A new oasis stretched out before them, something the dungeon itself never deserved to possess
Pale glowing stone arched over head in a crude dome, a pool of impossibly clean water gleaming with rippling light in the center.
The wall curved away from the pool, its rough surface etched with symbols Kaelen recognized from the boot he’d crawled over.
Only these formed a massive structure rising to meet the ceiling, designed to purify at a far greater intensity than anything he’d seen before.
[Threat Assessment: Confirmed.
Holy Font Purification Radius – Entire Pool Chamber.]
[Warning: Proximity may cause degradation of partial organism while the direct contact will result in complete erasure.]
Fantastic, I get to hide in this room while he decides not to bathe.
The man stepped forward with quiet confidence, muscles relaxing as he reached to unbuckle his breast-plate.
Golden light shimmered across the tanned skin of his chest where the font’s glow reached through the gaps in his armor.
“Strip and immerse yourself,” Selene ordered arms folded as she watched.
“Your skin exhibits discoloration; the font shall purge whatever is causing this.
I wish to see your coloration restored before we proceed further.”
He had just argued against this very notion fifteen minutes ago, Kaelen noted with sinking stomach.
What little leverage he had over this man was flowing through his veins with every passing second, and there was no reason to believe that now, with the font’s purifying strength, that leverage would return any time soon.
[Neural Infection Progress: 5% Access Granted (Sensory)]
[Warning: Inadequate signal strength for behavioral suggestion under third party observation]
Fine, if I can’t use words to plant ideas directly into his brain perhaps I’ll have to try some visual reinforcement.
It was an imprecise approach with limited applications, but it would suffice.
Kaelen focused on the last connection of the plate armor at Valen’s elbow, a portion of his awareness reaching out along the bundle of nerves which delivered the sensation of touch to the man’s fingertips.
The connection was weak, but strong enough to transmit a small amount of information.
[Ding!
Emergency Visual Signal Access Attempted]
[Target: Optic Nerve – Micro-Spasm Inducement] [Warning: Untested Procedure – Unpredictable Results]
Not perfect, but it will be enough.
He sent a sharp pulse of his conciseness through the bundle of nerves, not a visual image so much as a jarring sensation which translated down inside the man’s nervous system as a strange flickering at the edge of his vision.
It was enough to twist Valen’s head sharply towards the narrow gap between the walls of the pool room.
“Movement,” The warrior rumbled, already drawing his sword as he turned towards the dark corridor at the far end of the chamber.
“There, in the dark!”
“What?!” Selene’s head snapped towards the corridor, but there was nothing in the shadows to see.
“A shadow figure, moving!” Valen snarled, stepping towards the far alcove where nothing lived save for the occasional wandering mirelurk.
“It looks no more than our other opponent, but I strongly suspect there may be a second guardian in this passageway.”
[Ding!
Hallucination Recognized And Accepted As Genuine Threat]
This is amazing,
I’ve managed to convince him that nothing of the sort exists, and yet he truly believes there is danger waiting just beyond the bend in these walls.
The last fastenings on his armor fell away with a soft clatter as Valen moved forward with reckless confidence, muscles tensing with the expectation of combat.
“Stand back,” He ordered, voice tight with repressed frustration.
“If it has followed us this far then we are not likely to escape with our lives.”
“Valen-” Seline began, falling into step beside her commander and weighing the possibilities even as Kaelen manipulated the young man’s senses into a more combat-ready state.
“I don’t see anything.”
“You would not,” Valen stated, shaking dust from his boots as He slashed his sword through the air.
“Its presence is not noted by your wards, while such constructs exist as shadows and living only in this plane of awareness.”
“Are you certain, because the last time I felt an enemy within my wards and turned around to find nothing at all.” She regarded her charge warily for a long moment before taking careful to speak in exactly the same tone in which he spoke just now.
“I would expect you to know what manner of creature haunts this place.
If indeed there is a creature to be found.”
“Shadow constructs.” He repeated, the words coming slower as he circled carefully around the chamber.
“And it is here, following our arrival as surely as if it knew why we came.”
It was an exhausting endeavor, keeping this body moving while his mind spun frantic circles through the depths of its skull.
The sword remained raised even as Valen turned back towards the corridor and watching through his narrowed eyes as the unseen creature paced the opposite wall.
The warrior tested its patience allowing it to linger for nearly two of his own minutes before raising the blade in preparation for a duel that would never come.
[Neural Infection Progress: 12%…15%]
Ah, Kaelen allowed his mouth to stretch into a small smile as new access opened up within the dense jungle of this man’s nervous system.
Not complete control by any means, but enough to carry what he needed to say without losing too much of his natural voice in doubt and hesitation.
“Neural pathway thickness has increased to recommended levels.
Localization speech suggestion is now advised rather than simple visual manipulation.
Probability of success is moderate, but failure will likely be noticeable by the target’s subconscious reviewers.”
Moderate but viable, and with better odds than not for making it all the way through without losing everything at once.
He had no intention of testing these conditions before speaking, but this was already too close to a conversation with a woman who already considered their current circumstances ridiculous to waste that much time.
“This is the best idea you’ve had all day,” He informed Valen’s fingers as they twitched back against his sword’s grip.
“Now, are you ready to allow the font to treat you?”
The man in black shook his head while eyes focused on the empty corridor where nothing ever waited.
“Not yet, not unless absolutely necessary.
I’m certain there is something there that I simply cannot see.”
“You are always certain,” She reminded gently.
“And more than certain; you must be absolutely sure.”
“Because I am,” His grip on the pommel of his sword grew tighter, jaw set with the stubborn expression Kaelen remembered so well from their first meeting.
“I’ve seen it move, I’ve seen it watching us in fits and pulses of motion the way the air moves when snakes strike at your feet.
I think we need the light of that font more than ever right now, and I think we need it before we try to decide anything else.”
“Fine.” He exhaled, drawing the sword back with a frustrated snarl.
“The font, then you are at liberty to do as you will with regards to us continuing or not.”
With renewed purpose the man moved back towards the pool of light, fastening the last strip of metal plating to his body before bending over the glowing water to examine his reflection.
Kaelen felt his breath catch painfully in his lungs as Valen turned his elbow in precisely the direction he had planned.
Fifteen percent he would have liked to see twenty, but this would have to be enough.
It had to be enough, because the next time this body needed his assistance he wasn’t likely to be afforded quite so generous a gift to assist him
This isn’t nearly enough time Kaelen realized suddenly as he saw Valen’s fingers curl tight over the thick leather binding the sword at his thigh, and it was in that moment that he decided, quite firmly, that if he had the option he would rather let him die in the light of that holy font rather than risk another moment under open view at the mercy of enemies he barely knew.