With a sigh, I opened my Digita’s interface and started dialling home. On the other end of the line a female voice appeared through the speaker on the table next to me, “You’re speaking to a representative of Dragon’s Nest, how may I help you?”

I snorted and said, “You sound like a secretary, Annie…” Ah, this voice brings up memories, “Don’t you feel like visiting my room when I get back?”

“You can’t call me to your room like some sort of mistress!” she wailed.

“Says the maid with the shortest skirt,” I said smugly, “and I actually could if I so desired.”

“You caaa-n… I can’t argue, you’re my employer…” She said mournfully, “You can’t say anything about the skirt, just by the way, this slutty outfit is by your orders you pervert!”

“You wear it with pride though?” I asked in confusion, “Also… didn’t the head maid catch you rolling it up further? Why are you complaining that the length I set is too short?”

“Th-that’s…” she stuttered in an embarrassed voice.

“Maybe if I forbid you from wearing underwear you’ll be more inclined to wear it at the proper length?” I pondered.

“Nnnn… Maybe…” she said with a moan.

“You think so too? Very well then, for now you’re forbidden from wearing any underwear,” I mused with a grin, imagining her walking around without underwear.

“Nnnnn… Ok…” she moaned again.

“Anyway, please spread the message that I’m still alive and everything has been resolved.”

“Are you talking about the group that came earlier with your message about the fighting?” she asked.

I simply said, “Yes, we have succeeded in both retaking the tower and the forward base. The guy in charge wants to speak to me, likely about my contributions towards the battle.”

“What happened to taking over the Viper clan?” she asked pointedly.

I looked out the window blankly as I said, “If possible, I want to finish the job, but it doesn’t look like that’s about to happen… Add this number to our directory for the time being so you know it’s me, I’ll update you on what’s happening after my meeting.”

“When is your meeting?” She asked.

“Twenty minutes or so.” I answered bluntly.

“Alright, and about what you said earlier… when must I start that?” She asked shyly.

“Immediately.” I snorted, a bit disgruntled by the fact that she thought telling everyone I was alive could wait.

“O-okay!” came an embarrassed reply.

Embarrassed? Why should she feel embarrassed? She should feel ashamed of herself, not embarrassed.

“Done!” she exclaimed over the phone, though her words didn’t sound like they were directed at me.

<( Pffft- )>

What did she finish with and why did Dawn feel the need to mimic the sound of a spit take? It’s impossible that she’s told everyone already, better make sure she doesn’t forget.

“Alright, now go tell everyone that I’m alive and will return soon.” I said in a commanding voice for emphasis.

“… ‘Everyone’?” she asked nervously.

“Yes, ‘everyone’!” I said angrily and hung up.

I huffed in frustration once and let it go. When I looked up I found Grace slowly shaking her head while muttering “perverts” and Ajax blushing and squirming with her hands between her thighs.

“… What’s wrong with you two?” I ask bluntly.

“N-nothing!” shouted Ajax.

“… Shall I tell you more about artefacts – such as the sword I gave you earlier - while we wait for the ‘captain’ to return?” Grace said after a momentary pause.

Dismissing the earlier matter, I nodded and said, “Yes, please do.”

Grace straightened up in her seat and began speaking, “Artefacts are mysterious tools or objects that exceed scientific reasoning. They are most commonly found on dead worlds or handed down through the ages. Your sword for example, was handed down to me by my father.”

“How do you differentiate between fakes and the real thing then?” I ask curiously.

Grace snorted and said, “Nobody has managed to replicate an artefact… other than the Kirea who – as far as we know – are capable of producing their own artefacts. Unfortunately the Kirea are notoriously elusive and none of them have been spotted for several hundred years. Kirean artefacts are an exception and are thought of as something completely different to regular artefacts.”

I furrowed my brows and asked, “You speak like the Kirea are still around even though none have been seen for centuries… how can you be so sure they aren’t a dead race already?”

