Strychnine pushed her way past a set of steel gates. The conference room was packed with synths and conjurers. She ignored their surprised glances and flung herself onto Zhulong, toppling him from his seat. The archduke’s three favorite lamia concubines rushed in after her and crowded around them. “I’m glad that you're alright, uncle.” She squealed when he put her in a headlock and subjected her to a noogie. “I am a giant regenerating crocodile-snake-dragon abomination. You don’t need to fuss over me every time I get a booh-booh.” Although slightly miffed that her meticulously styled hair was ruined, his playful demeanor lifted her spirits. Her concern immediately returned when she wiggled out of his grasp and saw his mortified expression. She followed his gaze and tilted her head in confusion when all she saw were three of his most loyal synths. Natsume, an elegantly dressed lamia with a black-and-white lower body, smirked. “Ah Zhuzhu, no need to be scared. We’re not that angry with you.” The pair of snake-like tendrils concealed within her silky silver hair flicked their tongues at Zhulong. “Speak for yourself,” Arnei, a toned, blonde lamia with an eastern diamond rattlesnake-style tail, huffed. “You've been avoiding me ever since we got here.” A predatory gleam entered her green, slitted eyes. “I think you're in need of some punishment.” She leaned forward to plant a kiss on the devourer’s snout. Zhulong hastily leaned back. A look of hurt flashed across Arnei’s face. “I suppose that confirms you’re not his favorite anymore,” Nastume sniped. She threw a hard look at their red-headed companion, Velvet. Zhulong spoke up before Arnei lunged at Natsume. “I, uh, got stabbed by some sort of magic AIDS spear. I’m not sick or anything, but I might still be carrying some nasty germs.” Arnei regained her confident demeanor. “I doubt any sickness will get the best of me, but fine, I can wait a few days.” She grinned. “Make sure you rest before then. You’re going to need it.” Zhulong laughed, but his eyes darted nervously. “Erm, not sure that’s a good idea. We're not allowed to, you know, do th-that stuff that we uh used to do. Remember?” Natsume winked. “Sovereign and Sion aren’t here to enforce that ban anymore, Zhuzhu.” Her sly statement caused an uproar. Zhulong restored order by throwing a cup of water into Dargoth’s screaming face. “Yeah, I’m not so sure that’s a good idea,” he grunted. “No, sister Natsume raises a good point, sire” Aldrin interjected. “If you truly are the only BLACK lord left, it is imperative that you produce heirs.” “Garm and the others are still alive!” Dargoth snarled. “I hope they are general, but regardless, they are not present, and their absence is making it exceedingly difficult to replenish our biofuel reserve.” “We still have the archduke and the replicator.” Aldrin glared at Dargoth. “Do you really expect my creator to spend every waking moment hooked to a tank? As for the replicator, you know full well that it is highly inefficient.” “Sovereign—” “We did not come here to talk about the archduke’s reproductive rights!” a transmuter that resembled a typical fantasy dwarf interrupted. Sarin XVI, who had been listening to the exchange intently, finally spoke up. “Thordin is correct, we can discuss these topics at a later time. Strychnine, please take a seat. The rest of you, depart. The room is crowded as is.” Velvet meekly dipped her head. “Sorry for the disturbance. “I am glad that you are okay, Zhu.” As she exited out the door, she threw Zhu one last forlorn look. “Please come visit us soon. It’s been lonely.” The other two lamias were not so easily dismissed. “I don’t take orders from you,” Arnei snarled. “There seems to be plenty of space left,” Natsume observed. “I don’t see why we should be excluded.” Dirge was visibly distraught by the bubbling tension. “Surely there is no harm in allowing our siblings to stay, sister.” “Only the highest-ranking officers were invited to this conference, brother,” Sarin replied evenly. “Those two aren’t even combatants.” Arnei crossed her arms. “We raised and indoctrinated a quarter of this fortress’ garrison. I have every right to be here!” “You are just a tier-three subjugator with a trace amount of fell power.” Strychnine pursed her lips. Dirge and Aldrin appeared just as put off by Sarin’s belittling statement, while Dargoth and two other tier-four combat synths snickered. Arnei bristled, but Natsume laid a calming hand on her shoulder. “Don’t let her nettle you. She’s just upset that—unlike her—we’re irreplaceable. Isn’t that right, Sixteen?” Sarin crushed her pencil. “Archduke, please dismiss these two.” “This has turned into a