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Caton: Second path


Satsuoni

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I keep running in the direction they were gone, burning pewter, when I remember the gauntlet in my pack. I may not dare use the thumb and little fingers for, that have Human Strength in them, but I still have Feruchemical pewter and steel with iron. Though Feruchemical pewter in itself is also of limited use, since the gauntlet was not build to expand...

Still. I retrieve the gauntlet, place it on my hand, and wince in pain as I drive three thin, filigree spikes carefully through my chest, in a special path designed not to damage anything vital, and engage bone hooks. The pain fades rapidly to bearable level, as is often the case with spikes, and I eat the metal-filled grease from my emergency tube. I will not be as strong as many naturally born Feruchemists, but I had Investiture to deal with that...

 

[ooc]

No, Alfie won't bring down a brick house :) It is not held together with metal, and even if it were,  he is not nearly heavy enough to move all of them...

Some things did happen :)

As Alfie is propelled through air at speeds high enough to twist his ears and flatten them backwards, thanking his Ironsight that he is not flying blind, there is certain amount of confusion in the area.

Many people were sleeping before shooting woke them up, so when they see something obviously inhuman fly out of the window they imagined anything from Kandra to Ironeyes' detached head. Those who did see the cat, heard it speak, (being tineyes), and are also confused. Some still have the presence of mind to shoot in your general direction.

Your push did trigger several traps, shooting the second guard in the face, killing several servants already on the second floor, and making a lot of noise.

Below, the cook was killed by tableware that discovered malicious intent, and his helper was wounded.

The first guard went a bit berserk from all allomancy and speaking cats flying around, and shot wildly till he ran out of ammo before calming down (about 7 times), hitting another of the guards (at that moment running up the stairs) in the stomach. In general, those that were not in the corridor now stopped, wary of more traps.

There are still several coinshots and lurchers that will try to pursue, though how far, this being the night, is questionable, unless they take a seeker or tineye with them...

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Alfie hurtled through the air, the air whistling past his teeth, his head forced back against his shoulder. His heart beat faster, his skin felt icy, his fur felt like it was going to be ripped off him. He felt a bullet coming close and pushed against it. It deflected into the cloak, missing his tail by a fingerspan.

 

His steel was almost out. He hoped it would last.

 

Free of the alarm, rushing through the cold night, he started burning tin. Everything suddenly felt icier than before, sharper. He took a moment to focus and peered through the city. He hadn't had much vertical momentum and was coming down hard towards a building. He peered through it. Someone's stove. Big and heavy. Good. He shut off his tin again, along with his electrum, and used a strong steel push to send him flying off it, upwards again, soaring to where Satsu was. He hoped this sudden changed of direction would confuse any seekers. They could see his push, but could they see what way he was going? And they shouldn't know

 

He peered through the night, looking out with a soft steel sight. There, beneath him. Satsu. He was going in the right direction. But he was still going too fast to slow down without breaking a leg.

 

He pushed against a pole in the street. He felt his metal run out. He no steam left. He was gonna crash. Die. None of his other metals could help him. What could he do?

 

Then he remembered. That metal cotton that Satsu had given him. There was some steel on his right shoulder. He licked. He felt a rush of power. As he soared over the location where they had been he pushed against every steel thing he could find in front of him. The mistblanket flew off him as he slowed down.

 

He was coming down to a roof. He pushed, slowing down more. He landed right on the edge. Spinning round he grabbed the edge with his paw as he fell off. Safe. He dropped down to the ground and headed back towards where he and Satsu had been, walking through alleyways and avoiding contact, with all of his metals off so that seekers couldn't see him, hiding in the shadows. He took a rather circuitous route, not on the direct path he'd taken with his steel.

 

He was safe. What had he just done? He'd killed Harmony, the man who slew his family. He'd taken his spike, which hung safely between in his teeth. He could taste his own blood where it'd cut him. He'd killed a bunch of people in the house. Blamed it on the Kandra. Do you mind, Harmony? That I blamed it on your agents? That I murdered people?

 

"I don't mind." A voice spoke in his mind. Harmony? "You killed them. I saw it all. You murdered a cook good. It was beautiful the way that knife thrust into the cook. Beautiful. You drove them insane. I never could do better." Oh. The woman. He felt himself shaking. He was a murderer. He wanted electrum. He started feeling his skin crawl. "Remember thrusting that nail through the man's chest, feeling his organs give out as you speared them? You make poetry of their bodies." He stopped walking. Still a while to go. He had to continue. "And you did it with a smile on your face. You were happy." He had. He felt bad. Sick inside. He needed something, to be closer.

 

He found a bin and hid behind it, away from prying eyes. Someone could walk by and see nothing. He spat out the spike, held it in his paw. He had stared at this spike with his tin eye before. He knew exactly how to position it. He pressed it to his chest and pushed.

 

He felt a little trickle of blood run down his chest. It hadn't gone. He wasn't strong enough. The pain felt good though. He put the spike back in his mouth and felt a trickle of water down his face. Crying. His body hurt all over. He was shaking. He missed them.

 

He felt happy though. Revenge felt good. This rage had been inside of him all that time. Hatred, a grudge. An old wound from the past. That bastard Harmony. He deserved every ounce of pain he'd gotten and more. He'd learnt the consequences of crossing him. He'd felt the pain of having a part of him ripped out forever. Alfie cried tears of happiness.

