Chapter Text
Rufioh sat at camp looking over the plan. The Condesce was holding a council of her Geno-rals and the Grand High Blood to try and put an end to “The Summoner Rebellion". The problem was that the council’s meeting place would be relatively unguarded, relying on its secrecy, and two more Violet Geno-rals had pledged themselves in secret to Rufioh. Her final meeting was going to be a kill box, and no one was going to save her.
The day before they set up the camp he and his commanders were in at that moment, they had faced a force of Lauphsassins, and barely came out victorious. They had only pulled through thanks to Aranea using her psychic abilities to allow different groups to communicate through her, and he even saw her puppet enemies into weapons and pull allies out of the way.
It was intense, but they made it out alive… However, something he didn’t know about was being spoken of in hushed tones before Meulin, Porrim, and Latula approached him as he spoke with Horuss.
AC: 6^TmT^9 Rufioh, Horuss, tell me you didn’t know.
The bronze blood was caught off guard by Meulin’s lack of “Real Acting” as a greeting, as well as her lack of feline puns. The look in her eyes as she sat directly in front of him was grim, a tinge of orange to her yellow gaze, something aggressive brimming below the surface.
AT: uM,,, 1 cAN’T SPEEK FOR hORUSS,,, bUT W1tHOUGHT KNOW1nG WHAT YOUR TALK1nG ABOUT,,, 1 cAN’T ANSWER TRUTHFULLY,,,
The Disciple bristled before the ex-Legisalserator to her right spoke, though only after darting her tongue into the air a few times.
NRG: what Do you Know about Aranea’s past?
Darkleer immediately shifted, drawing the Summoner's attention before he spoke clearly.
AT: sHE GREW UP 1n A BEACH TOWN TO THE SOUTH WHERE WE MET,,, sHE’S BEEN A L1bRAR1aN FOR A FEW SWEEPS,,, bUT NOT HER WHOLE L1fE,,, nOTH1nG MUCH ELCE THAN THAT,,, aND THAT HER lUSUS GOT 1tSELF CULLED WHEN SHE WAS BARELY OLD ENUPH TO FEND FOR HERSELF,,, tHAT’S ALL 1 kNOW AT LEAST,,, wHY?
Latula looked straight at him while pretending to lick her lips, a trick she did when smelling for intent without giving away what she was doing, and frowned.
NRG: that Is all True, you Arn’t lying When you Say that’s All you Know… horuss, What are You hiding?
CT: D-/-> I, um, er-well, Miss Red Glair, mam, you see. I-um, well, what are you specifically inquiring about?
Porrim’s expression turned into a sneer, skin glowing white, while Meulin shook her head in disappointment while her eyes reddened with a building rage.
AC: 6^,@M@,^9# Horuss? You KNEW!?
Before the giant Indigo could answered Porrim let out a grim and joyless laugh.
GA: Of course the High Blood protects his close friend froM facing the consequences of her actions. Leaves the lowly Midblood she hurt at risk of being targeted again with no warning… Have I told you just how Much I despise you? You kill My son, you protect My, M-My, HER! What else? Have you called in Kurloz to “talk peace” with us? Perhaps the Condesce is waiting to give you a Metal for soMe kind of trap? Is Dulescar’s still beating pusher soMewhere waiting to wake up in your hive? ARE YOU THAT MASTER WHO’S BURGONDY SLAVE SOLD MY FAMILY OUT IN THE FIRST PLACE? ARE YOU HOW WE GOT CAUGHT!? ARE YOU WHY MY SON IS DEAD!? WHY I WAS SOLD OFF, WHY MEULIN WAS FORCED TO LIVE SO ALONE, WHY MITUNA WAS TURNED INTO A BATTERY THAT FISH BITCH IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF AS WE SPEEK!?!?!?
AT: eVERYONE calm down!!! wHAT ARE YOU TALK1nG ABOUT? wHAT DID aRANEA DO? 1f 1t’S TH1s BAD,,, 1 nEED TO KNOW BEFORE ANYTH1nG ELSE HAPPENS-
Latula brought her cane down hard, cutting the general off and leaving a moment of quiet before the Dolorosa gave a clear answere.
