Galactic High

Okay everyone, Chiyo began, as all members of the household settled down and sat cross-legged in a circle in the living room. We're going to try out a guided meditation. It should help with stress and anxiety, and it's really relaxing! Start by gently breathing deeply through your nose, and then keep repeating this until the guide tells you what to do next…

It was getting late in the evening, and Jack had only returned about an hour ago, having very much lost track of time before he finally made his way back. He had a little trouble finding a path back through the districts despite being able to use a marker on his commlink to pinpoint the location of home. The hot tub, which was slightly larger than Jack had expected, had been mostly finished by the time he arrived. However, due to several employee absences the team leader apologised and promised to finish the last of the plumbing the following afternoon after the group got back from school, which Alora quickly planned out with them. Sephy had swept the area for any possible bugs or electronic tags an undercover enemy could plant, but had fortunately found nothing.

A few of them looked sceptical as Chiyo put on a guided meditation program with some relaxing music in the background, which to Jack sounded like the most bizarre series of timbres and pitches, unlike anything he had heard. It had the peaceful, slow quality of meditative music from Earth, but it still jarred him somewhat due to its unnatural nature.

Still, he tried to follow Chiyo’s instructions as the Ilithii floated back to the circle to sit next to Sephy, who already looked like she was having trouble concentrating, though she made the effort for Chiyo’s sake. Next to him, Nika was already controlling and slowing down her breathing along with him, both of them semi-used to the concept of meditation already, and it looked like Alora was doing something more akin to prayer. The twins and Vanya seemed to be able to cope enough as well, all having some kind of magical ability that required some basic kind of mental concentration.

“Now, bring your attention to your physical form…” the soothing voice of the instructor gently called out over the background music. “Feel your body pressing into the surface beneath you, and take note of any areas of tension or discomfort…”

“I’m well aware of my injuries you dumb bit-” Nika grumbled before Chiyo psychically reminded her to be quiet during the meditation.

“Do not try to change anything with these sensations, merely observe them…”

Relax, Sephy… Chiyo quietly told the Skritta, who was slightly fidgeting. Try not to overthink it!

“Now return your attention to your breathing, noticing all the sensations as you inhale, then gently exhale…” the voice continued. They did so, though by the sounds some of them were making they were overdoing it.

“As you continue to breathe, bring yourself mentally to your peaceful place. This could be any location that brings you a sense of tranquillity and relaxation. Now imagine yourself in this place, surrounded by the sights, sounds and smells that make it special to you…”

Jack’s mind brought forth an image of home. His mother, his father, his brothers, his sister, his grandparents all surrounding him. He was safe, he was with his family. He had his whole life ahead of him…

And it had all been taken away from him.

Jack squirmed involuntarily as his mind was dragged back to a dark place, his grief threatening to overwhelm him again…

“As you bask in this tranquil scene, allow yourself to let go of your worries and concerns that may be weighing on your mind. Imagine them fading away, leaving you at ease…”

All the faces of the people he would never see again stared at him coldly, judgingly. He had committed acts of horror he never thought he would ever have to commit. Even if there was a chance he could return to Earth, could his family even recognise the shell of a person he had become? What would they say?

“When you are ready, take a deep breath, and as you exhale, slowly open your eyes, and reorient yourself with your surroundings. Carry this sense of calm and relaxation with you into the rest of your day…”

As the guided meditation came to an end Jack quickly got to his feet to get a drink.

“Jack, is everything alright?” Alora asked him in alarm.

“All good,” he lied. “My legs are just a bit stiff, and the meditation was a bit hard.”

“Yeah, I get what you mean.” Sephy used her wings to help her kick up. “I don’t really understand the whole ‘sit-and-do-nothing’ thing to be honest, it’s like I need to be actually doing something. But hell, I still gave it a go…”

Thanks for trying it anyway, Sephy! Chiyo smiled.

“So what do we do now?” Nika asked everyone, as Jack returned with some canned drinks for all of them. “Still got a few hours before we probably need to go to bed."

“Nothing exhausting, please. Let’s just watch a movie?” Alora suggested after a few seconds of nobody contributing anything.

