12 Miles Below

Entry back home turned to be an awkward affair, with both Tenisent and Shadowsong not saying a single word to the other. She had limited exposure to events like this and was unsure if she needed to step in to resolve anything.

Fortunately, no one else seemed to be doing so either, thus To’Wrathh concluded everything was fine. Better than fine, she found this agreeable. The less chatter, the more time she had to examine the colony itself. Beyond the airlock, the world didn’t feel too different from a mite maze. An accurate impression given that the colony was originally made by mites and pushed up to the surface at some point in the past.

She could recognize mite-made patterns interwoven with human repairs. Most of the original mite materials and architecture had long ago been covered up by the settlers, like minerals deposited on a stalagmite, one drip of water at a time. Sections replaced, or welded over. More additions adding new walls and fabrics to separate.

The ecosystem here was far more specialized. Insects were clearly actively hunted down given their lack of appearance. She had some guesses given her own experience with the pests among the city logistics. At some point, the surface dwelling humans must have discovered eaten circuits or piles of zapped bug carcasses could cause fires or faults in their system.

Undersider cities were far too large, with insects becoming a near permanent resident if one looked in detail. And any fault or damage was generally non-fatal. Here, she suspected if anything went wrong, it would have far more deadly repercussions.

Their group advanced slowly making a direct line to the clan lord’s estate, helmets off and fastened to their sides or shoulders. According to Keith, walking through residential quarters and other such communal places was specifically intended as a morale boost. To see returning knights and other such figures. And given she and Tenisent were pretending to be Deathless, such rumors would have already long ago spread, so quite a few of the people gathered here had come specifically to see them walk by.

The difference between the residential sections of the clan and the outer areas leading into the hangers was stark. One moment they had been walking through small corridors with metal and struts, the next was far more open space. Still just as crowded by metal struts and honeycomb supports, but no longer quite as sealed shut with multiple levels all within sightline.

She did find quite a few humans all gawking, from all levels. Hiding above and looking down, or pretending to be occupied with some task at street level, but their flickering eyes told a different story. Most of them were leveled on her, which seemed natural to To'Wrathh. She was a Feather after all, and her appearance was tailored to be flawless. Her wings twitched at her sides, and she had to stifle down the instinctive need to flare them open before the assembled crowd.

She didn't because Keith would certainly add that to his pile of ammunition whenever he needed to annoy her. And because the thin space around her meant her wings would certainly cut through quite a bit more than air, which would only give her human more ammunition.

To'Wrathh often had to duck, or else hanging balcony gardens would knock into her head. She might also run into fabric dividers that hung above her like spider webs. Intricate designs woven in showed a district theme. Similar to Undersiders, fabric had been used to draw and separate boundaries. Unlike Undersiders who used such things as rooftops, here it was used in every direction to separate the sections. Lights strung on strings glittered above, illuminating all parts of the otherwise cold metal floor. Tapestries flanked the sides, almost acting as a soft divide between the inside of a living section and the outside walking area. Catwalks above her were made for large cargo to pass by, while the narrow streets were more made for foot traffic, and much of it was slowly taken over by the residents.

Flanking the group’s sides were Chenobi - human intelligence operative as far as she was told. Straw hats and capes, along with intricate masks of demons, birds, animals, and other mythological creatures were the official garb, and only worn when needed such as now. They said little and acted only as guides, easily clearing the way forward.

The work wasn't difficult for them. Children gave the group a wide berth, as did adults and other dwellers. “Is there no privacy among surface dwellers?” To’Wrathh asked as they passed through. The lack of structural walls meant that there wouldn't be any sound barriers either. Occasionally she passed through large open airlocks that divided districts with thick walls filled with aerogel insulation, but within the actual districts air could travel through a maze of fabrics and metal gratings from one side and reach the other side.

“Honored Deathless, living arrangements among clan culture balance space efficiency with true privacy.” Ankah said, waving away the issue. “Only Retainer houses have the right to occupy full sections of the clan habitat. Walls are thick, and they would quickly add up over time. The rest of the castes are expected to work around each other in communes. As I have heard, the masses have sections of the clan they scurry off into when they want true privacy.”

