Hell's Songbird - 5

“Ilya! Please let go of my ear.”  I hiccup the words out around bubbling giggles as she drags me along beside her.

I’m not sure how many times I’ve asked, but as we leave the market, she finally let’s go.

“Owie.”

“Meep? Owie? What is it with you and meaningless noises?”

Ilya’s question comes despite the complete lack of curiosity in her song.

“They’re not meaningless,” I protest, unsure what—if anything—in this place even makes sense.

“Yes they are, or Tongues would translate them. It doesn’t, so they are noises with no meaning,” Ilya growls, though her glare holds more frustration than anger.

I cup my abused ear protectively, the pain already gone, and venture a smile; the giggles fading as I pay attention to the sad perilous beauty in her song. “Meanie.”

“Another of your silly sounds,” demands Ilya, wide-eyed in disbelief and frustration. “Are you even in any pain now?”

“That’s beside the point you hauled my-”

Her pointed finger isn’t a weapon, but her glare chokes off my protest.

“What is with the antics? Are you a child, little fledgling?”

The singing silver of Ilya’s hidden amusement lights up my impish side, even assaulted by the fury in her eyes. I grin at her in delight before I give into temptation. “Tweet, tweet.”

“Should I take you back to Hell and have a roast bird for dinner?”

The question triggers my mouth reaction with wordplay. “That’s just fowl to suggest,”

There is nothing astray in Ilya’s apparent fury, not the slightest twitch, posture, or the firmness of her stare, but her song is suddenly soaring with amusement. Her hands blur towards my face and I flinch far too slowly to avoid her grasp. Only for her not to grab, but to cup my face firmly but gently. She stares searchingly, and curious tones join the amusement.

“You’re not insane, I know what that looks like.”

The words carry the conviction of personal experience, her music shifting with her mood.

I pout, flutter my eyelids, and try to keep a poker face.

Her turn is fast and her flight feathers rack across me with stinging force. When she strides away, I follow along behind. “Was it something I said?”

She leads this time, and those watching on flee my laughter.

“Let's get out of here, you’re making me insane.”

“You mean you’re not already?” I ask playfully, and smile at the glare she shoots me. “Sanity, I’m told, is completely overrated.”

The winding passages don’t follow the route we came in, but at least she’s not dragging me along like a toddler now. Odd Lights glow about the streets and laneways we pass through, and eventually she heads down a staircase. The moment we step through an archway at the bottom, we’re in a doorless black chamber an annoying silver light that had been in my vision vanishes.

“Stupid dot.”

My grumble gains me another look from Ilya, but when she sighs in frustration, it sounds directed at herself.

“If you meant the silver dot, that’s your guide to the closest exit from this Plane. One way in, lots of ways out, but overstaying is bad for your health. When you Planar Shift, focus on Hades. Unlike here, most planes you can focus on their name in any language. Since you’re so new to the Power, you’ll appear somewhere random on the Plane. Don’t mess around. Teleport immediately back to where we were above the Portal. I’ve no idea how you gained any classes away from a Class stone, but if your Priest Class gave you access to a protection Blessing, use it first.”

The moment Ilya stops, she’s gone.

[Planar Lore (1->2)]

Profile listed Protection Blessings; with no idea what they are I hum the section’s music, and feel knowledge rush into me. Blessings further along each list echo the need for greater Mana amounts from the reserves I can hold.

[Blessing Path: Protections

Tier I: Only affect a single recipient, if the focus is non-moving the Blessing will last ten minutes, otherwise concentration needs to be sustained for the duration.

Prayer (Tier I): Increases the recipient’s resistances and manoeuvring capabilities

Bless (Tier I): Increases the recipient’s defence and manoeuvring capabilities.

Resistance (Tier I): Increases the recipient’s resistances and defence.

Heat Resistance: Increases physical heat tolerance by 70 Degrees Celsius.

Cold Resistance: Increases physical cold tolerance by 70 Degrees Celsius.

]

[Blessing Path: Fortune’s Guide

Note: Only available to those following the concept Luck or a Power having luck within their Portfolio.

Tier 1: Influences a single event for the recipient within ten minutes of the Blessing.

