Bjorn watched intently as Tanisha winced, bracing herself for some dramatic transformation. Seconds passed, but nothing happened. Her tightly shut eyes fluttered open, and she gave herself a once-over, her expression shifting from apprehensive to confused. There were no immediate changes, no surge of power, no physical shifts. She stood and examined herself further, patting her arms and legs to confirm that everything was intact.
Bjorn stood too, his many heads tilting as he observed her from every angle. One head leaned in close, tasting the air for any trace of change in her magic, aura, or scent, but everything about her seemed the same. Just as he was about to shrug it off, he heard a faint crack and felt something hit one of his heads before clattering to the ground.
He looked down and saw a shard of something pale and delicate, it was part of Tanisha's tiara, what wendigo females called their antlers. Her hands flew to her head in alarm, fingers frantically feeling for the broken section. When she found it, her face crumpled with distress.
"Big Man?" She whimpered, her voice trembling as tears threatened to spill. "I'm not going to lose my tiara, right?"
Bjorn's chest tightened. He had never seen her so distraught about her appearance before. He knew wendigo prized their antlers, but he hadn't realized just how deeply they valued them. Since Tanisha had grown hers, they had become the focal point of most compliments she received from her people. Even back when she was mistaken for a demon, she'd secretly preened every time someone's gaze lingered on them.
Bjorn hesitated, unsure of how to comfort her. Even if he could talk he wouldn't know what to say, but before he could muster anything, another piece of her antlers snapped off and fell to the ground.
Tanisha's gasp was sharp. She crouched down to pick up the second tine, cradling it in her hands like something irreplaceable. Her lips trembled as she stared at it, the devastation in her eyes almost unbearable to witness. She took a deep breath, then another, trying to steady herself. For a brief moment, it seemed like she might compose herself and accept the loss. But then, with a cruel inevitability, another tine broke loose and tumbled to the floor.
That was the breaking point. A sob burst from her, unbidden and raw. She sank to the ground, clutching the broken pieces of her antlers as tears streamed down her face.
Bjorn lowered himself beside her, his frame a comforting presence even as he felt helpless. He leaned one of his heads close, nuzzling her shoulder in a gentle, wordless gesture of support. Whatever was happening to her, he would stay by her side until they figured it out and if there was a way to fix it, he would ensure they found it.
"Tanisha, are you okay?" Fuyumi asked.
The young girl was so distraught she couldn't even form words; she only held out the broken tines so Fuyumi could see them. Fuyumi didn't seem to understand and neither did Aurelius when he came to check on her. Just like Bjorn they weren't sure what to say or do other than ask if she was alright or in pain. It took a few minutes for Tanisha to compose herself. When she opened her eyes, everyone noticed the change.
Her eyes were the same as Bjorn's, they already shared the golden color and now they also shared the vertical slit pupils. If she weren't in the process of trying to compose herself, she would look quite menacing. It took a few minutes for her to calm down.
"I am alright everyone." Tanisha said. "What did you see from Bjorn using his UCP?"
She obviously didn't want to talk about what just happened and Fuyumi took the hint.
"It's like I thought." Fuyumi said. "It is essentially a far more precisely guided cultivation method. Most cultivators would kill for something like that. What did you see, Aurelius?"
"I didn't see much, I could feel the power around him in his aura then it was gone like he used it in a spell." Aurelius said. "My magic perception didn't let me pick up much more than that."
"So, does that mean that your training will help me?" Tanisha asked.
"Yes, we will need to open your other gates as soon as possible so we can start you on the path to enlightenment." Fuyumi assured her. "Will you be alright to go back to the room we cleared out yesterday in an hour? We still need to find a way to stop what is going on above us."
Tanisha nodded. "I will be fine, we can go whenever you are ready."
***
The second door was to the barracks if the sign was to be believed. Bjorn along with everyone else prepared themselves. He and Aurelius took point while Tanisha and Fuyumi were on either side of the door. Remembering that the room was supposedly dark Bjorn decided he would try something he hadn't had the chance yet. It started with his new forth head then all of his heads followed and breathed out what looked like liquid shadow which covered his body.
Tanisha placed a hand on the scanner and in a moment the door opened with a smooth slide. Bjorn and Aurelius rushed in first. Aurelius had his shield high ready to deflect any projectile and Bjorn simply vanished into the darkness. The shadows in the room simply swallowed him as if he were part of them, even making him translucent.
Shadow Concealment
Primana Cost: Variable
(I) Cloak yourself in shadow magic, blending into dim or dark environments to hide your presence. Movement is undetectable to non-magical senses. (II) Deepen the shadow cloak, concealing even magical traces of your presence and blending with shadows in moderate light. Shadows will also muffle the sound around you making you harder to detect. (III) Unknown.