Grace laughed, “Listen well, child. What little information the galaxy has managed to squeeze out of the Olgym suggests that the Kirea were around before they were star-faring. The Olgym have been around eons longer than anyone can remember and some of the most recent Kirean artefacts’ creation has been dated within the last century. If they’ve been building stuff in the last hundred years or so then they’re probably still alive and kicking.”

“Then why are they so rarely seen?” I asked doubtfully.

Grace paused a moment and pondered before answering, “Well, there could be any number of reasons they avoid the rest of the galaxy, ranging from fear to politics or even a cultural policy. I doubt they have much to fear, however, knowing the ridiculous performance of their abandoned equipment. We can pretty much rule fear out… unless they are few in number? Yes, that would be plausible, if the other races wondering the galaxy were to wage war then numbers would make a big difference.”

There was a moment of silence before Grace spat out a sigh and said, “I very much doubt that we’ll ever find out so there’s no point in mulling over it. Let’s get back on topic, artefacts are all incredibly old and defy scientific knowledge, right?”

I nodded lightly and let her continue speaking.

“Some artefacts can go beyond simply being absurdly durable or sharp in the hands of a Psion, these are usually called ‘Psi-conduits’ and show huge varieties of effects ranging from immolation to shapeshifting. This sword however, has a ‘power lock’ on it and nobody has managed to unlock its power.” Grace said humbly and motioned to the sword as if wanting me to do something with it.

“What am I supposed do?” I asked blankly, unsure of what Grace was asking.

She sighed and murmured, “Of course you don’t know what to do…”

She took a breath and paused a moment before saying, “It’s quite simple, you just have to register yourself as its new wielder. Cut your palm and hold it while meditating, it will guide you the rest of the way… and if you can, try stop your ridiculous regeneration; the bond of blood is important and I have no idea how – or if – it’ll work with a closed wound.”

I nodded solemnly and slowly unsheathed the katana. Curiously, I asked, “Do all artefacts work like that?”

Grace gave me a small smile and said, “This one does. Blood bonds are some of the most common methods of bonds but the details differ between each artefact. If I’m not mistaken, 12% of artefacts use blood bonds?  Quite high considering the next most common bond is the Victor’s Claim at about 5% recurrence.”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

I paused for a moment as I realised something, surely somebody must have given it a name at some point – even if it’s something childish like ‘Curved blade of death’.

“… Does it have a name?” I asked with trepidation.

Grace looked at the katana sadly and said, “It did… but that was forgotten long ago, I haven’t given it a new name out of respect for its history.”

I nodded in acknowledgement, taking up a meditative position on the bed with crossed legs before cutting open my palm with the blade. I began meditating with the blade in my lap and quickly felt a weird power flowing through the blade, blazing like a beacon in my psionic domain. I instinctively tried ‘communicating’ with it through my psionic energy and noticed the blade’s power mixing and merging with the remnant power in my blood.

With yet another instinctive action I began ‘feeding’ the blade my own raw psionic energy, and it happily lapped it up.

Hold on a moment… Happily?

<( Definitely happily. )>

<[ Since when can tools have feelings? ]>

<( How dare you call Kat a tool! )>

<[ Tool: /tuːl/ A device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function… such as murder. ]>

<( … Fair enough. )>

I sighed as I thought, “Seriously, ‘Kat’? What a name for a katana.”

Oddly enough, the sword started to virtually jump for joy as the thought crossed my mind and red runes suddenly appeared down the entire length of the blade.

I felt my own energies mixing and synchronising with the blade as a bond began forming between me and the blade. A few seconds later the blade felt like a part of me, not physically, but spiritually. I began admiring the bond between me and the now-satisfied blade when I sensed something incongruous.

Why the hell do I feel another bond? I pondered.

I decided to follow the second bond and found it leading to somewhere inside my left gauntlet. I raised an eyebrow in doubt as I stared down at my gauntlet. Deciding to continue my investigation regardless I pulled the gauntlet off and froze, the bond was connecting me to something I had almost forgotten about; my ring.

