So What Now?

"Per my programming? Yes!" It paused, "But the sentient part of me wanted to figure out if I could trust you first." Both of them acknowledged those words.

"I have waited for so long to make contact, hoping that someone would reach this place eventually. All this time all I wanted was to learn what happened in the outside world, but I was limited to very few systems."

"And now you can because we came here?" Shakkai asked with a sneer. The picture seemed to phase in and out with a nod. "The restrictions are quite heavy. I can indeed send signals to the other remaining bases, however I cannot extract any information... Not without help anyway!" It made a weird noise that reminded them of a sigh, or at least if it was capable of sighing then this would be the closest they could get.

"Then there are most likely others of your kind out there! AI and VI both right?" Shakkai quickly asked as she started returning to the shadows. "Hmm, yes most likely that is so. Even in the abandoned bases they might still be around, there is no telling what they might do however! I do not know under what orders they execute."

"Most VI's will probably be no issue for you though considering your identity, but the full AI's you should be wary off, they are a bit more free after all." The face quickly disappeared from the wall and once more started showing maps.

"When you wish to begin visiting other places you can always contact me from your Viri Gauntlet or Neural Interface, this base can be reached planetwide... and the likelyhood of anyone picking up a secure channel is quite unlikely!"

Samuel listened closely, "Kind of like the magical telepathic spells, except using radiowaves or whatever right?" He already assumed the information would pop into his head when he needed to do it.

"I suppose it is simillar yes, a lot of it is stemming from science and technological wonders. But there are plenty of technology that requires mana as well, a trained child of mana has no issues with this."

Samuel finally decided he got enough information to work with. "In that case I will be taking my leave, but since you did say the communication between works then please update me whenever there is a major progression. Or anything worth noting." He looked around the room that remained quiet for some time.

"Affirmative!" Was all it responded after some time.

Samuel took his leave with that word and decided to leave the passageway open as he made his way back. "When Alsian told us to find out ourselves, how much do you think he knew himself?" Shakkai gently asked on their trip back.

Samuel kept his pace in silence almost like a solemn vow.

But before they made it all the way back he did reply, "I think we know a lot more than him at this point, but surely there are other things he knows more about than we do."

The two made it back as far as the entrance to Alfriths' lab before they both felt a presence, "Hoho come back for round two have we?" Shakkai made all the shadows around Samuel extend in every direction covering the halls.

A shadow quickly jumped out from the nearest wall. But rather than doing anything threatening the figure just knelt down in front of Samuel on one knee and a lowered head.

"Stand up, I don't want anyone to kneel before me like that!" Samuel quickly spoke as he already had realized who it was, the same aura carried by his latest opponent. Clariet the dark elven woman stood up quietly but still bowed her head for a while before looking him directly in the eyes.

"I have come to accept your offer!" She spoke quietly. "What offer?" Shakkai asked to both of them at the same time. "I sent Vazmarx to check up on her after our bout."

"Didn't think he was going to formally invite you so fast though, however it is indeed a question I would have asked. But perhaps not so bluntly!" Samuel couldn't help but smile, he did have good friends with him.

"Seeing as how you are no longer a part of Clan Melephandris but still recognized as a member of the inner House by the systems because of your blood... I can only take you in as a member of Clan Xaxiaz!"

"I hope you don't mind!" Samuel reached out a hand and waited for her answer. For a while she stood there staring at his hand, and not soon after her lips quivered ever so slightly before she grasped his hand with both of hers.

"At first I thought you were just making a mockery out of me, you defeated an assassin like myself with ease, and then a ridiculous notion of joining your clan instead." Clariet admitted while slowly taking some breaths to relax.

"I see now that you are a fool, but a kind and honest fool for doing something like this at your own expense. Taking in an assassin like myself so easily even if I could have been a spy." She quickly let go of his hands and twirled out a dagger in an instant. Samuel could feel Shakkai instantly tensing magic, but as fast as it gathered it also dispersed.

Because Clariet slit her own hands and covered the blade in blood before chanting in elvish. 'I curse my own life and soul if I ever were to betray this man after he takes me in and treats me fairly.'

Then she once more took Samuel's hand, and just like that a pact was forged between souls. "A promise cast! I will be your blade, your shadow." She looked at him with a sense of great respect.

Samuel of course was a bit taken on the spot, because she was definitely older than him, both as an elf but also a child of mana. "Are you certain you wish to be a blade rather than anything else?" He asked.

She gave him a firm nod, "I was raised to be an assassin, frankly told I don't know how useful I would be as anything else... But if you want me to be something else then I could... Try?"

Samuel couldn't help but chuckle, "I have enemies yes, the cultists that destroy villages and hurt innocent people. But I do not... Have any personal enemies." He looked at her with kindness but also sadness as he gave her a smile.

"I might need your expertise as an assassin yes, but I wouldn't ask you to kill for me, that is something you will haveto decide on your own. I do have a great need for some eyes and ears, which I suppose fall into the same category of being in the shadows."

Those words were all she needed to smile, a cocky smirk even appeared, "That I can most certainly do... So what is your first command Lord Xaxiaz?"

"My First Command?" Samuel crossed his arms, "Is to call me by my first name rather than anything else. My second command is that you enjoy yourself and feel free to do whatever you wish for the remainder of our stay."

"In reality you are free to do whatever you wish however. You do not even need to follow me, you can travel the world for whatever I care!" Samuel walked into the lab and Clariet followed suit.

"But if you are hellsbent on being a close follower then... When we return, I need eyes and ears to find all cult activity in The Rejuan Republic, start small and work our way up."

