EX Mission: Premonition (Cleo)

Cleo stood on a wide, flat plane as far as the eye could see. Well, seeing was the issue at present. All around him was a mist, swirling and eddying in hypnotic and undulating patterns. He could sense nothing - neither by sight, nor smell, not sound.

And yet, he could sense that something waited ahead of him in the mist - a presence both alluring and frightening, familiar and yet nothing like he'd sensed before.

Well, there were no answers standing here, wherever this was. The only way... was forward.

With the mist swirling around him, Cleo edged forward, sliding the toe of his shoe forward, rather than lifting his feet entirely from the ground. Normally, in a situation such as this, his instincts would tell him to sit still until the mist passed, but something in the distance called to him, not on a physical level, but a spiritual one.

As he took another hesitant step, Cleo's hand moved to his side, checking for his weapons. Perhaps this was the trap of some demon? If so, there wasn't much to be done about it, but at least he could be ready.

As Cleo began to move, shapes began to form in the mist, hazy and incorporeal. He appeared to be in the midst of a village, from what he could tell. And in the midst, he saw a figure, indistinct and shadowy.

"Oh? What's this?"

A voice, female and alluring. The silhouette turned to face him, though it did nothing to make them more distinct.

"To think one such as you could reach me like this... how intriguing. I should like to know you better."

The figure raised their arms, and a flash of light blinding Cleo. When he finally managed to prise apart his eyelids, he found himself surrounded by mirrors - countless panels of mirrors above, below, and all around so that he became dizzy turning to look into the infinite reflections.

But as he turned, his reflections suddenly halted and turned to face him, no longer mimicking his movements.

"My, so many facets to you," his reflections said to him. "It's a wonder you aren't crushed under the weight of it all. So many illusions to maintain... so many lies to craft and conceal your heart from everyone... Especially yourself."

Cleo perked up at the sound of a feminine voice. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. He took a step towards the silhouette in the mist, only to have it disappear in a flash of blinding light.

As he blinked away the spots from his vision, Cleo realized that he was now standing in a room made entirely of mirrors. Strange, he never spent much time in front of a mirror, aside from the casual glance in the morning to make sure he hadn't cut himself shaving.

He took another step, and his reflections all turned to face him. They spoke with the female voice at first, but with each word, it shifted closer and closer to his own. Okay, Cleo changed his mind again. This was definitely not anything good.

Placing one hand on the hilt of his katana, he peered at the various reflections. "Who are you, and what kind of game are you trying to play?"

“Who am I?” Cleo’s own voice answered from his reflections. “Don’t you even recognize yourself anymore?”

The Reflection rubbed its chin, smiling as it surveyed him.

“No, I suppose you wouldn’t. You’ve buried the truth so far down you can’t see it anymore... just like all humans. You wouldn’t want to face who you really are.... wouldn’t want anyone else to know.”

One of the Reflections turned. The mirror behind it was no longer a mirror but a window, showing the front hallway of Cleo’s old home. There he stood, younger and fresh, facing his mother. Cleo could never forget that look... or the final words she spoke to him.

“Should we go deeper?” The Reflections behind him asked, turning to look inside its mirror. “I wonder what we’ll find...”

[A: Let it continue
B: Smash the mirror]

[A: Let it continue]

- Cleo -

Don't you even recognize yourself anymore?

No. This wasn't right. All of it must be some kind of illusion.

Cleo began to draw his sword, prepared to confront whatever demon had conjured up this space, when one of the mirrors fell away, revealing an all too familiar scene. Despite his reservations, Cleo stood transfixed by the images. He couldn't force himself to shatter the reality that had been forced upon him. To do so would be to deny the truth of his existence.

And yet, he couldn't allow whatever creature had brought him here to continue looking at the scene before them. "There is no we here. These are my memories, and they aren't for public consumption."

Rather than fully drawing his katana, Cleo hit the hilt with his palm, letting out a single, piercing chime that reverberated in the mirrored room. His eyes darted rapidly from one image to the next. Any of the self-images to show fear would be cut down.

Cleo's chime reverberated throughout the mirrored room. At first, it was a single, clear note, but as the moments passed it began to grow stronger and more terrible until all at once, the mirrors shattered.

Or rather, the glass facade shattered.

Within the empty frames, the Reflections of Cleo still stood, now all of them grinning at him with terrible delight.

"So, that's the extent of your mental capacity," they mused in harmony. "Let's see what your physical limits are."

The Reflections leaped from the mirrors at once. The one in front of him shouted a familiar spell.

"Bait and Switch!"

