Hours later, Lucien's inner realm had grown busy in a way no city ever could.
He sat cross-legged in the quiet and created Split Body again… and again… and again, until several tiny Luciens hovered around him like motes that had learned arrogance.
Each one carried a precise instruction. Learn. Bind. Do not offend.
His split bodies blinked out one by one, reappearing near the mentors he had gathered.
He had already spoken with them, and they agreed without hesitation or ceremony.
Condoriano received the first with a bark of laughter that shook the clouds above his roost.
"So the little friend wants to steal the sky from my throat," the Sky Condor boomed. "Fine. If you can keep up, I'll teach you how distance becomes authority."
Saber's answer was a grunt and a stare that made the air feel sharp.
Kira watched the tiny Lucien approach. Her antennae twitched once, then she clicked her mandibles in approval.
"Efficient," she said. "A swarm strategy."
