For one who existed as a hollow husk, his action appeared far too ambiguous. He was confined to logic as feelings were something he possessed not. But, all his actions though pointing to the latter had Niveen in mind.
"Xem, what the hell was that?! If you fought with her, we would have probably found out the limits of your undead ability," Alda exclaimed, wondering why he chose to fight when it clearly served no purpose.
"In what other manner should I have tasted the waters. I am aiming at seeing the insignia on her soul."
"Insignia?" Nazir questioned, pulling out his book.
"Yea, it's a mark of whom you serve. It is engraved on bystier and other familiar alike. Call it their pact with the one they consider their host. When Nazir called her an accessory, I thought I should check to see who she belonged to.
When I used Sovereign Preside, the chimera I summoned reacted strongly to her. Particularly, what it saw. That image was transcribed into my mind thanks to my major familiar. The one responsible for this divinity complex. It was an image of a black and blue fog that corroded the sky. From it, a head protruded, scaly, its mouth open with sharp carnassial teeth. On its tongue, someone sat, his face was one I could not see, yet, my familiar recognized him nonetheless. He was formless. I called it back as this was the case."
"Seriously, is that why you did that? You had me worried," she let out a sigh of relief. Xem walked toward Nazir before grabbing his book. "You are now to explain how you knew she was an accessory."
"You are too uptight Xem. Can't I just keep this secret?" Nazir looked into Xem's eyes, eyes shrouded in black fog, it was as though he was looking into the abyss and having it stare deeply into his soul.
"I guess not. I know it from Niveen. He overheard a conversation. Apparently, "she has lost her way regardless of her being not a human." Just because they can't kill her. Don't worry though, I made sure everyone thinks I overheard. They won't target Niveen."
"Anything else you know."
"None I can think of."
He gave him back his book before adding, "I will tell the artist to make you two more copies of those books you like."
"If you put it like that Xem, Ser studied quite a bit about Hollow Veil. She should know something about Calida, she seemed to react like she was a superior or something. She would never even bow to her immediate ones, why only her?"
"So Void, you just sold me out for some smut. Alright. I will remember that. As far as me knowing goes, I do know a little. This information is hidden. Hollow Veil though controlled by thirteen different heads has only one leader. According to the historical archives we are denied access to, the leader was close with Formless. He was supposed to join the leader but he refused so he was given a seat as one of the thirteen. He refused that too but he is still a member of the board.
So when void spoke as disrespectfully as he did, I was worried he might show up. Apparently, on his character profile which I never got around to finishing, he is said to value his familiars above all others. He would go to whatever lengths for them. If she really is his accessory, chances are, if she wished it, we might have died.
So Void, quiet next time." Alda concluded her explanation.
"I see but not a person knows how Formless truly looks like. They will have a lot of trouble before they can fully locate him.
That is probably why right now, we are looking for potential 'true vessel or universal seed'. If they had found formless, we would be hauling him back. For the time being, let us proceed to Seekers. While we are on the subject, Niveen, you can come out now."
Niveen jumped from the tree before landing on the ground. He then stood up. Alda smiled, tapping Nazir's shoulder repeatedly. "What, Ser?" he snapped.
"Doesn't Niveen look more beautiful after a stressful situation. I knew he was pretty but never like this."
Nazir was left speechless, his narrowing gaze expressing his disappointment. "Somehow I knew this would be it. Let's just go."
"Do you have to be such a douche? One day I am sure even you will admit it."
"The pot is calling the kettle black. No thank you, I would rather not sexualize my fellow man. I am not stupid."
"Niveen, you always have quite the impact."
"I just wish they would leave me out of whatever that is ,brother."
"Right, we should go."
Only two sentences with me, why is my brother always so avoidant.
Xem turned back around when the soil became coated in black. It formed a swamp, bubbling as though boiling. "I almost forgot….Shadow Art: Fragmented rouse; Sovereign Preside. " From it, wings emerged, black feathers that fell when the wings were flapped. An eagle's head emerged, letting out a war cry as crimson flames left its beak. It had the body of a lion with a height of 3m. "Get on."
"What about the rest of us, Captain Sequiturom? I don't see ours anywhere." Alda added.
"That is because the rest of you are running. It is good exercise."
"Wow Void, what did you do to Xem?"
"Again, the kettle is implying the pot is black. He always favors you, if he isn't anymore, you did something."
"Favor, since when?"
~
"Why is Xem pushing so hard? Whatever you did Ser must have been really bad."