“The ‘masses’ as you claim are the lifeblood of the clan.” Kidra said, sounding annoyed. “You should consider your words more carefully, Shadowsong.”

“Have I offered them any insult? No, I have not, merely stated the truth of the matter. The masses are exactly that - lower caste who we have a responsibility to shepard.” Ankah said. “False modesty does not fit well on anyone’s shoulders, Winterscar. Without our work and sacrifice, the clan would cease to function. You would do well to wear your title with the honorifics that it demands, you are no longer an heiress after all. It is an insult to the rest of the Houses to not do so given your rank.”

“This would be where I’d tune out, just heads up.” Kieth said, tapping her with his armor’s elbow for attention. “They get into politics and won’t ever shut up. Trust me, I learned from experience.”

She nodded, refocusing on the people themselves while she left the discussion between Kidra and Ankah as background detail. Keith had been correct, the two had quickly devolved into thinly veiled insults. Nothing To'Wrathh could use, it was far too cordial and polite. To'Wrathh felt smug satisfaction at this however. It was good to know that in a heated fight with Kidra, she could now out-insult her rival, thanks to having the superior teacher. Keith's engram had taught her far more efficient and effective insults.

“The clothing style within the surface clan is an oddity compared to Undersiders,” she said, tilting her head and taking further scans. “I would have expected far more layers in order to maximize heat conservation.”

No two outfits seemed exactly the same, but there was a sense of unity to it all. A common set of base templates that were modified by hand afterwards? Certainly there were many smaller details that seemed hand-sown, given the variation.

“Depends on the ration forecast… we should be running into a screen anytime now and I’ll show you.” Keith said, shrugging, looking around their path for something.

“Ration?” To’wrathh asked.

“He means energy consumption,” Ankah corrected, pulling herself from the heated debate. “Some days could have faults or damages that Reachers need to fix, which can tax the central heating systems. Or not enough power cells are available to keep the heating at certain levels. This is called a forecast.”

“There’s a screen now,” Keith said, pointing out a wall-mounted communal screen at the end of a main branch point in the path. She’d seen these scattered around, showing general news and updates people had to know.

She’d pointed out a lower section on the screen. One dedicated to overall energy usage, and described spots where repairs or other such work were being done. The information fit neatly into what she’d already seen.

The clan did seem far more interconnected, if they disseminated information publicly like so instead of expecting citizens to privately inform themselves like Capra’Nor had. Or perhaps the people here simply did not have the means to each own personal computers connected to networks. She was surprised such things weren’t vandalized, although far too many things seemed untended and unguarded compared to Undersider cities already. What was one more item to the list?

“As the esteemed princess mentioned,” Keith said, adding emphasis on the titles, “If they announce if there’s a shortage, then people go back home and put on their phuyu stuff. Or already knew to bring it with them to wherever they’re working at.”

“Phuyu?”

“Different clothing fashions, phuyu is the layers you’re probably thinking about. Gloves, full sealed jackets, earmuffs or facemasks depending on how cold it’ll get. Like a budget version of an evo-suit, without the backpack heater and dense fabric.”

“And if there is no shortage of power?”

“That’s when we have better heating like this everywhere. No gloves, breathable fabrics, less things to wash. Lets us walk around in more comfort. I’m not exactly an expert when it comes to fashion, if it works and looks good enough even when it’s dirty, I’ll be wearing it.” Keith gave a grin at that. "Plus, less fabric means you can haggle it down."

“There’s three main fashions, from which all sub-fashions derive,” Kidra explained, taking over. “Phuyu for days where there is minimal heating or you are required to go into sections of the clan that suffer the same. Phsu clothing is what you’re seeing, with exposed skin. Samoi is the middle ground, with only hands and face exposed to the air. And there’s also specific clothing to wear when you’ll arrive to the bath, I’ll explain the etiquette there later.”