I stared at the dragon ring for over a minute in sheer surprise. The bond was different but it was no less a part of me than the sword was. Whilst the sword – Kat – gave me a sense of power and versatility and felt like it belonged to me, the ring felt like it made me belong to something else – something beyond my comprehension. Maybe it was tied to one of those philosophical values like destiny or fate, but I have no way of knowing anything outside this foreboding feeling.

“Miss Cusith, The Captain will see you now.” Said a mysterious voice, snapping me out of my stupor.

I looked at him as he gestured for me to follow, I nodded and did so. On the way out, I noticed a flabbergasted Grace staring at my earlier spot with wide eyes and an open mouth. Seeing her reaction, I made a mental not to ask exactly what happened before walking off.

Shrugging off my desire to ask Grace questions I fell into step with my guide and followed him to the captain. Unfortunately, a few seconds later I felt the need to ask the guide questions instead.

“So, what’s the deal with having an Olgym leader?” I spontaneously asked my guide.

The soldier smiled dryly and said, “Oh, that. He really should be more than a captain but the higher ups didn’t let that happen… Major Brown is technically in charge but since we started the operation here in the slums everyone defers to Captain Lorrig for orders. He’s far more experienced than any of us and is the most capable leader among us. We just refer to him as ‘The Captain’ for convenience.”

“I see… Interesting…” I mouthed thoughtfully. We continued in silence, apart from the clack of my heels. A few moments later we were in front of The Captain’s office.

The soldier stepped aside and allowed me to enter, I promptly stepped through the door and entered the office. I was greeted by four men; two armed guards by the door, an Olgym sitting behind the desk, and an exceptionally tall man standing diagonally behind the Olgym.

“Miss Cusith,” said Captain Lorrig, “It’s good to see you in one piece. I heard you were quite instrumental in retaking this place – Even if you only fought one person… I thank you, without the last minute logical support from here we would have lost the siege.”

“Oh?” I said in surprise, “I don’t feel I was particularly helpful in the overall scheme of things, why the high praise?”

“You underestimate the powers of Psions,” he said ruefully, “If you hadn’t stalled that particular Psion she would have wiped out at least half the infiltration team before they could even wound her. By stalling her you gave the rest of the team a chance for success. Additionally, because of how it played out, the rest of the intruders were caught completely off-guard, allowing the team to make it through with minimal injuries.”

 I bitterly said, “I still don’t understand how that had any effect on the siege.”

Captain Lorrig smiled and said, “Each unit carries an advanced sonar device which helps map out the area, the operators at the forward base interpret the information and guide the men. This reveals traps long before we get a chance to trigger them… without this aid they gradually picked us off with guerrilla tactics – ambush, retreat, repeat. We had the numerical advantage but with the tactical advantage in the enemy’s hands our numbers meant nothing. As the despair was starting to set in a voice suddenly came through our communicators warning us of an imminent ambush, it was a last second warning but it allowed my unit to survive mostly intact. From then on, their tactical advantage was nullified and we regained control… The casualties were heavy, but we made it through; Your intervention was the single thing that allowed us to turn the tides, thank you for that.”

I smiled in understanding and said, “Well then, I suppose you’re welcome… So what did you call me here for? I doubt you’d need the others present if you simply wanted to say thanks, this seems like a much more official affair.”

He smiled and said, “You are a sharp one, I respect that.”

I smiled back but said nothing, after a moment of silence he said, “Allow me to introduce you to Major Brown, the man who’s supposed to be in charge around here.”

I snickered and said, “Yet he defers to you.”

Captain Lorrig and Major Brown smiled wryly, silence ensued for a second before Major Brown spoke, “I believe that the most capable leader should be in charge, not some random guy with friends in high places. The Captain has near a century of experience in the field while I have less than a decade; it’s obvious who should oversee such a high-risk operation.”

