Lateral Movement

by Alzrius

856 - Future Tense

Lex knew that his spell would fail before he’d finished casting it.

That was another aspect of his newfound existence that he was still growing used to. The enhancement of his senses wasn’t simply limited to sharpening the faculties he already possessed, nor simply expanding their range of perception. His awareness now extended to entirely new modes of understanding, opening him to avenues of information that he was still figuring out how to react to.

Particularly with regard to his ability to perceive the past and future.

His trans-temporal awareness was sharpest in his immediate vicinity, both in terms of space and time. Concentrating on an area too distant, or too far from what he perceived to be the present, and it dropped off sharply, to the point of being almost completely muted. Even then, certain things seemed to resonate – for lack of a better term – across the gulf of time, coming into his mind as unfiltered knowledge rather than being information gathered through his sight or hearing.

But in his direct proximity, he was completely aware of everything that was going to happen roughly six seconds before it actually did. Nor did his acting to change things abrogate that knowledge, as his awareness instantaneously updated itself to reflect any alterations to the future that he made. He could even cycle through the possibilities simply by altering his intentions, examining how things would change based on his own potential reactions, letting him look through myriad potential futures as fast as his augmented cognition could handle and find the most favorable one...at least with regard to what would happen in the next six seconds.

Which was why he hadn’t known that the spell he was using to summon Nisha – requiring several minutes to cast – would fail to produce her until right before he’d completed it.

It was a stark reminder that, although his perspicacity now far transcended anything that mortals were capable of, there was still a great deal that was beyond his understanding, since by all rights his spell should have worked.

He’d intended to summon Nisha again in order to reevaluate his initial appraisal of the purple-eyed wolf. Although she’d been presumptuous in the extreme to ask for a soul-bond with him in exchange for the small task he’d given her, the fact remained that the Night Mare had sent her to him for a reason. Besides being a skilled tracker, Nisha had also possessed tulpas of her own, and almost certainly had information about aristeia that he could have used during his battle with Sissel.

But even though he had little need for her talents or her knowledge now, Lex couldn’t overlook the fact that the Night Mare had likely intended for him to make Nisha another servitor the way he had Solvei. Which meant that the goddess had expected that he’d have a use for her beyond the immediate issues he’d faced at the time. In his anger – completely out of proportion to the offense Nisha had committed, he knew now – Lex had spurned that, despite all that the Night Mare had done for him.

Now that she’d elevated him to immortality, he didn’t intend to make that mistake again...except, for whatever reason, he apparently wouldn’t have the chance.

The question now was why.

It wasn’t as though the shadowy lupine was spurning him. The spell worked by making a request directly to the Night Mare herself, asking her to send him one of her servants, and he’d made sure to specifically ask for Nisha by name. The subject of the summons herself should have had no say in whether or not she was sent out.

Which meant that either the Night Mare had rejected his request, or something had happened and Nisha wasn’t available to send.

Neither possibility was one that Lex liked.

Master, is-

Nothing’s wrong, Nenet, he answered telepathically, having foreseen her question the same way he did everything else, now. Continue with the next spell.

Okay! Her response came with a mixture of relief and happiness, likely because she wasn’t ready to leave the ice mansion that Solvei had created yet. This next one is called “major image.” It creates a four-point illusion of your choice, having visual, audible, olfactory, and thermal effects!

“Great One, may I approach you?”

It was a simple matter for Lex to bifurcate his awareness, giving his full attention to the spell structure that Nenet was diagramming for him while simultaneously turning to regard the individual kneeling a respectful distance from him.

She looked similar to the other adlets that he’d brought back to life, clad in the same simple underclothes and cloak that he’d conjured onto their bodies – remembering how upset Akna had been by her nakedness when they were in Darkest Night – after resurrecting them.

Doing so had been a fairly simple affair, now that he was able to not only invent new rituals with a few seconds’ consideration, but could perform them in a fraction of the time that he used to, able to grasp much larger amounts of ambient magic. Since transmuting things was simpler than creating something stable and enduring out of nothing, Lex had sacrificed a small diamond in the process, the stone’s high compatibility for magic making it more than sufficient to garb everyone.

