Force2reckon

  Apparently, there was a lot to learn about two-handed weapons. Temate had grown up in a society where two handed weapons weren't really something you could just have lying around. So he'd learned lighter weapons, daggers, knives, knuckles, and hand to hand combat in general. The closest thing he got to a two-hander was staves and a spear.

  "Why are you holding it like that! You don't need so much strength you need control! Here!" Karje snapped. She took Temate's hands and readjusted them. One hand slid up neatly onto the top of the hilt, the second she pced on the bde itself.

  "This just really doesn't seem safe." Temate grumbled.

  "Well suck it up squidpup!" Karje snapped as she imitated his grip on her much safer bardiche. "You're fighting in caverns and enclosed spaces, you gotta learn to half-hand or you won't have the control to keep up. Grip tight and use that bone thing you do to protect your hand if you need."

  Temate followed Karje through a few motions, regurly she would stop and help him adjust his positioning. Over a few minutes Temate learned how to adjust his grip and get much more fine control over the massive bde he carried. He quite liked the bde, it felt strangely familiar if a bit rge. The long weapon sat at nearly 7 feet in length, longer than he was tall which was a rare find for him. Rarer still that Karje was wielding it.

  Temate looked over at the small kith tiger girl and couldn't fathom so much power in such a small body. She was barely taller than Toni, yet there she was, swinging a gleaming brass bardiche that would again be better fit for Temate. And she did it so smoothly, it barely whistled as it swung up and into his guard. The ctter of the brass against the dark, gleaming obsidian pnk with sharpened edges that served as his new weapons bde rung through his fingers. He grumbled and shook his hand of the numbness then did something he really should have thought of from the start.

  He shifted the hilt of the bde from his main hand to his off hand, and pced his dominant hand that was all bone and no nerve, on the swords edge. Then gestured for Karje to continue. With a nod Karje returned to flinging strike after strike at him, half of them he only caught because of [Oversight]. Each blow rang against his bde, but his bone arm absorbed the impact with ease, much better! Finally, he caught one of her blows firmly on his weapons edge and dug into old memories of childhood lua lessons.

  With a swift step and shift of the bde he brought the spread anvil head top of his new sword down and hooked Karje's handle. With that momentum he smmed her weapon into the ground throwing her off bance. His foot kicked out to hook her own but she leapt forward over his foot and over his bde, twisting her bardiche to try and hook his bde. In response Temate took a lunging step forward and swung his bde violently. Karje abandoned her bardiche as she bent backwards to avoid the strike and then.

  "No! Too slow! UGH!" Karje hissed at Temate. "Don't put so much weight into it! Let the bde do that!" She grumbled as she took her bardiche back and slid it onto her back.

  "It doesn't feel right, I've never been a precision fighter." Temate growled back. "Hell it's the whole reason I stopped taking lessons when I was young, I prefer hitting hard and fast."

  "Then that weapon is perfect for you." Karje sniffed. "Also, it's Scar or Pits or Deeps, depending on your preferred bad pce."

  "Huh? Oh that's-" Temate nodded toward Karje. "Thank you for that, but what do you mean about this weapon being perfect for me? It's heavy, sure but I can't leverage that when I'm fighting like you're showing me."

  "You don't need to Sir. It's an infused weapon, when it makes impact it imitates a full force strike if you were aiming for that."

  That... That made Temate halt as he moved to put the bde into it's own holster. He stopped and held it out, examining it with [Magic Eye]. Sure there was some power in it, but it was... dormant for the most part. Or that's what he had thought.

  "Are you sure?" Temate grumbled.

  "Been usin it for nearly a year, should know how it works. That's how I could use such a big..." Karje paused and shook her head, making her ears flick adorably. "Weapon so effectively." She finished.

  "So any strike I want to be full force, will be as if I'd put my all into it?" Temate asked, examining the weapon more deeply with [Magic Eye] while trying to keep an ear out for her answer.

  "Yes and no, there's a threshold of force you have to reach, qualify it as an attack I assume." Karje replied.

  Temate didn't hear if there was another response as he dipped into the bdes power, digging deep, beyond that surface level of dormant power. Deeper and deeper he went until he felt cold dark all around him, gripping him with the pressure of deep waters. He found himself floating in a void, a sea of darkened power.

  Alone.

  So alone.

  He felt so empty, so hungry.

  Yet he was waking up. He'd fed recently, just a bit. A small morsel enough to waken himself.

  Enough to know he must temper the hunger.

  To not let it control him, but not to ignore it either.

  It was in Him. He was in It.

  They were together.

  Off in the dark currents a dim green light began to flicker before Temate's eyes and drew him in. Slowly he swam forward to it, growing ever closer with each pull of his arm.

  Closer.

  Closer.

  "Come closer-" It whispered, a cold yet soothing voice drowned out by the silence. "Come closer and hear me."

  Closer.

  The green amorphous mass took form. A shifting, glimmering shade of a man, someone long gone their form shifting between a dozen, hundred faces. Finally Temate stared back into his own face, bnk and empty.

  "I hear you. Sing to me." Temate requested on instinct. "Sing me your song."

