(3/...)

Walking along the streets I couldn’t help but marvel at the power Mother had gifted upon me. While my body had instinctively known how to use these new abilities my mind had a bit of a hard time catching up. Magic before had always been about control and study. Like with any skill you first had to learn it and then keep training for it to eventually stick. But since the start of my transformation, I had gained an entirely different understanding of what magic could be.

The very fact that I had a physical core of condensed mana in my body allowed for applications I would have before thought of as ridiculous. The easiest to understand was by far the telekinetic ability I had discovered during my little scuffle with Clarissa. In a way it felt just as controlling the exterior mana in the surrounding area did; only that instead of having to use the air to interact with the world I could will mana to affect physical objects and even living things directly.

The two things I actually had trouble with truly grasping were the more subtle powers. In a way, it was a singular ability applied in different ways. If I had to name it I would go with Suggestions. The word in the elder speech itself held power but I had the seemingly innate talent to harness it.

The first time I had tried it with Mother’s help. Thanks to her guidance it had been strong enough to easily hold both Tanya and Sadiya in place. But with my newer experience, I had learned that it was far harder to control than I had assumed. When I had used it on Clarissa only our bond had allowed me to force her into compliance. Would I have tried it on another person, they would have most likely been able to break free... The stronger the mind of the person and the more invasive my intrusion was, the less effect my power had.

While Mother had the power to easily overwhelm any other mind because of the simple fact of her unbelievable existence, I couldn’t. Using the elder speech seemed to give my desire form and greatly enhance the result but it also wasn’t the most subtle. On the other hand the more physical contact I had, the easier it became to hide my intrusion. My last... snack had been so focused on his desires that his mind had barely strained against me. It had been a great learning experience.

But honestly, the most useful application was what I was doing right now. By focusing my thoughts on the simple idea of forgetting and broadcasting it, I had managed to make myself appear as totally uninteresting. While it was by far not enough to make people ignore me, it was enough to make them not care about my presence.

It was truly fascinating to see people look at me and immediately see their eyes go on. It was as if I was just one of the many homeless around the city. You saw them but the moment you looked away they where already gone from your mind.

But still, it was merely a weak Suggestion. Every once in awhile I noticed someone on looking at me and frowning. It was as if they could instinctively tell that something about me was wrong. Maybe it would become easier when my transformation was over or if I relied on other things like acting to enhance the illusion. In any way, while definitely a useful skill I would refrain from relying on it too much. Someone actively searching for me would probably have no problem breaking the veil.

Relatively sure of my dark deed not having been discovered I made my way home as fast as I could. Only that this time I actually looked where I was going; there was no need for running I to another slightly racist snack. Instead, I avoided the brightly lit and filled streets and took to the alleyways. While this way did take a bit longer I didn’t risk running into many people. What actually surprised me though was the many signs of homelessness despite this being so close to the richer area my house was in. Now that I looked at it I had to wonder how I could have ever not seen these glaring issues!?

Of from the main roads, the filth and squalor were all-encompassing. So many people lived here in conditions unworthy of any person, be they human or otherwise. Under bridges and anywhere the rain couldn’t reach were little shantytowns. But what disturbed me even more than their questionable housing hygiene was the fact that most of these people didn’t even notice my passing. Unlike the wealthy people who had noticed but simply not cared for me, many of the homeless I came across just stared into the nothingness.

“So broken... so wasted away. I wish you could bring my gift to them all, alas...”, Mother’s voice echoed in my mind. I could feel her plight and sorrow as the great one looked through my eyes. Yet, I couldn’t help but wonder, why I could not bring them into her arms as I had done with Clarissa?

“Broken not only in mind but spirit too. Unless they believe, open themselves to the wonders of chaos, release their flow... No use.”

‘Does this mean what I think it does? Flow and Chaos... did she mean mana? But then only mages could become her daughters! But why?’

No matter my pressing it seemed that she didn’t care or maybe even know how to answer my question. I waited for a while but soon it was clear that she had already retreated back to her domain if in anger or shame I could not tell. Seeing as this conversation apparently was over as suddenly as it had begun I didn’t care to push for an answer. Instead, I simply shook my head and kept my eyes to the road and of the people.

