February 22, 2019, 3:35 pm.

Our return to the Fallen compound is mostly quiet, only Rose and Josh bantering at the back of the party. The streets of Glimmering Sands have less people than I'm used to seeing in the late afternoon. Part of me misses the festive atmosphere. Another part of me is looking forward to the quiet. But most of me is worried about having been gone so long.

As we get closer, I see a new structure in the centre of their camp. It's tall enough it protrudes above the huts the Fallen are staying in, a thin spire of exposed tubes, bone and...

I blink twice, going so far as to analyze the fleshy component. It's a heart. A Zanbia heart. Which is apparently functioning as a mana-pump. Staring at it, I compare it to the diagram for the Awakened Fallen Purification and Revival chamber. Yep. That's it. Bigger than I expected. A little more organic looking than the diagram too. Which I suppose is an Aetherium thing. Even as we approach, I see the one non-Fallen K'tharn who seems to spend time in the camp. The other Fallen aren't present, but Trellani is kicking at a protruding tube for redirecting thick flows of mana when we stop behind her. I can't help but notice that her fur is cleaner than on our last visit. Still, messy, but without clumps of dirt in it. Well, excepting the foot she's kicking the tube with. That has a large clump of mud running up the side.

"Ahem," I cough, causing Trellani to do an impressive spin, landing facing us in a crouch. Then her eyes go wide as she seems to recognize us.

"You're back! Mum said... do you have the de-condenser?" Trellani asks, standing from her crouch and taking a step forward.

"We do," I say, pulling the small cube out of my inventory and holding it up.

"Thanks," Trellani says, plucking it from my hand. I smile, trying not to laugh at her presumption as she runs inside the spire, only her legs visible as she grunts while squeezing past a chair dominating the centre.

"You think we should..." I start, but Rufka and Tipan are already stepping forward to inspect the spire. I follow along, and Rufka starts explaining the enchanting to me. The basic function of different parts, and the adjustments that Trellani has made to adjust for the parts she's using. It's an impressive feat of enchanting work, from the way Rufka describes it.

"I'm not sure I could've put it together this fast," Rufka admits with a grumble.

"Well, she does have strong motivation," Tipan observes, her hand tracing a ribbed tube that has an uncomfortable similarity to a spine.

"Speaking of. Where are the Fallen?" I wonder, looking at the empty compound.

"They're conserving mana," Trellani's voice echoes from where she's working inside. "Can one of you hand me the number three mana-scriber?"

"Got it," Rufka replies, picking up a thin tool from near the spire's entrance, passing it inside.

"Thanks. Anyway, Fallen don't regen mana very quickly when they're not controlled by a Matrix. And mum figured out that it was mostly cause they were moving around. After all, they don't eat, so gotta get their energy from somewhere. So, they're all meditating or whatever to keep themselves in stasis," Trellani says, pausing as there's a series of small popping noises. I glance at Rufka in worry, but she just waves me away.

"How long do you think you'll need?" I ask, kneeling so I can see what she's doing. Trellani has two hands holding the de-condenser in place with another braced against the ceiling. She's holding herself locked in place atop the luxurious chair that dominates the space as she traces lines into the decondenser. With a quick inspection, she pulls a tube down, setting it against the lines. The tube seals in place with another series of small pops.

Once it’s done popping, she looks over at me, then back to the cube in her hand. "About an hour? Then half an hour of testing to make sure nothing's going to blow up."

"Is that a common concern?" I ask, not just Trellani, turning towards Rufka and Tipan as well.

"Not if you test things properly!" Trellani declares happily, whistling to herself as she starts etching another set of lines in the side of the cube. Tipan and Rufka both nod in agreement, though Tipan's is a little slow.

