novelnext [360] 4.81 Doldrums Before Fate I
[360] 4.81 Doldrums Before Fate I
“Seems like you got something good?” Chloe says as we emerge through the portal back to the front lobby of the Tower Gauntlet. “You were smiling pretty hard at it.”“Yes, it’s going to be very useful. And–” I take a long breath. “You aren’t going to like it at all.”
“Welcome back,” Alana says a couple seconds later. “I’m glad to see the both of you have returned, safe and sound. And from what I can tell, quite a bit stronger for your trouble.”
I nod in affirmation. “The events there were fruitful for us both, yes.” A wistful smile follows. “I hope it’s still Saturday and we haven’t lost too much track of time.”
“It’s about two in the morning on Sunday, actually. So, technically no, but practically, no, you were not gone for too too long.”
“That’s a relief,” Chloe says. “And you? Is everything alright with you? The good Major isn’t keeping you working too long and hard, I don’t hope.”
“I actually have been working graveyards. You caught me yesterday morning just before I was about to head out for sleep, and arrived just now a short while after I got here. The Major, in his infinite wisdom, decided that with the threat of monsters attacking at all hours, we needed at least one high-level fighter on shift around the clock.”
“Hopefully at least he’s paying you plenty of shift differential,” Chloe says.
Alana’s blank stare says more than words ever could. I am so glad I got out of any and all further military obligations.
“By the way,” Alana says. “While we’re on the subject of Major Richardson, he did request to speak with both of you when you were finished.”
“Is this urgent down to the hour, or can it wait until morning?”
“He didn’t say, so I’m going to assume that morning will be fine. But beyond that, are the two of you doing okay?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “At least in my case. I’m getting pretty tired. And I sometimes have trouble figuring out how I’m feeling even when I am fully cogent.”
“I think we’re as well as can be, but the battles were rough and we both need some rest after everything.”
“Alright, then I will detain you no longer. Best of luck with everything, and I hope to see you sometime between now and the operation.”
“The operation.” Chloe looks at Alana with a puzzled expression. “Are you going to be there as well?”
“Me and plenty of others, actually. More than that, I can’t say. Confidentiality and all that stuff.” She pauses. “I know the two of you don’t give half a damn about country and honor and, frankly, I kinda get it. Especially these days, against monsters who don’t even understand the idea of either. But Nicholas and I and the other soldiers did swear an oath to defend the country from all threats, foreign and domestic. And I do take my oaths seriously, regardless of my personal feelings on the matter.”
“I guess we’ll see you then, if not before,” I say, as Chloe opens the massive double door leading into a still warm and entirely too sticky night.
Summer still hasn’t broken for the year, but it’s a matter of a couple of weeks now at most. By early October, the chill of fall will fully set in. Days will grow shorter, nights crisper, and days less blisteringly hot. After everything that’s transpired, it’s a nice change of pace. Fall might just be my favorite season. I do hope very much that I’ll be around to enjoy it.
Chloe and I decide to sleep in a little bit late Sunday morning. We’ve had a long day, and if Major Richardson wants to seethe because we’re not present bright and early at oh-seven hundred sharp, he can deal with his own anger in whatever way suits him best. I’m not his subordinate and certainly not his maidservant, and while I’m not going to be an asshole about it, our working relationship is going to be rooted in mutual benefit as equals.
So we arrive at the outskirts of the base at a quarter after nine, go along with the security theater rigmarole because that’s still a thing even with more and more people unlocking their [Inventory], and make our way to the good major’s office. The room is exactly as I remember it, not a speck of dust or file out of place. He’s typing two reports simultaneously, one with his hands on a stenography machine and the other via some dictation software, only stopping once the door has closed behind us. I guess the latter isn’t very highly classified.
“Good morning, ladies,” he says. “I’m glad to see you both alive and well after yesterday.”
“Well, it’s pretty hard to put us both in the ground and have it stick. Plenty of people, things, and animals have tried and no one has been successful yet.” That a few of them have gotten too close for comfort I leave unsaid.
“So noted. And I can tell just by looking at both of you that you’ve gotten stronger just in the past couple of weeks.”
“We’ve been through a lot.” Chloe squeezes my hand, which I reciprocate for the shared comfort.
“We have,” I add in for emphasis.
“So I’ve heard,” Nicholas says. “Agent Bennett had a few choice words to say about you. Both of you, I might add, as well as the ever elusive Mr. Jacobs. I will spare you anything further on that front, as most of those words were of the four-letter variety.”
“Heh.” Serves her right, really. Perhaps if she understood what Nicholas does about treating us like allies to be negotiated with and coordinate alongside as equals, rather than flashing her badge around as though we should just bend the knee and kiss it, then she wouldn’t be fuming right now.
