Starchildren Options

[Kane]

Two stories at once is a lot for me, so these updates may not be as frequent. I also did not plan on this but a certain young woman in my head refused to be quiet.

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Prologue (May 7th, 2330)
Ebbside, Neon City, Volii Alpha


Andromeda awoke with a start. Somebody was pounding frantically on the door to her sleep crate and had ruined a perfectly deep slumber after a long day of work and even longer night of partying to celebrate her birthday. There was no way in hell it was daylight already which meant she probably left her slate at Euphorika. Again.

The bleary-eyed young woman fumbled in the dark for her glasses while the pounding on her door continued. If whomever it was out there kept it up much longer, she felt like her head would start pounding, too. Having finally fished her glasses off of the cold floor Andromeda slid them on and then clicked her bedside lamp to life. Most of her clothes were strewn about the floor of her metal box, which also explained why she was now so cold.

Two minutes or so later, she was half-dressed, and her nearly decrepit Solstice was clutched tightly in her left hand. Please don’t fizzle out on me now old girl, she thought. Looking down at the worn laser pistol in her hand, she sighed and silently chided herself for never spending any credits on a decent gun. The little pistol had been thrown out for good reason, yet Andromeda had fished out of the garbage anyway and fixed it up in the most half-assed way possible. Each time she squeezed the trigger was just another gamble on whether or not the damned thing would even fire.

This time she prayed to gods she didn’t give a [censored] about that it wouldn’t let her down. And then she finally opened the door.

Andre burst into her sleep crate and slammed the door shut behind him.

“It’s about goddamn time you answered! What the hell took you so long, Dro?�

Andromeda blinked in surprise at the urgency in his voice. She’d known Andre for over six months now, and the man was usually as cool as a cucumber. Even when he drunkenly tried to flirt with her. Andre had taken a courier job for HopeTech on Valo and was reassigned here to Neon City, much to his initial dismay, but they had grown close in the time since. The man was of average height with dark skin and kind brown eyes that sometimes hid behind a mop of unkempt blue hair.

“Slow down, Andre,� she said. “What’s the big deal?�

“No time to slow down. The ‘big deal’ is that your [censored], Dro. Absolutely [censored].�

“Wha -�

“Gather up what you care about the most and stuff it in your bag. Security thugs are closing in already �" I set up a prox alert for when they get within twenty meters.� Andre saw her bag sitting on the floor near the door, grabbed it, and handed it to Andromeda. “Pack! Now!�

“Andre, I am not going to move another goddamn muscle until you tell me what the [censored] is going on!�

“[censored]. Fine. Start packing and I’ll explain while you go.� He waited until a few things had been shoved unceremoniously in her bag before continuing: “Those Ryujin files you hacked yesterday for your anonymous buyer? They were tagged for Bayu’s personal records. Dunno how he tracked you down so quick but if you wanna live to see your twenty-sixth birthday then we need to get you the hell out of this city.�

Her blood froze. Benjamin Bayu. The Administrator of Neon City and possibly the most corrupt man in the settled systems. His fingers crept into every business venture on the planet and the security force was at his beck and call. No one did business in Neon without giving him a cut, and his ruthlessness against would-be competitors was legendary. Everyone who lived in Neon lived comfortably by skirting his brutality.

If she was on his radar at long last, then she had definitely taken the wrong job, pile of credits notwithstanding. Being a Cyber Runner in Neon always ran the risk that Andromeda would one day cross paths with that monster, but she had always been careful about her choice of contracts in the hope of avoiding Bayu. Her luck had finally run out and yet she still was uncertain about leaving the only home she ever knew.

“I can’t just up and leave!� stammered Andromeda, freezing midway through emptying the contents of her wall safe. “My whole life is here! It’s all I’ve ever known!�

“Doesn’t matter. Bayu will have you killed just to make an example - “ Andre ceased talking abruptly at the sound of rapid beeping emanating from his slate. His face took on an unhealthy pallor and he nervously ran his hand through his hair. “Time to go. They got there sooner than I expected.� Andre pulled another slate out of his jacket pocket and gave it to Andromeda. “Here, take this and give it to Doc Manning at the clinic. He’ll give you a short makeover to fool security at the spaceport.�

“Andre, I...� Andromeda was at a loss for words. The sudden shock of what was happening and the thought of fleeing her life �" Neon, Andre, the friends and people she’d grown up around �" was too much. Hot tears fell down her pale cheeks and splashed on the floor of her crate. She raised a hand to brush them away, and then shoulder her bag. “This isn’t over,� she finally said with a firmer resolve than what she felt inside. “Bayu isn’t chasing me out of my [censored] home forever. I’ll come back for all of you, I promise.� Andromeda stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on Andre’s cheek. “I promise.�

“We’ll do what we can to clear your name. You need to go. Now. They’ll be here any second. I can keep them occupied for a few minutes but they’ll tell me to get lost before long. Go!�

Andromeda pulled her hood up to hide her vibrant fuchsia hair and fled into the night without another word. The garbled chatter of Neon Security radios echoed up from the alleyway to her right, so she moved silently away from them and ducked into a dark alcove that was still within view of her crate. It was hard to much of anything, but she recognized the dim form of Andre now standing back outside of her door and soon heard him pounding on it once again.

