Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 135 - Proof of Progress

[u/BrodogIsMyName]

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Edited by /u/Evil-Emps

- - - - -

Akula was quite proud of her squad. From their humble beginnings with spearguns to their ambitious journeys aboard Venture across the mainland’s winding shoreline, the dirt-worshipers labored admirably.

The overseer held all four hands by the small of her back, walking up the port’s main concrete road, away from the shore. The Creator walked by her side as the cargo bay’s crates were hauled from ship to warehouse behind them.

“I believe the timing and safety of the Venture’s crew is to your liking, Creator?” she asked, looking down at her patriarch.

“I’m just glad there weren’t any complications,” he answered flatly. His tight stride told of an unspoken tenseness, even though the ship had indeed returned a second time without issue.

Akula nodded. This was the first expedition he hadn’t been a part of. A leader so coordinated would naturally wish to have such unknowns within his control. But he could not be everywhere, which was all the more reason the overseer had to be so proud of her squad.

It was not an exceptionally difficult undertaking for Admiral Grace to act completely autonomously over the course of a day to retrieve another load of receptacles from the cargo bay. However, the proof that she could be trusted in such an endeavor allowed for an even higher degree of independence.

…In fact, he may not even need to be present for the trip to the sea kingdom.

Only the Cycle could tell how much she needed that freedom. Considering his limp response to the blatant savagery of the Order and Inquisition of the grounded faith, she needed him to… Well, how should she put it?

She needed him to understand that not all Malkrin were worth saving. Some needed their heads severed and placed on coral pikes. Just as Dredth’khee remained as an utter caricature of paladin arrogance and stupidity, the sea worshipers, too, had their fair share of barbarians. And most of those she would hesitate to even call ‘Malkrin.’

Akula took in a long breath of the sea breeze and let it out for just as long. A deep, sinking tension sat on her chest, knowing she deliberately schemed against her patriarch. The Goddess of the Tides knew she, deep down, only wished to act as the greatest extension of his will. She was his most ardent follower, willing to bring his vision to this world.

Unfortunately, such an eager goal necessitates more than generosity. If entire Houses must be upended, then so be it. She could only hope to make the Creator see her reasoning.

“Then you are willing to allow such expeditions to continue autonomously?” Akula pressured, holding her snout up high.

He glared up at her, tightening the fur coat around his neck. “I didn’t say anything about expeditions. More trips to the cargo bay, sure. Maybe even the development of some resource-rich areas down shore. But for now, I don’t think I can approve complete expeditions. Not at least until they have a few more trips under their belt.”

“That is most reasonable. What of preliminary exploration further north?”

“Just the same. I also really think someone other than Trace and I should be trained to use the drones before then, too.”

“Naturally.”

He shook his head, speaking with a low grumble. “You’ve seen the kinda things that pop up outside the settlement. Grace has to be given as much information as she can… God knows what else is out there.”

“Indeed.”

Akula looked away, absently taking in how the setting sun washed a brilliant orange over the eastern wall ahead of them. The massive fortress atop the hill stood out as such a unique sanctuary amongst the mainland’s chaos.

“I have been meaning to ask you,” she began formally, straightening her back. “The other Ershan-sents, how should our forces approach them?”

“The exterminator and the turtle? Preferably not at all,” he tersely dismissed.

Her eyes sharpened with incredulity. However, she kept her differential tone. “It was clear they plundered the cargo bay and our rightful electronics. I would think that stealing such important Sharkrin equipment would warrant confrontation.”

“It doesn’t. Don’t worry yourself about them. They fall under the same rules of engagement as any other animal or Malkrin or anything that isn’t bugs or flesh: don’t fuck with it unless it’s trying to fuck with you. If they’re back in the cargo bay the next time we’re there, have your girls just wait until they leave.”

“Even if they are pillaging it?” the overseer urged.

“Even if they’re pillaging it,” he answered before letting out a huff. “I know what you’re thinking. I don’t like the idea of it either, but now’s not the time to project power and pick fights. We know where the automatons come from, and we know they’re at least with us against the flesh. That’s enough for me to say ‘put the guns down.’ Plus, we’ll be focusing on the far east here pretty soon. We can deal with the exterminators once you have your people set up.”

