Auratic

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• “I think that’s enough excitement for one day…”

Malign flames of the Barghest finally died down as whatever force that was animating its body could not make it move anymore now that it was shredded to pieces.

‘I need a dagger… or a hunting knife for really short range, it will be useful for when dauntless is a bit too long to handle… like when some rotting dog wants to give me an infernal smooch.’

Alicia shuddered at the thought of living through such a scenario.

‘I’ll have to give Greimen a visit, he should be able to make something good, provided I give him the materials for it… I wonder if the void crystals will make for a good substitute…’

• “Are you well?”
• “Hm? I’m fine. Physically. Just a little rattled, a mental reset is all I need. How about you?”
• “Only thing they injured was my pride.”

‘What is that supposed to mean…? Eh… better I didn’t know.’

• “So, can you start now, the draining I mean.”
• “Soon. There are a few things I need to take care of first.”

Llynbel had a number of responsibilities assigned to her since her coming into a covenant with Alicia. She was quite engaged with her new work since they were much different than her usual activities; Watching the rivers flow, dallying with water, observing the life and death struggles of monsters around her and shooing away any insects attempting to lay eggs in her lake - while interesting in their own right, had become something of a tedium for her. Her boredom might be attributed to the centuries of repetition, though she wouldn’t admit it to anyone.

• “Got it. Tell you what. Victoria’s free, I’ll tell her to bring some Araneae and secure the area so you won’t have any interruptions. Don’t worry you won’t notice them.”
• “Is that so, I’ll take you up on that. What will you do now?”
• “I didn’t think we would get caught up with something like this-
• ‘Mistress… she is ready to receive you now and is waiting. Additionally, Delta has departed for her duties…’
• Yeah…… I've been keeping someone waiting for quite some time now… Err… Do you need any help getting back?”
• “It’s okay. I can care for myself.”
• “See you later then.”

Some distance away at the prearranged location Alicia agreed to meet her familiar, a bizarre sight came into view that she had to take another look. An outdoor gazebo-esque structure composed of various white stones stood stoically. Neatly cut to the point where the joints between each blocks and bricks were minimised to near invisibility, making it a challenge to determine where a block begins and where it ends.  Gray hexagonal roof crowned the structure. Stepping stone walkway set in the grass led to a small set of steps leading up to the interior where a tea set, various confectioneries set upon multi tier stands were set up on a polished stone table and a girl exceptionally young in appearance, casually taking in the fragrance of a piping hot tea. Someone had made a garden in the middle of nowhere. Judging by the handiwork, Alicia hadn’t a single doubt in her mind.

‘Yup… that’s Gamma…’

Gustave “Gamma” Eiffel, was an oddball even by Araneae standards. It was an unstated fact that all of her araneae favoured the colour white - for it was in the likeness of their revered mistress and as such those who could clad themselves in it, specifically when it came to hair colour and attire. Gamma was anything but that, short black hair, dark brown eyes and a long, big sleeved robe with a muted yet colourful, simple yet extravagant design, the antithesis of the monochromatics of white and grey. As an Enedra her species were the masters of creating tunnels and shaping the earth to their will. Those talents were only enhanced after Alicia ‘uplifted’ her into a hybrid. Favoured by Alicia for her intimate understanding of structural engineering, she was a great - if not a genius when it came to any type of construction work. However only a single vice gripped her. She had a disdain for any kind of work overground. Enedras were undergrounders that spent nearly the entirety of their lives cooped up in holes and tunnels. Something that was intrinsic to them. Exceptions were only made for Alicia that is… case in point, her overdoing of the construction of the garden.

As she drew near, she noticed the pleasant scent of cut grass still faintly lingering in the air.

‘Even trimmed the grass… wonder how she’d manage that on her own…’

When stepped inside, the inlaid marble flooring with symmetrical geometric pattern commanded attention.

‘I don’t think we bought stuff like this… so that means she made it herself. The marble too, I don’t think forest has a natural deposit of it. So she scorched the limestone until it crystallised…’

Even though she motioned not to, Gamme still stood up only to bow her head:

• “Greetins milady. Prithee, take a seat.”
• “You’re not gonna sit down yourself unless I do, won’t you.”
• “Is yond not a given…?”

