Abyssal Road Trip

The bells of Ebusuku’s probing questions hadn’t required Julia to lie about Lêdhins nature, although she’d gone over all the fighting Julia had seen him contribute to before their flight had turned silent. It was perhaps only good fortune that the questions had gone nowhere close to his Hidden nature.

Here and there, mounds of Larvae collected among the hills’ gullies. Oddly Ebusuku paused their flight near larger groups and had Julia Ascend them. Though many previously female petitioners turned into Succubi, the notification reported an assortment of other Demon types within her awareness. While some she’d seen in her travels, others she’d never encountered.

It had taken cycles of flying before the road carved through the hills brought them to the coastline. The outposts they’d seen along the way were all smaller than Giza, and Ebusuku had skipped past them. Other roads joined the one they followed till it became busy with trundling wagons hauled by various undead beasts taking cargo to the port ahead.

The coastline itself looked like a series of Exxon tankers had dumped their loads on a Bali beach. Only the upper reaches of sand showed pure whiteness, while black filth covered kilometres of shoreline. Groups of wiggling Larvae populated the beach, squirming about with less grace than fully grown walrus bull seals. Waves rolling in continually kept setting more filth and Larvae upon the sands. Masses of bones from things long dead also came on shore only to be ground into paste within the gunk by the Larvae.

Walls surrounded the port, arcing from surf to surf, its course stretching into the hills twenty or more kilometres from the shore. While there were wards present, they seemed focused on deterring the local wildlife rather than protecting against a serious attack. Other cargoes from the nearby swamp joined wagons of marshstone, among other goods, streaming in through the gates.

Inside the walls, an erratic mix of buildings packed the limits of the space. The ones closest to the docks appeared to be giant warehouses, while those further away varied from building to building. Julia could see tall, elaborate spires free-standing within a cluster of unstable looking buildings. Eight-or ten-story buildings might clutter tight together with no pathways providing access, while some slum-like locations possessed wide roads and easy access. As they observed from a sheltered spot high on a nearby hill, a new tower erupted from within a densely packed area. The spire scattering with explosive force demons and buildings that had been in the path of its sudden growth.

“Are they even going to notice explosions?” asked Julia. Her gaze fixed on the tower’s growth, she watched as one building came crashing down on a passing wagon.

“After enough of the place burns, they’ll catch on.” Ebusuku replied, anticipation shining in her gaze, “Keep watch for your former guide. I’d like to find out if he’s working for the Treasury or someone else. Let’s join those entering the port. Keep your eyes peeled for protective wards and useful targets. Return here just after sundown, and we’ll decide what we’re blowing up first.”

When Ebusuku resumed the form of an Àluga Succubus, Julia copied her and quickly settled new straps in place. Teleport placed her high in the clear sky, and she flew towards the port, joining other arriving flyers as she did so. Zen State kept a calm, unflustered look upon her face; the unnatural stillness of Protean no longer required. The Demonic forms about her varied so greatly; though Succubi were present, they were a minority.

Analysis showed her the names of each as she examined them, and Demonic Lore increased. The greatest in mass, if not in number, were Demons called Vrock. These were vulture headed humanoids growing in height as their Tier increased. They matched her size at the tier of ‘Least’ and grew fast from there. The largest would be twice the height of Lêdhins if the one ‘Greater Vrock’ she saw was an accurate guide. They carried the unsettling menace of carrion eaters about them, from the wicked curved beaks to the solid black serial killer eyes and the long blood-stained talons capping their hands and feet. Dead or not, something about them promised to tear flesh from bone. Their wingspan barely stretched out beyond their arms and clearly wasn’t enough to support them; still, they flapped their wings as they stayed aloft, and the scent of death filled the air with every beat.

