21 Intercept

Should you encounter someone who bears the visage of an avian-themed helmet, you should know a few things. The first is that you are likely dead, for the corvid-helmed are the elite assassins of Aviary, New Albion Secret Service. These killers have no past, no future, and exist in the present only to slay and break, vanishing back into the dark.

Most of them are selected from orphanages, stolen from hostile families as a final insult, or, according to certain rumors, even created as magically enhanced homunculi forged in labs. Whatever the case, even a limited agent with their face exposed cannot be traced back to any history or background, for they never truly existed. In the end, they have only one purpose: to be used for assassinations and subjugation until they finally fail and are cast aside.

Yet there are those who survive—who manage to remain alive even after their former masters abandon them. But their fates are no better, and their eyes are no kinder. An assassin who has lived as a weapon their entire life rarely learns how to be anything else. And so they go from state-sanctioned killers to those who slay for the promise of mithril.

-Aviary: The Blades of New Albion

21

Intercept

“Wait? Foreshadowing? When did you get Foreshadowing! I don’t know you had Foreshadowing!” 

Shiv was straining his paltry Stealth Skill as much as he could as they left the library, but few factors were working against him. The first was the aforementioned detail that his Stealth was barely in the Advanced Threshold of things—just over twenty-one. The second was that he was one of the two extremely noticeable surfacers in a place mostly populated by Umbrals and spiderfolk. The last was the only other noticeable surfacer was an idiot who didn’t understand the meaning of avoiding attention, and who focused on actively interrogating Shiv rather than following the Umbral in silence.

After the Foreshadowing hit Shiv, he quickly explained to Adam what he glimpsed through the skill and what was at stake. They then followed the Umbral—who left the library—but not before paying for and then asking the librarian to hold all their purchased books.

Now, the twosome were pretending they were on a leisurely stroll. That just happened to take the same path as the Umbral woman with the acid burn on her face. The Umbral woman Shiv suspected to be a terrorist. Everywhere they walked, eyes swung to gaze upon them, fingers were pointed in their direction, and Adam only made it worse.

“Adam,” Shiv said through clenched teeth. “Can we at least try at Stealth.”

“No, because I don’t have a Stealth Skill. Just like I don’t have Foreshadowing.” Adam was practically raving now. “How? Tell me how? Why do you have Foreshadowing?”

“Because the world hates me, but the system wants me to have a fighting chance, it seems,” Shiv muttered. And that seemed to be the long and short of it. With all the ugly events Shiv ran into, developing Foreshadowing was like… Fate Resistance. Not quite a direct form of resistance, but something to buffer him from the dangers of life.

I can’t tell if my luck is really bad, or really good, Shiv thought. Depends on the perspective, maybe.

Shiv picked up his brooch as Adam continued to talk at him. Valor now took on Shiv’s role in trying to get Adam to quiet down. “Uh, operator. Person running this communications thing. I might have an emergency to report.”

A brief pulse of magical interference sounded from the brooch. “And what emergency might that be, Honored Shiv.”

The use of “honored” made Shiv cringe. He wasn’t used to that. He wanted to tell the operator what he told Adam, but he paused. Right now, they were only going on his feelings. It might be better if someone with authority and influence tried to do this. More effective than just an outsider accusing an Umbral local of terrorism. One that likely works at Passage, no less. “Actually, can you patch me through to Sister Uva? She’s a Psychomancer—”

“Esteemed Sister. Intel-0122. Uva Mettabon. Patching you through now.”

Shiv blinked. Mettabon was her last name? And was Esteemed Sister a rank? Intel-0122 her identification. Uva’s voice came out from Shiv’s brooch before he could think too much about this. “Shiv. I pray to the Composer that you’re just yearning to hear my voice, and not about to tell me that trouble has found you.”

He sighed. “Sort of. But not exactly my trouble. You’re probably not going to like this…” He kept a close eye on the Umbral as he narrated events to Uva. Meanwhile, Valor and Adam were exchanging threats in the background, ruining even the concept of Stealth. Thankfully, despite most of the city seemingly being aware of Shiv, the Umbral he was following was lost in her own world, wandering toward a prismatic crystal—the ones used to call demons to serve as public transport.

As he finished, there was a brief pause before Uva replied. “You are right. I don’t like this… In fact, I hate it.”

