12 Miles Below-Chapter 47Book 7. : Catching up

“YOU CAN RUN, YOU CAN HIDE, I WILL ENLIGHTEN YOU ALL THE SAME!”

I can already say a lot of things about To’Naviris, but absolute drama queen was probably something I wanted to repeat as often as possible in any sentence. The creepiest part of that is that this insane Feather actually synced his final words to the beat of the organ behind him.

“I’m going to take a guess that he’s letting us leave without issue because he’s got the biome here surrounded?”

I hadn’t seen a lot of machines since Murdershrimp. Plus the Odin living on the Icon are all in a deep panic with the machines gone. Now I knew where they’d run off to and why To'Naviris seemed to be perfectly fine with letting us leave.

“He has all the exit locations and known portals kept under watch.” Wrath said, flying above me.

I sent one occult lash upwards, and she immediately understood the plan. One hand reached down, connected with the lash, and then she yanked me up.

“Good catch.” I said, holding her right hand firmly while she continued to climb upwards into the air. “If you’re planning on stabbing me in some convoluted long-planned betrayal, now’s the time.”

I saw her eyes twitch at that. “As much as I would appreciate stabbing you correctly through the heart this time, or simply letting you fall downwards, I would rather the victory be earned by my own skills.”

"Scrapshit. You're just scared I'd survive the fall. Would be too embarrassing if you botched a second 'impossible to mess up' assassination attempt."

“Do not tempt me.” She said, “What is your plan for handling To’Naviris? Power cells can handle a good number of his lessers, however I highly doubt we would eliminate the entire swarm in one attempt.”

“I know a few friends in high places. And they have guns, bullets and good organizational skills when it comes to using it all.”

"I am greatly surprised you are able to cultivate useful alliances despite being an insufferable menace."

“Aww, you’re going to make me blush here Wrath. I’m happy to see you too.”

“I note that the last sentence was not a lie.” She said, and I could see her mouth twitching, likely trying to hold it together. “Have you been preparing to see me again already?”

We both knew the answer to that was yes, but it was good old fun to be talking mad scrap with each other again after an entire day spent separated. “Well, generally when I survive a Feather trying to kill me, they get upset and then take it as a personal insult. Just picking up a general pattern here with you fine upstanding folks.” I looked behind me, where the giant wave of white was struggling to follow behind us. “Might want to fine tune some of your obsessions.”

“I will drop you human.” She said in the most imperious tone she could come up with. “Be careful with your next words. Where are we going, and are you certain running from him is the best tactical option? He will continue to draw forces into this biome each hour we stall.”

“He’s basically married to that pipe organ. If he wasn’t monologuing at us, I think he'd be hugging it. Running away when needed is clearly an option we can abuse. How long can you fly with me hooked under you like this?”

I had Journey send her a copy of the map I’d been slowly generating as I explored around the area, which included the direction of the deadlands and our ultimate destination. A perfect spot to explode things harmlessly away from anyone important. On top of that, I had the Odin there with a few dozen layers of defenses built to repel just about everything except Feathers - but that’s on me to handle.

I could see her run the numbers. “I have enough energy to remain in motion for four more hours at this current rate, your coordinates are within range. Once we settle on the ground, I am far more energy efficient.”

I gasped. “Are you calling me fat?”

“Is that really your priority here?!”

“No, but yes. It’s been a while since the last time I annoyed you and I’ve come to miss my favorite hobbies.”

She dropped me. The wench.

“I thought we were frieeeeeeeeeends!”

Despite falling out of the sky numerous times now, there was always that initial butterfly feeling of ‘oh scrap’ the moment gravity knocks on the airlock, reminding everyone it exists. I hadn’t yet internalized all of Drakonis’s kit, it took focus and practice to get each power down one at a time, but occult grapples and using them to get out of falling? Had some good practice with that so far. Shockwaves could also be used to somewhat angle my fall and soften up the blows, but more for emergency vector thrusting.

Just when I was about to start planning how to survive this completely unexpected betrayal, Wrath swooped down and yanked me out of the air again, this time holding me with two hands hooking under my arms.

I see Wrath got some lessons from To’Aacar about how to properly Feather. "If this is how you treat new friends, I'm starting to feel sorry for your old enemies. Wait, no, that's still me.”

She gave her best tut in mock frustration. “We will continue this discussion after To’Naviris is handled."