Perhaps some of our new housemates have a suggestion? Chiyo asked, looking to Vanya and the two Squa’Kaar, who hadn’t been confident enough to suggest anything as the newest additions to the household.

“I’m only a temporary housemate, I still have my own place.” Vanya smiled softly. But maybe WageMage?”

“That’s a good classic to start with!” Sephy grinned. “Have you seen it before, Jack?”

“Can’t say I have, the Temple of Hope didn’t really have movie nights,” Jack reminded her with a smile. “What’s it about?”

“It’s basically a comedy film about an office worker that uses magic to get ahead and prank her bosses!” Vanya told him. “But you really need to watch it!”

“I’ll get some snacks,” Alora called, quickly grabbing a few bags of sweets out of one of the cupboards while the others tried to get comfortable on the sofa. It was large enough for all of them…just about.

“We should probably go furniture shopping at some point,” Sephy pointed out the obvious problem. “Especially if you’re gonna offer refuge for those that need it, Alora.”

“Damn, well, we are gonna hit a few of the rubbish heaps and scrapyards for materials we can use to fix up the shuttle, and anything else that we could use for home improvements,” Nika reasoned. “We even got this sofa from one of them, though it was a bitch to drag all the way back here!”

At least we have more people that could help now. Maybe even more depending on who joins us, Chiyo added. Because I remember helping you spend half the day dragging that here, and I swore never to do manual labour ever again!

“Well, perhaps we can find a better way this time,” Alora concluded as she came back with the sweets while everyone sat down and took a few blankets to warm themselves up with. Jack took one of the ends of the sofa so he wouldn’t be squished between two people this time, and Vanya was quick to sit next to him, even putting an arm around him, which he wasn’t opposed to. The thick, warm, brown fur of the Chuna made him feel comfortable, and he subconsciously leaned in and relaxed.

“Ooof!” he grunted as Sephy sat on his lap, pulling the blanket over them and cuddling up to him. Jack reflexively put his other arm around her to keep her in place, lamenting that he could no longer reach for the bag of sweets until Chiyo telepathically sent one his way.

“Hey Chiyo, could I have one as well?” Sephy cheekily asked the Ilithii.

Sure! Chiyo agreed, sending another sweet floating towards Sephy, before pinging it off her forehead,

“Ow!” Sephy grunted as they started the movie.

Jack appreciated the humour and plot of the movie, with the hapless office worker using magic to explode her boss’s tea and accidentally making her manager believe his wife was cheating on him, only to later discover that she actually was. He could see why this movie was a favourite with the girls, though he didn’t know if it would be well received on Earth. Though this film was well written and amusing (despite him not understanding much of the humour), he could imagine it being received as too woke back on Earth. When the plot eventually evolved into the protagonist trying desperately to avoid the investigations of the alien equivalent of ‘HR’, it really ramped up the humour, which had even him chuckling on occasion.

However, he was more subdued as the others laughed freely at the shenanigans, his mind going back to the horrible experiences he'd had, and his grief from being separated from his family. Yet all around him, like a beacon of hope, was a home full of friends having a good time with him.

Could he get used to this?

Yeah. He thought he could.

*****

Svaartal snarled as his arms ever so slowly pushed the weighted bar up, feeling the burn in his chest and arms as he repeated the motion, over and over, his heart pounding as he pushed himself to lift more weight than he had ever lifted before with his natural strength. Forcing himself beyond his limits, he felt his muscles straining as his breaths became more and more laboured. He knew he was overdoing it, but he didn’t care. He was determined to become stronger, more focused, more powerful. He had Carrow watching over Svaarti, so this gave him the opportunity to really cut loose.

Devil’s Daughter would come for him and Svaarti again. He barely won their previous encounter and it took all he had to stand a chance against the raw power of her spells. Next time he would be better. He had heard the words she spoke to his sister, calling Svaarti a thief, though as far as he was concerned, if his mother looted the Golden Staff during the Demonfire War from the Stygians, it was hers by right of conquest. Not that the Devilspawn would care. If Devil’s Daughter was going to target him, Svaartal had no doubt she would attempt to do so through his sister, so he needed to be ready.

