Turned out, stepping up from Pegasus to Hydra souled had done more than buff my toughness.
While those attributes had told some of the story, they’d left off the raw regeneration I now had.
I stared at the regrowing flesh of my hand with a certain amount of horror and an equal amount of fascination.
When Sidhe had said she wanted to see what I could do, I’d expected to cast a few spells, and maybe have a friendly spar. Emphasis on the friendly.
“You cut off my hand.” There was a great deal less panic involved in that statement than there might’ve been once. In fact, it carried more curiosity than anything. Honestly, at that point, having my hand cut off barely bothered me, for all that I could feel the pain. It was a lot better than burns.
“And it’s returning without you having to cast a single spell. Better than I expected, though you’re rather weak for a Hydra-souled. Even one as focused on spells as you are.”
“We’ve got spells for that.” My words were automatic, my attention remaining on my hand. It felt disturbing in a way it never had when using a spell. Ironic. Healing with magic felt more natural.
Even if I’d known Hydra-souled possessed incredible regeneration, it was different when it was my own body.
“If you wish to truly stay safe, you will find a compatible sacrifice that allows you to regrow your head. Then you will practice losing it.”
“That… is some of the most disturbing advice I think I’ve ever received.” And considering some of the things my old man and his friends had suggested when I was a kid, that was a high bar.
“If I’d done so, I might have saved myself and the others.” Sidhe stared into the distance for a second before shrugging. “Or perhaps not. Felor is a Dragon-souled.” Then she kneeled down and picked my hand up from the empty stone courtyard where we’d been sparring before tossing it over. “Hold it to the stump.”
Considering how much of my wrist had already regrown, I wasn’t sure of the purpose. Not until I did as she asked. The flesh on both sides… unwound was the best way to phrase it. As if both my hand and my arm were two bundles of wire instead of flesh and bone. They snagged onto each other, retwining until my hand was sucked into place. There was a disquieting grinding noise and then… nothing. Just the blood staining the sleeve of my robe.
“Interesting.”
“Does that not happen for everyone?”
“Everyone gains improved healing. Not everyone retains enough sense of self to re-incoporate their fallen flesh. It’s a good sign. If someone attempts to decapitate you and they don’t ensure they maintain distance, you could likely replace your head even without additional healing.” Even as she spoke, she was rubbing at her own neck.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only one who remembered being decapitated. Honestly, if I had the choice, I’d never have it happen again. But she was right. With the Pillars falling, monsters raining on our heads. and hostile actors moving in the shadows, being able to keep my head on my shoulders would be useful.
We ended our outing not long after, both lost in our own thoughts. The next day I received a full report on Perth’s father, Aranor. And the rest of the family. Even Perth and Nexxa. One that included both our preparations to leave and the subsequent trip through the City on the Water.
After ascending to Hydra-souled, things were surprisingly peaceful for the next couple weeks. My System would periodically update, giving me minor additions I could display, as well as raising my access to Class-4 Citizen. Which was still less than Utility Access had granted me.
The biggest event during those two weeks was a pair of messages from Terra Vista’s Risen council. Arriving just a day after I’d ascended, the first was a formal apology from someone named Astralis.
It is with great regret that I send these words. I have been informed of our delegation’s egregious overreach.
I have sent some research with this letter that I hope helps your mages undo the crimes of my fellow council member.
Let it be known that not all upon this council condone such actions. Should you ever visit the High Council in Central, know you will have at least one ally.
Astralis.
Their promise of research turned out to be true. They’d send it over on paper enchanted to incinerate if anyone other than I read it.
A bit inconvenient, that. Still, I made notes for our research team and didn’t think much of it.
Then the second letter arrived. It was decidely more hostile.
That you would commit such vile blasphemy as to convert my great-grandchildren into living bombs is beyond unbelievable. And then to hold them hostage to force my house’s hand?
We do not negotiate with such terrorists.
Despite never having met you, you are still one of the most cowardly and despicible men I’ve had the displeasure of…
The insults continued for another two pages before anything resembling a point emerged.
Should you ever set foot on Terra Vistan soil again, know that I have issued a warrant for your immediate arrest. If you had any honor in your twisted heart, you would return my great-grandchildren in good health and present yourself for judgment. Your trial will be swift but fair, unlike what you have done to my beloved great-grandchildren.
While I do not foresee you developing a spine, know that I shall give you three months before I will be forced assume the worst for my great-grandchildren. At that time, House Fores’thall shall call for war.
Matriarch Halina Fores’thall.
Yep. That hostile.
I noted she called them her great-grandchildren despite being their aunt. Wasn’t sure if she was trying to play up the family angle or if there was a more disturbing answer to that one.
Sidhe confirmed both letters came from different factions on the council. While the first seemed friendly, Sidhe assured me Astralis was a polician to his core. Also, a dragon-souled. One of three on Terra Vista’s new Risen council. A big change from before the Bladesinger conflict.
