Book IV Chapter 15: Courier
"Caz, what have you been up to? You haven't stopped by for a while, and I'm a little bit worried. Is everything alright? I'm going to come around with a few presents today. Love you, see you soon."
Elliot carefully slid open her office window and extended her hand; the little black hummingbird buzzed off into the distance.
Once you complete your assignment in Aensdoun, you will be reassigned to the Silent Rose Main Branch in Laps-du-Ment, Chimre.
Gabriel played the message on the lodica over and over again, pressing a hand against his mouth.
Chimre. Chimre.
He had lived and worked in Axl all his life, and now work demanded he travel from one side of Valenth to the other.
If he lived through Aensdoun, it was possible he would be set for life, thanks to the Organization.
If he lived.
He took a deep breath, sending the lodica back the way it came before withdrawing his own, and beginning a new message to his brother...
"Thank you for your report, Praviidan. I'll send a few teams back over to Soril in a couple days' time to survey and reclaim the area.
Hopefully we can be back home before the year is out. I've called our allies for assistance in removing the amol from the area. Lucsus will be ours again. For now, await a lodica from each of the reclamation teams.
Grand Rajiin Sadinha out."
Two tiny paws carefully held a gleaming golden scarab up to the light.
Giving the automaton a fond pat on the head, Sadinha sat it atop the balcony railing, watching as it crawled a few steps forward before spreading its wings and taking flight, swallowed up quickly by the blue sky above.
"Lyric. Lyric! Where in Hel are you?
You will not believe what's happened. Where do I begin? Dilndrou... he's alive! He's real, and he's come back. He's in Lassenbhurg right now, and he says he wants to meet you!
Tell the rest of the band to come back too, okay? We can put on our concert now. I bet he'd love to see!"
Harley could barely contain her excitement as she recorded her message on the little wasp robot; it wiggled its antennae slowly as she prattled at it, giving a warning beep as she ran out of space.
The silisk rushed over to the window to let the mechanical insect fly off in search of its intended recipient, then spun on her heel to smile fondly at the scaly gray man-- her Bapa-- behind her.
The Silisk God smiled.
"He will come?"
"He'll come. He's got to!"
Harley was thrilled that Dilndrou was so eager to meet her friends.
She couldn't believe that her people had all gone on for so long without ever truly knowing their Father personally, like their ancestors had.
That would all change now.
The wasp wandered in lazy circles atop well-used, calloused hands, flexing its wings slowly as it went.
"Anom, when you finish with the human woman, you're to release her into my care. I hope you haven't traumatized her too much; I'd hate to have to have Master Dreamscar put you on observation."
The white-haired Aeneski licked his lips and frowned.
He was too young to have an authoritative voice; he rather wished someone else could keep correspondance with the Houselord.
But he knew his place, he was sure. The two-jawed beast wouldn't dare question his commands, even if he was hardly into his twenties.
Despite all appearances, he was the superior here.
He sent the lodica away through the window, and turned to return to his workdesk.
The blueprints would need finalization before before the moon rose.
"My name is Cazwell Christoph. I'm of the understanding that you have procedures capable of reversing leupak transformations... I'd like to schedule one. Price is no concern, I just... I need to be myself again, whatever that involves.
I'll be in Chimre from the nineteenth on, so any appointment date beyond that is possible. Thank you.
Cazwell took his claw away from the recording button, gingerly turning the little lodica in his fingers to examine it.
He had just purchased it on the way to his flat; the rubber coating it was shiny and new, and its little dragonfly body flexed slowly as it waited for a command.
Rising slowly onto his hind legs, he walked to the front door to release it into the world.
As the lodica fluttered away, a second one landed neatly in his empty paws, folding its little wings in against its side and beeping twice.
A hummingbird lodica.
Elliot's.
With a sigh, Cazwell listened to the recording before placing the little bird in a lockbox and sliding it under the bed.
It beeped and fluttered frantically inside as he packed his suitcase.
Next Chapter: Book IV Chapter XVI
Category: Book IV | Story
