Lo-Nine

L'yophin

Pipe smoke filled the winding rooms of the library. The story and smoke alike clouded the conservatory, hanging in the air as fine as the threads he weaved.

"We barely survived the flight here. When we arrived, we were pulled into this place. And after that… we were separated."

L'yophin went silent as he drew from his pipe, wafting out a ring of smoke.

Shindow drew from her own tiny pipe, blowing out a small orange smokey boat as she adjusted her hat. The small craft made its way through the ring, dispersing away. He barked a chuckle.

“That was an amazing story!” she chirped.

The new anform swiveled their head to him.

“Agreed. I wish to someday explore this Underrealm,” they said.

He felt suddenly shy at their attention. He clasped some of his hands as he replied.

“Mm. Thank you. It is hard to tell my story, but I know I must tell it.”

He glanced to the ceiling, cringing and chiding himself again as he did. He was staring down at himself, a mirror image of up above. He had even tested by tossing his sack of stuckled weed, only to instantly catch the launched bag down at himself. It was disturbing to say the least.

“I can’t wait to meet this Soltana person- and Diniel!” Shindow chirped.

“I am most interested in studying Ruth, Diniel, Maw, and Phela,” Patricia added.

He blinked in a wave at the anform.

That is correct. Anforms can appear impersonal. Been too long...

“I gotta say, though, that was some fine playing, too! How could you know how to play cello without ever practicing it?” the AI asked.

He cleared his throat before adding another strand of smoke to the mix.

“We, the Dugrum, are capable of such feats. That is how we learn best, through visualizing someone else taking action. Of course we learn through other means, but visual learning is one of our strong traits.”

“That’s amazing! But you’re not just a Dugrum now, right? A Fae? A mythical creature, too?”

He cleared his throat.

“Yes. I believe Fae genetics are passive, but can be passed down through charms or artifacts. While they can also reproduce, they also increase their numbers by inducting those trustworthy, such as Diniel and now myself.”

“But then you have this Basil guy, too? So three Fae in your party?”

“Mm, yes.”

He heard a grunt from up above. He chanced a glance skyward to see a white and black beast. It was hideous and horrific to behold. He gripped his rifle, feeling it just near the chair. It was sifting through the books, opening them casually before tossing them aside, dropping them into L’yophin’s plane of existence with quiet thumps. He could hear it grumbling down at them.

"A tail well told, Mr. Spider."

He blinked back at the beast, feeling neither sincerity nor warmth in their statement.

"Saddiffer! You're here?? Where's Baxter?" Shindows mirror image from up above rushed to the beast's side.

"Of course I'm here, where else would I be? I was separated as much as I surmised we all were on entry, little blip."

The beast opened their wings and lept, snapping and landing to their feet in L'yophin's plane of the library. He brushed off a crumb of dust, tossing the book they carried aside. L'yophin gulped as the beast prowled towards him, dark blue eye pits scoping him out.

He kept a hand on the rifle, gripping his pipe tightly.

"Saddiffer… don't be rude!" Shindow stated as she rushed to his chair.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the beast halted, folding their clawed hands. He exchanged glances with his new AI friend as she gave him a big smile, tipping her conical hat. He cleared his throat, deciding to tread in the direction of the beast head on.

"Who is he?"

"He?" The beast retorted, his sad countenance twisting into a demented smile.

"Why, he is me."

"Oh, please! L'yophin- this is Saddiffer. He's our demon. Or Eudaemon- whatever. He's a handful, but he's harmless." she gave the beast a withering look.

"Good L'yophin, you have nothing to fear. He was defeated, captured, and then transformed by the Seal of the Tetragrammaton," Patricia chimed in.

He blinked in a wave at her extremely puzzling explanation. They appeared to have long stories of their own.

"What- mm, yes. Sad-dif-fer. I am unfamiliar with Eudaemons?"

"Don't worry, L'yophin, we're all still trying to figure out who is- and so is he."

In response, the Eudaemon cloaked their wings around themselves, snorting in response.