 

He got up and continued on, the tears still wet on his face, a happy fire burning inside of him.

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I ran, already accessing my metal reserves and deciding if I wanted to use Steel, when suddenly I saw a  dark, small shape soar over me. It was too small to be human, so it probably was Alfie. Where was he going?

I slowed down, looking in the direction he flew. The flight didn't look too controlled, so I was worried. Three additional spikes still ached, adding their throb to the wound in my shoulder. Easy to ignore, but sometimes distracting. A sound, behind me. Somebody pursued Alfie, it seemed. Incomplete. I felt strangely incomplete, as if the gauntlet remembered what it was used for. Ignore the feeling, ignore the pain. Find bandits. Delay them or destroy them. A waste. Coinshots were always good to have, and I didn't have the harvesting knives -an unforgivable oversight.

Well - I glanced at my gauntlet- not a complete waste. A recharge was also good. But we were so tired.

A figure, leaping over me. A pursuer, with a gun in his hand. Alone? He doesn't note me in the darkness at first. I calculate trajectory, carefully. It has been a long time since I burned steel.

I burn steel and pewter, boosting them with Investiture, and nicrosil. I Pushed, and ripped through the air, extending my ring finger. I have calculated well. The man tried to dodge at the last moment, but my Nicrosil activated, throwing him wildly off course and upwards, leaving a slash in his chest and him without metals. I still had some steel, though the boost was consuming it rapidly. I hung in the air while the man fell to a good angle given my anchors, and pushed again, this time ramming the claw through his chest. I felt my steel become... stronger, somehow. I stopped the boost. There was just enough steel left to land softly near the corpse that fell off in the process. As I drifted down, I looked around. So far, this seemed to be the only person arriving.

 

I searched the body. Yes, here. He had a small flask of metals. I found relatively clean part of his clothing, and strained the contents through it. Really, their infatuation with alcohol... Better than nothing, I thought, as I licked the metals off. I still had some in my back pack, but, well. Why waste the stuff?

Satisfied, I walked into direction I've last seen Alfie, and nearly stumbled on him as he emerged from the darkness.

He looked and smelled... strange. He seemed to have been crying, something very unnatural for the cat. Well-developed tear ducts must have been side effects of the spikes. Huh. Still, even beside that... something wrong.

"Alfie. What happened?"

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Alfie stumbled onwards, lost in thought. He was a pet, a savior, a killer. An Inquisitor. What was he really? He wondered if those he killed had families, like his. Revenge.

 

He remembered one of his master's children. He'd been a steel feruchemist. He used to sneak out at night to have trysts with his lover, one of their house servants. A thin, lithe lady, with long flowing hair and a rather plain face. Eventually she had started moving on and had been sleeping with one of their maids while still with him.  He'd cried his eyes out worrying, having heard the rumours. She had denied everything. He didn't know for sure until later when he spied on the new lovers making out in the middle of the family farm.

 

While the two new lovers had their fun the master's child used his speed to gather every possession that either of the two had. Their clothes, family possessions, the wine she'd bought, every penny, and gave it to a traveling doctor. He'd not be short of rags to bandage wounds for a while. Then he got his father and told on the pair. They were thrown out for sleeping on the job with nothing but the clothes on their back.

 

If he got revenge it must be good.

 

He walked into Satsu. He started shaking. He didn't want to die. He had to report. He spat out the spike and started speaking, his voice halting and breaking. "The man... at the house. The bandit lord. He was the man who killed my family, slaughtered them before my eyes. I snapped. I killed him. I pushed his connector spike right out of him." He drew a deep breath and continued. "There's one person alive who saw me. I told him I was a Kandra, and... drove him mad with my zinc." He brushed his eye, rubbing away some of the liquid. "I think I got dirt in my eyes when I... flew. That's why... this."

 

Yeah. That had gone well.

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I look at Alfie. He doesn't seem to be telling the truth about crying. Well. This part, I will not push. For now. Then the impact of what he said sunk in.

I was not very happy. In fact I was mildly annoyed. I drew more Investiture, enough to see the spikes wrapped around and through his bones and Pulled, relatively mildly. The iron burned rapidly. Somewhat surprised Alfie flew about a meter and dropped on the ground, as I quickly extinguished iron, feeling some measure of remorse.

"Please try to avoid doing that again. Revenge is all well and good, but with their leader dead, I am afraid there will be no raid tomorrow, and the Bloodmakers and a host of other Feruchemists and Allomancers will now disperse instead of being located in the same place, and we'll have to track them down. And you have been seen. Well, what is done is done. "

I take a few breaths to calm down, and hiss softly.

"A connector's spike you say."

I pull it to my hand.

"Indeed. It is a little too big and shaped wrong for you. Nyaa... And I would not relish having one of this form either, at least not in any of the common bind point. Really, the man was an idiot. Still, better not leave it outside for long."

I consider my options. There is a number of points on the body where placing the spike would not grant you powers, but will preserve spike's power. There are also point where spiking may grant you a variation of the power. Most of the points also happened to be close to vital organs, or even going through them. I look at the spike dubiously. It is really inconveniently made, more large duralumin nail than a proper spike.

There. An acupuncture point that will hold the charge and won't do too much damage, in the lower portion of my abdomen.