  "I am the Oath, sworn to protect.To shield from nature, nurture, detect,The obscured and consumedto free putrefact.

  I am the Sacrament, cross borne to bareagainst foul, rot, despoiled born unfairThe lost and shackledsever free."

  The words filled Temate's mind, not so much a song but a chant. An oath and a request. It asked simply one thing of him.

  "Will you bear this cross?" The form held It's hand out. Temate had no hesitation, violence and death had always been His nature. Much as Its nature was hunger. Yet like It, He had tempered His violence to a tool, a weapon to wield to protect those He loved.

  If He could do that, He would bear any cross.

  He took Its hand.

  "The Sacrament is made. The Guillotine comes once more to a worthy Executioner. Seek out Our sheath in the Depths."

  "-don't know, he just-" swimming voices of concern filled his ears as Temate "-he went too deep, I think, yes! Temate! You okay?" A soft frame wrapped around his back, holding him steadily. "Baby, you alright? You okay?"

  "Y-yeah." Temate replied to Toni's pestering questions, reaching back to put a hand on her head. As he came to he realized he was on one knee, leaned against Toni with Karje standing in front of him. Karje's hairs were all standing up, her hands held out as if she didn't know what to do. He smiled softly at her. "Sorry to worry you Karje."

  Temate moved his hand from Toni's head to grab Karje's paw gently. She pulled away at the st moment and crossed her arms, shaking her head cutely again.

  "It's fine, you just suddenly got all..." Karje imitated going bnk, her irises growing to fill her eye like a cat. "Y'know. Spooked me."

  "Yeah sorry that was... more than I expected to get from an examination." Temate gritted his teeth as he hefted himself up on Guillotine. A green phantasmal glow shifted across Guillotine in the low light of the chamber. Temate could feel it's power more clearly now as he hefted the bde up with one hand easily sliding it into the makeshift sheath on his back.

  It felt wrong.

  The sheath felt wrong.

  He turned to Chei who was sitting with a dopey grin on her face, hugging the Belosh's head.

  "Hey, don't we have a meeting to get to?" He said with more force then he meant to, trying to move on while he grappled with what he'd experienced.

  "Hmmm~ Ah yes!" Chei pulled herself away, leaving her hand wrapping with Belosh's palp for a second. "I'll be back soon okay?~ I have lots of work I'd like to talk about!"

  "Yes yes! Come back soon! I love good work, and you taste nice!" Belosh replied.

  "Heehee, such a charmer!~" Chei waved to Belosh as they made their way to the cave entrance. When finally Belosh was out of sight Chei let out a deep, satisfied breath. "Storm and Tides you have woken something in me Temate.~" Chei giggled.

  "Fuck, I'm so s-" Toni began.

  "Don't. Chei won't tell anyone will you?" Temate cut Toni off. Chei motioned her tail into her lips and bit the tip. "Sorry, not from your world, expin?" He gestured a hand towards her.

  "Satveak thing, I'd eat my tail first." Karje expined for Chei who shook her head in affirmation first. "And you're my Boss. I call you what you want, and keep whatever secrets I'm told to." Karje stated.

  "If anyone asks, my name is Mate. That's the name I've chosen, so that's my name regardless." Mate said.

  "I'm really sorry Daddy I didn't-" Toni thumped her forehead with her hand.

  "Stop, you've nothing to be sorry about, I could've solved this ages ago. Toni, look at me." Temate commanded and saw Toni's eyes snap to his. "Whenever you try to call me Temate, you will instead say Mate." Temate ordered. He watched her eyes expand and contract, telltale signs of his [Dominion] influencing her.

  She smiled softly when her eyes refocused. "Thank you Daddy." She whispered. Temate smiled back at her, then gave her a long, soft kiss.

  "I've been meaning to ask.~" Chei spoke into the kiss, after giving them enough time to share in each other. "Daddy? Are you two reted? Cause that's-"

  "No."

  "No!" Both Toni and Temate said together.

  "-kinda ho- Oh! Uh... sorry you humans all kinda... I just assumed... Nevermind forget I asked!~" Chei giggled awkwardly as she started heading onward.

  "Wait. You're not reted?" Karje asked, looking confused.

  "It's- Do you guys not have... I mean you must have..." Toni looked to Temate as she stumbled over the words.

  "It's just her way of referring to me cause I act fatherly for her. And I'm older by a few years." Temate expined. "No blood retion, no direct family. In our homend I'm from an isnd and she's from a mainnd." He continued following after Chei, back onto the main thoroughfare of Undermount.

  "Mmm, I suppose that makes sense." Karje said but her scrunched face belied her confusion.

  "I mostly just used it cause I couldn't keep his name straight." Toni said with a blush. "And also cause it was kinda hot, but I guess it would be confusing randomly."

  "Just call me by my name in public going forward, since that Order should fix it." Temate told her. Toni nodded but he could tell she looked a bit saddened

  They travelled in silence for awhile, mostly due to the cacophony of sounds around them as they walked. Those voices only grew louder as they approached what appeared to be a T-junction. Several rge structures stood out at this small intersection. A huge megastructure of residential spaces carved into the top of the T all the way to the ceiling.

