Aztu showing up to collect, the Icon feeling shy talking to Wrath and apparently keeping her head down even with To’Orda despite having cleaned him for bugs, and now the machine network itself just going down?

Something was happening on the other side of the world here, and I was starting to worry. Aztu wanting to unleash a drunk Wrath on the world was in the warcrimes territory, so the situation must be three broken heaters in a dying airspeeder big.

I had my theories. The more serious ones had to do with the Icon. Aztu actually sending her contact info to Wrath meant she wasn’t worried about being caught anymore by Relinquished. Which meant Relinquished figured out Aztu was around.

And she’d probably started dismantling the entire digital ocean searching for the missing protofeather. That the Icon wasn’t outright in the war but instead trying to hide, meant Relinquished hadn’t found my favorite customer support bot.

So the digital war was between the last protofeather alive and Relinquished, battled over the net. And it had exploded to the point Aztu managed to bring down the entire machine network in the fight. She was really giving the goddess hell.

But why now? What changed? Why is Aztu on the warpath after this many years spent in hiding?

Only thing I could think of was the Icon. That’s where things changed in history. Was the Icon giving Aztu the weapons she needed to fight Relinquished, and the protofeather was taking the gamble?

No, that didn’t make sense. Not this fast, it’s hardly been any time at all. Aztu would have spent possibly years planning out a full on offensive with the Icon’s newfound force multiplier.

So that meant Relinquished had caught Aztu somehow, and dragged her out into the light. And the protofeather wasn’t going down without a fight.

That also explained why she was contacting Wrath like this, or trying to. I just had a grim feeling like the war between Aztu and Relinquished was not going the protofeather’s direction, hence why she’d reach out to Wrath.

But for now, the machine network was fully down and Relinquished couldn’t check at all on us without the unity fractal powering on.

We were aimless down here, no network to anything.

Well. They were aimless. I happened to know a friend with connections.

The occult provides. Superior sent back, smug. Full access to the mite side of the digital ocean here, at your disposal, courtesy of me.

Superior had my back on that. He’d still vanish away every now and then to go train, but I could always rely on that guy to get me out of a problem, so long as the problem was serious.

Even after a full twelve hours of traveling through the biome with a few rest points, the machine network did not come back up. Most of that time was spent chatting away, learning some odd trivia about the Odin and their preferences - like they have very specific nesting setups designed to be more hostile and unapproachable, because if it was approachable they almost always got broody and territorial for some reason.

The idea that humans went out of our way to make comfortable bedding and a nice little room for ourselves was seen in a very different light.

But I digress, most of the trip through this biome was rather tame now that we’d figured out the best way to traverse it in good time, which led us to the underpassage again, through the side of the biome walls. Food was topped off with a lot of grilled mushrooms, insects and vegetation all compressed back into ration bar wrappers I’d been saving up.

My hodge podge feeding rations were… inspired cooking, but it was edible and had calories to it, and that’s all that mattered on expeditions to mythical artifacts from ancient history.

There had been machines in the underpassage. Had, past tense. Spiders kept the upper layers cozy, but down here it was creeping hulks with guns as their dorsal spine and several legs that housed some kind of hovering tech letting them glide through the tunnels. Unfortunately for them, my only weaknesses right now were up against swarms of smaller enemies, and hyper-large structure-sized ones.

They were smaller than Murdershrimp at least, though just as agile. And just as dead real fast.

Which led us to the next biome, and the mites, as usual, had gone insane again.

This one had giant weapons, statues of hands, and just about anything majestic enough to make the cut, all jutting upwards from an ocean below. Everything looked like it had collided against one another. And a look upwards showed me the same exact thing mirrored.

Small garden sections were cupped in domes or at least protected from the crushed up formations, and among each things and vegetation actually grew. Like small terrariums, all of them with different trees and flowers.

The ceiling ocean with gravity inverted was still the thing that looked the strangest to me, but that was just my personal opinion on it.

We crossed out of the underpassage onto the stone granite here and began a hike up a few oddly well placed trails. “So, what kind of resistance can we expect in this biome?” I asked.

“There are no machines active here.” Wrath said, “As of my last communication with the machine network, at least. We should have an easy time.”

“Why’s that?” I asked, with deep suspicion. The last time there weren’t machines it was because the entire zone would kill everything.

“For the same reason you’re on your own from here on out.” The rock said, and To’Orda grunted in agreement. Then pointed a hand.

I had noticed Wrath and To’Orda had come to a stop just a few steps into the biome, and both of them were looking at something behind me.

Turning around, I magnified my view to see what the hubbub was about, and far far in the distance I saw the outline of a pillar heart. It sprouted up straight through a small bunched up set of trees and leaves that covered any sight of the base. “Oh. Right, that’s where he’d respawn at. I’m going to take a wild guess that it’s active and repelling machines?”