Damage or not, it still hurt on the way in.

"Well. Should we retreat for now, or" - I hiss meancingly

"Should I go where you came from and clean up the mess there?"

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Alfie looked down, feeling ashamed, sad, happy. Confused. Whatever punishment he deserved he'd take.

 

He flew forward through the air, slamming against the ground.  He felt the metal cotton slam against his stomach, slicing it. He fell down to the ground and felt his throat churn. He vomited against the floor, voiding most of the contents of his stomach. Blood too. He felt dizzy. Woow. He couldn't see straight. He blinked and burnt tin, what remained of it. He felt his vision come back into clarity and listened to Satsu's words. He forced himself to speak, agreeing.

 

"I shall not be sidetracked by revenge again." Does pissing on his corpse count? "I shall avoid dispersing them in the future." Hadn't that been what he wanted? Some distraction to lure them apart, to isolate them? Why wouldn't he want them isolated? Maybe he wanted a big fight. He seemed much more aggressive. Angry.

 

Satsu took the spike. He clenched his paw lightly. It was his... no. At least it wasn't it Harmony's hands. He saw the duralumin slice into the man's flesh. Blood. Pretty.

 

Should we go back? "I agree with whatever you support, master." The man really wanted a big fight. Would this do any good? They were dispersed, had guns, a lot of powers. Some would surely escape even if Satsu won. Should he hold his tongue? Let him do whatever he felt was right. No. He didn't want someone else to avenge. He had to speak. He couldn't have another dead master right after avenging the first.

 

"No, wait, I don't. They outnumber you a lot, they have a lot of guns. They'd kill you. They have seekers who'd likely see you burning steel from a mile away. Just before you were talking about a distraction or luring them away. What happened to that? They'll be distracted as hell. I thought about this. A gang of people held together by a connector is a lot harder to kill than a bunch of scared people running about. We can pick them off one by one, maybe with you as Ironeyes. If you must fight now I could get close to them and I could burn steel, draw some out. I screwed up, yeah, but I did it while doing your plan, distracting them and isolating them so you could take their powers. They're ripe for the picking. The only man who saw me I drove mad. It's not that bad. Don't run off and get killed. I need you."

 

He stopped speaking. He'd said too much. He felt the fire in his chest die down. Was about to die? He hung his head, and waited.

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I paced. The rage was still there, as was the annoyance. I could feel them, as I could feel the strange pulse from where two remaining spikes of my gauntlet pressed against my skin. I recognized the feeling, somewhat. The spikes were messing with my mind. They shouldn't have, not Allomantic of Feruchemical ones, but apparently something leaked over the joints where they were welded to the iron ones. This part of the hemalurgy was unexplored yet. Most of it was concerned with pure-metal (or alloy) spikes, and nobody knew what would happen if you were to weld several spikes together and then charge them, one by one. Did the pieces of the soul also merge together? Was it possible for my gauntlet to be, in some limited way, alive?

 

The thoughts distracted me from the anger, somewhat. Some of what Alfie told me penetrated. Seekers. I was still burning pewter and charged Nicrosil. They would know where I was. Would they suspect what I was? Two metals at once... Could a seeker tell Feruchemically charged Nicrosil from normal? I hoped not. Well, either way, they already knew that something was wrong. The fight before kind of given that away. They probably weren't here because they couldn't run as fast as Coinshots could fly, and most would probably be wary of approaching something unknown on the night of flying, murderous kandracats.

Ans I still wanted to smash something...

 

With an effort, I turned from Alfie and went to the corpse of the coinshot nearby. Tapping and burning Pewter, I started methodically ripping the body apart, while talking to Alfie. It was mildly relaxing.

 

"Distract, yes. The timing could have been better though. My plan was for distraction to work tomorrow, when we are socked on metals, and I have harvesting tools for their powers. Ah well" - I smash the skull on the paving stones -"What is done is done" - and start to remove vertebra, one by one.  -"As I said, we are not prepared today." - now to use stinking entrails to make a bone necklace - "And they already know where we are. You must have scared them good." - I hand the necklace in the nearby lamp post. - "So for now, we retreat. I need my tools, at least." - I make a nice, round ball from the hand, and look at my own hands - "And a wash. Let's first go towards the river. I'll stop burning there. And then... we'll see. The night is still young."

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Alfie waited nervously for the blow to fall, for that powerful pull that ripped his spikes clean out. And waited. Nothing happened. He looked up. Satsu was pacing back and forth, a heavy fall to his feet. He looked nervous and angry. And thoughtful.

 

He might just survive this. He licked his shoulder again, taking in a bit more electrum. Ahh, the old images. Nothing in the near future spelled death. He always felt worried, without these images in front of him. He could cycle through an hour in a few heartbeats and see everything that could happen. He'd never got why these humans worried so much about age. The next hour was a lot more important and could kill you long before a growth or a sickness would.

 

Satsu was playing with his food. Alfie approved. That showed the meat not to talk back to you.

 

"Yes, I am ready." He started walking.  "Though I am almost out of steel and electrum. Do you have any spare, in case we face any danger?"

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"Metals."

I wipe my hands on relatively clean bits of clothing as well as I can, and reach into my pack.

"Some. Not too much. Enough for both of us, but this will be the last of it until we can get more. And I need nicrosil. It is running out"

I pass metals over to Alfie, and replenish Steel, Iron and Pewter myself.

