Canvas Town, Tseludia Station, Pantheonic Territory, Fifthmonth, 1634 PTS
I had almost expected events to calm down for a time, as if what had happened was enough for a week’s worth of happenings, but my thoughts were wrong, for the Celans instituted a large-scale offensive against the clan’s financial interests just a day after I returned to the sect. This time, fortunately, we were able to stay out of the conflict. I hoped matters would continue in that fashion for the foreseeable future.
It had not taken long after we sent our demands for the clan to provide us with the materials and funds they had promised, which had been doubled in exchange for returning Juen to them. This windfall was more than enough to pay for the treatment of the wounded survivors, and would also go a long way to assist with our debt, though I knew it was ultimately just a drop in the bucket.
“The biggest problem,” I said, seated in a chair inside of my office and glancing at Rachel, “is the loss of our teachers. Cinto was the best instructor we had, and our development will be greatly stalled without her. And Mung was a flickering practitioner of rare talent.”
I sighed. If we did not find qualified teachers soon, some of the disciples might fall into poor habits that would take far too much time and effort to rectify. It was a major problem, but one that did not have, it seemed, an immediate solution.
Rachel merely shrugged in response, as if the issue were unimportant.
“Genesis and flickering are the two most commonly used miasmas in the station. I’m sure we’ll be able to find someone else capable in their use before too long.”
“Still, we need to find someone as soon as possible. I want to maximize the disciples’ training time as best as possible. For now, let’s have Ran or Kein, or someone else assist with the genesis disciples in their extra time. You’ll have to do your best to handle the flickering disciples.”
Rachel smiled.
“Sounds good. I’ll do a search and find some prospects in the meantime. Personally, though, we have a bigger issue. Everyone knows that we’re housing Reth, now.”
While Irid and the rest had not left the bounds of the sect, many of our disciples have seen them. Though I trusted them not to knowingly betray us in most cases, both Rachel and I were aware that we had no ability to restrain this information from leaking. Thus, we had chosen not to even bother. It was better to present an image of not caring. Why should we have an issue with the Reth? We were unorthodox practitioners, after all. They were our natural allies. Still, it was not the calmest situation. I personally, was expecting waves to come eventually, due to the matter.
“It’s certainly bad for our public image in Canvas Town,” I sighed. Even many of the mortal Seiyal who were open to the idea of an unorthodox force drew the line at Reth. I found it an odd matter to fixate on, but such prejudices were never logical. Sunlit Hall’s propaganda was simply too insidious. Though the Ceirrans were a minority on the station, general societal views of the Reth remained, and both Rachel and I were unwilling to be the ones to tackle such a difficult societal hurdle. That was for others to handle. We simply wished to avoid it affecting our development.
“I think we can make it balance out with the benefits of exposing what happened and martyring Cinto,” replied Rachel, thinking about the matter. “I have a campaign set up for it already, and we’ll host the memorial tomorrow, once most of the wounded are back.”
I nodded firmly, approving of the action. I knew little about how to maintain public image, but I certainly understood how important a memorial service was. It was a necessity for internal cohesion, and would be a powerful tool for us to help strengthen the loyalty of the disciples.
“Has Nahalken replied yet?” I asked, shifting the subject once again. This was what it was like to be a sect leader, I had found. I simply needing to keep going down the list of tasks at hand, ensuring that all processes were underway. I could then delegate the work as much as possible, and spend the rest of my time refining my spirit or training my disciples.
I appreciated that aspect of the job, though I knew I was only so free because of how competent my partner and subordinates were. Rachel alone handled the work of at least five individuals.
Rachel shrugged.
“He offered to visit us for the memorial service, and said we could discuss the matter then.”
To give us time to reorganize and then visit our ceremony… it seemed he wished to give us face, I realized. This boded well for strengthening our partnership. It seemed that the Staiven businessman had taken it upon himself to learn more about my people’s customs.
“Good, that will give us another day to prepare. Does Ran have the business value projections the two of you were discussing?”
Rachel gave me a sly look as if to question whether I would be able to recognize such a report if I ever saw it. I felt no need to dispute the matter, as she was likely correct. I would never claim that the details of finances was my strong suit.
“It’ll be ready,” she said, before something shifted suddenly in her expression, an interested look forming in her eyes.
“You’ll wish to prepare yourself,” she said as she glanced off to the side.
“Did something happen?” By this point, I could tell when she wished to mention something to me.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“We have a visitor, presumably from the Depthists. Have you ever met a bloodspawn?”
I frowned. Why would a depthist be here, much less a bloodspawn? I had only interacted with the cultists once, and never with a member of that quite uncommon species.
“I can’t say I have. Are they already here, or just coming?”
“Already here. I had one of the disciples allow him in. They’re heading to a meeting room. It seems they wish to meet us.”
I stood, carefully smoothing my robes. On Tseludia, the Cult of the Depths held the position of an entrenched pillar of the underworld, and the strength of their organization rivaled that of my own. It was right for me to be in my own best condition before I met with their envoy. I made my way out through the hatch, heading to meet with this mysterious bloodspawn.