He had been pushing himself harder and harder ever since he first faced Frost to a standstill in that ambush, fully expecting to face him again soon, especially after the Drow of House Mal’Kar recruited him. He had been thoroughly changed by that experience, and he suspected the Outsider was changed by it too. From open hostility towards one another in their first week to caution in the next, it was a strange dance the two of them did.

But now?

Something about the Klown attack had changed him even more. For just a moment the two of them had fought side by side for a common cause, and though he did strongly consider it, he didn’t stick with the human. Despite that, however, the words Frost told him certainly stuck with him.

Help me stop them.

And he did, didn’t he? He stopped to rescue several of the trapped partygoers and had cut them a path to safety, only to then decimate the Klown numbers with his most powerful spells. He had been considered a hero of the battle, alongside Frost himself and the dragon-bitch that officially kicked him out of the Red Legion. In a strange way, it felt…gratifying?

‘Though the greatest hero that night may not recover from her sacrifice…’ Svaartal thought to himself sadly. ‘Why, Svaarti?’

He got up from the bench and slowly slunk over to the tension cable, cranking up the weight as high as he dared. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the handle with both hands and pulled, yanking the cable over his shoulder before releasing, then doing the same exercise over his other shoulder.

His memories of his fight with Devil’s Daughter came back to him, though he cursed not having a recording so he could better recall. Many of his actions had been instinctual, so much so that he could barely remember what he even did in several instances. He was fortunate that he kept a versatile array of spells prepared and ready for use in any situation, though it was his blade and quick thinking with his illusion and spacial magic that allowed him to slip through the Stygian’s defences.

But though he focused on the fight, her words still rang out in his mind.

‘Why the hell do you hate my people so much?!’

Dumb question. The Devilspawn killed his mother, and even after the Demonfire War many of their kind went rabid, committing horrific acts on innocent people, just the same as they did when Azazel, Lord of Torment was still alive.

But something about the sheer hurt in Devil’s Daughter’s expression tugged away at the back of his mind, like an itch that wouldn’t go away. Perhaps it was…

He was interrupted by the noise of someone approaching. Letting go of the handle, the cable he was pulling quickly snapped back to ping against the weights as he collapsed to the floor, his body dangerously overheated and his breath coming in ragged gasps. He quickly activated the enchantment of his Riverspray Ring, sending out a cloud of cooling mist that instantly made him feel slightly better.

“Good evening, Dextra,” Svaartal greeted the drow politely as he slinked over to where he had left a towel.

“Hey,” she replied, before something caught her eye and she pointed to his bare back. “What happened there?”

“What do you mean?” Svaartal stiffened at the sensitive question, having an idea what Dextra was referring to.

“By the gods…” she muttered. “Your scales are cracked and fucked up, and you’ve got a lot of scars, how?”

“I am aware that my scales need grooming,” Svaartal replied tersely, trying to be patient with the inquisitive drow despite the sensitive subject. “However, I did not have anyone to teach me how to do it growing up. If it displeases you I will attempt to rectify the issue…”

“I’m not my sister, so you can shut up.” Dextra snorted. “You’ve got a fuckton of scars too, that can’t be good for you…”

“It is not,” Svaartal growled in anger before he quickly steadied himself, realising he was talking to a Drow Noble. “My apologies Lady Mal’Kar, what did you wish from me?”

Dextra snorted at the sudden formality, but she paid it no mind as she showed him her commlink. Displayed was a NetTube video from a channel by the name of ‘DevilLover69’.

“What is this?” Svaartal asked, confused.

“You might find this kinda funny!” She grinned, and played the video, the thumbnail of which displayed a medium-sized, overweight-looking being with pinkish-brown fur, a long cone-like trunk, huge grey bulbous eyes and thin, spindly arms.

“Ahem, attention everyone! Listen up, for I have a message for all of you! Recently, I have heard rumours that somebody out there has apparently defeated my beloved waifu, Devil’s Daughter, in combat! Let me tell you, that is something that will not go unpunished! I have spent countless hours defending her honour online, but now I have heard the call, and The Supreme Gentleman will step up and avenge her!

“I’ve been training hard all this time, inspired by the queen herself! I’ve watched all of her fights, and I’ve practised martial arts on my Devil’s Daughter body pillow! So I hope the killer is watching, because I’m ready, and I’m coming for you! And I promise you, when I defeat you, you will wish you had never been born! I’ll see you on the streets, punk!”

