"That would explain her…resilience," Cerais commented. "A lack of mortality. All we have is that she emerged from a cocoon. Nothing more. Correct, Elric?"
"Affirmative," Acacia responded, her voice flat and toneless.
"Any further data regarding her origins or identity?" Acacia's father inquired, his gaze sharp and analytical.
"Negative. There are no records of her prior existence," Acacia stated, her words precise and devoid of inflexion.
"A regrettable omission," he sighed, leaning back in his chair, his expression a mask of detached interest.
"Containment is paramount," Lucian declared, his eyes cold and calculating. "We must neutralize the threat and ascertain the nature of her…physiology."
"Oh, the possibilities!" The red-haired woman's eyes gleamed with a disturbing fervour. "To dissect her, to observe her internal mechanisms…and her supposed immortality! An ideal specimen for experimentation."
'I will not let you dissect me,' Acacia thought, her gaze hardening. A flicker of disdain crossed her features, quickly masked by her impassive expression.
"Inhibit your…enthusiasm, Inez," Lucian commanded, his eyes narrowing into slits. Inez responded with an exaggerated sigh.
"Alas, my joy is simply too wonderful to contain," she chirped, her smile unnervingly bright.
"The source of this…exuberance?" Barachiel inquired, his brow arched in skeptical curiosity.
"Oh, Sparky, you'll simply adore this!" Inez's voice dripped with saccharine glee. Barachiel glared at her for a moment. "During my recent excursion to Angria, I procured a most…exquisite specimen. A truly rare find."
"A specimen?" Lucian's tone shifted, a note of clinical interest creeping into his voice. "Of what nature?"
"Indeed," Inez chirped, her eyes gleaming. "You know the…challenges we face in controlling monsters? And the marginally improved success with the beast-men? Well, I've acquired a…solution." With a flourish, she clapped her hands, and a holographic projection materialized above the table: a massive, grey egg, its surface etched with intricate gold designs. "This," she announced, her voice dripping with triumph, "is the ovum of a Slitherwing. The last of its kind."
A hush fell over the room.
"They were…prevalent during the Great Encer War," Inez continued, her tone taking on a disturbingly academic edge. "But their numbers were drastically reduced. They were deemed…problematic. Highly intelligent, capable of achieving colossal dimensions, and…remarkably lethal. Their eradication required…significant sacrifices."
'It is pretty.' Acacia thought.
"Quite pretty," her father's voice echoed, laced with a disturbing appreciation.
"You brought that here?" The elderly man's breath hitched, his voice a strangled gasp of horror. "A Slitherwing? You should have terminated it immediately!"
"Patience, oldie." Inez purred, her eyes gleaming with manic delight. "Its intelligence is precisely its…asset. With careful…conditioning, it can be controlled. Slitherwing eggs, as you know, possess an extended gestation period, though the precise duration remains a mystery, given their…extinction. However, this specimen remains viable. I intend to mould it from its nascent state. It will not mistake me for its mother, but it will recognize me.… It will serve me. And in doing so, it will become the most formidable weapon this world has ever witnessed. Other nations lack such…vision. Angria, in their blind arrogance, never suspected its theft. Encer shall rise again." Inez’s smile, sharp and predatory, contorted her features as she bit her bottom lip.
'I need to destroy that egg.' Acacia thought.
'Or possess it.' Daemonis countered.
"Your…acquisition is commendable, Inez. You have surpassed my expectations," Lucian stated, his gaze lingering on her. Inez leaned closer, her smile gentle.
"Your approval is…gratifying, Lucian." She said.
"When do we anticipate its…emergence?" Acacia's father inquired, his tone laced with a hint of apprehension.
"Should we not consider the potential for…unforeseen consequences?" Barachiel interjected, his gaze fixed on the holographic egg with unconcealed skepticism. "Its inherent…lethality is not to be dismissed."