trainwreck,” Zhulong muttered to himself. “Arnei, Natsume, do me a favor and give us a few hours to hash this out. I’ll hang out with you guys in a bit. Promise.” Natsume folded her arms over her chest. “You’re lucky you're cute, Zhuzhu.” Zhulong snorted incredulously. “You might want to get your eyes check—gah!” he let out a surprised yelp when Arnei slapped his rear. “Next time we won’t let you off so easily,” Arnei declared. Her eyes flitted onto Sarin’s glowering face. “Later, Sixteen.” Strychnine could practically hear her adoptive sister’s teeth grind. “Sputnik,” Zhulong grunted once the two were gone. “Now that Strychnine is here, I guess we can start.” Sarin immediately regained her composure and delved right in. “As you all should already know, a group of neanderthals ambushed Zhulong. They forced his wyvern to land using an object they refer to as a talisman and greatly enhanced their fighting capabilities through similar means.” “Do their anti-air weapons function in the same way as a calkatrax’s or a basilisk’s gaze?” All eyes fell on Zhulong. “No, it was a big area of effect ability. They summoned this big cloud of gravity above us. I’d say it was about two hundred feet wide. Blitz was able to stay airborne a lot longer than he would have if he had gotten hit by a basilisk’s stare.” “I would presume that this weapon could ground multiple flyers at a time,” Aldrin speculated grimly. “It may even render our air force totally useless.” “It is something to be concerned about, but I highly doubt that it makes our flyers completely obsolete.” Sarin stated. “Creating functioning talismans is a costly process that typically requires many heart stones.” “How many mega calories do you suppose it would take to craft these gravity talismans?” “That I do not know. I doubt the luddites can mass produce them, given that none of the tropeogueras have fallen victim to this ability yet. “Most of these creatures in this region lack heart stones,” Dargoth reminded them. “Using that ability on the archduke may have exhausted most of their resources.” “Hopefully that is the case,” Thordin said. “But how long does this anti-air ability of theirs last?” “That is also unknown. Our zeraph guest claims she forgot that specific miracle even existed.” “Does she at least know whether these barbarians have any other nasty surprises at their disposal?” Dargoth asked. Sarin nodded. “I doubt she has a full understanding of their military capabilities, but she provided a general idea. Luddites universally worship a being called Shiagaur, the supposed goddess of savagery. Many also pay tribute to Seiradan, an entity capable of summoning localized rain storms. They potentially have access to a great myriad of miracles—too many to address in a single session. I have written them down and underlined the ones that may be particularly troublesome to deal with. Please go over them yourselves.” She waited for a brightly colored gecko zealot to distribute the lists before she continued speaking. “Luddites, however, primarily rely on physical enhancements that they call blessings. As you all may have noticed, most of these luddites possess green skin. These physical features are the product of something that they call the green blessing, an enhancement that enables them to obtain energy through photosynthesis.” A subjugator named Sparagmos stood up. When he spoke, the mouths on both sides of his head moved in sync. “Marvelous! Absolutely marvelous! Are these magnificent beings able to sustain themselves just off of sunlight and water?” “They still need to consume food to remain healthy, but this ability covers most of their metabolic needs. Most luddites receive this blessing upon reaching sexual maturity. “Marvelous! If we could replicate this ability, we could reduce our logistical burdens! We must immediately capture several of these luddites for experimentation!” “Don’t want to piss on your parade, but I doubt you're going to be figuring out how this shit works,” Zhulong grunted. “But sire!” Aldrin interjected. “Even if this endeavor is unlikely to produce results, the sheer potential surely merits further research. Given their reduced food requirements, keeping live luddite test subjects should have minimum upkeep costs.” “Your science projects can wait. If you really can't resist the urge to go Frankenstein—go play with the the ones I've already killed. Actually, scratch that. Who knows what kind of sickness those things were carrying?" It was impossible to read Sparagmos’ mood. Violator had a knack for creating grotesque otherworldly beings. “Understood, lord.” Sarin took the brief silence that followed as her cue to