“Understandable on both accounts,” Chloe says. “But I take it you’ve asked us down here on a Sunday for some reason other than just a social call.”
“Of course, Miss Jacobs. Namely I wanted to ask what your plans were over the next almost two weeks leading up to the equinox. If you planned to do any more dungeon delving between then and now, or if you were perhaps going to go visit Mr. Jacobs again.”
“I don’t think we’ll be doing much, barring an emergency situation,” I say. “I’m not sure if we’re in mental shape to do much in the way of errands, either, unless there’s something absolutely urgent that can’t wait.”
Nicholas looks at both of us, focusing on me. “I understand. For all of your prodigious capabilities, it is hard to remember sometimes that the two of you are just girls barely out of high school, with none of the mental or psychological conditioning of a professional soldier. While I have no shortage of tasks, I agree that it would be good for both of you to take some time and rejuvenate yourself of mind and spirit. I will summon you forth next Wednesday the twentieth to coordinate plans and make final preparations. We will be leaving for DC first thing on Thursday.”
“Then we shall see you then, and hopefully not before.” With a firm handshake, the two of us are dismissed, and make our way back home.
“You never did tell me about that new Skill you got from the avatar of Soreille,” Chloe says as the two of us sit down to enjoy a nice dinner of chicken alfredo. “You said it was something good, but you seemed distant when you mentioned it.”
“Because it’s a useful Skill, but also one that I’m sure you’ll find upsetting. It’s called [Lifecast] and it does pretty much what you would expect. It allows me to substitute my [Health] for my [Ether] when casting.”
“Oh.” Chloe’s crestfallen slump says everything I need to hear. “Yeah, I suppose that checks out.”
“On the less upsetting side, I also gained a boost to the strength of my weapon. I suspect you may see further advances with yours over time as well.”
“But a weapon that’s specifically called a [Divine Blade]? I understand the name is mostly the same and I’m willing to say that’s not a coincidence, but I don’t know how these swords of mine are supposed to gain literal deific power.”
“Well, just because its name is ‘Divine’ doesn’t mean there’s a literal god or goddess that has to bless it. It could be something like the avatar of Soreille, though on a galactic or universal scale. As for how such a thing would manifest, your guess is as good as mine.”
“By the way, since we’re on the subject, you mentioned before that you think there’s some Entity that stands in opposition to the System. Do you think it might be that avatar of the universe, trying to guide us in some manner?”
“It’s an interesting idea and I think it’s as good of an idea as anything, now that we have definitive proof of the Gaia Hypothesis.”
“At least for a world, if not necessarily ours.”
“By the way, if you don’t mind my asking, what Skill did you get?”
“I finally got [Restoration]. It can directly heal off the stat damage from the venom we were dealing with yesterday. And it will allow me to also regrow lost limbs.” Her eyes dart to my left arm. Before I can say anything, she continues. “Yes, I know you prefer your mechanical arm and I am not going to try to force you to regrow this one, but a lot of people do prefer to have their actual anatomy back.”
“No, I think it’s a good thing, and the fact that you are so happy to have finally gotten the Skill says everything I need to know.”
Chloe smiles. “Is there anything else you want to do between now and the battle?” Chloe strokes the back of my hand from across the table. “I know we told Nicholas that we were just going to rest and relax for the next couple of weeks, and I think that is in our best interests, but I also know that you’re the type who’s ill at ease unless she’s out there doing something.”
“I think that I have more than enough glyph research to work on over the next two weeks. I am supposed to be a professor as well, not just a fighter, and that does carry with it a certain research obligation. Why? Did you want to go try clearing out another dungeon between now and then?”
“Oh, no, not at all. I just wanted to know if a day of rest and relaxation hasn’t gotten you antsy and changed your mind.”
“The battle junkie part of me does for sure. But the last thing we need is for one of us to get crippled with dimensional sickness or [Ether Channel Rupture] or any of the other conditions out there that are going to cripple me for several days and can’t just be magicked away with– Well, I was going to say a wave of your wand, but you don’t use those anymore.”
Chloe giggles. “No, I suppose I do not.”
“We’ll still do a couple of spars in combat training class and I’m going to work on my Skills some more when I can. Not the dimensional related ones, mind you. Probably won’t be fully safe to use them until level 100. Maybe at level 96 with the third ascension.”
“You’re still going to use them in the battle, aren’t you? No matter what I say?”
“I’m not going to hobble myself in any fight for my life. Especially not when your life is also on the line.”
“Fair enough. Anyway, I believe you mentioned that you were wanting to do some glyph work. So, can I get you to inspect the sound-suppression glyphs in our bedroom? Just to make sure they’re still working properly?”
As if she even needs to ask.