" We should hurry. And I need these spikes out soon, lest I give in to temptation or go insane resisting it. Climb up on my shoulder and hold on well, we shall fly fast. Try to avoid burning metals much, though. I may burn pure nicrosil. Or not. Climb. Let the bandits see what I have done, and wonder. They are not fast enough. "

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Alfie refilled his metals with what Satsu had given him. He sighed with relief as he felt the familiar pools of power in his chest return, the rich piles of power. He could not use them though. He was remaining metal silent. He wasn't sure how well seekers could track powers- could they track individual people's powers?

 

"Thank you. It feels uncomfortable, very weird, but I am avoiding burning any metals at all at the moment."

 

He climbed up onto Satsu's shoulders and wrapped himself tightly around. The gauntlet was what was hurting him?

 

"I wish you strength and willpower."

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I feel Alfie's claws, if barely through the blaze of pewter. I refill my own metals. I do not have the experience, the finesse of born Coinshots, but I have the power. A lot of spare power, so I push around myself, spreading the momentum along many anchors, and shoot upwards. I can also reach further, and I boos my forward and upward movement until the wind felt solid, and my nictitating membranes closed over most of my eyes except pupils. Then I turned Steel off, only turning it on when I estimated we were close enough to the roofs of the city. I could conserve the metal that way. Burst of power from my Nicrosilminds, vibrating through my spikes, feeding burning metals. Sharp jerks and pain from the claws of the cat on my shoulder.

 

I am pretty sure no other Coinshot can move quite as rapidly, so we should be out of Seekers' range soon. I move north, towards the 6-7th canal. It is in a different direction, and further, but closer to my safe house, and far enough so they won't pursue. Probably. Water, and just in time. My steel is almost spent. My paws are sticky, and I itch for a wash. I aim for the canal, and start to slow down my fall.

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Alfie jerked and swayed in the wind, reflexively tightening his paws whenever they went faster. He felt very worried not flying under his own power. He understood he couldn't just go soaring into the night but it felt very dangerous. And he could feel the slight lack in control.

 

Eventually they arrived. Alfie loosed his grip slightly, ready to jump off they were going too fast, looking all around for metal sources. "Thanks for the ride, but I may drop off..." And he got ready to leave if the fall was too hard.

 

Better Satsu didn't have a screaming cat wrapped around his neck.

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I dropped down, straight towards the water. At the last moment, Alfie bolted from my shoulder, I was not sure where. I slowed down just enough to make impact bearable, and splashed into the canal, pack and all. It wasn't too deep here, and I almost touched bottom before Pulling myself towards the shore and surface.

The chill of the water cleared my thoughts, and the water itself cleans my body well, removing most of the smell that started to bother me. My steel and iron run out as I I propel myself on the shore, and I land somewhat less than gracefully. Water streams from my clothing.

 

I scan the rooftops in the direction of the late Harmony's base. Nobody seems to have pursued us. That was well. Of course, I couldn't see as well as Alfie did, with his tin.

I was getting  tired. My pewter was also severely drained during the flight. On the other hand, we landed not too far from my house, and I knew of nice, discrete entry to the underground lab, where we could rest, or at least replenish our resources. Shrugging off as much water as I could, I set up in that direction, hoping that Alfie would follow.

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Alfie pushed against a cooker in someone's house, along with a pipe that ran under the street. He soared off Satsu's soldiers straight to the right and onto a stone wall. He followed Satsu, running along the wall, balancing between his pushes. His control was improving. He'd need some practice, but he suspected with time he could control more than two metal objects.

 

He found if he assigned each object to a part of his body- that pipe to his tail, the coin to his hand, the cooker to his heart, he could more easily control them. He pushed from the same place, but now by flicking his tail, extending it more, he could strength or adjust that push.

 

Was there a limit to how many objects he could control? One for each claw?

 

A corner came up ahead of him. He ran from one ledge to another, and then ran straight round the corner. Any who saw him would be shocked by his agility. Without steel he could barely climb five feet. With it he was lighter on his feet, faster. A blue line of a lamp post came up ahead of him. He pushed onto it and ran up it to the top. He then burnt steel and tin strongly, peering backwards. Every sense was enhanced. The night looked beautiful. A swirling mess of blue lines. His eyes were blue, not red. He was not bloody. He was clean.

 

He then came after Satsu and relayed what he had seen to him, using tin to make sure no one was listening out for his words before he spoke.

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I nod at Alfie's words. The wind is rising, and I feel chilled. My teeth would have chattered any but fangs could connect properly. Not tonight, though.

We reach my house, but I don't head inside. The main hidden lab is below my warehouse nearby. The entryway is small and well concealed, the mechanism hidden in extended metal block that is part of the intricate metal framework, also used for building support. The door is small, and it takes me some effort to get inside.

 

Down below, my lab awaits. Shelves filled with bins of various metals, including several non- Allomantic and tainted allomantic alloys. Tools of the trade, the spikes and corresponding harvesting daggers of clear glass. A surgery set, and a small electric forge. Other medical supplies.

 

I quickly refill my pewter and carefully unhook and withdraw the gauntlet spike. I have to flare pewter, it is more painful than I expected. The feeling that I drag a bit of my soul with the spikes does not help, even if it is not technically correct. In this case. I hope. I clean the wounds and apply numbing agent.

