II-4 Recon

“I don’t know” is not a good enough excuse. It is not enough for the Pathbearers under your command, it is not enough for the people you fail to protect, it is not enough for the cost it inflicts on the Republic.

You cannot afford to not know. Intelligence. Knowledge. Understanding. You can hate the enemy as much as you want, you can despise their culture, their faith, their very existence, but if anyone in this course ever tells me “I don’t know” again, I will formally request that you fall on a sword. 

And if you lack a weapon that can pierce your flesh, I will loan you my blade.

The answer to the question, Young Lord Depon, is “I need more intelligence.” You will know. And you will understand your enemy. I don’t care that the orks killed your brother at Lone Star. I don’t care what they did to his corpse. If you do, then you best start learning about the war-loving bastards because you’re going to run up against them at some point, and let me tell you the stories of them being savage, barely literate beasts are mostly to cope with the fact that they are very, very cruel, and very, very good at war.

Now. We’re going to do this exercise again. This time, you take the role of the orcs, Young Lord Depon. Your objective is simple. Use the practice dimensionals to take the rest of the class’s positions or fail trying. And if you fail again, I am going to strike you from this class and leave you marked for ineptitude. You have the force advantage. You have them surrounded. Now. Take the fort and kill all the survivors.

Think like your enemy. Wear their skin. Win. The Republic demands that you learn, so obey me, and understand this is the only way out of the shadows of your past.

-Captain Harry Irons, TacStrat 101, Phoenix Academy

II-4

Recon

“So. What is for breakfast?” Adam asked, yawning. He blinked blearily at what Shiv was preparing and just stared. His red hair was getting long and messy, parts of it were clinging to his face. Sleep and nourishment became less and less of a necessity for Pathbearers after certain thresholds, but after the events of the last day, the Young Lord slumbered like he was one of the dead. “Are those… snakes?”

“Yeah,” Shiv grunted. “Give it a second. I’ve tried frying, slow roasting, and even boiling these with soup. You’ll get to try all three types and tell me which one you like best first.”

“Are you using me as a taster?” Adam asked, still frowning at the snakes. “And snakes? Really? Aren’t those poisonous?”

“Not entirely. Glands got harvested by the sisters already.”

Adam shrugged. “How long have you all been up? Wait, how long did you sleep? It’s always damned hard to tell in the Abyss. There’s no sunlight, and the glowing veins make it feel like we’re living in perpetual twilight.”

“Slept about two hours. Maybe. Probably less. You were out cold by the time me and Uva got back from the waterfall. It’s not far if you want to clean up.”

“I think I’ll pass for now,” Adam said, trying to straighten out his hair. “You won’t believe how many bugs are around this place… I’m surprised none of them managed to get into our camp.”

“That’s because the sisters dosed the place with pheromones, and I keep crushing the larger bugs with my Biomancy. An ugly dog-sized scorpion thing with three tails got pretty close to your tent at some point. It’s part of the soup now.’

Adam froze and watched as Shiv dropped another slice of snake flesh into a bubbling cauldron. “Are you trying to gain a Poison Resistance skill?” Adam asked.

“That’s actually not a bad idea. But no. Sisters took the stingers too. Uva said they could make something useful with that.”

The Young Lord looked around at their camp. Aside from him, Shiv, and Valor floating at the opening of the cave they chose as campsite after their ambush, he saw only empty tents and doused campfire. A set of alarm and minor protection wards circled the entrance of the cave, the spell patterns shimmering weakly with mana. “Where is everyone?”

“Scouting. Preparing. We got some a Weaveress Shadow Cell coming in soon, too. Trapdoor Weaveresses according to Uva. They might have some details about the gate and how we can get closer among some other things. Uva also said they’ll be interested in talking to you about yesterday. Something about an after action regarding tactics and strategy.”

“Ah. Wonderful. It’s exactly like I’m back in TacStrat 101. Hopefully I don’t run into the Weavress equivalent of Irons.” Adam paused. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’d give a bloody lot for the man to be yelling at me right now. He would know how to take that gate—gate raids are practically his favorite thing in the world.”

“Sounds like an interesting guy.”

“He is. He would probably like you. To some extent. You’re his kind of person. Do or die. Try, try, try again without any hint of frustration or despair. And… oh, that’s starting to smell really good.” 