He knew right away that he may not trust this beast, but if Shindow stated it was a friend, he would at least tolerate this Eudaemon. He began extinguishing his pipe.

“Very well. It is time to move and find others, yes?”

“Sure!”

Shindow vanished her pipe away into pixels and gathered her ‘weapons’.

He deconstructed his pipe, giving it and the sack a brief thought before they vanished away into his phantom inventory. It was quite concerning to think about where exactly the stuff ‘went’. As far as he knew, he didn’t have a limit. More experiments were necessary. He gripped his ornate rifle in his offhand, looking to the others. Patricia gracefully rose to her feat, gathering her cane.

They were four strong. A Dugrum Fae, a magician AI, an Anform, and a Eudaemon.

“Well, Saddiffer? Lead the way!” Shindow ordered.

“Do you fear the darkness, little blip?” he retorted with a scoff.

“Not at all! You’re the tough guy, so you go up front! We’ll support you from behind.”

The Eudaemon grumbled as he padded forward on clawed haunches. L’yophin had little reservations if the beast intended it could and would pull his limbs from his sockets.

They left the study, beginning to navigate deeper into the strange library. Patricia spoke up off to his right.

“Good L’yophin, you have my condolences for your race. To hear they were mostly destroyed is a tragedy.

“Mm, thank you.”

They passed into a maze of bookshelves filled to the brim with knowledge.

“Stick close together, everyone! It looks like it’ll be easy to get lost here,” Shindow chirped.

She waved her tiny stave as fog and darkness began to creep up on them.

“Light!”

An LED globe appeared, bathing them in cool light. Shindow sat on it, crossing her legs as she traveled atop it.

L’yophin kept half of his eyes on a swivel, stretching out with his new Fae senses. He hefted his rifle, keeping it pointed ahead. Patricia had her own trio of pulse pistols in each hand alongside her cane. He kept a wary eye on the back of the beast. It was terrifying to behold and he’d love to keep as far away as possible from it. The book shelves began to narrow.

“Mm, space is tightening.”

He glanced through the bookshelves, seeing they were hollow. He thought he caught sight of moving shadows within. His hearts tensed. Something felt off.

“I wish I had time to go through all these books,” Shindow chirped.

She began investigating the spines, touching and vanishing away any that appeared interesting.

“Duty of AI and Man… fascinating…”

L’yophin turned, looking through the same books. They were all in human script. He grasped one and looked at the cover.

“The Cultural Dishes of Saturn and its Moons. Hmmm.”

He had never been to mankind’s first solar system before.

He looked into the gap, seeing red goblin eyes staring back at him. His hearts jumped at the sudden conflict. The thing screeched at them.

“Got you! There here!”

A robed hand wielding a knife stabbed through the hole, missing his face by inches. The beast whirred and snapped its hand on the tiny limb, gripping down on it with a hideous snap. The goblin beyond howled and cried as Saddiffer let go, gently pushing L’yophin aside.

He gripped his rifle, adrenaline coursing through his body at the sudden combat.

Saddiffer fished his arm through the hole, sweeping and grasping with clawed hands as the cries of many rang out beyond the bookshelf. He pulled his arm back, scowling at the sight of a dozen knives sunken deep into his flesh. He plucked them out, twisting and mashing the blades to mangled metal before dropping them. Patricia fired a triple round burst from each pulse pistol, scattering books and paper as the guns buzzed and ripped. L’yophin aimed his own rifle, catching the movement of shadow and letting loose, the screech-crack of the rifle roared to life, catching something beyond the book shelf.

“What a waste!” Shindow cried as she floated up and through near the top of the bookshelf. L’yophin skittered up beside her, peeking through and knocking some books down into the far isle. Knives whizzed by him, embedding into the wooden bookshelf. He swore, pulling back before Shindow let loose a spell.

“Dragon Breath!”

“Shindow!” he cried.

A massive gout of flames gushed and burned into the bookshelves, igniting book and timber alike. L’yophin lept away and caught the opposite shelf, knocking over tomes as his legs struggled for purchase. The very real heat and fire washed over him. He gave but a thought and channeled his Faesciath. The thin shielding weaved around his chitin, reducing all the heat he felt.

