839 - Only Skin Deep
Nenet had to slow down as she approached Mother’s chambers.
Placing one hand on the stone wall of the cavern, she tried to catch her breath, feeling as though her heart was about to beat its way out of her chest. I killed him! I killed Paska!
Just trying to process that made her feel dizzy, struggling to master the storm of emotions coursing through her. Part of her was horrified at having slain someone she’d known all of her life. The other part of her felt electrified to know that she was capable of actually winning a fight now, even if it had been a fluke. A third part was nauseated at how close to death she’d just come, knowing that by all rights she should have been the one to have her soul ripped out and devoured by astradaemons.
It was terrifying and exhilarating and confusing all at once, leaving Nenet unable to do anything except crouching down to ride those feelings out. Shaking all over, her breathing coming in staccato bursts that were either sobs or laughter, it seemed to take a long time before she felt herself calming down.
Leaning on Belligerence as though it were a walking stick rather than an incredibly potent weapon, she slowly stood up straight, wobbling a little despite bracing herself with the quill. That was enough to make her suddenly nostalgic for the stability of having four legs, and a thought was all it took for her to return to her quadrupedal form, breathing a sigh of relief at how grounded she felt.
But her relief was short-lived, as she realized that her sensitivity to magic was still registering some sort of motion.
It wasn’t a spell; a quick glance around herself confirmed to Nenet that there weren’t any unexpected magical effects in her vicinity. But the feeling was still there, impossible to pinpoint. If it wasn’t a spell, then what...?
It’s the background magic that permeates everything, she realized after a few seconds’ consideration. Her ability to see into the magical spectrum naturally filtered that out, since otherwise she’d be blinded by the ambient energy which radiated throughout the universe. But the same way a fish could sense the movements of water, even if the water itself was transparent, Nenet could feel that the power around her was swirling in increasingly agitated motions. It’s almost like something’s stirring it up.
No, not something, she corrected herself a second later, swallowing nervously as she peered down the hallway. Someone.
Mother.
Nenet had no idea what went into creating an artifact, nor was she certain what sort of artifact Mother was trying to make. But the fact that whatever she was doing was upsetting the flow of magic all around them was a testament to the sheer magnitude of the forces Mother was bringing to bear. Hvitdod’s curse alone is more powerful than any of Mother’s children, and Paska said she was bringing back godsblood...does that mean the actual blood of a god? And those are just two of the ingredients; I’m sure there must be others as well!
Gulping, Nenet briefly considered reaching out to her master, but pushed that urge away. There was nothing happening that required his counsel; no changes to the plan that he needed to be informed of. Contacting him right now would serve no purpose except to soothe her nerves, and she didn’t want to have to rely on him for that...at least, not until she’d finished her mission.
Lifting Belligerence in her telekinesis – there was no longer any point to worrying about the glowing aura that it made – Nenet resumed her march toward Mother’s quarters, this time keeping her eyes open and her senses at the ready, just in case there was another nasty surprise waiting for her.
But nothing intercepted her as she padded down the hall, and soon enough Nenet found herself standing outside of the door to Mother’s chambers.
Shaking her head to clear away the vague sense of dizziness from how heavily the ambient magic was spinning, Nenet paused as she regarded the entrance. While Mother hadn’t bothered to trap the interior of her mountain fastness – either because she was supremely confident in her own ability to repel invaders, or because she didn’t want to have to deal with the inconveniences of navigating defensive measures in her own home – she did value her privacy, and that was reflected by the ward that had been placed on the door.
It wasn’t a particularly sophisticated enchantment, serving more as a warning than a dedicated deterrent. Other than physically reinforcing the door’s physical structure, all the spell did was create a magical lock, albeit one that had no key. As the spell’s caster, Mother was able to come and go freely; everyone else had to either announce themselves and wait to be granted entrance, or try and force the door, and as far as Nenet knew no one had ever attempted the latter.
