WM [96] Breaking a Few Rules

Without hesitation, she tested what they had unlocked together. Drawing all the water back from Bjorn’s body, she held it in a single orb above her palm. It shimmered under the faint light, pure and clear. Then, she activated the Poison Infusion. Like all of her other communed skills she knew them on an instinctual level as if it was always a part of her. The water bubbled and churned, turning black and viscous. The magic pulsed with something dark and caustic, and Tanisha’s brow furrowed as she studied it.

“This… isn’t normal poison,” she murmured, holding the orb closer to examine it.“I think this can actually affect the constructs.”

The seiðr itself seemed alive, toxic in a way that felt otherworldly. She frowned, instinctively recognizing its potential. With a flick of her wrist, she dismissed the water orb, letting it dissolve into nothingness.

Her gaze shifted back to Bjorn. “You got hydromancy?”

Bjorn tilted one of his heads, his expression unreadable, and then opened the mouth that normally unleashed torrents of fire. Instead of flames, a sphere of water formed in his jaws, swirling with quiet intensity.

“Water breath,” Tanisha said with a small nod.

She tried to smile, but her lips trembled slightly. She looked down, her hands tightening into fists at her sides as emotions welled up. She tried to suppress them, but it was futile. The realization hit her harder than she expected: she was about to let him go. Into the most dangerous situation imaginable. Into chaos and uncertainty and she couldn’t do anything about it.

She wasn’t his mother, who she was fairly certain was furious with her right now. She wasn’t capable of going with him, wasn’t strong enough to protect him better than he could protect himself. She wasn’t even sure if she could say goodbye the way he deserved.

He was her True, her best friend, her partner in crime and they were literally bound soul deep. He had defended her, chosen her as family, stood by her when the Queen of a Thousand Heads questioned her place in his life. They had been inseparable since the day he was born.

She wouldn’t cry, though. Not here, not now. He didn’t need to see her weakness, didn’t need the weight of her fears on his already burdened shoulders. He had a mission, and she wouldn’t hold him back.

A soft chime broke the silence, followed by Doxy’s monotone voice. “User Tanisha. User Bjorn. Laxy has requested your presence.”

Tanisha took a deep breath, forcing a steady tone. “We’ll be right there. You ready to try on your new armor, Big Man?”

Bjorn stood, his form casting a shadow over her. One of his heads nuzzled her gently, the affectionate gesture pulling a small laugh from her. She didn’t expect what came next. With a flick of his tail, he wrapped it around her waist and hoisted her onto his back before she could protest.

“Hey!” she yelped, clutching at his scales to steady herself.

Bjorn rumbled, a deep sound that could have been a laugh, and began to walk toward the exit.

Tanisha let out a breathless chuckle, a mix of exasperation and affection. “Alright, alright. Let’s go.”

Even as they made their way to Laxy, her heart ached. This was only the beginning of their journey apart, and the thought of it left a hollow pit in her chest. She would let herself enjoy these small, fleeting moments with him.

***

Laxy stood in her human form beside the fabricator, her pale blue hair glowing faintly as the armor emerged from the machine with a series of mechanical whirs and clicks. The room fell silent as the final piece slid into place, revealing a masterpiece of craftsmanship. The armor was a mixture of gleaming black metal, intricate aetheric runes that pulsed softly with energy, and subtle technological components made it look like it came from this place. It looked as though it was forged not just for battle but for the wielder of unimaginable power.

Aurelius arrived a few later and he was covered in sweat, likely from meditation. It was a few minutes before Fuyumi stepped in  slightly less steady on her feet. The smell of alcohol followed her and Tansha guessed she didn’t use the time as constructively as Aurelius, Bjorn or herself. Well out of the three of them she was the only one that was human adjacent, and the idea of everything she had been taught about her Trues being questionable hit her harder.

“Finally,” Laxy said, stepping forward with a satisfied smile. “I present to you your armor, Bjorn. It’s designed specifically to withstand the Chaos Hurricane and the monstrosities within it. Every piece has been tuned to your energy signature, and it will respond only to you.”

Bjorn stepped closer, his many heads tilting to examine the armor with curiosity. His eyes glimmered as the runes caught the light, and he let out a low, rumbling growl of approval.

“It looks… impressive,” Tanisha said with a nod.

“Impressive is an understatement,” Aurelius said, arms crossed. “That’s the most advanced piece of gear I’ve ever seen.”

Tanisha, standing beside Bjorn, reached out a hesitant hand to touch the armor’s surface. The black metal was cool under her fingertips, but she could feel the faint hum of power running through it.

Laxy clapped her hands, breaking the moment. “Well, we don’t have all day! Tanisha, you’re going to help me get this on him.”

Tanisha blinked, startled, but quickly nodded. “Of course!”

Laxy began explaining the process, her tone brisk and professional. “Bjorn, since you’re quadrupedal, the armor is designed to attach seamlessly to your body. We’ll manually fit it this time, but in the future, you can equip or unequip it directly from your inventory by channeling your aetheric energy in this specific pattern.” She waved her hand in the air, leaving glowing trails of energy that formed a simple rune. “I’ll teach you how to do it once you’re suited up.”

Piece by piece, Laxy and Tanisha worked to attach the armor to Bjorn. The chest plate was the first to go on, its intricate runes glowing brighter as it locked into place. Next came the leg armor, each segment fitting perfectly around his powerful limbs. The backplate extended to cover his tail in segments, and a ridge of protective plating ran along his spine. The final pieces were the helmets, which slid over each head between the antlers and horns. They connected to the scaled armor around his necks.

As the last piece clicked into place, the armor seemed to come alive. The runes pulsed in a synchronized rhythm, and the technological components emitted a soft hum. Bjorn shifted his weight experimentally, the armor moving with him as though it were a natural extension of his body.

“How does it feel?” Aurelius asked.

Bjorn’s heads turned, each testing the range of motion. “Light,” Laxy translated his hisses. “And strong. This… this is perfect.”

Aurelius let out a low whistle. “If I were a monster in that hurricane, I’d run the other way just seeing you.”

Tanisha loved the armor but not what it meant. She forced a smile, but her eyes were clouded with sadness. As much as she was proud of Bjorn and the strength he represented, the armor symbolized a journey she knew he had to take alone.

Laxy broke the moment demonstrating the rune pattern again. Bjorn repeated and the armor shimmered before vanishing into his inventory. He performed the pattern again, and it reappeared just as seamlessly.

Tanisha stepped forward, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides.

“Bjorn…” she began, her voice barely above a whisper. “Just… be careful, okay?”

Bjorn lowered his main head to her level, and Laxy translated. “I will, Tanisha. I promise.”

Tanisha nodded, but her lips trembled. Without thinking, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his scales. The room went quiet, the weight of the moment settling over them all.

“Come back to us,” she whispered. “No matter what.”

“Well lets see him off with food.” Aurelius said .

Fuyumi stepped closer as well, “And drink, I have already reached my limit but you two can give me your share for today.”

“That is not allowed, Fuyumi.” Laxy cleared her throat.

“Doxy said punishment protocols are off.” Fuyumi said with a wave of her hand. “So it is not like anything will happen from breaking a few rules here and there.”

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