Echoes Of The Seven

Eris wasn’t sure how to feel when taking the walk back to her workshop. Pravala knew all her skills, which wasn’t ideal in an attempt to keep the woman trapped here. On the same end, she now knew all of Pravala’s skills so it made planning against the woman easier. Of course, Pravala could just have easily been lying about her skills, but the worst part was that Eris believed the woman was being genuine.

She was a terrible person- that much couldn’t have been questioned. But everything in that trial bounced around Eris’s head on repeat. Pravala only did what she did because she truly believed it was the only way to stop something far worse. Because it was the only way an Echo could become powerful enough to make a difference against some giant, world-consuming creature that puts Tonshlur through four seasons of apocalypse.

That only rose the persistent question in the Artificer’s mind- something she’d already been contemplating for a while and something that scared her.

If Pravala ruined so many lives just to have a shot at saving the world from Miknalor, what kind of person would Eris have to become in order to guarantee that she saved the world from the Hollow?

The old legends that Alex talked about continued to reverberate in Eris’s mind. Echoes that would watch people starve while stuffing their faces right in front of them. Ones that would paint armor with the blood of innocent children before going into battle. Monstrous stories about the most powerful people on the planet- the only ones capable of enacting change. And yet, those weren’t even the ones that were trying to do something as big as preventing an apocalypse.

Eris’s footsteps echoed through empty marble hallways until she pushed open the large wooden doors leading outside the small palace Pravala’s slaves had built her. Like usual, it was impossible to properly tell the time without a specific form of measurement, like her pocketwatch, since there was no sun in the sky. There wasn’t a sky at all. It was a cavernous underground ceiling hundreds and hundreds of feet up interspaced with a thousand tiny freckles of illumination. Pravala had called the pockets of crystal ‘Limeengolm’, translated into ‘Lightstone’. A bland name, but a fitting one. The caverns of it carved out from the mines were the sole things that provided illumination to the entirety of Pravala’s kingdom.

They hung in ever-glowing lanterns hung on posts marking out roads to and from various locations. They were affixed above the doorframes to the communal living areas in the west, lighting up the houses that all of Pravala’s enslaved lived in. The crystals glowed in the beacons of the lumber yard to the east, bordering on the edge of the ultra-dense underground forest of ironwood trees. The light wasn’t for the forest- the trees grew just fine in complete darkness. Blue needles for leaves and grey wood about as dense as lead stretched on, but just off to the side were the tunnels leading down into the officially-marked mines of the kingdom. Eris knew from the maps that had been drawn that there were hundreds and hundreds of miles of tunnels spiderwebbing outwards. Every brick of Pravala’s palace was built from the pockets of marble excavated out from the normal stone.

Directly opposite the palace, which Eris had deemed as ‘North’ since the compass on her watch wasn’t working properly, was the underground ocean. The cavernous walls and rib-like pillars of stone closed in and marked the end of the cavern, but a stretch of about a hundred feet of open water took over the space between the wall and the cavern floor. It certainly didn’t look like anything more than a pond from this angle, but Eris was also aware that the ‘beach’ of the freshwater ocean dropped off like a cliff before curving back to open up even more, much like the walls did. In fact, Eris attributed the entire prison cavern as the top half of an hourglass, with the ocean spreading out underneath in a space that could very well be ten times the size. Pravala didn’t know how large the ocean was, or how deep it was to the bottom. It, and all the fish it produced, had effectively been the only thing sustaining the kingdom for four hundred years and there wasn’t even the slightest hint that the ocean was ‘running dry’.

Hopefully the bottom wasn’t too deep. After all, in order to use the Warden to get out of this place, they needed to retrieve the damned thing from the bottom first.

Her and Pravala. The only Echoes left in a dying world, and the only ones who might have a chance at saving it. But even if they did, what’s to say that something worse wouldn’t then start happening? If the old Artificers did actually manage to trap Akkaru’um in the Obelisk, but then the Stream made a new apocalypse to take its place, there was no confirmation that stopping the Hollow would be any different. The world marked for death would simply have to face yet another evil that would need to be prevented, and then another after that, and another after that, until one of those apocalypses eventually sealed the deal.

Eris slumped down onto the steps leading up into the small palace, brought her knees to her chest and buried her face in her arms. A small sob escaped her throat.

She missed Jaxie.

Eris missed everyone, of course. She missed Dad. She missed Alex. She even missed Nima, Meghan and Claire. But at least if Jaxie were here, contemplating the act of escaping an inescapable prison only to live on a world that couldn’t be saved would be a little more tolerable. Right now…

Eris just felt completely and utterly alone.

“Woah- hey, what’s wrong?”

Eris looked up to see a bushy-haired blonde that had been walking by on the path suddenly divert her course. Bailey hadn’t even properly sat down on the steps before Eris pulled her into the tightest hug she could manage. The blonde let out a little noise of surprise, but quickly reciprocated- twisting in place and wrapping her arms around Eris’s back while an Artificer sobbed into her shoulder.