Trapper’s Bane (Tier 1): Cause a slight chance of a protective mechanical device not being triggered against the recipient.

Arcana Favour (Tier 1): The next use of a Power, Spell, or enchanted object used will provide a slightly more beneficial outcome.

Gambler’s Choice (Tier 1): In most games of skill there is still an element of chance. This Blessing makes the recipient slightly more attuned to those moments in life being upon them.

Fortunate Strike (Tier 1): Ensures the next successful attack will deal critical damage..

Lucky Eyes (Tier 1): Improves the chance that important details will draw the recipient’s attention.

]

[Blessing’s Path: Healing Ways

Healing I: Heals the recipient for ten health.

Frost/Burn Relief I: Heals the recipient of one area of up to mild frostbite or first-degree burn.

Minor Irritation Relief: Heals recipient of one minor irritation effect (e.g: headache, toothache, bee sting, hangover, etc)

Healing III: Heals recipient for thirty health.

Mental Relief: Recipient recovers from one abnormal mental state condition slightly faster (stunned, charmed, etc) but provides no help to permanent conditions.

]

[Blessing’s Path: Life Mastery

Tier I: Only affect a single recipient. If the focus is non-moving, the Blessing will last ten minutes, otherwise concentration needs to be sustained for the duration.

Preservation (Tier 1): Preserves a dead body, preventing decomposition in normal conditions.

Life keeping (Tier 1): Prevents the Soul from leaving a dead body, allowing revival attempts via normal healing to continue. If all revival attempts cease it will automatically expire.

Recovery (Tier 1): Doubles all the recipient’s normal healing capabilities for the duration (e.g: bleeding clots twice as fast, regeneration doubles, eyesight clearing from bright lights, etc). Will not double the effective result of external magical effects being applied.

Heal Life Essence (Tier 1): Heals Soul injuries completely, but does not remove Soul afflictions or conditions. Souls strained by continual overcasting, Mana surges, or short-term spiritual assaults can normally be fully restored, though may require multiple blessings.

Calm (Tier 1): Stabilises an emotionally traumatised individual allowing them a chance to regain their own emotional stability.

]

[Blessing’s Path: Repulsions

Repeal Undead (Tier 1): Cause up to five Undead to flee or disintegrate. Number affected determined by the Undead’s category. The repulsion impact is a challenge between the Caster’s Faith versus the animating force.

Smother Channelling: Oppose a Spell being maintained by a Faith caster. Either the caster being opposed, or the effect, needs to be within line of sight.

Neutralise Curse: Nullifies a curse. Doesn’t dispel, only prevents its effects for the duration of the Blessing.

Spirit Barrier: Contribute to establishing a non-mobile barrier to block incorporeal entities from an area for up to twelve hours from initial casting. Spirits can attempt to overcome the Barrier’s Blessing up to a single time per hour. Multiple casters can contribute to the barrier at any point during its duration.

Anti-Channels: Attempt to reduce the Mana gained by another Faith caster during their daily prayers.

]

[Resonance [B](10->11)]

Maybe I should have asked for instructions?

Remembering the feel of the Altar’s music—and the vision—I focus on the Blessing I want, and a waterfall of beautiful sound escapes my lips. The words’ energy melts in the surrounding air, but as it tries to dissolve I focus on the sensation and it wraps around me. Mana ripples glow like other energies had, and I see it form little shields around me. The music of it was beautiful and fleeting, catching me by surprise, it’s gone before I can remember it.

Glad I can do more than walk and chew gum as I listen to the shield’s Song, I will Planar Shift to take me to Hades.

[True Sight [B](1->2)

Planar Shift (Self) (10->11)]

Screams echo around as blood and body parts spray away from me. Metal shards bouncing off rocks glow with fires that resound with Hell’s grim music. Alive or dead, the Song from those around me is a chaotic thrash metal screaming mindless hatred of everything—even each other. The black blood of things pulses and oozes across the rocky ground. A burly, almost man-like thing’s Song assaults my ears. Soulless and empty, it swings wildly, its club slides off the energy of a shield. The breeze brushes my face, and I want to be where Ilya instructed. Appearing in mid-air, I push myself to lift and don’t plunge towards the lake.

