Chapter 79 – Choices and Chosen.

ALERT...

MASSIVE SECONDARY MANA SURGE DETECTED.

PREPARING DEFENCES...

 

ALERT...

DEFENCES INSUFFICIENT.

ENTERING FALLOUT MODE

ISOLATING SYSTEMS...

BACKUP ENGAGED...

 

--%$#%^. Redirect all axillary and non essential power to the anti-grav engines.--

Already done.

BRACING...

...

...

SCANNING...

ALL AUXILIARY SYSTEMS OFFLINE...

CORE SYSTEMS STILL ONLINE...

INITIATING EMERGENCY RESTART...

...

...

...

RESTART SUCCESSFUL...

...SYSTEMS BACK ONLINE.

...ENGINES RE-ENGAGED.

--That could have gone a lot worse.--

SECURITY CHECK.

...SYSTEMS SECURE.

...SECONDARY DEFENCES AT 63%

...PUPPET SYSTEM DAMAGED

.......ESCALATING PRIORITY.

...NO INTRUDERS DETECTED.

...DESIGNATION ANGEL NO LONGER DETECTED.

--Finally. Has she left any residual presence or backdoors?--

--No. Not that we can find.--

--Was she trying to take us out? Or just a side effect?--

--Unknown. I wouldn’t put anything past her though.--

INTEGRITY ANALYSIS...

INTEGRITY AT 70%

...URGENT REPAIRS NEEDED ON OUTER HULL, SECTORS 5-89 TO 7-43

...ENVIRONMENT UNFAVOURABLE TO INITIATE REPAIR PROTOCOL...

...INTERNAL MAINTENANCE SYSTEM AT 95%

...ALL OTHER ACTIVE SYSTEMS OPERATING OPTIMALLY

...FLIGHT ALTITUDE AT 254...

...ESCALATING PRIORITY...

......CORRECTING ELEVATION.

 

CHANNELLER SYSTEM ANALYSIS.

...MANA ABSORPTION AT 138%...

...MANA OVERFLOW ENGAGED.

......REDIRECTING TO SECTORS 5-60 TO 7-82

 

ARKCHILD ANALYSIS...

...SN-013(Fang) CONNECTED

...FF-027(Vlad) CONNECTED

...CV-118(Dark Wing) UNREACHABLE...

...RF-001[[M]] CONNECTED...

...CF-203(Spectre) CONNECTED

...CF-204(Kitsune) CONNECTED

...KF-099(Hope) CONNECTED

...SQ-463(Promise) CONNECTED.

SCANNING ARKCHILDREN...

...NO DAMAGE DETECTED.

 

SOUL ANALYSIS...

...MOTHER PRESENT AND ONLINE

...GUARDIAN PRESENT AND ONLINE

...ARCHITECT PRESENT AND ONLINE

...DRIVER PRESENT AND ONLINE

...ENGINEER PRESENT AND ONLINE

...PRIEST PRESENT AND ONLINE

...LIBRARIAN PRESENT AND ONLINE

NO ANOMALIES DETECTED

 

LIFEFORM ANALYSIS...

RW001(Kyla) PRESENT...

...detecting irregularities from reference...

RW002(Melody) PRESENT...

...detecting irregularities from reference...

CF773(Rachael) PRESENT...

...error...

......unable to analyse...

CF774(Crystal) PRESENT...

...error...

......unable to analyse...

MM711(Clocky) PRESENT...

...detecting irregularities from reference...

MF711(Fairweather) PRESENT...

...detecting irregularities from reference...

MM713(Vorsce) PRESENT...

...detecting irregularities from reference...

MF714(Saylin) PRESENT...

...detecting irregularities from reference...

MA714(Abigail) PRESENT...

...detecting irregularities from reference...

MC714(???) PRESENT...

...detecting irregularities from reference...

HF001(Carmen) PRESENT...

...detecting irregularities from reference...

HF002(Petunia) PRESENT...

...detecting irregularities from reference...

OF314(Catlin) PRESENT...

...detecting irregularities from reference...

OM314(Tsugua) PRESENT...

...detecting irregularities from reference...

GD002(Myne/Hellfire) PRESENT...

...error...

......unable to analyse...

GS001(Ashling) PRESENT...