Which I guess means that I’ll be the first, she tittered to herself in nervous excitement as she began casting a spell of her own...one specifically designed to bypass sealed entryways and egresses.
That was something which made all the difference, Nenet knew. With how powerful Mother was, the odds of being able to undo the spell with her countermagic were slim to none. But using a spell that was made for the express purpose of overcoming this enchantment gave her an edge. I just hope it’s enough of one.
A second later, a click reached Nenet’s ears, and the door creaked as it opened a few inches.
Letting out a breath that she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding, Nenet forced herself to move forward. The spell she’d used would only suppress Mother’s locking spell, rather than dispel it, and that suppression was temporary in nature. Ten minutes, Nenet reminded herself as she strode inside. In ten minutes, the door will seal itself shut again. I have to be back on the other side with Master’s spine before then!
But Master had also told her to be cautious, and so Nenet resisted the urge to hurry through Mother’s chambers, instead looking around carefully. She’d been in here before; Mother had often called her in to teach her new spells, but after what had happened with Paska, Nenet wasn’t about to take any chances, quickly scanning the place.
The room was one that would have humbled even the richest of monarchs. A carpet of golden velvet covered the floor, its texture softer than most beds. But not softer than the one tucked into the back corner, Nenet knew. The enormous four-poster bed there could have held a half-dozen people without any of them needing to touch each other. The sheets were silk and the blankets were fur, with a mattress that was somehow both firm and yielding at the same time and pillows which seemed almost to embrace you when you laid down on them. It was a perfect match for the full-length cabinet made of a deep, reddish wood that had been lacquered to a shine, containing numerous elegant outfits within.
Opposite the bed and dresser was a stout desk made of marbled quartz, the bronze fittings at its feet and corners also polished and gleaming. The high-backed chair with sable-lined cushions was the only one of its kind in the room, with the other seatings being small sofas set across from each other with a glass table between them. On it were several trinkets, all of them minor magical conveniences, ranging from a small stone that repelled insects and vermin to a pair of thick gloves that would animate and massage the user’s muscles. There were more like them, Nenet knew, in the equally-ostentatious washroom beyond the door to her right.
Even the most basic features of the place were a testament to luxury. The walls were a gentle cream-colored stone, different than the drab gray of the rest of the mountain, and had been worked so as to be perfectly smooth to the touch and uniform in shape. Near the ceiling – which was of the same make as the walls – several free-floating lights hung in the air of their own accord, gently shining a mixture of deep colors which blended and subtly changed as the lights shifted between various colors, creating a soothing look that permeated the entire area.
And it’s all lies, thought Nenet with a scowl, looking the place over. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the way the ambient magic was churning, or if it was because of her transformation, but she could see past the aura-suppression magic that Mother had laid over the place, letting her glimpse the tell-tale signs of illusion magic covering the room even if she couldn’t see the reality underneath. The bed, the walls, the desk. She put so much effort into making them all look real, even though she only bothered to make the rest of the place, where we lived, look beautiful when she had to see it.
A rush of fury fell over Nenet then, causing her tail to thrash as she dug her claws into the carpet.
Mother’s room was a perfect allegory for its occupant. Like the person who lived there, it was all about covering up the truth in order to look good, paying only the most minimal attention to everything else in favor of personal gratification. She told me so many lies about my father, ignoring all of the abuse I went through, just so I’d keep being her good little spellbook! raged Nenet to herself, stalking toward the left side of the room, where another door led to Mother’s workshop. No more! NO MORE! This is where I pay her back for everything she did to me!
She could hear Mother’s voice as she approached the entrance, raised in a soft harmony as she sang whatever magic she was working. It was a heartrending tune, and at any other time Nenet would have stopped to listen to it; like the rest of her, Mother’s voice was beauty incarnate. But the sphinx was too angry to let herself be swayed by the gentle melody now; if anything, it only made her angrier as she stalked toward the door, Belligerence held up high.
