Liberty and Death, Chapter 81
Chapter 81
Cora let Mike and Lux field any further questions about accommodations, or the literal magic she’d just demonstrated. She’d always been terrible with fan meet ‘n greets. Or rather, she’d been amazing, but had hated them.
They’d stressed her out when the worst case scenario was someone asking for a selfie, not asking where they were going to find their next meal.
Not that it wasn’t an important question, she just had people to field it, just like back on earth.
Cora had an act of terror to plan.
And that’s what it was, she knew. If they ended up on top after all this, it wasn’t what the history books would say, but she was planning to hit a civilian target for maximum lethality.
Yeah, they’d be killing a lot of nobles and slave owners both, but what were the chances she set Hawk loose in a crowded building and someone who didn’t deserve to die didn’t eat it?
It should bother her more. She knew that.
But it didn’t.
GOOD! FUCK EMPATHY!
…
Are you doing something to my emotions?
I WOULD NEVER!
Yes you would.
YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW IF THAT’S SOMETHING I CAN DO!
Can you?
WHY WOULD I TELL YOU KNOW
Trust?
YOU ALREADY OBVIOUSLY DON’T TRUST ME
AND IT REALLY DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU DO
He was right on that count. Cora… well, she didn’t really know if she’d be doing this if it made her feel icky. The fact that it didn’t just seemed like a bonus right now.
Plus, none of the girls were trying to stop her.
The Banfeinni were already waiting in the office when she walked in, having been called to gather by Lux. Cora strode in, and sat heavily on the couch next to Hawk, closing her eyes and resting her head back on the massive forearm she’d thrown over the back.
After a second to collect herself, she met the eyes of everyone in the room in turn.
“Fern, Iain,” she asked, “how many of the girls do you think are ready and willing to come with us on this?”
“Ready?” Iain laughed, “Lass, I wouldnae have taken me old squad on this suicide run.”
He shook his head though, and a twinkle in his eye suggested he might not be quite as pessimistic as his words suggested.
“Buuuut I suppose weren’t none of us had any gods-damned superpowers neither. Fern’s squad, obviously, and there’s 3 or 4 more ladies what have picked up classes during training hunts. Figure any of them could do some damage,” he said.
“Cami, at least, is a damn good fighter,” Fern confirmed. “I was planning to ask her to take Renly’s place on the squad.”
Emily tensed, but Ysna put a steadying hand on her arm.
“Her [Ironclad] class kicks ass too, she can soak up damage like Hawk, even at level 6,” Fern continued. “Jasmine, as well, though I’d be real worried about her chances of surviving. She got [Bladedancer], so give her a sword and she could probably cut down any number of Links or unprepared nobles, but she’s got no defense, nothing to stop her from just taking a bullet to the head.”
Fern chewed her lip, clearly very unsure about further options.
“Fliss was an excellent help with the ritual,” Lysander spoke up. “While her abilities as a low-level [Arcanist] might not be impressive, I think they will be, combined the tutelage and power of an [Arcane Conduit] such as myself, of course.”
“Yeah? You think you could make those magic missiles of hers kill something other than birds?” Fern asked.
“I’m certain I could, and I’m confident in my ability to keep her safe, as well,” Lysander announced proudly.
“On that note of certainty, what Lysander are we going to be getting? Laser Lysander or too tired for cantrips Lysander? You were on the edge last night, and you have to hold up a large scale illusion during the attack,” Cora pointed out.
Lysander scoffed.
“Feh! I will be doing no such thing. The ritual will be self-sustaining, that was the point of setting it up ahead of time. You will be getting Lysander Pridelorn, Chosen Conduit of the Arcane Energies of Azalon, or, as you say,” she continued with a wink, “Laser Lysander. I don’t mind that nickname.”
“Hell yeah,” Cora grinned. “Jocasta, you’re certain you can mask their System info?”
“I am, I am,” Jocasta said, “though it won’t be like your fancy ID card, more glitches and fuzzies.”