“I’m not lying to you. Foreshadowing—”

“I know of the skill. Some of the Weaveresses are Diviners by Path… Here: Cherished Sister. Tech-0002… Yunni Havata. Oh, Composer, she’s the Spatio-Dynamancy Director for all teleportation anchors in the restricted sections.”

“And she has one son, right?”

“How did you know—oh. Oh. Yes.” Uva bit back a frustrated growl. “Shiv. I pray that you are wrong. I pray that this is a false alarm and your skill has confused you somehow. I pray for all these things, but I am going to bring this to my Weaveress—and ask her to assemble a few Shadow Cells in response.” She sighed. “I cannot tell if you’re blessed by luck or cursed with misfortune with all the problems you’re encountering.”

Shiv chuckled. “I was thinking the same thing earlier. I’ll make you dessert later as an apology.”

“Better make it good, surfacer. I’m also getting you and the other one’s items ready. You’re lucky I haven’t left on patrol yet—we might be able to get both of you armed… Well, we might be able to get the Young Lord armed if things go poorly. And you said you saw another raven-helmed stranger in your vision?”

“Crows too.”

“Then, I’ll need to inform the Weaveresses of Trapdoor as well—counterintelligence needs to know that we might have a New Albion problem on our hands.”

“Ah. I should have expected it to be them,” Valor spat. “The Stolen Throne has eyes and blades everywhere. And I suspect that might even have something to do with your arrival.”

“Mine?” Shiv.

“And the idiot’s,” Valor added. Adam’s face contorted in offense. “The Young Fool came in with one of the ravens. You were attacked by them. Funding Vicar Sullain’s attempt at another war is exactly the type of thing New Albion might do.”

Great. Spies. Deception. More ravens. “Hope this doesn’t end with me being thrown even deeper into the Abyss,” Shiv muttered. “At least I can probably survive the fall now.”

Yunni Havata summoned a demon and climbed aboard. A few Umbrals went with her. Shiv winced as he considered his options. If he and Adam got aboard, that just might spook her—she might seem oblivious right now, but she couldn’t miss two surfacers sitting near her.

“Well, we’re not getting on that. She’ll see us.” Adam studied the scene, his expression turning focused.

“Yeah,” Shiv replied. “Maybe if we do spook her, it might end the operation. And then Uva and the others can detain her.”

“Curb your optimism,” Valor said with a note of severity. “New Albion always has plans within plans. It’s more likely if you cut this string, another will be pulled and the same outcome will play out. No. If we want to stop this, we must target and eliminate this cell at its roots. Which means uncovering exactly what she means to do, and how she seeks to do it.”

“I guess we’re not getting on that demon, then,” Shiv muttered. “We need another way of following her.”

“I got a way,” Adam said.

“You do?” Shiv asked, surprised.

“Yeah.” And the Young Lord displayed his idea by manifesting the fiery wings of a hawk on his back. Shiv blinked. Adam grinned. “What? You don’t have this skill? It’s very convenient. It lets me dash around—and even fly if I use it right.”

Shiv tried not to let his envy show. “How did you even get that?”

“Reflexes. Level that enough, and you’ll be surprised about what you’ll be able to achieve. I can follow her from a distance—pretend I’m sightseeing and all that. You should go to Passage first and try to get ahead. Intercept her there if something goes wrong. It’ll give us multiple chances to stop this if I lose her or for me to pin her down if something goes wrong on your end too.”

For a moment, Shiv said nothing. He just stared at Adam.

“What?”

“I didn’t realize you were capable of that,” Shiv said, blinking.

“Capable of what?” Adam asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Thinking things through.”

The Young Lord sneered. “You’re a bastard, Shiv.”

“No, I’m not mocking you. It’s… It’s a good idea. We can even stay in contact through the brooches.”

“Yes,” Adam muttered to himself. “I came up with a good plan. It’s almost like I was at an academy for this sort of thing, and was chosen as team, lance, company, and force leader for each year of the annual War Games while I was at Phoenix.”

Shiv blinked. “Sounds impressive. I wish I was there to see that.”

The Young Lord opened his mouth to give a retort, but realized Shiv was being genuine. “Well… You might still see me in action yet. And not taken by surprise this time. If there are more of those tainted raven-faced bastards, then I want my pound of flesh as well.”