The next moment, Cleo had swapped places with his Reflection. Before he could react, another Reflection planted a punch to his stomach and sent him flying.

"Bait and Switch!" another called.

Cleo was dizzily transported once more, and a kick crashed into his back, sending him sprawling. Disoriented and pained, he could only crack his eye open just as another Reflection grinned and directed its hand at him, ready to switch again.

- Cleo -

Something wasn't right. He'd known it from the moment that the mirrors cracked, but it was only after the first fist collided with his gut that he realized how wrong this all was. Each of these things was him. How was that possible?

Another disorienting moment later, he felt a kick planted into his back, and he rolled forward, coming to a stop on one knee. The next reflection raised a hand towards him, and Cleo held up his own hand, cast jamming it. In preparation for his arrival, one of the other reflections was already swinging, and its fist drove into the would-be Cleo, shattering it into shards on the floor.

As the others realized what had happened, Cleo gestured towards another of them behind his back, and a moment later, he watched from its previous vantage point as the one that had delivered the kick smashed through it, leaving behind only fragments.

Assuming the same cruel smile as the others in the room, Cleo remained silent, calculating his next move. Trees meet forest, and all that...

The Reflections paused all at once, still as statues. Then, at once, they turned and stared directly into Cleo’s eyes.

“You may be exceptional at deceiving yourself, but there’s no hiding from the truth here.”

They all pulled out their swords, smirked, and slapped their palms to the hilt of their swords, sending a reverberating chime echoing all around Cleo. “Insidious Chime!”

- Cleo -

Cleo's eyes widened as the reflections drew their swords. In an all too familiar motion, they raised their hands in the air.

No!

Not all at once!

The insidious sound snaked around him, and Cleo's world shifted. What had once been reflections of himself were now replaced with shadowy figures, wavering in the darkness around them. Expressions twisted into sick grins on their faces as they closed in on him.

"No! Stay back!" Without thought, Cleo drew his katana with one hand and his wakizashi with the other. The shadows continued to move forward, unimpeded by his demands.

"Leave me alone!" His reality shifted as he switched places with one at the middle of the group. Spinning in place, he shattered five of them in his immediate vicinity, and tossed out his wakizashi, impaling a sixth. As it faded into darkness, he swapped with the one that had been standing next to it, retrieving his weapon from the ground.

Raising his blades in a cross pattern, Cleo backed away from the remaining shadows. "Begone!"

The shadows halted, wavering in the darkness as they faced him.

“So fragile, the human mind,” they said. “How easily it breaks.”

The shadows became even more wispy and ethereal as they drew together, then suddenly merged into one form.

“Broken things are of no use to me,” the voice said as it stalked forward, its pace as measured and sure as the march of time. “Go ahead... and disappear.”

- Cleo -

His vision swam as the lights and shadows melded back into a more discernable reality. The fear that had gripped him subsiding, Cleo tried to slow his breathing, focusing on the shadow still moving towards him. Why hadn't it turned back into a copy of him? Was this its true form?

No, even this seemed false. It was almost as if the spirit didn't know what shape to assume. So, it kept trying new ones to see what fit best. Maybe it didn't normally have a physical form? Finally fully in control of his own body again, Cleo lowered his guard. In fact, he fully sheathed both of his weapons. There was no room to run here. If it was a fight the shadow wanted, a fight it would get.

Hand on the hilt of his katana, Cleo waited for the shadow to approach. At the last second, he would switch places with it and turn, drawing his blade to cut it from behind.

The shadow rushed in at Cleo, who tensed for his moment. At the last moment, he cast his Switch, and their places inverted. The shadow realized a moment too late and whirled around, lunging, as Cleo slashed his blade.

Like glass, the shadow shattered into shards, which flew through the air. Cleo, raising his left hand to shield himself, felt a shard of glass pierce his hand. Pain shot through his hand, straight to his brain, and words echoed through is mind.

"Yes... I have a taste of you now."

-------------------------

Cleo awoke with a jolt in his bed with a yell. There was a noise outside in the hallway, and the door opened to show Komori.

"Cleo? You all right?" he asked.

His eyes drifted to Cleo's hand, which he clutched in the air, a shard of glass sticking out of it.

"What happened?" Komori asked.

- Cleo -

Cold sweat clung to Cleo as he held his left hand in the air, his fingers cradling the shard piercing his palm. Beside him, a body stirred, and a clawed hand wrapped around his wrist, pulling it towards the sheets. "Let me see."

Cleo raised his other palm towards Nekomata, signaling her to hold off. "Don't touch it, Kitten. Something isn't right."

