Book 8 – Chapter 29 – Dive into hell, feet first.

Captain Sagrius approached with barely any caution. The movement was far more organic now compared to when To’Wrathh had been on the road with the man. It pointed to a possible healing within himself.

She felt pleased at his progress and stance. The man had gone through some complicated inner turmoil, likely plenty she was unaware of herself given how guarded he’d been through the entire time she’d known of him.

He reached a hand out to his fellow Winterscar knight, and the two clasped hands. The knight gave a nod, Sagrius simply took a step back, then turned to her next.

“Are you certain you will be able to retain function without the assistance of your additional knights?” She asked as he reached a hand out to her.

“It is within tolerances.” He answered back. “I have adapted and adjusted. Tenisent has confirmed my control over my inner soul is stable enough, and so have the other knights within.”

He’d agreed to the plan from the moment Keith had brought it up while talking to the assembled Winterscar knights. To’Wrathh was worried the man had agreed simply because Keith had been the one to suggest it, not out of any true ability. There certainly wasn’t any lack of loyalty among the Winterscars, the entire family was thick as thieves.

But the captain seemed determined, and if Tenisent as well as the inner knights Sagrius carried all signed off on the action, then she supposed it would do.

There were only three days left before the machine network was restored. The team needed to reach the Division Stone before that time, in order to have the greatest chance of slipping past Relinquished unnoticed.

Practice had to be done now on the new tools and weapons, and that included the time dilation fractal Keith had recovered from Drakonis’s pillar heart.

Each of the knights had been diligently practicing all the fractals Keith had picked up and mastered, including the ones the Deathless Drakonis had carried with him. Of particular use was that orb spell that could outright suck the occult out of the air for a moment. The knights had found it to be an excellent counterspell to possible issues enemy Feathers would cast.

However, of all fractals they’d picked up, this one had the potential for the strongest power. It simply required some teamwork.

She held a hand out, and Captain Sagrius clasped it firmly. She wasn’t able to feel the transfer at all, until her inner soul fractal lit up.

Attached to her inner fractal, remained one that had been dormant for some time now, unoccupied: The prison fractal. The one she’d used to hold onto and contain Tenisent Winterscar. A variation of the soul fractal.

Back then, she expected only to use it to draw information out of Tenisent and reuse his own skills to defeat the Winterscars.

She knew better now. That very fractal must likely be a core part to the plans the mites had. Perhaps her fate had been sealed from the moment she grafted this as her first fractal.

She kept the prison door open this time, allowing the knight’s soul to flow in freely. He connected to her shortly.

Lady To’Wrathh. I am Aurelien Highwind. Knight retainer of House Highwind, among the handpicked of Lord Atius to travel with him after To’Aacar and later the assault on the temple. I am in your care for now until you have no further need.

She inclined her head to the noble soul that now resided within. Sagrius let go of her forearm, and moved onto the next Winterscar Knight, transferring another among his collected souls to each knight here.

She could already get glimpses of Highwind’s life just from his connection within her soul fractal. Feelings of duty and almost… Excitement? He wasn’t depressed nor brooding, but rather looking forward to what would come next.

In the book Keith had shared, Grand Warlock Hexis explained souls that continued to live on past their body’s existence were called tombbound souls, and it was seen explicitly as a punishment. The souls would grow insane, and become a threat to anyone nearby.

She didn’t feel anything of the sort from Highwind. The man had died for more than a few months now, and yet remained perfectly sane. Perhaps it was a sense of purpose that kept human souls sane? Or perhaps seeing how Arcbound had recovered a new body to live within, the knowledge that it was possible and very probable in his future helped the knight weather the current state of existence.

Or perhaps it was selection bias among the warlocks. Only the greatest of their ranks would know of the soul fractal, and those who grew great often grew warped with their own power. A humbling life in service of others is something Warlocks may not have prepared for.

But knights such as Highwind? He had indeed spent a lifetime training, prepared to offer everything, including his own life, if it meant helping others.

I see you have all your fractals, my lady. Highwind sent.

Indeed ser knight. To’Wrathh answered back. The unity fractal takes up one slot, I would recommend not touching upon it. The fractal that houses your prison takes up another slot, and the mites introduced the final two slots.

One of which was the fractal of healing, that would allow her to heal any human of their damages. And to pay for such a thing, the mites had inscribed a second fractal.

She replayed the memory, so that Highwind might be up to date.

THIS IS THE PRICE THOU SHALL PAY. The mites had sent her at her final hour. WHEN THY SOUL IS ABOUT TO BREAK. REACH FOR THIS SEED AND LET MANKIND’S LAST CHAMPION TAKE HIS PATH.

I see. Highwind answered back.

As far as Keith and I have deduced, I am the vow. The one who is most prepared to hold down Relinquished. I have this prison fractal prepared, the mite’s additional fractal, and direct instructions by them.

They had turned as a collective to bore into her mind. That upon her chains, To’Wrathh must bind Relinquished. In the last cycle, the prior vow was unable to hold Relinquished down, as the goddess had found narrative ways to escape a direct confrontation.

Tsuya was never able to enact her planned attack that should have smited the goddess into oblivion.

This time around, To’Wrathh would be ready when called.

The Unity fractal will be used against Relinquished? Highwind asked, likely keeping clear of that fractal. What do you expect the confrontation will be like?

I am as of yet uncertain. Wrath answered back. I believe the Division Stone will let me separate the unity fractal from my direct soul, and such an event will let me reuse the very chains Mother used to keep me prisoner against her in some way. I believe that the final fractal gifted by the mites will be the key to doing so. Perhaps it requires the separated Unity fractal to function? I have yet to understand the function nor scope of it, likely to keep that knowledge from cycling back to Mother should she discover my true aim.