“I see.” Wrath said, nodding. “Would I need a set of all three styles in order to fit in?”

“Cold forecasts are usually only caused by a mechanical failure somewhere in the clan, if the Reachers fail at their expected maintenance task.” Ankah said. “So a few sets of phsu are generally what you would mostly use.”

“I would have assumed power cell usage would be maximized by always having your ‘phuyu’ clothing set. This seems suboptimal.”

"Clothing must be an exception." Ankah immediately said. "I shudder at the idea of having to wear phuyu every single day for the rest of my days. Barbaric."

“There needs to be some lines drawn between morale and comfort against survival,” Kidra said nodding with Ankah, which seemed to surprise the rest of the group. “If a clan expands only as fast as their stockpile of power cells can support, they’ll never need to turn down the heating levels.”

“It is all a moot point in the end,” Ankah continued, looking To'Wrathh up and down. “Since you are… Deathless and immune to any temperature difference, I doubt you have need for the other two styles. They look quite terrible besides, as mentioned. It would hardly be fitting to wear such dregery.”

To’Wrathh could tell Ankah’s words were being overheard. While the people were clearly continuing with their own tasks and goals, there was a marked silence among them all, with only hushes and whispers as the group passed through.

“Survival bias,” Keith countered, huffing. “Phuyu clothing is just as good looking, only it’s worn in times of difficulty and so it gets a bad rep. I find the utilitarian focus pretty handy. More pockets.”

“I have spent enough time in an evo-suit. I refuse to feel the same way walking through the halls of my own home. But of course, a pipe weasel like yourself would appreciate more pockets.” Ankah said, her voice dripping with disdain. “Even with your newfound wealth, I suppose old habits will not fade easily. One a bug, always a bug.”

“I think she just implied I’m a thief,” Keith said, looking over to To'Wrathh with an expression she registered as ninety three percent mock-hurt. “I am so extremely wounded by this accusation. Won’t someone stand up for me? Someone who has metal wings and can slap a person into a metal pillar?”

The assessment went up by another five percent.

“Don’t start things,” Kidra hissed, a hand landing on Keith’s shoulders and marching him forward. “We’re in public. I have no desire to see anything get stirred up by you being dramatic. I know what you’re up to.”

But To’Wrathh had run the thought through her mind. She came to a quick conclusion, and considered that Tamery would be proud of her with this answer. “You did steal my leg,” she said, adding the expected amount amusement in her voice. “I find the accusations to be moderately accurate.”

That got looks from everyone. She wasn't quite sure why, did her joke not land correctly?

“Swear to the gods it’s not what it sounds like,” Keith said quickly, holding up his hands defensively. “A door slammed on it and cut it off, and I was left with the other end.”

Everyone continued to stare at him. Even the surrounding whispers had grown dead still.

“... I admit that doesn’t sound good either, in retrospect.” He paused, rapidly thinking. “It was a combat situation, so I can’t explain more out here. Just know there’s a very good explanation for all this.” His eyes roved in panic, looking for possible distractions, until it settled on Kidra.

She narrowed her own eyes, suddenly suspicious. “Don’t you dar-”

“Been meaning to ask,” Keith said, bulldozing past, and leaning closer to whisper. To'Wrathh could hear just fine, even with the noise resuming around her. “That first day we got on the airship, did you leave To'Wrathh stuck in the box just to get me to run out of the cockpit room and leave you alone with-”

“My dear brother,” Kidra said, her voice icy, hissing right back. “I don’t ask you about Ellie. Do you want me to ask you about Ellie? Because I would be delighted to drag you into the light with that topic too.”

Keith stopped, then nodded. “Okay, fair point. Shutting up now.”

“Who is Ellie?” To'Wrathh asked, finding herself very curious. On his part, he looked like he'd been caught trying to defuse a landmine. "I have very good hearing, you seem to forget." She added.

“Right." He grumbled under his breath, "Whispering is perfectly fine and well respected until you run into the nosiest possible person in existence with--"

"Snow calling ice white." Kidra said, leveling him a glare. "How about you cease running and explain to the honored Deathless your dear old friend? Or else."

