Lillian took another piece of brisket off her pte and ha to the hawk that sat o her. It pulled it carefully from her fingers before eating in silence. She smiled at it and popped a pieto her own mouth, chewing quietly as another breeze ran through her hair.
She’s still in surgery, it’s been hours, She thought. Dr. Carter had seen her out after Snow had gone under for the operation. She had wao hang out outside the b but Miss ovna had swung by and insisted that she get something to eat and clear her head a little. She was grateful, there was still so much to think about. So much that she was still digesting from her enlighte, her vision. She took another bite of her food a out a breath befng at the hawk that eyed her patiently. “Thanks again for the help earlier,” She said.
It ined its head and she got the feeling that it was saying something along the lines of; ‘Well, it goes without saying that I would help’.
Her lip twitched, Now I’m imagining stuff.
She shifted a bit on the ground and leaned back, resting her arm on her knee and gng towards the spot where her teacher had been undergoing the tribution. The lightning was long go she hadn’t seen her. She scratched at her neck a little then paused, a tingle moved through the air behind her. She lowered her hand as the feeling from it registered in her senses. She smiled a back to her meal, plug another piece up and handing it to her bird friend. “Hello, Teacher.”
Bck Lotus walked io her and sat down, “You’ve made a new friend.”
Lillian g the hawk, “Seems so, no idea why but he helped me find my way back after-”
“After you ran off to gh your first stage of enlighte,” Bck Lotus said, “I heard that you saw my tribution and bolted shortly afterward.”
Lillian turo Bck Lotus and looked up at her. The woman was more serehan before, her dark eyes seemed even deeper and her smile easier. She didn’t seem much different physically, a little more toned, her face a little more defined, her hair just a bit longer. It was the energy moving inside of her, though, that was dramatically different. Where there had been a steady if fast-moving whirlpool, now it was beginning to move through her body in a distinctive pattern, following her meridians and moving towards a terpoint at her waist.
“Did you see her?” Lillian asked.
Bck Lotus nodded, “We spoke.”
The Lillian of just a week before would have jumped in and probed how to get to that point faster, now, now she knew better. It took time, and she could already feel that there was something off with her ability. She roag a much more difficult cliff and she had only just achieved the first stage. It would be some time before her sed. She nodded slowly and looked back out over the trees, “Sometimes I see it, mana.”
“See it? Visually?” Bck Lotus asked.
Lillian nodded, “Sounds like that’s not something that es with your ability?”
Her teacher shook her head, “I don’t know whether I’d want that or not,” She said ruefully.
“It’s hard to turn on,” Lillian admitted, “But when it is, I tell when a pce is primed for a monster. I just feel it in my gut.”
Bck Lotus went silent for a moment before reag into her pocket, she pulled out a small sphere and held it out to Lillian, “ you hold this for me for a moment?” She asked.
Lillian tilted her head and took it, “An RTE? You think something’s up with my ability?”
“I suspect your ability is a bit different from others,” Bck Lotus said, “It’s not evewo years sihe fsh, we uand so little about abilities, but a general rule seems to be that Abilities do not ge tier except under extreme circumstances,” She expined as she pulled a pho , tapping the s a few times.
“Extreme circumstances?” Lillian asked, fused.
“Are you familiar with Ishtar?” Bck Lotus answered with her owion.
Lillian frowned and looked down at her pte, her stomach twisted a bit at the taboo name, “Who isn’t?” She snorted, “What does she have to do with it?”
“Ishtar cims to be able to awaken the abilities in people or even give them out, it’s ly on knowledge but it’s also not hard to hear about it,” Bck Lotus said, “More specifically, she do it in exge for payment or services. That is information that the Pandora ittee is keeping closer to its chest, the only reason I’m discussing it with you is your situation.”
Lillian tensed and looked down at the RTE in her hands, she looked up at Bck Lotus a her heart sink a little, “You think-”
“I think? No, you wouldn’t make a deal with someone like her,” Bck Lotus said with a shake of her head, “I was instructed to make regur reports about high potential aspirants and when your situation came up I was asked to observe a you with an RTE if you began exhibiting more and more funality,” She exhaled, “Your ability has the funality of a mythic, Lillian, but you still feel like a rare to me.”
