Chapter 17: The Half Dead

---D-Day+34, Glenic 5th---

"Something's changed."

My eyelids pop open.  Its so early in the morning that my wives have not woken up to begin their morning 'ritual' yet.  While, as I prefer, my wives are at my side?  Passed out on top of me is Frosty and Tabby.  The unusually short elf dean and the halfling thief.

Blue and Silvie are in bed with us too, naturally.  Blue again wrapped around Red and Silvie again wrapped around Frankie.

Sigh.

They already have a room in the girls dorm on campus.  So they don't need to be in my bed every night.  Well, at least its a huge bed.  Silvie isn't 'into' Frankie like Blue is into Red.  Guess she just doesn't want to feel left out?

Can't blame her.  Loneliness sucks.

Redbrand wasn't invited tonight but Tabby showed up anyways.  Hope this doesn't cause issues with Dwarfinator.  Tabby has been hers for a long time and I'm certainly not trading Ushi for Tabby.  Not even once.

Better speak with Tank about this.  Maybe I need to ban Tabby from my bed for a while?

Yeah, I'm possessive and controlling.  So sue me.

Still night outside and I can here it sprinkling.  Can hear maids quietly cleaning and chatting.  Since we've been eating breakfast in the gorge?  They haven't been making breakfast up here.  So no sounds or smells from the little kitchen.

The oil lamps are out so its dark in the Grand Suite.  The only light, from the fireplace below the loft.  Still hear the crackling from the fire. Smell the wood burning.

Besides Frosty and Tabby's uninvited visit?  Everything in the room is the same.  No, what's changed is inside.

Inside me.

What is it?  Where is the change?  I start moving my mind thru its mental terrain.  Examining everything.  Nothing appears tampered with or altered.  Wait.  Its not me that's changed.  Its what's mine that's changed.

Have not raised undead, and kept them, since ninja night.  With all the training I've been doing I can tell the numbers I could maintain have grown.  A lot.  So you could say I'm overdue.  Still looking for the right ones though.

The pathetic goblins and bandits around here simply won't do.

But?

There is something new.

Of course my living shadows pick up on my questioning and respond.  Immediately mustering and searching.  Over half are out on patrol or just relaxing in the astral or material world.  As long as they don't cause trouble for me?  As long as they follow my will?

Could give a fuck less what they do on their own time

That's not to say they are out whoring it up.  I've come to realize that they just don't have those 'biological' drives anymore.  Like breathing, eating, and sleeping?  Breeding is just not in their DNA, so to speak, anymore.

The more mental stuff?  Like reading, whittling, and other hobbies?  Still there.  They are just missing the 'living' half of themselves.  Hope I don't get a living shadow whose hobby is torture or rape.

Alex is very good at torture and interrogation but its a skill to use when needed.  Not a hobby.

They also have a natural 'rapport' with other undead.  Even the ones without much sense of self will hangout with and 'chat' with ghosts, ghouls, zombies, wraiths, etc...

Several of these 'buddies' are asking to meet me.  But I have not gotten out and about lately.  Need to set aside time too.  Seems there is even a vampire not to far away.  Its a weak one though so keeping a low profile.  Might be a good experiment to start mobilizing undead.

Now its not to say my minions have not been murdering.  Tourin's economic troubles and war with Drasritor caused an explosion of banditry and goblinry.  Leave the easier ones to the adventurers but the larger and or more capable groups have been getting, 'culled.'

But none of them have been turning into living shadows.  Even tried having Margo and Ferra make some on their own.  They couldn't.  So I figured a shadow couldn't make a shadow.

Then what is this?

Whatever it is?  Its certainly trying to hide.  Been here a bit too.  A stowaway?

Sense it moving.

Using shadows and magic I'm out of the bed without waking up any of the girls.  In moments I'm in the garden and leaping from the keep.

"[Umbrarmatus]"

Yep, I've popped war machine mode and dark magic armor.  Sanctity and Tormentor are both on my back this time.  Whatever it is was in the northern hills and is heading back to Pearlden.  Fast.

I'm willing it to come to me but its resisting.  Afraid?

This thing is fast.  Slower though than my living shadows.  What is it?

Leaping across rooftops, shadows exploding out of me like an angry hive of bees.  More charging in from wherever they were chilling.  They force the runner to change course.  Runner?  Definitely a runner.  Can feel, legs?

I can feel legs.  Actual legs.  Strange.

Its back into the hills again.  Not far behind now, leaping through trees.  Raindrops splashing my face.  Everything is slick with the sprinkling rain and pitch black with the cloudy sky.  But in this mode I don't need to worry about slipping or lighting.

I claw into the trees, rock, and soil.  See, smell, and hear, everything.

Whatever it is, is really starting to panic.  There.  The hounds and Rowl have it-  Wha?

Landing I see Yodo and Mitsu in Rowl's way and its apparent why.  Juri is behind them and she is completely terrified.  But its not just Juri.  Its Juri 'in' something.  Correction, someone.