After that, the resurrected adlets – and Frode, Solvei’s winter wolf father, whom Lex had left unclad – had milled about in confusion, trying to figure out what had happened. They hadn’t been alone in that regard, as Yotimo, Toklo, and the other survivors had all been even more shocked at what he’d done than their reborn kin. Even Solvei had been stunned, staring open-mouthed at the sudden return of so many people whom she’d previously thought to be gone forever.

But her disbelief had slowly turned to awe, and then delirious joy, as she realized the full extent of what he’d done.

Glancing at her now, Lex watched as she spoke to her parents – Tulok and Alasie on one side of her, and Frode on the other – arms waving animatedly as she gestured at herself, and then at him, before she changed into her winter wolf form, prompting a gasp from the three of them. The only one missing was her grandmother, and even she hadn’t gone far, being the one who was now kneeling in the snow waiting for his permission to come closer.

Glancing back at the first adlet who’d worked up the courage to approach him, Lex sighed inwardly. He wasn’t particularly interested in whatever the old shaman wanted – there was a lot that needed to be done before his confrontation with Adagio – but he was more concerned with letting Solvei hang onto the happiness she was currently experiencing, and his trans-temporal sense was telling him that would be best served by indulging her grandmother.

“What do you want, Yura?”

Shivering at his use of her name, Solvei’s grandmother nevertheless bowed deeply before straightening up and walking toward him. When she’d gotten to within arm’s reach of him, she returned to a kneeling position, keeping her face pointed toward the ground as she held both hands up.

Able to foresee what she’d do if he reciprocated the gesture, Lex reached a claw toward her. Sure enough, she murmured her thanks before reverently grasping his talons and pressing her forehead against them in what he could only assume was a gesture of supplication. “Great One, I am thankful for my life, and for the lives of my kin.”

Releasing his claw, she placed her right hand over her heart as she continued. “My granddaughter has told me of the deeds you’ve performed, slaying Hvitdod and healing those who were to be sacrificed to him, all after our people’s scouting party insulted you. Know that, on my word as the eldest shaman of our tribe, we will revere your name for all time alongside that of Aselu, who delivered us from bondage.”

“Your gratitude is unnecessary,” replied Lex disinterestedly, glancing back at where Solvei – now back in adlet form – was using her powers to create a rose made of ice, the frozen petals opening into bloom before she handed it to her mother, who laughed in delight. “Panuk didn’t deserve to die for what he did, and slaying him made Akna’s pain worse. To correct those wrongs, and to reward her for all that she’s done for me, I wanted to give her this.”

“Yes...about Akna...”

“No.”

“Huh?”

“No,” repeated Lex, knowing what the old adlet was about to say and wanting to truncate any discussion of such a pointless request. “You lack the qualities necessary to take her place at my side, nor would I accept such an arrangement even if I could.”

“But she’s so young!” blurted Yura, looking up at him. Despite having a grown granddaughter, there were few indicators of her age to be seen on her countenance, her features taut and her eyes sharp. “Please, Great One, allow her to return to our tribe! Let her get to know the parents you so graciously gave back to her, and I swear to serve you faithfully in her stead! My powers as a shaman are greater than hers! With your blessing-”

“The blessing comes from the Night Mare, my goddess,” corrected Lex coldly. “And as I said, removing my bond with Akna in favor of another is both impossible and undesirable. No amount of pleading on your part will change that.”

Lowering her head, Yura let out a ragged breath. “I...I understand. Please forgive my outburst.”

She fell silent then, and Lex paused to consider what he could say that would end this without upsetting Solvei...only to pause as his foresight informed him that one particular comment would be particularly beneficial. “However, if you wish to pray to the Night Mare for Akna’s release, I won’t object.”

Yura’s head snapped up, her eyes wide as she looked at him. “Really?! If I asked your goddess to let her go-”

“That would be between you and her,” cut in Lex. “I won’t begrudge you doing so, though I doubt you’d be able to convince her to overrule my wishes with regard to keeping Akna by my side. But it’s your prerogative to try and prove me wrong.”

