...But even though it's been weeks since Cherished Gate Lord Adam Arrow and the Deathless have been last seen, we maintain our utmost confidence and absolute faith that they will eventually return to us and properly administer the situation at Gate Piety.

  Presently, the refugees and prisoners remain stable. Most of the former have been treated for their rudimentary wounds and ailments, and some have professed an urge to join the Arachne Order or to volunteer for any manner of service they can. We've allowed some former slaves with knowledge of crafting and infrastructure to participate in the rebuilding and expansion efforts.

  The former mercenaries and soldiers who served Compact are actively self-policing thanks to the persuasion I have applied to them—with a little help from Cherished Guest Shiv, of course. Though there are still whispers of sedition and faint shadows of conspiracy, most of the mercenaries know what's good for them. Especially since we are providing them with housing and other basic necessities. Additionally, we have Sisters with high Awareness positioned near them. The mercenaries and former soldiers remain disarmed and orderly. There is little likelihood of internal sabotage on their part.

  However, I must report a disturbance from the Tutorial gateway. The Orcs have been suspiciously silent for quite some time. Though a few of their number have passed into the bunker to trade and exchange information with us, they seem to be preoccupied with something else. But if they possess information about our Cherished Guests' whereabouts, they have not revealed it to us. That being said, the mana frequency of the third gateway was altered earlier today, and not because of anything we have done. That leaves only one likely possibility: the orcs are adjusting it. For what reason I cannot say, but my feelings about this are mixed. The gray creatures are dangerous; violence is an inevitability with them.

  The further they stand from our people, the better. However, this does not strike me as a retreat or a separation. It was too sudden. I fear the orcs might be planning something. What? I cannot say. But rest assured, we are prepared for any outcome. We will hold Gate Piety to the last Sister if need be—but more preferably, we could use additional reinforcements.

  And not only because of the orcs. Our Scouts have detected movements in the nearby territories. Within the ancient ruins, some Compact forces are positioning themselves. We believe them to be observation teams, trying to get a gauge on our defenses, and if they can reclaim their lost Gate. But that is not all. The First Blood is mustering new forces. We've seen additional Court Leviathans being directed toward Ur-Abathur, and the reinforcements are building up new outposts to replace the surveillance stations that were devastated during the orcish raids a few weeks ago.

  We anticipate multiple attacks in the near future. At what time we cannot say exactly, but it is a matter of great importance that we are supplied with additional manpower resources or orders, for Gate Piety stands at the precipice of the surface and the Abyss. And to lose it back to Compact, or to let the foul parasites take it from us, is more than a thing of humiliation, but grave economic and morale loss.

  As such, I would once more like to argue the importance of Gate Piety, and demand that reinforcements be expedited to this Gate post-haste. Do not mistake my words for exaggeration when I declare that this Gate might well become the single most important logistical and geopolitical position in the Deep Umbra—

  What is that damnable noise? What? Speak clearly, Sister. The third gateway is active? What do you mean, the Gate Lord has returned? No, no, stop that vampire! Do not let him be the first one to greet them. Do not. I will not have my name tarnished. Stop him, keep him in place! Do whatever you can to keep him in place right now! I'm heading over to the bunker. Rally the Order. Has—what do you mean, the First Blood is launching a raid on the Abyssal gateway again? Now? Of all times? Now!

  Composer, I need some Fuguesap.

  -Interrupted Psionic message from Cherished Mother Null Mont to Weave

  285 (I)

  Welcoming

  Surprises didn't always have to be grim. Sometimes, they were purely positive, a good outcome. Of course, expecting a good outcome was an easy way to find one's mood utterly ruined. That was why Shiv and Adam were prepared for battle when they crossed through the gateway. They, along with Jessica, the Culturist, a small group of orcs, and Tulveg, who'd wanted to keep watching Uva himself but was successfully convinced by Valor to make himself useful instead, went in first. There was no sense in risking the Court Leviathan and the other more valuable or exhausted Pathbearers among their detachment before they knew Gate Piety was truly secure.

  Uva still needed to recover. Valor was watching over her. The other Legends were Shiv and Adam’s counter-strategy in case the orcs did something stupid. And so, this small group was all that crossed over at first.

  The bunker itself hadn't changed much. It seemed a bit smaller and narrower to Shiv, but that was likely because he had grown larger himself. The walls were made of reinforced alloys, and the separate teleportation system was active here in the form of an inner gate teleportation anchor. This had allowed the orcs to transition between the surface and the Tutorial gateway without needing to set foot or mingle with the people of Gate Piety when they launched their attack on Sullain's army. But now, these preventative measures were woefully insufficient against Shiv or any of the other Legends.

  The last time he was at Gate Piety, his Physicality and Wrestling were still but Master-Tier. It was a struggle to tear open a teleportation anchor; it took a considerable effort on his part. Now, the reinforced alloy likely presented as much challenge as sodden tissue paper. Judging by how the Culturist and Jessica were eyeing their surroundings, he guessed they felt the same way.

  A crackle sounded within the anchor as the telepathic voice of an Umbral or Weaveress filled the room. "Stop, identify yourself. By the Composer... Gate Lord Adam? Cherished Hero Shiv! You’ve returned. And..."