Alicia could only sigh in response to the genuine confusion towards her question.

• “I suppose…”
• “I hope mine meagre accommodations ar’t of your fancy.”
• “Bit of an excessive reception for a short meeting, don’t you think? Especially with how allergic you are with sunlight.”
• “An undeserved praise for a dram landshafting. We would do aught f’r thee milady, true still if this one has to… tolerate some… tragic inconveniences.”

‘Landshafting? More like terraforming.’

Alicia almost blurted out.

• “I know you are excavating non-stop… I’m guessing the stones are the byproduct… Still, how are you disposing of them?”
• “Consumption, most of the time. However I doth believe humans see value in certain types of minerals, as such most art deposited elsewhere.”
• “Consumption…? You mean that you… eat them?”
• “The elements become a most wondrous nourishment f'r hardening our shells.  T’hast to bear the weight of the earth itself every once in blue moon”

‘…Now that's a news to me… I didn’t know their diet was composed of rocks… If I recall correctly she and her brood were running into some ores. Since we couldn’t really process it nor did I want to just sell it, I just told her to stockpile them somewhere hidden… wonder what came of that.’

• “That…? We have overabundance of coal followed by hematite and magnetite,¹Iron ores. cassiterite,²Tin ore. and bauxite³Aluminium ore. lastly chalcopyrite⁴Copper ore. and argentite⁵Silver ore. should also be noted. Beyond those there are middling amounts of other minerals. Regrettably some of my brood has mistakenly consumed or otherwise damaged some valuable minerals. Chiefly, malachite, olivine, nephrite and lazurite. I unfortunately caught it too late that in the darkness we can’t truly differentiate minerals until we bite into them. Although the use of fire magic to light up the tunnels has been introduced, methane be’est an obstacle.”
• “Whoa whoa whoa, don’t dig too deep alright?”
• “Understood.”

‘They need mining helmets with a light fixture that doesn’t detonate the methane and light up the massive stores of coal down there… how the hell do I make a mining helmet for a spider…? I wonder if the dust is a problem for them… actually… since they eat rocks for food, I wouldn’t be surprised if breathing in ground dust is good for them.’

• “Is the air any problem down there, dust or low oxygen, anything I can help with?”
• “I am delighted with thy magnanimous concern and I am joyous to relay that there are no problems in those regards.”
• “That’s good to hear. I’ll see if I can’t make a lightsource that is safe for use down there later.”
• “It would be too much to impose upon milady, we wouldn't dare.”

'Here we go again…'

• “Listen, I care about you, all of you and I'm offering because I want to help, not just out of courtesy. So, let me ask again; Is there any problem that you need my assistance with?”

Alicia had an understanding that her Familiars had a skewed sense of relationship balance for a while now. Whether it was they that held her atop some imaginary pedestal that they created or if they had an excessive modesty that bordered self-deprecation in her presence, it was a fact they saw themselves as an expendable fodder. While that may be true in an objective sense - as she could Conjure another one to take any one of their places if needed - on a principle basis she was against it. For she feared what may become of her if she let go of her former ideals. Though at her core, she knew that there was little she could do to truly change their perceptions but that wouldn’t stop her from trying anyway.

The twins were still very impressionable and not only did they look up to her and Alice but also learned from how they interacted with their environment and the people surrounding them. She wanted to be a positive influence in their development; Callously exploiting and discarding one's followers like used tissues and replacing them with another just as disposable was hardly a positive influence from her perspective. She only had an inkling of suspicion, but subconsciously she had started to treat her familiars as though they were her family no matter how different they were, her mind still not being able to cope with the loss was trying to substitute what was lost. It was not as though she outright denied the notion however.

• “I… Our deepest apologies. There art no problems… We would be overjoyed by the gift of light in our dreary dwelling.”

Faced with her Mistress’s confrontational side, Gamma was unsure how to react resulting in her stilted response.

• “Really……… Well alright then, I’ll get around to it later. You did well with the ores and stone harvesting, we’ll put it to good use soon enough.”