"Control is merely a matter of…conditioning," Inez dismissed, her voice light and dismissive. "Think of it as…domestication. A simple matter of establishing dominance. And as for its…development, I intend to expedite the process. Its physical form is sufficiently advanced; a little…stimulation will do wonders." She shrugged, her eyes gleaming with unsettling anticipation.
"Is the egg, safe?" Acacia's father asked.
"Perfectly safe and kept." Inez confirmed.
"The probability of success is…acceptable," Lucian declared. "I require the captains to intensify the training regimen for the new recruits. Their performance will dictate the outcome of the next raid. Elric and the others will be…rewarded with elevated ranks, contingent upon a successful reclamation of the lost territories of Encer."
"Then, this meeting is adjourned. We must expedite our preparations," the elderly man stated, the hologram flickering out.
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"Yes, time is of the essence," Acacia's mother agreed, her tone laced with urgency.
"Understood. Dispersed until further instruction," Lucian concluded, his eyes sharp and watchful.
Acacia bowed her head, a precise imitation of the others' farewell, and exited the room. The small group trailed behind her, their footsteps echoing hers as they approached the elevator. Inside, a silent tableau formed, their gazes fixed ahead. As the doors began to slide open, Acacia's eyes briefly met Barachiel's, a fleeting exchange before the metal doors sealed them away.
"It's always so nerve-wracking being in their space."
"But at least we are getting recognized, we might become captains."
The murmur of voices faded behind her, but Acacia remained unmoved. 'I need to hinder the raid. And that…creature. Am I to nurture it?'
'Precisely,' Daemonis's voice resonated within her, a silken affirmation.
A flicker of unease crossed Acacia's features, a memory of the serpentine coils that had once bound her. 'I do not know its location. Though I possess the mental map of the Flow Society, I cannot move freely as I please. And it seems like a bother to nurture such.'
"Elric," a voice called, cutting through the ambient noise. "You coming to the Grub? They've got some new dish, everyone's raving about it." Acacia turned her head, a subtle movement.
"The Grub," she murmured, her voice barely audible. 'The restaurant within the courtyard. I think I found my distraction....'
"Why bother asking? You know he's never up for it," a hushed voice remarked, though not quite hushed enough.
"I will attend," Acacia stated, her tone flat and devoid of inflection. 'Maintaining Elric's persona requires minimal effort, which is incredibly pleasing.'
The elevator doors slid open, and they exited, traversing a series of sterile corridors until they reached the courtyard. Acacia followed, her movements precise and measured, as they approached the restaurant entrance. The logo, a stylized glyph, was emblazoned on the door. Inside, the space was vast and cacophonous, a sea of tables and chairs.
'Reminds me of my school cafeteria.' she thought as she followed the group to a table and sat down. Someone picked the communal tablet and passed it from hand to hand, its surface glowing with food options. When it arrived before her, she made a simple selection and continued the tablet's journey.
Her gaze settled on the "Staff Only", probably the kitchen. The flurry of waiters rushing to deliver meals presented a chaotic opportunity. A waitress brought their food and left as she began to eat, her movements deliberate, her eyes dissecting the rhythm of the kitchen's traffic. Staff entered and exited, a constant flow, yet she sought a pattern, a moment of vulnerability.
"Elric, so what is this about a girl?" A guy asked with curiosity.
"It's private." Acacia replied as she faced her food but momentarily glanced at the busy movements.
Having finished her meal, she noted a waitress's sudden disappearance into a narrow corridor. Rising slowly, she addressed the group with a casual, "I'll be right back," receiving murmured acknowledgments. She followed the waitress into the corridor, discovering it led to the restrooms for both males and females on opposite sides. She looked up and searched for any security cameras, finding none, her form subtly shifted, becoming Erla's as she entered the female restroom. She observed the waitress washing her hands, the woman casting a brief, uninterested glance before entering a stall.
