"How do you know it should be tomorrow and not in five minutes?"
Kim glanced at them, then on the floor. She certainly was unsettled.
"We told our commander about possible Gates, she sent data further to make a prognosis with an Obel scale. Plus, asked scientists here to do the same."
Luster explained further.
"We just got from Dream Realm, with new info. They actually confirmed your words with, quote, ninety-nine percent accurate prediction, on tomorrow. Two Gates in close proximity to LO49, both either second, or third category. And local eggheads said the same yesterday, though they weren't so sure on number with just their data."
Brail tried to concentrate, but without an essence and in enclosed space he couldn't feel anything.
'Well, it's not like I experienced in spotting the Gates.'
"I can't sense anything outside the cell, cuffs don't help either. And I will need some help, I never saw Nightmare Gates."
Dorn exchanged glances with Tei, nodded to others, and motioned to the sides. Tei went outside the cell and pressed something, while everyone in the room moved to encircle him and summoned their memories. Quentin came up close and pointed his sword at Brail's heart, so that he will finish the job quickly if something goes wrong.
'Hesitating. Well, no wonder, I'm in the body of his Captain.'
Belle removed the handcuffs and explorer finally could feel the flow of essence filling his body.
"I will summon my echo, she can see more than I do, if we speak about some ephemeral matter, like spatial rifts, which Gates are, technically."
Irregulars tensed, their gazes sharpened, and hands clenched tighter on their weapons. Massaging his wrists, Brail slightly raised open palms in calming gesture.
"I promise, I won't trying anything stupid. She's mostly harmless, I can even show you an eco-card if you want, before summoning."
"What's eco-card?"
'They don't have those?'
Golden sparks gathered on one of the palms in a thin metallic rectangle with several engraved lines in runic language, and a symbolic picture of animal head, which Brail handed to Belle.
"Echo Qualification and Approval Association… second category, sensor type, Dormant Devil, battle capabilities low… blah, blah, blah, what is this shit?"
"Would be of highest category if she could fight properly. It is EQAA issued card, or simply eco-card, a document on my cat. Tap the picture."
"Your… Cat?"
Belle looked at him hesitantly, then the same way on the card and pressed on animal head. Next second a small translucent projection of a basic looking cat was hanging above the document. Awakened stared on a projection incredulously, exchanged glances, and looked at Brail with silent question.
"Helps with quick verification if one wants to use an Echo in official projects or missions. Or for example if you want to participate in different types of events, like echo shows, tournaments and so on. So, can I summon her now?"
Receiving several nods and dismissing the card, Brail summoned his loyal companion. Awakened were waiting for regular sparks, but instead air from around the cell started to compress into barely visible gusts of smoke. Shortly after gusts condensed in a form of a small grey cat with short fur behind her master, tail wrapped around his legs, smoke circling slowly around tiny body.
Cat raised her head, shiny blue irises staring at Brail, then at Irregulars, then at their weapons. Next second she poofed into the gusts again, instantly reappearing on Master's shoulders, tail around his neck, head low, ears pressed back, spine arched, fur on the ends. Irregulars unwillingly looked in cat's now darkly glowing eyes, instantly starting to feel dizzy.
"Zeph, don't! It's okay, they are friends. They need our help. Sorry for that."
Little spirit calmed down after receiving several pats on the head and lied down like a scarf, carefully observing insides of the detention cell. Everybody exhaled as dizziness receded, lowering their weapons. Except Quentin, who was swaying slightly, closing and opening his eyes, trying to shake away unpleasant sensation. As he fully regained his senses, he, with some effort, looked away from the cat, and peered in Belle's eyes.
"Dormant Devil, you said?"
"Don't look at me like that, I just read from the card."
Brail decided to defend young swordsman.
"What can I say, she has interesting abilities."
'Not like she's really Dormant. Or Devil. But they don't need to know that.'
Echoes: [Nascent Wind Spirit]
Echo Description:
[A people of a faraway land, once worshipers of Storm Goddess, were left alone for far too long. Without divine guidance, they now could rely only on themselves, and travels, which was their way of life, became difficult and dangerous. In one last attempt they lit the fires and called to the skies, but one who answered was not their God.