  "We brought company," Shiv replied, gesturing at the others who came along with him and Adam. "This is just the fore-detachment group. There's going to be a lot more people, a lot more. We managed to get Blackedge. We're expecting around four thousand additional refugees."

  The person on the other end choked but mastered their own emotions. "Understood. It's good that you're back. Especially right now. I—oh, please, hang on." Suddenly, the speaker went silent. A moment later, her voice was replaced by a masculine but utterly charming tone.

  "Deathless, you've returned."

  Shiv’s eyes widened in surprise as he realized who he was speaking with. "Angelo, is that you?"

  "Indeed. I'm surprised I lasted this long as well. But considering everything that's happened recently, it ranks among the smaller surprises. Let's see about getting these bunker doors open so that you might be prepared properly for the impending assault.”

  "Prepared?" Adam asked. "What am I preparing my Gate for? Are the First Blood attacking?"

  The vampire went quiet for a moment and then let out a humorless chuckle. "Is the System so predictable?"

  "Yes," Shiv, Adam, and Tulveg all replied as one.

  The trio turned to look as the vaulted doors to the warded bunker began to grind and twist. A sound of squealing metal filled the air, and suddenly the path before them was unbarred. They were no longer contained within the teleportation anchor.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  On the other side, a trio of Umbrals armed with halberds and emitting Master-Tier Pyromancy, Geomancy, and Cryomancy fields greeted them. Their weapons were held low by their sides but still at the ready. Their gazes fell warily upon the orcs, but then lit up with hope when greeted by Adam and Shiv.

  Shiv scanned their bodies and noted their armor. There was some hint of wear and tear there: chips of metal missing, pieces of leather disfigured by fire or acid. These Sisters had seen battle recently.

  "The System is getting kind of predictable," Adam commented snidely while looking up at nothing in particular. "What's the situation? Is the Gate still under our control?"

  The Cryomancer, a short-haired Umbral, a good head taller than Adam and wearing thicker armor than her two companions, stepped toward and cleared her throat. "It is, Gate Lord, but they're practically right outside the Abyssal gateway. What forces we have are preparing a defense inside the Gate, as we were forced to abandon our position outside a few days ago. To say that your arrival is opportune blasphemes against the Composer. It's like you were sent by the Divine herself."

  "Not desperate, huh?" Shiv said. "Is Null Mont still here? She didn't run off, did she?"

  "No," the Umbral replied, though there was a hint of scorn in her voice. "She's been hiding. I mean, ‘trying to communicate with Weave’ in the tower. She's taken our greatest Psychomancers and has devoted her efforts to sending a telepathic missive back to headquarters. Not that likely to go through with the vampires throwing up so many wards outside the gateway. Even our Divination's getting scrambled…"

  As the Umbral elaborated on the situation, Angelo appeared at the end of the hallway behind her. He too, was dressed in armor now—Umbral leathers, no less. His face was marred by recently healed cuts, though it simply provided him with a warrior's mystique and increased his charm a thousandfold. But Shiv wasn't the same Pathbearer that had first encountered the immensely alluring vampire. His Sage of the Enkindled Heart resisted the charm far better than before. Though there was still an irresistible tug every time Shiv looked at the vampire, he could now gaze upon Angelo and think clearly without being distracted every other second.

  Shiv left the briefing to Adam and strode past the Umbrals to greet Angelo with a smirk. "Glad to see you aren't dead. Also noticed that you've managed to charm the Umbrals enough that they dressed you in armor. Not bad."

  "Less charm and more mutual enmity, I would say. Trust is easily gained when you are willing to do anything to hurt those that have hurt you before." A dark look flashed behind the vampire's eyes. His hair flowed lusciously in the air, and Shiv had to pull back against that thought before it distracted him completely.

  Godsdamn Charm skill, the Deathless thought to himself.

  Sage of the Enkindled Heart: Focus. Look at his core; that's filled with fire. He's beyond furious. He wants to fight. He has fought. His hands were shifted into claws. There are traces of blood there. See the Biomantic glints? That's someone's blood, another vampire's blood, judging from how fast the microspells are changing.

  Angelo let out a hateful breath. "The First Blood managed to infiltrate the Gate two nights ago. I broke out of my holding cell when the alarm sounded, and once I caught their scent, I helped a small group of Sisters to slay them before they could do catastrophic damage. Though it pains me to say that they still managed to slay a few Umbral sentries. They almost got to the Head Weaveress too."

  "Null Mont?" Shiv asked.

  "I believe that was her name. I saved her. Barely. More like I distracted the Master-Tier vampire who was poised to kill her long enough for her to turn her lightning against him."

  Shiv nodded. "That's some hard-earned trust. Nice job, Pathbearer. You did good."

  "You did something righteous." Tulveg stepped forward, entering the conversation. Suddenly, Angelo was on guard, facing the other, taller vampire with a look of apprehension.

  The two rogues of the First Blood took each other in. Tulveg regarded Angelo as one would a promising student. The sentiment wasn't shared by Angelo, who faced other vampires with a heart filled with hate and trauma.