“Right,” Shiv said. He started looking around for another prismatic crystal—and realized he never summoned a demon before. It might take a bit too long fiddling around to learn how. Yunni’s demon was already carrying her into the air… Time to do something creative. “Hey, Adam. How high is your Physicality?”

“Why?” Adam asked, more curious than suspicious.

“Because I’m going to ask how far you think you can throw me next. The demons are still constrained by traffic rules and stuff. Maybe you can give a lift and vent some of that anger you got about me in the same moment.”

Silver Tongue > 3

The Young Lord quirked an eyebrow.

***

“You sure you can throw me that far?” Shiv said, clutching Valor tight. He didn’t want to drop his friend down somewhere onto the many streets, bridges, and alleys below. The problem with a big city was that there were a lot of places to get lost. “Because.. That’s over a kilometer away. I think.”

“Two and a half,” Adam smirked. The Young Lord’s wings were trailing fire through the air, and the locals were pointing and gawking at them everywhere. They took a parallel route to Yunni’s demon, pretending they were sightseeing. And they were in a sense. It was just going to end with one of them throwing the other. It felt a bit weird letting Adam hold him like he was a newborn kitten, but Shiv put up with it. I just hope there aren’t any people with a high Painting or Illustration Skill. It will kill my heart to see this moment immortalized.

“Alright, I think we’re close enough now,” Adam said, eyeing a large demon-summoning platform that overlooked the lower levels of Passage. The plan was to chuck Shiv over there first—and for him to jump down thereafter. It was going to hurt a bit, but overall, it seemed like a pretty good deal. “Hey, Shiv.”

“Yeah?”

A burst of fire flashed out from the Young Lord’s wings as both acceleration and elevation began to climb.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yeah? Why? Are you doubting your throwing arm? Cramping up now?”

The Young Lord scoffed. “Well, you’re no coward.”

“You’re getting dangerously close to a compliment, Adam. Just chuck me. I’ll be fine.”

Adam drew in a breath. “My mother had that skill too. Foreshadowing.”

Shiv looked up at the other surfacer. That was why Adam was so bothered. “Ah. I’m sorry. Can’t feel good seeing something she had manifest in someone like me.”

“No. I—you’re not like them. You were right.” Adam’s begrudging admission hit Shiv like a punch the jaw.

He wasn’t expecting this from the Young Lord. And judging from the pained expression on Adam’s face, he wasn’t expecting to say it either.

“Alright. Put us both out of our miseries,” Shiv said. “Throw me before you actually start feeling affectionate.”

Adam barked a disbelieving laugh. “Yeah. Like that’ll ever happen.” And then, as he drew his arm back, he flapped his wings a final time and a blast of speed accompanied his throw. A sudden surge of velocity pulled at Shiv’s insides as the world blurred around him. Demons, halted in traffic, zipped by below Shiv while people pointed up to note his passing. The wind felt nice against his body, whistling his approach to the target destination with wailing notes.

As Shiv sailed through the air, he wondered how far he could throw Adam. Shiv was pretty strong now too. Relative to before, at least. He didn’t think the Young Master’s Physicality was truly past the Adept Threshold yet, but between his wings and the height… And his accuracy. Shiv was dead-on approach for the platform. In fact, he was going to strike the center at a spiking angle.

He tucked in and braced, holding Valor close. He crashed into the platform like a round of artillery. The ground burst into fragments of stone and several Umbrals making a slow approach jumped back in fright. Shiv felt his right arm and shoulder bruise, but beyond that, he felt perfectly fine. System, thank you for Diamond Shell. Without that skill, his insides would suffer some internal damage. At the least.

“We’ve landed?” Valor asked.

Shiv waved at the surprised Umbrals, still recovering from his sudden appearance. And then, he was running toward the edge, preparing to jump again. “Only on the first platform. Adam’s got a damn good throw.” Not a surprise considering who his father was. Legend had it that Roland Arrow never missed a shot. Shiv could believe those legends, and Adam was, for most purposes, a lesser version of his father.

