Book 8 – Chapter 6 – Treasure

“I can’t fucking believe he named you Bob.” Drakonis hissed under his breath. “A sentient bioweapon built to kill humanity, and that dipshit names you Bob? I don’t know if I should laugh or cry at this point.”

What he was, was not surprised. He’d known Keith for less than a day and that was enough to understand how that menace’s head worked.

“I have evolved beyond a weapon.” Bob answered. Insisting on its innocence in all this.

“Right.” Drakonis said while he rolled his shoulders and took another look at the pillar heart before him. “Why am I even asking you?”

“I am relevant to this conversation. I should be asked.” Bob said. Sounding even miffed.

It had been a good ten or twenty minutes since Drakonis had discovered his new roommate in his head. And he’d learned a few things about the sentient bioweapon.

“So you now a part of me forever?”

“Until you die.”

“Can’t. Deathless remember?”

“I have not forgotten. It is one of your greatest features as a host.”

“Course it would be.” He shook his head. He’d tried to search out the parasite within him, but his control over his body wasn’t at an instinctive level like Lionheart or the other Deathless of old. He was barely a few months into his training in the first place.

Before him stood the pillar heart, stone vines wrapped around it like artwork. Metal leaves about twice his size acted as standable platforms leading upwards. Waterfalls came off of each, leaving the base of the pillar heart misty, water falling just about everywhere here.

He’d tried Lionheart’s technique of meditation at the pillar hearts. But truth be told, he still never really understood just how his mentor had been able to tell what powers a pillar heart held. His training had been too fast, too much marching from pillar to pillar to rapidly collect powers along with the rest of his rapidly expanding fireteam. Even Lionheart had admitted this kind of skill would come later, with practice. He was supposed to have had years ahead.

A pity he really needed it now instead.

“What’s next then? Are you going to take over my mind? Turn me into a meat puppet?” He considered what his options would be for that fate, if he was slowly losing control over himself. Possibly die every few days to reset the infestation. Morbid. But doable.

As for figuring out the glowing inscriptions on the pillar heart, that was far less doable.

“You have faced addiction in the past. I can no more control you than it did.” Bob said.

This thing could read his mind. He had smoked a lot when he was younger. Prior to joining the hunts outside and being forced to kick that habit. He’d needed to do that for his niece, who looked up to him. Back when the world was right, and things were normal.

If you smoke you’ll get killed by machines. She’d said, with all the wisdom of a six year old. They’ll see the smoke clouds, and you can’t run fast. Mom said so.

He’d just grunted a few excuses and told her he’d consider it. And then went back home to sit and think about his life for a bit. It hadn’t been an easy habit to kick, but who could look a six year old girl in the eyes and tell her no? “Get out of my head you asshole. Some memories should stay dead.”

To’Wrathh hadn’t been responsible for his niece; that had been sickness long before the warlord had ever shown up at the fortress gates of Capra’Nor. Incurable, the medics said. Even taking her all the way to Nedria, the city with the most advanced medical facilities. He couldn’t begrudge the gold goddess, life worked as it would.

He shook his head, and focused on his current scouting. Drakonis wasn’t planning on leaving this little island of peace yet, so he may as well see if he could figure out what the pillar heart here had in store.

He took a breath and once more held a hand out to the rough stone surface, trying to feel deep within the pillar for answers. It was supposed to come to him by instinct. But other than the feeling of attunement he could do, nothing else appeared in his mind.

He had a full kit already, whatever his pillar heart contained, it would need to replace something he already knew and was trained with. Not possible on incomplete information like this.

“Fuck. Fine!” He snapped his hand back. If he wasn’t going to get any power from this pillar, then he might as well move onto the next to-do list item.

“Mite treasures. I would wish to see such things myself as well.” Bob said, humming in delight. It seemed rather happy to speak about mites. Obsessed stalker. Constantly asking him to start working on finding what they’d left behind.

All hearts had an interior spire, although getting inside often ended up different. Normally there wasn’t anything inside besides walls made of grain, vegetation and edible material. Enough to feed about twenty or thirty humans in total. Usually a spring fountain of water would be also found deep within the basepart, while the upper spirals inward would contain food. Here, it seemed the water was on the metal leaves dotting the surroundings of it, growing out into the trees even.

Probably more the reason the trees could even grow this tall here.

This one had no main entrance at the bottom section of it. What it had different were winding vine-like patterns on the outside, all leading upwards. That wasn’t unheard of however. He just needed to be a little more resourceful.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

He looked up, nodded, then started to climb up the stone vines, making his way to the first metal leaf offshoot.

“What’s my old addiction problems got to do with any of this?” He asked, halfway up. Mostly because Bob had gone silent, and that worried Drakonis.

“You are concerned. Perhaps clarifying questions will rectify your thought patterns. Do you wish to surrender control of your body to me?” Bob asked, the question completely off tangent. And just slightly unhinged.

“Go pound a crab.” Drakonis answered, climbing to a good enough spot before launching an occult lash up at the top section of the leaf, yanking himself up.

He hit the lip and grabbed hard, legs dangling off the edge as he pulled himself up with a grunt. What he saw was what he’d expect: A small pond of water, pooled up and flowing down off the leaf. He couldn’t tell where the source of the water came from, it could be from a traditional pump within the superstructure. Or just outright occult magic.

“Thus is the answer to your question.” Bob said as Drakonis cupped some water to taste test it. “I am as addiction was. A whisper in your mind. An urge to act. You have overcome this before. Once you found purpose. And you have purpose enough here. Your frontal cortex will overpower me as easily as you breathe.”

“Sounds a little too good to be true from a brain eating parasite. I think a scholar would claim you’re an ‘unreliable narrator.’ How stupid do you think I am, dipshit?”

He looked up to the next leaf upwards, cracked his neck again, and got to work getting up.