I met a traveller from an antique land,

  Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

  Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,

  Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,

  And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,

  Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

  Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

  The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;

  And on the pedestal, these words appear:

  My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

  Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

  Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

  Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare

  The lone and level sands stretch far away.

  -Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley, Pre-Apocalypse Poet

  291 (I)

  Downtime [III]

  "Have you heard, Still Water? I am a hero! A hero! In the name of her Lady Arachnae, I stood my ground, and I defeated a horde of bloodspawn all by myself! One of them was a Heroic Assassin! They had Masters with them as well! I fought off an entire team of assassins! Still Water, I'm… I'm a real hero now!" Null Mont giggled loudly, consumed by the delirium of pain and blood loss.

  After a series of unexpected blasts destroyed the top of the tower, Shiv “hurriedly” carried the badly mutilated Null Mont to the infirmary established near the surface gateway. Along the way, he loudly proclaimed her bravery, using his 'non-indoor' voice to espouse how valiantly she'd fought against the vampiric assassins. Heads turned, and ears perked up at his approach, and many approached to see the supposed hero.

  And Null Mont herself didn't dispute it. After all, it was hard to know the truth when one's memories were so muddled and rewritten by a skilled Psychomancer.

  There were bits taken from vampire corpses sprinkled through the rubble of Null Mont's former office. They would be discovered in due time when the excavation and renovations were complete. Shiv doubted his deception would hold up before a thorough investigation; if Weave decided to bring in Diviners and Inspectors, they would likely be able to discover the truth with little difficulty.

  But something told him that was likely not going to happen. The way things were now gave everyone an easy out. Null Mont kept her pride and gained her glory, and was going to be reassigned to Weave for recuperation. The next Weaveress in line of managing operations was Still Water, who was far better for the Arachnae Order and Shiv to work with. Though the Weaveress with the Heroic-Tier Stealth skill didn't much like her impromptu promotion, she accepted it begrudgingly and played along.

  Still Water was a good soldier, but she was a good soldier to a fault. She obeyed orders. She did the best she could within the confines of her station. If she had taken a little bit more initiative, she might have been able to avoid the situation altogether.

  Shiv noted the cultural and sociological problems within Weave's culture. There was a debt of blood to be paid in compliance with incompetence. And sometimes, doing the right thing meant going against one's own cultural instincts. Something Still Water and the others in the Order chose not to do. Something Uva had avoided doing before as well.

  But Shiv saw things with clearer eyes and a deeper understanding of the world now. Sometimes doing nothing was the wrong action. Sometimes letting rot fester meant unneeded deaths and a surrender to corruption. All actions had consequences, but so did inaction. And that was a thing Still Water and the others of the Order were guilty of. Shiv didn't fully judge them, but he did note that weakness, in case he found himself faced with a similar situation in the future.

  He stayed in the field hospital until an Umbral Biomancer administered some painkillers for Null Mont. After that, the Weaveress went to sleep, spared of pain and suffering, releasing Still Water from the room.

  The bandana-wearing Weaveress looked Shiv up and down and gave a hoarse chuckle as she took a drag of a cigarette that appeared in her hand when Shiv blinked. "A team of vampiric assassins, huh?"

  "Yeah, slipped in without any of us knowing," Shiv said smoothly. "They would have gotten to Uva if Null Mont hadn't intervened. She's a real hero."

  "A real hero, indeed," Still Water said, nodding slowly. Despite being a loyal soldier, she likely had a guess that Shiv and the others were behind this. "You know, for so many groups of vampires to slip in and out of our gate repeatedly... That would make them pretty good. We really should up the security."

  "Already ahead of you there. I don't think we're going to be infiltrated again for a while."

  "I'll take your word for it, Deathless. Say, I looked through the ruins earlier. You said a mana bomb went off in Null Mont’s office. Nasty business. But some of those bodies there... They look more like they got ripped apart by a savage animal of some kind."

  Shiv shrugged innocently. "Null Mont might have done that to them. After the fools failed to kill her initially, she might have experienced an adrenaline rush and torn them limb from limb."

  Still Water tilted her head and looked down at Shiv from the half-meter of height she had on him. "We don't possess adrenaline, actually. Umbrals don't either."

  "Huh,” Shiv said. He genuinely hadn't had a clue. “That's useful to know. My Biomancy lessons haven't really covered Umbral or Weaveress physiology yet. Still mainly focusing on my own. Let's just say they pissed Null Mont off really, really bad. Keep the report vague. It adds to the mystique."

  "You know, I was just thinking the same thing." Still Water reached into one of the many utility pouches lining her dark green soldier getup and pulled out another cigarette. She offered one to him, but he waved her off. "No? A little smoke barely affects you once you hit Adept-Tier Toughness."

  "Yeah, I heard that plenty of times from..." Shiv trailed off as he tried not to think about Georges. "I heard it before. It's not my health that concerns me; I just don't like the smoke. It makes me cough. Hate the taste too."

  "Heh, suit yourself. More for me." Instead of putting it away, Still Water stuck the second stick in her mouth and lit it up with a flicker of Pyromancy. Once more, he found himself staring up at the uncanny sight of a towering spider-wasp-person inhaling two cigarettes. A couple years ago, this would have been a scene from a fever dream. Now, it was practically mundane. "You know, we appreciate what you did here."