"Ellie... is a very polite and dignified friend that I have known for quite some time.” Keith said, rubbing the back of his neck. "The end."

“A woman,” Tenisent interjected, his gruff voice matter-of-fact. “One that tried to court him for his potential status.”

Keith flinched while walking. "Right, you have good hearing too now." Then glanced between Kidra and Tenisent, suspicious of a possible double-team happening against him.

“Is she still alive?” To'Wrathh asked. For purely scientific reasons, of course.

“She’s… still around, likely in the middle of some political shenanigans while she rebuilds her empire,” Keith said, avoiding eye contact. “Had a dance and dinner date with her recently. Ended with a lot of bullets and some fighting. Not with her, thank the gods. But it was a close run.”

To'Wrathh felt odd at that. Of course, humans would seek each other out for companionship and courtship. She just never imagined her human would be running around doing such things himself, though it seemed obvious in retrospect. He’d had a full life before she’d met him, after all. Thankfully, it seemed all of this was past tense, and so she wouldn’t need to take more drastic actions.

Wait. What kind of thoughts were these?

To’Wrathh frowned, examining her behavior patterns, then quickly concluded it was simple residual behaviors from her days as a spider. Nothing more. She was simply territorial, that was perfectly reasonable.

She would very much enjoy speaking to this Ellie human, as a case study however. After all, if she wanted to fit into humanity, it would be better to speak to people more closely associated with the Winterscars.

“Is there any other questions about my private and personal life?” Keith asked, his tone exasperated. “I’ve learned my lesson. I’m a changed man, not gonna stir up anything or scheme some kind of revenge.”

“I am certain you will not,” Kidra said, her voice laced with warning. “Why, such ideas would be absolutely detrimental to you.”

The emphasis on some choice words in Kidra’s reply gave To’Wrathh the impression of squashing a bug with a careful thumb, and then rubbing it deep into the ground just to be certain the insect was no more.

The rest of the journey took them through more industrial areas, with workshops and forges making too much sound for any kind of discussion. They reached metal staircases and ladders leading into the upper levels where the Retainer Houses existed, including the Clan Lord’s personal estates near the heart of the clan.

Chenobi filed away, zipping into the estate to confirm items with the servants.

One such servant came before the group. “Clan Lord Atius welcomes the returning Retainers and their guests.” He said with a deep bow. “He wishes to invite Lady Hecate, Master Nistene, the Winterscar Prime, the Shadowsong Prime, and Master Keith to dine with him now.”

The rest of the guards gave each other quick glances and nods. While neither side wanted to leave their charges alone, they’d both step down at the same time which was fine with them.

If Ankah and her minions had any kind of negative thought at being shunned from the dinner, she made no remarks, swiftly turning on her heels and walking off with the rest of the guard.

Shadowsong watched his daughter walk away with her retinue, back to her estate ground. In the shuffling silence, his helmet turned slightly to Kidra’s direction.

“I recognize your efforts for keeping her safe.” He said. “You have my respect for doing so.”

Kidra nodded, humming. “Not for free. No good deed without attaching some strings to it. Winterscar.” He said, tapping his chest a few times.

Before Shadowsong could answer, the doors opened wide and a group of servants barged in, carrying trays of food and drink.

“They didn’t hold back anywhere.” Keith said, eyes roving around the food.

“Aye lad, I did not.” Lord Atius said, walking in behind the servants, hand unclasping his greatcloak and passing it over to be hung up. He looked completely recovered, as if his earlier experience underground hadn’t happened. Even smiling.

To’Wrathh would have spent more time scanning the Deathless for health abnormalities since she was technically supposed to be a Deathless herself for now and this would be good data to collect, but she found the plates of food to be too difficult to look away from.

“Excellent to see you all in fine health,” the clan lord said, taking a seat at the head of the assembled table. “And no doubt with some stories to tell. I have some of my own discoveries to share as well, but for now, a feast is a feast.”

Next chapter - The true enemy