So, for the next hour, Rufka gives me an impromptu lesson in enchanting. Part of it I understand from the codexes, but there's a lot involved when doing enchanting with non-standardized components. And apparently, that's the only kind of enchanting on Akilo. Even the invading fleets from Uthica's days had to fall back on custom enchanting. My lessons are often interrupted as Tipan or Trellani interject, disagreeing with Rufka whenever she ventures into theory. They spend ten minutes arguing whether organic components work better because of the soul, System-bias, or evolution. Smoulder and I just sit and watch while I give the sweet little bundle of fur head-scritches. When Rufka points out that her mum has used Forerunner components that are better than natural parts, it ends with the others grunting and agreeing that those are master tier components that most people can't copy. Trellani mumbles that they probably stole someone’s soul to make them.

But they let the matter drop as we resume our lesson. Which has Rufka asking me to repeat what she’s told me so far.

Finally, Trellani calls out in triumph, "Done. Now, let's do a system check."

Assuming she means an analysis, I scan the spire with Facet. I can't help but grin, as my scan reveals a few possible flaws. "There's a blockage here," I start, pointing to a tube just over my head. One that's hard to reach with Glimmering Sands’ ban on flying. Smoulder surprises me by understanding my intent, hopping up on my hand and flicking her ears forward, pointing to the spot for me. Then I move on to the others, pointing the rest out with her continued assistance, though I don't technically need it after the first.

"Astra's bountiful bosom," Trellani says as she checks the first tube with a round device made of a giant wishbone and inlaid essence. "That's a handy enchanting ability you've got."

"It's..." I'm about to deny her... but can I use it for enchanting? Maybe even cleaning out the clogs on the chamber with a little tactical teleportation?

Deciding not to risk breaking it, I instead stand back while Trellani runs through all the problem spots I pointed out, using another tool to 'break up' the clogs. Then she turns sections on, cycling mana through them before stopping in front of the de-condenser.

"Don't suppose anyone has a Mana Essence they can spare?" Trellani asks, frowning back at us from where she's crouched inside the chamber.

"Sure," I reply, combining one out of the essence I collected from the cavern. Rufka raises her eyebrow, a small smile on her face. Right. I should pay her back the essence I borrowed. Adding that to my literal to-do list, I hand the newly formed Mana Essence to Trellani.

She plucks it out of my hand with a high-pitched, "Thanks!"

With a little wiggling, she threads it into the top of a stand of mana-less bone, directly below the mana de-condenser. Then she steps back, flicking several buttons that initiate… something. The Mana Essence collapses into blue powder then the dust is sucked upward before being pumped through the rest of the chamber. Several of the exterior tubes light up as the heart pumps with solid thuds every half-second. Then the entire chamber goes dark a few seconds later.

"That's good, right?" I ask, giving it another scan. Nothing seems broken or clogged. But I have no idea what we're doing next. While the chamber did come with instructions on building it (using standardized parts), it didn't have any instructions on using it. I'm glad we have several enchanters here.

"Yep," Trellani replies, stepping back to look at the chamber, her hands on her hips. "I think it's ready. Now... Now we just need to put mom inside." She keeps her smile locked in place, but there's a tear beading at the edge of her eye.

I turn away, looking towards the hut her mother was in before. "Do you need help getting her inside?"

"I... no, I've got it," Trellani says, stepping past me to a different hut. A few seconds later, she emerges, her mother draped in her arms.

We stand silently as Trellani walks past. She lays her mother inside the chamber with a great deal of care, pausing to press a kiss into her forehead. Then she steps back, her hand hesitating over the panel for several seconds. Then she nods, punching in several commands. The chamber lights up, filling with a thin blue mist. Then the entrance is sealed over, and we can only watch the machine as it works. For several long minutes, the thudding of the heart filling the compound is the only sound, a myriad of colours pulsing through the tubing. It's far more colourful than when it broke apart the Mana Essence.

Finally, the colours begin to grow faint, and a few beats later, the heart stops pumping. Then the entrance flickers but doesn't open.

"What..." Trellani starts, then she steps forward. She spends a minute looking over the small display before taking a step back. Then she leans forward and slams her foot into the chamber door.

