Are you here just to check out other people's work, or to network with other Casters?

The idea got me thinking. In truth I'd only come here to unwind, but...

BrainInAJar: It started as the former, but I think now it's both.

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: Yeah, that's how I started too, though now I'm more focused on making connections. Becoming a proper Anvil gets so much easier when you've got people to bounce ideas off of and have access to people who can sell good materials. I'm not an adventurer or anything, just a recreational Caster living in Pagonia with way too much free time on his hands.

I could understand that much. I'd been able to grow far more after meeting Shafu, Conahan and the others. Still, he'd let some information about him slip. This 'SteelSavant' was a he, and he was from Pagonia. Streiphen and Toya's homeland. Part of me felt a little guilty that I'd picked up on that info, while he was left entirely in the dark on me.

BrainInAJar: I'm living in Scander, but I was born in Lucan.

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: Ouch. I know history between them has been sort of rough too. Can't have been easy. Oh, just so you know, I really don't care for the whole Pagonia/Scander beef, or their issues with Lucan.

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Right. I hadn't encountered it much, but Scander seemed to have issues with a few neighbouring regions, overseas or otherwise. Maybe it hadn't been wise to say that in the first place, but now I felt a little more even with him.

BrainInAJar: Me neither. But... I don't really have a Lucanian looking face, so I don't get much attention in that department.

Maybe not the full truth. I got plenty of looks in public, even if it wasn't because I was a Lucanian.

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: Lucky you. How'd you end up getting to Scander from Lucan anyway?

I felt a pang in the forefront of my form, at that.

BrainInAJar: I moved around a lot when I was younger. Circumstances sort of led me to end up here.

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: Slave of fate, huh? Sounds hectic.

BrainInAJar: You have no idea. You said you were a recreational Caster? What kind of magic do you have?

He'd said he wasn't an adventurer, so I figured the standard 'unspoken rules' of not prying into people's abilities too much didn't apply here. That... and, well, I was curious. His name was SteelSavant. He probably had abilities somewhat like mine, even if only in that he used similar materials in his work.

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: My specialisation is a little broad. I'm good at a lot of things, not to toot my own horn, but I specialise in making drones and independent Constructs.

BrainInAJar: A coworker of mine has somewhat similar magic to that, although it requires more direct input on his end.

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: Oh, cool. What about you? Any idea what your specialisations are yet?

I paused for a moment, my metallic hands floating awkwardly just off the surface of the keyboard as I tried to mentally piece my response together.

BrainInAJar: My specialisation is also quite broad. It's a little difficult to explain without context.

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: Don't worry about it. I won't pry if explaining is a pain, I just wanted to say hi to a new face lurking around in the community is all. Especially one that sounds like they know what they're talking about, rather than spouting semi-accurate nonsense that just causes more confusion than anything.

That... sounded pretty targeted. I'd mainly been looking at the pictures on the front of posts, but maybe there were some other issues that I'd thankfully not been privy to.

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: If you've got Anvil coworkers though, it sounds like you're pretty connected yourself.

Ah... Maybe I'd said a little too much.

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: You interested in joining a chatroom for other Anvils? It's helpful enough if you're looking for advice or rare materials.

Part of me was a little apprehensive at the thought of speaking with other Anvils, but the larger part of me wanted to jump at the opportunity.

BrainInAJar: I haven't spoken to many Anvils outside of my coworkers, but I'm alright with that.

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: No prob, I'll add you as a friend first. I doubt you'll need any advice on casting by the sounds of it, but if you do feel free to shoot it my way.

I watched the top of the screen as the icon showing a nondescript Humanoid silhouette from the waist up began to glow with another one of those golden boxes housing a pitch black '1'. A similar box appeared over the speech bubble again. I clicked on the former, hitting 'ACCEPT' on the friend request with SteelSavant, and then my arrow went to the right.

'Alvaria Anvil Club'. There'd be more people in this chat room than the last, and I felt Butterflies fluttering around inside me. I knew I'd be able to leave whenever I wanted, or scroll through pictures on another screen to help fill any awkward silences I left behind in my wake, but... no, I'd be fine.

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: Even just having a look is fine. Not many will be on this late anyway, so don't worry if it seems a little dead and quiet.

BrainInAJar: Alright. I will.

With a twinge of apprehension, I clicked into the 'Alvaria Anvil Club'.