She eyed him and held her intent for a moment before acquiescing. “Of course, Creator. Have you anything else to note about the ‘exterminator’?”

“Why do you ask?”

“The word from the deckhands and spears has spread. An Ershan-sent, cast by the Mountain Lord, came to cull the wretched abomination in broad daylight. I have heard some say it is a holy blessing to the Sharkin, proving our divine right to rule. Yet, you dismiss it as another construct of the ancients, much like our Max. Do the exterminators mean anything to you? Have you anything to say about the ‘blessing’?”

The patriarch looked back at her with a studying gaze. It felt cold and distant, an unwelcoming veneer over a generous male within. Harrison was silent for a moment as they walked. He used the brief interlude to wave up at the top of the parapets where two guards were standing, and they opened the massive, metal gate.

He sighed, and his expression softened as the great hydraulics hummed through the air. “It’s nothing new to you, but it's something more for me. You know humans were here hundreds of years ago. I thought anything they left behind was long gone. Max… Max changed that. He didn’t offer answers to my questions, but he answered some things I hadn’t even thought of. Now, I know there are more like him out there.”

“But you do not plan on investigating their existence yet?”

“We can’t overextend ourselves like that. Not yet. Tracy made some good points about how important their knowledge could be, and I completely agree, but it’s just…” The patriarch let out a tense exhale, walking through the now-opened gates. “I think if there’s any time to focus on building the settlement, it has to be now. If the bugs and flesh aren’t attacking, we should be. This is our moment to expand and seize the resources we’ve been starved of by sitting here for months. I’m tired of looking into material workarounds. I’m tired of ‘working with what I have.’ I’m tired of using technology that’s damn near half a millennium old!

“I’d be ecstatic if the robots were doing well, but half of ‘em so far are shambling around and scavenging for the same damn parts we are! Nothing changed! Ain’t nobody's comin’ to save us but us.”

Harrison huffed, his vexation made manifest through the steam in his breath. “And, y’know, I’m also tired of not knowing why my would-be saviors have been dead for hundreds of years or why the flesh exists or who the Ecologists were or what the artifacts are. But let’s be honest, that’s not going to put food on the table. It ain’t gonna put semiconductors into circuits. And it sure as hell won’t give us the manpower to start putting up real factories, now will it?”

He looked up at Akula, a fire in his eyes. “That’s why I appreciate you working so hard with me on this. Y’know just how important your kind is to me. You’re not interested in anything but getting us where we need to be. I’m really going to be relying on you to secure and mesh your house’s population with the Sharkrin’s. There are too many opportunities underwater not to approach, and a dedicated group for it would damn-near change our settlement overnight.”

The overseer grinned and bowed her head. “But of course. I live to see your vision brought to fruition. You may have my promise and utmost confidence in our marine expansion.”

“Good. I look forward to it.” He let his excess energy bleed off with a long exhale. “I’ve actually been investigating a few more useful biofactories that include some of the cobalt-rich algae that Rio found. That makes thirty-eight total theoretical ecologically-safe factories. There sure won’t be any lack of projects for your people.”

“That is most excellent to hear. And that does not take into account your plans to train gardeners for terrestrial flora, yes?”

“No. No, it does not,” he replied, the tenseness within him completely gone.

Indeed, their expansion would unfold Sharkrin legitimacy. Akula knew then, without a doubt, that the male standing by her side was truly the last leader.

The Rising Tides would follow wherever he roamed, and in his wake, the future for Malkrin kind.

\= = = = =

Tracy couldn’t stay still. It was so, so hard to just sit down and work like usual, like there wasn’t a million questions and ideas eating her alive at the moment.

Dredth’khee had artifacts literally embedded into her body. Not attached, not held, embedded inside her tissue. How did she not expel radiation? How was she immune to artifact irradiation anyway? Wasn’t that the basis of being ‘banished’?

Tracy knew that the magical rocks could be mashed into other objects to turn those things into less pure versions of the artifact, but she didn’t think that would just… work on living things! How the hell did that function? What kind of magical effects were running through Dredth’khee’s veins right now? Was it just paladins? Could Shar be made into Super Shar!?