"I'll tell you what isn't right." She huffed, rolling over to put her back to him. "I was having an absolutely lovely dream before you woke me up."

"Why don't you get back to it then?" Cleo gestured for Komori to wait outside as he pulled himself to his feet. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Don't stay gone too long." Nekomata's words drifted off as her head burrowed into the pillow.

A few moments later, Cleo stepped into the hallway, still clutching his fingers around the shard. He gave Komori a concerned look before pointing towards the infirmary. "I just had my dream hijacked by a demon. And before you ask, no, it wasn't friendly."

Komori listened to Cleo’s explanation as they walked, his expression grim.

“I don’t think the infirmary is going to cut it,” he said, inspecting Cleo’s hand. “Come on, follow me.”

Komori lead him out of the barracks and down the street toward the Hall of Learning. As an Edgemaster, Cleo had never been there before and gazed around at the austere, temple-like facade. Inside, the halls were lit only be candles at this time of night. Komori lead Cleo deep inside the building and stopped at a door, which he rapped his knuckles against.

“Enter,” a voice said.

They stepped inside and found what looked like a baboon perched in a chair, an intricate tome on his lap. It was immediately clear that this was a demon, and a powerful one as well.



“Thoth,” Komori said, inclining his head. “We were hoping to consult you on something.”

Thoth titled his little head curiously and eyed Cleo up and down. After a moment, he beckoned them closer. Komori stood nearby as Cleo took a seat on the stool near Thoth’s chair and showed the demon his hand.

“Hmm.” Thoth studied it carefully, turning it this way and that with little monkey-like hums, as Cleo recounted what he could. As the minutes passed, his recollections were becoming hazier, though the occasional spike in pain from the shard somehow made it easier to recall.

“Interesting.” Thoth released Cleo’s hand and sat back. “Most interesting.”

“What do you make of it?” Komori asked, brow furrowed.

“He’s brought back something from the astral plane, something that shouldn’t exist here, and allowed it to anchor itself to him.”

Komori stepped closer to look. “What will it do?”

“If left unchecked? Nothing good.” Thoth scratched his head, then hunched forward and peered at Cleo. “I wonder how... well, no matter. It’s obvious we only have two choices.”

“Being?” Komori prompted.

“As long as it remains a foreign entity in his body, its power will start to poison him. So we either remove it...” He peered again at Cleo.

“Or?”

“Or...” He swiveled his head to face Komori. “We make it so it’s no longer a foreign entity. In other words, we incorporate it into his body.”

Komori blinked. “Can you?”

“I wouldn’t have proposed it otherwise,” Thoth remarked, a touch snide.

“Won’t that be dangerous?”

“Oh, yes,” Thoth said matter-of-factly. “Highly. If done improperly, it could probably kill him.”

Komori grimaced. “Then let’s just remove it.”

Thoth stroked his paws. “Not to say that’s without its dangers either. He could very well lose his hand. But it would give me a chance to study it.”

“Then...”

Thoth turned his attention to Cleo. “The choice is yours, young man. What would you have me do?”

[A: Take in the shard
B: Remove the shard]

A) Take in the shard

- Cleo -

It was eerie to finally see the inside of the Hall of Learning at this time of night. The flickering of candles produced the only light, and around every corner, the shadows seemed to congregate.

Thoth. That was the name that Komori called the demon before Cleo. He’d heard stories of the librarian, but this was his first time encountering the demon in the flesh.

He sat in silence as the creature turned his hand this way and that, several times twisting it into an uncomfortable position. Strangely enough, the wound hadn’t bled at all, even while Cleo had taken the time to dress himself.

Now Thoth presented him with two options, neither of which sounded particularly great. Gritting his teeth, Cleo flexed his fingers around the shard, feeling the sting of the foreign object digging in deeper.

"Without both hands, I can’t continue as an Edgemaster." Cleo responded. "And at this point, I’m not really considering a change in careers."

"Fuse it to me."

Yes... I have a taste of you now.

That's what the demon from the dream had said.

"Eat your heart out..." Cleo muttered under his breath.

Komori frowned, looking like he might object to Cleo's words, but after a moment stood back and sighed.

Thoth looked between them, then nodded. "Very well then. I'll proceed."

He placed one paw beneath Cleo's hand, and brought the other to hover over the shard. He began to chant to himself, and Cleo could feel maga radiating through the demon's paw into his hand and the atmosphere around it.

"We'll begin at the count of three," Thoth told him. "One-"

Without warning, he clapped his hands together, forcing the shard into Cleo's hand. There was a shooting pain, a flash of light, and then... nothing. Thoth took hold of Cleo's hand and inspected it once more.

