Chapter 477 - Far Future Ch. 187 – Silent Service (1/2)

She almost gaped at me. ”Warp Sorcery?!” Her horror at the very idea was totally apparent, and what would follow that would be blasphemy and bullets.

”Throne, no.” I rolled my eyes at her before she could start a tirade, and now the others were coming over, as our conversation was carrying and reaching them.

”You're a Vortex. You can feel the corruption inherent in Warp Sorcery. It is filth, a contaminant, a taint, and it Must Be Purged.” Even she flinched at the razor in my voice. ”That is what vivus does, it removes that Taint. For if something is corrupt... it must also have a pure form, must it not?

”The Warp Gods have tainted all of magic, and nothing living can touch the one without accepting that Taint.

”Unless that power has been purged by vivus.

”Burn the Warp in vivus, claim your magic, ward your souls, and LIVE, Sisters!”

They all gaped in me in shock.

I flipped out Chalice, and let the unwhite fire blaze up on her short Focus. ”Feel that.” I held it out, and their Vortices swirled over it, making it dance and drawing it away. ”It is not even pure, is it? It's... transcendental, I've been told. And when it burns the Warp, it purifies the magic.

”Oh, it's only for a short time. Seconds... maybe minutes, if it's a big burn. But that's all a Vortex needs, really. Draw it in, make it your own, and ward your mind and soul against the world.

”Live, Sisters!”

They stared at the flame, deepest of suspicions warring with the need to live.

”How? We are not psions!”

”I did tell you that everything that lives is psionic, and you agreed. Are you telling me you are not alive? Because if that is the case, I'm going to kill all three of you for the undead abominations that you are.”

They blinked at my threat, and the real flatness in my eyes. ”We... are certainly alive,” Eloise affirmed, feeling a distinct danger coming from how my Null got even harder. ”But... we have no psionic power...”

”You have never Awakened your psionic power, you mean.” I rolled my eyes. ”I can do that for you in under two minutes per.”

They gaped at me again. I raised my hand, as did Jonah. There was a snap behind them, and all three of them turned around to see Elijah and Noah ambling over, electrum mindclaws around their right hands, too. Despite being huge razored finger-claws of hard light, they somehow managed not to look threatening in the least.

”You are Forsaken. The boys are Forsaken. I am Forsaken. We are not Powered. We do not have liquid souls. We cannot send the power out into the world, and indeed the power will only extend inches past our skin.

”But our souls can be as strong as any of the Powered!” I declared firmly, and the flash in their eyes showed they agreed with that truth. ”We can make Ten! We can go past Ten!” I glared right at her. ”I am a Thirteen! Do not even think of telling me what Forsaken cannot do, and none of the Forsaken are as beloved by the Land as the Voids and Vortices are!”

They all swallowed together.

”You... can show us how to manifest a mindblade?” Eloise asked carefully, trying to stay calm.

”No. Mindblades are too long.” I held up the golden blades extending from my fingers. ”Forsaken have claws. If you want a blade, you need a Focus.”

I held Chalice out to the side, and my soulclaw vanished as there was a snap, and my golden soulblade, with its five stars and suns humming dangerously, coalesced in less than an eyeblink.

They reached out to feel it with their Vortices, despite themselves, and their faces changed.

”Yes, it feels much different than the mindblade of a Powered, doesn't it? Just like our claws. We are the Forsaken, not the Powered, and you... are just like us!”

”How does one do this?” Eloise asked abruptly.

”You get a Mark Tat, we establish a telepathic interface, and you follow exactly what I do. Bing, you're a Void Psion.”

”What can we do as a Void Psion?” she pressed, her voice clipped.

”You can take Psionic Feats, you can Focus psionically, and you can manifest a mindclaw,” I replied promptly. ”Oh, and build up a Psionic Reserve, which is what wards your soul.” I shook Chalice. ”Chalice here is all that made manifest. Size of the Blade is based on raw Reserve. Suns are from Psionic Feats and being Psionically Focused. The Stars represent mastery of raw psionic ability focused into your Sword.”

They had hungry eyes as they looked at the soulsword, and the psychic force harder than adamant. ”You... can use telepathy on us?” she asked, eyes narrowing slightly.

”You can remove the Mark that allows it with your Vortex instantly,” I rolled my eyes. ”You only need it for the Awakening. Remove your gauntlet, I'll Tat you up-” they watched as my hair pulled out the tat kit from my narrow Masspack, ”and we'll be done with this.”

She regarded me for a long breath, glanced at my soulsword with a steely hunger... and decisively disengaged her armor lock and pulled off her gauntlet.

Her skin was pale, and she paused for a moment as her hand came out. She turned to Jonah, holding it out like a hand to a flame, feeling it breaking over and through her skin. Her face relaxed despite itself, and then she turned and looked at me. Her hand stretched out towards mine, and paused as it touched the edge of my Null.

Despite herself, she winced. It was a new sensation for her. She pushed ahead physically, and almost gasped as her hand went in... and there was nothing, nothing at all...

She flushed as she laid her hand down next to mine. ”A rock... or a deadly silence?” she had to ask me.