It only took me a few more minutes until the dirt and garbage made way to the clean and shallow lies that were my home district. Here was no squalor or despair to be seen, well, at least not on the surface. If my family was an example for the rest of high society, then one just had to scratch deep enough to expose the filth that stagnated behind the pretty facade. Pretty people living in pretty houses they may be but in truth they only hid their monstrous nature behind a well-crafted farce.

A grim smile crossed my lips as I thought about how these people would see me as a monster despite having reached their own status through stepping on everyone in the way. Slowly but surely, I felt disgust well up inside me. The sight of these people alone seemed to anger me, already I could feel the tentacles on my head flail and twist in agitation. My breath came rougher and rougher, I quickened my steps until I was almost running towards my home. When I finally reached it, I was halfway between unexplainable rage and understandable panic. ‘What is going on? This anger... where is it coming from!? It feels so... alien.’ I just managed to rip open the door and slam it close, before a dark and utterly inhuman growl escaped me.

In shock, I grasped at my throat where I could still feel my larynx vibrate as the sounds faded out. I hadn’t even known that I could produce such a sound and honestly, it terrified me. How many things in my body and even my mind had changed without me ever noticing? I had been petty before at times even vindictive but never so sweep away by animalistic rage. Despite Mother having technically good intentions I couldn’t help but wonder if I still counted as human, after my change was finished, or merely as sentient. If so, it would instantly put me on the same level with demons, spirits, and Magical Beasts... who in some countries didn’t even have much more rights than dangerous animals.

But if my eating another person was ever discovered I doubted that they would care much for my intelligence and just brand me in the same way they had those infected with a MAV: Shoot on sight. The only countries actually giving those poor souls human rights was the European Union and that was only because they had turned into tightly knit police states even before the convergence. In a Corporate controlled city-state like Amsterdam, I could be lucky if they even yelled at me to stop before the shooting began.

Slowly breathing in and out again, I manage to calm myself just in time to hear footsteps coming closer. ‘Oh, shit! I totally forgot about Sadiya! What do I do? Maybe...?’ Finally calm enough to properly think I grabbed a hold of the telepathic link I still hadn’t cut. If I could twist it and focus my intention on Sadiya alone... There certainly was an idea there. Trying my best to force the alien power into a semblance of control I pushed my desire into a form. Hiding... no, Beguiling! The word swept over me like a wave and suddenly I knew how it could work. To myself, I looked just like before just that I had changed colours to more closely resemble my old human form. But if my knowledge of the word was correct it should probably fool Sadiya into thinking I was just the way I had been yesterday... hopefully.

“Valerie? Is that you!?” I almost squeaked in surprise at hearing Sadiya call out to me. ‘By Mother, that would have been undignified. Get a damned hold of yourself, me!!!’

‘Yes, it is. I apologise for the inconvenience I caused last night.’, I answered in a surprisingly steady voice.

“Apologi-...”, she started but quickly paused.

The very moment she had come into the hallway Sadiya had stopped in her tracks and looked at me in confusion. For a while, we just stood there neither of us talking. I almost feared that my trick wasn’t working but after a few seconds she simply frowned and turned around.

“You, uhm, look good today?” Her voice was more questioning than certain but apparently she hadn’t seen through me just yet!

“There is food from yesterday evening in the kitchen... just, go eat something or whatever.” With that, she sulked away back to where she had come from.

‘This was rather... odd? Well, if she doesn’t want to make a scene I’m all for it. Wait she said food! Food!’ Disregarding any and all matters of proper social conduct I basically threw off my shoes and stormed into the kitchen. I could feel my nostrils flare wide open as they took in the delicious scent of tomato sauce, cheese, and spices. Despite having recently... “eaten” I could feel my stomach grumbling in anticipation of the coming fuel. It wasn’t whole slabs of meat but the pizzas with several different topics certainly made me feel more human. Not even getting a plate is just started eating out of the box. Halfway through the first pie, I could feel my beak acting up as if complaining about not getting anything, I couldn’t help but glare at my body balefully. ‘Don’t even think about it! Your not getting a single piece!’