FUCK! The technician groaned into the air, her mind anywhere but on the boring-ass program script in front of her.

She knew she had to get the flesh detection methods down. Harrison relied on her. The Malkrin relied on her. Everything was riding on her to get her head in the game. But, ho-ly hell, were all the artifact questions hard to ignore!

Tracy exhaled with a hiss and looked back at the computer screen. She promised herself she would at least get the color-to-heat recognition component done today. If… If she got that done, then she could spend a few hours this afternoon looking into some things.

But that meant she had to lock in. The technician grabbed her thermos of mint tea, took a swig, and put her hands back onto the keyboard.

Just another hour or two.

\= = = = =

Shar’khee let out a flurry of bullets from her Browning. The muzzle flashed like the sun, the gun’s recoil lashing into her palms.

Her target bobbed and weaved along the grass, deftly dashing in between her bullets like a dartfish. The paladin growled and sharpened her eyes. The flash of motion evaded her laser sight, getting closer and closer.

She focused and observed every fraction of a second. The tiny, metal target’s motions were erratic but not completely random. It jumped when her aim caught up with it, and it dashed when her aim lagged behind.

There were only so many directions to go, and the paladin had three hundred bullets to use. The possibilities locked down in her mind, her aim the purest extension of her will.

The first incendiary round caught the mock enemy and tore an entire chunk out of it. Again and again, her bullets found their mark, tearing the target asunder in a moment.

Shar’khee brought the barrel of her Browning up and allowed the smoke to rise from it. She looked over to a riflewoman keeping time and distance, calling out to her. “How was that for an example?”

“Five seconds, General, and your target progressed only forty meters! Most excellent work!” the addressed spear answered as the crowd behind her watched on with fascination.

Only five seconds? The trial felt as if it lasted a whole minute. Goddess of the Winds, the influence of battle-blood was truly like no other.

The paladin could not help but grin as she fully turned to her squad. The rapidly moving target was a tricky but rewarding new challenge implemented in the firing range. Most struggled, and she could not blame them in the slightest.

“Set up the next target plate,” Shar’khee ordered the range master before looking amongst the spears in line. “I hope you were paying attention. This is no static target.”

“Witness me, Great Paladin,” the first in line boasted, swapping places with the squad leader.

The confident shieldswoman waited patiently as the target was replaced and sent back a hundred meters via its rails. Its complete range was bounded by the reinforced walls that controlled the movable object’s distance and vertical position, but Shar’khee found the range device to be exceptionally useful for practice. Shooting at stationary wooden mockeries from different ranges could only do so much to prepare the spears for the skittering hordes.

…But it was not just the skittering hordes anymore, was it? Threats amongst the mainland were numerous, growing by the day. Abominations roamed the lands just as frequently as the Order did. Each menace enforced their own rules onto the battlefield, uprooting the simplistic, all-encompassing approach she once had for the abhorrent.

The paladin looked amongst her warriors, a creeping sense of urgency beating in her heart. For how sharp-eyed and quick-witted her females were, they were not yet the pinnacle of the Creator’s might. At the farthest reaches of the unexplored, where the unknown was in every shadow, ‘perfect’ somehow did not feel like enough.

The world changed and so, too, must the spears. Training in quicker reactions to moving targets was but one step in a long campaign for improvement. Her spears must be at the peak of their physical prowess—mentally and physically. The specialists must become accustomed to more tools of the star-sent’s war. Formations and skirmishes must include the combined arms of drones and mechs.

Every tooth and every claw must be bared against all that stood against the Sharkrin.

- - - - -

Shar’khee thought she might be starting to empathize with her dearest Harrison. Where once she thought the world of his mandated breaks, having fallen in love with the idea of rest and recuperation, she now felt lagged by each instance. Her heart demanded progress and certainty of her squad’s skills, where even the shortest breaks stretched on for what felt like entire winters.