Demonic winged beetles buzzed around, keeping their distance from all except each other. Analysis named them Mabhúngãne. Coated in solid chitin from pincers to claws, they varied in colour from the yellow of curdled milk to the green of rotting flesh and many foul colours. Their sharp pincers were longer than Julia’s forearm while the rest of their body matched her torso in size. The curved shell along their back lifted to let a multitude of brilliant green membrane wings keep each aloft.

Many gargoyle-like creatures shared the skies as well, showing variations of the Abyss. Classic stone gargoyles flew beside those with flesh of deep purple or violent red, while others bled blackness into the sky about them. The lovely sun beating down on them in this foul place, dying as it came near their skin.

After keeping my calm in front of a lust filled crowd, stray looks are nothing.

{{You can leave your hat on? }}

Fine, you can sing that one.

When the energy of a rock concert started pulsing under Zen State’s calm, the sheer jubilation of it was surprising.

Why are you in a good mood?

{{We’re going to blow shit sky high. Weeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! }}

As the gleeful noise echoed within her mind, Julia just had to shake her head and allowed a bemused smile to flit across her lips.

Glad you’re looking forward to it.

{{Home Improvement Abyssal Style, airing soon in a Plane near you! }}

Despite the attacks that had already hit the other outposts, Julia entered the port’s walls without an issue. Her eyesight easily picking out Demons on balconies, rooftops and even streets from her flight path above the tallest building. Dretch carried massive loads down narrow pathways, while Succubi flittered from place to place, teleporting past obstacles or vanishing entirely. Squads of Kralcí walked the roads but not for keeping the peace. Julia saw a unit walking past a massive brawl spilling out from a bar and break around them like a wave. The combatants continuing the battle with the nearest squad just walking past them. The only interruption in their course was stabbing those fighting that came too close.

The port’s capacity strained with the number of quad hulled vessels docked, the same type of vessels that Julia had seen riding the waves near the fortress of Setimet. More of the same green-skinned Kralqui had the same obvious scars seen before crewed them; the jagged diagonal cross was set deep into their chest. This time she learnt their nature with a Dretch paying the price of admission. An amphora too heavily dropped to the deck served as an object lesson for the rest of the loading crew. Even as the fluid from the pot soaked the deck, two crew members grabbed the Dretch’s arms and bent it down, despite their smaller size. Another Kralquis’ chest split along the ‘scars’ and the open maw revealed quickly consumed the Dretch’s head. Once beheaded, they shared the rest of the remains with bone sheering bites among the closest crew. A ‘crew leader’ set to lashing another Dretch till it had the deck clean again, including from its own blood.

{{What a mouth, what a mouth, north and south. We should get one of those guys to give Lêdhins head. }}

That’s a cruelly cutting remark.

{{Click goes his shears; click, click, click. }}

Seeing the sign for a Treasury shop front several blocks from a pier, Julia weighed options and landed near the door.

If it’s Usd’ghi that hired him, they’re unlikely to tell me, but if it’s not, they might provide some information.

Let’s see what information and toys they have on hand.

The noise of echoing screams and pulsing agony filled the place, pressing Julia back even as she entered the Treasury. Once inside, the place was empty and security looked non-existent. An exquisitely decorated waist-height divider of white marble served as a slim counter and split the chamber with a sense of absolute precision. It sat precisely in the midpoint, yet didn’t extend the full width, just an isle adrift in the middle. The surrounding path exactly equal, they seemed open passages to access the shop’s back until the light shifted slightly when the door closed.

Lines glimmered for a moment in the changing light. True Sight showed them to be Order and Chaos lines, forming endless knots of power tied to balance against themselves. The screaming came from each line in equal measure wherever they came in contact. Only the continuous flow of energy seemed to keep them from disruption. True Sight showed the air around the Order trying to form into crystals even as the Chaos ripped each apart.

“The Herald here! How might I assist?”

A female voice exclaimed without source, sounding young and soft-spoken yet audible past the ongoing screams.

What’s she been telling her coven?

“I’d like to purchase information and potentially some items,” Julia stated, resisting the urge to groan.

“Of course.”