The chat box was empty apart from two messages. At the very top were the words 'Read Older', and at the bottom was a message in grey letters with no NetTag attached to it, one that read;

Welcome to the Alvaria Anvil Club, BrainInAJar!

Damn. I'd hoped that I'd be able to look without anyone knowing I was there. Having someone or something welcome me and announce my arrival put a dent in my enthusiasm. I'd need to say something, wouldn't I?

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: Hey all, I've brought some fresh meat!

At least that spared me the trouble of getting the first word in.

AllEyes [Curious Collector]: Welcome.

Slipsteel [Verified Adventurer]: Welcome to the club! We're happy to have you BrainInAJar.

Crackpot [Verified Adventurer]: W3lc0m3! G00d 2 s33 a n3w fac3!

...What?

NervousWrecked [Verified Adventurer]: Welcome to the club.

BrighterTomorrowTT: Welcome!

Were these people all Anvils? The thought was both exciting and frightening.

Slipsteel [Verified Adventurer]: Sorry I won't be around to talk for long, BrainInAJar, I'm getting off for the night soon.

AllEyes [CuriousCollector]: Right. I don't talk much around here normally either. I'm not an Anvil, just a snoop. Are you an adventurer, or just a rec Caster? If you're looking for exposure, I can help you get your name out there for a favour or two.

BrainInAJar: No, I'm fine. I'd rather not declare my status, if you don't mind.

AllEyes [Curious Collector]: Suit yourself, I'll be elsewhere on the net if anyone needs me.

Crackpot [Verified Adventurer]: 5h3's d3f1n1t3ly a cr1m1nal or m0n5t3r 1f 5h3 w0n't 5ay!

It took a bit of squinting and thinking to realise what this person was doing. They were substituting some letters for numbers, which seemed... pointless. And a little confusing.

Ironwood: Or they're smarter about keeping their personal information private than you. Some people don't want to disclose every detail about themselves to anyone they speak to on the Net, especially if they're a Caster.

Crackpot [Verified Adventurer]: Y3ah y3ah, 5p01l5p0rt. W3lc0m3 th0ugh, Bra1n1nAJar!

At least my own name was somewhat legible through their strange way of typing.

If this much was what SteelSavant considered 'not that active', the thought of this being 'active' during the day was a little frightening. I took a moment to send one hand over to the bed, grabbing a blanket for Streiphen as I worked to process all of this and think of something to say. I should leave a good impression, so...

BrainInAJar: It's nice to be here. Thank you all for having me.

Should I have used an exclamation mark? Maybe I was coming across as disingenuous or bland like that. Or would that have been too much?

Crackpot [Verified Adventurer]: Y0u a 5n00p3r 0r a Ca5t3r?

SteelSavant [Verified Anvil]: They're a Caster. They helped some other new user out a few minutes ago, someone else I hadn't seen around here before. They definitely sound like they know what they're talking about.

Crackpot [Verified Adventurer]: 00h! What d0 th3y d0?

I wanted to give some sort of explanation. Vague answers might've been best for concealing my identity, but I didn't want to give nothing but vague responses. That wouldn't make for good conversation.

BrainInAJar: It's a little hard to explain. I make mechs, but my specialisation is a little broader than that, although I'd rather not delve too much into it.

Crackpot [Verified Adventurer]: 0000h, m3ch5! B3tt3r than an0th3r Ca5t3r that d05s n0th1ng but 3nchant5 w3ap0n5 w1th [Reinforcement] 0r [Sharpness] al0n3 and call5 that b31ng an Anv1l! Pra1s3 b3 t0 th3 Chr0m3 W0rld f0r that!

The Chrome World. Another one of the Primordials, namely the Primordial God of Crafts, Restoration, and Progress.

Slipsteel [Verified Adventurer]: Remember to keep the religious stuff to a minimum, Crackpot. But anyway, goodnight everyone!

Crackpot [Verified Adventurer]: G00dn1ght my d3ar! Sl33p t1ght!

Ironwood: Goodnight, Slipsteel. You've earned some rest.

Ironwood: I'm not much for building mechs, but our group has a strong collective understanding of magical theory.

So was mine, or so I liked to think. Still, I felt as though I was learning more about magic every day. There was still a lot I didn't know, and if there were other Anvils here... I'd be a fool not to make the most of it.

BrainInAJar: Do many of you use Lyridium in your works?

BrighterTomorrowTT: Confusion. That's a magic metal, right? Which one is that.

