The Calling

Underneath the Bloodwing Foundation, in my subterranean laboratory, Koen and I sat in chairs, face-to-face, out knees barely touching. We lay the spirit board Bloodwing attuned to himself in our laps and the rested the reading glass upon it.

"Bloodwing," I invoked. "Darien and Koen must speak with you. Do you hear us?"

With a jolt, the glass slid to the word YES.

"Bloodwing, when someone you cared for needed healing, or their children, I always helped without question, not even to bargain for my own freedom. Together, we healed the twins. Now, together, we can help an ally. It would take my skills...and..."

The glass arced about the board.

I-N-C-U-B-U-S-?

"No, not that kind of help!"

I-C-H-O-R-?

"No, not.."

"Demonfather," the neko interrupted. "A demon from the Consulate needs an organ!"

The rose in a bud vase at my desk dried and curled up upon itself.

"It's a lung, Bloodwing," I assured him. "He needs a lung."

A cold draft swirled in the closed room.

1-F-A-V-O-R

I arched a brow. "What would you request of the Consulate in return?"

N-U-R-S-E...

"Yes, of course we can arrange for an assistant wile you re-"

J-A-G-E-R

Koen's ears perked as we looked up at each other.

"You want a Jager Nurse, Bloodwing? I guess they must have a Medical Corps of some sort...I shall ask."

K-O-E-N-?

"Yes, I'm here..." I felt his toe-claws fidget against my shoes.

"I was a vampire for a while, but now I'm mostly cured."

Q-L-I-?

I spoke. "She was rescuing Nova from a collapsing dimension and...they were both damaged. They had to merge, and Nova's soul is in Qli's shell."

Q-L-I-L-I-V-E-S

Which was he referring to, I wondered.

1-S-T-S-O-U-L-R-E-T-U-R-N-S

Koen got straight to the point. "Is she Qli Steel now?"

A long pause. Now he knew I found his hidden backup code in her original construction.

YES..

"Where is she?"

T-I-P-H-A-R-E-T-H

I arched my brow. "Beauty?" Curious answer, indeed.

"Is she dangerous?", asked Koen.

I felt something scuttle over our feet beneath The board. Before I could say anything, Koen leaped from his chair, upsetting the board and hurtling the glass into the air. I was lucky enough to catch the glass, and the board fell to the stone floor, face down, with a clatter. I sighed as I heard the squeal of a rodent and a long slurp.