The bookshelf as far as he could see was engulfed, with the fire rising higher. Saddiffer let out a bellow, pushing into the shelf and sending it tumbling down atop the ambushers with a mighty crash. Flaming figures dodged through the shelves and ran along the isle, screaming and howling as they trailed fire both ways.

“We must make haste,” Patricia remarked.

Saddiffer grunted, scowling back at the AI. L’yophin traded looks with Shindow, knitting his brow.

The AI looked coy and embarrassed.

“Sorry… Eheh- I was so into it, I didn’t think the fire would be that bad! Rainfall.”

A curtain of rain plummeted from above, dowsing and quenching the fire.

Droplets of water bounced and traveled along his Faesciath, keeping him completely dry. The library became quiet again as he surveyed the wreckage. So many books were destroyed.

“So much wasted…” he muttered.

“I’m sorry,” Shindow deflated as she floated over to him, adjusting her glasses and lowering her conical hat over her face.

“Good Shindow, your powers have only just manifested. I suspect time and discipline will prevent future mishaps.”

“Hmph, they were only books,” Saddiffer huffed as his ears twitched to and fro. The best was staring at him. His hearts fluttered at his visage. L’yophin could still hear the howls and moaning of fallen goblin cultists amongst the ruins.

"Mm, we should continue on," he suggested.

They hurried through the library, deeper into the dark fog. The books and shelves appeared to grow larger with each passing moment until it resembled an archive for giants.

"Wow, it looks like they ordered it by size and not a decimal system!" Shindow spoke as she glanced at the titles.

"I can't read this, but here we go!"

She began storing a massive tome away into orange pixels, leaving a gap big enough for Patricia to maneuver through. L’yophin skittered along the bookshelf, scanning forward into the dark. He caught sight of movement up ahead.

“Keep your wits, I smell more of them,” Saddiffer announced.

“Something is ahead,” he added, keeping his rifle trained on the shadow.

He could hear cackling as the small thing neared. It was like the green robed goblins from before, but there was one freakish feature about its visage. It sported a cueball head of green pitted marble. It wore a large smile, grinning with razor teeth as it flashed a knife.

“I don’t like the looks of him!” Shindow shouted.

It shrieked like a goat, leaping full of fury. Saddiffer lashed out with a wing, cracking the sound barrier and sending the two cleaved halves of the former goblin splattering to the floor. L’yophin’s hearts leaped as the beast had acted faster than anyone. It was so casual a gesture, that his mind had halted in those brief seconds.

The two halves twitched and went still, bubbling and fizzing into green slime.

More cackling resounded throughout the book shelves as one. L’yophin caught sight of the moving shadows beyond.

“Take heed of the books!” Patricia cried as she began to move towards the front.

L’yophin caught sight of the massive tomes shifting and sliding as the goblin mutants began grunting and cackling. L’yophin spotted a smiling grin through the books and shot at it. The round punched through, splattering the bookshelf beyond with green as it tumbled far down to the floor.

Saddiffer gave an annoyed grunt as he simply pushed on the bookshelf itself, sending it snapping and groaning as a falling titan atop the attackers. He rammed the other shelf, splintering the wood on contact and sending it too descending down onto the enemies. The shelves began to domino, crashing and thundering as books the size of vehicles crushed atop screaming goblins. L’yophin had lept to the floor, surveying the damage. The beast was a whirlwind of destruction; as if its sole purpose was to destroy.

More cackling and goat screams rang out as mobs of green climbed up and through the wreckage.

“We should move,” Patricia stated.

“I’ve got our backs!” Shindow cried.

L’yophin skittered along up to Saddiffer, keeping well away from that twelve foot wingspan.

“Ice Fortress!”

Shindow’s spell was cast and a large layer of ice began to form, rising from the rubble high into the air. Screams of frustration were muffled beyond. L’yophin could hear the chipping and smashing against the ice. It wouldn’t last long.

