Instantly on contact with me, both pieces of metal had hundreds of thin and incredibly sharp pins exploding from the man's head. Even slowing down time wasn't enough to help me as I created a metal shield, but the pins ripped through it like paper. The head and the upper half of the man's body were shredded, and they even went through the table. The pins entered me, and I was turned into a literal pincushion, but my body just repaired the damage.
I ran another scan while being pinned and then absorbed all the metal into my body, scanning the platinum composition. As I did, I looked down at the mess of the body. I hadn't really thought it would work the first time, but this was much worse than I had expected, but at the same time very relieved that it was a problem that I could figure out. That is, with someone else's help that had a better understanding of magic, and this meant waking the sleeping snake, as Kilna would have me call her.
Walking over, I opened the door and walked inside to where Alizra was sleeping, and she woke up, nearly springing up, looking alert. I have been tracking her vitals and breathing from the bed, and it was clear to me she was sleeping before I came in. If that was actually the case, then this woman had excellent senses, making her all the more dangerous.
"How long was I asleep for?" she asked, straightening her torn dress. "I can't see outside, so I can't tell."
"Not quite the afternoon. There is a shower here and then clothes in the closet. They are nothing special, but they should be comfortable," I said, gesturing to both things, and then turned to leave.
"Are you going to be watching me while I do?" She asked, and I stopped, not turning.
"Just get cleaned and dressed. I was just filled with holes from one of the devices that are planted in the Mindless, and it tore the top half of the man's body into shreds. I need you to look at my findings and a symbol," I said in a flat tone, making Alizra let out a long sigh.
"Fine, I will be out shortly, but you better have things in the bathroom for me! I am a woman, and I have needs that need to be taken care of!" Alizra demanded, and I turned to give her a look as she stood with her hands on her hips. "Well, If you are not going to satisfy me with your body, at least give me products to make me look presentable!"
"Right," I said and created a small container that had all she would need for her morning care. Inside, there was shampoo and conditioner, body wash, lotion, toothbrush, floss, and even makeup. Alizra looked the items over with a raised brow and then took the bag into the bathroom, leaving me alone.
I sighed and walked back out of the hut to the table, and then started cleaning up what was left of the corpse. After that, I just watched as my drones flew around me of their own volition. I could send information to them if I could see them with a laser. I beamed at them in this area, but I couldn't keep a direct connection with them. I just had to send them orders, so it was interesting to see what they did on their own. I assumed that they would just fly in patterns, but that wasn't the case, as it seemed like they were examining all the areas for something specific. I had programmed them to look for anything magical, and so far, that is what it seemed like they were doing.
The door opened, alerting me to Alizra's return, and I turned to see her in a black hooded coat that was of low quality but comfortable. She also was wearing new jeans, instead of the ripped dress, with boots she must have found in another closet because she didn't have those on when she went into the bathroom.
"Better?" Alizra asked, arching an eyebrow, and I nodded my head.
"Much better, now let's get started," I said and gestured to the table where the scans and holographic image floated in the air. "I want you to take a look at this. There are two implants in his ears, each having the same symbol on the inside. From the scan, I can tell that the majority of the material making up the objects is platinum, and there is a small amount of chaotic energy within it. Have you ever seen this before?"
Alizra stepped forward, looked over the hologram closely, and then shook her head no. "No, I haven't. It isn't any standard glyph that I have ever seen in my time learning magic or even living in the city. This is a custom-made piece that someone made specifically. The symbol looks like a letter 'r' but without the bow at the end of it."
"Could it be a mark of a person? Like a mage's rune?" I asked, pushing the hologram closer to her face.
"Maybe, without more information, we can only guess what it is. Are there any other markings or symbols around the area that could give us clues about who put it here?" Alizra asked, looking over the room now and finally out the window to the skyline outside.
"Nothing that I noticed; I found them buried deep inside his ear canal," I replied, and Aliza nodded her head slowly.
"Interesting. I wonder how Keith is getting them in there and controlling them with it? From this... very clear image of the inside of the Mindless head... I don't understand how a single glyph could completely control a person? I know how to control a person, but it is not just a single glyph. It requires at least four just to control an animal that has barely any resistance. I think there must be more to this than just magic and maybe even Numerian Tech," Alizra said, and I nodded.
"That is what I thought, but how can we find someone that can read this glyph? You are the head of the Mages Council, so I assumed that you would know what it was. If you don't, then you must know someone that does, right?" I asked, and she nodded.
"Yes, I do, but she is part of the Kaido Family. Considering what you would be asking, that might be asking for trouble," Alizra warned, but I all but ignored her as I watched a woman approach the front gates of the wall that surrounded the warehouse.
"Keep thinking about that, and I am going to go see who my guest is," I said, and then turned and left as Alizra just stared at me in frustration.