As Shiv leaped over the edge, he heard one of the Umbrals behind him call out—telling him to think things through. He just laughed. They thought he was doing something drastic—and that death could contain him. Wrong on both accounts. Once more, Shiv was falling, and he was surprised to discover how used to gravity he was by now. Comfortable enough to have a conversation with Valor. “Hey, Valor, what do you know about the New Albion? Why do you think them doing this now has something to do with me? Foreshadowing showed me her planning this for months in advance.”

“Because New Albion has plans within plans and connections everywhere. Her preparations were made in advance, but the orders could have come just days before. You learn that most major events usually have the groundwork laid years in advance. When the actual moment comes, it is not truly spontaneous, but the collision of many variables long since set into motion—and spurred to a final burst of acceleration.”

The ground was fast approaching. Shiv aimed for a patch of grass and soil by the side. He missed and made a crater in the stones beside it as well. “Adam Arrow I am not,” he coughed, crawling out from the small depression he felt. Several Umbrals and spiderfolk reacted to his presence with alarm. A few of them were talking into their brooches. Good. Shiv was looking for them. “You,” he said, pointing at a Weaveress. 

She jolted with fear and pointed at herself. “Me?”

“Bring me to security. They should be expecting my arrival.” He looked around at all the people entering and leaving Passage and winced. “And maybe set up a quarantine too. You’re about to have a serious problem.”

***

“How did you tear up your clothes so quickly? Why did I even get them for you?” Uva looked at Shiv with exasperation as he offered her only a casual smile. “And what’s this about you jumping off a nearby building? What’s wrong with taking a demon like the rest of us?”

“Was just trying to see the sights of your stunning city,” Shiv said, as he looked Uva up and down. She was wearing a heavier set of armor. Also nightglass in composition, to his surprise. He didn’t like that as much as the leather armor she was wearing for certain reasons, but he had to admit that he liked the general aesthetic. “Before saying hi to its more stunning citizens.”

Uva closed her eyes as she tried not to let her embarrassment show. Behind her, the other Umbrals in her looked on in disbelief. Some of their jaws dropped at Shiv’s audacity—and the young Umbral from earlier openly started laughing at Uva. The Weaveresses that accompanied them were decidedly more stoic.

There were three of them, and they each wore cloaks of invisibility, leaving only their mandibled heads exposed for now. Valor explained to him that this was Trapdoor, serving as the Composer's personal bodyguard and counter-intelligence. The way they presented themselves was formidable as well. Their movements were so quick and smooth that it made Shiv shiver. It was just like trying to track the movements of an actual spider back when he was but a boy.

I think one of them might be able to stab me over a hundred times before I even react, Shiv thought. He wondered if he could survive that. Thinking back to his brawl with the raven made him believe so, but nightglass could still cut him. It wouldn’t take much for them to go for his eyes or neck.

They were assembled right along the main staff entrance for Passage. Apparently, staff worked on the higher levels, and where Shiv left through the other day was an exit specifically meant for essential personnel. When he asked why they hadn’t started procedures to lock the place down, Uva simply shook her head and elaborated.

“Weave is a personal dimension. But though the Composer expands the realm, and we work toward self-sufficiency every day, there are still many materials we need from the outside world to function—trade we do with the other Faiths and sisters that need to come to and fro after their missions. Choking Passage might choke the city—activating and deactivating the teleportation anchors cannot be done in an instant.

More importantly, though, new orders came down from the Composer: She wanted the people behind this plot captured preferably, and slain to a man if there was no other choice. So, they were going to do things the hard way.

Shiv’s brooch crackled again, and Adam’s voice came through. “Alright. She’s landed—I’m watching her make her way inside. Shiv? How are things on your end?”

“We’re ready for her,” Shiv said. He nodded at the Weaveresses and all three pulled their cloaks over their faces. They vanished in an instant. The unease inside him grew. Invisible… giant spiderfolk… that have Paths of their own… I can only imagine the amount of spider-related nightmares that will sweep through the Republic if they knew about Weave.

“Alright. I’m touching down.” There was a spike of interference on Adam’s bend before the words picked back up.

“You’re cleared for the building,” Uva said, speaking to Adam through Shiv’s brooch. “Just keep trailing behind her. A few Weaveresses will be with you shortly. They will detain her and take things from there.”

