Chapter 106 – EVO
***Tirnanog, Mount Aerie***
***Magnus***
We have to do what!? I am barely healed and now this! I called out upon skimming over the letter. It had been delivered by unexpected visitors and contained instructions from Mary.
Having suffered through her educational lessons, I shouldn’t have been surprised. She was prone to giving out homework and these orders felt no different.
How unfortunate. Thinking of us right before running off to save Gurney’s sorry ass.
And here I thought I could sit down on the couch in our living room and just do nothing for at least a day. Instead, we got sent on another diplomatic mission though this time it looked like a messenger run.
I have yet to hardwire Jengs supercomputer, I tried to come up with an excuse to ditch the mission. Besides, does Mary even have the authority to give us commands? Being an ‘ancient’ is nice and all, but last I knew she played the strata’s administrator.
Taking a look at the computer is going to take you a day at most, Thalia pointed out. We already have trained people at Aerie and Hochberg who can take over schooling Jengs staff. And lastly, Teresa signed the letter, so there is no doubt about its validity. It’s essentially coming from high command.
I looked around the room, making eye contact with everyone present in a desperate bid for them to take my side.
Nobody spoke up, so I flung the letter onto the coffee table, not even trying to hide how upset I was.
On some level it came as a surprise when Mark showed up, linking arms with a preening Thalia who looked like a cat with a new toy. The growing wings on Mark’s back made the situation between them clear.
When they arrived at our doorstep I considered making fun of Marks appearance by pointing out that he looked like a little devilish cupid. I had saved the line for exactly such an event, but ultimately I abandoned the idea because it probably wouldnt have gone over well. Mark had already been conscious about getting wings and I didnt need to add tension since Thalia seemed so happy while he was more moody.
Unfortunately, as it turned out, Thalia and Mark hadn’t visited us just to inform us of their sealed partnership, something I had anticipated to happen ever since he told me of her interest in him.
No. They had brought bad news with them and two more visitors. A drafted pair of warriors who had been ordered to accompany us.
It says we should go to some long-forgotten settlement in the Mycelium to search for one of her ‘ancient’ friends, Astra supplied thoughtfully. She had read the letter with me, leaning on the sofa while looking over my shoulder.
At the same time, Astra was using her filaments to play with Isaac who was entangled in what I could only call a Gordian knot. The goal of the game was apparently for Isaac to unravel the knot.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t the Mycelium this mushroom forest you warned me of entering? I asked Astra. The one where you inhale spores which turn you into a mushroom’s puppet zombie while it grows out of your ears and eats your brain?
I shuddered at the thought of something digging its roots through my precious grey tissue!
Yes, Astra nodded. Though, I remember describing it less vividly.
For an amateur, it is a pretty accurate recount of medical literature, Thalia pointed out. The parasitic mushroom which infests the coastal region effectively prevented people from settling down. Only the hardiest of folk attempt to make a living there. Mostly outsiders with mutations which protect them.
Nope, I said with all the conviction I could muster and crossed my arms in an X in front of my chest. Been in the library to read up on the topic after I heard about it. Shit gives me the creeps!
What do you mean, ‘nope’? Astra asked. I know you have aversions when it comes to such things, but I am afraid going there is unavoidable.
Nope is nope! I am not going there! I said firmly. The rest of the planet is already a single biohazard! Why should we go to a place with brain-eating parasites? Sounds like a bad horror movie! Parasites which float through the air, ready to be inhaled by idiots without breathing masks, no less. No, thanks.
Because it was an order, Thalia pointed out unhelpfully. And besides, everyone who was selected for this mission should be fine. I was tasked with selecting people who are likely to be immune to infection and I am confident in my choices.
I threw up my hands. You aren’t selling this very well by using the word ‘likely’!
Thalia ignored my complaints and pointed at us. We have two people with extremely resistant immune systems. Additionally, you both can withstand the most dangerous poison we know of. Just swallow a cup of fungicide and you will be fine.
Going full doctor mode, she continued with Mark and herself. The same goes for us two. Thanks to Mark’s mutation our blood is now literally poison. And my bloodvine mutation would be able to root out parasites anyway. I can even help you out if something goes wrong on your end.
She gestured towards the two new people. Lastly, we have the Cohens. Let me introduce you to Thiago and Ginevra. They are among the most potent regenerators I could find. Their mutation renders them immune to anything as long as they get the time to heal and aren’t killed immediately. Think starfish mutation times a thousand.
The woman bowed to us, followed by her partner. We will be honoured to help you on this mission any way we can.
I narrowed my eyes at her. Ginevra looked unremarkably human I would have never thought I would think of someone looking like a baseline human as plain. But here they were.
Anyway, Ginevra had brown hair and blue eyes which were pretty enough. I wasn’t checking her out, but she reminded me of something and I just couldn’t put my finger on it.
Her voice had already irked me when we invited our guests in, but a single greeting wasn’t enough to pin down the reason why I felt like I knew her.