...error...

......unable to analyse...

GS002(Light) PRESENT...

...error...

......unable to analyse...

ERROR...

UNABLE TO IDENTIFY/ANALYSE...

...ATTEMPTING TO DESIGNATE AS GD001(Velvet)...

...error...

...incompatible readings detected...

 

ERROR...

UNABLE TO IDENTIFY/ANALYSE...

 

SWITCHING TO HIGH INTENSITY MANA SCANNER...

...ERROR..

...SCANNER OVERLOADED...

 

ALERT...

...ARRAY ACTIVATION DETECTED...

---

Why was it taking them so long!

Saylin paced circles around the deck of hanger six, edgy, agitated, impatient. Arcs of magenta energy coursed over her body, snapping into existence before they faded away again, patches of light dancing over the black of her dress. Sometimes she was surprised that they didn’t burn the fabric, but then again, the arcs were magic after all. It didn’t always follow even its own rules. She kicked a small fragment of metal out of her way, the plate segment noisily clanging as it bounced its way across the platform and over the edge. Saylin glared in frustration at the storms around them, the winds visibly tearing through the clouds. She should have infused the fragment so that it exploded as it fell. It would have made her feel a little bit better. Or maybe not. Or just caused even more damage to the already battered side of Odinsphere, the winds of the Tempest Storms having done a number to them. There were so many missing or damaged plates it wasn’t funny, a shiny secondary layer of plates and a mass of pipes visible underneath. The winds were trying to tear those off as well, only a few maintenance spiders scuttling around in the depths attempting repairs. There had been more earlier, but after a few had been torn off and thrown into the sea below, most had disappeared back inside the floating city. Strangely enough, around the hanger platform itself there were no winds, some magic, or someone’s magic, keeping it calm.

“Saylin...” Abigail’s voice was soft, caring, soaked with worry.

Saylin looked over at her lover, standing by the entrance, the dark grazeye standing protectively beside her. Her skin was the palest that it had ever been, almost nearing see-through. Dark black eyes looked back at her, speckles of light dancing within its depth, worry clearly marked on her face, black-red lips pursed with concern. The glossy darkness still coated her like a second skin, easily mistaken for a very sexy catsuit, movement visible within its depth for those that actually managed to look. Saylin’s heart felt in pain. She didn’t want to lose her. Ever. And they were so close now. Saylin ran over to her lover, holding her close and burying her face in her long brown hair.

“I’m fine,” she murmured. “It’s you I’m concerned for...”

Myne’s blood had done wonders for her. Perhaps too much even, more than potent with the magic that lay within it. It invigorated and restored Abigail like nothing else, to the point of intoxication, but Saylin suspected that it also accelerated the decay once the effects wore off. As much as she liked it, it wasn’t something that she could keep on consuming. Abigail’s body was in a constant war, the taint versus her flesh and humanity, yet it was the taint that was also keeping her alive. Just, and steadily failing. The Ancient that had gifted her with his blessing was not one at all versed in the ways of life, and without intervention Abigail was going to die. They had been using Saylin’s blood of late, and while it worked to a degree, all it did was slow the process right down, instead of stopping it completely or reversing it. A stop gap or band aid measure. Not feasible in the long term.

And the one who could apparently fix it all was standing right there!

At a glance she didn’t seem like much. Sure, she was beautiful, stunning even, just like Crystal and Rachael. Delicate lines to her face, emerald green eyes with golden specks through them, a perfectly sized nose and an all encompassing smile. A mass of curly chestnut hair that flowed down her back, her figure slim and sensual, her legs long and a chest that Saylin was very much jealous of. She was dressed in a royal red mini dress that hugged her body tightly, with intricate and almost impossible armour that partially covered her chest, as well as over her shoulders, right arm, and formed a pair of knee high heeled boots. Armour that spoke of dragons. Her left arm was covered in pale golden tattoos, intricate and confusing, pulsing with magic and almost alive. But her presence was something else again. Power radiated from her, a dominating aura, reinforcing that she was no mere human, but something else entirely. There was no mistaking that she was indeed Velvet, the Dawn Angel.

And of course she had demanded that Velvet fix Abigail.