Yura didn’t hesitate, holding out a hand out again, and again Lex put his claw in it, letting her press it to her forehead. “I am deeply grateful, to you and to the Night Mare. If it’s not too much to ask...please instruct me so that I may worship her properly.”

“I have more important tasks to perform,” snorted Lex, though he couldn’t help but smirk as he did so. Even if he couldn’t understand others, he could at least figure out how to direct conversations with them where he wanted now that he could discern their immediate reactions to potential responses on his part. “But if you truly wish to know the Night Mare better, there’s a shrine near your tribe’s village...”

---

It was several minutes later when Yura finally returned to Solvei, the latter still speaking so animatedly to her three parents that she honestly didn’t seem to have noticed her grandmother’s absence. That would likely make it somewhat awkward when Yura asked her about the Shrine of the Starless Sky later, but that couldn’t be helped; while Lex had told her a great deal about the Shrine and its inhabitants, he’d deliberately withheld its exact location from Yura, telling her only that she’d need to have Akna take her there.

Now all that was left was to make sure that the two of them would have the opportunity to make the trip...even if that meant interrupting the joy Solvei was currently experiencing.

Solvei.

Master! Turning to grin at him, her tail wagging so fast it was almost a blur, Solvei’s emotional state immediately shifted from happiness to love. Thank you SO much! I don’t know what to say! This is the most incredible-

Solvei, as soon as you’ve recovered your ability to change into aerial form, I want you to lead everyone here back to your village. I’ll come and retrieve you there after I’ve dealt with Adagio.

Her heartfelt gushing came to a screeching halt, and he saw her parents and grandmother exchange confused looks as she started at him from several dozen yards away. You...don’t want me to come with you when you confront her?

I want you to help your tribe adjust to having so many of their relatives suddenly reappear. The reunion is likely going to be a turbulent one. You have the power, and the authority, to make sure that things don’t descend into chaos.

But what if you need my help?

Again, a quick perusal of her emotional reactions to various replies let him pick the best one. Then I’ll summon you immediately.

As he’d foreseen, that seemed to mollify her. You promise?

I would never lie to you. If the situation calls for it, I’ll make sure to call you to my side.

Alright, she sighed. I just wish I could do more for you. I was barely any help against Hvitdod.

It was because of your cryomancy that I won that fight. And you’re the reason we overcame Sissel. You’ve always been a help to me, Solvei, whether you’re right next to me or not. That won’t change if you spend some time back at your village.

Master... Across their link, he sensed her worry abate, embarrassment and love replacing it. Alright! I guess a little while back home won’t be too bad! With how strong you are now, you’ll probably be able to overwhelm Adagio before she knows what’s happening!

She paused then, glancing at Frode before grimacing. Um, Master, about my dad? I mean, as Solvei...

I can augment another short-range teleportation spell to send him home, the same way I did for Fail Forward. You can visit him there once the situation with the adlets has stabilized.

She grinned at him again. Thank you, Master! I’ve never been happier to be your Solvei. And your Akna. She threw that last part out there with a wink, earning another round of concerned glanced from her assembled family.

He answered that last part with a small smile and a nod of his own, before turning his attention back to the remaining tasks that needed to be completed, knowing that there was a great deal to be done. Yotimo, Toklo, and the other captive adlets needed to have their ability to take aerial form restored. Everyone here would need to be given food to bring back with them so that their sudden return wouldn’t herald a famine. He needed to learn as many of Nenet’s spells as he could, as well as developing as many derivative spells as possible. And of course, he had to continue adapting to his new powers as best he was able in the time that he had.

But just for a moment, Lex allowed himself to indulge in a feeling of relief that he’d been able to get Solvei to agree not to accompany him when he faced Adagio.

While it was difficult to perceive more than a few seconds into the future, certain things resonated enough such that he could still pick up certain bits of knowledge.

Such was the case with a certain insight that he’d already had: that something bad was going to happen when he went to face the Siren...some sort of danger far and away beyond anything he’d ever faced before. Greater than Xiriel, or Sissel, or even Hvitdod.

And for whatever reason, Lex could tell that the worst possible thing he could do was bring Solvei with him to face that danger.

Author's Note:

Incredible strength, augmented magic, and now the ability to see through time! There seems to be no limit to how powerful Lex has grown!