"Okay this is pretty cool." Failsafe said, the head he controlled bobbing up and down. "I didn't think it would make us invisible."
Bjorn looked around the room for any signs of motion or traps. He didn't see anything dangerous and thanks to his natural ability to see in the dark he could make out the entire space. It was as the sign said; a barracks. There were the destroyed golems on the ground from Tanisha's first encounter but beyond them were the pods. There were hundreds of them arranged almost like an arena in a bowl shape.
"It seems more powerful than what the shadow wolves had." Bjorn noted.
"Of course we are a True after all." Failsafe's words came full of pride.
Tanisha and Fuyumi entered the room a breath after Aurelius and Bjorn.
"I guess after we left the first time the lights turned on." Tanisha said as she looked around.
"There aren't any lights in here." Aurelius said.
Bjorn looked at Tanisha and saw that her eyes had a shine to them. It was faint but she must have gained his ability to see in the dark so the changes to her eyes weren't just cosmetic. Tanisha seemed to come to the same conclusion while Aurelius put mana into his sword causing it to glow. Bjorn continued to walk the space as a silent predator. He knew that just because he hadn't seen anything didn't mean there was nothing to be afraid of. They were attacked once, who's to say it wouldn't happen again.
As he walked he again felt the pull of the world shifting around. Past and present blending together and soon he was Isin as he had been so long ago. He was sitting on one of the open pods holding a cup and laughing with the expedition members. The expedition team was celebrating their survival, their voices raised in cheer and relief. Plates of food and drinks were passed around, a feast of triumph. Isin glanced down at his cup, draining the last of its contents to the raucous jeers of his companions.
"Today, we start our lives as free men!" Isin declared, his voice rising above the din. "Drink and eat—you've all earned it! The replicators won't be shut down by some divine bastard here!"
"Isin," a soft voice called, cutting through the revelry.
He turned to see Eliska standing nearby, her hand extended toward him. Her cheeks were faintly flushed, her expression serious yet warm.
"Can I speak with you? In private." she said.
Isin blinked, his focus momentarily hazy from the alcohol. He noticed the subtle blush on her cheeks, and so did the others. A knowing murmur rippled through the group.
"Why don't we grab more drinks, guys?" Martin said quickly, his tone teasing but tactful as Eliska shot him a warning glare.
The group scattered, their laughter trailing away as they moved, taking the party with them. Eliska took Isin's hand, leading him up the stairs between the pods to the highest level. They stopped at a railing overlooking the lower floor—a mezzanine that offered a clear view of their companions celebrating below.
Isin's gaze drifted to Eliska, unable to help himself. Without her combat armor, dressed only in the snug under-armor she wore beneath, her figure was far more striking than he'd realized. He caught himself staring longer than he intended. His gaze met her eyes. There was a smirk planted firmly on her face.
"Like what you see commander?" Eliska teased as she looked over his body just as well. "Come on, join me, look. We came a long way thanks to you. I am sure we'd all be dead right now if you didn't do what you did."
Her words sobered him instantly. He stepped closer to the railing, leaning on it beside her. His eyes traveled down to the men and women below, the ones they had saved. Once slaves, now free men and women, they celebrated their liberation with joy that seemed almost surreal. The Angels couldn't touch them here, the storms would strip the aether from their bodies if they tried.
"It was all of us, Eliska," Isin said.
She leaned on Isin's shoulder. "Ever since I was taken from my village I always knew I would die not as a person but as some number, someone with no value beyond work and breeding new slaves to take my place." Her voice began to falter. "But, this… freedom, its not something I could have ever imagined. Not from Nuriel. Not from them."
"I know, they stripped us of everything. You don't have to worry about their machinations anymore." Isin said as he put his arm over her. "We are not the slave race as they called us and this," he looked over the fourteen people down near the fabricator celebrating their freedom. "This is just the beginning. I promise you."
Eliska didn't reply, but she leaned closer into his embrace. For the first time in her life, she believed. Isin turned to her and their eyes met. Slowly, he raised a hand to her face, his fingers brushing her cheek with a tenderness that felt foreign yet natural. Isin leaned in, closing the distance between them. Their lips met in a simple kiss—soft, unhurried, and sincere.
***
Bjorn blinked his eyes finding himself at a large flat device in the middle of the room there was a panel for someone to place aether into. He made himself visible and hissed loudly to get Tanisha's attention. She ran over to him and looked at the device.
"Another one? Are you sure about this one, Big Man?" Tanisha questioned.
Bjorn nodded a few of his heads and she told everyone to get ready she was going to put aether into another console. They formed a defensive line to prepare for any sudden attack. As soon as they were all in place she powered the console and a bright light blinded everyone.