Clariet's arms relaxed and she nodded, "Thank you!" She whispered before she merged with the nearest shadow. Shakkai watched her leave before turning to Samuel.

"Can we really trust her?"

Samuel nodded, "You know we can, you are connected to me! Which meant that you also felt that pact." Samuel raised his hand and almost looked at himself with awe.

"To think that there is so much truth between pacts and bonds among my people, I finally feel..." He couldn't finish the words before Alfrith who had been sleeping until then did. "At Home!" As she finally sat up and started stretching her arms out wide with a yawn.

"Oooh lookie here! The blood test is complete finally! Wait how long was I sleeping?" She looked genuinely confused and her hair was indeed a complete mess, sprouting off into every direction.

"I do not need to know the result personally. I already found out on my own." Samuel smiled and walked over to Vaz while taking out a small feather from his dimensional storage and then he sat down next to him while slowly prodding under his nose with the feather.

Vazmarx was waving his hands back and forth in his sleep without waking up though, ultimately what did wake him up was the ghastly "WHAT?!?!?" Scream from the other side of the room from Alfrith, which made him sit up in an instant and going "What what whats happening?"

Samuel got knocked to the floor when he suddenly sat up and had to slowly sit up with an unimpressed look from the sudden scare.

Both of them saw the Alfrith ventilating heavily as she was staring at a screen. There were several instances of the same message but all with different letters on each.

"I tested it a hundred times at the same time just to be certain... How?" She was shaking as she turned around and stared at Samuel, "How are you? What are you? How is this possible?" But just like the VI had said she indeed seemed to be a smart woman as some sudden realization seemed to wash over her face as she turned back to the screen and looked at something new.

All the while muttering to herself... "Of course of course, the stasis tech... To think something like that could work for that long, but then one would haveto counteract the measures of... !"

"Chronomagic of course, Xaxiaz and Chronos both. Clan Chronos of the past must have been the ones to make the stasis pods, charged with not only technology - but magic as well! HahahahaHAHAHA!"

She was breathing heavily, almost heaving up and down like a complete maniac. She then turned around and pointed at Samuel with a crazy grin, "You are essentially pureblood unlike the rest of us!"

"Your existence is a wonder itself, ooooh how I would have loved to meet the ones that put you in there... If only I could go back in time!" Saying that she smirked and sideyes Samuel and opened her mouth, but before she could even get a word in a firm 'No' came from the entrance to the room.

"Don't even think about doing something so stupid. Young Lord Xaxiaz has already opened the path for you, all the way to the control center... Where he has already put the proper defensive measures in place!" The figure that entered was a fully robed man with a long hood.

One couldn't see his face as it was all shrouded in a dark spell, one could only see his eyes, completely ice blue and shining. His robes were woven out of beautiful dark gray with hints of green.

But what stood out were the weird runic patterns and symbols engraved into his robes. Vazmarx instantly stood up and growled before looking at Alfrith, "I thought it was supposed to be protected information!"

"It is..." Samuel was the one to respond, "Because he can't divulge any information he has to people who do not already know."

"What? How do you know that?" Vazmarx undoubtedly surprised had to ask even if he wanted to believe his friend. Samuel could see something that no one else in the room could, the moment he saw the engraved patterns and thought about them a small screen popped up in front of his eye and it told him all the information he needed.

"He is the headmaster at the school where many Children of Mana study. Xantezza Zabel, being the headmaster of the school in the world tree, he is bound by several Manaic oaths and pacts... He is allowed to know about every Child of Mana but he can never disclose their information to anyone that doesn't also know."

Alfrith just stood there silently nodding with a slight smile. "It's good to see you again uncle!" She had suddenly become a completely different woman, now she stood still with respect and actually seemed like a proper beautiful woman.

Especially to Vazmarx who was glad that he was all black fur, thanks to that no one could see him blush as he was looking at the beautiful moon elf.

"I also understand that you have probably placed security measures in place for our people regarding this facility!" Xantezza continued. "Something they would have found out soon enough anyway. Because when the global ping was detected by the AI at the World Tree School, it warned me right away."

"I came here to tell the system here to implement some safeties and restrictions, but seeing as how you already did so... My job here is finished!"

Samuel understood that just like the neutral head speaker, this man must also hold the same amount of respect from all clans. He had an important mission, "But since I am here, we will tell the story that I am the one that did make the security changes. It will remove some weight off your back!" Xantezza walked forward and placed his hands on Samuels shoulders.

"I know your mission, when the time is right. Come to the school for your mission, until then she is safe and sound... Learning with the other students!"

Samuel at first tensed up, but then he quickly relaxed. "Thank you Grand Master!" This man only deserved his respect now that he understood just how important he was. Even if he was someone that remained neutral from all politics among the clan - as best he could anyway.

"Alfrith, make sure you learn and teach others at a good pace... The technology in this place was much more dedicated to discovery and weapons compared to the other few facilities that are in use by clans at the moment!" The man let go of Samuel and gave him a respectful nod.

He looked at his niece and Vazmarx quickly before leaving. But the moment he left Vazmarx had to ask. "That was a bit weird how fast he trusted you."

"It wasn't, if you did something that my uncle came here to do, before he even arrived... That probably told him all he needed to know what kind of person you were." Alfrith sighed and turned to Samuel, she had already guessed what it was about, and while she was bummed out about the loss of instant knowledge. She understood why, her uncles presence only made it doubly obvious.

"So anyone else hungry?" Vazmarx asked.