But will that be enough to save him when Kryonex comes looking for revenge?

Comments

[Not so New Brony]

Slight precognition huh? Wonder if the duration will expand over time. Regardless, the ability will be more than useful overall though it will undoubtedly be a gamechanger in future battles. Then again, given who he's going to face later on, I have to wonder if the demigod where his source of divinity came from also possess such an ability.

Putting that aside, it seems that Lex has already been cut off from the Night Mare's support. Does that also include the miracles and replenishment of spells too? If so, he'll need to use those sparingly, especially if they're magic that is suited to his new status as a titan. Guess we'll probably see them during the big fight.

[TheAbsoluteRadiance]

11666625

Does that also include the miracles and replenishment of spells too?

I think spell replenishment is not dependent on the nightmare but on his existence as a titan. So He can replenish where ever he want. Not miracles tho.

[TheAbsoluteRadiance]

And for whatever reason, Lex could tell that the worst possible thing he could do was bring Solvei with him to face that danger.

Looks like she would have died if she was with him. How many time did he die? 2 times? Dragon and griphon assassin? Let’s hope there is no 3rd time because I recall the god in the realm of the dead told him they will see each other again.

That pre and post cognition is very useful pre for fights and post for utility but there is no way it doesn’t get disturbed by the demi-god own time cognition. maybe rather than him having a real domain like gods have this is the weak version of it where only his body and his body potential actions and consequences are his domain.

[Not so New Brony]

11666640
Ah, sorry. I meant the spells/cantrips he gets from the Night Mare like the minor healing magic he used during his time in Vanhoover. I thought it was dependent on the Night Mare's support to replenish its usage, like the new spells(whatever they may be) he received upon him becoming a titan.

Then again, my knowledge and understanding of the game mechanics is patchwork at best so I could be wrong

[Booster Spice]

A good model for future predeiction is to roll on approximate question until you fail the roll and thats how far that level of fuzzy for that question can percive ahead, to that fuzziness? Maybe even the variation in roll give a measure of just hw unseeable teh future is past then?

Why am I thinking of Adagio being so desperate for power in any way that when Lex gets thre he will be facing not just Adagio and true Hvitdod, but their demigod son, Damien?

[Alzrius]

11666625
11666640 Presuming I'm understand you both correctly, you're talking about the same things, just with slightly different terminology. Lex has multiple different types of magic at his disposal now, and with his ascension there's been changes to several of them. For clarity, here's a brief (and incomplete) rundown of his magic:

• Arcane Spellcasting: This is the one most often referred to as "thaumaturgy" (though technically this story has also used that as a catch-all for any thought-based spell system, which under the game rules are "spell slots"). While Lex previously needed a major magical battery in order to replenish this, or had to wait for the solstice/equinox (where ambient magic swelled enough to the point of his being able to refresh this type of magic), his ascension to being a titan means that he no longer has to depend on such external sources. He's now his own source of magic in that regard (though he still has to actually prepare them ahead of time).
• Divine Spellcasting: Also called "sacerdotal thaumaturgy" (i.e. it's thought-based, but relies on aligning your mindset in accordance with the tenets of a deity), Lex still receives these spells from the Night Mare, since as far as we know he can't grant himself divine spells the way he does arcane (Kara referenced this in the previous chapter, and while she meant with regards to others, it presumably holds true for Lex himself also). That said, the Night Mare mentioned that he was "more compatible" with that kind of magic now, as we've just seen him easily cast a true resurrection spell, empowering it to bring back a large number individuals with a single casting.
• Dark magic: This is a function of Lex's using the "witchcraft" system (remember, the names are placeholders) in Eclipse: the Codex Persona to represent the magic that he originally used King Sombra's horn for, but has long since made his own. As with all forms of the "natural" magic that ponies have, this is psychosomatic in nature, being gathered and utilized via biological processes but expressing itself in accordance with their state of mind. In Lex's case, that's his sense of isolation, but we've seen other instances of ponies' magic fluctuating based on severe changes to their mentality (e.g. the Rainbow Roadtrip special). Lex got a big boost to this after merging with that aurumvorax, as that augmented his physique; while we haven't seen what his being a titan has done, my suspicion is that it's given this yet another monstrous power-up.
• Ritual magic: This is the direct manipulation of ambient magic, without internalizing it. Lex discovered this as a side effect of his trying to figure out how to overcome his problem with replenishing his arcane magic. Theoretically it can achieve incredible results regardless of the user's personal magical potential; in actuality, it's extremely dangerous to work with, as even slight interruptions during the shaping process can lead to unpredictable results. According to this chapter, however, now that Lex is a titan he can manipulate larger amounts of ambient magic at once, and so can perform rituals much faster (whether or not that's any safer remains, as of yet, unclear).
• Ceremonial magic: Outwardly similar to ritual magic, this is actually a formalized method of externalizing their faith to create a metaphysical channel between a group of devout worshipers and their god, across which the latter may extend their power directly. It's largely fallen out of favor because it takes a large, lengthy, public show of devotion by a dedicated congregation, and a screw-up by even a single individual can ruin the whole thing if it offends the deity in question badly enough (worst-case scenario, it can draw down a divine rebuke); sacerdotal thaumaturgy is much more popular in present-day Everglow. We have no idea if Lex's becoming a titan has enhanced this or not; given how much it relies on externalization of faith, my guess would be not much, but he is an exceptionally powerful member of her faith now, so maybe?
• Cryomancy: Lex gets this from Solvei, being able to take advantage of the power that their bond awoke in her. Given that she's able to use it to such an incredible degree now, he almost certainly can as well. The benefit of this is that it's technically limitless; so long as it fits within the thematic limits of what cold-based magic is capable of, Lex can make use of it (within the degree of power available) as much as he wants. That's due to Solvei being a magical creature of such intrinsic cold that their bond allows her to externalize it.
• Countermagic: This is what Lex gets from Nenet. At present, we don't know too much about it, save that it allows her to undo – or potentially take control of – someone else's magic. Based on what little we've seen, this is a limited resource on Nenet's part, and requires that an existing well of energy be put forward for each use. Presumably Lex would be able to make use of it in the same manner, given how he has a great deal more power than her. Given that Nenet has also benefited from Lex's ascension (i.e. he gave her some aristeia of her own), this has presumably improved, though how is completely unknown.

And that's not even taking into account things like his tulpa, the Charismata, and his ability to manipulate reality directly!

[Alzrius]

11666645 When fighting an angry demigod, I suspect that death is probably one of the not-so-bad options. Or at least, that's my guess. Based on what we've heard about him, Kryonex doesn't seem like the warm-and-fuzzy type. That's a "he's a demigod of cold" joke, there!

As for the fact that a demigod is likely to outclass Lex is most ways...that seems like the logical guess. Even most of the gods, in the last chapter, seemed to be of the opinion that Lex would be facing an uphill battle. But then again, he's overcome plenty of enemies who were stronger than he was. Given that he's now apparently immortal, does that mean he'll be able to do so again?

[Alzrius]

11666790 Fun fact: Lex's ability to process myriad potential futures in response to actions that he takes, and then engaging in the one he finds most favorable, is why his conversation with Solvei a few chapters ago had him acting so unusually charming (i.e. the way he thanked her for making Nenet happy, and then saying that he wanted to secure her happiness)...though I will neither confirm nor deny that his time with Kara in that mindscape had something to do with it.

In game terms, this is him doing an end-run around his low Charisma by getting to apply massive ability score bonuses to his social skills. He's still taking all of the same penalties as before, and hasn't spent any ranks on those skills, but he can still get incredibly high results regardless of that, now. (Though it's still far, far below what he can do in most other skill-based areas. Being able to look six seconds into the future will let him see that Response A makes a person furrow their brow and scowl, for instance, while Response B makes them smile and laugh...but he still can't understand why that is, nor interpret if their laugh is genuine or a polite bit of fakery. Still, it's far and away better than what he's been capable of to date, and given that he'd previously given up on his dream of overcoming his communication disability I suspect that he's satisfied with coming this close.)

As for what Adagio has in store, well...I wouldn't count on her being completely out of tricks just yet.