 

Then I turn to Alfie.

"Well then. You have taken a spike today, so if you want it, I'll form it and place it into your body now. It is larger than necessary, and crudely made, so it won't be as strong as it could be, but still, it can serve as its own metalmind. Do you want it now, or should I keep it for the moment? It is uncomfortable, nya. Then we shall decide if we retire for the night or go hunting allomancers."

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Alfie paced after Satsu into the house, following neatly at his heal. It was over. They were safe from Harmony's minions. He let loose a sigh of relief, and stretched. Then, seeing Satsu ahead, he hurried after him.

 

Alfie hopped up on the table, looking at the metals. He could see these two alloys were both pewter, but one looked a bit off. He was getting better at reading metals. He tightened his paws. He was Satsu's little monster, murderer. He scratched at his face. His insides felt dark and light. He hated being confused.

 

As Satsu removed his spikes, Alfie sought out new metals. He needed more steel and iron- what little Satsu had given him would soon run out and he didn't want to be in danger. He found a small pile of steel and licked some up. Tastes like blood.

 

Did he want the spike? Yes. "The spike has a lot of value to me. I don't need to be agile. I do need to feel closer to my old family. Having a part of him inside him would feel good. Thank you for all your work. I couldn't spike myself without you."

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IRC Session logs:  The Operation.

 

Satsu:  "Understood". I stood up and retrieved a hemalurgic chart from a hidden hole in the wall. Not very well hidden, but hopefully nobody would come here to search the place anyway

 

"Would you prefer to be awake during the operation?"

 

Alfie nods. "I... prefer to see what is happening. Not that I don't trust you. But if anything went wrong, I could stop it."

 

Satsu: I nod "Fine. I'll have to restrain you, though. It is a delicate operation, and if you move - well, you won't die, not with a charged spike, but you may get less power and more side effects". I retrieve the necessary bindings and affix them on the table.

 

Alfie tested the bindings, found them strong. He adjusted his tail, closed his eyes, and spoke. "Do it. I won't move."

Alfie: “I'm ready to be strapped in."

 

Satsu: I start by refamiliarizing myself with the placement of original spikes. I know them by heart, but it never hurts to remind oneself. Yes. The spike would have to go near the spine, just so, to avoid interaction with the other ones.

I strap Alfie in, his back exposed.

 

 

Alfie clenched his paws, his back feeling very naked.

Alfie: "I wish I had tin feruchemy at the moment. That would make this operation a lot easier."

 

Satsuoni: [ooc: yes, probably cocaine  or similar for anesthesia ]

 

Satsu: "Yes, indeed. I shall apply numbing agent, but I can't make it go all the way to where the spike must reach"

 

Alfie: "I could burn steel. Push hard against the ceiling. That will hold me still whatever I do."

 

Satsu: "Indeed. But that requres effort of will, and I am not sure you will be able to maintain it. By the way, if you were burning tin, please stop. "

"Do it anyway, I guess"

 

Alfie: He burnt electrum harder, sending images flashing across, distracting him.

[Nepene :ooc yay for drunkedness]

Alfie: "I can control my steel pretty well."

He send a pulse out. Well above him was a bed, with a mostly metal frame. He pushed up against it, hard, pushing more than twice his weight. He was smashed down on the operating table, completely vulnerable.

"I've not been burning much tin for a while."

 

Satsu: "Not when you lose orientation from pain… Anyway, do it. It will help. As will this." - I retrieve a bottle of white powder from one of the shelves.

"That is a pity about tin, in a way. Pewter would have also helped, but I need both of my hands for the operation"

 

Alfie :"Especially then. I've been practicing using it to compensate for my damaged leg."

 

Satsu: I adjust the bindings to Alfi's new position. "Just so you know, You can unlock these binding with steel."

 

Alfie: "I do."

He gives them a little push with his steel, making them shake.

 

Satsu: "Yes. Not immediately obvious, but they were made that way on purpose." I rub the powder on scalpel, and make careful incision on the entry point. I then rub the powder in and around the wound. The blood seeping from it weakens almost immediately. "It should be numb in a minute or so. You may feel some euphoria, that is normal."

Now to prepare the spike. That one is still in my stomach.

 

Alfie: Alfie feels all the sensation going away in that area, and feels a small rush of happiness flood his body.

He instinctively tried to shake his tail, but was held down by the force of his push.

He says "It's working."

 

Satsu: I burn Pewter and pull the spike out. The shape is stupid. Luckily, duralumin can be worked easily enough.

"Good.", I answer.

 

 [Nepene: ooc though it's probably not working yet. Alfie is very open to suggestions.]

 

[satsuoni: ooc some numbing is immediate or close enough, though it'd take time to spread]

 

 [Nepene: ooc if you had told him it would cause numbing in his tail he'd have probably felt that there too.]

 

Satsu: I consider using the small forge, but decide against it. Heating the metal will make it lose charge even faster. Even deformation wasn't really advised, but necessary in this case.

I swallow more pewter, and think. Yes, that shape would work. I take out a hard titanium-wolfram mold I use for making custom spikes

I draw in Investiture. The holes from where the spikes were removed flare with strange pain, but I concentrate on increasing Pewter effect. Duralimin is soft enough. I push the spike into the mold.