“Yeah, just make sure you have my armor and bow,” Adam complained. “I came all this way flying through wearing the clown outfit you gave me. Meanwhile, your wingless boyfriend’s jumping around the city, looking like some kind of pulp hero on a book cover. It’s insulting—”

But Uva wasn’t listening to Adam anymore. As Shiv met her eyes, she let out a worried breath. “Again. I really, really hope you're wrong.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t planning to getting involved with a conspiracy to bomb Passage. I didn’t even manage to get my books yet—and my trip to the Cradle got delayed again.” Shiv sighed. “But fate calls. One can only answer.”

“Fate seems to call you a lot,” Uva said, her eyes narrow.

“Would you rather it call someone else?” he replied.

She rolled her eyes. “No. But I would rather she gave you a bit more time to breath in between. You’ve done quite a bit for the city.”

“That’s very jealous of you, Sister Uva. Want me all for your own?”

The young Umbral of the group started giggling louder. The others averted their eyes out of respect for Uva—but he knew she was going to catch hell from them after this was over. He couldn’t help it.

“Dinner and dessert best be exceptional,” Uva said, her threat veiled but clear.

Too bad for her, Shiv loved a challenge. “I promise to make your eyes roll.”

The young Umbral mimed fanning herself. Uva spun and turned to glare at her. She froze. “Sister,” Uva said. “Is your hand having a cramp?”

“No, but my heart might be,” she grinned. Uva didn’t. The young Umbral stopped grinning.

“Sisters. Honored Shiv. Great Valor Thann.” A mechanical voice intoned. Shiv turned to see a tall, thin automaton approaching them. It bore a staff with a focus crystal and wore a long, silk cloak of midnight black. Their face seemed to be made of some manner of translucent plastic rather than metal, and Shiv could see a complex array of circuits inside them—along with the glow of their power core. “The target has been secured. Your presences have been requested, however. They wish to see if Honored Shiv might be able to experience another Foreshadowing episode to help us trace the true assailants during interrogation.”

Shiv looked at Uva and noted her surprise. “I… yes, of course, Cherished Metven. As you say.” Uva looked to Shiv, and he received a thought from her. “I didn’t expect them to be so fast.”

Me neither, Shiv thought back. The Weaveresses left a few seconds ago. Them finding her and containing her that fast in this large of a building is… terrifying.

Sister Uva’s face became a look of vicarious pride. “May we all become as efficient as they someday.”

Oh, I’m definitely going to. You think they’ll teach a surfacer their ways?

She considered his question. “If you asked me a day ago, I would have said never. If you asked me after your audience with the Composer, still probably not. If what you said is true, and you just averted a major terrorist attack on Passage… we’ll see.”

And that was practically a yes to Shiv. Life sure was good when you were a big, damn hero.

They followed Metven through a series of secret passageways. Apparently, the Arachnae Order had their own spatial tunnels to move quickly inside Passage. Shiv was impressed. The scale of this operation made Blackedge look like a backward hovel—and increasingly, Shiv thought that was accurate. But this led into another question: Why was Blackedge so diminished when a great hero such as Roland Arrow was leading it? The man was known even by the Abysal Nations. Surely, that meant he was worthy of being a full city lord, and not just the ruler of a town.

“Cherished Metven, is it?” Valor asked.

“Correct, Great Valor Thann.”

“None of that. I’ll keep using your title if you stop invoking mine. I just wanted to mention that I am impressed. There aren’t so many automata that manage to become Cherished under the Composer—nor become a full Dynamancer.”

The automaton stopped mid-step in astonishment. “You can tell?”

Shiv was impressed too. “How?” Shiv could see the automaton, and even he couldn’t tell what kind of mage he was dealing with.

“The Skill Fusion of Pyromancy, Cryomancy, Geomancy, Hydromancy, and Aeromancy is a rare feat for any mage—but automatons need to especially exhibit focus and control with Aeromancy due to the dangers of ungrounded electricity. I can hear the bottom of your staff crackling. And the way it sounds… copper instead of the usual materials.”

Shiv, Uva, the other Umbrals, and the automaton shared a unified look of awe.

“I’m beginning to wonder which of us is actually sealed in a dagger and blind to the world,” Shiv muttered.

“Ah, it’s nothing, boy. You just need to learn to listen and observe. Seeing is one thing, but interpreting details with all your senses and using logical reasoning to processes the information is the mark of a learned man.”