The knight hummed. I sense concepts within it, my lady. Although it is strange.

How so?

Highwind took more time, clearly studying the fractal in some way To’Wrathh herself was unable to. She didn’t know how this fractal was triggered or used, only that the mites had layered it onto her soul, and commanded her to use it in the final confrontation. Doing so would allow Keith to take his path. She assumed it would make sense in the moment.

I sense concepts that run opposite to what you may wish to perform here. Perhaps the mites have a different plan on how this will function? Highwind sent back, slightly confused. Rather than binding, I find concepts of unbinding. Dislocation. And… soul? Not a human soul. I believe it is more specific to an artificial soul. It is highly specific, and that additional specificity makes the overall concept far stronger for it.

To’Wrathh considered it. And in a flash of illumination, she realized exactly what the mites had planned all along.

I know what I am meant to do.

She was to unbind Relinquished from the unity fractal itself. Negating her greatest weapon… and the violet goddess’s only real means of escape.

The mites weren’t taking chances with simply holding down Relinquished. They were going to cut her legs directly under the goddess and force her to be held in place by sheer lack of other options.

Yes. That would work. Highwind nodded. If you can reach Relinquished soul to soul, you will be able to isolate her from her means of escape. Likely not for long however. But possibly long enough to matter.

Tenisent Winterscar stepped forward, eyes locked on To’Wrathh. “Are you prepared, girl?” He asked in his usual gruff manner. “We need to verify this technique works.”

Thus far Keith had shown it to work, however he was a mitespeaker and had a double soul. It was difficult to understand, and her human simply said it was a matter between him and himself.

He had proven the time fractal could be tamed however.

To’Wrathh nodded back, putting the mite’s ultimate plan to the back of her mind. They really had planned this perfectly. She held a fractal that could break the machine empire, but would likely only be usable once.

DO NOT FAIL AS THY PREDECESSOR. THERE WILL BE NO THIRD CHANCE.

This was what they meant. Once Relinquished knew such a weapon could be used against her, she would never be caught by surprise ever again. She would be too terrified of such a thing.

When the time came to cut Relinquished, they could not afford to miss.

Tenisent held his blade out, giving a traditional duelist salute. The girl prepared on the other side of the courtyard, likely speaking to the knight she held within her soul now.

A tendril of soul reached out from his own beltside, probing his own network of soul fractals to ask a question.

Winterscar, shall we start as well?

Tenisent waved off the clan knight housed within this soul fractal. In due time, Amaran. First, we will see what the girl is capable of at her maximum speed.

This knight had equally been handed off by Captain Sagrius, as the clan knights within the captain had all made their decisions on who was to leave and who would remain behind to hold the captain together. Far less of them were needed now, Sagrius was growing far more capable.

And speaking of, he needed to make sure the girl was equally to par.

As you command. I look forward to seeing a master in action.

Tenisent huffed. I am no master. I fight to the best I can. Nothing more.

He’d always believed his skills had limits, and even competent abilities could be overwhelmed by gear or numbers.

“Begin.” He called out.

To’Wrathh leapt after him, overclocking her systems to full. Tenisent equally followed suit, knowing his base speed wouldn’t be fast enough to keep up with a Feather at full power.

With their speed equalized, his experience and intuition in combat carried him easily. To’Wrathh mirrored his own style, but his was the original source while hers was based only on learned patterns and training. She had developed splendidly compared to any other Feather he could search through, likely capable of destroying just about all of them in singular melee combat up until the second generation Feathers, who were tailor built to fight against duelists.

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Tenisent considered his own odds just about equal against that generation, and once he factored in his occult abilities, he had the edge. There were very few among the roster that would pose a true challenge to him, at least according to To’Avalis’s downloaded database.

That Feather had kept meticulous notes on just about every other Feather in existence, solely to study patterns and decide on which kit would serve him the best. He’d never managed to narrow the decision down past fifty possible candidates with the greatest track record of victories against Deathless.

Of which, two thirds of that roster belonged to second generation Feathers. They truly were the most dangerous threat the pale lady could send after them.

And To’Wrathh’s ability to fight and defeat them would be key.

He held her off easily thus far, gathering information in the control test.

And then occult pulsed from To’Wrathh’s belt. A subtle field layered around him, within the area.

To’Wrathh’s speed nearly doubled. Beyond what was physically possible for Feathers to move at. Tenisent held her off for only a few seconds, before he was overwhelmed.

The overclocks kept him at speed with To’Wrathh’s movements, same as hers did. He could see and predict where she would attack. But no amount of slowed down perception would let his shell move past physical limits.

But To’Wrathh? Time felt outright sped up for her, as she moved and wove through the different surface schools of combat.

All else being equal, experience and instinct simply could not overcome raw limitations.

He took several steps backwards, exiting her field of ability. She pursued him, existing the field herself.

Occult pulsed once more at her belt, and the prior field collapsed behind her, as a new one appeared a second later.

This time, she didn’t allow him to escape, weaving past his defenses and striking true at his shields.

He called the match, sending her a quick ping of defeat.

The occult fields collapsed back. To’Wrathh flourished her blades without pause or delay, clearly smug about her victory.

The loophole for these time dilation fractals had been simple in the end. It wasn’t triggered by the user. It was triggered by another soul riding with the knight. They would incur the time delay penalty upon exiting the field. Which made the combatant have all the advantages of time, with none of the disadvantages.