Before I can object, there's a hiss and the door slides open, revealing her unconscious mother. Scanning her reveals that the chamber worked, which is confirmed a second later by a notification.

"Quest updated. Cleanse the Fallen. Cleanse a single Fallen of their corruption. 1/1 Fallen cleansed. Rewards: Structure: Tracking Array. Focus: Corrupted Soul Matrix. 5 Iron rank integration points. 1 Iron rank Progression Token."

"Please return to your closest available Nexus to retrieve your items."

While Trellani hugs her mother, I look to Rufka and Tipan. They're both smiling, and I pull them into side-hugs as we wait for Trellani.

"It's a start," Tipan says, wiping a tear away.

We wait until Trellani's mother has recovered. After spending a minute hugging her daughter, Thetilda attempts to sit up, only to realize she's still strapped in place. After Trellani helps her mother out of the straps, they climb out and Thetilda turns to us. "Thank you for your assistance. It is good to be... alive again. Though it seems we will be starting over."

"Oh?" I ask, scanning her again. She seems totally healthy. And… young.

"My System thinks I'm a young K'tharn. Hmm. This may be a favor from Astra veiled by Vaus," Thetilda says, "Though... being so weak will take some getting used to." To punctuate her words, Thetilda sits down, leaning against the wall. "That really took a lot out of me, it seems."

"Should we start on the next-"

I don't get to finish my question, Thetilda nodding and grabbing her daughter's hand. "Take care of them, Trellani. I'll be okay."

Trellani hesitates over her mother, but finally she nods, leading me to the next Fallen while she returns to the chamber, resetting it. While I carry out the next Fallen, Rufka shares some food with Thetilda. No one realized they’d be starving after the cleansing process. We remain for the next few cycles. At that point, Thetilda and a couple of the other former Fallen have regained their strength and are able to take over. I deplete most of my extra food stores, leaving them with a feast that should be more than enough.

After saying goodbye to a distracted Thetilda and Trellani, we move to the edge of the compound.

Looking back at them, Tipan asks, "Now... what was next?"

"Pretty sure we need to see a Taken about a book," I reply, my eyes drifting towards the schematic we just unlocked. "And if they don't want to talk, well, we'll just have to track them down."

...TPWM...

February 22, 2019, 6:16 pm.

As we walk back to the Inn where the others are waiting, we review the design for the tracking array. Tipan and Rufka confirm that we shouldn't have a problem getting the components, though it might be more expensive than the chamber. Still affordable, especially with our recent windfall. We also figure out that the Focus reward is required to use the array. With that in mind, Rufka and I split off from Tipan, heading directly to the Nexus. We both get a copy of the Focus, which I suppose will be useful if we decide to build more than one of the arrays.

Instead of heading straight back, Rufka and I take a slow tour around the tower. We're on the third level when a familiar K'tharn approaches us. Vethel, the Lordite guard who arrested us when we first visited Glimmering Sands. The frown on her face tells me she remembers me. Still, Beth already made arrangements for us to be back, so I’m not worried about being arrested. Plus, she only has one other guard with her. She stops in front of me, looking me over, her hands still wrapped around her staff. Since I never got a chance to scan her the first time, with my abilities broken, I take the time to find out how strong she is.

My scan reveals that she's still stronger than me, but only physically. Lucky for her, she doesn't seem to be here for a fight.

Wait...

Did I just...

Before I have time to consider my newfound confidence, Vethel speaks. "Lord Hansome has requested your presence. And this is merely a request," she stresses the last part as she speaks.

"I heard..." I start, about to mention that Beth had told me he didn't survive the attack. But then... Beth is undergoing Restoration right now. He might be doing the same. Which would mean Lord Hansome is either a Citizen or Silver rank. Unless the Lords of the Deep have another way of unlocking the ability. And honestly, they might. Instead of my original statement, I ask, "Did he want to see us now?"