continue. “Accomplished luddite fighters that have successfully sacrificed ten civilized beings to Shiagaur or offered enough heart stones to her may receive another blessing and become barkhides. As the name implies, barkhides possess flesh that is allegedly as tough as wood. In addition, they become significantly stronger and faster.” “Do these barkhides have any obvious physical features that set them apart from the typical rabble?” Strychnine inquired. “No, though I imagine barkhides will typically be more muscular than a run-of-the-mill luddite and possess superior equipment. Especially radical luddites that forsake tools entirely and prove themselves to Shiagaur may become stonehides. On top of having flesh that is hard as slate and even greater physical capabilities than a bark hide, stonehides can transform into a variety of animals. In battle, they will commonly sneak behind enemy formations by transforming into a small animal and then revert to their previous forms once they are in position to attack their rear." “What an absurd moon we’ve been stranded on,” Aldrin muttered. “Indeed. Thankfully, stonehides are rare and it's unlikely that there is single one in this region.” “Sounds like these savages are considerably more formidable than we thought,” Dargoth hissed. “That’s only because we never considered them a threat in the first place,” Dirge said. “They still hardly pose a threat to us.” Strychnine shot the warmonger a surprised look. “Are you sure about that, bro? Some of these miracles and spells could be devastating if utilized well.” “But these luddites lack the resources to create the items needed to use them,” Dirge reminded her. “To underestimate a foe is folly, but I would rate these luddites as a minor nuisance at worst. Tribal societies do not develop formation fighting or the discipline needed to engage in high-intensity conflict. A volley of gunfire followed by a press of pikes should rout most of their fighters." “Aye, no way some savage’s stone axe or fire-hardened spear is going to pierce even my shoddiest armor!” Thordin harrumphed. “It is good practice to be cautious but I would largely agree with Dirge’s assessment,” Sarin stated. “The luddites are not just technologically stunted, they deliberately choose to be. They heavily rely on overwhelming numbers and favorable terrain to win battles. The local luddites have neither of these advantages. More importantly, they are utterly unaware of our capabilities. Besides our obvious technological advantage, we have a key physiological edge.” She grinned deviously. “Unlike the creatures that live on this moon, we are not subject to their gods’ 'tolls'. Their predictable lethargy makes them highly vulnerable to night attacks, and their decentralized social structure would enable us to wipe out many tribes before they even realize we have this advantage over them.” A four-winged raptor dressed in a cloak as black as his feathers jumped onto the table and posed. “Leave it to me! I will slit all their throats under the cover of darkness!” Shadow, the flashiest assassin, boasted. The saboteur’s unnecessary dramatics caused several synths and channelers to press their hands against their foreheads. Strychnine regarded her fellow saboteur skeptically. “You would wake everyone within five thousand miles.” Shadow was a skilled killer and an expert at disrupting enemy formations, but she had never seen the raptor carry out an assassination that didn’t end in utter pandemonium. “I don’t believe saboteurs will be suitable for this task,” Sarin stated diplomatically. “The snowy terrain will reduce the effectiveness of your cloaking abilities and many luddites possess a sharp sense of smell. Instead of eliminating them via subtle assassinations, I propose that we simply organize several strike teams and wipe out the nearest tribes in quick succession.” Shadow’s head drooped. Strychnine wasn't terribly fond of this plan either. “Isn’t that a tad direct?” “Speed is of the essence. Recall that the most pressing issue we are facing is our dwindling supplies. The faster we neutralize the luddites, the faster we can deal with the force controlling the isthmus.” Most of the synths and channelers in the room agreed with her, but quietly awaited Zhulong’s verdict. “I already murked the tribe that attacked me. Not sure we need to wipe out the rest of the greenies.” Surprised murmurs rippled throughout the conference room. “With respect, creator, I see no benefit in allowing these luddites to live. Indoctrinating them would be impractical given our current logistical struggles, and getting them to swear fealty to you would be virtually impossible.” Zhulong waved