"All appears to be fine," Thoth said. "In fact... hmm..."

"What is it?" Komori asked, stepping beside Cleo and taking his hand as Thoth released it.

"I believe he may have absorbed some power from it," Thoth said, swiping a baselard from Komori's belt. "Most interesting."

Komori stared curiously at the weapon, but the demon shook his head.

"If you'll humor me," Thoth said, waving a paw at Cleo. "Stand over there. Yes... that will do."

As Cleo stood several feet away, Thoth held the baselard in one hand and stretched out his free hand.

"Now, as they say.... think fast!"

Thoth hurled the baselard at Cleo and sent a bolt of lightning sizzling through the air with the other hand.

[A: Deflect the baselard
B: Deflect the lightning spell]

A) Deflect the baselard

- Cleo -

Cleo cursed as Thoth smashed the shard into his palm, and jerked his hand from the demon's grip, only to find his still throbbing palm twisted at another awkward angle a moment later. Could the creature not look at it without twisting his wrist like that?

He thought for a moment that he might get it back, only to find that Komori had grabbed it. After a few impatient seconds, Cleo jerked his arm away from the Vanguard and gently massaged his wrist. "Will there be any unwanted side-effects?" Cleo asked as he moved to the position Thoth indicated.

Rather than the answer he expected, the crazy demon threw Komori's weapon at him. It wasn't that Cleo didn't register the spell that followed, but his body was already reacting to the baselard, which clattered to the side, harmlessly.

Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the jolt, which traveled up Cleo's arm and then down his spine, causing all the muscles in his body to tense up.

He hit the ground like a plank, and only after several seconds did he groan as the tension released from his body.

"What was that for?"

Thoth perched on the end of his chair, head rested in his paws as he watched Cleo convulse on the floor. Komori dropped to his knees to help Cleo into a sitting position, glaring at the demon as he did so.

"Interesting. So it took that form," Thoth mused. "Naturally, young man, we couldn't know what sort of power you'd acquired without testing it. Well, you should be well equipped for dealing with physical threats from now on. The shard's power will let you repel physical attacks, assuming you have the maga, like any spell."

Thoth nodded at them, then picked up his tome and began to read once more.

"That's it?" Komori asked. "Does he need to do anything else to treat it?"

"I suggest he wash it before eating," Thoth mused, perusing his pages. "You humans are still susceptible to germs. Other than that, no. It's just a normal hand now. The shard's power has diffused throughout him. I suspect the process went through rather smoothly due to... well, no, that's just speculation."

Thoth seemed to be talking more to himself than them right now, so Komori helped Cleo up and directed him to do the door.

"Thank you," Komori said, nodding.

"My pleasure," Thoth said, waving his hand. "If you should take in any more foreign corruption into your body, do let me know."

"Right..."

Komori shut the door to Thoth's study and sighed.

"You never quite get used to him," he said, shrugging, as they headed outside the Hall into the night air. "Anyway, how do you feel?"

[Spell Acquired!
Skill Name: Hidden Hand
Level: ★
Target: ST
Type: Meta
Effect: Expands a dense cushion of maga around the caster to halt the progress of physical attacks within a one second window. The maga density produced scales, allowing for greater stopping power at higher tiers.]

- Cleo -

Cleo winced as Komori pulled him to his feet. Even though the jolt had ended, he was still feeling aftershocks throughout his entire body. "I guess the ends justifies the means." He muttered as the two of them made their way out into the hall.

"Surely, he doesn't treat all of the Thaumaturges that way..." Cleo paused, considering the demeanor of the demon he'd just met. "Does he?" He asked Komori, looking taken aback.

Shaking his head, Cleo leaned against the wall beside him. "Aside from the sudden shaking sensations that keep running up my spine? I'm tired. It's the middle of the night, and I feel like I haven't actually gotten any sleep."

Not that he had gotten a lot of sleep tonight... But still.

Komori scratched at his beard and chuckled. "Not quite. He's a good teacher, but when all you're asking for is results, well..."

He shrugged. As Cleo leaned against the wall, looking rather worn, Komori's expression became more muted.

"I wish I could give you some advice from experience, but this is uncharted territory for me," he admitted. "Just... be careful, all right? I think this was a premonition. Something big might be building up, and... I don't want you to get involved in it. You all just started out on this path. Don't go chasing after things beyond your level."

He clapped Cleo the shoulder and smiled.

"I know it might be tough, but try to get some sleep. I'm sure that Nekomata of yours can figure out a way or two."

He winked, then headed off back to the barracks.