“You know it.” The rock confirmed with a doodled thumbs up. “Basically covering half this biome, but the place is so inhospitable to humans, it might as well be a footnote so no reason to patrol the other exposed half.”

“... You were planning on finding Drakonis with or without us, what exactly was the plan to get to a pillar heart if you’re both machines?”

“Them, duh.” The rock’s doodled hand turned into a finger pointing right at the Odin perched over his shoulders.

To’Orda looked lazily at them, then back at me. “Nnnn… minions.”

He actually sounded a little happy for once.

“Yeah, what boss here said. They’ll be able to reach the tower and guide him back out here. Assuming this is the right pillar. Thirty three percent chance, knock on metal or whatever ritual you humans do for luck.”

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“It also may have more treasure within it.” Wrath said, “If we do not find Drakonis, we can arm ourselves better instead.”

“No need to convince me further, you had me at free loot. Any other parting words before I go check out the absolutely-not creepy abandoned pillar heart?”

“Yes,” Wrath said. “Prior reports on preliminary scouting show this biome shifts itself on a periodic cycle.”

Journey got a data package from Wrath, and it turned out to be a superimposed video file depicting what to expect. Wireframes of the giant slaps ahead of me all broke apart, retreating down into the sea while others rose up to crash against each other, forming completely new topology. The same thing happened above, though that was a lot less relevant since gravity firmly pointed down this time. Hopefully.

“I do not see any other notes besides that.” Wrath finished, frowning at whatever she was looking through. “They were quite lax and unmotivated in their investigation.”

“It’s because of the pipe organ again.” The rock said. “Soon as it was confirmed this biome moves around a lot, parading that organ here would run the risk of having it break. Instantly disqualified this spot as something that Feather would care about, so all his subordinates also didn’t bother filing reports that won’t ever get read.”

“Bold to assume your toasters would even read reports in the first place.” Cathida said, which started another row between the two.

The Odin took wing and three landed on my shoulders, with a fourth flying above to scan. With that, I took my cue to head up into the biome, and go looking for loot. I mean Drakonis. Let’s call it ninety percent Drakonis.

Walking past the barrier point didn’t feel like anything at all. Just a slightly shimmering field that Journey’s sensors outlined. Machines couldn’t cross, but armors like Journey had clearly no issues. Odin and humans could cross, and that counted Chosen as well.

Do you have any idea how these work?

I asked Superior, curious to see if he had some more knowledge on that.

Mites say it is between Tsuya and them. I’d need to pay a price of some kind to learn.

Stingy bastards.

I felt Superior give a nod of deep agreement. The absolute worst kind. I think it’s part of their old programming to get paid for construction. Just warped into ‘get paid for anything, using anything as payment.’ There’s a huge ebb and flow to their thoughts and communication, but I’m starting to pick up the foundations under all that noise.

I felt rumbling at my feet and realized the biome was moving. The entire rock slab I was on was starting to sink, as other slabs from the ocean were rising up, crashing into one another.

Okay, there’s the danger in this biome. It was expecting me to run around, jumping from safe spot to safe spot, or possibly sprint from those garden sections. I could tell those weren’t moving at all.

Unfortunately for the mites, I’ve long since learned to cheat and this was an easy ration to win.

“Off my shoulders gang.” I called out to the Odin, most of which had started to either hold on tighter to my armor plates, or already took off into the air.

A few squawks came out, and the stragglers who’d been holding on let go, taking off into the sky.

My occult grapples came out next, hooking onto my occult mirrors up ahead, and I yoinked myself into the air as usual, flying over to one of the garden spots before landing with a deep thud into the dirt here. I made sure to fly low and close to the terrain, I didn’t trust the ceiling here being a mirror version of the biome, I had a feeling that was a trap built to catch people flying too high.

The actual safespot was rather relaxed compared to the chaos outside. Grass, flowers, a few trees and odd vegetation. I’d grown more used to trees recently since spending time underground, but it always did feel a little surreal whenever I stood next to a plant that was taller than myself.

Beyond the small garden was madness and chaos as the biome reshaped itself, water splashing all over some invisible dome right before me.

“Keith, are you safe?” Wrath sent on the local comms.

“All good, this place is only dangerous to anyone who can’t fly.” I still decided discretion is the better part of valor, so I hung out in this safe spot till the biome decided it was done remodeling.

I didn’t fear falling down, but I had no idea if falling down was the only danger during the remodeling phase. “Journey, start a stopwatch. Let’s get the cycle time down.”

A few minutes passed and the world went still once more. I made a dead sprint straight through to the next safespot, and the one after. The pillar heart was further up the slopes, far out in the distance, and given I was jumping and climbing through different terrain, I knew I wasn’t going to make it in one cycle.

