Vol. 3, Ch. 122: Bugged Out
Neska hadn’t heard much about the man present in the large conference room just outside of the administration office Resalio worked out of. Hadley and Jurik had clued her in that this was Major Gorovich, a seasoned veteran with more scars than even their own fire-scorched warrior.
He also didn’t come across as a warrior, based on the way he pored over carefully written reports and images taken from other Valos military members after the hive had been secured–what was left of it. He examined each of them in turn, choosing not to speak for two minutes, gazing at each of them.
All three teams that had been present in the mine were here to account for the events at the mine, and everything they’d observed. Neska had initially believed that their performance had been subpar, owing to the death of one of the students.
“An entire mine of goblins and evolution wasps, taken down by three teams.” The man spoke with a rich voice, firm in his words and never wavering. “One student KIA, versus that? To be blunt, everyone in this room should be dead, given what you were up against. I think small accolades are in order. If it were normal circumstances.”
He pointed at Neska. “You’ve uncovered something that wasn’t meant to be found. This…Radiant King has only been rumored, hearsay from scouts deep behind enemy lines. I would have been dismissive, but the behavior of the Instance core, and its fixation on you, in particular, is troubling.”
She sensed this was her moment to speak up. “He’s the reason Risha Aksen is dead, if we all want to be on the same page. My experience with this entity does not strike me as something that seeped out from whatever in the abyss those rifts are. This is something with humanoid intelligence, agitated and showing irrational, emotional responses.”
“I agree. After spending six hours interviewing the leads, I am convinced this is a sound conclusion.” It sounded like the major had, indeed, been paying close attention. “I’m rather concerned that this entity, this Radiant King, knows exactly who you are. I know you’re no threat to the academy, owing to the testimony of everyone in this room, plus your professors.”
“I sense there’s a ‘but’ coming,” Neska interjected politely.
“Only the casual suggestion that, now that this is a fairly open secret at this point, unrelated to your own actions, there will likely be…uh…” he trailed off. “...Complications. There have been a few students that have generated awe and inspiration in the past. And professors,” he added, casting a sidelong glance toward Resalio, seated next to Harvine and Kalloway. “It tends to become a distraction.”
“Are you saying that I should find someplace quiet and out of the way to continue my training, or be wary of who I befriend? There is already an assassin who has an agenda separate from the Varadur.”
She left out the part where Trevor might still be a target, if Marisano senior, or his brother, more likely, failed to provide material and logistical support to this still unnamed foe.
“I’m saying, be prepared for a possibly unwelcome following,” the major cautioned.
“Oh, so this is how a coven or a cult starts,” Brent said deadpan, still sporting bandages from the battle in the hive. The skirmisher wasps had been particularly rough with him, and Trevor had already gotten underway to upgrade the armor for the wolfling, and the rest of the team, now that he had plenty of dead wasp carapace to pick from.
"I've got open spots," Neska replied dryly. "We need more witchy cackles and chanting rituals on campus, if only to terrorize our foes."
“Major, why are we not picking her apart to determine what, exactly, she is?” Kasfew said, wings pressed tight.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” she said, giving him a contemptible look. “I think I work better when I’m not being dissected, for the record. I also don’t claim to know everything. Risha may have tampered with my memories, or the suddenness of my death wiped a lot of them. I have some theories, but I want to make one thing clear.”
She slithered forward one pace, facing Gorovich directly. “There are things we do not know about the Varadur, and the possibility of peeling off their forces or turning them against one another may be possible. The Hive queen chose death rather than to commit her horde.”
“And they scattered. That was a tactical mistake,” another man growled, slamming his fist on the table. Neska hadn’t seen him before this meeting, and he didn’t have any name badge. His uniform was Valos military, composed of the standard navy blue dress jacket and a few subdued markings on the right sleeve. “How do we know that you are not compromised by the Varadur, yourself?”
“Because they were trying awfully hard to kill me, even so far as making a misplay and letting the Radiant King’s presence be identified,” she stated flatly. Everyone nodded in concurrence around her.
“Neska has demonstrated unusual traits that are from neither her Class nor her monster species,” Jurik said politely, after getting the go-ahead from Gorovich. “These abilities, along with her combined witch powers and evolutions, are why they fear her.”