The divider gleamed, and Julia found herself behind it as a transparent figure rose from the stone floor.

“How?” Julia breathed, having sense no flicker of reality accompanying a Teleport.

“The precise balance of order and chaos allows me to control spontaneous changes within this space.”

The transparent figure solidified into a green-skinned woman clad in fine dark-blue cloth. Despite the finery of her robe and its golden embroidery, her bluish-green hair hung long and greasy across her shoulders. Her features were a strange mix of sunken hollowed eye sockets held brownish-red orbs, a hooked nose possessing large warts along its course. While cheekbones showed an Elven grace, and red plush lips glistened wetly.

Analysis

[Name: Aegrotatio

Species: Swamp Hag

Class: Wizard / Enchanter / Alchemist

Level: 40 / 42 / 49

Health: 4,239

Mana: 61,896

Defence: 247

Melee Attack Power: 78

Combat Skills: Claws [M] (1); Various Spell Forms - Affinities: Death; Darkness, Ooze, Water, Earth, Order, Chaos

Details: This species exists on many Planes and breeds true regardless of the parentage of their child. Prone to wearing the skin of their victims, the colouration of the Hag gradually shows through till its flesh finally consumes it. At that point, they find and flay a new victim and repeat the process.

]

“You must be very talented,” said Julia, unsure what to make of the Affinities in the Analysis.

“It’s a gift of my heritage. Mother didn’t let father say no to passing it along.” Aegrotatio replied in a cheerful tone.

Fuck!

{{Did he use a bag? Turkey basting for the win? Just pass the cup. }}

“Do you have a list of dimensional items you have for sale? I’m not sure exactly what I’m looking for, more hoping inspiration will strike. Also, if you happen to have a map of the city.”

“It’s not normal policy, but for the Herald, I’m sure that’s fine. I have a zone outline and details on the Port factions. Should I assume you’re continuing work to elevate the old one?”

“I’m certainly planning opportunities. I’m not sure which she’ll be in place to seize or want.” Julia responded, keeping her answer vague.

“As the old one wills, let me get that list,” Aegrotatio gave a happy sigh. The exhalation carrying the stench of week-old carrion baking in the summer sun.

{{Fuck, and I thought V’s arse was earth-shattering. }}

By the time she was done, Julia had added items for herself and Ebusuku to Inventory. A map with the authority points within the city was amongst them.

A white light from burning vessels filled the harbour as the sun broke above the distant horizon. The first of the quad hulls already sinking beneath the water that boiled around their burning cargo. The influx of water only adding more fury to the inferno, the water’s surface lit up as the fire sank under the lapping waves. Demons were scrambling to get off burning vessels as yet another erupted into flames. The bellows of captains and harbour master alike ordering cargo waiting to be loaded away from the closest flames.

As powerful Demons pressed their will onto those about them to risk life and limb, explosions started ripping through the seaside town behind them. A blast of screaming Chaos dropped the front of the harbour master’s building onto those Demons rushing to the docks. Though the tougher likely survived the impact, it caused an impressive spray of blood across those along the edges. Demons caught outside the impact licked blood from their lips before running away from the scene. More interested in fulfilling the harbour master’s bellowed threats than investigating or rescuing those caught in the rubble.

A line of Dretch hauled, by raw muscle, a ladened wagon away. As it moved, a disk glinted on the front of it, and a spike of lightning burst through the closest worker’s chest. A Succubus flickered in and out of existence, leaving a spray of steel hitting the ground. The glimmering disks sent further spikes stabbing into assorted Demons as they struck the ground. Though they barely amounted to a scratch on stronger Demons like the massive Wenga or Skëll, the eruptions still added to the mayhem of the pre-dawn.