  "You've killed well," Tulveg said, his compliment cold but reassuring. "The First Blood is a deviant organization, a disgrace to our faith. They betrayed the promise of the Great One. And they continue to betray that promise. To see another child of the blessed ichor depart from deviance pleases me."

  "Depart from deviance?" Angelo echoed. He seemed confused more than anything, not striking Shiv as the religious type or sharing any of Tulveg's more vaunted beliefs. He, comparatively, hated the First Blood for much more personal reasons.

  "Doesn't matter," Shiv said. "I'm here. I'll go deal with it. Adam, let's do what we agreed earlier. You take care of things inside the Gate, and I go outside and share my grief with the unfortunate vampires who are about to die."

  The Gate Lord sneered at Shiv playfully. "You're just doing this because you want to avoid the actual busywork of resettling and logistically arranging our people."

  "Yup," Shiv agreed without any hesitation, walking down the hall and back into Gate Piety proper. A series of footsteps followed him. The Umbrals were coming along, but Shiv just waved them off. "Adam needs you more here right now. You should help with the refugee crisis. We got a lot of people coming in from Blackedge."

  The Umbral Captain's eyes widened. "But—"

  "Don't worry about me. This won't take long. In fact, I think I might do a flyover of their city. I'll deal with the attackers. Once I'm done with them, I think I'm gonna set the orcs loose to take a walk around the Abyss. I think the First Blood has earned itself an after-party."

  The Deathless heard some of his orcs break down in bursts of devious and bestial laughter. All things considered, this was probably a good outcome. He would have something to distract his orcs with, and an enemy to level and improve the Adept-Tier ones as well.

  "He's not boasting or being foolish," Adam added with a sigh, waving for the Umbrals to come back. "You're more useful here. Frankly, I need you here. We're going to have a lot of work to do while he has all the fun. Oh, and Shiv, use the Realmrunner’s Keyhole if you need help."

  Shiv looked at the Chronomantic bracelet fused around his left bicep, and he simply gave Adam a thumbs up as he continued on. But he wasn't the only one heading up and out of the bunker. Falling in step right beside him was Jessica, while the Culturist loomed just a few steps behind, more content to monitor and stalk them rather than partake in conversation at the moment.

  "What's up with you?" Shiv asked. "Not interested in helping with the evacuation?"

  Jessica snorted. "Fuck, no. I already helped save the losers. The rest of this shit's frankly Roland's business. Don't think you can sneak something over me, kid. You're not getting one over on this young lady."

  Shiv squinted down at her. "What are you even talking about?"

  "Talking about your little arrangement with Roland. You're not getting his ass before I am. I got a proper grudge against him, kid. Your little duel? You can have that. But I need my satisfaction. And don't think I haven't noticed that your Georges isn't really here with us right now. Guessing you ran into some resurrection dysfunction, huh? Or maybe he didn’t mean enough to you for the Deathless shit to kick in."

  There was a taunt in her voice, but also a faint heat of annoyance. She was working with him mainly because he promised to return her husband and daughter. But considering Shiv wasn't even able to revive someone he cared about—

  "Jessica. Believe it or not, I kind of like you. So, I'm going to let that comment about Georges slide. But if you make another remark like that—"

  "You're gonna what, kid? Threaten me with violence?"

  "No." Shiv's mind was buzzing with anger and clarity. "That's excessive. You didn't threaten me with violence. No, I'm just going to do something reciprocal. I'm going to ask you if you thought about your dead daughter in her final moments and how it felt while you were holding your husband's chilling corpse."

  And Jessica fell silent, realizing what Shiv just made her do. Her own chest filled with the faint flickers of anger. Flames danced along her core, but they were quickly washed away by her strange Tranquility Skill.

  "Now we're both a little more miserable," Shiv said. "You gonna do that shit with me again?"

  Jessica looked away from Shiv and let out a sigh as she forced herself to calm. Her body turned to glistening glass for a blink of an eye before returning to its baseline state. "Yeah, point taken," she said. "Sorry, kid. I had that coming."

  Sticks and Stones 64 > 66

  "Apology accepted. Now, let's go attend to maladjusted emotions by massacring some vampires."

  "This sounds most pleasing," Rusty commented with naked glee in his voice.

  Jessica looked over her shoulder and stared the Culturist down, his face half-hidden under his cowl. "What about you? Going to join in or just watch?"

  "I think I will observe, unless you need me to intervene." The orc tapped his left bicep. "But I think you will do fine. No, this is for your benefit, and for Valor's. I think I will relay your performance to him later and see what he thinks you might be able to improve."

  Shiv grunted. He wasn't fully comfortable with the Culturist, but so far, the orc had proven himself more of a valuable ally than a volatile bomb. But that volatile bomb aspect was still there. An ass-kicking was coming in the future. An ass-kicking that might just be to Shiv's benefit, but not Adam's, Shiv thought. Roland, Valor, and I are going to need to do something about that orc's metamorphosis. We're not letting him take Adam. I'm not even gonna let him torture Adam. Not if I can figure out a way to stop him.

  ***