[Mental Resilience (14->15)

Greater Teleport (Self) [Ap](3->4)]

Mr Message chirps in my brain as wide eyed I look at Ilya, who considers me sternly, but her Song gives her pleased mood away. “You took longer than I expected to get here.”

“I had to figure out a Blessing. Where I appeared, there was burning metal shards bouncing through things in front of me, then there was this big guy swinging a club, then I got here.”

The words race in rapid fire, and I wonder why my heart isn’t racing.

Ilya’s lips twitch in amusement and her tone grows casual. “Getting killed by Hell Shards would have been unfortunate, guess you are lucky they missed. What did the club wielder look like?”

“Big! Way bigger than me. His shoulders were huge! I was more interested in the club, it was bigger than my head.”

Ilya snaps her fingers in front of my face, the motion drawing my attention to her gaze. “We need to go somewhere else. The wall’s flags show two outer regions are under assault at present, just as well my orders are for a full tour. If she’d told us to go render immediate assistance to trouble spots, you’d be done.”

I can make out the details though we’re kilometres away from the wall. Every second flag pole has a single red and black flag with a three-part pattern. At first it seems all the sections are triangles, then I realised the sides are two fangs stabbing downwards; there is an equal sided triangle above them—flat side up—its point directed downwards between the fangs’ gap. The other flag poles carry two smaller flags each, snakes with tongues extended: one straight ahead, another angled over the mountain ridge to our right. “The serpent flags point the direction of assault?”

Ilya nods and gives me a pleased smile, her wings busy keeping her aloft even as mine remain perfectly still. “That’s correct.”

“What happens if they get past the walls?”

Ilya waves forward, before circling a hand. “The outer defences are long walls that surround this mountain; an eight-sided complex. If a section is breached flags with dagger point to the greatest threats. Twenty kilometres inside those walls is another set of fortifications. If they come under assault, those flags will be changed to fangs pointing to the threaten locations. If the inner wall is breached—and it has happened—all flags are removed and withdrawal into the Portal begins.”

“What if someone comes and kicks in the gates of Hell?” I ask, with a wave at the Portal.

“Wards of Hellfire guards the outer slopes of the mountain. Through the Portal, they‘re just getting to a more dangerous position. They’d still face those gates we came through except sealed tight. Once through the Portal won’t let them back out. They’ll find themselves stuck in a killing jar. The wards reflect any physical or magical attack, and the defenders wouldn’t be sitting idle. There will be thousands of those burning shards you saw being tossed their way.”

The mental image of a claymore mine exploding in a room comes to mind. “Splat.”

“Enough of Hell’s defences. Let’s go.” Ilya says, flying off. She leaves me to follow or not. Again, she doesn’t fly faster than I can manage, though she doesn’t look back. Mr Messages tells me of Flight’s improvement repeatedly as she keeps circling a peak higher on the ridgeline. Each time I close the gap, she increases her pace. Focused as I am on trying to not let her get far ahead, it’s only when Mr Message chimes up do I realise how much I’m shivering.

[Health: -10

Cold Resistance Unlocked!

Cold Resistance [L](1)]

Clenching chattering teeth, I manage to growl. “Ilya.”

The moment I get the sound out, her path shifts towards a higher peak, her Song soaring in amusement, “Since you can talk, you’re not cold enough.”

“Why are you doing this?”

The tone in my question makes me cringe at the whinging I’m doing.

“You’re the first Devil I’ve met that I didn’t want to kill on sight,” Ilya’s response makes me blink in confusion, more so at the serious tone of her Song. “So, you will not get yourself killed, and resistances will help you stay alive.”

“If you hate Devils, why are you fighting Demons?” I ask, not sure what to make of my supervisor.

I hear her Song run molten hot, but the cold snap hits fast. “Devils are manipulative evil scum, but Demons are far worse, Isaac. If you think they’re going to capture you, kill yourself. You hear me?”

“Yes, Ilya!”

My yell triggers another avalanche, and Ilya laughs first.

* * *

Her song is full of mournful notes as she cuts my fingers away—frost bit flesh had turned black as I’d warmed. The music from the wounds echoes the song from my dream, only a few octaves higher in a minor key.