Shiv handed Adam a bowl of scorp-snake soup, and the Young Lord regarded the meal for a moment. He sniffed and then tentatively took a bite. His expression went blank. He closed his eyes. And seethed. “How do you keep doing this? This is absurd. I had a Master Chef for almost all my life.”

Cooking > 25

Shiv grinned both at Adam’s begrudging praise and at the two levels he got for Cooking. “Yeah? Well, your Master Chef doesn’t have Biomancy to judge the state of the meat. Or Georges.” Shiv’s grin faded. “Did he… have a fine mustache. Was kind of emotional at times?”

Adam stopped mid-swallow. “Yes?”

“Ah, shit,” Shiv said. He wasn’t sure how to go about this. He remembered the chefs slaughtered in the kitchen. The only reason he probably wasn’t among the dead initially was because Roland Arrow came personally to speak with him.

“What?” Adam said, his voice more severe.

Nothing for it. Rip the blade out. Shiv looked down and grunted. “He’s dead. So are most of the other people who used to cook for you. Kitchen got hit during the assault. I went back looking for Georges and found them. That’s where I got the chestpiece—it was given to me by a dying Family Guard… Feather, I think his name was. He and his sister both died fighting, too. They all did what they could.”

The Young Lord stared at Shiv for a long minute. His face was calm, but there was a war raging behind his eyes. After a small eternity, he took a sip of soup. “I thought about throwing you off myself. Off Blackedge. When I realized you were the one helping me. Even when I was fighting the raven, there was something in me that hoped you were a reason for this, that I could finally be done with you.”

Shiv didn’t say anything. He just listened. Adam’s expression flared with brief anger and frustration. “But then you went and did the worst thing you could to me. You proved to be a decent man. Fearless. Honorable. Unyielding. An asshole. And a good chef. And you have no idea how much this makes me hate you.”

Shiv regarded Adam momentarily, and then nodded. He cut another slice of meat—no reason not to prepare while dealing with this. Whatever was happening between him and Adam, the others could still use a little food when they got back.

“That’s it? You’re just going to nod and keep working?” Adam said. There was a hint of rage in his voice there, like a spider rearing its front legs.

“What can I say that will make you feel better?” Shiv asked.

“You could have been a bastard,” Adam whispered. “An actual piece of human trash. You could have done me the dignity of being a monster or a broken, miserable degenerate. You could have done any of these things…”

“No,” Shiv said, resolute. “Not who I am. Not what I want to be. I’m not going to break and be miserable because that would please you or the world. I fight for myself. I fight for the things I want. That’s the way I’m going to be. That way, and not some other way.”

“Look at you,” Adam said, his face turning borderline nauseous. “Listen to you. You just say these things and mean them. Why? What possessed you to be this way despite what you are? Despite what they did to make you?”

The Deathless placed the snake flesh on the frying board. Needs a bit more Pyromancy. He channeled a rush of flames with a small spell, and soon the meat was crackling. “Because I want to. I told you before, Adam. I’m my own man. Are you yours?”

“Godsdamn you,” Adam seethed. He was practically shaking, his eyes were darting around, his fists were clenched. “Godsdamn you. Godsdamn your parents. And godsdamn me for… for…”

“Would it help if we just fought?” Shiv asked.

“No. No! Because there’s no winning there either.” To make his point, Adam walked forward and slammed a fist into Shiv’s back. He threw it as hard as he could. It shook the cave. Dust fell. A tent fell over.

Shiv responded by flipping over the slice of meat, absolutely unbothered. “You should use your bow. You’re not a brawler.”

For a second, he thought Adam would hit him again for saying that, but the Young Lord just scoffed. “And how long will it take for me to deal true harm to you that way? And what’s to stop you from just coming back stronger? Every defeat makes you more. Every wound becomes your shield. Every weakness will eventually be your strength. But me? I just lose. I am Young Lord Adam Arrow. My father is a hero of the Republic. My mother was Rose Van Erren, Diviner of the Republic. And I… lose! I lose everything. I lose everyone. I lose and lose and lose and there is less of me every time.”

The Young Lord was practically near tears. I shouldn’t have told him about the deaths… Shiv turned away from the meat, not even caring if it burned. “Adam—”

“Do not!” Adam shouted—practically screamed. “Do! Not! Do not care for me! Do not console me! Damn that concern your eyes! I wish—I wish—” His lip curled, and for a moment, Shiv was worried Adam might actually break. But Adam closed his eyes and breathed in. “I need to go out. I need to… to hunt… to be alone.”