The Spirit of Winds took pity on forgotten realm. He chose to guide denizens of mortal world and granted his protection to the land. His offsprings were gifted to those in need, or who was lost.
In life and travel, as those are same, a little wind will guide your way.]
Brail's Echo was quite a unique one. In fact, he was not even sure, someone would call it like that, if not for the Spell's own classification. Little dying spirit he was meant to protect in his first trial, sacrificed herself instead, to let Brail escape. During the evaluation, Spell decided that he met some criteria, and granted him Aspect Legacy with four directions. West was unlocked and to his surprise Brail received the same tiny grey cat, which somehow was put in his Echo list.
She was intelligent, she had 'clean live soul', whatever that means, which is not an Echo trait, as one oracle said, she could transfer her intents to her master, and unless dismissed was quite independent. Moreover, she could grow in rank and class, which was extremely rare for creatures not created by one's aspect.
Zephyr, as she was originally called in the Nightmare, had hypno-eyes, which was quite potent ability she got when they both Ascended. Dormant powers allowed her control winds to an extent and turn her body into gusts of smoke, which she regularly used to avoid walking like puny mortals. But it was her Awakened ability, all-round detection, in combination with one of the attributes, oracle told him about, which allowed her to see the unseen, will help him locate the Gates.
'Let's get to work.'
***
Walking outside the building, group led him on one of the open observation points on the wall. He wasn't suppose to speak to anyone except allowed circle of people, which was Irregular cohort, current commander of the facility and couple his soldiers, Miss Bethany, and Professor she assisted, lead scientist. This was one of the conditions of their cooperation. They also told him bare minimum about his 'role' and their task.
VIP, they needed to evacuate, confirming Lith's words, was the head of the research here, Professor Obel, which was one of the facts continuously blowing his mind for last ten minutes. Every explorer or scientist in the Dream Realm with at least a bit of self-respect knew, or at least heard, who the man was.
The moment Brail received this incredulous information, he froze in place for a good minute. Kim even started to panic, thinking he caught a stroke again. Well, she wasn't so far from truth, considering Brail's brain was short-circuiting, thanks to his flaw.
'I will be meeting a legend. No, I shouldn't speak with him, he is certainly a genius, and will think I'm an idiot. And that future is full of idiots. But I want to meet him. But what if I say something stupid. But this is one in a lifetime… But…'
Hearing the second portion of information slightly get his thoughts from the 'I'll meet legend' situation. His name. Or at least name of a man, who's place he took. And his status in the Evacuation Army.
He took a role of a guy named Sunless, who was widely known for Dream Realm exploration, related publications, exceptional battle skills, and 'a lot of other things' if this wasn't enough. Brail was hinted, that Sunless was not very sociable, impolite, and out of it sometimes.
'So, my perfect way out, if someone tried to converse with me, is tell them to fuck off straight away.'
They were polite towards their Captain, and it was evident, they picked words carefully.
'Meaning, the guy was what? Rude, unhinged, and reclusive bastard? Convenient persona, nothing to say. But this is strange, I never heard about such a man. Was it because he died here? But then again…"
If he was renowned researcher, he should be at least mentioned once in Brail's academy life. He also should have heard about him during the briefings, or at least seen in the list of important awakened, if he was powerful Ascended, or even a top-tier battle master.
And he was, considering he was previously unassociated, and invited to command an independent top-notch government squad basically as a mercenary. Words of that Luster guy, about what would happen if they jumped real Captain like that, only confirmed his assumptions. But he was never mentioned.
'Who the hell is he? Is this guy a ghost or something? Elite super-agent? Government secret weapon, who is here only because literally everybody were needed to deal with this catastrophe? I need to know.'
Brail caught himself as his thoughts were trailing again, he needed to focus. They just ascended to the observation platform, so awakened were expecting him to do his job.
'Right, I'll try to ask later. Maybe I'll get at least something.'
"So, where exactly I should be looking?"
Awakened Tei was standing close to him with arms crossed, gazing in the distant mountains. Turning from the sight he answered in neutral tone.