"If you have a few minutes, yes," Vethel says, giving us a small bow. I glance towards Rufka and she gives me the shrug that tells me it's my choice.

"Are you sure he actually wants to see us? Last time, he seemed..." I wasn't sure how to describe the absent-minded ruler without seeming rude.

"I... he's young, and easily distracted. But he remembers you quite vividly," Vethel attempts to reassure me. Except none of those words make me want to get closer to a potentially Silver-ranked child-murder-squid person.

Unable to school her reaction as well as me, Rufka lets out a loud snort. "So, he remembers we were brought in with the same K'tharn who killed him?"

Vethel glances at the guard beside her, then turns back, rubbing her forehead, all her eyes closed. "I vow on the M'tari Ascendancy that you will be safe until you next leave Glimmering Sands."

About to respond with scepticism, I stop when I receive a notification informing me I've been granted diplomatic immunity in the territory of Glimmering Sands. When I check my conditions, I discover it's not just an idle promise. As long as we don't leave Glimmering Sands, for the next twenty-four hours, the System itself will instantly incarcerate anyone who attacks me.

"Okay. You've convinced me," I say, giving her a slight bow and gesture for her to lead the way. "Why didn't you have protections like this on your boss last time?"

Vethel looks to the side at her companion but doesn't answer. Which... less than reassuring.

A few more steps and we reach the platform going up. When we're nearly to the long stairway that leads up to Lord Hansome's chamber, the other guard nods at Vethel and steps away. Instead of immediately leading us up, Vethel waits for them to leave the landing. Once the door shuts behind them, she mutters a few words, and a spell rises into place around the landing. I can only barely see the edges of the spell, but the second it snapped into place, my tethers became muted. They're still there, but it takes actual Focus to concentrate on any other than the one connecting me to Rufka. And the one I now attach to Vethel.

That did not feel like a harmless act, and I'm suddenly wondering what sort of actions can be taken against us that wouldn't trigger the diplomatic immunity condition.

Vethel doesn't cast any additional spells though. Instead, her hand twists a small octopus in the décor along the wall and a door, which was seamlessly hidden, drifts open. She stands next to it, waving us in. Inside I see a cozy looking room, with a desk stacked with reams of actual paper. The three chairs facing a fireplace are a nice touch, and I wonder if the room was set up for us, or if Vethel normally has other people over.

Trading a glance with Rufka, I confirm I have a strong enough tether I could teleport us away, if need be, then move into the room. I immediately take the chair with the bright red cushioning. Vethel freezes at the door before moving to sit in the chair across from me, leaving Rufka in the middle.

"Let me start by saying, I'm sorry for lying to you. Lord Hansome doesn't want to see you," Vethel says, as I watch the hidden door slide shut behind her. On its surface are views of several parts of the building. Including the hall, the far side of the door, and the stairs above. None of which Vethel can see from where she's sitting. Nice.

"I'd gathered as much when you snuck us into a secret meeting room," I reply, noting that there's even a view of the old throne room, though it looks like that's part of the new garden renovations. One of the screens seems to have a bunch of thick tubes on it, and it takes me half a second to realize it's probably Lord Hansome. She's spying on her own boss. "Does your boss even know we're here?"

"He does not. Lord Hansome is... meditating on his defeat," Vethel says, leaning back in her chair. She doesn't sigh, but the way she sits stiffly makes me think she wants to.

"Sulking, you mean," Rufka says, sipping on a drink she didn't have a second ago.

Making a gimme motion at Rufka, I receive a blue-fruit juice of my own, causing Vethel to pause for a second before speaking. "Lord Hansome isn't why I wanted to talk to you. Not directly anyway."

I nod for her to continue as I draw Smoulder out of her pocket so I can give her head-scritches. Since we're lounging around anyway.

"I received word of what you did with the Fallen," Vethel says, her eyes only flickering towards Smoulder for an instant. "Can I take it this means you're in opposition to the Aetherium's plans to deploy Fallen forces?"