He rushed back toward his tent and began gathering his equipment, snapping his armor in place at frantic speed. Shiv grimaced, and saw that Valor was looking at him. Worse, Uva and the other sisters were approaching, too.

And the felling meat is burned and I’m still not done preparing, Shiv sighed.

“Don’t follow me,” Adam rasped as he rushed past Shiv. Shiv watched the Young Lord go, unsure what he was supposed to do. Adam flared his wings before even clearing the cave. Ikki asked him what was wrong, but he rushed right past her, earning a flash of shock from the Young Umbral before he blasted off into the air, cracking the ground with the speed of his ascent. Uva looked at Shiv, and he could only shake his head.

“I’ll tell you about it later. I’ll try to get food done for now. Almost done. Almost.” Shiv noticed his own hand was shaking a bit, and he stilled it with a frown.

“This was needed.” Valor came to a hover beside Shiv.

“I’m not so sure about that,” Shiv said. “To be honest, he was kind of pissing me off by the end. I see why he’s the way that he is, but this isn’t my doing. And his feelings are his own responsibility.” Shiv paused. “You alright, Ikki?”

The Umbral blinked. “He must’ve been really mad, huh?” She rubbed her arm slightly. “What did you say to him?”

“I told him someone he cared about died. And some other problems came with that hurt.” Shiv glared at the meat. “A lot of problems.”

“So it seems,” Uva said, still staring at the cave entrance. “Perhaps I should request that someone keep watch over him.”

“Don’t think that’s necessary,” Shiv said. “Adam’s impulsive. But not an idiot. I don’t think he’s going to make a suicide run on the gate or even get himself noticed. His Awareness is too good for that.” He paused. “We might want to pack and prepare to move. Whatever Adam does might just get someone to look around here.”

Ikki sighed. “But we just moved…”

“Sisters, break camp,” Uva said, her voice rehearsed. She looked at Shiv again, and sank her magic into his mind. “Are you alright?”

Shiv smiled slightly. “I’m always alright. Eventually.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Did he try to hurt you?”

“Why’s my tent knocked over?” Ikki complained off by the side.

“Not really,” Shiv said. “And that’s part of what pisses him off more, I think. We’ll see how he’s feeling later. Meanwhile… you’re looking very nice this morning. I think the bath in that pond did us some good.”

Uva rolled her eyes but failed to hold back a slight blush. “Shiv. Come now.”

He chuckled and went back to finishing breakfast. But though Shiv felt done with conversation for now, conversation was not done with him.

“I would have hated having someone like you in my life when I was his age,” Valor said. Shiv grunted. “I am being serious. You represent a shadow in many warrior’s hearts. Of a rival who stands stronger, tougher, ascends to power more quickly… Yet gives very little reason why they should be hated. Pair this with the nature of your past, and the fragility you induce in him becomes torturous.”

“I guess,” Shiv said. Then, as he started flipping plates with cooked meat, he decided on anger. “Just one problem: Why should I care about that? My whole life people hated me for what my parents did. For what I was. He hated me too. But like his dad, he just seethed and suffered my existence from a distance. Too noble to come strike me down, too passive to do anything, too miserable to let this go. So they prayed for the system to punish me.”

“Goodness is a moment, Shiv. A deed. Good can be used to describe someone’s character, but it is my experience that with enough pain and loss, even a good heart can be taught to choose something that debases them. That someone can learn the wrong lesson.”

“Fine. But it’s not my lesson to teach.”

“Correct. But it is something he can only learn from you.”

“Why should I care?”

“I cannot say,” Valor answered honestly. “You are… Deathless. Both in mind and body. What breaks and wounds and leaves another close to oblivion is only fuel for your heart. In some matters of spirit, I would call you an idealization of a warrior. But you have to understand that most struggle to even pretend, and the strong must give so much of themselves to achieve what you find so natural. For most, becoming one who reigns over the world, the system, and themselves is a battle, every day.”

Shiv started handing out plates of food, but he was listening. That quiet knot of anger was dying down to a nub of annoyance. “So. You want me to put up with Adam? To comfort him?’

“No. Great One, no!” Valor almost choked. “That might just shatter his mind entirely. To be regarded as pitiful and a creature to be protected and comforted by the object of his intimidation, envy, loathing, and respect… It might break his sense of self for good.”