Within two minutes, the giant organ was the only thing I could see. Another minute and it was a hazy pixelated mess even with Journey zooming in the vision. “So. How was the trip down all the way here?” I asked as we flew. “Last I saw you was a few stratas ago, meet any new friends to throw off high ledges?”

"My journey was mildly entertaining given certain individuals whose combat protocols appear to be as poorly functioning as their tactical analysis subroutines. They did offer me an excellent example of remarkable incompetence in their own assigned duties."

I think she was firing a few stray shots at people outside this current conversation, which clued me in that there was more than just Relinquished watching. The only others that would be trying to stop Wrath from getting to me were probably the usual suspects. “Ah, I see. Trouble with family approving of your vacation plans down here to visit little old me? I’m so sorry to hear that, you really should get some new friends. Be more social, try eating new things besides plates and silverware, you know what I mean?”

“Remind me to maim you before I inevitably stab you to death.”

I decided, with good reasoning skills, that I should not answer that and let her cool off for a moment.

Pretending I was enemies with Wrath was turning out to be a hard thing to sell. For one, Feathers could detect lies, so I always had to keep everything I said semi-correct. For two, Wrath was showing me no hints Relinquished or the other three tag-alongs were leaving her alone at all. And unlike Relinquished, I knew for a fact those three didn’t buy any of the snow I was peddling. And for the last point... I really can’t stop my mouth from just running wild.

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So it’s more me, I’m my own worst enemy.

But Relinquished sticking around right now of all times made somewhat sense, she’s drawn to dramatics like a bug to a heater. And there wasn’t anything I could think of that was more dramatic than what was going on right now.

I knew her weaknesses now, and was fully committed to abusing them. Draw her into the narrative, and make myself a character she can’t afford to kill off early.

It was warfare through outright theater at this point in just about every regard except one. If the To’Naviris could, he would absolutely try and kill me, that part wasn’t a performance. As Cathida reminded me. “Deary, you’re going to get yourself killed at this rate. He's more dangerous than what you've seen so far."

"Details?"

"That Feather’s doing psychological warfare, and it’s highly effective on you.”

That got a double take from me. “Psychological warfare? Him? I don’t see myself very panicked out right now. Wrath, do I look panicked right now?"

"Would you like me to drop you again? I can confirm that did send your heartbeat into an upwards spike."

"Nope, all good here, lessons learned, I swear on my grandmother's grave." I gave her a thumbs up, "Cathida, how about you define highly effective?”

“He’s getting you to lower your guard.”

“You’ll have to be more specific.” Especially since I’m constantly merged with the soul sight and never unaware of what’s around me.

She sighed. “By acting as insane as he does, it’s lowering your guard. It’s all fun and games until you find yourself impaled by a random spear you didn’t expect. He’s using weaponized incompetence at this rate, but make no mistake. His attacks could be lethal, and it only takes one slip up to happen.”

"He’s got a literal pipe organ shuffling behind him on a few thousand tiny crabs."I said. "I’ve got twenty ration bars that it’s not intentional psychological warfare, he really is as crazy as he looks. Machines aren’t exactly on the same logical wavelength as humans."

I did have a few advantages going for me all of a sudden when it came to dying. For one, unlike the other three Feathers that were after me, I don’t think To’Naviris knew about my soul fractals. Which meant if I died, there were ways to cheat my way out.

However, even if he did know about it, and did hunt down every last possible soul fractal inscribed around where I’d escape, I had a plan B.

Mites.

Mitespeakers tended to be half-insane and clearly unafraid of machines or dying from what I’d learned from the undersiders, and now I knew why: They could always escape into a soul fractal that couldn’t quite be destroyed. Sure the miteseeker itself at my belt could be obliterated by Relinquished, but the actual soul fractal was somewhere… other.

It was my own personal built-in backdoor escape basically. Once I jumped ship to join Keith Superior, I’d survive. He’d keep me sheltered from the mite collective’s voice and we’d figure something out on the other end there. It was part of the digital sea, just the other side of the wall. So we calculated there had to be a possible way to tunnel through. Might end up like Aztu, a roaming digital nomad in the sea.

And once I’m there, it’s only a matter of calling in old favors or some light dignified begging to certain people I’ve met to come help me in some way. Like Aztu, Abraxas, Tsuya (Gods willing), and so forth.

But plan C was where things really made me possibly unkillable. Wrath herself had four fractals, a full set. One for the unity fractal, one for Father’s makeshift old cage, one the mites had etched into her a payment for the fourth fractal they’d graft: The one that could heal any kind of wound, even a fatal one.