Now I was sure it wasn’t just my imagination. Why do I feel like I know you? The voice and the eyes are familiar, but I don’t recognize the face.
Ginevra grimaced. We do know each other. I have yet to express my deepest thanks for saving my life.
Astra snapped her fingers with recognition lighting up her face. The poor poacher who we pulled out of the changeling broodmother’s guts!
I nodded, my slow brain finally remembering with Astra’s help. Now that you say it, it is definitely her voice. Sorry for not recognizing you, Ginevra. Last time we saw each other you looked like a peeled frankforter.
The whole conflict would be over before anything Gurney could contribute would matter. My goal lay beyond this cursed world.
My attention returned to the battle when a new star was seemingly born in the night sky above us. It shone brightly and spread wings of countless filaments, each glowing with their own inner light. A shower of embers drifted down from it. Like a butterfly shedding scales from its wings. It was a human-sized flare lighting up the riders and the ships.
It was beautiful and oh so deadly.
Several of the gun crews targeted the new enemy with their lasers before I could say anything.
Tell the laser crews not to shoot at the bitch! I ordered. You are just making her stronger!
The lieutenant relayed the order, but it was already far too late as several lasers dumped their energy into the nuclear fire Mary had become since eating from the worm. It had been a move of desperation on her part. One which should have spelt her end.
Instead, it made her an unstoppable monster.
Welcoming the additional heat, she bathed in the laser’s light. Then the butterfly beat its wings as it descended, turning into a meteor which punched right through one of my ships. The filaments followed, sheering the entire vessel in half like cheese cutter wires.
Tell them to switch to kinetic weapons! The lieutenant screamed while throwing a nervous glance at me. Stop using the lasers!
The ship Mary hit spewed out fire and the front half began a rapid descent because it didnt have enough lift to stay in the air. Given the fires, the remaining half would follow soon.
The Verdants bridge was taken out by one of those bombs, sir! a sensor answered. We cant relay any orders to them. The gun crews are operating on their initiative.
I waved a hand at the lieutenant who was trying to rescue his little fleet. There is no point. We have nobody here who can stop her. Tell the ships to disperse. That might save one or two of them.
Mary swooped over the ground below before she returned in a lazy arc and hit the airship ahead of us, entering it from the bottom. As the radiant star vanished inside the ships hull, the darkness of night returned briefly.
I could only wonder what the crew might think when a burning angel of death broke through their hull, catching people and asking them questions while they charred in her grasp.
A spot on the ships hull began to glow. First red, then a bright white before Mary burst forth.
I grinned when she headed right for the bridge of my ship. No wonder those bastards from Earth didnt dare to return to this world. Who would have dared to start another war with monsters like her around? Having a nuclear reactor coming after you was horrifying on the best of days.
Too bad she hadnt seen things the same way as me. We could have been the ones in charge. Kings and queens of our own world with nobody to tell us what to do.
But no.
Instead, she had to go and start her little domestic experiment. A society based on intellectual enlightenment? Laughable! She might put on a mask of civilisation, but right now she was showing everyone that deep down she was a beast like any other.
Mary hit our bridge like a comet. Half shattering, half melting her way through the extra thick glass panels which were supposed to stop Tirnanogs aerial beasts.
She was beautiful. A radiant golem burning with an inner blue light now that she got rolling.
Instead of attacking, the crew shrank away from her, their skin blistering just from being in her vicinity.
The woman strode in like a queen in her personal throne room, going directly for me while she ignored the scrambling plebeians who fled the bridge.
Zacharias!
I bowed mockingly, drawing an imaginary hat. Mary, we meet again.
Where is Gurney? she asked with fury in her eyes.
Instead of looking away like the others, I met those orbs of radiance she called eyes head-on as they lit up everything in her field of view. Facing her gaze, I couldn’t stop the tears in my eyes, even though I felt far from crying.
Down in the hold, I answered, seeing no reason to draw this out. The sooner she got Gurney, the sooner she might stop destroying my ships and retreat. I already have everything I needed from him.
Mary approached and grabbed me by the throat, lifting me with ease. There is one thing left to do before I go and get him.
You do like chopping me up, I replied with a smile while my clothes burned and my skin blistered. This clone of mine is done for, but you wont win no matter what you do. You might be powerful, but you are only one person, bound to be in one place at a time. And no lone person can win a war.
I reached out and touched her cheek, my fingers charring rapidly from the heat. Then I leaned forward as far as she allowed me to. But I I am legion!
The bridge was empty of people by now. The sane ones had fled, while those who stayed died as Marys filaments took care of them.
She didnt chop me up this time.
Instead, I burned.
I blinked and returned my attention to the magistrate who was still kneeling in front of me. There is a group of Aerie drake riders within our territory. I need you to send word to the Raiders. I want the Aerie driven out if they dont retreat on their own.
The magistrate grovelled even deeper. It shall be done.