Interlude - 3 (Patreon)

Interlude - 3

The Emperor

The Battle was not over.

The Goblins had retreated, the Druid’s Grove was saved.

But the battle was not over.

Only he could see it. Understand it.

He watched from a great distance, across planes of reality through layer upon layer of obfuscation.

And still he felt too close. Too exposed.

Psionic energies that could sunder continents crackled and made the space between the voids burn and boil. Crystal matrices and equations too complex for even his mind deflected and discharged energies that sent bolts of pain through his pulsing brain just looking at them.

It was beautiful and terrible, in the way a storm cresting across the horizon was.

The Absolute and the Creature, the one hiding within the cage that was Hebert, were battling and the Emperor could sense Hebert’s mind fracturing under the strain of it.

Perhaps the creature could win. Prevail against the Absolute. Perhaps it could not.

But Hebert would die long before that was decided.

The psionic overflow had spilled onto the others, a river breaking free of its banks and had nearly swept them up in its torrent.

He’d needed to intervene then, before he wished to. Manipulating the power locked within the prism to openly push away the psionic strength of the absolute.

But he’d stopped at Hebert.

He did not wish to be discovered by this creature, it was dangerous, worse, it was beyond his ability to control.

He could feel its thoughts. Its broadcast. The equivalent to someone roaring in defiance into the void. It was loud, and terrible. It reminded him of Ancient Dragons in its fury.

Host. Loss. Unacceptable outcome.

Countermeasure. Needed. Host Expiration UNACCEPTABLE!

He was ready to let fate run its course. To let Hebert die beneath the onslaught of two titans. Hess' monstrosity was far less powerful, far less... uncontrollable.

One would have to suffice.

But then, as he grasped upon the collection of parasites and suppressed them and brushed the power across Hess, and silenced the rush of psionic energies channeled through her tadpole, he felt something ping.

A flash of nothing, the equivalent of a string pulled in the middle of a typhoon.

And yet, he felt that creature, that monster in Hebert’s mind turn its myriad eyes…

To him.

Unit 7.841012 unaffected… Unit 7.841012 host secured. 

He understood his mistake at once.

Administrator Host. Will. Be. Secured.

It was another hive mind.

He moved to pull back his protection from Hess, and almost instantly recognized its futility!

Countermeasure. Viable. Source. Unknown. 

Searching.

Triangulating.

Immediately the Emperor brought his full might to bear, readying whatever defense he could muster, and the loud, impossibly complex surface thoughts reached him- closer now than they were before, even as it continued to fight the Absolute’s psionic might! The Emperor did not hesitate further, his power extended, coiling around Hebert, shielding her as he did for the others.

The power that the creature was contending with was pushed away. The psionic storms vanishing as though they were never there, driven off by the red-gold of the Prism’s occupant. 

The monstrosity went still. A sea serpent sinking to the inky black depths.

But he could feel its eyes. Like a burning brand searing his flesh.

Countermeasure… Provided… Source. Unknown… 

The Emperor held very… very still.

Analyzing.

Never would he have thought that such a simple word would fill him with such abject dread.

Short one today in which there is absolutely nothing wrong and the Emperor is having a wonderful day :D

We're nearing the end of the arc, just one maaaaaaaybe two chapters left at the absolute most before we go on break so I can finish Ragnarok

There will be a poll made, some time tonight/tomorrow. For those of you who've been here for a while you know the drill, the Poll will decide if the chapters here should be released to the public. If they are released when we come back we come back with multiple chapters if not, we just pick up where we left off.

I'll catch you all in the next one, very soon :)