"You know what the funny part is Void, you are the pot. I never did anything."
They ran barely keeping up with Xem who appeared to move faster with every step he took.
"We are already using Element mimicry to move at the speed of sound. What more does he want?" Nazir added, forcing himself to mimic the properties of the element of sound.
"Why are you mimicking my attribute's speed? Use lightning or something," Alda added.
Though they were trained to maintain Element mimicry, it didn't change the fact that their bodies were yet to adapt to prolonged use. Even though they had reached the top speed that sound can access in air, he showed no sound of slowing down. If anything, he was speeding up.
"I am now wishing he did fight with Calida. If she exhausted him a bit, we wouldn't be running so hard. I feel as if my book will fall off." She looked to the sky, watching Niveen hold on for dear life. His hands, barreled against its neck as it too moved at the same speed they did. It flapped its wings, flames dropping from its beak. Feathers fell from its wings which stretched for roughly 12.7metres. Each flap, rustling the leaves as a strong gust was left in its wake.
"That looks more uncomfortable than this does. I hope his hands don't get cut." She said, returning her gaze to the path they were supposed to take.
"What was that? I couldn't get you. Don't forget, we are running at the same speed sound moves."
"Sorry about that, got distracted by watching Niveen to a point where I forgot to lace my vocals with magic."
[To communicate at such a speed, they implored an aspect of element mimicry. By vibrating their vocals at the speed of sound(roughly 349m/s) and having the waves undergo constructive interference, they raised the overall loudness of what they said. Nazir, using his Aether attribute, altered the air composition(increasing helium composition while lowering carbon dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen level) in his immediate proximity while simultaneously raising its temperature, resulting in a sound wave traveling at roughly 500.7m/s. Allowing them to converse properly even while traveling at that speed.
Note: Element mimicry is simply the ability to pass one's self as their attribute. When used by one who possesses the sound attribute, reality registers them as sound allowing them to perform feats that sound typically would.]
"See, this is why ogling is bad. Your vocals will probably get ripped apart if you keep this up."
"Like the way you ogle your books." Xem suddenly came to a complete halt. The black fogyish mist that Shrouded his body dissipating when he did.
Seeing this, Nazir and Alda slowed down before coming to a complete halt too. The chimera landed beside Xem, allowing Niveen to jump off before disappearing.
"What's wrong, Xem?" Alda questioned, gasping for air. Her heart barely staying in her chest as it pounded. Before he could offer a response, she rushed to Niveen. "Are you okay? Your beautiful hands are they bruised…." She panicked, checking his hands to see if he had any cuts.
"No, I am fine. It didn't hurt me." He pulled his hands away.
Nazir chimed in, dropping a statement that he knew would agitate her. A simple, though dark it was, "Ser…..Niveen is a minor." His gaze narrowed.
"I don't want to hear you lecture me about morality. Void…." Xem interrupted them both before their banter progressed any further. "I require your attention. Now that your usual bickering has concluded, I can proceed and say what I planned. I am placing a ban on your use of magic until tomorrow. We will rest here for the time being."
"Brother, we haven't arrived at Seekers yet?"
"We have. Seekers is located exactly 5Km north of here. Easy distance to cover. So rest up, tomorrow I plan to have the operation be carried out." He began walking toward a tree, "Also, you two. I will let you ride those chimera you wanted. Your request was one too simple to grant. If you had mentioned it sooner, I would have let you ride them."
"Was he listening in on our conversation?" she questioned, failing to understand how that was logically possible. In order for she and Nazir to converse at the speed they were traveling, steps were taken to make it possible. If they moved as fast as sound traveled, he shouldn't have been able to hear a single sound. Let alone their whole conversation.
"Xem, Ser did mention it though. She asked where ours were."
"That was a request? I assumed it was little more than a jest. I witness it often when you three converse so I was unable to tell the difference. When next you ask, I urge you to make it clear."
"Oh…I see," they added. Should have known Xem wouldn't have us do stuff like that.
"Wait! Xem was Void trying to teach you humor again?" she questioned.
"That assumption would be accurate. He and the artist saw it best to teach me on the ways of humor." Niveen looked on, neither offering any suggestions nor interfering. He simply wondered why they appeared to be so stupid in turn.
Alda gave Nazir a stern gaze before he so casually changed the topic. "How did you know what we were talking about?"