“Pretty funny, right?” Dextra asked, as Svaartal gave a slight grin.

“I really hope that’s not a troll!” he chuckled.

“Well if The Supreme Gentleman is legit and if he comes for you, it’ll give the others a good laugh.” Dextra giggled. “And…um…I could try and help you with the scales if you want? The datanet should have some videos and I could do your back if you want?”

Svaartal considered it for a moment, knowing where this would likely end up. He had not been requested by Izadora tonight, who seemed to be particularly busy with House Mal’Kar business, and they had never been anything more than casual, so he had the freedom to do as he wished.

“I don’t see why not.” The Nirah shrugged, as he followed the bubbly drow to her chambers.

*****

“He’s her son,” Grandmaster Ilvella told her with a sad look on closing the door to his quarters. “I knew it the moment I saw him, though I couldn’t believe it.”

“What?” Nya exclaimed, having broken protocol and immediately followed her master to talk, with Rena trying to stop her. “Not a chance! There’s no way! They’re nothing alike! He’s evil, he can’t be!”

“I knew Svaarvali for a long time.” The Grandmaster sighed, drained from sharing his painful memory. “Even if he didn’t resemble her physically, there were subtle things I saw in just those few moments meeting him that could only have been from one of her line.”

“Are you certain he is not a different relation to the Saviour, Master?” Rena asked stoically.

“I am certain.” The Grandmaster nodded, closing his eyes. “But irrespective of how I may feel on the matter, I will not sacrifice everything we have built for sentiment. Our plans do not change.”

“What are your orders, Master?” Nya tentatively asked.

“Do not engage this…Svaartal under any circumstances, unless in self-defence, and maintain your civilian cover,” he strictly told them both. “He will no doubt expect Devil’s Daughter to retaliate soon if she is able, so we will be patient and wait. I have not seen this Svaarti you are familiar with, but it seems like she may be more receptive than her brother if she is able to recover. If she does, continue to be her friend and get closer to her.”

His gaze then returned to the steely look Nya was used to from her master.

“However, Devil’s Daughter must be sighted soon, unharmed and doing something good to restore the people’s faith. A few days of inactivity will be expected before you must return, and with luck, we can completely obscure the truth of your defeat as mere rumours.”

“I don’t think Head Whisperer Ratai has anything recent, save for the possible signs of the latest Killer Klown attack,” Nya reasoned. “And Scholar Volus is still deciphering what was discovered at the Pallid Pit, though Jack and his group have not relinquished the Gloom Cauldron they discovered as far as I am aware, which had ties to the ritual room, and which they’re theorising might have worked as some kind of beacon, though for what I have no idea.”

“I am sure we will find something,” Ilvella concluded. “Perhaps you and Rena can discover something in your civilian lives? The Outsider, for one certainly seems to be a good source of trouble. Regardless, you two are dismissed. Heal up and rest early. You have school tomorrow.”

With that, Nya and Rena took their leave.

“This is…” Rena began.

“Impossible,” Nya snapped. “I refuse to believe it.”

“Nya…” Rena gently called to her, understanding the Stygian’s pain.

“No, Rena,” Nya snarled, causing the usually stoic Vulsta to take a step back in shock. This wasn’t like her friend at all. “I should have killed him when I had the chance during our fight, and now I learn he’s related to the Saviour? Her son?!”

“You’ll have another chance in the future,” Rena pointed out. “And you can lay the groundwork for that by preparing and training. Taking a loss like that is difficult, but it can be a blessing if you learn from it.”

Nya looked at her friend, conflicted, and Rena was glad that the stone corridor of the monastery was deserted.

“Yes.” Nya sighed as she let go of her anger and returned to her normal self. “You’re right. I’ve taken losses before and I’ve come out stronger. I even faced the Killer Klown himself and sent him fleeing, so the problem isn’t necessarily my abilities, but my mind.”

Rena nodded calmly, seeing that Nya was pulling herself up. “And what is your next move?”

“The Grandmaster is right that I need to make a quick reappearance as Devil’s Daughter,” Nya began, sounding more like her usual self. “The Cult of the Destroyer would be an obvious target, but the ones at the Pallid Pit were wiped out when my friends decided to go there for some reason, though at least we were able to kill the Stygian masquerading as me and tarnishing our people’s reputation."