off his vassal’s concern. “Those mossy-haired pricks have to realize how outgunned they are. Once that realization sets in, they’ll be coughing up tribute.” “Luddites are ideologically opposed to the very concept of civilization and will not submit to your will without bloodshed. Even if they are wise enough to avoid engaging us in open conflict, they may interfere with logging and building operations.” “Feel free to blast any that tries to start shit with us. A few bullet-ridden corpses should convince the rest to back off.” Sarin was not ready to cave. “There are other key advantages to eliminating the luddites. They are perhaps the only substantial source of heart stones and meat in this region. That factor alone outweighs any potential benefit we would receive from sparing them.” Zhulong’s tail rattled as he laughed. “Eat 'em, huh? Do we even know if they are edible? I can’t help but think that we’d end up with athlete’s stomach if we did that.” “We can use a group of slaves to verify whether these savages are safe for consumption, sire,” Aldrin pointed out. “Even if they aren't, we should still be able to make use of their heart stones.” Zhulong’s tail continued to rattle. “Hah. I guess that true. If we're that desperate for supplies I suppose we'll just have to do what we got to do. But I don't think we're at that point yet. It would be a shame to wipe them all out. Like Sparagmos said, being able to live off sunlights pretty rad. They would make interesting allies. On the subject of slaves—” “Forgive me archduke,” Sarin cut in, “but I would strongly urge that we stick to the topic at hand.” “Sarin!” Aldrin shrieked. “How dare you show such flagrant impertinence towards our creator?” Strychnine crossed her arms. Also appalled by her adoptive sister’s lack of respect. Sarin ignored the many sets of furious eyes fixated on her, her attention solely focused on the ones directly across from her. “You’ve neglected to heed my advice before and suffered for it. I implore you to not repeat that mistake.” “Sarin!” “Aldrin.” A measured word was all it took to silence the sycophantic transmuter. Zhulong drummed his claws against the table. “Alright, I’ll put a lid on it.” “Thank you, creator.” Zhulong just shrugged and closed his eyes as his subordinates continued to discuss strategy and logistics. Strychnine, having no head for logistical matters herself, snuck away. She felt a pang of guilt for deserting Zhulong, but she had no means of saving him and she was certain he wouldn’t want his adopted niece to suffer with him. The saboteur hummed as she tracked down her uncle’s concubines. She would never admit it, but she was enjoying their current adventure. Life on Tannin had gotten stale. Best of all, the arctic climate gave her an excuse to wear as many layers of clothing as she wanted. Typically, the coalition mandated their saboteurs remain nude so they could immediately turn invisible in the event of a surprise attack. Humanoids such as herself received more leeway, but even with this special consideration she rarely got to wear anything other than a sports bra. “Ugh, I hate this wretched weather,” Natsume muttered. Strychnine frowned when the normally stylish lamia took refuge in a hideous hodgepodge of blankets and sweaters. She had been hoping to talk fashion with her. “Not sure how you aren’t melting under there. My blood is still boiling after speaking with that cunt!” Arnei grumbled. “Arnei! Language!” Strychnine’s expression mirrored Velvet’s. It was common knowledge that Sarin disliked Zhulong’s concubines, but she never suspected the enmity between them ran so deep. She sighed. If only her adoptive family were as harmonious as her old one. ‘No. Stop thinking like that.’ A tentacle to the cheek terminated her ruminations. No family was perfect, and she had no right to think ill of her when they graciously took her in. Arnei shot her an odd look. “Uh, are you okay?” “Yes, why wouldn't I be?” “You just slapped yourself in the face.” “Mosquito,” Strychnine blurted out. Her cheeks flushed when she realized how terrible her lie was. No mosquito could survive in this climate. “Velvet’s right, Arnei. Your outbursts are undignified,” Natsume said, rescuing Strychnine from the awkward situation. “Don’t pretend that she didn’t get under your skin.” “She didn’t. Her aggression is an admission of defeat. It’s sad really.” Arnei snorted. “Much as I love the idea of that machine bitch being jealous of us, I don’t think she’s into Zhu. She probably just hates us because we don’t salute her like good little soldiers.” “Except she hates Velvet too,” Natsume pointed out. Velvet pursed her lips. “Girls, let's