She raised her head again to look for any cameras and found none. She entered the stall next to the waitress's and removed her clothes. Acacia removed her clothes, neatly folded them, and set them aside as her body shifted into that of the waitress. She could smell the scent of a cigarette coming from the stall next to her.
"Ugh, I'm so damn tired; I just want to rest. Maybe even sleep a little." The waitress said.
Suddenly a similar uniform was draped on her body. 'Thank you, Daemonis.' She thought, noting the similarity of the uniform. Exiting the stall, she stopped in front of the bathroom door and opened it. She gripped the front handle and channelled her mana to her hand, breaking the handle with force.
Her heart was pounding in her chest as she glanced at the stalls but no one came out. She left the bathroom, closing the door softly behind her. As she concealed the second handle with her body, she gripped it firmly and snapped it. Observing the surrounding area and finding no one paying attention, she discreetly discarded the broken door handles into a nearby waste bin.
Leaving the corridor, she plunged into the restaurant's frenetic energy, seamlessly merging with the waiters' hurried movements, and entered the kitchen. The space was a whirlwind of activity, a symphony of clanging pans and shouted orders, with chefs and servers weaving through the chaos. A large, illuminated screen displayed a relentless stream of table orders.
'They’re severely understaffed,' she noted, shaking her head in silent disapproval. 'They should have made the kitchen bigger or built another restaurant to balance this.'
"Extra hands, now!" a chef barked, his knife flashing as he diced fruit with astonishing speed.
Reacting instantly, Acacia moved to his side, joining the five others who had also answered the call. The chef pivoted, his eyes scanning the group. "You, with the vegetables," he barked, gesturing sharply to a man. "You, assist with the soup," he directed, pointing at Acacia and gesturing towards a big pot of soup. "Hair nets on, hands washed. Now. The rest of you, follow me." His voice was a sharp, uncompromising edge. He reached for a shelf, retrieved a stack of individually wrapped hair nets, and distributed them with a swift, efficient motion.
She quickly wore it and went to wash her hands in the sink. 'A simple stir and taste should be enough.' Acacia approached the steaming pot after she was done, grabbed a spoon, and took a hasty sip. The scalding liquid seared her tongue, eliciting a sharp wince.
'Pathetic amateur,' Daemonis sneered.
'Then demonstrate your culinary expertise,' she retorted mentally.
"What in the blazes are you doing? That's not how you cook! Get out of my way, I need someone competent, now!" The chef's voice boomed, making Acacia flinch.
'Not me, thankfully.' She exhaled slowly, and resumed stirring the pot, albeit more cautiously. She selected several spice containers, subtly deciphering their labels before adding minute pinches to the soup. Her gaze lingered on the tender meat pieces simmering within, eliciting a faint, involuntary watering of her mouth.
'Pray tell, why volunteer for a task you're unqualified for? Is forethought a foreign concept to you?' Daemonis inquired.
'The objective remains, Daemonis: distraction and disruption. A well-placed wrench in their raid plans. My brother's subsequent annoyance will be a most satisfying spectacle.' Acacia mused, the spicy fumes of the soup stinging her nostrils.
"Soup's progress? Ready to plate?" A new chef appeared behind her, startling her momentarily. Her heart pounded briefly before she regained composure.
"Nearly there! Another five minutes, I'd say!" Acacia replied, continuing to stir. The chef quickly dipped a spoon into the broth and tasted it.
"Ten minutes, let the flavours blend. And stop stirring." He commented and walked away.
'How did he know? It tastes perfectly fine already.' Acacia sighed, reluctantly ceasing her stirring. 'I wish Kel was here to cook instead.'
Acacia shifted slightly, her back to the busiest section of the kitchen. Under the guise of adjusting her stance, she clenched her fist, her nails digging into her palm. Droplets of blood seeped out unnoticed and fell into the simmering soup. She quickly covered the pot and moved towards the sink to wash her hands as the wound healed up. 'This is my payback.'