Although any form of reprimand would make them shrink in shame, fear and respect not necessarily in that order. Contrarily even the slightest approval would send them over the moon. As it was the case just now with her subdued yet visible glee. In those regards, Alicia couldn’t help but think that her familiars were childish in her presence, like an expectant child waiting to be told that they did well and moping at the smallest of disapproval. Only with them, instead of tears it was their dangerously self-destructive behaviour that seeks vindication.

If she were to get a little overboard with her emotions and say something without much thought, it would have been taken to the heart. Their devotion to her was a double edged sword in that manner. If she were to tell them to rid the planet of life, they would become the scourge that cleansed the world. And if she were to tell one of them to die then and there, they would do just that without a moment’s hesitation. This meant that any form of interaction with her kindred required precision and eloquence in choosing which words to express something. To Alicia that felt as if she was navigating a maze of land mines. It was demanding but necessary.

• “Now, let’s move on to what I brought you here for.”

Though she was only a moment earlier savouring the small praise, in a short moment that changed and she gave her undivided attention to Alicia, waiting for her instructions as the topic shifted. The change was subtle and unannounced, the aura of solemnity that surrounded them, palpable.

• “Take a few capable Araneae from your brood. Set off for Viveria to the West, the Valtima region’s farming sector. Meet up with Charlie, she should have accrued some help from the city’s underground. The city was apparently built on top of pre existing infrastructure of sewers and aqueducts, including few tunnels that allow for discreet exit and entry, to and from the city that have now all but collapsed and inoperable with hardly a handful still usable from neglect. Restore and secure ones that you can, they have to be traversable by human standards. The underground society friends we have should help you in finding them.”
• “I shall depart as soon as I gather the best of my brood.”

Thrilled by the nature of the task - that being excavating tunnels - she was eager to get started, almost standing up to leave, until:

• “There’s another thing I need to entrust with you.”

Reeling in her hastiness she patiently listened. Although her visit was brief, Alicia had a good grasp on the Viveria’s layout, thanks to her outings.

• “We don’t know how large the Empire’s army is yet, however they’ll likely attack the city from its structural weak points - the gates. Only problem is that the population of the city far outgrew the walls that protect the core. Resulting in slums and dwellings  centred around its many gates that sprawl around the town, as it is, they will become crude roadblocks that will make certain siege tactics inviable and make others more appealing.”
• “What must be done milady?”
• “Without siege weapons they can’t assault the city directly, not without significant losses. The sparse woods, open plains and farmlands at the eastern side of the city will become a perfect staging ground for the empire’s army, out of reach of arrow fire. They’ll build their siege engines there. I want a large cavern below it, stable enough to support the ground above it but one that we can collapse when needed.”

The plan now started to make sense for her…

• “The earth shall swallow whole the invaders…”
• “Well not to that extent, I don’t think we have enough time for that. The caverns’ width should be prioritised over its depth. If you find the time, the army might try to undermine the walls, create a weak point and make it collapse. That can’t happen. If time allows, I want you to reinforce the strata beneath walls. Wider and stronger base to hold it up. In addition, they might try to roll a battering ram through the roads, it must never reach the walls or the gates. Do what you think will suffice. The humans must not know of our work, can I trust you with this?”

The plan had some form of response for multiple contingencies, effort given to it was frankly too high for what was essentially a collection of flavourless fleshy insects that were the humans. A notion that would be shared with many others of her Kindred.

• “I shalt see ’t done, mistress………”

Why go to such lengths? Such a question remained in her mind. Though none of them would question Alicia’s decisions, curiosity still remained.

• “Seems that you have something to say…? Go on with it.”
• “If it be true, that this isn't beyond mine boundaries. I wish to knoweth wherefore we meddle with… human… affairs”

Seemingly a neutral question, beneath the surface there was some suppressed disgust. Though not supremacists by any means, Alicia’s araneae saw humans as inferior creatures. In a similar vein as how a human would look down on some animals such as house flies. To them, humans weren’t even worth being viewed as livestock, due to low reproduction rate and subpar taste. They far more preferred insects, rodents and lizards.