“You know, Valor? I agree with them. You’re pretty great.”

And at that, the man in the dagger laughed proudly.

“You achieved Aeromancy?” Uva said, blinking at Metven. She was frowning at the automaton’s staff. “Remarkable… You were struggling for so long. I remember your frustration and efforts. It’s well deserved, Cherished Metven. But… why didn’t you tell us.”

The automaton let out a very human laugh. “Because I am processing it, too. I wanted to declare my triumph only when I was truly ready.”

Uva nodded. “My congratulations. Again. You do the Composer proud.”

“Yes, well,” Metven said, gesturing for them to pass through a final set of doors. Shiv arched an eyebrow as he noted the doors to be of dense metal and lined with spellwork. Doors leading into a teleportation anchor. He wondered if the order conducted their interrogations in some place hidden. Maybe out in the Abyssal Wilderness. Or in another hidden spot. He wasn’t sure how much he liked this cloak and dagger, but he supposed that when your enemy operated in the shadows, it helped to walk the same darkness as well.

As the Umbrals filtered into the room. Shiv turned to examine the automaton’s staff. “Nice job.”

“Thank you, Honored Guest. Effort. Lubricant. And oil gets you a long way.”

“Imagine how far you could get if death wasn’t an obstacle,” Shiv joked.

“Ah. Such is the dream.” The automaton placed a hand on Shiv’s shoulder—but in that moment, an immense weight crashed into his mind again.

Foreshadowing: Replacing the Arachnae automaton was the result of more luck than planning. The raven just so happened to be of the same model as the other automaton. They were practically aligned based on Tier and general skills. But with the Archnae Order’s automaton on the verge of reaching Master-Tier, the assassin’s moment was closing.

So it took the shot, made the kill, and took on the components of its victim. For months after, it lived as the one it replaced, learning the secrets and mechanics of Passage. Fortunately, the assassin’s Foreshadowing made faking its identity and stealing intelligence easier.

And then came orders, finally—orders sent from Aviary of an essential mission that required the absolute collapse of the city’s spatial defenses…

Foreshadowing > 10

“So… where is she?” The young Umbral called out. “Are we in the wrong place?”

The group was standing inside a teleportation chamber. Uva looked back at Shiv, but the Deathless was staring up at the automaton he now knew to be a raven assassin dispatched by New Albion. And the damned automaton raven was looking back at him as well, internal machinery screaming.

It has Foreshadowing too, Shiv realized. His own glimpse into who they are revealed it. And they probably gleaned part of his nature as well.

“Shit,” Shiv and the automaton muttered at the same time.

Uva started walking back toward the entrance. “What is—”

Shiv lashed out. He tried to strike the automaton in the face using Valor. He might as well have been standing still. A blast of incredible force hit him—launched him back-first into the chamber, knocking over Uva in the process. As he bounced off the wall, Shiv felt several bones inside him break as one of his lungs burst.

Still, he landed on his feet and growled as he immediately began charging the automaton. He didn’t care if he was bleeding internally. He didn’t care if he died. A fight was on, and his blood was high.

Too bad for him, the mechanical raven didn’t feel the same way.

“Close it!” The raven said, calling into their brooch. The chamber’s doors slammed shut and sealed with several clicks. A protective spell took shape a moment later. The Umbrals—still stunned by what just happened—failed to respond in time. Shiv’s stomach dropped. He slammed into the door, insides jolting with agony. He punched it several times and tried to lever it open with Valor.

But he knew it was pointless. He didn’t have the Physicality. He didn’t have the Reflexes. And with the way the spell patterns around them were starting the glow and the rising temperature, Shiv knew what was coming next.

All teleportation anchors had failsafes and purification measures. Among the easiest was fire. Because with enough heat, diseases and other viruses died. It worked pretty well against vampires and invaders too. Now, Shiv and the Umbrals were going to enjoy a firsthand experience of said purification ritual unless one of them could find a way out.

“What—” Uva sputtered. She called into her brooch. “Operator! Operator! We are—we are in a chamber! Do not trigger the purification ritual! Do not! Operator!”

Shiv only heard interference coming from her brooch.

