Journal entries: translated

[Rhaine]

It was definitely a night of meetings. As I wandered into the Arena, Imp poofed to me for a hug-lick-grope (and Lord knows I would hardly get annoyed by this creature...), and I could only blow him a kiss in return. Imp is so amusing!

Within a few minutes from this Alais came in, her teleport spell being the usually elegant silver vortex. I couldn't help smiling - have not seen her for month, and Alais is one of the very few I trust. I sat near her, and listened, learning from phrases and between-phrases. The elven necromancer was mainly spending time at the dragon Emerald Isles, so... I had a natural reason to listen. The news of seriously ruined biocenosis were intriguing, however I had to keep cool-and-quiet. I will never venture there, if anything depends on me!

Meanwhile the dueling went on and on, and without second thought I invited Alais to spar a bit. I remembered that silvery blade she used to have, it would have been hardly an issue... so I took the heavy practice longsword I used. Slashing a salute, I waited for my old friend...

But I could not expect THIS to appear. Daemonbane. I remembered how a simple attempt to analyze the artifact almost got me trapped.

Stone bracelet around my left arm almost crushed my bones. I dropped the practice blade, and Glaeddyv Sierthii came into my hand and into my breath. It was so much easier to move with him... so much smoother, easier, brither.

The blades clashes with a hiss. I hardly managed to convince Glaeddyv Sierthii that Alais meant no harm. "It's a part of me," she said. Well, Glaeddyv Sierthii is a part of me as well. More than love, more than family. A part of my soul, shattered by an unknown assassin such a long time ago.

I didn't realize the duel was going well - Glaeddyv Sierthii was keeping me safely entranced. Any clash of blades made my entire being shudder, but at least I was safe. Moving to touch Alais with the flat of the blade, I did my best to evade the black touch of Daemonbane. My kin knew too well how such artifacts affect us.

And Lord help me if anyone in the Temple learns it. I'm not idealistic enough to believe that the time for intrigue is over

[Rhaine]

"I just... can't allow anything to happen to you."

Did I actually manage to babble that aloud? Stupid. In the Inn. Not like anyone cares what I say, I'm no dueling-sport highrank, but still, it's totally stupid to let your weaknesses show.

"Well you could, it would just be very difficult." Artemus' hand was so warm... "I know your temple would prefer me being gutted on an altar."
"Those who would have you gutted had to learn finally that either they appreciate me the way I am, or they have problems," I grinned. Would I ever be able to tell Artemus about the price for this? About Ichius, and about the scars from Baatezu blades that I had real problems healing? About the feeling of being possessed, judged, cleansed by the fire and blood? Unfortunately, Artemus did have some suspicions

"I don't see the heirarchy being so understanding. I will go on an assumption that you had to take some form of test?"

Vitus didn't insist on keeping that a secret, it was just something that had to stay within the Temple walls. In the end, how could I explain what happened? I simply spent a couple weeks in the Temple, waiting for my magic to heal the ugly wounds left by the baatezu.

"A sort of. That plot with the trial - it did have its consequences," I lauged aloud to mask that unwanted pause.
"Well you are unscathed from what I can see, though I will not push at the details. They are for you to share if you want. Not my business," he kissed me again.

Yes. Definitely not yours.

[Rhaine]

We sat in a small cafe at the edge of the Atrium. Aquira nibbled on a piece of fruit, while I kept warming a glass of liquor in my hands. Mentari drink seldom, and prefer their drinks of highest quality possible. A nation of perfectionists. And I had no way to get drunk due to the metabolism of my artifical body. Satellite C-13 was being re-powered, and I had to asssist with the warding now that the twins had shown their spontaneous magic ability.
M-field potential at fifty-seven! That was more than I would have ever expected from them. Where have I erred?

"They are a charge, Aquira. Beside the obvious features they bear a set of traits to be unlocked only when they spread enough. They are a union of metamorph, common magic, and magic of Bound, plus completely unlocked brain with nearly infinite memory. With proper training in memory structuring they would need nearly no additional logging. Built-in wireless neural interface connection would potentially allow them connecting into a network," I attempted a detailed explanation.
"You just can't bear a child without having everything edited to fit your goals, can you? And when the result doesn't turn out to be a normal parent-offspring bond, and your kids start blasting fireballs around just to get you vexed, you become disappointed?" Aquira replied acidically.
"You don't have that pregnancy issue as well, you use replicators and Creche, and you edit your progeny's genome, so that's off the topic. I do not have time to spend here, my life isn't my own, and these professionals of the Creche can't even hold two toddlers in line!"
"Magic toddlers? They definitely can't. You need a mage for that"

Mmm, why isn't this getting any easier with time? Hadn't I wanted to keep them a secret only Aquira and myself knew about? And now I would have to find a mage to start their training early, and a good explanation about why this training is needed and why am I not doing it myself. True, Mentari children grow fast until they're about five, and the twins are equal to them in this part, but still - isn't this a bit too early for magic studies? Midnight, I'm a horrible teacher.. but who would aid me?