“I already ate.” Sadiya’s voice startled me almost out of my skin! I completely had forgotten about her being here! Right now she was sitting on an armchair that had certainly not been in the kitchen yesterday. But what unnerved me most about this was that despite basically lounging she seemed to have something predatory about her. The way she played with one of the steak knives also didn’t bode well. I could feel part of me being challenged by this, almost as if it didn’t understand how a prey could dare to try and scare me. I bit down on my lip to stop the rising growl from leaving my throat and went back to eating. The better fed I was the less likely was I to do something stupid. Turning back around so I didn’t have to look at her, I went on to the next pizza.

A small almost inaudible grunt was all the warning I got before everything went downhill. The next second barely registered in my mind. I turned around to the sound but Sadiya was already on her feet the steak knife sticking inexplicably in her thigh. My frown had barely enough time to form but for an experienced soldier like her, that was more than enough. In one fluid motion, her hand went to her hip grabbing a bright yellow pistol-like object and aimed it at me. The next moment everything was pain. Through the red haze, I could just make out a silhouette stalking closer. Just before the spasms in my body ebbed away Sadiya had already grabbed me by my head tentacles and shoved my face against the fridge while her other hand painfully twisted my arm.

“So, how about we try this again. Who are you, how did you get in here and why by the fucking hells are you wearing Valerie’s clothes?” ‘Okay, yeah... she sounds pissed probably not the time to mouth off.’

‘Honestly, if you like it rough why didn’t you just say so?’ ‘Gods damn it, Valerie!’

At least I seemed to have taken the wind out of her because for a good minute she just stared at me unbelieving. Yet, just when I tried a seductive smile I realized that I had pushed too far. The grip around my tentacles tightened and with an uncomfortably loud “Boing”-sound she smashed my head against the shiny chrome surface. At least three times or four... it was a bit hard to count when somebody did that to you.

“Just... what the fuck even are you? You sound like her, you dress like her... hells until a few minutes ago I could have sworn you even looked like her! Are you some kind of creepy doppler squid!?” ‘Rude!’

‘Firstly, I am pretty sure I’m an octopus and not a squid! I mean squid have inner shells and did you notice what my head can do? Yeah, very squishy! Secondly, I am Valerie you bird-brained brute! Thirdly... did you ram a knife into your thigh just to escape my mental hold on you!? Who does that!?’

“Yeah? To me, you look more like some kinda demon that stupid girl summoned and got eaten by. Also, fuck yes I did!”

‘I would never eat anot- Well, I wouldn’t eat myself... obviously. Also, how do you think I got in, in the first place? There is a bio-lock on the door you know...’

“Fair point. But so what? You could have just eaten her mind demon!”

‘What? No! That is not how demons work! Look...”

Yet before I could even go into explaining the intricacies and safety measures that went into summoning demons I was interrupted by a happy little jingle coming from my phone.

‘Uhm, Sadiya? Could you get that for me?’

“Why would I?”

‘Common courtesy? Because I can’t move? The jingle is really annoying and set to repeat? I’m currently being molested by a human? Need another reason?’

“Fine. But you try anything and you’re ending in the cookpot demon!” My only response to that was rolling my eyes; just how much stupid could a single brain hold? Thankfully she actually did as I had asked and fished my phone out of my skirt pocket. Also was it just my imagination or did she linger just a bit too long? No matter what, this was exactly the situation I had waited for. I was just about to try and slink out of her grip while she was distracted when she took a single look at my phone’s screen and began screaming in pain. ‘Huh!?’

Utterly shocked by this development the wooden knife block I had wanted to hit her with slid out of my tentacle and clattered to the ground. ‘What the... how... why? I already had a plan!’ Gingerly I stepped around the strewn about knives and gave the sobbing silhouette of Sadiya a light kick. All that I got out of her was a pathetic soft whimper... I looked closer to where her hands clutched her eyes and winced at the sight. If I wasn’t deeply mistaken that was blood coming from between her fingers. Just what the hells had happened?

Unsure as to what I should do now I simply picked up my phone. Surprisingly there was not a single scratch on it and what greeted me was the already familiar sight of swirling nothingness. Had that been the cause? If so then I had just found out that my phone was actually more dangerous than myself! I couldn’t help but shake my head in disbelief when I looked up who had messaged me. Once more I was more surprised than anything, the message was from Adrian.

“I’m coming over! Whatever is going one I will not just abandon you! And don’t even think about running away! ‘-‘ Hmph!”

‘Is that... a pouting smiley!?’