Liberty and Death, Chapter 77
Chapter 77
“Now that was magic,” Lysander said.
The way she said it made it seem like a positive, but the look on her face made it seem like it needed punched, so Cora asked for clarification.
“And why exactly the fuck are you happy about that?” She growled.
Lysander rolled her eyes like Cora was an idiot, an even more effective maneuver when performed with dancing lights that mimicked the motion.
“Because I am the greatest goddamn mage to ever exist in this world or any other, Casanova, and since they used magic to escape, I can track them,” she explained.
Cora’s snarl calmed immediately.
“You can!?”
“I can,” Lysander chuckled, amused at Cora’s shift from attack dog to eager puppy, “but it will take some time,” she sighed, falling to her knees on the pavement and beginning to trace sigils into the stone. “Everything has to be a fucking ritual in a low-mana world like this…”
Cora looked anxiously between Lysander at her feet, and the red dot that indicated Fern in the distance.
Shit.
C: Fern, we ran into trouble.
C: bad guys have Tanya, but Lysander thinks she can track them.
C: y’all good?
The sharp ‘crack!’ of Trish’s railgun implied they definitely were not.
F: negative, multiple contacts.
C: more than you can handle?
F: more than I can handle and fucking talk to you
Shit again.
“Hawk, take Jocasta and reinforce Fern, get them back to Luxholme. Kyra and I will stay with Lysander, even if we find the Chains’ base, not like we’re going to hit it half cocked,” Cora said. Hawk nodded, and thundered off.
“The fuck we aren’t,” hissed Kyra, eyes blazing as they met Cora’s. “What do you mean we aren’t hitting them, they have Tania!”
“No, they have Tanya, and Tania made her specifically to shoulder everything bad that's ever happened to her. I’m not saying we won’t get her out, but I’m saying whatever they do to her will be roughly as effective as kicking a tree,” Cora said. She hoped she was right. If she wasn’t, it wouldn’t change the fact they probably couldn’t take on the Chains’ entire garrison and leadership structure without some backup and planning.
Kyra spat at Cora’s feet, but said nothing more.
Right, well, maybe that’s just what acceptance looks like for her.
Cora could feel her glaring at her, gaze burning her cheeks while Lysander continued her work on the ground.
Symbols flashed as her fingers traced them, and whatever language she was speaking, [Big Sys] didn’t translate it for Cora. It seemed like it was working though, as the air took on a charge, and a ghost of that billowing smoke swam into existence above Lysander.
A moment more, and the elf let out an exhausted breath, then smiled.
“Done!” She announced, in a voice that had lost a bit of its archness.
“You good?” Cora asked.
“I… may be finding my limits in this world,” Lysander admitted. “All of this… child’s workings back home, but I fear I have little left in me today.”
Kyra made a scoff of annoyance, and Lysander winced.
“Hey, Kyra, don’t be a fucking dick, she’s the only reason we’re gonna be able to find Tanya at all,” Cora scolded, drawing a snarl from her bedmate. A snarl that quickly turned apologetic, then turned away from Cora entirely.
Don’t blame her, Cora told herself. It’s been a week, and I’m already protective of Tania. Must feel like she’s lost a little sister.
“Okay, Lysander, thank you. You good to walk? I… uh, I’ve got no idea how to work whatever you just did,” Cora admitted with a laugh, one that Lysander returned.
“Oh, yes, yes, of course,” Lysander said, waving Cora’s proffered hand away ans standing up like she hadn’t just looked like she was about to faint, “harder on the mind than the body, I will be just fine.”
Cora wasn’t certain that was true. With how many times she’d used {Stunt Double} today, she felt sore like the day after a training session with Iko. But it was a manageable kind of soreness, like a muscle that would be just fine, but wasn’t going to be doing much more work today thank you very much.
“Okay,” Cora said with a smile, deciding to trust Lysander. What was the saying? If you can’t trust yourself…
When Lysander smirked at her, apparently reading her mind, Cora felt like she understood a little bit how she’d gotten so goddamn famous.
I’ve got the Charisma of a cult leader and the looks of a goddess. It was a foregone conclusion, wasn’t it?
Cora wondered if it was narcissism when an identical twin appreciated the beauty of their counterpart. It sure felt like it.
“Lead the way, Lady Pridelorn,” Cora said, returning that same smirk, painted onto Linnea’s face. She wondered again, this time if Lysander found it quite as charming.
The tilted head and coquetteish grin she returned as she twirled, elemental gown twirling around her legs, really could have gone either way.
But Cora was pretty sure she did.
Kyra punched her in the shoulder, then started dragging her in Lysander’s wake.
YOU LEVELLED UP, [Big Sys] announced conversationally, once it was clear they weren’t in for an immediate fight and he wouldn’t be interrupting any good dialogue.
Cora kind of wished she had made him do the footsteps thing. Just cause they weren’t under attack now didn’t mean her blood wasn’t still all-the-way-up, and his un-volume controlled voice appearing in her head did make her jump.