“So, what should I do?”

“As you did when training. As you did during the ambush. Challenge him when he needs resolve. Spite him when he feels worried. Make him build strength. But let him rest when he is wounded and weary. He can be built into a true Pathbearer. And friend. Give him time. But you must be wise.”

“I’m not sure how wise I am, Valor.” Shiv shook his head and placed Uva’s dish beside her as she broke down their tent. “There’s soup and slow-cooked variants as well if you want more. Adam was supposed to do a taste test.” Shiv paused. “I might have put in a little too much salt this time.”

“Yes, but that is why I am here,” Valor said, holding his head up proudly.

“Valor. Has anyone told you that your training methods are strange? Do you always get your disciples to just train each other?”

“No. But you are far from a typical disciple. What I am to do with you is simply propel you further. But also remind you of things besides becoming a legend.”

“Like what?” Shiv asked.

“That people and the world are fragile. We may be enduring. But something, when broken, will never return.”

Shiv considered that. And nodded. “Fine. But if he’s still pissy when he gets back, I’m going to bully him.”

“It’s practically the love-language between you two by this point,” Uva muttered off by the side.

Shiv winced in discomfort. Ikki giggled.

***

“...and that concludes my report,” Adam said, arms folded behind his back. The Trapdoor Weaveresses looked at each other and exchanged a series of gestures that had the Young Lord swinging his eyes between them in slight nervousness. “Again. I take full responsibility for the excess civilian casualties. I should have approached the situation with more measured aggression and foresight.”

“No, no,” the leader of the Weaveress Shadow Cell said, holding out her hands. “It is… we are not criticizing your efforts. We are merely comparing notes. What you have done is… quite remarkable considering the force size and timeframe you had. Your tactics and approach were sound.”

“But imperfect,” Adam added.

“A criticism that we all must share,” the Weaveress refuted. “Even I have only achieved three perfect raids against Compact’s slavers over my centuries in service. The deaths are our burden. But also our kindling. We can only endeavor to save more next time, Esteemed Adept Adam.”

The Young Lord nodded gratefully and concluded his report.

The lead Weaveress—an ancient Trapdoor veteran by the name of Still Water—arrived in camp as everyone was breaking it down. She proved her capabilities as a Heroic Pathbearer focused foremost on Stealth by manifesting out of thin air beside Shiv to take a drink of his soup. The Deathless nearly flinched in shock when she asked if she “kept them waiting” for long.

The truth was that she arrived much earlier than expected—before Uva even had a chance to report to an Operator about them moving their forward operating camp again. With her came two other Trapdoor Weaveresses. The one missing an arm was called Liquid Serpent, and she immediately started boasting about her revolving hand crossbows to Ikki and anyone who would listen. The last of the group was a white-shelled, Umbral-shaped automaton called Spark Ripper who bore a rare Fusion Skill combining Aeromancy and Swords Proficiency.

Shiv wanted to find out about how they attained their Fusion Skill, but at his approach, Spark Ripper sputtered something incoherent and fled. It took Still Water explaining that he had extreme social anxiety for Shiv to understand what just happened.

Their cell was supposedly getting a brief moment’s rest after a series of mysterious explosions tore through some of the Compact’s border territories. As a result, the Court of the First Blood was blamed, and the two sides were engaged in another ugly skirmish. A tragic but common state of affairs in the Abyss.

After a while, Adam returned with what seemed like half a forest of dead animals in a net. He simply muttered “ingredients” to Shiv and said nothing else—not even bother to clean the muck and blood off himself before launching into an aggressive after-action report before the Weaveresses were prepared to receive it.

Oddly, this seemed to endear Adam to them—especially Liquid Serpent, who started calling Adam the “nice-skinned one” for some reason. When Shiv looked to Uva for confirmation, she replied with an expression of cluelessness herself.

“Trapdoor seeks effective soldiers. Sometimes, effective means peculiar.”

“As we have not been within Compact territory,” Still Water continued. “There are many things we cannot tell you. Such as how Compact will likely be strained for manpower in the area soon due to the recent attacks by the bloodspawn. And how their Lords of Law will be called upon by the First Blood’s Elders to stop the conflict before it spirals out of hand. Or how there will be a special caravan heading for the gate in one day’s time. A special caravan that rumors suggest to be carrying part of a very special Necrotech weapon.”