One of the Wenga, spinning about to look for his attacker, felt something clamp about his neck. Caught by surprise and off-balance, he threw his hands up, only to be pulled onto a group of Dretch. The collar dropped away even as he touched it, the damage already done. Before he could grab the band with its inward-facing spikes, it had vanished. A growl of annoyance rumbling from his chest, he rolled across those still pinned beneath his bulk and bought himself to his feet. Unconcerned with the corpses of crushed Dretches and the other badly injured, he ambled away from the docks, remains dripping from his roughly scaled hide with every step.

Julia reappeared on a rooftop looking over the squashed Demons, and watched for Ebusuku’s signal. As another vessel sunk beneath the waves with its cargo of marshstone aflame, Julia concentrated on wagons near the end of the stone dock. When Ebusuku’s signalling blast collapsed in the front of another building, Julia resorted to an even less subtle approach. A Fireball charged with Abyssal Mana streaked down and exploded over the crowd. Raw marshstone exposed to Abyssal ignited in a fury, the wagons’ cargo turning into a solid mass of flame. The wagons came apart, spilling the burning material across the stone and the press of Demons. The stench of burning flesh and bone rose as Demons and stone alike burned within the crackling heat.

Literally dropping flat, with her new form mimicking a section of the rooftop’s lip, she waited. If any came to investigate the source of the Fireball, it might be a chance at an ambush. The dock’s stone gave way against the heat while she waited and collapsed into the water, causing eruptions of steam. As screams and curses, filled the air something appeared to investigate her location.

The figure on the rooftop appeared without even a flicker of a teleport and was truly bizarre, even by the Abyss’ non-existent standards. Its body seemed composed of a writhing mass of snakelike tentacles, with no apparent interconnection between each. In those first moments of observing it, tentacles shifted out of existence while others seamlessly appeared - even to True Sight. The erratically sized mass seemed to exist to support a basketball-sized eyeball resting atop it. The eyeball appeared scooped from a human socket, a baby blue complete with blood vessels and nerves stretching off into oblivion. As she watched, the tentacle mass shrank from the size of a man, to barely larger than a crawling toddler.

Analysis

[Name: ð÷¿

Primordial Species: Ithrêkhi

Details: A native of the Primordial plane of Impêlasikhathi, these Outsiders can perceive fluxes and shifts of time. They hire out to Demons in the Abyss for reasons of their own. Sometimes Demons can benefit from their services with no memory of having hired them. The terms of the contract able to be recalled only after the employment period has ended. While in the service of other Demons, they are persistent trackers. This species can see any desired point in history at their current location. The duration of their services is unpredictable and serves an unknown agenda. Even the most erratic Demons are loath to have dealings with them, even when they find they’ve already ‘hired’ one.]

Analysis provided a name that made Julia’s mind lurch away from the concepts. The mere existence of its name ran off in dimensions she couldn’t track, leaving only an impression of the symbols that underlay her Profile the first time.

#Hello#

There hadn’t been a sound, rather the concept of a friendly greeting projected towards her.

#The Treasury wished me to deliver a message, child of the Abyss. We recommend you leave this port, with or without Ebusuku before the dawn reaches completion and the reinforcements arrive. The mercenary Lêdhins has been hunting/following/tracking you through your companion’s presence, so perhaps without. Since I have also been hired to track down the unknown Succubi attacking the port, and you are not unknown, I shall continue that endeavour. Have a pleasant morning.#

It delivered the message in another burst of concepts and that somehow carried a cheerfulness enfolded in the promise that the morning would soon turn sour. The Ithrêkhi didn’t wait for Julia to respond and simply began flowing away. As its path took it off the edge of the rooftop, it continued onwards through the air; the eye peering about as if seeking something in particular. Though the plan had called for taking out Demons sent to investigate, Julia let it leave unhindered.

“Ebusuku, a Primordial Ithrêkhi just informed me that Lêdhins is hunting me, he’s been using your presence to find us. It recommended I leave the port with or without you, though perhaps without since Lêdhins is tracking you.”

The Mercury’s Whisper barely blinks as Spatial Mana leaps away with it. An instant later, Ebusuku’s voice is whispering in return.