Aquira seemed to notice my hesitation from the look on my face. Oops... I should have done a better job at self-control.

"Why don't you talk to the one whose genome you've used in conjunction with the physical part of yours? I know you've altered it a lot, but I also know you kept most of genes you didn't want to change. At least judging by appearances."
"Shut up!" I've screamed. Red fog clouded my vision. How dares she... This was my own damn problem, and my own personal headache. He stated it clearly that he didn't want to be used in any of my experiments, and now - how would I tell him that I used him, consciously and deliberately, used like I would use any other dhoine?!
"Okay, if my mentioning him vexes you so, why did you bring him to this vacation at the Four Moons?" Aquira seemed to be unstirrable. "Or is he just for the bedroom part of life?"
"He would hate me if he finds out..." I groaned.

[Rhaine]

Rambling, audiorecording

I feel caged. Caged with the choice I've made, and hating to have had to make it. Art's ring sears my skin.

Celia and Loyso. Experimental beings that happen to be human-like. My creations, that he may possibly regard as his offspring. Rhaine Rustovich, you are an idiot, choosing to use the easiest path instead of the most secure one. I happen to love them for some reason - even despite the foolish error I made, which allowed their magical talent to activate too early, and start messing up things. I remember how he had reacted to them. Oh yes, I have always said Bound were sterile, barren - and I damn am! But at the Four Moons the line between natural birth and my experiment is non-existant. Using Shifter's genome for them instead of properly calculated synthetic gene insertions was cretinism. Inviting Artemus to help with them was even more idiotic.

It was way back, when I had just returned from a near-death situation in the Temple. When Artemus had saved my life from the imprisoning insanity, and had taken a chestfull of needlegun barrage shards. When he recovered, I kept thinking about losing him again - to a mortal, to freshly returned Shandren, it had nearly become a tradition. What harm it could do - using his unique genes for an experiment? He wouldn't even know, I thought... What a fool I was back then. A sentimental, emotional fool.

And now I feel the full consequences of this.

[Rhaine]

"The project is progressing as planned, Saelbain. I've even exceeded the expectations and placed two genetic charges into the Mentar environment. As soon as the genes spread, the ascension would be activated. As to the third component, it is already being tested."
"Excellent. I am glad for your unfortunate affair with the mortal no longer hindering your progress, High Priestess."
"Better yet, Sael, we're actually using it. His genome contained the necessary allels for creation of the charges"

Devil's expression reminded of a fang-ache at the mentioning of Artemus.

"At least something useful from this mortal. Have you reached the agreement with Bloodline Council? I'm still not sure why have you not assumed any formal power position there, which would have allowed you to act openly in the potentially beneficial situation with Dockside Epidemic"
"Agreement has been reached. Althos bloodline has received Progression Permit. And it's too early to enter the center stage, Saelbain. We should not make our game obvious until it's too late to stop us."

Fingers play with rank medallion idly. Washed in the blood of hopes... The medallion that is nothing but a symbol - the true mark is inside, etched into my very being. A crack in the weave of magical pattern. A brand on the un-physical body. A dissonating note in the haunting melody of Trance. For a moment I feel a prisoner in the Temple.

The game of future feels like an abyss opening before me, drawing me in.

[Rhaine]

This place is worse than maddening. I shouldn't have gone to Beltane celebration. Really.

The crowd, beings and scents, fields and spectral prints. It was painfully bright. A swirl of unfamiliar faces, which reminded me more of a crowd on some fancy reception or (as I picked up from human sources) a prom in a high school. Well, it was a fancy reception in a way. The newly elected governor threw in some standard titles for Beltane court (and I thought this guy had a brain he could use...), and the crowd cheered. Kissing booths and dunking booths - this was something as standard as an airtight dome on a new low-tech colony.

It was depressing. But what else could I expect?

I wandered around, trying to enjoy the celebration, until I nearly bumped into a heavily armored human being. Male, rather tall and physically fit (judging by the heavy armor the guy's been dragging around, he had to be fit). Armored - at Beltane?! What an idiot, I thought at first. And next I was able to compare the spectral image of the armored one, to regular humans. I wasn't too close to the being, a few yards maybe... but I struggled to breathe and move, and to keep up the disguise shell.

It was nearly unnoticed at first, just magical background being a bit less dense, like air at hight altitudes. But now... it was nearly untolerable. Just like in the ancient Chimera temple, and I was glad that Topaz didn't come
to the celebration.

He was dampening the magic a dozen yards around him. For others only dimming magical lights could be the indicator, but for the likes of me... In this revelry, there was a danger. And I wasn't even armored, the "living metal" remained safely stored in the Outpost. In the crowd of magic users, there was a human rude enough to keep the magic suppressor aura up and running, what could be more offending?

Aquira Gair, I'll surely kill you... someday

I left at maximum speed.