not talk about others behind their backs.” “Yeah,” Strychnine agreed. “Bad-mouthing her won’t accomplish anything. Why can’t you just hash things out like adults?” Arnei sneered. “Hey, the issue is all on her! I got along just fine with Sarins Nine through Twelve. It's not my fault things went downhill after the thirteenth recycling.” All eight of Strychnine’s tentacles slapped the ground. “Enough! Dirge and most of the others are also copies! So stop bragging about how original you are!” Arnei pinched the bridge of her nose. “Ah, shit! He was there when we rubbed it in her face too!” “I’ll apologize to him later,” Natsume promised. “Strych, you know we don’t actually think we're better than the others, right? It’s just that those kinds of quips are the only ones that get to the cunt.” “First, stop calling her that.” “Well, tell her to stop acting like one!” Strychnine ignored Arnei’s comment. Second, maybe you’re right about her being at fault, but cut her some slack. She has a constant weight on her shoulders and doesn’t have the time to rebuild bridges. Can’t you reach out to her, for the sake of the family?” “I like you, Strych,” Arnei said, “but don’t pressure me into hanging out with people I hate.” “I concur,” Natsume sniffed. “I’ve tried speaking with Sarin, but she shuts me out,” Velvet said despondently. Strychnine let out a resigned sigh. “Ok. Fine. So, besides the Sarin issue, how are you guys doing?” She backed away when Arnei gave her the stink eye. “I just got clam jammed. How do you think I am doing?” Natsume grimaced. “Can’t you do something about that vulgar tongue of yours?” “I think it gives her charm,” Velvet said diplomatically. “Besides, it’s not like she’s any worse than Zhu.” “Speaking of Zhuzhu, did you see the look on his face when Arnei gave him that love tap?” Natsume tittered. “Hah! He squeaked like a piglet,” Arnei laughed. “Almost made up for that look he gave us earlier.” “You mean the one at the very beginning?” Strychnine asked. “Yeah. He looked like we had just chucked a bomb at him or something.” Natsume brushed off his odd reaction. “I am sure he was just nervous about neglecting us for so long.” A beat later, her calm facade cracked. “He’s right to be terrified! He should have come to us immediately after he learned Lunarian! I’ll get him for that!” “No, it’s something deeper than that,” Velvet said before the other two lamias could stir themselves into a righteous fury. “I never seen him act so shifty before. He’s hiding something from us.” “Yeah, he’s been acting weird ever since we got here,” Strychnine agreed. “There are holes in his memory and he seems less confident. There are even rumors he feels pain now. You saw how high he jumped after Arnei slapped his bum. That would have never happened back on Tannin.” “What are you talking about? He’s always felt pain. I’ve heard him say ‘ouch’ all the time,” Arnei said. “He only did that jokingly. I’ve seen him slither through caltrops and shrug off cannon fire. But just the other day, one of his guards said he threw a fit after bumping his head on a doorway,” Strychnine whispered. “Oh poor, Zhu!” Velvet gasped. “He must be so confused and overwhelmed now.” “I don’t know what Sovereign and Sion were thinking when they meddled with the ziggurat. I hope they…” Natsume trailed off before she veered into dangerous territory. “Well, maybe this change is for the better,” Strychnine quickly suggested. “If they didn’t do that, we wouldn’t be able to have a proper conversation with him.” “I still haven’t,” Natsume bit off bitterly. “Maybe he's still embarrassed over those “final” goodbyes he gave us before we teleported here,” Arnei laughed as she recalled the parting words he gave each of his active synths shortly before the coalition activated the ziggurats. It was Natsume’s turn to look amused. “If I recall, you cried more than Velvet and Aldrin did.” “No I didn’t!” “Dirge had to pry you off his arm,” Strychnine reminded her. “No. That can’t be the reason,” Velvet said, saving Arnei from further teasing. “He’s only been avoiding us and the other den mothers. Maybe-maybe he’s just gotten sick of us.” Arnei’s tail rattled. “That’s crazy talk!” “Zhu always liked strong women. He must have lost interest in us when we showed weakness,” Velvet whispered morosely. “He didn’t ditch you after you were broken up over Junior’s death,” Arnei pointed out, trying to keep the resentment out of her voice. “Why else would he be avoiding us?” Velvet despaired. “Just give him some space for now,” Strychnine suggested. “Uncle is too greedy to abandon anyone,” she said, desperately trying not to think about the devourer that left her behind.