[Improved Regeneration Unlocked!

Improved Regeneration (1)]

Mr Message chimes away and the colour returns to my forearms in a rush. Ilya—who is watching me shiver—returns with feigned disinterest my glare. I can hear her song, and its music quickens with relief as she watches my flesh regain its colour as my hands regrow. The pain had been absent until the colour rushed back in—now fire runs through my nerves.

[Resonance [B](11->12)]

I whimper as my phantom fingers suddenly express their dissatisfaction.

“Owie.”

Ilya’s sigh tickles my warped funny bone, and I giggle frantically as the pain climbs higher. I’m kicking my heels against my perch when Mr Message latest news contributes to taking the edge off.

[Pain Tolerance Unlocked!

Pain Tolerance (1)]

It’s a while longer before my fingernails finish regrowing. Bone shards led the way from my palms, sticking out through flesh that slowly grew. I look away to glance at the black flesh rotting on the ground faster than normal.

“We’re far from Hell.” Ilya states. Drawing something from a pouch, she holds a hand out. A disc spins on her palm—a disco ball’s rainbow—as energy and light sing around us.

The notes are slippery, with the music flitting away in unexpected directions, taking sudden leaps or dives in octaves, skipping notes in scales. I smile at the light dancing about us, and listen to Ilya’s puzzlement join the music. “Pretty, what’s it do.”

“Make it harder for others to notice us,” Ilya’s answer chimes clear and true through the twisting music.

“Why did you want my flesh to freeze off?”

“You looked on your last legs when we came here, so your resistance to cold should be higher. You’re healing far faster now, so be glad the first attempt worked. I was on my ninth attempt during training before my healing improved.”

I bite my lip before I blurt out anything about Mr Message, given what she’d said about picking classes.

Ilya’s gaze narrows suspiciously, and when I stay silent, she doesn’t let it rest. “What were you going to say?”

“That must have hurt,” I say, which I feel is a truth, but under her steel gaze I wilt.

Her glare remains but her music grows amused, losing the sorrowful edge gained when she used her blade on me. “It did, but that wasn’t what you were going to say. Is it?”

“Maybe I’m lucky.”

I offer the statement on the chance she’ll leave it be, but the focused music dashes that hope.

“Lucky you might be, but you’re an awful liar and that still wasn’t what you were going to say.” The conviction is as clear in Ilya’s song as the truth was a moment earlier.

“How can you be so sure?”

“You are such a strange individual to be turned into an Erinys.” Ilya declares, sighing in frustration

I nod in agreement before I ask for what I hope will be a no. “Are we going to do that again?”

“Yes, and we’ll keep doing it until you can fly around the summit without your flesh growing sick. The places we’ll be travelling you’ll crack apart if you can’t handle that cold. So will keep doing this until your teeth don’t chatter even standing on the peak with a gale blowing across you.” Ilya declares, her entire presence serious.

I sigh in frustration and Ilya smiles in triumph.

The intensity of her gaze and Song sharpens as sure notes soar. “That giggling you’ve been doing, keep doing it. It will drive those senior to you crazy and none will recommend you for promotion. That will keep you clear of those that would see through your act instantly.”

“What?!” My exclamation of surprise turns notes of certainty within Ilya into a bonfire.

“You need to get better at keeping a straight face, or at least putting out the emotions you want others to see. I’ll complain that I want a new assistant regularly and that’s sure to get me stuck with you.”

“Why would you help me?”

“Neither of us wants to be in Hell, I’m not sure how you got here but maybe we can help each other stay out of Hell. If the next question is going to be ‘How’ the answer is by staying alive and killing lots of Demons. Killing Devils would draw attention. Demons are worse and no one complains when you kill them. Can you cast a Blessing of protection around me I need to hear it.”

It only takes a moment of focus and the liquid words of Gambler’s Choice start to spill forth. The words that come forth dissolving even as I take in the melody within them that rings the air with joy. Ilya’s disbelief makes me laugh when I finish the casting.

[Resonance [B](12->14)]

Dread notes singing out fear start upwards within her Song, and I freeze before she speaks. “Never, cast any Blessing anywhere near other Devils. I don’t know what you are, but you’re no true Erinys. None of them would have that sort of Faith. Let them lie to themselves about it all they want. If the paperwork continues to check out, that will be enough.”