“Go on ahead! I will be behind!” L’yophin barked as the others nodded and began their retreat.

He began pulling thread and weaving a hasty trap as he skittered, using his hind legs to zigzag sticky trip thread. He glanced at the fallen books, muttering about wasted knowledge.

“Didn’t expect such an adventure… Maybe Underrealm not so bad.”

He kept his eyes scanning for threats as more and more shadows, arms, and limbs began to claw their way up from the shattered shelves. The others were getting too far away. He abandoned his trap and scurried onward. He then remembered Basil’s training.

There was Faesciath and then there was Rith Step. His mind and perception rushed forward as he snapped back into existence behind Patricia. The Anform had swiveled their head at the sudden appearance, pistols lowering at his presence.

“Traps are set! We need to leave!” he barked.

Saddiffer roared out a challenge and swung with a backhand against a mutant, crushing in his head and sending the remnants of the body tumbling throughout the archive.

“Where are your challengers!? Is this all you have to set against me!?”

The beast was shouting now. He was very loud. And strong. Another had tried leaping, only for the beast to snap his wing, bisecting it in half. He heard the cries of frustration behind and the dancing coils of his thread.

Patricia’s arms swiveled and independently targeted several who managed to clamber up the fallen books, gunning down three of them. She snap fired to new targets, dropping three more. And then three more dropped. The Anform was a rotary blade of death, spinning her torso and arms seperate from the rest of her body. She waved her cane and a cloud of nanites hastily assembled a barricade shield. He added his own gunfire, sensing the fae spirit within. He called upon it, and the rifle glowed. He witnessed the sabots curve and arc around cover, striking his foes and dropping them. He liked this rifle.

Shindow was waving her stave, casting another spell.

“Magic Missile!”

A bundle of transparent rockets sporting fins shot off into the shattered bookshelves, detonating in violet explosions. Screams and cries rang out as fragments peppered the goblin mutants. It also tore up the books, sending shredded and burnt paper flying.

“Ah! Dammit- my powers were fine tuned to blow things up!” Shindow cried.

Saddiffer snapped off a large talon with a wicked grin and tossed it far down the hall behind him. L’yophin flinched and ducked as the world around him thundered like artillery. The library behind detonated in a blast that sent wind and debris rushing passed him.

He curled up, letting his Faesciath take the brunt of the debris. The hurricane ceased as the ruined archive went quiet.

Shindow popped up from a ruined book, rushing over to the beast.

“Why the hell did you do that!?”

Saddiffer grinned back at her with a poor parody of a smile.

“To show you what true power looks like, little blip. Not like your parlor tricks.”

He sneered at her, showing a royalty that L’yophin hadn’t spotted before. Patricia unfurled herself, marching to them.

“Good Saddiffer, I doubt your contract and covenant will hold when friendly fire is enacted.”

The beast scoffed at her, turning to leave.

“I can sense they are regrouping. Stronger foes are closing in. I am an engine of destruction, not one of protection. If you would like to continue your existence; follow.”

He spun to leave, marching off deeper into the fog. L’yophin got to his feet and skittered behind, not wishing to put the beast’s warning to the test.

Saddiffer halted at a tall man in green emerald robes, standing in the middle of the isle. He waved a dagger at them

“You will not survive this. Your destruction will nourish our god.”

The man grabbed an injector, raising it high. Saddiffer rushed in a blur to the man, gripping his hand and opening his maw wide. The man looked on in shock as the beast bit down into his neck, tearing into his throat and leaving his head hanging by a thread of tendon. L’yophin almost vomited at the sudden gore and spray of blood. The cultist’s head looked on in shock as his body slumped over. Saddiffer spoke, wiping the blood from his mouth.

“Come now, let’s not lose our heads. Was that too soon?”

Another cultist screamed from the shadow, his flesh warping and twisting. His skull burst open to reveal an emerald cueball head. His arms blossomed dozens of tendrils that flailed and whipped the air. He rushed at the beast, smile opening to reveal razor teeth. A scream rang out inside L’yophin’s head. He gripped his skull, eyes bulging at the attack that circumvented his Faesciath.