Adam, Shiv, and Valor all shot to attention. “Necrotech weapon?” Adam asked.

“Oh… Is this part composed of a lot of mithril?” Valor asked with a weary note to his voice.

“Interesting. How did you know about its composition, Great Valor?” Still Water asked.

“I suspect I know more than just its composition. I likely know what it is: A walking fortress-sized siege-construct containing an Animancy Core: A Soulbreaker Engine. If I am to guess further, this might be the Animancy Core itself.”

“So, my guess was correct,” Liquid Serpent hissed, spinning her crossbows again. “It was some manner of… mithril mechanism, after all.”

Shiv didn’t know why she said the words with so much emphasis, but decided to let it go.

Valor sighed. “If I am to voice my guess, I suspect that Blackedge has managed to secure its own territory and hold a defensive line. The Necrotechs should not be so bold to move through Compact territory, but a rogue Vicar with much to give and little to lose… Might just be able to strike a contract with one of the Lords of Law. Now that Blackedge’s wards are enduring and Sullain has not yet managed to smash through its walls, he must bring in something capable of overcoming the city’s mana field—which means he is rushing as well.”

A surge of joy passed through the Young Lord’s face. “The town is holding… It’s holding, Shiv!”

“I wouldn’t be too happy yet,” Shiv muttered. “This construct sounds like a problem.”

“It is. Animacy is the most fundamental expression of magic because it deals in the manipulation of the source of all mana. The soul. But that is just why it is such a volatile art. The slightest mistake in understanding and intent inflicts damage so severe that even the fabric of reality is not spared. These wounds linger until the system itself intervenes to mend what was lost. “

“So, we intercept, destroy, or steal this weapon,” Adam said. “It might not be a simple operation, but—”

“There is also another thing we don’t know,” Still Water continued. As she leaned a bit more out of her invisible cloak, Shiv noticed she had eye patches on two of her eight eyes. “We don’t know that there is a small army of elite, mercenary Pathbearers protecting the weapon. And we certainly don’t know that they might be meeting with a delegation of surfacers inside the Compact gate.”

“What?” Adam said, startled. “What delegation? What surfacers?”

“This part we actually don’t know,” Liquid Serpent clarified. “We only ironically didn’t know all the things before. This is all we managed to get before the people talking to us expired during interrogation.” Liquid Serpent laughed. “They were weak…”

“They really weren’t,” Spark Ripper mumbled, pulling its invisible cloak tighter around its body. “You just made me use too much electricity this time.’

“More importantly, the construct is considered a restricted weapon between the Five Faiths,” Valor said. “An Animancy weapon is highly unstable and can only truly be channeled through mithril. And if you are in the vicinity when it fires… your soul will wither, and you will face a death more absolute than most.” He eyed Shiv briefly. “Regardless of who you are.”

The Deathless only narrowed his eyes as he considered something: “If I die but manage to survive that… maybe I could get an Animancy Skill too.”

“Shiv,” Uva said, her voice bordering on threatening. “Do not.”

“It’s just a thought.”

“I know. Now. Move that thought out of your mind. I will not share space with it.”

“Fine.”

“Shiv.”

“Fine. Just give me a second to get distracted by something so I can stop thinking about it.”

Valor let out a very uncharacteristic groan. “Damn you Sullain. This is going to be a problem…”

“Yeah, we thought so too,” Still Water said. “That’s why we came in to give you all a heads-up. We heard that these two were planning on using the gate to cross over. Well. Once the Composer hears about this, I suspect she’ll be scrambling to demand an answer from Lords of Law too. And the First Blood will start moving their armies because they’ll assume that someone might be trying to sell a Soulbreaker Engine…” The Trapdoor Weaveress trailed off with a grunt and took a drag of smoke. Shiv blinked. He didn’t even know the Weaveresses could smoke.

“This is going to cause a hellstorm,” Still Water whispered. “A real big one. But also, no one’s really in position to intercept or halt the transport. By sometime after midnight, it’ll pass through the gate for good. And once it’s there, it might be gone for good, no matter what we do. Compact isn’t going to let anyone else take a look inside their gate, the Necrotechs will deny, disavow, and ignore, and everyone else will be spitting venom but getting nowhere.”

“Typical politics,” Spark Ripper muttered.