All of my shadows are here now.  Circling.  Curious.  Angry.  Condemning?

"So that's how you are resisting.  Its not just you anymore."

Rowl is not curious.

~Let me kill it master.  It refused you.~

It did resist my will.  Not a thing I can easily forgive.  Betrayal waits down that path.  Mitsu and Yodo are kowtowing.

~Please Tenno!  Spare my daughter!~  Mitsu's turn to panic.  ~She is a curious child!  They are just scared!  Do not understand what they have done!  Please Tenno!~

I can sense neither Mitsu nor Yodo knew.  Even though she is their daughter.  Hid this from everyone.  Such a teenager.  But who else is in there?  Juri doesn't look like a rat girl now.  She looks, human?

No, a bit of the rat remains.  A little tail.  Little fur here and there.  Still, with the right clothes she could easily pass any gate guard.  Fascinating.

Mitsu and Yodo both visibly relax as they feel their daughter is not in danger.  Even Juri's panic subsides as she feels my support and encouragement instead of anger and disappointment.

She no longer feels shame.  The other half though is still very scared.

"Tenno! I made a friend!"

Huh.  A real voice powered by real lungs.  Sounds a bit like her but also sounds a bit, not.

As the youngest, this could be a huge step in Juri's growth.  Growth I agreed with Yodo and Mitsu to support.

"Good, you should have friends your age."  I gently take Juri's hand.  "And what is your friend's name?"

Her other half is scared but starting to feel more comfortable.

"M-Miltinnia, Tenno."

Interesting.  Same voice but different will behind it.  Still shaking pretty badly.

"Rest easy Miltinnia.  You are safer here, now, than likely anywhere else in this world."

Can see into her mind through Juri but only the surface.  A father, a merchant, an accident, a lost mother, and lost legs.  Eh?  Everything below the thighs should be gone?

Turn my [Super Senses] on her legs.  They look real.  They feel real.  Thru Juri I can see that Miltinnia can feel them.  But they are actually, astral?  Mana?  Maybe 'aura' is more accurate?

Like the material form the astral living shadows create when they manifest.  But vastly more complex.

Next I look into Juri's memories.  Feel her curiosity after finding the wheelchair bound girl.  They have wheelchairs in this world?  Juri's interest finally driving her to make contact with the lonely girl.  Their conversations, bonding, and friendship.

Then the accident.  Milti falling out of the chair.  Juri catching her.  Them, blending.  First, fear and confusion.  Then, wonder and joy.  Sharing the happiness and the pain, of their lives.  Shock, as long lost legs return.

Ah.  So its the girl's memories of legs.  Combined souls enough to manifest them.  Wow.  The thrill of walking again.  Then exhaustion forcing them to part.  The pain of losing her legs all over again.

Oh?  A link between them remains?

There it is.  A shared promise.  Like Juri's link to me but weaker.  Even weaker than my wives, but its enough.  Enough for them to unite again.  Practice and train.  Able to stay 'blended' a little longer each time.

Tonight they were hunting bandits.  Doing well too.  A material body.  But able to summon their astral weapons.

Indeed Milti-Juri is slower than just Juri, but she's tougher and stronger.  All that mana and spirit seems to bulk up Milti quite a bit too.  The potential of this.  I recall being told of amputee veterans coming back from wars.

An army of half alive and half dead soldiers?  Physical and spiritual.  Material and astral.  How strong could half-deads become?

"Uh...  Tenno?"  Milti-Juri isn't shaking anymore but she's still nervous.

"Yes?"

"Can I go home soon?  If papa discovers I'm gone and without the chair?  He will be really upset."  So cute.  Yes, Juri.  You have my support.  Grow.

I pick up Milti-Juri.  Kiss her forehead.  And lift her onto a dark charger.

"Escort them to her home.  She is of the One now."

The shadow horse bursts away with incredible speed along with dozens of shadows.  Including Mitsu and Yodo who are already acting like they've adopted Milti.

Hehe.  So protective.  Reminds me of me.  Ugh.  I am such a helicopter parent.

~One?~

"Alex?"

~This changes things.~

"Yes, it opens me to discord.  Even betrayal.  Yet it also opens, possibilities."  Smile softly.  "And its a chance for my shadows to have more fulfilling and more rewarding lives.  Well, unlives."

~As always, the One keeps us in its heart.~

"Always Alex.  Always."

~~One?~~

"Margo? Ferra?"

~~Can we become, like her, too?~~

"Yes.  As long as you are cautious.  We don't know if it will work with-"  Sigh.  "And they're already gone."

Better be safe.  Add to my will that it must be voluntary and to favor those who will gain the most benefit from becoming a half-head.  Like restoring their bodies.

Rowl, Alex, and I, simultaneously sigh.

This could get a bit crazy.  Will have to do a whole range of experiments to determine its benefits and disadvantages.

Better get back soon myself or my wives will worry.

Alnus, Miltinnia (female, human, aquecian)

Steiatius, Tebabia (female, halfling, aquecian)