“That’s it, just let it out. I’ve got you.”

Bailey didn’t seem to care that Eris’s choking sobs turned into full-on ugly crying- the kind where Bailey’s shirt was getting equally soaked in both tears and snot alike. She also wasn’t trying to ask any more questions. It was like the blonde could understand perfectly that Eris didn’t need someone to talk to right now- she just needed someone to care. All that mattered to Eris was the warm sensation of a hug and the gentle hand patting her back.

Of course, Eris was distinctly aware that Pravala was experiencing this entire arrangement through Bailey. She didn’t care. She could recognize by Bailey’s body language- even the way she was breathing and patting Eris’s back, that the blonde wasn’t being possessed right now. This was Bailey- not Pravala.

It was many, many long moments of full-body shudders and snot-glossed tears before Eris managed to pull her face out of Bailey’s shoulder. As Eris dragged her forearm across her face to wipe her leaking nose, Bailey rubbed a thumb over the Artificer’s cheek to clear some wet trails. The blonde gave a sweet smile.

“Do you wanna go back to your shop?”

Eris sniffled and nodded.

“Okay,” Bailey said. “Would you like me to stay with you?”

Another nod. Bailey did the same.

“Alright, last question; do you want to talk about it, or do you want to leave it behind?”

Eris was quiet for a moment. Eventually, she cleared her throat and spoke with a voice that felt scratchy. “Leave it behind.”

Bailey smiled, then leaned two inches forward and planted a quick and gentle kiss on Eris’s cheek.

“Okie-dokie. I think it’s about time for a gathering sesh anyway, so I’m sure that’ll help get that cute little noggin’ of yours thinking about something else.”

Eris felt her face heating up, but Bailey laughed. The blonde stood and helped Eris do the same, then pulled the Artificer into another extra-tight hug. Even though it had been a longer time in here than back in Marrix, it still felt a little strange to hug her roommate and not have a pillowy bosom pressing in between them. It did, however, let Eris feel the rise and fall of Bailey’s chest as the blonde gave a small chuckle.

“Just think of me as your ESFB, cutiepie.”

Eris was almost afraid to ask. “ESFB?”

“Emotional-Support-Fuck-Buddy,” Bailey clarified to the rapid reddening of Eris’s face. The blonde laughed, then dropped one hand to give Eris’s butt a playful squeeze. She then broke the hug, grabbed Eris’s hand, then started leading the way back down the road with an exaggerated sway of her hips. “Now come on- I’m gonna fuck that funk right outta’ you.”

Eris blushed even harder, looking around to some of the nearby kingdomfolk that had been walking in proximity and were staring at them as they passed. All of them had the same black brand on their wrist as Bailey. Before she could properly be embarrassed, she reminded herself that none of these people actually understood Common. Unlike Pravala, they didn’t have access to all of Bailey and Elmas’s memories and knowledge. Instead, all they saw was the Artificer that was indirectly giving them orders for a plan to break them all out, getting led by one of her companions and speaking a language they didn’t know.

Still, Eris kept her face turned low and errantly used her free hand to wipe away the remnants of her crying session as the two girls walked towards the storage building that was refurbished to be Eris’s workshop. Each step made Eris’s heart rate rise a little further. It didn’t matter if she was feeling sad or lonely- the horny anticipation of sex would always leave her giddy inside. By the time that Bailey shut the large wooden door behind them and left them enclosed in the shop, Eris felt like her heart was going to beat right out of her chest. Of course, Bailey’s wicked and playful smile as she led Eris over to the bed in the corner- the one they’d shared for the last two weeks and had their gathering sessions on- did little to help Eris’s composure.

Bailey twirled Eris around and gently pushed against the redhead’s chest until the girl was sitting back on the edge of the bed with Bailey standing in front of her. Bailey was all smiles as she undid the buttons on her shirt. She didn’t take it off, however. She simply let it hang open to reveal the creamy gap between her breasts and down her flat stomach while hands worked at her waistband. Only after her pants were dropped and got awkwardly tangled on her shoes that she had to kick off, did Bailey return and take off her shirt. When the blonde was left bare, she adjusted her glasses, smiled proudly, and placed her hands on her hips to show her nude glory. She did, however, look down at her diminutive chest and let out a little huff.

“Man, I miss my boobs.”

That made Eris chuckle. “You say that every time you take off your shirt.”

Bailey rolled her eyes, then flopped down onto the bed beside Eris. “I mean, you saw them, right? Those things were a pain in the ass to deal with, but they were fuckin’ fantastic. I haven’t walked this straight in years and I hate it.”

“I thought you’d be more upset about needing glasses again or losing your class,” Eris offered a smile and moved to take off her own shirt. Bailey smirked.