Saylin had no regrets about that at all. After all, Myne had said that Velvet would be the one who could stabilise Abigail’s body, which Taint had confirmed. And she was back now, as they’d been working towards. Not to mention that all of their lives had been turned upside down and forever changed by the appearance of the two deep dragons. It was the least that could be done for them.

And she really really didn’t want Abigail to die. Time was running out, and they had no idea how much longer her body would survive. While they hadn’t told anyone yet, Abigail had been coughing up blood again in the last few days, which was not a good sign. Not the blood that Saylin had given her of course, but the much darker, almost black blood that flowed through her.

Crystal and Rachael had fallen asleep shortly after the magic of their arrays had faded and all of the other beings had vanished from Odinsphere. Saylin was sure that there had been thousands of them, if not more. Some had projected the same strength of aura as Velvet. Most though had felt considerably weaker, and that was scary. Not with respect to them, but rather with respect to the Dawn Angel herself. She’d heard the tale of her origins, so what exactly had happened to Velvet during all of the intervening time, and what exactly had the ritual been that had pulled her back? Arcane was definitely pissed when she had appeared with all of the others, her aura identical in strength to Velvet’s. Obviously things had not gone as she’d planned. Like all of the others though, Arcane had left, the last to disappear being another one of the powerful ones, dressed similar to Crystal. If Saylin had seen it correctly, she had even kissed Crystal.

Clocky, Vorsce and Fairweather had been quick to pick up the two girls, and take them back to the room that they had been using. A brief examination of them revealed that nothing amiss, Velvet just confirming that they were just tired, and needed rest. Probably a lot of it. Fairweather was still sitting with them, Clocky and Vorsce having returned to the front of the hanger. But after that Velvet and Myne had just stood near the edge of the platform, talking, their words masked by the roar of the winds. Surely they could do that once Abigail was better.

As to what any of the others were doing, Saylin couldn’t really care.

“We just have to wait,” Abigail whispered to her, her hand squeezing Saylin’s. It was cold, and shaking. As much as Abigail was trying to mask it, she was afraid.

Saylin gave a nervous chuckle. “You know how bad I am at that.”

Abigail reached up, brushing a loose strand of hair away from Saylin’s face, giving her a weak smile. “I know.” Her black eyes looked deep into Saylin’s. “It’s only being a short while, but I’ve loved being with you. Being yours.”

“Don’t say it like that.” Saylin pulled her in close, holding her tight. “You said you’d be mine forever, and I’m going to hold you to that!”

“Why can’t she just hurry up though,” she added quietly to herself, tears forming.

“All things take time Saylin.”

Saylin stiffened as the air about them changed, thickening. Letting go of Abigail and turning around, she found both Velvet and Myne standing close to them, an amused look on Myne’s face. Saylin looked down at the ground, avoiding looking at Velvet.

“Please...” she said quietly. “Please make her complete. She’s dying.”

“Okay.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

Saylin looked up a Velvet. Her smile was warm, a caring expression on her face.

“Myne has let me know what’s going on. For her, it should be simple enough. It’s builds on what was done for Myne’s daughters and what was done to you, though he will have to be involved as well. Dragon’s legacy.”

Velvet looked at Abigail. “It will change you. Make you into something that is no longer human. Forever his priestess.”

“I am prepared for that,” Abigail replied, her voice steady and sure, “as long as I can also always be Saylin’s as well.”

“That part is entirely in your hands.”

“Even though I was claimed by him, I swore to her that I would always be hers. I want it to be more than just words now, more than just a girl’s promise. I want it to be fundamentally so. I know it is possible.”

Velvet looked deep in thought, before she eventually answered. “Are you sure? It would effect you both, in more ways than you realise, including her also taking on the mantle of Priestess. Such things should never be taken lightly.”

“Yes.” There was dead certainty in her voice, Abigail staring straight at Velvet, her hand holding Saylin’s firmly.

“And what about you Saylin?” Velvet was looking at her again now.

“Hell yes!” To say that she was happy was an understatement. That she meant so much to Abigail was more than she could have ever hoped for. Sure, they were already a thing, and had spent all of their time together since their encounter, but there was always the underlying fear that she was only doing it out of obligation, to honour her word. At first that possibility hadn’t bothered her at all, after all she was the one who had initiated it all, out of what was essentially a primal desire. But it had grown to be so much more than that. She had come to love Abigail more than she’d ever thought possible, even if she wasn’t the best at expressing it.

