This was why from individual perspectives he seemed to be doing a poor job of running the Alpha Cosmos Because inevitably details slipped through the cracks when you worked on the scale of universes
On the one hand she could feel a rising storm amongst Randidlys and therefore also her own Nether Some of the energy needed to be smoothed out less it began to affect weaker Nether warriors Enmya performed the first of the six ritual actions required of him and Devick accepted the first layer of the Phaea As far as Neveah could tell the process would be like adding extra lanes to the highway on which Randidlys Nether had been running
Already his Nether Core had transformed into a cloudy bubble As the prodigious amount of Nether he contained could flow more smoothly that cloudiness would clear She wondered what would be waiting in the middle
Thats the scariest part of this Neveah reflected clenching her fist so her fingers didnt tremble Randidly has become so strong but he can still grow stronger cant he Her image quivered To many we will soon become the original fear Upon our backs will all the failings of the world be pinned
Sin eater scapegoat punchline The Legend continues to grow
Beyond that Neveah had to cope with the increasingly worried demands for information from the denizens of the Alpha Cosmos She knew that Tatiana and Naffur were handling even more communications but everyone in the Alpha Cosmos was aware Randidly engaged in a meaningful clash in the wider Nexus The echoes frothed the seas and swirled the clouds Vast electromagnetic storm fronts swept into civilized areas from the wild lands
Worst of all was the rare breed of Chimera now morphed further to become Homunculi that Randidlys image released upon the world The excitement of these powerups of the violence had sent them into a frenzy Donnyton had mobilized almost all of their active squads to seek out and subdue them before nonClassers were hurt
Neveahs eyes dropped once again to the pattern in front of her Her intuition for Nether lagged behind Randidlys but the broad strokes were the creation of a massive vacuum that would counteract the warping power of Pines gathered significance A vacuum attached to an iron that would somehow flatten out some of the deviations transforming Pine into a monster At least it would do so if fueled with enough significance
Yet the longer she looked the more worried Neveah became Because she and Randidly had been taught lessons over and over again about the hooks that came along with the gifts given by Yystrix She might have provided all the assorted Engravings here for their betterment but finding this final little twist hidden in the middle seemed to vindicate a more selfish impression of Yystrix At the same time
The working sat alone inert It had been carved into the ground but it would need to be traced with Nether in order to create an actual effect It only represented a possibility one they possessed full control over
Neveah rubbed the flesh of her upper arms She had spent so much time in this room over the past few years familiarizing and reviewing all the patterns present With her research in such a rich repository of ancient and complex Engravings she felt confident she had become one of the foremost experts in the Nexus without peer in the Alpha Cosmos Yet it was a profoundly isolating experience to reach such heights She didnt like to admit it but she had spent more than a little time imagining what it would have been like just to converse and to exist with Yystrix
Aside from Randidly and a few dear friends Neveahs relationship with Yystrix through these Engravings might be one of the most important of her life
Neveah looked again at the pattern honed for a particular purpose only possible to be fueled by a being who could almost rival Pine in significance She rubbed her arms again She leaned back and looked up toward the sky
Well her awareness and adaptability were always her most ominous qualities
Out of wariness for even the smallest pinch of Devicks energy Randidly maintained his Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons as he walked forward through the tunnel His heartbeat quickened as he felt little prickling nudges from the rust colored force as they proceeded behind Lady Iellaya and her elite troops Randidly felt his Nether Core humming in an unusual manner more and more Nether surging along his limbs He coated his skin with it trusting his energy to annihilate any foreign forces
When they exited the portal they stood in a familiar location the grand ballroom of Nexus Military High Command Randidly shook his head slightly At one point he had come here and been overwhelmed by the power possessed by these figures Their factions and alliances had been opaque to him before his association with Commandant Wick He had come to compete in the dance of the Masters pattern He had won and earned himself the opportunity he needed And now
Now everything had changed The ballroom was empty Trash and debris formed small drifts in the corner The complex marble patterns of the floor were split by a massive fissure The chandeliers had been taken down and in their place floated dozens of stone half arcs pivoting and swirling to corral the raw energy of the Grand Fates that the Actus Suprem had been able to drag out of her victims souls
However what made Randidlys mouth twitch in a gesture of exasperation familiarity and near disgust was when his eyes landed upon the figure of Actus Suprem herself She used the chaos of the crystal Aether collapse to execute a costume change Your flair for the dramatic is still aggravatingly consistent
Taking off the regalia of her Nexus position and wearing a simple cotton dress tch shes making fun of the other Devick isnt she How petty
Lady Iellaya gestured to several engraved pillars in a circle around the central portion of the ballroom The Actus Suprem recommends your subordinates do not pass across that dividing line
Charlotte Wicks eyes blazed but Raymund Ballast understood his role much more intimately Sir I believe we should at least send a small guard detail
No remain here at ease Ill handle our Actus Suprem Randidly shook his head and walked forward Immediately when he passed through the barrier created by the pillars the air behind him turned milky His much more attuned spatial sense let him feel the grip of the teleportation formation hidden in the carefully curated cracks on the ground but Randidly let it happen
His First Authority flexed and whined about how easily it could quash this interference but Randidly needed another conversation with Devick Not because he wanted to negotiate he had gotten a full understanding of her attitude earlier during their talk but because now he had a better idea of how historys momentum had begun to flow
However those thoughts were driven from his head as his skin prickled as he felt the energies settle and he found himself in another familiar ballroom This one was just as empty as the previous one but much more alarming to have been chosen by this Devick Because this ballroom was the ballroom of Devicks past This had been the place in the memory where Randidly had encountered Devick for the first time in the city owned by Devicks adoptive father before he had tried to trade her in order to protect his city
In oppressive silence Randidly walked up the stairs to the upper level of the ballroom He passed down the hall exactly as he had the first time in the memory accompanied only by his footsteps And when he reached that balcony where Devick had waited for him the Actus Suprem stood gesturing softly and manipulating the stolen Grand Fates
Should I be worried that you separated me from my subordinates Lady Iellaya gave her word they would not come to harm
Of course not If anything Im doing your subordinates a favor Devick looked up from her efforts and flashed a winning smile Just doing some light recruiting After all the tough fights youve put your people through I just figured they might consider following me for a bit
Randidlys jaw clenched but he had expected it his earlier at ease had been a signal for them to prepare for immediate combat He tried to ignore the Actus Suprems eyelash batting greeting and looked up at the mass of pain and loss she had rolled together