witchcraft and sorcery

[witchwatcher]

For a brief moment, in a certain part of fairyland there is a tear that leads to the cold sky above a snow-covered hilly forest somewhere in the mortal world.

Comments

[imeanforever]

"Make the other Neuroi all stop!" Promise tries to tell Evil.

[neuroihive]

...The other Neuroi stop.

[imeanforever]

Promise takes a deep breath.

[witchwatcher]

Scatter looks around. "...Is it too early to celebrate?"

[witchwatcher]

"Yes. Promise, I can only keep the big guy linked for another thirty seconds."

[imeanforever]

"Tell me honestly and completely, can you listen to my spoken commands without this link?"

[neuroihive]

"THROUGH SMALL ONES YES. DIRECTLY NOT AT THIS DISTANCE."

[imeanforever]

"Without extraneous actions of any kind make your best effort to always be able to hear my commands directly," Promise says in a rush.

[neuroihive]

The Neuroi has no reply.

[witchwatcher]

...And Copycat drops her link with a gasp when this sentence is complete. "I need to land." She starts descending.

[imeanforever]

"What else should I tell it or make it tell me?"

[witchwatcher]

There is venom in her voice, and it comes out as an enforced order. "Tell it to stop the storms, stop killing people-" She cuts herself off and starts taking deep breaths.

"And explain what the hell they thought they were doing," adds Scatter.

[imeanforever]

Promise starts flying slowly in the direction of the big Neuroi. "Did you mean to do that?" she hisses at Gren.

[witchwatcher]

"I rescind those two orders. No, it's just..." Pause. "I hate them. Didn't realize how deeply until just now. I'm sorry."

Scatter declines to comment.

[imeanforever]

Promise sighs. "I am better at phrasing orders than you and you really don't want to risk constraining how I address the Neuroi. I'll go talk to it."

She flies faster towards the big Neuroi.

[witchwatcher]

Scatter yells after her, "It's actually pretty far! You want a ride." It's not a question.

It really is very far away. That storm that is currently in the process of disappearing was big.

[imeanforever]

Promise comes back. "All right."

[witchwatcher]

"I can't be near Promise until I'm much calmer. I'll go to base. Tell them what's happened."

[witchwatcher]

Scatter glances at Promise and says, "Sure that's wise?" Copycat gives her a Look. "Right. Three, two, one, transport."

Scatter and Promise are now near the outer edge of the storm, which has already dissipated from a force of nature into nothing more than a strong wind. "Think it can hear you from here?"

[imeanforever]

"Maybe. Without inconveniencing me in any way, wave an appendage," she calls Neuroiward.

[neuroihive]

Something big seems to be moving behind all those clouds, but it's kind of hard to be sure.

[imeanforever]

"Slowly approach my position."

[witchwatcher]

Presumably the Neuroi starts approaching. Slowly.

Scatter says, "Never thought I'd see someone bossing around the unstoppable evil aliens."

[imeanforever]

"Well, now I have to keep a handle on it. It's potentially tricky, hostile vassals are sort of an advanced application of the practice."

[witchwatcher]

"Could it end up worse than before? If it feels provoked and finds a loophole?"