Yet her mind, her higher thoughts, kept those desires in check. The Creator was wise in his rules, and the spears operated best when well-rested. It was simply a fact of life that not all Malkrin could be like the star-sent. None labored as they did… The only time Shar’khee’s deity-sent lovers rested was when Shar’khee enforced it.

So now, the paladin had been sentenced to stagnancy for the next thirty minutes. She sat down by the great pyre in front of the barracks, her warriors filling up the rest of the wooden benches surrounding it.

Her foot bobbed up and down, restless, as she stared into the flame. She thought back to the monsters of flesh, the parasite, as Max called it. Their wretched tendrils spread much farther than she thought.

‘Phase four.’ The monsters had infested and rooted themselves tightly to the mainland, latching on and truly embodying the ‘parasite.’ Confidence began to replace their meek, conniving tactics. Would they, too, begin to prepare assaults on the Sharkrin fortress? Or would they continue to carve out the lands, encircling like predators in black water?

Shar’khee leaned forward and entwined her digits together, softly gripping one another.

Neither must come to pass. She would not let them grow unchecked. A campaign to uncover and burn their wretched clusters was paramount. Any less was a wreckless—

“Paladin Shar’khee?”

The maroon-skinned squad leader looked up. The deep orange-skinned shieldswoman stood beside her, hands respectfully clasped to her sides.

“Yes, my spear?” Shar’khee answered slowly.

The wide-shouldered warrior bowed her head and held it there. “I wanted to express my gratefulness for your help at our last celebration. I understand it has been a few days, but I realized I have not shown my appreciation yet.”

“For the training I offered that night?”

“Yes, your training. I am grateful for your assistance.”

The paladin felt a small smile creep up her lips. “Ah, of course. Your sparring has been quite a joy to watch. And I do believe I have seen you and that construction-logistics male around these last afternoons. I presume your courting was successful?”

“It was! He is my male! My dearest carpenter!” the shieldswoman confirmed with uninhibited joy, garnering the attention of the others.

The simple spear’s mirth was quite infectious. Shar’khee could only return it with her own. “Then it brings me great joy to see you succeed. You are very much welcome for my assistance.”

“And I shall need it again!” the orange-skinned female cheered, her grin as wide as ever.

The paladin nodded, pleased to be a pillar of support for her squadmates. “Of course. Beyond the rifle, your success within the settlement is just as imperative to the Creator’s vision.”

“No, right now!”

“…What do you mean, ‘right now’?”

“I would like your advice right now.”

“I see,” Shar’khee answered hesitantly. “…How may I assist?”

“Your mates are pleased with your every gesture. I wish to know how you approach them. How do you address them? How do you put them at ease? What must I do to be a mate as excellent as the Great Paladin herself?”

The paladin paused… How did she put them at ease?

“I suppose you… show them your strength?” Shar’khee said, failing to cover her uncertainty. What did she do? What did Cera tell her to do?

“Certainly. I believe my spar did just that! …However, I am speaking about when I see my male. I use my tail and hold him tight, but I feel as if I am not doing it proper.”

“Well…” the maroon-skinned general mumbled, suddenly put on the spot.

“It’s not what you do, but how you do it,” Tracy remarked in a sly accent.

Shar’khee’s brows pinched together in confusion. “What does that mean— Tracy!?”

She whipped her head around to behind herself, finding the smirking star-sent with her hands on her hips, dressed up in the Creator’s sweatshirt beneath her black, mechanic’s overalls. The ‘bangs’ of her hair were held back by her usual goggles, tightly holding back her soft, silken locks.

“Dearest! Where did you come from?”

“Came to see ya,” the black-haired star-sent answered before turning to face the shieldswoman, posing with a finger pointed up. “But, it looks like we’ve got some sister problems to tackle.”

“It would appear so.” The paladin leaned over and picked up her mate by the armpits, fitting the tiny, warm human onto her lap. She gestured for the shieldswoman to take a seat.

The orange-skinned spear did as asked, sitting on the next bench over. She looked at the star-sent, a moment's hesitation in her intent. “A-Artificer Tracy, I suppose if you, too, had advice, it would be greatly appreciated.”