Crackpot [Verified Adventurer]: Th3 s3ns0ry 0n3 that N3rv0u5Wr3ck3d u535!

NervousWrecked [Verified Adventurer]: Sorry, was caught up talking to my teammates. I use it, BIAJ, what do you need to know?

BrainInAJar: It's fine. I've got my hands on some, and want to know the best way to use it. I've been thinking about forming a remote mech, something I can control from afar like a coworker of mine.

NervousWrecked [Verified Adventurer]: If you're using it to control a mech yourself rather than create an Artificial Soul through Familiar Magic, connect your Lyridium to each part of the Construct. Spread it out like veins, but make sure you have a clump of it or some attuned Selarium if you can get your hands on some in a central area, like the chest or back to-

My awareness snapped away from the screen. I felt my mech jiggle a little from the startled movement, the water within my glass tank sloshing lightly before settling once again, coming to a stop. There'd been a knock at the door.

"[Who is it?]" I called out, keeping my [Telepathy] away from Streiphen.

"The Night Queen, here to eat yer Soul. Who do you think would be out here this late?" came the muffled voice.

Sigura.

It was her voice without a doubt, but... I could picture Shafu getting up to visit me in the dead of night too. It wasn't like she hadn't done that once or twice back in the workshop back when I'd been sleeping there. It wasn't something out of the ordinary.

"[Come in,]" I said, gently opening the door to reveal her standing out in the corridor. "[Just try to keep it quiet, Streiphen's asleep.]"

"Got it," she murmured, speaking under her breath in the same way she did on missions. So quietly that anyone without a [Sensory Zone] like mine would have trouble hearing it. After stepping inside, she gingerly closed the door behind her with a soft click.

Even if her gait didn't suggest as much, Sigura's eyes looked exhausted. The Half Nekari stretched as she came in the door, heading straight for the grey couch before slumping out along the length of it, one leg hanging over the end.

"Found any leads on Fareel yet?" she asked quietly, still keeping her voice down as her tired eyes locked onto the ceiling above.

"[Nothing substantial... You look tired though, Sigura. You should be getting some sleep.]"

"I'm not tired," Sigura grumbled unconvincingly, transitioning into a shrug. "'Sides, you're still up too. I haven't been able to sleep anyway. This shitty rule of us havin' to stay in this place for now has been a pain in my ass. Haven't been able to go for a jog and burn off all this energy. I tried goin' 'round the halls, but it ain't the same."

With a sigh, her head turned to the side, looking at my massive frame in the space between the desk and the hanging monitors.

"You still searchin' on the Net?" she asked.

My awareness turned back towards the screen as I considered the question, watching idly as the chatroom scrolled by with activity.

"[I was, but I'm doing some other stuff now,]" I replied slowly.

"You said, uh... nothin' 'substantial'. Does that mean you found something, even if it was small? I could go for anythin' you've got right about now," Sigura murmured.

"[Only very general information on Leviathan. Nothing on this ritual or call Fareel used that we could find him with,]" I regretfully informed her. "[What about you?]"

I didn't expect her to have dug anything up with the way she was acting now. Especially with how cooped up she'd been all day.

"I've been talkin' to some of the weirdos in other departments," Sigura told me, shifting herself in an attempt to get comfortable on the couch. "Had a look around, chatted with Screen, Incognito, PR, and a few others for a bit, lookin' for info. Talked to a few I'd never seen hangin' 'round the workshop too. Nothin' helpful."

Talking to other members of the Velvet Star. Maybe I should've been using this time to do the same. Even if we couldn't find intel on Fareel's situation, I could've still been forging relationships with valuable allies. Maybe... as the team leader, I should've been doing that instead of trawling on the Vox for so long, but... I didn't know how the others would view this Leviathan fiasco, or whether they'd hold the damage caused against us. The idea of speaking to anyone face to face right now was... daunting.

"[At least... I think that not finding readily available info is telling, too,]" I replied weakly, hoping to salvage something out of my time wasted here. "[Whatever Fareel did was some Spell or ritual there's little public documentation on. So... it must have been some local ability from wherever Fareel came from.]"

"Yeah... guessed as much," Sigura sighed, her head tilting to look at the spot above her shoulder as she grimaced. "Damnit... So it wasn't somethin' he got from that bit of the newspaper he ripped out. The fuck did he do then?"

I wanted to know too, but...