It took about half an hour to jog and jump my way across the terrain, using minimum flying. That was just my irrational paranoia going however. The Odin seemed fine flying behind me, so it’s likely the biome here really was safe for fliers.

By the time I was about to do one last dead sprint, I had a clear view of the pillar heart up ahead.

And there, standing with only a few leaves and twigs to cover him up, was Drakonis.

“He’s here, confirmed.” I sent back on the comms, watching him walk out and squint in my direction.

I could tell from his glare he knew exactly what was coming his way the moment I hiked up.

Now, am I petty enough to roast a poor man who’s lost everything in his life including the very clothing he came down with?

….

Yes, of course I am.

“Drakonis! What a coincidence to run into you here of all places, we were just talking about you earlier! I see dying hasn't improved your fashion sense though. Tell you what, I think we can get you something better.” I held my standard half cape out, waving it. “Unless you really want the whole feral hermit you’ve got going. Don’t let me ruin your plan.”

He rolled his eyes. “Fucking just my luck. Of course it’d be the surface savage that comes first.”

“The guy running around with twigs to cover himself up is calling me a savage. And here I thought you'd be grateful, but fine no cape for you.” I finished my half sprint and took a step into his central garden here.

The place looked slightly ransacked, but that’s because Journey was cheating and showed me all the signs of recent activity. Snapped off branches, marks of blood where he’d clearly cut himself up by accident, and footprints in the soft grass.

“Did it work?” He asked, the moment I came to a stop. “Did To’Orda turn on the purple bitch?”

I could tell he was holding his breath, as if this had been what he’d been worried about the whole time.

I shot him a thumbs up. “He’s just down there with Wrath and me,”

Drakonis seemed to tense up slightly at the mention of Wrath’s name, then took a deep breath.

“You good?” I asked.

He nodded. “I’ll meet her myself face to face. I’ll be fine, keep going, what happened?”

I decided to trust Drakonis with this one. He’d at least be prepared when he had to face Wrath. “We killed To’Naviris with To’Orda’s help. Not just once, but permanently killed. Good job, you somehow convinced a Feather to swap sides and turn on Relinquished. Which, I hear, is technically supposed to be actually impossible.”

“To’Orda is different.” Drakonis said, then sighed deeply. “And I know, so is To’Wrathh.”

“I think your Deathless mentor is going to have a small crisis on hearing all that but that’s going to be your problem to deal with, I’m just in charge of getting your ass back home.”

“Was there anything else that happened?”

“The machines are friendly with the Odin now, and helping to translate Bob for them. So they got that sorted out too. Looks like everyone’s come out ahead, mostly.”

“Good.” He sighed in relief, and nodded to himself. “Good. Glad to hear I changed something for once.” ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel[f]ire.net

“Talking about change, are you going to get changed?” I tapped the cloak, and then pointed at his attempts at a loincloth with branches. “Because I get the feeling any breeze right now is running the risk of mental damage on me, if you get what I’m talking about.”

“Why, afraid it’s bigger? Understandable, balls probably still in the process of dropping last I saw your face.” He immediately snapped back.

I opened my comms, “Yeah, it’s definitely him all right. I’ll be back shortly, can you or To’Orda make some extra clothing? That’d be pretty welcome.”

Wrath sent back an affirmative, and To’Orda sent what looked to be an animated image of himself looking beat up, with his soul leaking out of his mouth.

Drakonis had been a busy man up here, along with some tracks that led to nowhere near the base of the tower. And looking up, I could tell why. “Did you already get a headstart on this tower? Drakonis, I thought we were friends. Friends share loot, right?”

“It’s a puzzle that needs five people to unlock correctly. This tower’s made for a group. You got nothing to worry about.” His hand reached out, expecting. “Cloak.”

I unclasped the cape off my shoulders, folding it up slightly before tossing it over to him. He made motions for me to turn around next.

When I turned back, he was wearing my cloak like a toga, tightened up. “Feel free to keep that,” I said. “I really don’t want it back now knowing where it’s been.”

“Pleasure’s all mine then.” He grunted out in his usual cheery happy-go-lucky demeanor. “ I’m seeing the Odin flying into the trees up there, they trying to tell us to hurry back down there?”

They were just landing now into the foliage, having scanned and circled around a few times.

“They’re here for moral support and to send a physical message back in case we’re out of comms range. Don’t know what’s going on in the background, but the entire machine network is offline, so none of the machines can talk to one another. Something big’s happening.”

Drakonis grunted, then looked up at the tower. “I think it’d be a shame to leave that unlooted, but if you’re on a tight schedule, I’d understand.”

I looked back at the tower. Then back at him. “Is that a serious question?”