On the plus side, Sidhe was reasonably sure the Matriarch only had enough political capital to gather support for a ‘light military action’. Considering they’d sent two Djinn-souled as ambassadors, I wasn’t enthusiastic about finding out what ‘light military action’ might mean.
We should’ve been focused on rescuing people. Instead, I had to worry about a bunch of greedy elves invading.
At least Thozgar and Starbreaker had both given me assurances about my freedom, if I were to present myself to Central. Thozgar’s had come with the promise of a… gift, one that meant his assurances weren’t just words of support.
The second letter had arrived at what should’ve been an auspicious moment for an unrelated reason.
Now, as the second of the Shield-class airships rose into the sky, fully clad and ready for travel, it wasn’t thoughts of people who it would rescue that filled my mind.
Instead, I wondered how quickly it could carry me to Central Command.
We’d been forced to mix up the schedule for Memory Palace, yet two weeks meant we’d had months to talk and plan.
Our team of experts had made remarkable progress on the soul-bombs. It helped that we were able to extract one of the ascension sarcophogi and retool it.
I hadn’t even been involved directly.
It was a little terrifying discovering we had people with that sort of expertise doing random research on pickled tubers of all things, but at least the kids were free. Partiallly. Free from the immediate threat of death anyway. They still had bombs in their souls that would detonate if they left Aeternia without the right key from their matriarch. But she couldn’t remote detonate them. And they wouldn’t blow up if they stubbed a toe or lost an arm.
Doing the grimoire for them with Bevel had been a fun little side project. I’d had to explain it wasn’t technically, a grimoire, since it wasn’t bound to any of them. Considering we were giving it to a bunch of inexperienced kids from an enemy faction, it only had one ‘attack’ spell, the non-lethal Spark.
Even so, the kids were excited, standing with Bevel on the other side of Mount Aeternia’s peak.
As I looked at them, I realized they were about the same age as Perth… so maybe it wasn’t fair to call them kids. Considering how sheltered they’d been, it felt appropriate.
“Thank you,” Starbreaker said from behind me. We hadn’t spoken much since the night Bahama beat him into the ground. “For seeing to the children.”
“They’re not out of the woods, not yet.” My attention shifted to the rising shape of the new airship, Iron Curtain.
I’d thought it would be similar to Shield of Aeternia. And it was, in that it was an airship held aloft by lighter than air gas, and therefore was a big long tube with a living space along the bottom. The Iron Curtain had a slimmer profile though. Longer, with a great number of fins along its hull. Today was its shakedown run, so we wouldn’t know until they’d finished, but Inertia expected it to be at least twice as fast as its sister ship. Lower carrying capacity too.
Starbreaker stepped forward, his green on green armor contrasting against the stone of the pier, returning my attention to him and our conversation. “I’m aware they need more help. That’s why I’m coming with you, you twig. My sister won’t listen, but there are others who respect me. And those who’ll see she’s crossed a line.”
“Tomorrow.” Despite being the one to say it, it felt too soon. But while Starbreaker hadn’t spoken to me over the prior weeks, he and Sidhe had several long conversations. He was certain he could save the kids and forestall any military action.
If I went with him.
He suspected the Risen council wouldn’t allow the trial his sister wanted, though he hadn’t offered Sidhe a guarantee. Which is why there was one of the Home Spark’s spell engines hidden inside Iron Curtain. It was only one of dozens of precautions we were taking.
The other big one would be picked up in Spellford. Thozgar had instructions to arrest me, but if I was already being escorted to Central by Starbreaker… well, it wasn’t like he’d be expected to arrest me again.
Iron Curtain picked up speed as we remained on the pier. It didn’t seem that fast but it took less than a minute to disappear out of sight as it shot along over the high road. And that was with my fully augmented Eagle Eyes.
“An impressive design. I know people who’d trade their left arm for the secrets of its construction.”
I didn’t bother to hide my snort. “There aren’t any secrets involved. Just a combination of magical artifice and mundane knowledge. Spellford’s libraries even have examples of similar ships.”
Ari had read about them. Terra Vista’s crafters saw it as too Altean, which was roughly the equivalent of being too plebian.
“Maybe. Doesn’t make them worthless.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.” Considering how ‘leaky’ Sidhe told me Inertia’s forgeworks were, anything we got out of selling the design would be pure profit. Most part designs were spreading for free. Only the granitas engine remained somewhat secret. And Conflict would give the original design away to anyone who earned a favor. Thankfully, the Iron Curtain’s hadn’t been passed by the mercenary devil.
I flexed my hand, the one Sidhe had cut off, thinking of how easy to earn that first favor now. Wouldn’t be that dangerous for one of the Fores’thall’s people to earn one. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if they had scholars who could beat one of Conflict’s rollerbugs. Not if they could elevate a bunch of kids to Pegasus in a month.