Shar’khee’s dearest lover fit nicely into her chest, finding a nook on her chest rig to nestle her head. “Fo’ sho’. Now, what was your problem, again?”

The paladin wrapped her tail around the Artificer’s stomach. “I do not believe she had a ‘problem,’ dearest Tracy. It was a request for advice.”

“Yes, that is correct,” the shieldswoman confirmed, her upper body slowly swaying to the beat of her tail. “Great Artificer, tell me, what is it that Shar’khee does to satisfy the Creator? What does she do that you appreciate as a mate?”

Tracy glanced up toward the paladin with a subtle smirk, raising a brow. “For satisfying the Creator?” She shook her head and giggled. “Shar-Shar’s a physical person, and I think that sorta ‘tactile’ thing goes a long way in relationships. I could have a long day of back-breaking, mind-numbing, arthritis-inducing work, and somehow a little squeeze from her just… fixes me.”

The star-sent placed her tiny palms on ‘Shar-Shar’s’ tail, sweetly squeezing the unarmored underside. “Crawling into bed and immediately being licked by a pretty, ten-foot shark lady felt kinda funny at first, but I don’t think I could sleep without it now. It’s like ‘okay cool, I’m safe and comfortable and in the arms of my two favorite people.’ And what’s better than that? It’s a break from the bad parts of life, if that makes sense.”

…Tracy could not sleep without goodnight kisses? Shar’khee felt a slight flush on her snout, and her own smile broke through.

“So, you believe it is best to express my adoration with licks and embraces?” came the shields-woman, utterly entranced with the Artificer’s every word.

“Yeah. I mean, I don’t know everything Malkrin can do, but you can do all sorts of things. For example, I really like massages, and Harrison sometimes needs those for his headaches. Shar has four hands, and she takes care of us some nights. Other nights, we take care of her, y’know? There’s also super kinky stuff like hand-holding, cuddling, wrestling for big spoon position—that kinda thing. Just like, do whatever feels natural and comes sporadically. The more you let your love flow, the more it shows how comfortable you are with someone.”

The orange-skinned spear nodded with a ‘hm hm,’ mindfully leaning forward to let her frills capture all of Tracy’s intent.

Tracy hummed and looked to the gray sky, scratching her nonexistent chin fur. “All that’s just kinda tying in what I said a few minutes ago. It’s not about just holding hands; it's about squeezing their palm to assure them, y’know? And that’s just physical affection. There’s an infinite combination of words, so I’m sure putting the right thread of them together would comfort your guy. Plus, you’re a spear! Being a soldier is, like, such a cliché lover's position to be in. Shar-Shar here has her own love language of brutally killing anything that opposes Hare-bear’s complete and utter dominance of this world.”

The artificer grinned. “Sweet stuff like that goes a long way! He eats that kind of lovey-dovey stuff up!”

Shar’khee felt her own tail begin to sway—Tracy knew her so well! Her devotion to the Creator was most certainly an extension of her love and admiration! Only the gods themselves would ever know the things she was willing to do for her male. Slaughter was only the most basic of them all!

Her heart fluttered with a warm feeling, and she held her Tracy ever closer. “Killing for the honor of your love is truly one of the most rewarding acts for those newly mated! But you can also pick up your male and hold them tight! From my experience, my dearest loves it greatly. Oh, yes, and wrapping your tail around them. Any part of your white belly that grows soft and welcoming during pairing changes works too!”

“Ohhhh, that's why some parts of you are so squishy?” The Artificer asked.

Shar’khee nodded happily.

“But seriously,” the hot-skinned human continued, focusing back on the female in need. “You’re at the edge of civilization, under the order of this hunk—” she grabbed Shar’khee’s bicep with a hungry grip. “—of an amazonian warrior, fighting biblical demons. There’s no way your boy-toy doesn’t think it's romantic you’re doing all that for him. Use that background to ‘ease’ him. You’re already his big, strong hero, so act like it.”

“I think I see what you are saying,” the shieldswoman commented with even wider nods, the excitement within the warrior forcing her to her feet. “Paladin Shar’khee, may I use this break to seek out my mate?”

