Prologue
Ryuk had finished work on both Turtle City his moving submersible deep sea locale, and Coral City, where the kelp gardens were tended and a dragon’s head would part the waves for entry. Each were traditionally Kasanthian city with the youth being raised in the arts of torture, and the kasanthian devotions of the nightmare slaver. They were open to all races and species, with Ryuk personally purchasing the freedom of children to help expand the operations.
But still expansion would require more food, and I’tashi vessels were a real and present threat in the waters near Coral city. So Ryuk reached out through an advert on the Holonets, to Blackheart Security Solutions, a PMC he had faced in the past. They were skillful effective and professional. Having scrimped and saved for the past three years Ryuk had coffers full of ghaz enough to hire them, and the need.
Part 1: The Grand Magi sends his personal Band
Zee Kavaricchi of the famed Dandy Fancypants Family Performers stood on the prow of the Merchant Vessel Gonmar’s Gift as it traversed the dangerous waters around the Zombie Isle off the coast of I’tash.
Zee had read up on the Isle before setting out, and didn’t like what he had read.
The Island had been a prison for people I’tash considered criminals. They were dropped there by airship, and usually bitten by the first mob of Zombies that came across them. Back when I’tash ruled there were teams of Peacebringers sent in to kill any Zombie Lords that formed, so the horde was always managable and never left the Isle. Now…who know.,
Zee had been told little of what to expect by his master Grand Magi
There was a deep trench nearby that was filled with a bioluminescent coral reef. Too deep for the sun to ever reach, it was the perfect place for Ryuk to craft his coral city. But again it was off the coast of the Northern Kingdoms, and Zee wondered why the Grand Magi had seemed so excited about this project.
Zee Kavaricchi Fancypants (he had dropped the Dandy from the family name when he dropped out of the Academia and traveled up to Kasanth) never performed without his trusty band, and they were behind him holding their instruments and Black Parasols to keep out the sunlight. Each of the Nightmares looked like a caricature of an Earther with a mop top haircut. They were obviously not normal people, but when they stood behind Zee, he shined even more.
His band had been entertaining the guests aboard Gonmar’s Gift, when he noticed one the passengers seemed very different than the rest. The rest were members of Ryuk’s Rabble, coming back from missions across the colonies. But this one was a Cleansed Legion with an elongated neck, wearing robes of some high office that Zee vaguely remembered being part of the Quantum Gate. A unique membership of the Unity that tried to police the rest for corrupting influences and alien manipulation.
Zee struck up a conversation with the Cleansed Legion, and ascertained a few key facts. The first was that the Quantum Gate representative was named Grant. The second was that he was on leave from the Gate, and had come to visit and old friend named Gami. The third was that Gami and Grant had served aboard Kal Shek’s Obscenus Taela carrier craft in previous cloned lives as part of the General’s personal guard. Zee was a fast talker but an even better listener, as Grant shared little except the facts to each of the troubadour’s questions.
Then they witnessed the most terrifying of scenes.
The water around their vessel turned a darker blue for a moment and then the jaws of a massive nightmarish draconic monster closed around their ship. As they bounced back and forth inside the mouth on the waves, Zee felt his stomach lurch and churn. Meanwhile Grant was fine as his larva adjusted his biological chemical levels to offset any feelings of uneasy. But he was far more concerned about this method of entry.
When the boat finally settled down, there was a gulping noise as they moved into an area where there were docks. Awaiting them were Leftenant Ryuk, and at his side stood the androgenous clone Gami. They were looking quite relaxed, which made Grant think that this was their common way of greeting guests.
With a respectful nod and little else Grant excused himself and Gami to Gami’s chambers, so they could converse completely in private. Once safely upstairs, he checked Gami to make sure they were allright and had not been harmed by Ryuk or the Kasanthians. Upon finding the kill collar strapped to Gami’s thigh, Grant asked, “Did Ryuk do this to you?”
“No, it was put on me by the people at Jemison post,” said Gami with a bit of disdain.
“Jemison Post,” said Grant aloud, “These designs look Fort Lendill in origin.”
“Entirely possible, Jemison Post has only existed a year,” said Gami, “I doubt they invented their own tech.”
“They definitely do not have the oneness of Unity,” agreed Grant, and for a moment they communed through the uplink sharing data within miliseconds that would normally take hours to explain in speech.
It seemed their deaths aboard the vessel had sent them on very different trajectories. Gami only remembered a little while, being turned over to the EEF by the Unity members who revived Gami. Gami then passed through EEF prison after prison
Grant finally asked, “I see how these situations must be very challenging. I suspect the involvement of the Unity Cyborg Hunters. Their scientific experiments are one of the only things not regulated by the Concensus for the good of all. They are often the variable of chaos in our ordered plans. The Quantum Gate had to put down the first Augur of War uprising, so I can understand the threat the Unity Cyborg Hunters pose. If they are watching you…then you are in grave danger.”
“You should go then,” said Gami, “I don’t want you at threat.”
“I came here to help you, and keep you safe,” said Grant, “As you once kept the noble Kal Shek safe. And now I will advise Ryuk to the best of my ability. He IS technically a member of the Unity despite his Kasanthian leanings, then again I guess that was the point of the TRILAT. Anything I should focus on?”
“You will need to guide him. He has many great ideas, but need honing, and the wise guidance of someone who can see and understand the effect of those consequences. You see he is more than people expect…and way more dangerous if left without guidance. You do recall the Warcrime that has him hunted by the Iron Republic for the better part of two years? Ever since the Fleet of Fate reared their head the I.R. hasn’t had the time to track him back to Refuge but…that crime and the many many lives it cost was an exemplar of what he could do the oceans of Refuge.”
Grant pondered that for a moment, “Yes I could see how some good advice at certain times might avert a catastrophe. Then I will aim to be a good adviser.”