  On the side of the T they approached from was what appeared to be a cornerstore mart straight out of a major city. A bright glowing sign reads 'Sinire's Goods and Wares!' above the entrance. Set into a much rger structure of smoothed stone, the front crystal panes were lit from within. Various signs dispyed food, drink and other necessities that Temate didn't recognize. One massive sign read 'Every Portbar from Deeps to Coasts!' with a little beach and ocean seen from the side, dozens of portbars scattered throughout.

  Across from that was a towering, three story structure bring with noise and light. Every surface was covered in decorative metals and windows, quite the opposite of the gray block surrounding Sinir's. A heavy, drumming music filled the air as Chei approached it. Two burly, squat men with dark ashy skin ran towards the door shouting.

  "ROCKIN STOOOOOOOHN!"

  Temate ughed a bit at that. He followed closely behind Chei through the open doors and into a remarkable cozy interior. Warm lights cast across a glittering crystal floor from gleaming, multi colored gems hovering throughout the air. The center of the room was a sunken circle, within which a group of colorful figures sat thrumming on drums. They sat and talked and filled the room with wonderfully soothing rhythm.

  Each beat of the drums sent a cascade of shifting color through the gemstone lights around the sunken stage. Across from the circle pit was a vast bar, behind which stood an elderly, squat, grey skinned man cleaning a gss. As if straight from a show where they didn't know what to do with the bartender. All around the half circle room were a series of booths, kept retively private by the curvature of the room and the tall backs which set straight against the ceiling above.

  The rest of the space was filled with people dancing, slow and methodically to the rhythm of the drums. Standing circur tables had various people's gathered and discussing what sounded to be te night shifts just now ending. It was a strangely familiar sight to Temate.

  "It's a fucking dance club?!" Toni hissed. Apparently it was familiar to her too, though only the ambience was the same as the clubs back home.

  "Rockin Stohn is one of the premier Inn's in the city.~" Chei said as she wrapped her arms around both Toni and Temate's. "It's also a notable meeting ground between those who live in Undertown, Undermount and the Darknds beyond both; and those who live in North or South Occiden and the Surfacends beyond!~"

  "Fascinating." Temate said.

  "There's the contact you described." Karje said quietly, elbowing Toni and pointing off to a far booth.

  Sat in the booth was a lifante, grey of skin, elephantine in appearance and form, but fully bipedal with opposable thumbs and thick fingers. A yellow cowl was wrapped over their head, their ears tucked somewhere beneath. Their upper torso was bare but for light, metallic bracers and shoulderpads. A wide belt wrapped around their torse, thick yellow strips of cloth hung down over dark grey trousers.

  Most noticeable was his size. Even moreso as they approached him. Skatoor had been basically a giant, standing maybe twice Temate's height side by side. D'maak Lifante was much smaller, only maybe half Temate's height by a quick estimate. The group approached the table and Temate called out.

  "D'maak Lifante?" He asked.

  D'maak turned, looked them over, and frowned. "I was told it'd be rookies, but I didn't realize it'd be... Humans." He muttered but gestured across from him.

  "Something wrong with humans" Toni snapped as Temate sat down.

  "Bad eyesight in the dark for one." D'maak said. "Makes it harder to work in Undertown." D'maak held up his thick, gray hand and began counting. "Fragile compared to most. No natural [Power]s, so often cking in combat strength. This is probably goin to be dangerous work, rather not have deadweight."

  "You don't even know us, how dare y-" Toni began.

  "They won't be deadweight." Karje cut in.

  D'maak turned to look at Karje as if just noticing her. "Hmm. Loyalty of a Kith is a good sign. Still, I'd rather not trust my back to someone who I haven't even heard of before."

  "Fight me." Temate said calmly.

  Everyone except Karje seemed shocked by the statement. D'maak's eyes narrowed as he stood up.

  "If you think just cause I'm small that I'll be-"

  "Stuff it with your insecurity. You want to know if I can handle myself. I want to know if you can. So fight me." Temate cut him off.

  The two stared at each other for a second, Temate examined D'maak thoroughly with his [Magic Eye]. He didn't like what he saw, he was pretty sure that a fight between him and D'maak would be one-sided. And not in his favor. Karje he could stand toe to toe and even above, but she was clearly a young rising star type of person.

  D'maak was a veteran. And his [Power]s showed that. He wasn't that insecure about his size seeing as he had [Power]s focused on it, or maybe the insecurity strengthened it? It didn't really matter. After what felt like 5 minutes of staring each other down D'maak ughed and sat back down.

  "Well with guts like that, I suppose you can probably handle yourself. Brigire wouldn't send you if you couldn't." D'maak said with a hint of amusement. He gestured toward a passing satveak woman with bright pink scales. "My usual, and something strong for my new friends!"

  "Wait?! That was a test?!" Toni shouted.

  "Yes, and you both passed. Fair warning, I said it as a test, but in Undertown there's plenty of people who really do think less of human's. You'll be up against that as well as our actual work, you up for that?"

  "Sounds like home." Toni said, rolling her eyes as she sat down. "We can handle an investigation, especially with some helpful locals. So, what do you got?" She leaned across the table with her arms crossed.