Not as soft as Aluminium, though -I can see I am going to have bruises on my fingers

I have to eat more Pewter. For a moment, I consider just using Investiture for a substitute, but the strain on the body… Not worth it, not when I have pewter nearby.

I push the spike parts that protrude from the mold, and then push the second half on top of it. It is not perfect. The spike is still too large, but at least it seems to be in a close enough shape

I glance at Alfie.

 

Alfie: Alfie releases the steel push, and nods at Satsu, having heard him stop his pressing.

He then looks back down, and readies his steel push.

 

Satsu: I look at the spike. A bit too long. It will have to be bent at the end, like so. Alfie seems ready.

The placing of the permanent spike is not a straightforward process. I take out and prepare flexible, thin knife. I then go to Alfie.

[satsuoni: ooc a thin, flexible thing used to prepare a channel for spike, also a set of rods to set it around the bone]

 

 

Alfie: Alfie awaits the spike, feeling all fuzzy and happy, pushing hard while his future selves spasm and shake about.

 

Satsu: I start to carefully insert the knife, preparing a channel for the spike. Timing is important, here. I also avoid most major blood vessels.

 

Alfie: Alfie breaths in deep, feeling a very discomforting sensation in his back.

“Argh””

 

Satsu: The end of the spike would have to go through the lung, though.

 

Alfie: He stays still, slowing his breathing, remaining calm.

 

Satsu: I feel Alfie wince. I apply a bit more of the powder along the length of the knife. That should be about as much as I can use safely on a cat his size.

The knife fist goes along the spine, under the skin.

I draw Investiture. Pewter also helps to steady the hand, but that is not the point. I cut myself on the edge of the knife.

 

Alfie: Alfie gasps, sharp pain flowing through him

Then a numbing feeling spreads, and his world starts to grow fuzzier.

His shadows suddenly become colored and alive and dance around the room in front of him

Alfie: "I can join you and dance."

 

Satsu: "Please don't".

 

Alfie: His paws lightly twist, held down hard by the push.

 

Satsu: I draw on Investiture. It has many uses. Close to the raw power of Harmony, it can also give better understanding. When you feel it's flow from you through a piece of metal… A bit to the left. This metal is not right.

My Pewter won't last another minute. I have to concentrate.

 

Alfie: Alfie can barely hear what is happening. He still remembers one thing.

He has to hold the steel push.

No matter what.

 

Satsu: Along this rib.. twist.. now under this rib.  The tools are so crude.

To the side… Make the ip twist down. Alfie is holding his push well…

The channel is done.

Now I must hurry. Alfie is bleeding.

 

Alfie: Alfie felt gooey inside.

Like a fruit that someone had slapped.

Liquid was dripping through him.

Juicy.

 

Satsu: I carefully insert the spike. This one is right. One of my nicrosilminds is empty. Another one still has enough.

Push up the skin and muscle to prepare the tip.

Possibly the worst and the best part comes now...

As I push the tip down, through one of segmented lungs, side effect of the spikes that went before. The spike is now active…

But my work is not done.

 

Alfie: "arghhowwdamn"

Alfie felt his insides stretching and a sharp agonizing pain that pierced the fog of his mind. He was suddenly awake. It was agonizing.

 

Satsu: Alfie suddenly spake in tongues, surprising me. Well. The pain should pass

Quite rapidly, actually, considering the position...

Also, the drug was still in his system. Once the shock wears off… I wait, and prepare the rest of the tools.

 

 [Nepene: ooc how long does spike pain last?]

 [satsuoni: ooc well, residual pain will last, but the pierce pain should go away in about a minute. also, the blood will stop at about then]

 

Alfie: Alfie breathed fast. He could feel... something. He could feel pain, lots of it, but something else too. Another power source. Was he supposed to burn it?

 

 [satsuoni: ooc truly, there would be residual connection in the spike]

 [Nepene: ooc brandon said you could burn a spike. also, he could try to store, and he would interpret that as a power]

 [satsuoni: ooc you don't have duralumin allomancy]

 [satsuoni ooc you would feel the storage, though, which is about 1/3rd full]

 

 

Alfie: Alfie tried to burn it. He felt closer to the world. Everything was lovey dovey. Then it slipped through his fingers.

Did he have fingers?

Did he have hands?

Was he cat or human?

 

 [satsuoni ooc just be happy you don't have duralumin Allomancy :)]

 [Nepene: ooc that would be agonizing]

 

Alfie: He tried... pulling the new metal. He suddenly felt alone. Empty. Unloved. Unloving.

 

Satsu: Alfie seemed to calm down. For a moment I felt a flash of increased conncetion to him. Good. Now to fix the spike.

Suddenly I felt… carelessness.

 

 

Alfie: It wasn't good.

 

Satsu: I slipped the fixing pincers inside the wound without as much regard as I should have

 

Alfie: He went back to burning the metal.

 

Satsu: And immediately, I feel remorse.

Alfie must be playing with new power.

I pushed the spike edges with pincers, moving them below spine a bit, so they'd lock in place.

I switch pincers.

 

Alfie: He felt so in touch with the universe.

 

Satsu: I hesitate

Should I really do it? No, no, this was for the best

 

Alfie: They were alone together. He'd feared that ruin would take him one day. but he wouldn't.

He wasn't that special.

No one was.