The Iron Curtain returned from its shakedown run an hour later. Starbreaker and I stood together in silence until Bevel and her new friends joined us.
Their excitement at both their spells and getting to watch the airship launch was palpable. And just being able to be outside.
The airship came in to dock at the pier, Inertia stomping her way out through the rubbery material they’d used in place of a typical door. No air loss, and way less time to pass through. Watching her emerge reminded me of the grabby oil from by citizenship test, though less cloying.
“Fast.” Inertia didn’t stop there, whistling and hissing away as she sang the Iron Curtain’s praise. There was only one issue, a warmth enchantment that had been cooling instead. They’d addressed it in flight, not even slowing.
I toured it with Starbreaker, showing him the luxurious guest quarters, the high pressure showers and the hot tub that looked over the greenspace. The greenspace mostly consisted modified variants of the roots from the mats. The roots synthesized any nutrients they couldn’t get from their environment using nature and mist mana. Which meant that’s all we needed to maintain a lush environment that doubled as a garden.
Since going into Terra Vista with anything other than a leisure craft was illegal for someone accussed of ‘Criminal Interference with the Workings of the State’ we’d gone all in on every luxury we could. If some of the enchantments only needed a couple adjustments to change their purpose… well, that was just a happy coincidence we weren’t going to talk about.
“You know boy, you could trade one of these for a great deal. Especially if you only made one a year.”
“Well… that’s unlikely. You were there long enough, you saw us put it together.”
“Indeed. Two months to build a functional airship from nothing without specialized industry or spells… I’m not familiar with the trade, but it strikes me as impressive.”
“And they’re only getting faster.” Even with Inertia joining me on the trip, each of her apprentices, Bolt and Nails, were planning to build an airship on their own. If they pulled it off to her standards, she’d promote them. Or shove them into a tube and fire them into a volcano. My understanding of Forgespeak still wasn’t perfect, and Tresla had been busy when we were talking about it.
Speaking of our friend who sometimes found time to serve as Inertia’s translator, Tresla was waiting for us when we reached the observation deck at the front of the ship. There was an enchantment worked into the transparent material that hid the seams, making it look like a single piece of glass despite being a reinforced set of thousands of hexagons. With the reinforcement enchantment running, the material could take ten minutes of direct fire from Nexxa. It wasn’t even the enchantment that failed. After that much of a beating, the airship’s entire mana store was depleted.
A lot of the window had been my design, so I’d been especially proud of it. Right up until Nexxa moved to the side and ripped the whole thing out by its mounts with a second Order magnetism spell.
That’d been solved easily enough, but it’d proved the point. The window was over-engineered.
“Perry,” Tresla said by way of greeting when we arrived. “Starbreaker.”
“Lightsinger Tresla.” Starbreaker said, giving her a bow, bending at nearly ninety degrees, his green-on-green robes brushing the floor. More respect than I’d seen him give anyone.
Honestly, I’d been starting to suspect he was alergic to respect.
“Ah. You’re that Starbreaker.”
“Wait, there’s more than one Starbreaker? I thought that was your name?”
There was a glint of red from beneath Tresla’s hood, followed by her musical laughter as Starbreaker straightened, sending me a glare. “Starbreaker is my title, boy. It means I hunt lightsingers who go wild.”
“That is… one interpretation,” Tresla said, drawing her pipe from her hood. “Another would be that you are the Myriad’s enforcers throughout Terra Vista.”
“I have seen the havoc your wild lightsingers can deal. Entire districts scoured clean by light.”
Tresla’s hood bobbed in an approximation of a nod. “I do not disagree. Wild ones are dangerous. But your targets are sent by the Myriad, aren’t they?”
“Only a lightsinger can easily find a lightsinger. Especially one who doesn’t wish to be found.”
“Again, I agree. Yet the Myriad do not only target wild ones.”
“And I do not hunt those. Those are the other Starbreakers.”
“As I said, you are that Starbreaker,” Tresla said, her voice gaining a hint of warmth. “Had I known, I wouldn’t have put so much effort into avoiding you.”
While they fell into a semi-awkward conversation, I inspected the enchantment on the viewing window, ensuring it was as it should be. Hopefully we wouldn’t need its emergency configuration, but confirming it was a small change away set my mind at ease. Especailly since, of all my family, only Calbern would be coming with me.
In theory, I’d be returning to see them for an hour or two every day. But we hadn’t tested Home Spark at long range. And even if it worked as it was supposed to… my eyes drifted to Starbreaker’s sword. A Djinn-souled who hunted Tresla’s people when they went wild.
I hadn’t known about either part.
There was an entire world of threats I barely understood. It’d be the height of arrogance to think I’d seen half of what Ro’an had in store.