“Perfect! That’s what Links look like half the time anyway! How are we on munitions?” Cora asked, looking straight at Reine.
“We got enough AR’s and ammo for everybody in Luxholme and a few friends, so fine on that, not a looooot extra in the way of [Integrated] weapons though. One handgun with crazy muzzle velocity and penetrating power, and another one of those [Pyroteckstick]s that someone pulled off a Shaman last night,” Reine said.
“Any takers? I mean, that [Pyroteckstick] has got to go to Fliss or Lysander, but I’ve got [Vector Driver], and I’m the only one that consistently uses handguns,” Cora said.
Emily stepped forward, raising her hand. It made sense, that summoned scythe she used seemed lighter than air in her hand, she could free one up for a little bit of range.
Cora squinted at her.
She liked to think she’d made basically every person in Luxholme’s life better.
Except maybe Emily.
She thought about Hawk.
About herself.
And the Aspectation she still had in her pack.
“Emily…” she started, then paused to pull out the orb. It’s primal energy surged against her hand, though it never actually moved., “I can’t make any promises, but this might…”
Emily’s eyes shot to Lysander, then back to the pulsing orb.
She snatched it out of Cora’s hand, and crushed it.
Cora didn’t know what she was feeling, but from the outside at least, it clearly wasn’t as harrowing as the Outgrowth Aspectation. Waves of primal force washed off of Emily, her dark eyes flashing as yellow and animalistic as Hawk’s for one moment, then normal the next.
Her sister, or the shade of her she summoned in combat, appeared in front of her. Emily’s eyes locked onto Renly, and any question Cora had as to whether or not that was really Renly was answered.
The shadow reached out, cupping her sister’s face in both hands, tears falling through a phantom grip.
And the power flowed into her.
It wasn’t as easy for Renly.
Whatever form she had, whatever shadow stuff it was made of, it was easier for the power to mold.
She doubled over, a silent scream wracking her face, a scream quickly given voice by Emily.
“No!” Emily screamed, falling to her knees, trying to grip her sister, to comfort her.
One hand passed through like a ghost, the other grabbed onto what looked like shadow made stone.
They both stared at in awe for a moment, before that patch of solidity exploded outwards, giving weight and mass to form.
But it didn’t seem like Renly’s form was the one it was going to take.
Her limbs twisted, forcing her to all fours. Stone cracked like tendons as her body was rearranged, building on itself, becoming larger, more powerful.
Shoulders that rivaled Hawk’s clenched against pain above feline flanks that fell to digitgrade legs.
The first sound Renly, once more given physical form, was a roar.
“Sis…?” Emily asked, reaching out towards the huge leonid head, nearly as big as her chest. “Is that you?”
The yellow eyes set into the shadowstone of the cat’s body weren’t Renly’s. Not unless Cora remembered them all wrong. But when the massive beast pressed its cheek against Emily’s hand and a pleasant rumbling filled the room, it seemed this new body, at least, might be her own.
Emily threw her arms around the shadowstone cat’s massive neck, and wept.
Renly laid her head on her shoulder, and let herself be a rock for her sister.
“Holy shit…” Hawk said, then sniffed. Cora looked up to catch her wiping a tear from her eye. “That’s… not used to seein’ something like that.”
“I mean, I hope Renly’s cool being a cat, or I might have made things worse…” Cora said under her breath.
“We can hear you,” Emily sniffled, she turned to give Cora the best smile her tear streaked face could muster. “Renly loved cats.”
The cat gave a shallow rawr of protest.
“Sorry,” Emily laughed, “loves. It doesn’t feel like she minds the change too much.”
“Good,” Cora beamed, “well, uh, I don’t know if we can bring her back again, so, be careful, okay?”
This time, Renly roared. The people outside probably thought they were under attack.
“No,” Emily chuckled, “no Cora I don’t think we will. Renly is hungry.”
Cora smiled, but that sent a shiver right the fuck down her spine. Thank god these girls were on her side.