“As a civilian, I am already friends with Svaarti,” Nya then reasoned. “And unlike her brother, I can actually believe her being related to the Saviour. I can only hope that she wakes and recovers from her arcane backlash. I did talk to her in astral form, so I have faith.”

“So what will you do now?” Rena prompted. The coolly composed Vulsta still expected an answer to her previous question as Nya closed her eyes to think.

“The Whisperers might have something for me,” she decided. “Though there was clearly nothing worthy of Grandmaster Ilvella’s attention, maybe they have something smaller or less reliable I can use to at least be seen by the public.”

“That would be wise,” Rena agreed. “You still need to heal.”

The Chamber of Whispers was set on the ground floor of the monastery, hidden away and far from the entrance or anything else. Following the subtly different pattern of dim lights, the two quickly made their way to the hidden underground bunker that served as their resident spy headquarters.

“BWAH! I knew you’d be up and ready for more work in no time!” a jovial voice called out before they had a chance to knock on the doors. “Hello to you too, Rena!”

“My footsteps were silent…” Rena muttered as they entered the room.

Upon entering, the first thing that struck Nya’s attention was the sheer number of lights illuminating the chamber, bathing the entire room in powerful brightness and allowing for no shadows to form in heavy contrast to the route they took to get here. Then she focused on the huge table in the middle, with a large map projection of Naganai City, complete with many extensive annotations on several notable districts, and with one of the Whisperers compiling a report on the Pallid Pit.

The walls of the room were lined with the blue glow of several monitors, either displaying popular all-day news outlets or with investigation boards on notable personages. In one of the side rooms Nya could see one of the monks at a console talking away on a headset, likely tapping into the community’s small network of contacts in the city from the safety of their remote system.

“Nya!” Head Whisperer Ratai grinned as the chubby Stygian waltzed over and gave her a gentle bear hug that still lifted her off her feet. “I’m glad you’re back! We’ve got news but it’s not urgent, so you should probably rest…”

Ratai gave her a knowing wink.

“What’s new, Ratai?” Nya smiled, used to acting familiar around the man despite his high position.

“HAH!” The Stygian chuckled. “We mostly have reports of the post-klown cleanup, but a few players have already made their moves. Nothing too big, but interestingly I’ve received a reliable rumour that our Outsider friend decided that massacring the klowns wasn’t enough for him and was involved in liberating a thinly populated swamp district."

“He’s claiming it as territory?” Rena asked, suddenly alert. “He may be more of a threat than I had initially warned…”

“No, no.” Ratai’s grin got wider. “Nobody seems to have claimed the land, but interestingly enough Clan Ashtail seems to have rehomed the vast majority of the population, and they seem to be sincere in allowing them to rebuild and recover in their newly annexed territory.”

“Do you consider Clan Ashtail a threat?” Nya asked.

“Of course!” Ratai snorted in amusement. “Vetch Ashtail was the one who all but hinted at the damnable rumour in his last correspondence to me, the smug bastard! His clan plays the game well, but there are many other more nefarious groups that will attempt to take advantage of the chaos. I'm particularly concerned about what Corvin Enterprises will try to do, but if they are planning on making a play, which I am almost positive that they are, then they are being very subtle about it.”

“Anything immediate?” Nya asked.

“That admirer of yours was quick to post a new video!” Ratai teased, causing Nya to bury her face in her hands in embarrassment.

“Don’t remind me.” She groaned. “That guy is pure cringe and you need to stop mentioning him to me!”

“Hah! Well I haven’t gotten much within the city itself, but we’ve found a series of accounts online about gangs trying to run protection rackets and establish themselves as local powers. Maybe you can crush a few of the weaker ones to make an appearance as you recover to full strength?”

“Nya will still need some time to recover,” Rena cautioned. “But if we approach this like any other mission and I act from the shadows, it will be fine.”

“Excellent, I shall begin my delving and let you know.” Ratai smiled. “In the meantime, you kids should go to bed!”

“I wish I didn’t have to.” Nya sighed.

“I didn’t exactly have much of a weekend.”