There was no point in trying to go in sneakily, nor in trying to put on a deception. With only ten minutes until she was trapped, there was no point, especially since she doubted either would fool Mother anyway. The only thing Nenet had going for her was the element of surprise, which meant that she needed to leverage that to its fullest.
This wasn’t an infiltration mission, or a stealth operation, or a cunning heist.
It was a smash and grab job.
Snarling, Nenet rushed the last few feet to the doorway, slamming it open as she charged inside.
And there, in the center of the room, was what – and who – she was looking for.
Full, pouty lips were pressed together as they sang a note, directing the magic by voice alone. Raspberry-colored eyes were focused on the task ahead, one hand coming up to brush a wavy lock of vivid orange-and-yellow hair back. Her other hand was holding a crystal vial, and Nenet was just in time to see a few drops of a glowing bluish-silver liquid drip from it onto the vertebrae that were floating of their own accord.
A single, ascendant syllable was sung then, and the ambient magic suddenly imploded, surging inward to surround the bones just as the droplets struck them. Immediately, the liquid spread out along the vertebrae, covering them in a thin film that made them shine with the same metallic blue radiance.
And Mother, too focused on her work to even notice the intrusion, smiled at the sight.
No! hissed Nenet inwardly, hurtling forward as she raised Belligerence. I won’t call her that anymore! She doesn’t deserve it!
“I hate you!” screamed the sphinx. “I hate you!!! I HATE YOU!!! I HATE YOU!!!”
Giving voice to the feeling that she’d been holding inside all of her life, Nenet’s howled her mother’s name as she leaped at her.
“ADAGIO!”
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You know, I don't know why I'm surprised, of course it would be the last sister. The leader with big ambitions, no wonder she can control so many! I wonder If Nenet's countermagic will be enough to negate her siren song?
Whoa, and suddenly that plot line comes full circle. But hey, at least it turns out Lex has an awesome souvenir to bring back to Sonata and Aria when(if) he gets back to Equestria: an awesome niece!
Oops, theres only two words I can think of at this moment that demonstrates the scene Im thinking of.
Lipstick Taser.
11610709 I like to think that I dropped the occasional hint here and there, though obviously there were more of them as we got closer to the big reveal. But yeah, this is what the last of the Sirens has been up to since the proverbial band broke up. And unlike the others, she's been forwarding her own ambitions...which has now put her into conflict with Lex, albeit via Nenet as proxy.
11610782 Nah, she left her purse on the vanity in the bathroom.
11610780 It's been a long time since that glimpse we got (back in Chapter 567 - Through a Glass Darkly), but it turns out she's been much closer than expected for some time now. Though this will indeed make things a little awkward if and when Lex takes Nenet back to introduce her to the family she has in Equestria.
Still, it would explain how Adagio could have acquired the 'materials' to create her children. Granted, I'm unsure if she did physically perform or if there was some magic ritual involved due to their unnatural creation though I suppose it doesn't matter as much as what she hopes to accomplish and why.
Easiest guess would be power but if so, power for what? Another could be freedom from Queen Iliana since I doubt the monarch would accept her into her service without some sort of failsafe to ensure her obedience. Then again it's already been mentioned by her children about her deal with the demons though I can't be sure if it's the full story.
Regardless, I wonder if the Dazzlings will be reunited or if it will end up as a reunion that will never happen...
11612407 At this point, there's still a great deal of unknown information about the how's and why's of what "Mother" Adagio's been doing, though presumably we'll find out very soon. Of course, Nenet will still need to get Lex's spine back and make it outside of the compound so that he can teleport her back...and even then, he'll still need a way to actually heal himself once she recovers his vertebrae.
Getting one question answered (i.e. Nenet's mother's true identity) has a way of only bringing more questions to light.
This made me speechless. Omg. I didn’t see that coming at all. He was killing the nieces of his marefriend all along. How will she react if he tells her lmao?
11636420 I have to confess, I was anticipating that particular reveal for quite some time before it happened.