"[I don't think it matters too much... whatever it was Fareel did,]" I replied, speaking my honest feelings on the matter. "[While it's valuable information, I don't believe it holds as much weight as we think. At the end of the day, we know he'll be back. This isn't going to be a repeat of Toya.]"

Sigura's expression warped, becoming deeply conflicted as she pulled her eyes as far from me as they could go.

"You've got a lot of trust in the guy, huh?" Sigura mumbled. "Don't wanna be a downer, but you know he called a Dragon, right? We've both read enough stories to know how they are, and you know it, Yur."

Prideful, territorial, and far from the type to easily grant power or make simple deals from pure altruism alone.

"[I know, Sigura, but... Fareel has knowledge we don't. He knows things about Leviathan that neither of us could find, so... he must have some sort of plan. Even if I don't know much about this situation, I can at least trust in that. That he'll be back.]"

Sigura wasn't nearly as swayed or reassured as I hoped she'd be. Silence filled the air for several long, uncomfortable seconds.

"Here I was hopin' you'd have answers, Yur," Sigura sighed. "Could take some weight off my shoulders before I went trainin' again to try and get myself tired enough to sleep. Guess it doesn't matter if I can't go for runs anyway, but I don't wanna let my sleep schedule go to shit either."

"[I know what that's like, at least,]" I replied with a smile in my voice. Memories of nights spent staying up reading comics and sneaking past my parents' room to tinker in the basement workshop for hours on end until the sun rose were plentiful, if a little blurred. I'd easily lost track of time back then whenever I got sucked into an activity, a trait I clearly kept after my transformation.

"Then you should know you shouldn't be stayin' up either, huh?" Sigura grinned, shifting on the couch to lie on her side, facing towards me.

"[Yeah, that's true,]" I smiled back, my awareness drifting away from the Half Nekari to the screen as I caught some words along the screen my tired mind latched onto. Words that connected themselves to my idle reminiscing. "[Hey, Sigura?]"

"Yeah?" Sigura murmured, trying to close her eyes.

"[Do you think... our old team felt the same way we do now?]"

Sigura's eyes snapped back open, and I saw her brows furrow.

"Whaddaya mean?" she responded hesitantly. I... knew it was a hard topic to broach, but it was one that had been lingering on my mind.

"[I've been... thinking about something Streiphen said. About... the people we left behind. Do you think they might have waited for us to come back? Or believed that despite the odds, we'd survived the night somehow, and were living somewhere else?]"

It was a silly thought, but-

"No, I don't," Sigura replied stiffly. "They weren't the sentimental type that held onto mindless beliefs like that, Yur. After that first night of a search party findin' nothin', if they even called for a search party, they would'a gived up and moved on."

'Mindless beliefs'. The idea stung, but I worked to push past the pain the words caused.

"[The things Streiphen said have been haunting me a little, Sigura. We... we have a Vox now, and the world isn't that big a place when we've got an artefact capable of long distance communication like this. If we wanted to, we could contact our old team back in Addersbrook for extra info or some extra help, and-]"

"Stop," she grumbled, her fingers clenching into fists as her nails dragged along the cushions of the couch. "Just stop. You even hearin' yourself right now, Yur? They prob'ly thought we were dead and moved on a long time ago. No point makin' anyone go through that shit again, right?"

She had a point-

"[But-]"

"You want yer parents findin' out you're here?" Sigura spoke, words that ground all train of thoughts within me to dust.

The thought scared me. Horrified me. It wasn't because I hated my parents, or... even necessarily disliked them, even after how they were, but-

"Yur, you ain't the same person you were back in Addersbrook," Sigura continued, her words quieter. "You've changed, y'know? You've gotten way better. You're a thousand times the person you were back in that shitty, cramped little town. And physically... I know it's shitty to hear, but the Yuri Scalesmith they knew is long dead, Yur. You won't be doin' anyone any favours by contactin' them as Homebound."

Homebound...

As much as I appreciated Sigura's honesty with me, this...