“And communications have been compromised again,” Valor mused, unnaturally calm even now. “Shiv. I suspect that Nomos’s death might also be New Albion’s doing. In fact, it would fit their needs if I was taken back by the Court of the First Blood… Yes, some of this is truly starting to come together. How impressively devious…”

“Yeah, well, I’m less inclined to praise the bastards who are about to burn me.”

Uva reached out and took him by the elbow. “Shiv? What just happened? Why did—”

“That’s not Metven. Metven’s dead. That’s a New Albion assassin that replaced them. It’s one of those ravens—the same kind that attacked Blackedge, I think. And I think it's about to turn us all the cinders if we don’t find a way out.”

Somehow, Uva’s face managed to get paler. She looked around and swallowed as her other sisters called into their brooches or unleashed spells against the anchor. “We can’t… Nothing short of a Master can force their way through these protections…”

Shiv stared at her, and a building tide of dread rose inside him. He wasn’t worried about himself—death was his nutrition. But Uva… the others… Watching them burn might hurt his mind as bad as an attack from a Psychomancer.

And Valor knew this too. “Steel yourself, boy,” the dagger said. “You are about to take a wound that may never heal. I have many. I know the moment when this comes. The rest of you… fire will be hot. But it will not last long. It will be quick.”

“No,” Shiv snarled. He couldn’t accept that. He looked at Uva as she closed her eyes, straining her mind. A set of translucent spell patterns flared bright as she recoiled, clutching her head. Shiv caught her before she could fall.

“I can’t get through,” she said, coughing. Blood was leaking from her nose and eyes. Shiv wiped the red from her face and looked at her.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Soon, we won’t be anything at all.” She looked at her sisters. The youngest among them was striking her daggers frantically at the walls. “It’s… a real shame. I won’t be able to have that dinner after all. Or make you another set of clothes you’ll inevitably ruin.”

Shiv looked down at his torn up clothes. “You made these?”

She shrugged.

“They’re great. And Adam’s?”

“Thrift store.”

He couldn’t help it. He laughed. Her smile grew bitter, but remained. She wrapped her arms around him and drew closer. “I suppose there are worse ways to go. The Composer will avenge us. Trust in that, Shiv.”

But she was shaking, and he knew she was scared. So were the others.

But Shiv wasn’t scared. He was furious. And he wasn’t going to let life take anything from him. Not if he could help it. He would die before… before…

Shiv blinked. He had an idea. A very painful, fatal idea. “Are any of your Cryomancers?”

Uva blinked. “I have a Cryomancy Skill.”

“You do? Damn, you’re good at everything.”

“It’s not even at the Adept Threshold yet,” she muttered.

“Hopefully that’s enough.” Shiv looked to the others and waved for them to come in closer. “Alright. Get close. I don’t know if I can do this well enough, and it might be a little gross, but it’s our best shot.” The Umbrals stared at him uncertainly. The room was getting hotter fast. They didn’t have time. “Now!”

They rushed over and Uva just stared at him. “Shiv—”

“This isn’t a last ditch attempt at polyamory, but you’re probably going to hate it just as much,” Shiv said, turning his Biomancy inward. “Truthfully, I hate it too. But maybe it can work. Maybe…”

“What are you planning, boy?” Valor said. “Tell me your idea. I might be able to help.”

“I can’t heal myself very well. But I can make cancer.” Shiv thought back to the masses growing all over him, even as the fire weaver tried to burn him. Pair that with his Diamond Shell… “Cancer expands. Cancer has mass. And I might just have enough durability to make a proper layer of insulation with a Cyromancer fighting the heat.”

The other Umbrals gathered close, going back to back behind Uva. She looked at Shiv trying to process his plan. But he already started. He bit back a cry of pain before he tore open his arms and sides, stretching out his skin and sinews, fusing them together as an ugly, messy layer of netting around the others.

The young Umbral gagged. The others looked on, horrified—chief among them, Uva. “Shiv! Stop! What are you doing?”

“This hurts about as felling much as I expected,” he growled. 

Biomancy > 20

“Thanks system,” Shiv whimpered. “Great consolation prize.”

Armored hands seized him by the chin. Uva was staring at him, blood still running from her eyes. “Stop—this, you’ll die!”