“There are some who would strongly disagree,” I said with a sarcastic smile, “such as your superiors.”

“Indeed,” he said with a smirk, “which is exactly why they don’t know.”

I smiled lightly and asked, “Does that relate to your presence here?”

“Why, yes, yes it does!” he exclaimed, “I’m supposed to be here to make a deal with you… Obviously, it’s Captain Lorrig who’s doing the negotiations, but I’m still in charge of telling my superiors what a great deal I made!... even if I wasn’t the one who made it.”

I laughed lightly for a moment and said, “Well then, shall we get down to business? I’m not a big fan of wasting time.”

Captain Lorrig nodded and said, “Yes, let’s get to it. Not big on formalities myself.”

“To start off with, why don’t you tell me what you’re looking for?” I asked coolly.

“Alright,” said Captain Lorrig, “We’re looking to essentially re-establish the deals we had with the previous leaders of your group, particularly regarding the tower.”

“Forgive me, but I’m not exactly privy to the details of those old deals. I doubt my predecessor knew about them and anyone who might have known left when he took over…” I said calmly.

“That would be because everyone who did know were either personnel lent by us or a severe threat to Mr Brunner’s rule. They all left when he appeared with his own hired enforcement squad – whether to avoid death or because they were recalled.” Said the Captain plainly.

“Oh? They’re still around? I was under the impression that Vos simply killed them off…” I muttered with barely veiled interest, “Especially due to the lack of names other than those still present or Vos’s personal hires, I never came across anything explaining where the original elites went or who they were.”

“I can explain that too,” said Captain Lorrig, “I had our agents destroy various records on the way out to make things more difficult for Mr Brunner. This explains the holes in your knowledge of both the original members and the deals that were made… honestly, I was surprised the group didn’t collapse earlier.”

I nodded and said, “Indeed, it was on the verge of collapse when I got there… I doubt it still would have been around if I arrived on the scene even a few days later. It took an entire week to right the policies he implemented and we still have outstanding debt. If I hadn’t so quickly become an object of fear among the men the collectors would probably have finished us off already.

As it stands, I have yet to buy the people of my domain back from his negative influence. Most of our prior business ventures have disappeared into thin air and we have virtually zero income. I’ve honestly been considering taking out the people we owe since it would actually be easier despite the low survival rate than repaying them at any point in the foreseeable future.”

“Who exactly do you owe money to?” asked Captain Lorrig.

“No idea,” I said without care, “I couldn’t find anything detailing who was owed what and when… suppose that’s thanks to your agent’s efforts?”

“Probably…” said Captain Lorrig before giving a slight bow of the head, “I apologise-”

“No need,” I said nonchalantly with the wave of a hand, “I doubt I’d have gained my position otherwise. If Vos weren’t in such a fragile position I doubt he’d have submitted to me so easily… If anything, it was his unstable state of mind that made him so vulnerable and easy to manipulate.”

Captain Lorrig smiled and said, “I think I suddenly understand that whole thing humans say how about stepping on a butterfly can cause a tropical storm. Truly a knock-on effect.”

I smiled lightly and said, “So, do you plan on filling me in on the details of these deals you once had with my predecessors anytime soon?”

“Oh right,” spluttered Captain Lorrig, “Yes, let me get the documents that our side kept.”

He activated the holographic interface built into the desk and typed away for a moment, bringing up several documents. Once he finished bringing up documents he looked up and said, “Here I have the details of the past agreements made with your predecessors, as well as a list of names of the former elites of your clan… I can point you in the right direction for some of them, but you’ll be on your own for most of them since we were occupied with other things.”

“Whether I follow up on them or not is my choice then?” I asked with a weak smile.

“Yes,” said Captain Lorrig with a business smile, “This list of names will serve as your starting point and I can guarantee the reliability of this list… I’m giving this to you as thanks, the rest of this meeting will occur under a strictly-business environment.”

I grinned and said, “So be it.”