"[But what if our team gave up adventuring? They seemed adamant about wanting to succeed in the field, but if they abandoned those dreams out of fear for what happened to us, and that we hurt them, we should let them know that-]"

"That what, Yur? That we're alive and well? We didn't make it out of that night without issue, y'know? We survived and escaped because of a damn fluke, so... just give a rest, Yur," she replied, practically growling. Her voice was a little louder than before, a sound that caused Streiphen to shiver and stir restlessly beside my glass cube. "If... if they gave up on that cursed, dead end career they'd be better off anyway. We're dead to 'em now, Yur, just like how it should be. We should just give 'em the same courtesy and think of 'em as people from a past life we have no ties to, alright? It's... there's no point in reopenin' old wounds, and that's all we'd be doin'. You... we're not the same people that left that dingy ass town. We're different now, Yur..."

"[I just don't want them to be hurting after all this time, and if we're staying here, we shouldn't leave any lingering regrets or-]"

"I dunno what they're like now, but that ain't our business anymore. We died in that facility. Remember that, Yur," Sigura responded, her voice lowering again. "We're different people now. Monsters. Criminals with our own shit to deal with. Our ties to all those people back in Addersbrook are gone, and we only gotta worry about ourselves and the future, not them."

"[I just...]" I trailed off, feeling my train of thought begin to die out. Maybe she was right. Maybe this was stupid, but after having hours to comprehend what I was feeling now... As painful as this conversation was on some level, it was liberating on another. "[I just... don't know what kind of bonds we had with our team, Sigura. I know it sounds strange, but if they were 'true teammates' like the ones we have now, and I didn't realise it before because of-]"

"They weren't like Equinox, Yur. Drop it," Sigura murmured, getting to her feet. She didn't bother to stretch, or smooth out her wrinkled clothes, or do anything. She stared directly at me. "It was easy for you back then, alright? You had it real easy. You could just fuckin' switch yourself off and not give a damn whenever shit got tough between the group. You can't do that anymore, but you can't let this shit bother you. Focus on the team you've got now, Yur. If you try talkin' to anyone from Addersbrook again, all you'll do is bring more trouble and pain down on us, and all the fuckin' Gods above know we don't need any more stress right now, got it? Just... all you'll..... we can't....... fuck. Just... just don't do it Yur, alright? Don't."

She seemed to be running out of steam. Her words stung, yet they felt far away. As though they hadn't truly sunk in yet.

"I'm... gonna go train. Maybe go get drunk as shit too, I dunno," Sigura shrugged, looking back towards the door. She walked briskly towards it, with an urgency in her gait that I hadn't often seen. "G'night, Yur."

"[Goodnight, Sigu-]"

My parting words barely finished before she closed the door behind her. If nothing else... at least she didn't slam it and disturb Streiphen.

...

Silence took hold of the world again. The only sound permeating my zone was that of Streiphen's light breathing.

Maybe... maybe she was right. It felt wrong to leave everything in Addersbrook behind in the way we did, but I'd felt 'wrong' about other things I logically knew to be right, too. I was letting my heart rule over my head now that I was left without my [Silent Heart]. Sigura hadn't changed much from the Chimera incident, but I had. Even if I couldn't trust my own judgement, I could at least trust hers as that of a stable, unmoving anchor.

...

My awareness turned back towards the screens hanging above my desk. My 'sight' drifted over the glass panels as I slowly clicked on the keys with my floating metal hands, carrying none of the enthusiasm or energy I had before. The chat had been busy in my absence. I attempted to scroll up and up and up, but...

I stopped.

There was a lot of talk and potentially useful advice I had to catch up on, but after that... my fatigue had completely caught up with me. I didn't have the energy to read all this, as bad as that made me feel for wasting these people's time, and I didn't have the motivation for another conversation.

I scrolled back down to the very bottom.

NervousWrecked [Verified Adventurer]: She's been silent for a while though. Might just have to let it drop.

BrainInAJar: Sorry, yes, I'm here. Something came up, and I'll be getting off for the night. I'm sorry for not getting the chance to read all of that, but I'll try to catch up tomorrow.

I knew I wouldn't. Not with how fast this chat had been going. Not with what the chat might make me remember.

NervousWrecked [Verified Adventurer]: Alright then, goodnight I guess.

Ironwood: Goodnight, BrainInAJar.

Crackpot [Verified Adventurer]: G00dn1ght! D0n't l3t that adv1c3 g0 t0 wast3 and l00k at 1t t0m0rr0w!

BrainInAJar: I'll try.

I didn't have the heart to promise outright, even if a lie told over the VoxNet wasn't the same as lying to someone's face. I didn't want to let whatever insights they had for me go unseen, but...

I'd try.

Tomorrow, I'd try to put more work in, and be more productive than I was today.