“Such unmatched enthusiasm.” Myne grinned at her, hand behind her head. Her aura was still really intense, but when standing with Velvet, it didn’t seem so bad.

“Of course! I have every right to be.” Saylin grinned back. “Thank you,” she then added quietly to Abigail, who squeezed her hand in reply. She was still really nervous though.

“I understand your dedication to her, and I know Abigail hasn’t done anything wrong, nor had a choice actually in being its priestess, but the taint is dangerous.” Clocky came up beside her, his expression concerned. “It destroys and changes, and those who we’ve seen used it thus far...”

Saylin felt a bit annoyed. She knew he just had her best interests at heart, worried for her like her sister would be, but it was her life, and her decisions. Things had changed a lot for them all since Crystal and Rachael had come into their lives. The party dynamic was no longer the same as it had been, and they were involved in things well beyond what they would have ever imagined before. Not to mention that Alison had gone off on her own since their initial change up in the mountains.

“It’s neither good nor evil Clocky,” she replied. “Rather it’s a state, and what’s more important is how it is interacted with, and by who.” She had actually given all of this some thought, given that her lover was Taint’s priestess, and now it seemed like she would be too, not that she was complaining about that. “Would you rather have some random strangers, or someone like Bowser, be his influence in the world, using it like they have been, or us, someone that you know and trust.”

“We know so little about what influence such a role could have on you. Is Abigail even the same as she was before she was chosen?”

“No,” Abigail replied. “I am not, but nor would I be alive either.”

“It seems to have only done good things for Crystal and Rachael,” Saylin added on.

“They’re not a good base metric,” Clocky sighed.

“It’s my life Clocky. And I want what’s been offered. I want Abigail, and to be a part of her life, and her ours.”

“Fair enough,” Clocky said. “It is indeed your life, and I do respect your decision.” He looked at her, his eyes going slightly glazed for a moment. “I can’t speak for all of the others, but if you ever need our help, just let me know.”

“Thanks.” Saylin replied as he then turned and moved back to the entrance to stand with the others, leaving just her, Abigail, Myne and Velvet on the platform. Clocky had used his gift, and she knew that it had only been getting stronger. As to what he’d asked or seen was his to know alone, but given his lack of reaction it mustn't have been too bad. Maybe good even. He’d always liked to call the abilities of the touched ‘quirks’, but none of them were touched any more, and what they had now was far stronger than what any touched could exhibit. The side effect of what they had been involved with, blessed directly by the Ancients.

“You’re going to have to come out you know, if you want to save your priestess,” Myne declared, looking up at above them.

Something landed in front of them, a black shape, startling Saylin in spite of her best efforts.

“Priestess...” The form sat up, looking directly at Abigail. It was indeed the manifestation of Taint, that much was obvious, though his form was a bit of a surprise. She knew that he’d have been granted a form, just like what appeared to have happened to all of the others, if her guess as to what had transpired was correct. But she would have expected some human shape, as that seemed to have been very prevalent, like an old man with a cane, or an indescribable horror. Taint had taken on neither of them. Instead he looked like a great cat, not unlike a grazeye, but much leaner, his body almost a bit too long. Taint’s eyes were a deep red, specks of blackness dancing through them, his body the same liquid black as what Abigail wore, that seemed to flow and ebb as if it were a sea of currents. His whiskers floated as it they had a life of their own, as did dozens of tendrils that flowed back from his shoulders. Saylin was actually surprised at how normal the form looked, relatively speaking.

Abigail looked at Taint, giving him a small bow. “It is my choice, and this is how I want it,” she then said to the Ancient, and edge of finality to it, that she had no intention of backing down, even to one such as him.

“You have my blessings,” Taint said.

“Good.”

“Then let’s do it!” Saylin declared, getting a little impatient again.