  "Hm? What did I do?" Shiv asked.

  "Lots of stuff. Some I'll be glad to mention in my report, like how bad you bloodied the First Blood vermin. And some stuff that I think we're both going to keep vague.” She waved a few fingers. “You know, for your mystique.”

  Shiv smirked. "Appreciate it. Though I got a question. Don't take offense, but it's not like you couldn't have solved this somehow."

  "I'm not like you," Still Water said without hesitation.

  "Come on, you don't need to be a Legend to deal with this."

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  "I'm not talking about Tiers. I'm saying I'm not like you. There's not many people like you. There are some things I'm just not willing to risk." The Weaveress plucked both cigarettes out of her mouth and let out a plume of smoke. She eyed him with the six dark orbs on her face that weren't covered in eye patches. "Think I'm a coward, Deathless?"

  "I wouldn't call you that."

  "What would you call me?"

  Shiv used his advanced psychology to choose his words for maximum effect. "A good soldier. But culturally enchained. And ultimately obedient."

  Still Water's response was subtle and quick, but Shiv still caught it. She stiffened before forcing herself to relax. "Suppose that's fair."

  "I don't think anything's fair," Shiv rebutted. "I just think that's how we are. You've got more responsibilities than I do, and you were probably conditioned differently. Some things are easy for me to say and easy for me to do. Ultimately, I don't lose that much. And frankly, I didn't have that much to begin with. I like Weave. I like the Composer. But I'm not going to let that stop me from doing what I think is right. But I'm also not connected like you are. I'm not born of the Composer. I don't deal with your politics the same way. I think I might be… freer. And I just wanted to use that freedom to help you."

  Still Water took another drag from her cigarettes. "We appreciate it. You know, I thought of solving this problem in a few ways. Can't say I'm nearly as politically creative as you. Some of my planned resolutions were more permanent and severe."

  Shiv's mouth fell open slightly, and he stared past Still Water at the door she'd just emerged from. Inside the next room, Null Mont lay slumbering. "Can't say I blame you. But I'm glad you didn't. I think even someone incompetent has their uses. A living hero is more politically effective than a martyr for us. Hard to collect favors from someone who isn’t alive."

  Still Water hummed. "And you think you can do that? Squeeze blood from a stone like Null Mont?"

  "I think I can squeeze whatever I want out of her. But I don't intend to be the same way with you. Think we can help each other. I mean, really help each other. If you're straight with me and tell me what you need, I'll do everything I can to make your life easier. I always liked you, Still Water. You and that gaggle of freaks that make up your team."

  "The feeling's mutual, Deathless. So, you wanna do things soldier-to-soldier?"

  "How about Pathbearer to Pathbearer?"

  She let out a chittering laugh. "Sounds good to me."

  Shiv extended a hand, and Still Water stared at his arm for a moment before realizing he expected her to take it. She responded a moment later, offering one of her long limbs and grasping his hand with her thin, humanoid digits.

  "We got some stuff to talk about," Shiv said. "Some stuff that I would like you to keep private. And that might be exposing you to some danger too. There are some pretty powerful Pathbearers in the gate. Not all of them are on our side. And this is our side. Whatever criticisms I have toward Weave and its people, you've been good to me. You're the first people who were ever good to me, really, and that means something to me. You've all tried to do the right thing, and that's more than I can say for a lot of other assholes playing to their own agendas."

  Still Water took the cigarettes out of her mouth, and when Shiv blinked, they were suddenly gone again. "Say no more. I got it. You need someone in your corner. A backup plan against all the orcs and other unreliables that'll be flooding in."

  "Yeah, that's about the sum of it." Shiv let out a relieved breath. It was a wonderful thing to be dealing with someone competent and understanding after handling the walking mess that was Null Mont. And something like this had to happen. He needed someone he could rely on beyond Adam, Uva, and the rest of his inner circle. He may be Vaketh Insul, but he knew that the orcs weren't actually his army. They were simply a fire he could direct. And if he lost control of them at any moment, they would be more than willing to burn down this gate and kill everyone he cared for if only to force him down a path of entertaining revenge.

  My life's turning into a mess of checks and balances, Shiv thought to himself. Veronica against Udraal. Valor, Roland, and Jessica against the Culturist. And now we're against the orcs, the orcs against the Neath, the First Blood, and all the other bastards waiting to ruin us. Shit, this gate's gonna turn into one fucked-up mess in record time. Gotta start praying for Adam…

  ***

  With Null Mont settled and primed for her return to Weave alongside the first group to head there after the breaking of the vampiric siege, Shiv brought Still Water back with him to their new meeting place—the top of Starhawk's Perch.

  The chamber that stood over Roland's last sanctum against the encroachment of their enemies barely looked better than Null Mont's office after they blew the entire thing up. Even so, the castle was the source of the Starhawk's power, and Shiv suspected that Adam would probably spend more time operating out of his childhood home than anywhere else.