"That was easy….I attached one of my weakest familiars to You. You were manipulating the air composition, no? I understood that if your attention remained focused on altering air composition in the physical plain, I could attach something to you that existed in the imaginary plain. I am calling it back now." A severed slit tongue fell from the blazer he had wrapped from his neck. Upon impact, blood splattered before they saw an eye form on the puddle. It then disappeared.
Alda and Nazir's gaze seared with awe. The creatures that seemed to come from Xem were anything but normal. Though having been with him for over four years, they had never once seen one that even remotely looked like that one. Having stared at a it for a second, Nazir's thought were brought to the present. He unwrapped his blazer before checking for blood stain. There was none.
~
Alnico lay on his booth, the shifting winds blowing the sails that were his thoughts. His mind dwindling among the dark clouds. A storm was approaching. "Asa, a storm is upon us."
Asa sat, leaning against the booth as he took a sip of the alcohol he was given. "Thank you for telling me. I could not tell because it's windy and the clouds are already dark."
Alnico let out a sigh, his exasperation shining through as his thoughts had just been dragged to the present. By a drunk man no less.
"You see Asa…this is precisely why I never take you drinking anymore? No matter, just sober up, I have a task for you." Asa covered his eyes before adding, "Does it have anything to do with the storm?"
"The metaphorical, not the literal. I take it you understand."
He let out a sigh, capping the glass bottle that had three quarters still left. That was his fifth one as his physiology betrayed him. He could remain drunk, at least for long. When he intakes a bottle with a 65% composition of alcohol, he could only retain his drunken state for but a minute. His body would detoxify soon after. "Alright I am done. I am no longer drunk. This better be urgent."
"Must you always throw a fit? Why do you even drink that stuff? It's not like you can remain drunk for all that long," Alnico said, sitting up and facing due south, almost as though he had locked eyes with someone.
"My father used to drink." He exhaled, not even attempting to hide what he felt. Alnico's timing couldn't have been any worse. "Anyway, what do you need?"
"I need you and Mrs. Chimeralana to evacuate the town's people. Keep a strict eye on Nyambe Chimeralana as well. We will be expecting guests between now and tomorrow. So get it done."
"Guests? Who would bother traveling with this weather—" Asa was startled, witnessing blood splatter when Alnico closed his hand close to his face. He then threw the splattered blood toward Asa. When Asa looked to the ground, he saw the blood clot, forming a severed slit tongue. An eye formed from the remaining blood before it turned to black fog.
"I understand. Should I send news to the capital?"
"No Asa, that will not be necessary. Redstar Ambiance is nearly upon. I would never wish to interrupt the festival." Now then, you took your time getting here. I have been expecting you. So what will you do first? Attack immediately or— wait. No matter what you choose, I will be waiting and so readily expecting.
Asa ran into town, heading directly to Score Resurgee. Evacuations had to be started immediately.
~
Xem sat by the river, eyes closed enjoying the gentle breeze as Nazir, Alda and Niveen fished. His thoughts, steadily fixed on the small village located north of where he stood. I suppose you saw it, Alnico Zahavi. You did not earn the title of Sovereign by any manner of luck. You spoke to it as though addressing me directly, knowing full well that I was listening in. That was most impressive.
Unfortunately, if you were hoping I would attack immediately, no such luck shall before you. I will not change my plan….Nyambe Chimeralana will end up in my custody one way or the other.
"Brother, I caught a big one," Niveen bragged, holding the struggling fish in his arms. Xem placed his hand on it before it stopped, "You are really good at this. A fishing course should suit you well once we return to Faqualora." The fish dies….as do all things.
~
Alnico reclined on his booth, patiently waiting for the slightest change that indicated an approaching enemy. "No luck then." Aside from the frightened Bystier, the forest is as silent as can be. Beasts like those being frightened would most likely be because you have a shadowy nature. This is not your first time doing this, is it? You will continue as planned as though my evacuation order never happened.
That is a frightening level of detachment. I suppose there is nothing I can do about that. I am in for a long night.
~
Xem took a bite of the kebab, taking his time to carefully chew the food. "Why does this food possesses no flavor?" he commented, the chimera lying beside him as he ate.
"That is because you have no sense of taste." Nazir responded, "Must suck to be you. But, was the chimera really necessary to start a fire, I could have just mimicked flames you know."
"I placed a ban on your use of magic. I have no intention of lifting it even from the most grueling of tasks. My familiar shall aid you. So enjoy a goodnight's rest." Tonight, will be a slow but peaceful night.