Lillian squeezed the ball a little, “So if I read higher than rare, it’ll be suspicious?”
“Not so bd white,” Bck Lotus said, “Let’s just have a look. This is a Pandora ittee pho’ll record the result and send it back regardless of what happens so I ’t tamper with it,” She warned Lillian before pg a hand on her shoulder, “We o do this before I resume training you.”
Lillian nodded, “Go ahead.”
Bck Lotus nodded and tapped the phohe sphere in Lillian’s hand began to glow, first a dull gray light, then white, then green, then blue, a strong brilliant blue. It glowed brighter before flickering purple and blue several times. Finally it rolled back to blue aled. Lillian watched it with a mixture of awe and , “I don’t-”
Her teacher let out a sigh of relief, “Rare but it’s trying to encroa Epic. A fun of your ability then. Thank goodness.”
Lillian looked up at her, wide eyed, “So I’m okay? I never met, I mean, I-” She stammered before her teacher chuckled and squeezed her shoulder fly.
“I’ll put it in the report, yoing to be fine, Lillian. You have a very unique ability, that’s all. Be proud of it, develop it, and figure out what it takes to move on to the level. If anyone , it’s you,” She said with a smile.
Lillian flushed and looked down at her pte again befng at her new bird friend, “Thanks, teach-” She gnced back at her teacher and saw the woman rex before plug out a white bottle out of her coat. She pulled a cork out and drank a sip before letting out a sigh. “Are you drinking?” Lillian blurted.
“Sed stage was a lot to take in pared to first,” Her teacher chuckled and sipped again.
Lillian shook her head with a ugh and looked back out over the grass again as the two sat in a fortable silehey sat for nearly half an hour before her teacher sat up and tilted her head, her eyes fixed on a spot out irees. She slid to her feet with a grunt before patting Lillian on the back of the head, “Make sure to sleep tonight,” She said before hopping onto the railing, “I’m going to stretch my legs.”
Lillian didn’t believe that for a moment but she wasn’t going to push the issue, she just nodded, “Right,” She said and Bck Lotus was gone.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, startling her, I thought there was no signal, what the heck? She pulled her pho and looked at it.
Every muscle in Lillian’s body rexed and she fell bato the surface of the baly, staring at the words on her phoh a big smile on her face, “Thank goodness.”
—
Sonya shifted on her feet in the undergrowth, the trees above her head. She checked her personal watch, she could have used her HUD but it was good to keep up normal habits. Right on time a message from mephisto came through and she focused on it. It popped open in her vision.
She smiled,
She took a few steps and leaned against the pylon of the dungeoing her head against it and crossing her arms as she put out a call. As it rang she gnced up at Marta who was standing stoically off to the side. Their eyes met and they exged a smile before the other end picked up.
<“Kingshark here!”> Barry grunted oher end.
<“How are things?”> She asked.
<”Almost doh this ohen we’ll move on to the . Had a few military ships swing by and try to check us out yesterday. No big deal, I took care of it,”> He said, <”How’s she doing?”>
Sonya gnced surreptitiously at her bodyguard who raised her eyebrow at her with a knowing stare. <”Statuesque and observant as always.”>
<”Give her a big ol’ kiss for me,”> Barry joked.
Sonya barked out a ugh, drawing a frown from Marta, <”I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t appreciate it from me.”> Sonya chuckled, <”I’ll give her the message, though.”>
Barry ughed, <”That works, thanks boss.”>
Sonya tilted her head, <”What about the rest?”> She asked a bit more seriously.