Saylin felt a massive shift in mana as golden arrays appeared underneath them, one each centred on her, Abigail and Taint, larger ones surrounding them and then interlocking them all, stretching out across the platform and into the air. Familiar in that they were the sort of thing that Crystal and Rachael had been using over the last while, but still very much different, and not something that she could understand at all. The air suddenly seemed very oppressive, heavy and thick, Velvet’s body encased in a warm glow, her hair floating lightly and now a bright sun gold, horns of light akin to the deep dragons on her head, large angelic wings of light on her back. And a draconic tail of light also trailing out behind her, again akin to her daughters. If she’d ever had any doubt that Velvet was most certainly no longer mortal, that was entirely dispelled now, her presence dwarfing even how she had seemed only moments ago.

“Your word and affirmation please.” Her voice carrying power and authority.

“I declare you my priestesses,” Taint said, as held a paw up to his mouth, tearing into it and then flicking the drawn blood in front of them. The blood disappeared almost instantly, absorbed into the power of the arrays.

“Forever belonging to each other, souls bound,” Velvet added. “Body and power merged. Be complete.”

‘Sorry, this might hurt a little bit.’

Pain surged through her body as the magic of the arrays erupted around them, engulfing her and Abigail in a warm light. The power of the dawn, the power of change. Saylin dropped down to her knees as the pain concentrated in her left eye, moisture seeping through her hand as she held it up against it. She had asked for this though, so she would endure it. She could feel the tendrils of magic wrapping around her and inside her, inside her very soul, as something else was brought to it, and bound together with it. Abigail. She could sense her presence now, at an instinctual level, there beside her, and now whole. Saylin smiled, as best she could. They’d done as they promised. The magic then faded around them, the pain receding with it. Saylin stood back up, taking her hand away from her eye and opening it.

Then promptly closed it again, the intensity of the glow from Velvet painful and blinding.

A gift.

It will take some getting used to.

Saylin turned to look at Taint, but he was already gone, nothing but empty space where his cat-like form had sat.

“Are you okay? You seemed to be in pain?” Abigail sounded concerned again, but her voice sounded strong now. Well. Confident.

Saylin turned to face her lover, looking at her through the one eye. “Wow. You look good.” She meant it too.

Abigail looked so much healthier. Well for those who could tell at least. The lines of worry and tiredness were gone, and she was holding her self up straight. While they were still a deep black, there was life in her eyes, the black red colour of her lips more vivid than it had ever been. The glossy black taint still coated her like a second skin, but it also seemed more alive than it had before. Its shape wasn’t quite the same as before, the edges more defined, and it even opened up at the front now, a deep cut that showed a generous amount of cleavage and Saylin could feel herself blush very deeply. She definitely appreciated that change, but she was like that, and Abigail was very aware of that. Abigail’s skin was even paler than before, no longer nearing the translucent that it had been trending towards but rather nearing a porcelain white. And her hair was now an ethereal silver. Saylin ran her hand through it, the threads soft and silky in her hands.

“Your eye...” Abigail reached out her hand, fingers gently caressing Saylin’s left eye. It felt nice, warmth to the touch.

“He did something to it,” Saylin replied.

“Try opening it again.”

Saylin wasn’t sure if she wanted to, especially with Velvet still standing there beside them, looking at them curiously.

“Please.”

Saylin slowly opened the eye, a wave of nausea hitting her as she tried to adjust to what she was seeing. The glow from Velvet was still present, but since she was behind her it was more of an ambiance surrounding them, compared to her trying to look directly at the sun. Ignoring that though, it was like she was looking at the same thing in two different ways, both at the same time. Through her right, everything looked like it normally should. Through the left though, while she still saw the shapes of things and the vague impression of that normal image, she could also see things flowing around and within. Blood red and dark black flowing within Abigail, in perfect harmony, the purple of the arcs of energy that coursed over her body more intense and flowing into her as well. It was mesmerising and entrancing. Then it clicked.

“I’m looking at the flow of mana, aren’t I?”

Yes.

No wonder it hurt to look at Velvet. She didn’t want to try looking at Myne either.

“You eye is beautiful,” Abigail said, looking straight at her. “Void black, with specks of red and purple arcing within.”

“So a bit like yours then.” Saylin wrapped her arms around Abigail, and pulled her close. She was warm again, her smell pleasant and alluring to her. Forever each others now. For ever how long they lived at least.

“Well that went well then,” Myne commented with a chuckle from behind her, as Abigail nuzzled into Saylin’s neck. “She’s still going to need to feed though.”