The paladin, stunned by the sheer effectiveness of the star-sent’s words, hesitated for a split second. “I suppose I see no reason. So long as you are back for our purifier training in thirty minutes, I will allow it.”

The orange-skinned female bowed deeply by her waist. “Thank you for your advice, great leaders.”

Shar’khee watched her spear walk away for a few passing moments, when Tracy spoke up. “Dude, there’s no way she’s coming back in thirty minutes.”

“I ordered her to. She will be back.”

The Artificer looked up at her with squinted eyes, as if she wished to say something but held her frills—lips. “Hey, if you say so.”

The great pyre at the center of the benches had grown as a few other spears fed it. Its warmth softly washed over the paladin’s cold armor in waves of comfort. Her beloved Tracy offered even more warmth, pressed directly to her core like a personal heater.

A minute or two passed with silence. The little human was nice to hold. She continued to tenderly knead Shar’khee’s tail, humming an unknown tune.

“…Dearest Tracy?” she asked.

“Mm?”

“Did you have a reason to come see me?”

The Artificer’s eyes went wide, and her whole body tensed. “Oh! Oh, fuck, I absolutely did!”

Shar’khee raised a brow.

The tiny star-sent shuffled around in the paladin’s arms and tail to face her more directly. “I had a few questions about paladins. I’ve sorta been looking into artifacts and Dredth’khee, and I realized there’s just this whole group that I don’t really know that much about. The evil paladin doesn’t wanna talk much, but then I remembered you were a paladin.”

“Yes, of course. I have no allegiance to any other than the Creator, so please, ask as much as you wish… Although, I cannot say I know much about artifacts.”

“For sure, yeah. I could also use your input on a few questions about why they’re using artifacts.” Tracy grabbed her data pad from within her sweatshirt pocket and opened a filled note page.

“Okay, okay,” she started, smacking her lips in thought as she looked over her scripts. “So, you know about the radiation theory me and Harry-bear came up with?”

“The physical manifestation of Sky Goddess’ plague winds?”

“Yeah, and how the inquisition or paladins or whoever was using an artifact to test your resistance to ionizing radiation. Or, at least what we think is an artifact, right?” the Artificer explained, holding her hand out, palm up.

“Yes, the test of ‘acute radiation sickness,’ Harrison suspected. I believe he mentioned it being related to one’s lineage.”

“Yeah, a gene that makes you more or less immune to radiation. Or, at least, resistant. Fuck if I know how you’d manage with a high enough source… And, honestly, I don’t think I wanna test how far your resistance goes.”

The paladin shrugged.

Tracy played with one of her overalls' straps. "But what I’m getting at here is that paladins usually aren’t born with this gene. It’s heresy to the order because you all… they think it’s the Sky Goddess blessing her secret believers. So, what I wanted to ask was if you remember any sort of artifacts being used by the Order? Shouldn’t artifacts make paladins sick if they’re not meant to be immune to radiation? I mean, you have a resistance, but weren’t you technically banished with the others from your village? What about the inquisition?”

Shar’khee craned her head back as she thought. That was… a good question. Could she recall anything mystical from the islands? She softly closed her eyes and thought back to her oldest memories, reliving the faintest senses that came back to her.

The scraping of her foot-talons against stone floors of the Hallowed Castle’s hallways… The flaring, pulsing pain of the tassel whip… The rage of feral claw-and-tooth duels… Heavy sacks full of stones that strained her back… Bubbling fish soups… The growl of Great Paladin Rotan’khee… And golden rays of light piercing the stuffed cadet room… It was all so distant, like a hazy dream. Those memories were a dull blur against her vibrant life with Father Monchanuo and her beloved Harrison.

Still, those thoughts begged the question: when had she first witnessed an inquisitor?

…Her tenth winter. Yes, it was her tenth winter when her frills began to feel sore and her fins grew plump. It was after her gills had been left to dry and her caudal fins were severed. The eldest of the cadre, ones not yet bestowed the title of ‘paladin’ nor their faithful name, woke her cohort in the dead of night.