Still Water breathed out. “There’s a wrong smell on the winds. Bad days are coming. Bad times. The air tastes just like it did before the last War of the Five.”

The Umbrals all looked disturbed. But Adam was staring off, absent—considering something. “We might have a means of interception,” Adam said. “To make sure the weapon never gets into the gate—and maybe create an opening to slip in ourselves. But we’ll need more information, and fast. And we’ll need them to stall along their path.” The Young Lord found Shiv already looking at him. The Deathless held his Mask of False Paths up for everyone to see.”

“What’s that?” Liquid Serpent said, squinting.

Shiv put on the mask and showed them. A second later and a brief burst of fire, the Perfect Semblance of a dead slaver stood in Shiv’s place.

Still Water leaned back and shared a look with her two comrades. “Well. That’s useful.” Her eyes flashed. “Hmm. Can’t even tell it’s you anymore, Esteemed Master Shiv.”

“Yeah,” Shiv said, examining his new hands. “Pretty convenient. But it’s also untested. I just took this semblance yesterday. Not sure if I got everything down yet but…”

“But this is the perfect opportunity for a field test,” Adam said, pressing the issue. “Think of it. The last caravan was attacked and slaughtered. If the special weapon’s transport team is taking the same road to approach, and they come across a sole survivor…” He let silence and imagination fill in the rest.

“There’s also a substantial risk,” Uva said, looking at Shiv with the slightest hint of worry. “The mask is not a bound item. Should Shiv be killed while in his guise for any reason, it is likely that the deception will be unveiled and his presence revealed.” She frowned. “The mask is the only thing protecting his mind from enemy Psychomancers as well. This is too soon. Too aggressive.”

“And if we wait and hesitate, then Blackedge will be in more danger—and this might even draw your people into another war with the surface,” Adam replied. Shiv took the mask off into the meantime, showing the Trapdoor Operatives the item’s functionality. “This is our best chance to achieve multiple goals. To discover more intelligence about how to access the gate, to stop a dangerous weapon that threatens all of our peoples, and also for Shiv to finally make use of the mask. Him appearing as a sole survivor of a massacre is more than believable, it’s practically perfect.”

“I’m willing to do it,” Shiv said, shrugging. Since this group was filled with elite warriors, maybe if things went wrong, one of them could kill him, too…

“It is disturbing how excited you get imagining your own deaths,” Uva said, flatly.

“Sorry,” Shiv replied. “I just want more skill levels.”

“Well, you might be getting improvements to Stealth and Acting soon,” Uva said, her mind still tinged with worry.

“Uva. I can’t die.”

“That’s not the worst thing that can happen to you,” she said. “You might be able to come back, but if someone shatters your mind…”

“They won’t. I’ll have the mask. If something goes wrong, I’ll use my Biomancy to pull the corpse into my cloak and act before anyone knows what’s actually happening. The cape’s still bound to my soul. It shouldn’t come off.”

She didn’t like this. Not even a bit. “It’s still too soon. With more time to prepare, we could maybe see about finding an enchanter. There’s a limit to how much magic can be infused into each Tier, but…”

He tightened his mind around hers in something of an embrace. “I’ll be fine. I’m always fine.”

Uva looked at him, smiled slightly, and nodded. She trusted him. “Alright. But proceed with care.”

“I always do?”

She squinted at him. “Shiv…”

“Okay. I’ll try.”

“I’ll tell you what, Adept Adam,” Still Water said after a brief moment consulting her comrades. “As it goes, the Arachnae Order cannot be found operating on Compact territory. But. Should you be able to create an opening or cause the mercs to ‘lose’ their cargo somehow, you’d be doing a great deed for the political stability of the Abyss. And your home. Just a shame no one can help you out.”

“We’re back to being ironic,” Liquid Serpent laughed. “We are absolutely going to help you steal a weapon of mass destruction.”

Adam let out a breath and nodded in appreciation. “Thank you. Shiv. Are you ready to give us another master class in acting?”

Shiv grunted. “Yeah. I think I can pull off terrified, shell-shocked survivor. Just gotta keep my eyes wide and mouth open. And whimper about the Skintaker?”

“Hmm? Skintaker…” Still Water said. “We heard chatter about that from Operations earlier. Something about some kind of demon flaying faces out in the woods.”

Uva, Adam, and Shiv all shared the same awkward cough.