The Major considered this for a moment, and traced his finger over lines of notes he had been taking. “Miss Neska…what are your intentions, then? If I might be so candid to ask.”
She rose slowly, clearing her throat. “To stop the Varadur. Whether that is eliminating them, or destroying those that control them. I want to avenge Risha Aksen, and bring a cursed existence against every monster and conspirator that contributed to her demise.”
Though that last part could be literal: she’d found a very, very interesting ability that fit her witch class perfectly, and capitalized on her skills to synergize at a scary level. She just needed to lock it in, among others, once she had a chance to consult with her team.
The major let out a sigh. “I thought you might say that. I can’t say your heart isn’t in the right place, knowing what you’ve endured so far. But…Neska…may I call you that?”
“You may.”
“If you’re going to do this…keep in mind we have some guide rails in place. If you have powers you want to test, or techniques to try out against the Varadur, I only ask you keep us informed. That goes to all of you who were there. As much of a disaster this could have been, your tenacity and endurance in the face of exceptionally difficult circumstances is exactly what we needed."
“Does this mean we will have the ability to hit the field again? We are still facing a threat not aligned with the Varadur,” she said in a veiled way to refer to the assassin.
“We have to. As you’ve become aware, the holding line won’t hold much longer. Varadur are massing; more are arriving every day. Skirmishers and saboteurs like Lieutenant Jurik are slowing them down, but they have momentum behind them. Our tense stalemate is going to end, sooner or later, and it will be a mass attack of Varadur, in every species type under the sun,” the major cautioned.
“I’ll be circulating additional requests for assignments for everyone here. I will also ensure you receive downtime between missions so we are operating at peak capacity. I’ve lost too many soldiers, and Awakened, because we tasked them beyond any reasonable measure. For now, I want you all to dismiss; your classes will resume next week. You’ll have a solid block of time to recuperate. Questions?”
“Are we to keep this secret indefinitely? The student body will hear of it eventually,” Roche asked. “I’ve seen Miss Neska’s capabilities, along with her peers. They operate well together, and I have confidence in her personal motivations in this struggle."
Gorovich took a moment to consider the query. “We’ll keep rotating within a close group and bring in new members. We’re keeping an eye on individual class and Awakened composition to maximize our fighting synergy. As for keeping this discrete, keep doing so until further notice.”
“What about the Instance Core? Will we be able to salvage anything from it? That thing is…creepy. Even as a corpse it feels like needles burrowing under our skin,” Noricatu said, rubbing at her feathers uneasily. “Will there be more of them?”
“Unknown. We are hoping the academy members can dissect the damn things and get more information about what makes them work. There may be follow-up questions, so please, make sure you provide as much detail as you can in your reports. If there are no pressing matters, we’ll adjourn for now, and I’ll be attending strategic meetings in the future.”
"Hold up, what about the monster core?" Nori interjected. "Neska risked her life for all of us, and that bug--I mean, Veelah, gave it to her as her last act. That has to count for something!"
"No. It's likely going to be researched, then used for frontline efforts. There's a backlog of members who need their next Tier, and not enough monster cores to do so," Gorovich said, though he looked uncomfortable in saying it.
"So, we don't get to use the monster core from Veelah." It was rare for Neska to feel this way, but this felt like a massive letdown, especially with the risk involved. The queen wanted her to have it. But why?
Gorovich sighed. "Given the risks you and your friends took to retrieve it? I'll meet you halfway. Cores like this can evolve classes, or be used for powerful artifacts. Let us study it first; then, we'll see if it can be useful for you. Given its alignment with a venomous species, it likely would have some benefits for you."
Given the research opportunity, she saw the logic in his reasoning. "I find these terms acceptable. But for the record, how are such finds normally distributed?"
"Normally, academy members who would get the most use out of it. I'm a firm believer that they are better served in our ongoing battles. Monster cores are the only way we can get to tier four and above, at present.
“Everyone…good work. Keep watching each other’s backs, and we’ll show the Varadur we are more of a threat than they give us credit for,” he said before closing his notebook. “In the meantime, get some rest; no classes until next week. You’ve earned it.”