I’d seen her use it on just about everyone in an entire clan, so I knew just how powerful that fractal could be. My theory was simple: If my body completely keeled over, I could hold out in a soul fractal somewhere, and see if she could restore my body back to full health, and then reintegrate back in. Not something I wanted to officially test out, but keeping a plan C was better than having no plan at all.

Plus, I paid for a few of her dinners, so saving my life should cover some of those expensive dishes. I’m sure she could come up with a suitable excuse here for healing me if Relinquished watched. Would go a long way to selling her narrative about ‘seducing’ the rogue Deathless in order to betray him later on.

She’s on the right track, insult trading and threats are considered traditional Winterscar flirting.

“Wrath, is this normal Feather behavior even?” I finally asked, looking up at the Feather herself. “Because this one seems extra insane.”

“To’Naviris is a third generation Feather.” Wrath said. “I am aware the second generation were dedicated dualists, it is possible the third generation had an alternate focus beyond combat. That is all the information I will share with you human, do remember this ceasefire is temporary until we handle this situation.”

By the time the third generation was made, all the protofeathers would have had been crushed with the exception of Aztu and A01. Who were basically crushed in their own way. And the empire would have also been destroyed by then.

It’s very likely Relinquished made them specifically to gloat about victory. Or because she was immediately bored with the world beaten back down.

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“You sound almost excited to be working together like this, how are you planning on explaining it away to the rest of your family? Might be an incredibly awkward reunion if you’re here to introduce me, I already met your mom and we aren’t friends. In fact, I’d even go as far as to say I think she’s trying to kill me.”

"If such a meeting happens, I will simply inform my extended family that I am conducting extensive research on the most efficient methods to terminate you. The fact that you continue to survive merely proves more study is required." Wrath said, with all the impetus aloof persona of a Feather. “Do not mistake this for friendship, it’s not as if I care about you or anything.”

Hah. Wrath you sneaky little Feather, I read your books. I know exactly what I needed to say here. "So what you're saying is that I’m your territory and you're just defending it from other Feathers trying to take your prey? How romantic."

"Absolutely not. I simply refuse to let an inferior model claim credit for your eventual defeat. If you had simply stayed put where you belonged, none of this would have happened. This is not romantic in the least!”

I think what she’s really thinking is that she’s the one that’s supposed to be making moves on me according to her script. And I clearly don’t follow directions very well, a personal flaw that I’m working on I swear.

“You sound a little upset. Did I mess up your plans honey?”

The flight got bumpy as Wrath seemed to short circuit, then furiously tried to turn me away so I couldn’t see her face. That failed miserably, and I got a full sight of a blush go all over her cheeks. Pale white artificial skin meant to look haunting and ethereal really didn’t hide color.

"Address me as 'honey' again and I will demonstrate precisely how many different ways I can throw you into the ground below without killing you. I have calculated sixteen so far, and I am certain I will discover more through practical application."

"Aw, you have been thinking about me. I'm touched.” Okay, maybe I should stop the torture. After all, she's supposed to be the one sweeping me off my feet.

She technically was right this moment come to think of it, wrong metaphor.

I digress, main point was that the torture stops now. “Though I have to say, for someone who's supposed to be this terrifying war machine, you look quite beautiful when you’re flustered."

Okay, I lied.

She had a small reboot moment because for a moment propulsion stopped and we started to glide downwards before she reset. "I am not blushing! This is a temporary malfunction in my dermis layer caused by your increasingly infuriating existence."

“I take absolutely no responsibility whatsoever in all of this, and would like to lodge a formal protest about slander.”

She rolled her eyes at that, which meant it was my win. “You claimed you had a plan earlier, explain it in more detail.” Wrath said, trying to swap the discussion.

“Well, I think we can somewhat agree that you’re a tiny bit faster at moving around than I am. And I know how to dig a good hole. So how about you fly around, gather up some power cells for me, and while you’re gone, I’ll get a field ready for him to crawl over. He walks over the prepared field, and then my favorite part of any good plan happens. Simple and clean, no need to be complicated. I think even Feathers have a hard time surviving a power cell detonation, and none of his minions are going to make it through that. Worse case, we break his pipe organ and deal emotional damage.”

“If this plan does not function, what is your backup?”

“Run early, run often, live to fight another day. And make it his problem soon after.”

She looked down on me, one eyebrow raised over those violet eyes of hers. “I wish to object on principle.”

“I’m hearing a but here.”

There was indeed a but. “...I cannot deny that’s been rather annoyingly effective given your history.”