Was this a trap Naffur asked
Mrs Hamilton pressed her fingers against the table splayed out as wide as they could go She studied the empty spaces her pale fingers and the dark wood between them Her gaze went unfocused as her image activated Her fingers licked at a massive pattern churning beneath the table the ground and the entire area of populated Expira Her pupils dilated as she pushed deeper She scooped up a metaphorical palmful of that pattern the breath of the massive Nether organ that the Ghosthound planted within ExpiraÆs core Her eyes began to burn at the edges as her web traced subtle connections
Along came a grey spider whose legs ended in whispers and its mouth held a bleak picture of the future It glided down through the gossamer connections searching for the truth and devouring any lies it encountered making that future it held even emptier and more sinister Yet the rush of information was too unfamiliar too massive and wet and sticky All those connections rose and dragged her down forcing her to retreat to the image world she that suffered in the spiderÆs mouth
Stark scarecrow humanoids stuttered around steaming piles of yellow tar carrying small iron cups Long lines stretched as far as the eye could see beginning in squat entrances to their underground ziggurats and ending amongst the dwindling liquid resources of the world Their faces were stiff and beige more mask than mediums of expression They found small puddles that seemed less infectious than others and dipped their metal cups into the liquid They brought the liquid up to their lips and drank
Several seconds later Mrs Hamilton shuddered as she returned to herself All three of the others looked at her in concern but she waved a hand Sometimes pulling too deeply with my image can have consequences But to answer your question I cannot tell Using the Nether is still too new to me But even if it wasnÆt Annie will find them the White Hunter cannot be escaped only delayed And at that time they will be ready
But so will we Tatiana observed The group nodded
Chapter 1917
I wish to become more involved in sharing the Hierarchy of Burden for the Ghosthound
Raymund Ballast paused in his training and looked up at her Charlotte Wick kept her gaze firm trying not to dwell on how rusty and raw her voice sounded even to her own ears She couldnÆt remember the last time she had spoken to another person for the past several months she had gotten away with nods and grunts All she had to do was participate in training and no one thought anything was wrong
Even though her recent drawings
Charlotte quashed that train of thought immediately afraid something desperate would show on her face After looking at her for a long moment RayumundÆs long tongue flicked out and licked his lips Without answering he resumed his slow movements through his combat forms The powerful tendons of his arms bulged a testament to the strain he endured
Charlotte felt something black and needy twisting in her heart but she didnÆt push him The leader of the Vulpis Squad stood in one of the newly erected gravity chambers on the island HeiffalÆs group had been hard at work for the last week carefully drawing the Engraving arrays copying the original model made by the Ghosthound himself Even compared to the Hierarchy of Burden these arrays were painful not only did they grind down your physical power but they also reflected any poorly controlled images back on you making the training process even more difficult
For a variety of reasons Charlotte didnÆt dare expose herself to image reflection She knew how that would end the facade of everything being fine would be torn right down So instead she wanted a larger share of the Hierarchy of Burden
She felt like she was falling behind as the others started using the gravity chambers And that filled her with fear
Seeing that Raymund didnÆt dismiss her out of hand Charlotte eventually gave in to her need and spoke again Although it is difficult for me to control my body underneath the HierarchyÆs influences my image is uniquely suited for keeping my recovery fast The Primal Force IÆve cultivated keeps me healthy even through the radiation I think I should
Your image has changed recently Raymund rumbled still with his slow and even movements But what was particularly impressive was that he released not a hint of his image as he spoke The training here had benefited their leader immensely
She felt so small next to him When had Raymund Ballast changed from the awkward Vulpine to this confident man Why did he sometimes feel so much like the Ghosthound to her that it hurt because even thinking about the Ghosthound made her remember the sight of HelenÆs ribs folded open like a cruel child playing with a birdÆs wings
CharlotteÆs words caught in her throat both from the image she vigorously tried to suppress and his words She felt like a fish that had leapt out of a stream and been caught by the tail mid jump by an intent fisherman She did her best to rearrange those words without allowing the caustic blackness to leak into them She scrubbed them frantically with her tongue before releasing them After everything that happened I want my image to be a bit broader
You cannot see Helen anymore so you draw her with your whole soul into yourself RaymundÆs low voice hit her like a physical blow Horrific wings of bone and pulped organ spread wide in a horrid mockery of beauty Charlotte felt seen and exposed and hated every second of it But HelenÆs image was one of blood and danger merging it with your Primal Force is complicated
ItÆs the Path I want to walk CharlotteÆs voice came out in a whisper Her own image groaned its nascent bloody wings already formed But as she spoke she also remembered HelenÆs glorious and scowling A memory floated to the surface of her mind
It was back during their training days with Helen standing with her hip jutted out She wagged a finger at a trainee that had just complained about the new gravity chambers for physical training Do you know the difference between you and the Ghosthound
Helen had jutted her chin out toward the central gravity chamber the largest one the one that hummed and glowed with so many layered Engravings that the ground in the staging asteroid began to corrode from the constant grind of power The one reserved personally for the Ghosthound HelenÆs eyes lit with pride as she spoke He walks straight toward hell without flinching Right or wrong in his methods he doesnÆt hesitate or complain once heÆs made a decision Now do you want to be well fucking you for the rest of your life or do you want to be like him The youngest Commander the Nexus has seen in hundreds of years
Fine
Charlotte blinked her awareness still murky with the memory the aching perfection of Helen She licked her lips Huh
IÆll talk to the Ghosthound RaymundÆs movements remained even but she sensed the slightest image fluctuation He had to grimace and bare his teeth as he stabilized himself then continued his training You will be allotted more of the Hierarchy of Burden But Charlotte We lost her too We all ache to have her gone If you ever need to talk just say the word We are here for you
His thoughts whirled around faster and faster He had felt that brief moment of alignment when it had all fallen into place That capacity for raw power was what he had fought against for so long using his Stats and Nether to make up for the difference It was his first genuine step toward that tier of image power
The first time refining an image would be the hardest Once YggdrasilÆs growth sped up the rest would naturally fall into place
Sighing Randidly sat crossed legged and readied himself Just in case he went again to that place of oblivion for the Penance just in case he lost track of time Then his attention went to the minute details of his body tracing the flow of blood and Nether that animated him He ironed out the smallest flaws seeking a circle of perfection within his form He breathed and the world breathed in answer
It was a fitting prelude