“Probably,” Shiv chuckled. He started forcing his body to regenerate, and the cancers began to spread. The tumors had the Diamond Shell gleam, too, which made Shiv more confident about his plan. Slowly, he began to encase the Umbrals in his flesh—which was really messed up, but the best he could do in a bad situation. Please, system, let this work… I won’t let them die… You can’t make me…

As Uva continued begging him to stop, Shiv found himself battling to stay consciousness. Well, we’re at that point of pain. I sure as hell hope I can stop myself from screaming when the fire comes. My dying howls might just traumatize Uva and others worse than I already have.

“Peace, Sister Uva, peace,” Valor said, trying to calm her. “His mind is set. Soon, you will be needed as well.”

Shiv blinked dark spots out of his eyes. There was little light inside the shelter he made from his flesh. A layer of tumors clutched the Umbrals tight and pressed Shiv head in deeper as it expanded out from the back of his head. Uva’s face was sheer misery.

“You… look how I feel,” Shiv laughed.

She chuckled too, her throat thick with something else. “You… I won’t forget this… I won’t… I’m sorry…”

“Listen,” Shiv said. Outside, there came a sound of something sparking. Then the flames came, and pain beyond Shiv’s ability to describe followed. Whatever he was going to say died as he almost blacked out. Only the cold touch of Uva’s forehead pressing against his pulled him back from the darkness. “L-listen.”

She was shaking. Her eyes were closed. She placed her hand on his cheek. The other Umbrals stared at him with misted eyes as well. The youngest was outright sobbing. “I’m here,” Uva said. “I’m listening.”

He tried to keep speaking but—holy felling gods why do these tumors feel like nerve endings. There also came pressing waves of force, grinding at him, breaking things inside him. Shiv responded by generating more tumors to make up for the weakness of his muscles. If he made himself a dense mass of flesh, that would work where his Physicality failed. 

To Shiv’s pride, he didn’t scream in Uva’s face. That would have been very impolite. And humiliating. Instead, he waited for all his nerves to die before he continued. Through it all, he kept forcing his body to regenerate—never stopping—even as the flames melted layers of flesh and tissue away.

At least he got something out of it.

Diamond Shell > 59

“I-in a few moments, they’re… they’re going to come in. I hope.” Shiv swallowed. He dropped Valor. “One of you… hide Valor. T-the assassin has Foreshadow too. And I think Albion will try to steal him if they get the chance.”

“They would,” Valor said.

“Okay,” Uva said. There were clear streaks on her bloodied face. “We won’t let him be taken.”

“Good… but… next part’s important,” Shiv shuddered. He could feel his blood practically boiling inside of him. Diamond Shell was truly a double-edged sword. It was the only reason why they weren’t immediately evaporated, but it also really prolonged his suffering. “When the raven comes back in—I’ll open up my body. You need to be prepared for an ambush. The raven’s strong… Very High Adept. But not Master yet. Not like Metven would have been. There’s a chance… chance…”

Shiv lost all feeling in his legs. It felt like the flames were in his gut. But a wave of cold washed over him. Blinking, he saw an ice spell dancing Uva between Uva’s hands. The Umbrals were sweating, but they looked fine otherwise. Good. They weren’t dead. He tried to finish the rest of his thoughts, wanted to tell them that someone needed to run to find Adam—and that even more of the order might be compromised, but the only thing he could manage was a wheeze.

He blinked twice, and felt darkness creeping into his vision. The last thing he felt before this death took him were cold arms embracing him one final time. Or so Uva thought.

Shiv’s returned as a Revenant inside his own fried corpse-shelter and watched Uva weep silently as she held him. She wasn’t the only one. The other Umbrals looked distraught and horrified at Shiv’s fate. Personally, he was kind of pissed. Lacking intangibility, Shiv swam out from his body using his Biomancy, passing through without compromising the structure. By this point, the flames were dimming, and the other sterilization spells were taking effect. He briefly felt a force pull at what felt like his soul, but it faded quick.

And a few seconds later, the sound he wanted to hear came. The unlocking of the doors. The fading of its spell. And the return of the damned automaton raven he was about to turn to scrap.

Shiv eyed the outer cocoon of what used to be his body and learned he could gag as a spirit. Never mind Uva and the others, he was traumatized from that.

And it was all New Albion’s fault.

Physicality > 50 (Skill Evolution Imminent)

Diamond Shell > 67

Biomancy > 25

Skill Gained: Pyromancy 1 (Advanced)