Reborn From the Cosmos

Arc 8-03

It’s funny that my thoughts should have drifted to my tutors, as Morgene has taken to the role with gusto. It’s not just me she pokes and prods every day, she’s taken an interest in all of us. In her own words, it’s our fault for being so strange.

She’s delighted by the siblings, children being molded by a master, adores the quirky Gajin, who is suffering without a garden to plant in, and is utterly confused, like the rest of us, when it comes to the quiet Nomad. And then there’s me, the big prize. The key to this monster growing even stronger, supposedly.

She wants to study me, specifically the space shenanigans of my base form. In return, she gives her guidance. Entirely unsolicited. This isn’t an arrangement we sat down and agreed on. The morning after the dinner party, she dragged me into the study and bombarded me with her questions, most of which I didn’t have a clue about. She determined that the only way she would get anywhere is if she investigated me herself, but I wasn’t going to submit myself to her whims just like that. Aside from the rational fear that I wouldn’t survive her attentions, it felt far too much like she was taking advantage of our relationship.

Only my lovers get to do that, heh. And, as beautiful as she is, that is a temptation I don’t dare think about, let alone pursue.

I should have walked out. But she made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

“I will show you how to make sure what happened to this city never happens again.”

That was…appealing. Maybe just because ignoring her felt like it would be declaring that I didn’t care about the broken city and I did, hypocritical or not. So, we made a bargain. She teaches me and doesn’t make a nuisance of herself, a real compromise for her nature, and in return, I submit myself for examination for a few hours.

We enter the study together, Morgene shutting and locking the door behind her. Bell scampers forward, trailing her rope leash as she scampers across the floor and jumps onto the desk. The imp settles on her side, four ruby eyes staring straight ahead with a strong focus, as if she’s anticipating a good show. Which I suppose she is.

“Well? What are you waiting for?” Her breath tickles the back of my neck as she leans over my shoulder and whispers, “Strip.”

“I really wish you wouldn’t do that,” I grumble as I pull my shirt over my head. By the time I drop it to the ground, she’s already moved away from me, leaning against the desk while watching with me with a smile.

“Stop doing what?”

“You know what.”

“No need to be so concerned. My daughter won’t take offense from something like this. She is an Atainna, she grew up surrounded by admiration. Beauty draws the gaze.” Her gaze drops to my legs as I drop my pants. “And you are quite a sight.” She sighs dramatically while putting her chin in her hand. “It’s a shame you don’t have the skills that physique suggests.”

“I’m working on it,” I grumble as I drop my underthings. If someone was to walk in right now, this would make for a horrible misunderstanding. But the situation is completely innocent. In the next breath, I let my prime form fall away and revert to ooze.

My rampage through the city was costly in terms of size. At a glance, the hunters looked completely powerless against me, but they managed to cut off quite a lot of my oozy limbs when I extended them to attack. I recovered as much ooze as I could but plenty was lost in the chaos. On top of that, the devastation to the city’s supply chains and our exile from the Hall means there aren’t any ready corpses I can gobble up to replace that mass.

As a result, my size is rather humble these days. Compacted, I don’t even reach the ceiling. No one knows it, but I couldn’t repeat my massacre. If the hunters muster another army, I’ll have to find another way to fight them, though I doubt that’ll happen.

Morgene makes a little mew of excitement that should only be uttered by little girls given a new doll as she pushes off the desk and walks toward me. “Come on,” she whispers excitedly, as she leans against me, letting me take her weight. It’s not my intention for my ooze to conform to her curves but I can’t help the intimacy. “Do it.”

I comply, letting my body expand just a bit before retracting. Then I repeat it, over and over. It’s not strenuous but I do have to focus on it, which makes it hard to focus on anything else. Not ideal circumstances for teaching, but Morgene hasn’t tried to teach me anything so far. At least, not as I think of teaching. For the past week, all we’ve done is have conversations, mostly about nothing. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she just wanted to spend time with me, getting to know me better…but no. There’s a design behind the inane questions, I’m sure of it.

But for now, I flex my ooze, guiltily enjoying the feeling of a warm, soft body through this form’s strangely acute senses. Normally, this lasts for a while, at least an hour, before Morgene announces she’s had enough, but I’m the one who calls it to an end after less than half that time. She retreats to the desk as I change back to my prime form and put on my shirt, not bothering with the rest as I take the guest chair. “So? What great wisdom will you bestow upon me today?”

“You sound like you’re in a bad mood.”

“Like I said, I’m tired.”

“From what? A short walk every morning is hardly strenuous. You eat three meals a day, never lack clean water, and fall asleep on a soft bed.” My eyes naturally follow the movement as she crosses one leg over the other, fingers lacing in her lap. “What exactly is so exhausting and stressful?”

“The future,” I reply grimly. And only idiots wouldn’t be worried about it. If the people of the city think my little scuffle with the hunters was the end of it, they’re dead wrong.

A storm is brewing over what remains of the city. Geneva is closing in on the hunters that are protecting the Authority, an ancient reserve of resources they deemed important enough to go to war over, and I don’t imagine they’ll hand it over peacefully. Some of the hunters have turned to banditry and there are whispers of revolution on the wind. The camp is creating a schism between the people and the Hall, weakening the influence of the Harvest Hero even if he wanted to intervene. The estrazi dragged something I’d imagine was spawned into the Abyss into our house, claiming the thing was headed here anyway. And, to top off the shit cake, the crown’s response to this whole mess should be arriving any day now.

Yeah, it’s going to be a disaster.

Saints know we should be running for cover before the arrows rain down on us. We could. It’d be so simple. Don’t even need to bring our things with us, just have the succubi turn into something with four legs, or more, hitch them to a wagon, and go. One day, and we wouldn’t even be able to see the city’s walls.

A part of me, a large part, wants to do exactly that, craves the relief that would come from going somewhere no one can be bothered to come find me. It’d be so easy.

And yet, I can’t bring myself to.

There are excuses I can throw out when someone asks me what’s stopping me, like wanting to get my hands on the hunters’ treasure or humoring Yulia’s attempts at sainthood, but the truth is, I don’t know what’s tying me to the city. So, here I am, frozen in place while the executioner prepares his ax, helpless as a lamb raised for slaughter. Except I’m not helpless. I’m the opposite of that, which is why feeling helpless is pissing me off. I don’t have a target for that anger, already slaughtered the bastards who insisted on making themselves enemies, so I hold it in. Emotions are exhausting and that exhaustion has fed on itself until it got big enough to smother the anger entirely.

“The only time warriors fear the future is when they aren’t sufficiently prepared. Safety lies in control.”

“All the power in the world couldn’t control the chaos headed toward us.”

“You underestimate power, but that’s a lesson for next time. For now, hm. Yes, I think today will be about initiative. A good topic for your first assignment. Go on, grab something to write on and with. I don’t want you claiming it slipped your mind.”

I fight an urge to sigh as I move around the desk to grab parchment and a smudgestick.

“Are you ready? Then, I want you to write down every concern that is weighing on you. And for each problem, write one thing that will either solve it, limit its consequences, or give you control over it.”

“And if there aren’t any things?”

“This is when I use my prerogative as the teacher to tell you that there is an answer and if you can’t find one, it’s because you’re not trying hard enough. Oh, no asking your little clan for help. The entire point of my teaching you is for you to improve.”

My fledgling headache grows in intensity. “Yeah, yeah. Are we done?”

“Normally, I’d recite a few histories to show you how others have acted in this kind of situation to give you inspiration…but I think a nap will serve you better.” She flicks her fingers. “Go on. Let someone pamper you. I’ll amuse myself with the pet.”

“Coo~”