“I’ve been powerless forever and a blind bitch since I was six. I’d only had fat fucking tits for three years.”

“That’s… an optimistic way of putting it.”

Bailey shrugged, then reached over and helped Eris start to take off her pants. “Eh, it’s still not too bad, all things considered. I can probably pull some favours and get a couple of permanent potions to fix my eyes and give me my tits back. Fuck, there might even end up being some weird sex ritual or shit that you can do in the future to give my powers back.”

Eris raised an eyebrow when her pants finished coming off. “You really believe that I can give you back your class?”

“Hey-” she raised her hands defensively at the now-nude Artificer. “I’m not saying anything for certain, but I like to believe in any option until it’s been definitively proven impossible.”

Eris’s mind wandered back to the cluttered mess that was Bailey’s closet back in Marrix- the one with shelves filled to the brim with alchemical notebooks containing almost nothing but failed experiments. Testing every possible ingredient combination, in every possible preparation method, and getting close to a zero-percent success rate. This girl was the living definition of “Everything is possible until proven otherwise”. Unfortunately, that only made Eris frown.

“I wouldn’t even know where to begin with something like that…”

“And that’s just fuckin’ fine!” Bailey laughed. “I’m not looking for a miracle to happen right this instant. It’s gonna be months of work with the Syndicate and all the brainiacs pouring over every book they can find. But maybe, just maybe, you, the Syndicate and Pravala can come up with some kind of way to give the Lieutenant Major and I our powers back.”

“Pravala doesn’t even know why you two lost your powers,” Eris said glumly. “Her skill even says that she can’t do it to Echoes, so her running theory is that the power of a regular Gifted is such a fraction compared to an Echo that when she bound your souls to hers that it completely overwhelmed your magic and destroyed it altogether.”

Bailey thought for a moment, then shrugged. “Eh, she accidentally steals powers and you accidentally put enchantments on dildos. Give it enough time and I’m sure you two can figure something out. Even if you can’t, so what? Big whoop. I’ve already done more research and alchemical testing than any other person alive. Every discovery I’ve made is documented and available to any other Alchemist in Kavala, including ones much higher level. I did my part, so there wasn’t really much else that I could give to the Syndicate that others already couldn’t do better. I’m at peace with that.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Eris said. “You were incredible!”

Bailey raised an eyebrow. “Sell myself short? Did you even hear what I just said? I never sought out to be some Alchemist that makes all the most powerful concoctions. I decided that my contribution to the war effort would be doing all the research that nobody else had time to do. I found dozens of alternate ways to make concoctions and change their effects, and plenty of brand new alchemical products altogether. That and the untapped wellspring of sex potions? I became a Gifted hoping to find something new in Alchemy that could help save lives, and I ended up giving the Syndicate the most extensive and valuable alchemical research it’s seen in over two hundred and fifty years. Fuck, I could have lost my powers two years ago and still felt content with what I’d done.”

Bailey laid back on the bed, her bushy hair poofing out around her face. “Honestly, the real tragedy is Elmas losing her powers. She’s not a researcher like me, so her value isn’t in what she’s already done but what she could still do. She was one of the most skilled and talented members of the entire Syndicate. I mean, fuck! She was the one assigned to act as the personal bodyguard for you- the single most important person in the world. That’s saying something.”

Eris went to speak, but Bailey held up one extended arm with a single finger raised.

“Don’t. I know exactly what you’re gonna say. ’Waah, boo-hoo! I’m the reason Elmas lost her powers, waaaahhhh!’.”

Eris blinked. “I don’t sound like that.”

“It’s called adding dramatic effect, cutiepie.” Bailey winked. “Now, you can’t blame yourself for this. This was nothing but a series of accidents. The Bottled Storms. Accidentally pulling Elmas in with your Artificer voodoo. Fuck, even Pravala enslaving us- if she didn’t know it would take away our powers when she did it, then that’s an accident too. None of this is your fault, so don’t even try to start pretending like it is. Actually, it’s probably good that all of this happened.”

“How could this possibly be ‘good’?” Eris asked with raised eyebrows. Bailey smiled.

“Because we used to only have one Echo trying to save the world. Once we get out of this fuckin’ place, we’ll have two.”

Eris slumped. “I guess…” Bailey responded by laughing, rolling onto her side, and giving a playful slap to the butt of the redhead sitting beside her.

“Okay, yeah- you definitely need an ESFB right now. You’re being way too moody and depressing.”

“Sorr-”

Bailey reached up and pressed a finger to Eris’s lips- and not gently, either. The digit fully smooshed against the redhead’s lips, squishing them to the point that if Eris tried to talk, she’d end up with a finger in her mouth. Bailey rolled her eyes with a grin.

“Cutiepie, please just shut the fuck up and lie down. I’m gonna use your thighs like earmuffs until Pouty McSadFace starts smiling again, and that’s non-negotiable.”