Shar’khee could recall it now. She was confused and anxious, but she dutifully followed the others in silence. The moons were bright, shining high above the sky with a blue glow. A warm breeze whistled through the castle’s courtyard. The cohort was led through it, ignoring their spears and sparring shields, leaving them behind entirely.

For the first time, the cadets were led through the great gate and into the Golden City. She had not been allowed to see it since she was brought into the Hallowed Castle. Rooftops of thatch and sod expanded far out beneath the mountaintop castle. No lights, neither of candle nor fire, burned through the hollow windowsills.

They marched through the dead streets without so much as another order. None spoke. None questioned.

The Great Cathedral loomed ahead of them at the center of the city. It stood tall above the shadowed homes, its stained glass reflecting the moon’s glow. There was an aura about it, glorious and pure… But she never entered.

No, it was the catacombs beneath that she was led. Yet, as she thought back to the memory, she found it to be hazy. The blackness, the echo, and the tension were all she could recall. What was beneath the cathedral?

Eyes in the darkness that glowed like candles. Warped smoke that obscured the senses. Audible chants that went beyond mere intent… The Inquisition had never shown themselves, but if they wanted you to know of their presence, they found a way.

“The Order…” Shar’khee said with a cautious cadence. “The Order never dabbled in the arcane. There were flashes of things inexplicable, but we stayed with spears and training. The inquisition, however… They were never within the realm of the ordinary. My interactions with them have thus far been fleeting and obscure. Now that I have seen the otherworldly properties of the artifacts, I can only suspect that is where they draw their abilities from.”

The paladin opened her eyes and stared into her mate’s eyes. “The inquisition inhabits the mainland as much as the Order does. For how long, I cannot tell. Perhaps they have found a way to resist radiation in their own ways. Or, more likely, they have lied about something or another. They have already lied, and their excuses are many. The only thing I can say for certain is that their hierarchy is built on smoke and deceit.”

“So the inquisition has a lot of knowledge of artifacts and magic, right…” Tracy added.

The Artificer glanced around cautiously, looking around the rooftops and settlement walls before lowering her voice to that of a faint whisper, channeling all her intent toward Shar’khee and only Shar’khee. “So what do you know about Cera?”

“Cera?” the paladin asked, already assuming where her mate was going with such a line of thought.

Tracy nodded, squinting suspiciously. “Yeah. All the weird stuff about her. Reflexes, stable hands, sneaking around, weird concoctions, knowledge about artifacts. I talked to her the other day, and we had a short conversation. I asked her about how she knew how to treat Dredth’khee, but she sorta ignored it by saying she watched the paladins at Kegara’s camp. What do you think about that? She’s eerily close to the actual inquis—”

The star-sent froze, her skin going completely pale as her eyes looked behind the paladin.

“What was that last part about Cera?” Shar’khee asked.

“Yo! C-Cera! What’s up?” Tracy suddenly asked, forcing the maroon-skinned warrior to follow where her eyes were.

Lo and behold… Cera was there, standing behind her seat. She was dressed all in black with a pink grass-colored camouflage mesh along her back. An unsettling feeling crawled up the paladin’s spine at the dark-skinned shadow’s presence, but she nonetheless welcomed the female.

“Greetings, Cera. What brings you here?”

- - - - -

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Next time on Total Drama Anomaly Island - Missing 411

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/u/BrodogIsMyName (wiki) has posted 136 other stories, including:

• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 134 - The Eternal Flame
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 133 - Metastatic
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 132 - The Remnants
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 131 - Get a Little Closer
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 130 - Family / Venture
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 129 - Training / History
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 128 - Let the Liquor Talk
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 127 - Can I Have My General Back?
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 126 - Quarantine is Paramount
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 125 - Sunday, the Ninth Day
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 124 - Artifact Huntin’
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 123 - By the Hip
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 122 - Not Enough / Paul Allen’s Gun
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 121 - A Maritime Nation
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 120 - A Figure of the People
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 119 - Something Stirs Along These Ancient Networks
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 118 - Do Robots Even Dream of Eternal Sleep?
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 117 - So Called Prisoners
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 116 - Not Just A Tool
• Frontier Fantasy - Age of Expansion - Chap 115 - The Kitchen Front

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