There ause, <”I’ve got people in every try she does, we’ve got our eyes on them. I set up a few ‘is’ to fore of her people into a fight. You were right, her followers are enhanced somehow. As strong as unon or even low rare. All physical improvements though.”>
Sonya nodded, <”As expected, her light-touched followers will be more difficult to get a measure for. Their abilities will be amplified by her ability. Don’t waste men on them right now.”>
<”Got it,”> He grunted, <”It’ll take a while but we’ll be ready wheime es. Bckrazor’s people are a big help and its nice having Charon fetting my people around.”>
Sonya grinned, <”Those taxis are nice aren’t they?>
<”Damn right they are, I use them all the time,”> He ughed.
<”Jealous, I didn’t get to enjoy it while I was in The Hague. Too many eyes,”> Sonya grumbled as she felt fast movement in the air ahead of her. She gnced up and smirked, <”We’ll talk more ter, I’ve been meaning to reward you for your work, be safe.”>
<”Who do you think you’re talking to? The Lord of the Deeps is out at sea, here, I’m invincible.”> He ughed and cut the call. <”Looking forward to that present, ter boss.”>
She shook her head and pushed off the dungeon pylon, stepping out into the middle of the clearing as Marta moved to stao her. She tilted her head towards her beloved friend, “Barry told me to give you a big ol’ smooch,” She snickered.
“That idiot,” Marta chuckled, “She’s here.”
Sonya smiled as hua burst through the trees and nded ahead of them. She was still dressed down but had her sheathed sword in one hand. She gnced around for a moment and frowned, “Sonya? What are you doing out here? Is everything alright?”
“Gd you could make it, figured you’d e if you sensed us he dungeon,” Sonya quipped befesturing towards the rippling portal, “e o’s go inside and talk.”
hua raised an eyebrow and read Sonya’s expression before nodding, she walked past her without hesitation a straight through the water-like surface of the portal. Sonya pursed her lips and exged a look with Marta. The both of them shrugged before they went through as well. The hing Sonya felt was the tug of her everything as she ulled from one pce to another before stepping out into an almost identical forest. Uhe real ohe area with the portal was formed of trees grown so thickly together they formed a near plete circle. An opening on one side just wide enough for three people to walk side by side was the o.
Sonya stepped out and brushed off her arms befng up at hua who was standing off to the side, watg the opening, “Did you clear out the first wave?” She asked.
“Marta did just a bit ago,” Sonya said before frowning, “We o talk about this dungeon.”
hua nodded, “Fill me in.”
Sonya crossed her arms and quickly expined what Cass had reported to her. hua nodded along and gnced around thoughtfully, “It doesn’t feel much different.”
“I’m not sure what that bastard did, but he did something to it, I’m worried about the aspirants, I’m going to start taking them in here soon for the scouting csses, then there’s the final exam we o sider,” She let out a breath, “It’s best if we have a look around.”
hua nodded, “Good idea,” She said before raising an eyebrow, “That’s not all though, is it? You never go somewhere with only one purpose.”
Sonya smirked, “Well, after you moved on to your sed stage I got motivated to get stronger myself,” She said aed her hands on her hips, “Figured I’d invite you to my little merger party.”
hua blinked and her eyes went wide, “Here? Yoing to do that here?” She paused and scowled, “Yoing to overdo it, aren’t you? I have your memories, you realize, I kly how painful it is.”
“Well it’s a good thing you and Marta are here!” Sonya barked out a ugh, “You keep an eye on me, because it’s happening.”
Marta crossed her arms and stared at hua, “She’s putting a lot of trust in you being here,” Marta said defensively, “You could-”
hua frowned further, “But why? You’re already power-”
“Because it isn’t enough,” Sonya said ftly, her expression going hard. She g the portal behind them and ched her fists, “Not for him,” She looked sidelong at hua, “My memories are a lot to gh, and some of it may be a blur for you, but for me it’s all crystal clear. That buffoon may be a bumbling idiot now, but he’s an invincible bumbling idiot,” She said and ran her fihrough her hair, “Natural Sele should have dos job with him a long time ago, but it didn’t,” She said, “He barely uands how whatever his power is works.”
She paused and she looked at hua, “But, even an idiot adapt and learn if he lives long enough.”