They were not special together.

 

Satsu: The spike must not come loose, or jiggle

 

Alfie: alone together, struggling with life. He giggled.

 

Satsu: Alfie made a strange sound that made it seem that he chocked on a hairball.

While purring.

Most curious.

 

 

 [Nepene: ooc he's really high]

 [satsuoni: ooc I have noticed]

 

Alfie: It was like his inner walls had broken down, like his mind was in overdrive.

He understood everything.

 

Satsu: I felt the irrational desire to dance while changing colors

 

Alfie: It was like before he had been walking and now he was driving. The wheels in his head were turning.

 

Satsu: But suppressed it and inserted the pincers, fixing spike along the rib.

 

 [satsuoni: ooc stop tapping connection, your high is leaking ]

 

Alfie: He looked through his steel. Every metal was a different color. The lines pulsed.

 

Satsu: "Please stop using Conncetion for the moment, Alfie. It is distracting."

Just one ridge more...

Here! The spike was in place.

 

Alfie: Alfie heard his words, and instantly stopped. Satsu was such an awesome lovely guy.

 

Satsu: Fixing complete, I set about closing the wound. The bleeding has weakened considerably, a combined effect of spike and the drug.

 

Alfie: Satsu sometimes seemed uncaring.

But he knew that he wanted the best for them.

Someone to carry on his work. They would be his immortality.

 

Satsu: My mind cleared. Connection. Such a strange power.

 

Nepene: Each hole a step closer to it. His name would live on, praised as much as Harmony's was.

Perhaps he would too. Anchored to this world by their belief.

Like the survivor.

 

Satsu: This spike was barely touched by my soul…  no matter. I cleaned the entry incision and used medical glue to hold skin in place. No need for sutures here, the wound was small enough and it will heal rapidly

I carefully bandaged Alfie around the chest, to hold it in place for the moment.

 

Alfie: The pain was starting to fade, beyond the low level it had been at. The spike became more secure, adhering to his being.

He opened his eyes, to a melody of colors and pulsating images. "Is it over?"

Satsu: "Yes. Just rest for now. I understand that the drug makes you full of energy, but try not to let it affect you too much."

 

Alfie: Alfie nodded, and twisted his head a little to look up at Satsu. He lightly tapped connection (tapped, not burnt) and spoke. "Thank you." He released his steel push and flopped down, enjoying his visions.

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Alfie stretched his legs out and inspected his chest. The wound had soon healed but he still wasn't quite as agile. That spike had rammed its way through his body and he had worried it would be bad for a long time, but it hadn't. Each spike seemed to strength his insides, rearranging them to fit them. If someone stabbed at him with a sword or fired a gun at him they'd only have a fifty fifty chance of even hitting a vital organ.

 

He then stretched out his steelsight. He was in a small room, with some food that smelt so good next to him. He could see blue ghosts wandering across the floor above him. He could see a little of his own red blood congealed on the floor in front of him. He pushed... the blood parted for his power, dripping on the floor.

 

He could store connection now too. It was sorta like steel pushing but with emotions. He could push out love to everyone, or draw it all back. Felt a lot less trippy now too.

 

He remembered he'd had a nightmare after he'd fallen asleep from the operation. He had woken up inside the middle of a cake. He'd eaten and bitten his way through the delicious cake, but each bite made him more tired. Then he'd collapsed, his head peaking out of the giant chocolate cake.

 

Then he woke up, and the cake had regenerated. He was trapped.

 

Weird dream.

 

He got up and went to see what Satsu was up to.

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After the operation was over, I have decided that pursuing late Harmony's minions was not going to happen on this day. The surgery has taken a lot out of us, even more so out of Alfie. Our wounds hurt as we have run out of pewter. I didn't feel like replenishing it. Nyaa...

 

We - I - not sure which - looked at Alfie, still under the influence of the drug. He has gotten more power. Connection was a strange power Reliable enough for normal people, it tended to bring out crazier parts of people whose emotions were damaged. Was it because emotional closeness made them stop suppressing their true natures? Who knew? We looked at our hand, now changing slightly. Investiture. We used a lot of it this day. We looked around the room. It was changing colors. It was time to rest.

 

There was a small cot in the lab, but after some consideration we put Alfie there. He was deep asleep already. No need to worry my staff too much, so we returnyad to our own bed. Hopefully, our body would stabilize... so.. tired...

 

In the morning, my head was indeed clearer. I could still clearly feel the presence of my cat inside, but she was content to watch, a quality she acquired with her advanced age. After greeting my butler and guard, and declining breakfast, I went back to the basement laboratory, where I found Alfie up and about.

 

"Well, I see you are awake. How are you feeling? Do you think we may actually be able to track and harvest Bloodmaker today?"

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Alfie stopped storing connection and nodded his small head. "I need to restock my metal reserves. I'm pretty much out. I was sick a lot of the night, after the operation." He shuddered."But yes, I am ready to go. Let us catch those bloodmakers. Do you have any reports of their current location, or should we go a hunting?" He extended his claws in a flash and slashed the air.

 

Alfie then burnt electrum, having found some nearby and stolen it, and started monitoring his future. He would be caught out by people. Oh no he wouldn't. Couldn't trust them.