It drifted in, reaching to grasp Saddiffer. Both were entangled in their grips, with the beast flapping its wings and rushing off into the fog. A tectonic shift ran through the library. The screaming inside his head halted and he rolled to his stomach. He felt the firm grasp of Patricia’s hands gathering him to his feet.

“Ugh… Just like Daer-Seehn…”

Another rumble ran through the library. Black stones began to drop, crashing around them.

“What did that absolute dunderhead do!? And who the hell are these green jerkanoids!?” Shindow shouted over the din.

“Cultists of the god Neon, remember?” L’yophin bellowed over the quakes.

“Them?? That’s them!? How and why the hell are they here!?” She floated beside him, following him as he skittered down the hall, following the trail of blood.

He spotted the gleaming light up ahead and the beast crushing the life from the mutant cultist before dropping it out into open air.

L’yophin skittered to the new hole that Saddiffer had created, seeing the black shards of stone crumbling from the exit. More of the wall crumbled, revealing figures in black robes, standing out in the open air, viewing them. A black sun eclipsed behind them, swirling with matter.

“The Watchers!” Shindow cried out as she pointed at them.

“We should leave; structural integrity is compromised. We have minutes- if less,” Patricia announced.

“Saddiffer- you mongoloid savage! What the hell did you do?”

“I made an exit. We should leave,” he scoffed back at her.

L’yophin heard more screams and cackles behind him. He skittered to the new hole, seeing clouds and glittering rain that fell up high into the sky. The Watchers stood floating in the open air, surveying them.

L'yophin caught the faint glint of thin cables from the rain's rise. They were like Dugrum, webbing the air itself with string. He blinked in a wave, unsure of what to think of these strange mystics. The library shuddered as more black stones fell and more of the open sky became visible. The Watchers spoke, their voices a ghostly phantom against the din.

"You, a prince of darkness, have formed the first crack in Oodeen's body. You who are destined for redemption, one who knows not what they are, will remember once again their own ancient history. Come. Come and be judged- to be weighed upon the scales of the Millennial Monarch. Adonai j'saih mol'boten. Adonai is God of All."

The Watchers all turned and lept, grasping phantom threads and zip-lining away into the clouds. L'yophin stared on, confused by the meeting.

Saddiffer flexed his wings and lept onto the wire. Shindow rushed out of the library holding her hat against the wind and rain as her image flickered. Patricia materialized an immediately recognizable antigrav sphere with handles. She stored two of her pulse guns and lept aboard, hanging from the hand grips. L'yophin was the last to leave, staring back at the crumbling library.

"L'yophin, come on!" Shindow cried.

He vanished his rifle away, gathering a bundle of silk as a hand hold and lept with all his might from the ruins, landing atop a thread and losing balance. He swung the silk around and caught hold of it. He started to slide and gripped the wire with the rest of his limbs, snapping his attention to the library he left. It was a floating black rectangle that shuddered and began to crumble apart into sharp obsidian chunks, descending into the clouds as a dying dirigible. He could hear the last cries and cackling of falling cultists.

"How did we even fit in there? It's too small!" Shindow commented, floating over to L'yophin.

"I am only muscle, I find little point in pondering the mysteries of existence," Saddiffer retorted.

"That's a lot of words just to say you don't know!"

"It would be best if we continue on. Sensors indicate no more nearby threats," Patricia added.

L'yophin finally looked around the horizon, seeing the wires were heading in the direction of the sun. Black Structures dotted the sky all around the sun in a mini galaxy.

"Mm. Might as well go forward!"

He let go of the wire, letting his silk zipline him forward. Not to be outdone, Saddiffer dropped and grasped the string, letting it carry him along. Shindow hitched a ride on Patricia's antigrav sphere as she followed behind them. He hit the cloud cover, obscured by mist and rain droplets as it danced and drizzled against his Fasciath.

They followed the Watchers, unsure of where it would lead. He had an idea, though.

To judgment.

For but a brief moment, they traveled unaggressed.