Everyone got up to leave, but Neska stayed behind for a minute to approach Gorovich. "Major," she said, unsure of how to proceed, and folded her hands behind her back. "I was told that a team recovered some items from the remains of Risha's cottage. Did you find an enclosure underneath the barn?"
He looked at her solemnly, and nodded. "So you know about it. Why didn't you mention it?"
"It was a matter of trust. Especially with the Seekers compromised and Marikand unaccounted for. I'm glad you found it, though. But, you also didn't mention it in there."
The major nodded quietly. "I can understand your hesitance. I, too, have my reasons. Much of what we found is magically warded. I also have a report from the team that it may have been tampered with, after the fact. Books appeared to be missing. But the rest was left intact."
"Was there anything for...me?"
"Like a final farewell? Unfortunately, I think the crystal in your possession is the only parting gift she meant for you." She was surprised he knew that, but he continued. "If we do find anything, I'll deliver it to you myself."
"Thank you, Major."
Sliding down the corridor a short time later, Neska had mixed feelings. On the one hand, being recognized for these efforts meant she had more sway in the decision-making. On the other hand, the lack of privacy and additional digging into her past left her feeling uneasy. What if they found something horrible that even she couldn’t anticipate?
No. No, she had to keep pressing forward. This extra latitude with the higher-ups would be worth the price of admission, in the long run. She needed allies and resources, anywhere she could find them. She already had a near-impossible task.
But what should she focus on next?
She’d prepared an analysis of her abilities ever since they’d gotten back yesterday. It was incomplete, but she knew one thing for sure: her abilities were punching above their weight class. She still had several that were lagging due to power limitations of the ability, or they weren’t synced well with her current attributes.
Brent coughed to get her attention, and she cast a glance his way as they worked their way down the hall. “What’s up?”
“You’ve got that distant look. Like you’re thinking about something that’s bothering you.”
“Understatement of the year, wolfy,” Kasfew sniped, talons clicking across the tile floor. “Where were you during that whole mess?”
“Brawling with about a dozen of those skirmisher wasps, and keeping some of the ones that explode from turning Trevor into a red smear on the wall,” Brent said gruffly, with the young wizard making a panicked face. “Nah, you did good, Trevor; we were in over our heads on that misadventure.”
“My spine shivers every time I hear a bee buzz by,” Trevor whispered. “But, uh, to Brent’s point, you’ve got that look about you, N-Neska.”
“My name won’t bite you, you know. Saying my name doesn’t summon an army of deadly wizards to strike you down,” Neska assured him. “No, I’m…trying to process this. There’s so much we don’t know about the Varadur. About myself. I don’t know if I’m the key to stopping them. I hope not. I’d like to be a contributing factor on my own skills, not some prophecy the Varadur claim they have about me.”
“Been a while since you mentioned that,” Juni said, casting Kasfew a stony glance as they nearly reached the entryway to the campus quad. “Maybe they do believe it. Veelah did.”
“I kinda find it weird the Varadur have names. Anyone else find that weird?” Syra asked. “Like, they clearly have a means to communicate with each other, and they have social interactions and a cultural structure, if those disgusting goblins are any indication.”
“That’s why we need to capture Varadur alive. Not to kill them or torture them, but to study,” Neska affirmed. “That is my next plan, when we aren’t training or fighting them.”
“And how do we do that? Capturing them alive has been remarkably difficult even under the best of circumstances,” Brent reminded her. “Almost nobody bothers with it anymore.”
“Well then, we’ll have to change that status quo.” Hurried footsteps approached behind her, and she turned her body to see Harvine jogging toward them, cheeks puffing in exertion.
“Neska, you and your team should come with me, right away.”
“We just got back,” she said, trying not to sound irritated. “Maybe this is me complaining, but I swear I still feel dried bug guts all over my scales, and I need about another three washings to fix that issue. You also look like hell by the way."
Harvine was walking with a limp, her hair frazzled, and a bandage on her cheek. "Selkie cleared me herself. Still not sure who jumped us, but it was students, and they didn't give us any obvious clues."
Neska let out a frustrated hiss. "Of course that would happen." Then, she reconsidered. "Wait, why are you cleared for duty? What’s the urgency?"
“Serkin is awake.”