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"Hm.. Some leads, but nothing definite. The metals are over there. You might have noticed that some of them have tainted metals. Just a little bit, of course. You should be able to tell most by using your Steelsight. In case you don't" - I go to the shelf and tap two of the bottles -  "most are marked slightly differently. For those that appear identical to human senses, like these two, " - I point out - "They make different sounds if scratched, on the higher end, which humans and dogs can't hear. Naturally, the side effects of the tainted metal that is hidden best are the worst. Over time, at least. " I smile.

"Experiments mostly, but sometimes useful, these metals. Well, these are pure, the ones that you want."

I pass Alfie vials of Electrum, Steel, Iron and Tin.

"Well then. The Inquisitor's spike is still the favoured bar for Bloodmakers and other metal using criminals. After the night like this one, at least one should be there, trying to wash the sight of flying cat out of his or her mind. Might have even removed goldminds, so not to sober himself accidentally."

 

I walk back to the shelves with metals and refill some of my nicrosil.

"Another opportunity is to check out that second gang. With Harmony removed, it may have absorbed part of his forces. Some of them were originally from that gang if I recall correctly."

After some hesitation, I refill on Pewter, too.

 

"And the last lead that I have now is the warehouse mentioned during the night. The raid was probably called off, but maybe somebody decided to go through with it after all. "

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He looked at the metals. They felt... painful. Every allomantic metal looked distinctive to him, some special sheen, but these broken metals seemed to be almost right but wrong. Like a cat trying to hide an illness. Everything seemed ok on the surface but you could see at times flashes of something darker, of death. So you had to shun the disease bearer or die.

 

"Do you think we can poison the bloodmakers? I doubt they will be storing health during any battle. I can see and hear the difference, regardless."

 

Alfie thanked Satsu for the jars of metal and restocked his metals. It felt good to feel them weigh down his stomach.

 

"I am happy to go to the bar to capture him. Perhaps a friend could lead him to a backalley." Alfie briefly tapped his connection to a high level, punctuating his point.

 

"I think capturing the bloodmaker should be the top priority. It's a very powerful spike. Once we have it... well, there's not much they can do against you if you're tapping huge amounts of health."

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"Indeed, and I can boost the charging/tapping process with Investiture. Not as strong as born Gold compounder, but well enough. Nicrosil is somewhat cheaper, anyway, especially for me. And no, you ned very special metals to harm Feruchemists, and it is a slow process anyway. Tainted metals are primarily for Allomancers."

I wince slightly when connection is tapped, suppressing the desire to hug Alfie. I would probably harm him if I do that. Shouldn't do that. Must be me!

I shrug off the effects as Alfie releases connection.

"Please be careful with that. You have limited amounts, anyway. Try storing more when sneaking around, I guess. Trith to be told, I am not sure. I rarely work with Connection."

I gather my things while I am talking. The harvester blades and the corresponding spikes. The goldspikes are already set in two of the blades, one spike human and one cat sized. Just in case. The sheaths wrapped in Aluminum foil, rare and expensive,but better than previous version where I used contact with my blood for concealment. More effective, if nothing else. My metals, and extra metals. For a moment, I am tempted to wear my gauntlet, but prudence - and my wounds still aching from yesterday - dissuade me, and I leave it be.

 

A few more things.

 I turn back to Alfie.

"I am ready, but in this case most important part is yours. Let us go."

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"I do have limited connection, but I have a lot of it. Connection is easy enough to store- it doesn't hurt you like storing health- and you can store a lot of it. Then you can easily become twice as charismatic for short periods of time. If you tap massive amounts of connection you could burn through it pretty fast, but as long as you avoid compounding you can use it for a long, long time. Most social interactions take a minute or two, but I have hours worth of connection stored. A lot of people use feruchemy in a different way. They store massive amounts of charge in there and then they get in a bad situation and have to waste huge amounts of power compounding their feruchemy again and again. But with connection you can use a little of it to protect yourself and leave yourself much safer."

 

He had been thinking about this a lot, and had experimented before with zinc and brass. He stored all of his connection

 

"You're way more visible if you look bad. People don't like you as much and they judge your actions more. Most of being stealthy isn't about not being seen, it's about misdirection, about not drawing their attention. People are going to see you, hear you. Just don't let it happen too often, don't look offensive from a distance."

 

He released a little bit of connection, still storing most of it.

 

"I can store when I am with you, as long as we're not talking much."

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I nod. Yes, that would do. I forgot about Harmony's storage, which should have been excessive.

"Very well. Let us go."

I lead the way out. It is light, and I feel my pupils contract, despite the glasses I wear again. Alfie must be storing Connection, since I tend to forget about him for brief moments.

The people are out and about. It is disconcerting after so much time as a single humanoid in the mountains. Some of them are giving me strange looks. I almost wish for the connection spike myself, so I could store as much as I could. I draw on the detachment of the cat within me, and walk as nonchalantly as possible, just a gentleman on a mid-day stroll.

 

The Inquisitor's Spike is in the 6-th octant, a little off the corner of two large streets, not too far from the park where the tin-using cat makes her nest. Easy to find if you know the place, easy to overlook if you do not. I look around for Alfie, spotting him with some difficulty.

 

"There it is. See that alleyway over there? It has a nice spot for burst ambush. I can overfeed my Pewter, touch a Bloodmaker to overwrite his metalminds and spike him before he can react. Getting him here, though - that is up to you."

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