• “Sooner or later we’ll have to make contact with more and more humans and perhaps even more races. The forest may be large, but the world is larger. If we are to venture outside, we will need allies. Making our close neighbours feel indebted to us is a great way to start making friends. Besides, I made few investments into that city, it’d be a shame to see it burn without lifting a finger.”
• “We understand.”

‘We…? Huh? …probably nothing… maybe she’s being weird again…’

Although Gamma was still not entirely convinced with the whole consorting with humans part of her Mistress’s plan, there were a few absolutes that couldn’t be ignored, that was; The city’s continued existence under its current rulers, were in her mistress’s interests. In essence that meant the city was now under her lady’s protection, if not her direct ownership. Any assault against it meant it was an indirect assault against her, and any offence towards her however minor or indirect was an indefensible sin. The interlopers had to pay in blood for even daring to think of such an attack, and for setting foot in the vicinity of the city they would sign their own warrant of death. This conclusion would be shared among all of her familiars, later on.

• “Shall I set off?”
• “No rush. Be sure not to push yourselves too hard for this, you’re prone to make mistakes if you try too hard.”

Now that the important discussion was over with. Alicia looked at lighter things.

• “Still… it’d be a shame to let this outdoor gazebo of yours go to waste… The outpost area has been missing some recreational areas. It’s a tad far but I think we could make this into a little park. What do you think?”
• “T’wast devot’d to thee, milady, and ’t should be up to thee to decide how ’t should serveth thee.”
• “Well, you didn’t say no so I guess I’ll go with making it into a park. Shouldn’t take too much effort… Stay safe out there, abandon everything and return to me if something dangerous happens…”

‘The tea’s gone lukewarm… that’s fine… oh… this one doesn’t taste half-bad. Not having pieces of dirt definitely helps… Now that I think about it… how does she keep her clothes so pristine when she’s literally living underground? Some sort of earthen magic?’

A willowy tall woman whose upper body was obscured by a circular cape above tree tops and cast her gaze towards a distant night sky brightly illuminated by fiery glow, its intensity subdued by its own billowing smoke. At this distance, the chaos and the carnage couldn't reach her; she was surrounded by a tranquil lull. Few days worth of distance - by araneae standards who lacked the need to stop for rest or food - away at the kingdom's fort Caermana Delta was just about to conclude her surveillance. Her objective was to assess the size of the attacking empire's army and estimate the pace at which they advanced towards Viveria.

The Caermana while manned and in a strategically defensible location was simply overwhelmed by sheer number of attackers. She examined Fort Grounvall on her way here, and the findings were disastrous for Pyrinia. The fort was pitifully undermanned and in decay, with its walls barely holding together. It wouldn't even slow down the oncoming invaders. Now that Caermana had fallen, there was little standing in the way between the Empire’s army and the Kingdom’s fringes.

• “And the runner?”
• ‘Eluded his pursuers for now.’
• “So the intel will make it to the ears of the kingdom. It’s up to them now…”

It appeared as if she was speaking to herself, she was surrounded by a variety of Araneae species from a number of different broods, each suited for a specific situation. Venatrix, Reteiactus, Speleaus, Hypogeum and so forth.

• ‘Fourth ordinal, the scouts have returned…’
• “Any followers?”
• ‘Most shaken off. The rest, neutralised… The humans will not know of this.’
• “The bodies?”
• ‘Disposed.’
• “Good. We’re leaving, now. And maintain opsec, out of sight out of mind.”
• ‘‘‘‘‘Yes!’’’’’

Auratic

I'm still alive. Just really bogged down with things to do, that and my newfound addiction to Lost Cock Ark. Seems like a real war started since last time I was here. And if you're wondering, no we're not adversely affected by it, yet.

Here's a random trivia; Alicia very quickly picked up on sword fighting due to her familiarity with kitchen knives. She has a preference for single edged swords and more or less treats them as a long chef's knife. Conversely she is extremely self conscious when wielding double edged weapons such as longswords and claymores.

Here's some spooder vidya

Spoiler

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