"It's not like we know certain location. They just confirmed it should be somewhere around the station. That's why we asked for your help at first place."
"Right. Got it."
He gently poked resting on his shoulders little spirit.
"Zeph, hey… Wake up… We need to look for spatial disturbances, or maybe signs of corruption. Tell me if you will sense anything strange."
Ghostly cat opened her eyes, yawned, stretched and jumped to sit on the parapet of the wall. Cat's eyes started glowing softly and she slowly turned her head around the horizon, checking for at least anything. Brail tried to do the same and sense something in the air currents. Nothing.
They were walking around perimeter, stopping to catch a glimpse of at least something. While Brail had no results at all, his companion did spot some disturbances. He couldn't figure out what exactly the cat saw, but what he did figure out, is that she marked the exact spot from the west wall.
But when they finally stopped on one of the southern observation points, little spirit instantly peered to a specific direction in the ocean. She didn't even try to look for something else, just sat there emanating clearly discernable disgust and disdain.
Tei ordered garrison soldiers and awakened to observe the coast and monitor west direction. And sure enough, the next day, Brail felt unknown, persistent, and nasty sensation. It was like something was calling upon something inside him. It felt like longing for home, but in some twisted, sinister way.
Standing atop the west wall, Brail thought that all attention of his little companion will be directed towards appearing disturbance somewhere several kilometers in front of them. Instead, Zeph was persistently looking south, as though these otherworldly shifts in reality, trying to coalescence and break into this world, meant nothing.
All garrison awakened, except couple managing perimeter defense, were at this side of the wall with memories summoned. Non-awakened soldiers were here too, wonderous mundane weapon facing towards incoming threat. Station command, including 'Master Verne', who apparently 'returned from the Dream Realm', and now was trying to dodge questions, Irregulars, and their 'Captain', were ready to defend their positions.
Everyone was nervous. Explorer pictured himself an analogy of a small sized citadel, populated mostly with mundanes, facing the approaching horde without any data on the enemy. Lack of precise understanding was weighted on Brail, and even Lith was frowning. The only calm faces, to his surprise, were of the Irregular team.
'Two Masters are unsettled, and these guys doesn't give a flying fuck. For Spell's sake just show some solidarity.'
Noticing his gaze, Samara went up from a strange rifle, and raised her brow, asking quietly.
"Nervous? You're a Master, but you never fought like this?"
"I don't know what it's like. So yeah, I am a bit. I saw a horde couple times, but both were repelled by Saints. And it was long time ago, before even my First Trial."
"If you don't know what to do, just focus on the fight. But for now, I guess, you want to summon your weapon. Ranged preferably, if you don't want to just jump straight down. And armor."
"Yeah. Right."
Brail belatedly realized that he was the only one around not prepared. Lowering gray cat on the parapet and throwing down army jacket he summoned his armor. Bleak silver sparks embraced his body, coalescing into a light-gray knee-length robe on blue knot buttons, girded with a wide woven sash of the same blue color. Under the sash was tugged a long scabbard, without a sword.
The Fogwalker's Vestments had dark-gray leather bracers, shoulder pads, and chest plate. All protective parts, including high greaves on soft boots, and metal plates on a scabbard, were carved with subtle cloudy patterns. There was no face protection, and any sane person would tell that such an armor could be used only to show off at the parade. But as soon as hood covered explorer's head, one looking close enough could see a ghostly everchanging silhouette covering the whole body.
Similar to how his Echo was summoned, subtle gusts of smoke gathered into the long and thin curved saber, placing itself in a scabbard. What was left outside, was a long handle wrapped in a white cloth, and made of matte silver simple handguard and intricate pommel, twisted in a head of some bird of prey. Lastly he summoned his bow and quiver, which unfortunately didn't match the whole image. Now he really felt a little bit more confident.
'I really need to get more suitable ranged weapon.'
From the corner of an eye, he saw Belle's skeptical glance.
"Showoff."
'Of course I am! Wouldn't you be, with such a marvelous looking set?'
"What?"
"Nothing. Watch forward."
And as his gaze trailed back to the future battlefield, ripples in the air finally become more perceptible and distorted vertical rift broke itself into the reality.