GA: Rufioh, in the fight, Aranea entered My Mind and-and… It was her, the woman who took me as her prize and did with me as she pleased. Her face and her voice May have blurred in the sweeps I spent in the sea, but I never forgot the sting of her Fangs in My Mind. Marquise Spinneret Mindfang lives.
AT: 1-1- aR YOU SURE? aRE YOU-
Before Rufioh could even begin to scrutinize the concept, Horuss slammed his fists down and broke the table they sat at, shaking violently as he revealed the truth.
CT: D-/-> Aranea Is Mindfang!
The Summoner slowly turned to look Darkleer in the eyes, brow furrowed, a refusal to believe before the Giant met his eyes.
CT: D-/-> Th-THE Mindfang, the one who did all those horrible things to Porrim, the one who threatened me into hiding her secrets, the one who-who-who- I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry. I-I-I should have told you all, told you clearly, I think I spoke in riddles to Meulin once but… I-I should have said it out right, I-I was just, just so-so-so…
The giant Indigo curled in on himself, shaking as he cowered from the others gazes and... something else. The Olive in their group reached out, pity in her eyes having replaced the anger. Even Porrim's rage was stalled for a moment. When Horuss finally regained his composure, he took a breath and tried to speak clearly.
CT: D-/-> I am Sorry, I am scared-no, TERAFIED of her, what she can do. I will not weigh you down with the details but… My Lusus killed hers when we were young, so she killed him and… “Saved” me from the Drones when they came for reproductive material in my sleep… No, no I will not try to dance over those words. She, she did as she did to Porrim and no doubt hundreds of others, as she is one to do.
CT: D-/-> I-I was scared, scared she would do something if I said something… I-I don’t want to ever feel her mind again… It, it stings, pierces your one safe place from the world and, and… her title is apt and well earned.
The Dolorosa’s expression melted from rage into more of a shocked expression, Meulin matched her mother's shock but added dashes of regret, and Latula’s expression barely twitched as she pieced something together in her head.
Rufioh was still processing.
NRG: i Found an Old report Of an Unnamed cerulean Being spotted Braking into The executor’s Hive when He was Young, but Since he Dismissed it I assumed It was Nothing,,, i Assumed a Troll of His station And power Wouldn’t suffer A cerulean Braking cast Rules.
NRG: if I followed That lead, I could Have found The real Name mind Fang ripped From almost Every legislacerator Office in The empire… I would Have known…
GA: It does not Matter... the past is the past, and failing to understand something before only Means we Must correct that error now.
AC: 6^?m?^9 Wait, Aranea was the Cerulean you told me about? I-I never even considered… And I was yelling at you for not telling us… And you even tried-
CT: D-/-> I had the chance to try harder.
The old Jade let out an exhausted sigh and reached out to the man.
GA: We all have chances... But I had Mine that I though away. I will not blame Myself, so do not carry blaMe and self loathing Horuss. What you did, hiding her and hoping one of us would figure it out was wrong. But I can understand, and as long as you do not hold More back, I can forgive this.
CT: D-/-> I won't...
NRG: and What about Our leader? What dose He have To say?
The whole time, since Darkleer opened his mouth, the Summoner had been silent. That was until he took in a shaking breath.
AT: aLL 1 cAN TH1nK TO ASK 1s,,, aND 1 aSK TH1s HONESTLY,,, wHAT DO YOU TH1nK 1 sHOULD DO,,, 1’m GO1nG TO DO SOMTH1nG NO MATER WHAT,,, bUT 1 wOULD L1kE TO KNOW WHAT pORR1m AND hORUSS WOULD WANT ME TO DO,,,
CT: D-/-> I speak only for myself, and I would like it if you could simply keep an eye on her. She is an indispensable part of the movement and I would rather see us succeed than-
GA: I want you to kill her. I want YOU to bring her end when she least expects it. I want to make her pay, but I do not want to see her face ever again. I don’t need to tell her how I feel, I only need to know she can never hurt anyone ever again.