  By the time Shiv got back, everyone was already embroiled in discussions and debates about what matters were priority and what could wait to be resolved. Arriving by the miraculously still-working mana platform, Uva turned as she gave Shiv an appreciative nod—and froze mid-movement as she noticed Still Water beside him.

  "Cherished Mother," Uva greeted, squaring her shoulders as she adopted the rightful bearing possessed by a Sister of the Arachnae Order.

  "Cherished Sister," Still Water responded in kind, giving a light nod. The Weaveress was a lot more casual. Shiv suspected that was because Still Water hailed from Trapdoor. Theirs was a force far less concerned with ceremony and far more dedicated to performance, especially considering how odd some of their members were. "I heard you got saved by Null Mont when the vampires came for you. Lucky break, huh?"

  "Yes, truly fortunate," Uva replied coolly. "How is the Cherished Mother?"

  "Stable and resting now, though she is missing most of her limbs and practically half of her body is mush. Gotta say, those vampire bastards did a lot of calculated damage to her. It's like they brutalized her just enough to leave her knocking on death’s door without stepping through."

  "Savages," Uva said flatly. "We both know how the First Blood likes to play with their victims. The way they fight at times is synonymous with torture. Valorous though she was, I suspect the Cherished Mother should count herself lucky she's still alive at all."

  Still Water’s fangs chittered in something of a smirk. "You know, I think I'm inclined to agree with that assessment."

  "Refugees!" Adam's voice cut through the room. His Shattered Star glowed ever brighter, and he hovered in the air as his wings expanded. He rose above the Culturist and stared down at anyone daring to dispute him. "We deal with the matter of the refugees before anything else."

  As the Gate Lord looked toward the center of the room, Shiv pointed at Still Water, who was standing next to him, and Adam gave a nod. "Right now, we have approximately 4,000 new individuals coming into the gate. Four thousand that need to be housed. However, thirty or so are to be kept on the side of the Tutorial until preventative measures can be applied to keep the plague from spreading."

  "Plague?" Still Water asked.

  "A parting gift delivered to the people of Blackedge by the hands of Vicar Sullain," Adam spat, his hate spilling over into every word. And that was all he needed to say for Still Water to understand. "We'd like to make a formal request to Weave and the Biomancers at Cradle. Though some of the orcs have applied their efforts, they were unable to cure the plague. I understand that your people are facing their own sickness, but if you have any expertise you can spare, I would gladly pay any cost to see it prepared."

  "I think we both know that you've already paid that cost several times over." Still Water scoffed without rancor. "In fact, I think the Composer will order us to treat your people just like our own. I think she might even get involved herself if it means seeing them cured."

  "And that is more than I can ask," Adam replied with gratitude ringing clear.

  "I think your other problems are going to be easier to solve too," Still Water continued. "We managed to salvage plenty of material from the ruins. We can build temporary housing, and then actual housing in a short time with our Geomancers. We were preparing to devote some of that to the defensive emplacements when the vampires came, but now that the Deathless has killed our problem out of existence, we can use that material for something more useful instead. Food's not going to be a problem either for a few days. Still got a lot of Court Leviathan meat kept in cold storage, and quite a few shipments arrived from Weave before our bloodsucker problem became terminal, keeping us sustained logistically on that front. What we're mainly lacking right now is fresh water."

  Adam frowned. "Null Mont said something about your water processing plant being sabotaged. Was that something done by the First Blood as well?"

  "Honestly, we're not sure. We suspected it was the vampires, but it doesn't fit their modus operandi. Mainly because the plant is still working and uncorrupted. If it were the First Blood, they would have probably injected some kind of disease into the spell patterns and had us drinking virus-filled water that would see our organs liquefied or something. Instead, it just seems like some of the spell patterns aren't working right. Like, we can't quite process water in the atmosphere here without something breaking down. Our Hydros have no idea what's going wrong. One of them said it might be because the Mana Core is saturating the atmosphere with a unique kind of magic. A kind they have no experience dealing with."

  That made Adam frown deeply. "Sounds like I might be the cause of this problem, then. I'll go see the processing plant as soon as I can."

  "I'm going with you," Rose said. Before Adam or anyone else could rebuff her, she pressed on. "Look, I might not have most of my skills right now, but I've got more memory of magical theory and spell patterns than both of you put together."

  "That's not fair, Mother," Adam muttered. "You're just comparing all your experience to me, since Shiv doesn't know anything at all. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he has some kind of magical anti-theory skill that causes conventional wisdom to break down when he's around."

  Shiv exploded into uproarious and fake laughter, slapping his knees and making several people around him jump in fright. He then held up his middle finger. "Hey, Gate Lord, what's this pattern mean?"

  Adam sneered, as if he had been proven right by Shiv’s outburst. A few meters away, Roland looked embarrassed on Shiv's behalf, but his wife held the exact opposite reaction. She was trying not to double over from laughter.

  "Yep," Rose gasped. "I know that pattern pretty well."

  Valor shook his head congenially, letting everyone enjoy a bit of lightheartedness before he pulled the meeting back on track. "Now, now, settle down, children. Adam. Onto the next item."

  "Right. The orcs." Adam locked eyes with the Culturist and didn't turn away.