Kyra looked over at her, saw Cora scowling at the sky, and sniggered into her hand.
Okay, great. Thanks.
…
GONNA DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT?
Mentally, Cora sighed. It didn’t seem like she should reward [Big Sys]’ behavior, but they were heading into enemy territory. She might need the boost.
Yeah, fine. I’ve got a fuck ton of skill points, right? What do you have for me?
I MEAN, 4 ISN’T A FUCK TON, BUT ITS ENOUGH TO UPGRADE A CLASS SKILL!
MIGHT I SUGGEST {Entourage (Double Act)}?
Cora took a look at the skill.
Holy fuck, [BS], I take back everything I ever said about you.
{Entourage (Double Act)}: Choose a friendly entity within your {Entourage} aura. Replace one of your stats with their highest stat.
THOUGHT YOU’D LIKE THAT! SHAME YOU SENT THE BIG ONE OFF, HUH?
ALSO WAIT, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN SAYING ABOUT ME?
Oh, just that you’re a capricious god treating us all as actors in some fucked up play you’re writing as you go.
THAT’S ALL TRUE THOUGH?
Right. Cool.
Cora pulled up her stats, just to check.
[Cora Casanova][Level 12 Movie Star (A)]
[Str:5+9(SP)+20(NFI)]
[Dex:8+9(SP)+20(NFI)+98(MA)]
[End:5+9(SP)+5(HH)]
[Vit:8+9(SP)+20(Nanostitch)]
[Agi: 8+9(SP)]
[Int:9+9(SP)]
[Will:30+9(SP)]
[Cha:98+50(Aphrodisia Glands {seduction dependent})]
[Class Actives: {One Liner, One Kill}, {Stunt Double}]
[Class Passives: {Entourage(Fanbase)(Double Act)}]
[Skills: {Star Power}, {Method Actor}, {Stat Focus: [Cha]},{Firearm proficiency}, {Hand to Hand Proficiency}, {Handgun Mastery II}, {CQC Mastery I}, {Performance Mastery- Ascendant}, {Harvester I}]
[Titles: [Unbreakable], [Money Maker], [Best Actress]]
[Equipment: [Rib Cutter (II)]
[Cybernetics: Nanostitch Implant, Smart-Link Palm, Aphrodisia Glands, Nano-Fibril Interstice, Fake ID: Linnea Light, Midnight Stillettos]
[Stat Points:0]
[Skill Points:1]
Goddamn.
She looked over her shoulder at Kyra, who had finally stopped glaring at her.
Ahead, she watched the way Lysander's hips swayed in her dress made of the elements themselves.
Hmm…
An [Agi] of 32 would almost double Cora’s own, but Kyra’s high [Dex] was actually way below Cora’s own now, calling on Jane. Lysander’s 93 [Int], though?
Cora wasn’t really sure how it’d be useful, but she was pretty goddamn sure it would be.
She reached out with her aura, which felt empty, without her constructs of Cadey, Angela, and Lacey. They weren’t actually dead, but they needed time, or she needed time, or something. She had no idea how this all worked. How much was mental illness and how much was magic.
How much the difference mattered.
Jane floated out from her, brushing against Lysander’s hair.
It looked almost like she stole some of it’s golden glow, and brought it back to Cora.
And her eyes were opened.
The world, her thoughts, everything was… sharper.
And not always in a good way.
In fact, right now, it felt very very bad.
She was sure what she’d expected; certainty was something an [Int] like this afforded someone. She’d thought it might be like A Beautiful Mind, seeing all the equations and paths in the swirls of Lysander’s dress.
Maybe it would have, if she’d had literally any knowledge of physics, but for now, it was like her brain kept trying to predict things, to extrapolate without any model to do so on.
And the thoughts it was throwing her way as it did, they were fast. Too fast, and somehow razor sharp, like racecars with spiked wheels tearing down tracks just a little too small.
“Gah! Fuck!” She cursed, and willed whatever connection she’d had with Lysander to fall.
“What? What is it?” Kyra asked, knives appearing in her hands as she scanned the alleys and rooftop for threats.
Lysander, however, wore her customary knowing smirk, lights in her eyes still as they focused on Cora.
“I think dear Cora just did something very foolish,” Lysander chuckled, and Cora could only glare at her, not deny it.
This what you meant with the Lightspeed/Endurance example?
YEAH, KINDA
THOUGH ALSO NO
A MIND IS A FUNNY THING
GOT TO BE BUILT UP OVER TIME
OTHERWISE THE SPEED CAN SLICE THE EDGES OF YOUR THOUGHTS
Fucking what!?
LOL IDK, I’M A SUPERCOMPUTER
YOU’RE ALL SO FUCKING DUMB I CAN ONLY COMPREHEND IT BECAUSE I’M SO SMART
Gotta find a way to hurt you. Like a mental spray bottle.
WHAT GOD WOULD ALLOW SUCH A THING TO EXIST?
What chosen hero would let that stop them?
TOOSH!
…
Do you mean touché?
I DO, JUST TRYING TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT BEING AN IDIOT