The Summoner stared at her for a long moment before Horuss let out a nerve-racked breath.
CT: D-/-> She will see it coming.
AC: 6^o0o^9 what?
CT: D-/-> This is another secret, one of the many I've held in fear I will be sharing. I know not how, but she found a device that can see the future, and she knows exactly how she will die… She told me once, loudly.
NRG: and How the Hell do You know This device Is accurate, And even If it Is, why Have you Not told Us?
CT: D-/-> It is an orb one can not see through, its owner is something that is able to see almost everything but can not see me somehow, and she is able to see past its shell to the secrets inside. I have thought it pointless to try and harness, and would no doubt result in getting me killed... No excuse. She has since hidden it somewhere else that is somehow safe and I have no clew where.
NRG: again, How do You know It tells The future?
CT: D-/-> Because in front of me, once, she shook the ball sweeps ago and yelled “Who the hell is the Summoner!? What dose it mean ‘My M8sprite!?’ Some Shit B100d With Wings!? Who the Fuck is this Fuckwit The Summoner Rufioh Nitram and How the Fuck could he Kill me? Can you believe this shit Dumb-Lunk?” and I was left confused as she continued to shout at the white orb.
The others stared at the giant as his words confounded and confused them before Rufioh stood up.
AT: tHEN 1t SOUNDS L1kE THERE 1s NOTH1nG ANY OF US CAN DO,,, wHO CARES 1f SHE SEES 1t COM1nG,,, wHAT MATERS 1s THAT,,, tHAT,,, m1nD FANG ENDS TODAY,,,
With those words he stood and walked away from them, taking his lance, and sending Aranea a text to meet him at their secret place. The one they went to when they wanted to get away from the rest of the camp.
He found her siting under a tree in her librarians clothes, looking as sweet and kind as she knew he found reassuring. She was smiling, happy to see him, and when she saw his sad expression all she could do was wilt into an expression of worry. She was sad, sad to see her Shit Blood pet frown… Did she really think that of him, was that all he was? An exotic lesser to be played with and manipulated?
MSMF: Rufioh?
Her powers of mental control were terrifying, not that he hadn't realized it, but now it dawned on him that he was before a murderer and…
The word rolled in his gut as he looked at the Troll who had been by his side, been so willing to hear his worries, and cried for Porrim, and passed herself off as a comically unwanted old neighbor to Darkleer…
Mindfang, the monster behind so many horror stories he had been told, was his love Aranea. The sweet, nerdy, insightful, sometimes paradoxically oblivious, ramble-mad Aranea Serket was Marquise Spinneret, defiler of his friends.
MSMF: Rufioh, what’s wrong?
She was…
MSMF: Rufioh, what-
AT: yOUR m1nD FANG,,,
In a moment her face contorted with such Real confusion, it alone almost swayed him that there was some grand mistake. She was sweet, she was cunning and strangely experienced in seafaring and combat but...
MSMF: I…….. What? Rufioh, w-what are you-
She took his hands into hers, a motion meant to comfort him, and he pulled away as a potent fear rolled over him, realising how easaly he fell into line listening and defending her. Like a well trained pet, he nearly retched up his lunch.
AT: yOU PRESSED YOUR M1nD 1nTO PORR1m’S DUR1nG THE F1gHT,,, aND SHE RECOGNISED YOU!
MSMF: Is... Is that it? Rufioh, Porrim hasn’t had her mind poked by Any Cerulean in Sweeps. I would understand if two different touches felt the same, I don’t think it would be easy to tell two Ceruleans mind presence apart a Day after. Please, Rufioh, I understand the rage.
MSMF: After hearing those stories, I understand dread in that feeling and I promise I won’t use my mind on her again. I only did it because she was in danger and didn’t see the attackers coming. I over reacted and yanked on her mind to move her when I should have called out, I won’t do it again, but I promise I am not Spinneret.
A silence stretched between them as Rufioh took a deep breath and smiled, which Aranea matched as she drew a hand over his head and pulled a red hair into place.