“The words just melt from my mind. I don’t even know what I’m saying.”

“They’re Celestial laced through with Faith. The power within them takes form as the words dissolve from reality. Even Dark Priests I’ve heard cast I can’t remember their blessings’ words. Only enough a sense of if that they were Infernal or Abyssal.”

I raise a finger to still her explanation, and hum the notes by ear, stumbling I have to stop and try again. The complexity of them needs multiple attempts—each time with more surety—but its minutes before they at last all fall true. The spell around Ilya having already long dissolved before I’m done. The notes take my focus and wrap around Ilya, the energy of them settling in place about her as the Blessing had done.

[True Song (6->8)

Singing (1->8)

True Sight [B](2->3)]

“You’re also not a Spell Singer, they can’t duplicate a Priest’s Blessing,” declares Ilya.

[Arcane Lore Unlocked!

Arcane Lore (1)]

Mr Message’s contribution as Ilya’s stares at me in disbelief makes me facepalm. “Oops.”

“How did you do that?” Ilya asks pulling my hand away from my face.

The glare she gives me for shrugging makes it clear it’s not enough. “When I cast the Blessing there was music underneath it. The words were lost to me, but the music stayed.”

“Alright let’s try something. Listen, or whatever it is you do.”

The quick riff of notes that comes from Ilya breaks through the music I set in place, and they mingle with the slippery notes around us. A glowing blue arrow races from Ilya and impacts a rock a distance away.

[True Sight [B] (3->4)

Resonance [B] (14->15)]

The energy comes and goes so quick it’s hard to hear them. “The other notes I sang masks it a bit. Can you do it again?”

“We’ll wait until your energy fades from around me then.” Ilya says, her motions tracing the energy’s pattern makes it clear she sees it too.

I motion to the shifting colours on my perch. “Those don’t help either.”

“Anything else you’d like? A nice reclining chair, a lap harp, perhaps a glass of wine?”

Glaring at the sarcasm in her tone, my reply at first comes through clenched teeth. “Meow. Would you like some cheese with your whine? I was just pointing out the extra challenges. When I cast the Blessing the music resonated within me, so it was clear. When you made that arrow, it was hard to hear.”

“Why?” Ilya asked, and I honestly shrug feeling lost as well.

“Well, its notes were muffled within your Song, which is still wrapped up in what I put around you, and the further muffled by the sound from your glowing disc.”

“My Song?”

Ilya’s question is fair, but I don’t want to explain I can hear how she feels. “Oops.”

“What exactly are you hearing?” asked Ilya as her brows furrow.

“True Song, maybe, I think, everything has different music and if I focus on it I can hear it clearer. True Song and Resonance seems to be the powers involved in my Profile.”

“Never heard of this True Song, and I can’t think of anyone that’s safe to ask. Profile?”

“Well, it’s how I picked my classes, and looks sort of like the imprint but has more things on it.”

* * *

[Cold Resistance (40) -> [I] (1)]

Thick frost has turned my black boots white, but the message’s arrival signals a halt to my easing shivers.

“Only two days of this. That’s not anywhere near as bad as I’d expected. We’ll have to see about improving other resistances, but first we need to see about your weapon skills.” Ilya’s declaration has me concerned, but the smile that appears is warm with mischief rather than malice. I giggle along to the merry notes that lace her Song and ice slides away from us.

“What do you have in mind?” I ask suspiciously.

Ilya takes to the air leaving me to follow, we’re nearly down to the foothills before she replies. “We’ll start with Hordeling hunting, with your bow first, switch to dagger, then sword.”

“Hordelings?”

The smile Ilya shoots back over her shoulder brightens the surrounding greyness. “Chaotic and evil planar malicious pieces of crud. No two look alike other than they’re only a meter to a meter-half tall and malformed; nor do they possess unpredictable powers and abilities. They can be sneaky, but they’re not strong individually. Do not let them swarm you, they can’t fly, so initially we’ll keep to the air.”

I sigh in relief, and she waves a warning finger. “Doesn’t mean you’ll be safe though, just as well your healing’s better.”