"I mean... I'm not exactly for it, especially if they're enslaving them," I reply, shifting in my seat. Not the direction I expected this conversation to go. Though maybe I should've? It's clear she has eyes on most of Glimmering Sands. Even her own boss.

"Plus, they smell awful," Rufka adds, reaching over to give Smoulder some more head-scritches.

Vethel nods but doesn't comment for another couple seconds. "You asked earlier why we didn't have protections on Lord Hansome. The truth is... he is not allowed such protections. The Lords are sent to the surface to learn. And their parents believe they should not be shielded from pain or failure. However, Ivicka was... unusual. She bypassed the handful of protections that should have been in place with her Fallen. We're still not sure how she did it. But if the Aetherium is bringing more of these living weapons against us, the Ascendancy will need to act."

"Oh," I reply, petting Smoulder harder than strictly necessary for several strokes before adding. "So, when we started turning Fallen back into regular K'tharn…"

"It made me realize you were more than Ivicka's pawns," Vethel says, nodding.

I can't help but blink at her several times. Then I turn to Rufka, my mouth hanging open as I point to Vethel. But Rufka's no help, her head tilted back as she shakes with silent laughter. So I reorient on Vethel. "You thought we were working for Ivicka? Us?"

"You arrived in Glimmering Sands the same day she did. You had several interactions with her before coming to the tower. You fled with her as the tower fell. And you count her sister and squad mate among your companions. Yes, I did believe you were cooperating with her," Vethel says, her brow furrowed as she studies me. "Which, I will admit, unless you have an extraordinary deception class, is rather unlikely at this point."

"Unlikely, she says."

"My point is, if you are going after the Aetherium's Fallen, I can help," Vethel says, causing me to snap out of my shock. “And we would be very willing to reward you for doing so.”

"Help how?" I ask, trying to keep a smile from creeping across my face.

"Obviously, I can't send our pledged with you. They have duties here, and besides, the Aetherium would take it as a hostile act. But I can provide Essence or resources for devices like the one you built in their camp. Also, I can allow access to Lord Hansome's dungeon. They’re all on the table."

"Wait," Rufka says, holding up a finger. "Access to a Lord's dungeon? Mum said Lords have to give permission for that."

"It is under my purview. Lord Hansome has granted me... considerable authority while he meditates," Vethel says with a small smile that doesn't reach her eyes.

"Okay, so, say we are going to go after the Aetherium. And maybe even their ability to control the Fallen. What will this dungeon do for us?" I ask as Smoulder glares up at me demanding I resume petting her.

Rufka snorts, then looks at me and smiles.

"Will it grant Advancement Points? Copper rank resources?" I ask, leaning forward.

"No. It's not a World Dungeon," Vethel replies, frowning. "The Hidden Depths is a puzzle dungeon, relatively safe and quick. I was able to clear it in less than a day by myself. And its main quest grants an Enduring armour and an armor upgrade."

Huh. Okay, that might be worth it.

"And you can access it from beneath the tower," Vethel adds, seeming to know that she just needs one last tug to land her fish.

I sigh, looking to Rufka, but she's grinning like she's the cat that ate the canary.

"Yeah, okay. We were gonna do it anyway, and this sounds like it'll help. So, what can you tell us about this dungeon?"

"How much do you know about mana-beetles?" Vethel asks, leaning back in her chair and giving us what feels like the first genuine smile since she brought us into the room.

Rufka replies before I can say anything. "They eat mana and ignore most magical defences."

Vethel points a finger at Rufka. "Correct. And they're one of the Taken's favorite tools. They're also the only real enemy inside The Hidden Depths."

Damnit. Are we going to have to smash a whole bunch of bugs? When I glance over and see the excitement in Rufka's eyes, I can't help but sigh.

Maybe a kaiju will rise out of the ocean, and attempt to eat us all instead.

A girl can hope.