“I’d say it was a trick, but I’ve seen a BrÍn with a war mattock several times and lost him. Take the rising sun route. I’ll make a mess and be along when I can, otherwise the second plan. Send me the Primordial exact words. Nice Human spell form, very clean.”

Yeah, yeah.

Julia cast the spell again, sending the wording to Ebusuku even as she considered her options. An explosion of Chaos ripped apart the air above the port, a cloud of churning energy rippled into existence, stretching a hundred metres or more. With droplets of Chaos raining upon the buildings nearby, Julia teleported in hops towards the Port’s armoury. Spell forms causing Shock Blast to erupt with Fire, Air, Lightning or Earth around every stop.

Need a few more things before I leave.

Moving along the path, Ebusuku was nowhere in sight when trouble found her. Against the blur of motion, Zen State tried to slide her away. But the long fingers of his third arm didn’t miss, wrapping around her throat. As the fingers set themselves in place, her flesh went rippling through a transformation. The short hair grew out to long locks as the tiara of horns made themselves known. Arching on the fulcrum of his arm, Julia threw Flight into providing force and sent a knee strike forward. Its impact smashed hard into his ribs, yet he appeared unbothered.

“Come here often?” Lêdhins asked, his tone dry even as Julia’s second knee strike came smashing into his ribs. An almost bored looked was his only reaction, as a spear hand didn’t even cause nails to break skin.

“That’s tickling. You need to eat your cornflakes, high in iron, helps muscle growth. You don’t call, you don’t write. Are you going to tell me it was you, not me?”

Lêdhins looked the same as before, except for the leering expression and feral heat burning in his gaze. The clothes Julia had separated from her form remained in place, and strangely the eyes Julia had set so often within her wings, letting her see all around her. Even though Lêdhins was here, Ebusuku was nowhere in sight. The energy of Teleport draining down the arm the moment she tried to jump.

“No, it was all you. Even if your employer put you up to it,” Julia growled as the arm raised her from the ground.

“Nah, that mission of hers was for a safe entrance. Pure vanilla penetration, to let you play with the tip. Wiggle around to see how things went. See if it was your cup of tea, or whatever. I’ve got a different employer now,” Lêdhins said, his tone amused.

{{He’s annoying me. Let’s be sure to kill him. }}

“Who are you working for Lêdhins?”

“I don’t care if you know. Be careful of injuring little fellows, especially knowledgeable ones, they get pissed off. Pretty little horns you have there. Wonder if they’ll tickle like your knees and nails?”

Fucking little ferret. Wonder if he’s more pissed about the pages, or the bowl?

“How did you find me? Thought you said we were impossible to scry.”

“Hard is not impossible, and there are loopholes; I didn’t scry for you directly. But your pretty little Sigil, so unique about this marsh, is another matter. Think we’ll be going now, before Ebusuku shows up. Her reputation precedes her, and I want you all to myself. Lêdhins can’t come out and play right now, I’m calling the shots. Sick and tired of his moaning about black balls. Whine, whine, whine every time you got up on stage and shook it for everyone.”

Lêdhins’ Id, or whoever was speaking, grunted as Julia hit him with all the agony of the inferno she could push through Stimulation. But the blissful sigh that escaped his lips wasn’t the reaction she was hoping to get. Telepathy didn’t even provide her with a taste of his mind let alone his thoughts, feeling as if nothing was there.

Is that what others get from me?

“Fight back, Lêdhins. Get it to let me go,” Julia demanded, a Spatial Bolt erupted from her, only to spray away, leaving him untouched. When she shaped another spell form, Mana refused to fill it.

“Told you I’m not Lêdhins, I’ve got you all to myself. Maybe I’ll let him taste the memories later, let him hate himself even more.”

The growling lust-filled tones sent ripples under Zen State. Before she could try anything further the shadow of a nearby tree reached out to engulf them. Even as the energy finished brushing past her wings, they were no longer on the path.