As she turned away from the window to set down her cup of tea she paused Streams of moss spirits flowed up and out toward that burning sky in a wide convoy However considering she had meetings with the Founding Day planning board and then with the stubborn Alonso Trey Tatiana didnÆt have the spare attention to investigate the moss spirits
At the very least she trusted them more than some of KharonÆs youth
So several hours later as Tatiana had on a nightgown and was curling up with a recently released semi fictionalized account of the SystemÆs arrival the lurching movement of the city underneath her caught her completely off guard The book tumbled from her grasp then was immediately snatched out of the air as her System enhanced Stats caught up with what was happening
She could feel Kharon vibrating beneath her in a way she didnÆt recognize
Wrapping a thicker wool robe around herself Tatiana hurried up to her balcony and then hopped up onto the roof She peered around fearing a new monster attack However his insight into the wellbeing of Kharon gave her no warnings
She quickly located the most eye catching sight in the night sky the moss spirits returned to Kharon in just as massive a group as they had left The only difference was
Well shit TatianaÆs eyes widened They are bringing back some of the energy he released Then
Claudette fussed with her necklace then reached up to touch her hair before forcefully stopping herself and squeezing her hands on her lap In her heart she could feel the desolate blade Clarent crooning softly to comfort her although the only way it could express itself was by corrupting and destroying Mentally she ran her awareness along the sharp edge of that blade and felt how deadly it could be
She had grown
But today was the day of her party The day that would determine the rest of her life They had made so many preparations but she felt no different than she had before not truly compared to the domineering determination of her father Her head felt hollow Her fingers felt so frail and thin as they twisted back and forth like paper cranes wrestling with one another
She stood up abruptly shimmying to adjust the fit of her dress before walking to a basin on the far wall of her room and splashing her face with water We have done so much more than I expected And now we just need to rely on our training What does Randidly always say We will succeed because failure means death
A knock at the door brought ClaudetteÆs head whipping around Her heart constricted but that knock was not the knock of her father She brought up a soft towel to dab at the remnant moisture on her cheeks checked her teeth for any lipstick marks and then turned around However her walk to the door became smooth and languid she felt the frigid edges of the storm that had decimated the Lizakh running through her veins
Even she was somewhat impressed by how calm and poised she seemed when she opened the door to a familiar face Ah Neshamah you arrived early
Neshamah Rex looked quite stunning with a sleek glittering silver dress She looked down at herself and then shrugged Yes well Although I donÆt think any of our targets will bother monitoring us there isnÆt any need to keep our alliance a secret I think itÆs best for us all to go together Yust should be along shortly And then when our fourth conspirer is here we will make quite the foursome eh Unless heÆs already waiting within
Unfortunately Claudette shook her head slightly It looks like Randidly will be slightly late So the three of us will have to proceed first
The disappointment that Claudette expected flashed across NeshamahÆs face the woman clearly wanted more time with Randidly But what she hadnÆt expected was the follow up eye roll That man is quite the diva Does he want to make a dramatic entrance at the eleventh hour to come to our rescue
I made him promise it wouldnÆt be a minute past the ninth Claudette replied feeling the tightness in her chest alleviate somewhat Although she was manipulating her body down to the smallest detail she believed her smile was suitably stretched between acceptance and tension Did you remember to bring your invitation
Neshamah nodded then flicked her wrist and produced two I even brought along YustÆs because you can never trust a Pinnacle Seeker to arrive on time
I heard that A deep voice rumbled from the hallway The tiger headed Colm Yust walked up and leaned against ClaudetteÆs doorframe wearing a burnt orange suit that brought out the liveliness in the fur that covered his face You realize that the myth that Pinnacle Seekers are always late was started by the NLC in the Fifth Cohort to justify the discrimination right
For a moment there was a strained silence as Yust looked intently at Neshamah and the woman lifted her chin stubbornly in response Then Claudette cleared her throat IÆm sure both of you would love to discuss the history of the Nexus but right now we have a party to attend
What about the Ghosthound Yust tilted her head to the side
Some of the casual ease with which Claudette was operating began to flake away She bit her lip He will be a little bit late but that just means he will miss the speeches portion of the party
Lucky bastard Neshamah muttered
Chapter 1853
Everyone ready Claudette asked the other two as they walked down the corridor Although most needed to go to the highest central point at the Nexus to use the portal to Alymian they approached one of the calm courtyards of the Beigon Estate to use a private entrance For whatever reason Claudette felt her spine straightening as she saw the brief hesitation that flashed across YustÆs face as she asked the question Her resolve firmed Knowing that she wasnÆt the only one who was worried about how this party would go make her feel slightly more in control
Although if he fails his teacherÆs rival will just continue to live without worry in the Nexus If ClaudetteÆs heart hadnÆt been encased in ice she might have felt dread as she considered the possible consequences Meanwhile if I fail
It has been quite a while since IÆve been to Alymian Neshamah said out loud Then she shook her head If IÆm being honest I donÆt like being there I know the experience is part of the appeal but that feeling of weakness still makes me uncomfortable
LetÆs do it quickly then Claudette said with false cheer There was a single spirit standing guard at the private entrance to Alymian absolutely still during their brief conference Only when Claudette stepped forward and offered the three invitations did the spirit raise its insubstantial arm and absorb the material Behind it a strange whirlpool of energy appeared in the air tinted at the edges by darkness while the central portion began to glow with a golden light
Claudette led the way stepping through the threshold She stepped through the doorway that would probably determine the rest of her life The transition was not an easy one
The process of heading to Alymian is akin to being squeezed by a vice so you can be stuffed through a keyhole ClaudetteÆs breath steadily escaped her mouth and nose forced out of her by the chaotic stream of energy that connected the two universes The Nexus was governed by one set of laws while Alymian was governed by another altogether much more strict set of laws The chilling song of Clarent began to steadily recede within her leaving Claudette with only her body and her dress All other excess had been compressed out of existence
In that brief moment of transfer Claudette had been reduced to almost a normal person The usual entrance tickets to Alymian would do exactly that completely suppress your connection to all of the various improvements that Aether allowed in your body Even your images were impossible to manifest
These invitations were a bit more forgiving The slightest echo of your images and powers remained Just enough that you couldnÆt forget what you had lost It would not all be posturing when a powerful individual arrogantly regarded the other attendees at the DonÆs party
Obviously travelers werenÆt permanently weakened you would regain access to all the benefits Aether had given you when you returned to the Nexus but many used Alymian as a way to separate themselves from their image so they could return and view what they had made with fresh eyes But at the moment the restriction only made ClaudetteÆs anxiety worse Upstodatee from