The bloodspawn in question had roughly the appearance of a Staiven man, if the Staiven was composed entirely of shades of red, and had empty sockets where his eyes would normally be. Red mist slowly dripped from its skin where a Staiven would exude liquids, and slowly fell towards the ground, fading into the air around it. Its physical features were largely similar with those of the Staiven, though they slowly shifted around his face, as if they were floating on currents or squirming away like bugs. It was sitting comfortably in one of the meeting room’s chairs, and turned its head to glance at Rachel and I. I noticed that its gaze was firmly locked onto her, and seemed to only be paying myself half attention.
“Has your goddess returned again with another prophecy about me?” I asked.
The previous time such an event had occurred, it had greatly aided us in finding out about the retirement facility. It could be said that the Depthists had preserved my life, as I doubted I would have been able to find the miasmic treasures that I needed in time without that aid.
“This time, we were not instructed by our Goddess,” explained the Bloodspawn. This one simply wishes to greet the children of Saaya who are present in this location.”
“Did Poluus send you?” I asked, thinking back to the prophet I had met at the black market over a month ago. He had seemed to be the man in charge of the local Depthist organization.
“I’m sorry to inform you, son of Ceirra, but the Prophet Poluus is dead,” responded the alien. “This one consumed him, you see. You may call this one Poluus as well.”
As a species, the Bloodspawn had a rather negative perception among the other races, in part because of the fact that they only acquired sapience after consuming the living body of another sapient individual. According to rumors, they also needed to consume the soul. Personally, I was able to take its words in stride. The fact that this alien had recently eaten the presumably living body of someone I had met perhaps might have made more of an impact if the original Poluus had struck me as more humanoid. In truth, he had been just as odd and creepy as the new one was. Their odd speech patterns were somewhat similar as well.
“I… see…” I replied hesitantly, unsure how to reply. “But you traveled all the way here just to meet with them? Forgive me if I suspect you of having an ulterior motive.”
That said, I wasn’t entirely against the idea of Poluus meeting with the Reth. I had heard from Rachel that this group of them followed some sort of odd hybrid religion and worshiped both Saaya and Delithia. They likely had plenty in common with the Depthists, and I doubted it would hurt just to let them have a conversation. In fact, perhaps I could take advantage of this opportunity to acquire leverage over the depthists. They had a moderately influential black market platform, after all.
Poluus shrugged.
“There is no recrimination to be had from us. But may it be said, that if this force of yours is in need, the Sanguine Depths will be there for you. A force containing both the children of Saaya and the mother is a precious thing, existing on the skein of permissiveness. It is so easily ruptured…”
It shrugged with a smile, and one of its eyeless sockets drooped slowly down its place, before a hand reached up to return it to its rightful place.
“I’ll consider your offer,” I said. Though I did not trust this alien, I would keep these words in mind. Perhaps one day I really would need to accept the offer.
“We’ll allow you to meet them,” said Rachel, and I glanced over to her in surprise.
While we had agreed to a partnership, I was nominally the sect leader, and had largely been acting as if I were the one in charge. It was very unusual for her to simply act without discussing it with me in advance. But it was fine, I supposed. I would trust her judgment on this matter.
“Will you call them in, then?” I asked.
She nodded.
“They’ll be here shortly.”
Quietly, on the opposite side of the table, Poluus burbled, a distinctly Staiven sound, though rather than the pungent odor I generally associated with the species, the bloodspawn had a much more coppery scent, and its intensity was not overpowering.
“Are you certain you are willing to be seen meeting this one?” it suddenly asked.
I paused for a moment and gave it a blank stare, incredulous at the question. Not only was it out of pocket, on the surface it seemed quite foolish. I doubted that the question was mere small talk.
“I believe it may be a bit too late to keep matters quiet,” I replied.
Indeed, if it had truly walked all the way here without a disguise, I could be sure that half the station would know that a bloodspawn entered the Redwater Sect. The creatures were rare and quite distrusted, though their reputation among the Seiyal was nothing compared to that of the Reth.
Poluus bared its teeth in what was perhaps an imitation of a smile.
“A shame. It seems this one must apologize.”
I narrowed my eyes. So it had been so blatant on purpose. Did the Depthists wish to pressure our organizations into a partnership, or simply trick outside forces into believing that we had? I could read little more from its appearance, and there was nothing I could do but sit and wait until the Reth arrived.
Bloodspawn: [It is actually unknown just where this odd race of creatures originated, for even they don’t know their origin. They have been spotted in various areas across the galaxy with seemingly no possibility of traversal, leading some scientists to believe their origin could either be the invention by a certain Osine or Ascendant, some type of extreme convergent evolution, or perhaps simply an oddity of nature. Bloodspawn are born as amorphous creatures without intellect, and only develop into sapient beings after consuming the body of a sapient mortal. They then develop an appearance vaguely similar to that of the race in question, but generally with a redder hue than the actual species. Despite not being humanoid nor possessing a progression system, Bloodspawn circulate sanguine miasma within themselves like a Celan circulates blood. While bloodspawn are not illegal existences like Shades, there is no known civilization willing to grant them citizenship, and they lack a civilization or even a culture of their own, as they are a rare species, reproduce asexually, and seem to possess little to no attachment to their own young. Though it does not seem to be a universal trait, many bloodspawn have been found to take on the name of the first sapient life form they consumed. Some depthist sects rear juvenile bloodspawn and feed them sapients, while others decry them as evil creatures which must be purged from the world.]