AT: aRANEA, tHANK YOU, tHAT ALL MAKES SO MUCH SENSE HONESTLY,,, aND 1 wOULD HAVE BELEAVED YOU 1f hORRUS D1dN’T CONF1rM HER WORRYS,,, mOONS ABOVE 1 wOULD HAVE FALLEN FOR 1t,,, wHAT K1nD OF LEADER AM 1???
Mindfang’s expression fell into genuine confusion, horror, and hurt.
MSMF: H-He what?
AT: tOLD ME,,, 1t’S NOT 1mPORTANT,,, wHAT 1s 1mORTANT 1s THAT 1 mAKE SURE 1 dON’T FA1lE THOSE WHO SURV1vED YOU,,, mARQU1e sP1nERET m1nDFANG,,, fOR THE CR1mES OF DECEPT1oN, aTEMPTED MURDER OF REVOLUT1oNARY MEMBERS, aND THE UNDEFENDABLE CR1mE OF RAPE,,, yOU ARE SENTENCED HEAR AND NOW TO DEATH,,,
MSMF: W-What? W-Wait, no, Rufioh, you can’t do this!!!!!!!! I-I have done so much to make up for who I was, for what I did, I-I truly, truly regret it. Since the moment you told me of your dreams, since the day the Highbloods wronged you, I have done all I can to be the person You needed me to be!
MSMF: Please, I know what I did was wrong, I was so caught up in the high of power, I lost myself, I don’t know if I knew myself before I met you, I-I love you. Please, there has to be something, anything I can do, just please……. I don’t want to die yet.
AT: nE1tHER D1d THE PEOPLE WHO D1d NOT SURV1vE YOU,,, tH1s 1s JUST1sE,,, aND 1t HURTS BECAUSE 1 dO LOVE THE PERSON YOU’VE BECOME,,, bUT YOU L1eD TO ME,,, aND 1 cAN’T TRUST EVEN THAT LOVE TO BE REAL,,,
Mindfang was sobbing as her shock and fear twisted into rage.
MSMF: No, NO! I WILL NOT LET THIS BE HOW I DIE!!!!!!!! THIS IS LUSUS-CRAP! I WAS PROMISSED SOME POETIC TRADEGTY IN YOUR ARMS!!!!!!!! I WONT DIE BECAUSE OF SOME STUPID MISTAKES FROM OVER TWENTY SWEEPS AGO!!!!!!!!
In a fit of rage the Cerulean waved her hand and a pain griped Rufioh’s mind as he un-captuloged his lance only for it to fall from his hand.
MSMF: I don’t care what you do, what you say, I won’t let this be my death, I WILL NOT DIE LABELED SOME MONSTER! I REGRET WHAT I DID TO PORRIM, ISN’T THAT ENOUGH!? IT’S ALL I CAN DO! AND HORRUS? I SAVED HIM! I went about it wrong, yes, I should'nt have knocked him out. But he was just yelling at me to leave, he was the closest thing I had to a friend and he would rather die than Fuck Me? Really!?
It was then she felt her hold over him falter as he wrenched his mind free from the arachnid grip of her mind's fangs… Rufioh gave no answer. Instead he just pushed her away, flying back as he did when she managed pick up the lance before he could. Tight in her hands she locked her shoulders and pressed forward with the motions she had seen from him a thousand times.
MSMF: I REFUSE TO LET THIS BE MY EN-!!!!!!!-
Her voice was cut off as she lunged, only for Rufioh to sidestep her thrust, grab her neck, hold her as he ripped his lance from her, and buried it in her gut. History itself resonated as a motion that would be repeated was preformed just as predicted. Mindfaang tried to speak, to make some kind of final statement as she realized this was her end. But the monster found only gurgles spilling from her lips as she was left with nothing but the dawning shame of the end she had earned…
Rufioh, despite his pusher burning as he watched her wilt and fade, stood over her and only touched her corpse to move it as he summoned beasts to dig before burying her and telling them to have their fill of detritus. An unmarked hole in the desert, where nothing would be remembered of her.
A fitting end to a monster who’s only reason for living was to be remembered.