“Yo! Open up, Jen!� Andre’s voice rang out. “Open up!�

Flashlights illuminated and three security goons stood at the ready, their guns trained on her friend. Andre’s hands flew skyward while the nearest guard began to pat him down.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?� demanded another guard.

“Damn, take it easy, bud,� said Andre. “My friend lives here and she’s gonna be late for her shift at Generdyne again. Just trying to get her ass on the move!�

“Jen, huh? Yeah, sure pal.� The guard shoved him aside and addressed one of his partners. “What do you got, Reg?�

“Andre Mitarn, known associate of one Andromeda Renault. Courier for HopeTech.�

“Did ya hear that you lying piece of [censored]?� laughed the first guard. “Jen my ass. Where’s the girl?�

“If I knew where Jen was I wouldn’t be here, officer.�

“Yeah, sure, whatever, punk. Reg, you know the drill �" get him out of here.�

Andre lowered his hands to leave while Andromeda released a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. Her friend turned to walk away but Andre only made it a few paces before two sharp cracks rang out through Ebbside. He fell to the ground in a pool of blood while Andromeda watched in silent horror. She shoved her hand in her mouth in a desperate bid to stop herself from crying out.

“Dump that sack of [censored] over the side. The chasmbass will get rid of the evidence for us.�

Two of the security goons forced open the door to her sleep crate and disappeared inside while the third dragged off Andre’s lifeless body and heaved it over the railing and into the churning waters far below. Andromeda slipped away unseen and headed silently for the Neon Core, wiping away the tears as she went. The nearest door to Bayu Plaza wasn’t far, and within five minutes she had stepped through it and darkened her glasses against the garish light that gave Neon City its name.

Every type of store and service imaginable spanned the length of the Core, brilliant neon signs and lights shining down upon everyone who walked the expansive length from Ryujin Tower to the Trade Tower. Even late at night (or early in the morning, as it was now), the walkways were teeming with citizens, tourists, guards, scumbags, and dregs.

Andromeda’s destination was Reliant Medical and thankfully it was only a short distance away. Doc Manning seemed to never sleep and with her life crumbling around her, Andromeda was grateful to see him sitting at his counter.

“Ah, there you are, Dro! Andre warned me you were coming �" c’mon around back and we’ll get you fixed up.� He paused at the signs of grief that had stricken her normally carefree face. “What’s happened? Wait… where is Andre?�

It took everything Andromeda had to not scream in frustration and anger. She settled for kicking helplessly at the front of his counter which only resulted in a stab of pan shooting through her foot. “They [censored] killed him, Joe! Bayu’s security goons iced him without a second thought and threw him over the rails of Ebbside!�

“Bastards,� sighed the Doc. “I keep hoping this city will change some day but I don’t think I’ll ever live to see it. Despite younguns like you fighting back, Bayu’s grip never seems to relent. All the more reason to get you out of here, I guess.� Doc Manning waved her towards the back again and dismounted from his stool. “Go on, I just have to lock up real quick.�

The back room had a small biological modification chair that the doc had somehow procured from one of the Enhance! stores that were peppered throughout the local galaxy. It must have cost a small fortune, but she once again found herself thanking gods she didn’t care about for its existence in the back of the clinic. Doc Manning followed her in a few seconds later and instructed her to take a seat in the chair.

“Okay, so Andre...� Joe trailed off and made a gesture that Andromeda had never seen before. His hand moved across his face in the shape of a ‘T’.

“What was that for?� she asked him.

“The cross? It’s from an old-Earth religion that most have forgotten about. I’ll explain some other time. Anyway… so Andre most have been tipped off pretty early and with a good bit of info. Bayu has your name, financial history, work records, and physiological profile; but not your DNA records. We lucked out there. A few cosmetic changes will get you past the spaceport sniffers.�

“Joe, I can’t pay for any of this,� said Andromeda. “All my accounts are probably seized and I have less than two-hundred credits in my bag.�

“You don’t owe me anything, Dro. You’ve already done so much for the hard working people of this city that your friends are lining up behind me to get you safely out of this place.�

Andromeda sniffled and dabbed at her eyes with a tissue from the box Doc Manning held up to her. She knew it would be a long time until she saw those friends again, and the thought of that hurt more than anything else. Then she laid back in the chair and closed her eyes while the doctor powered up the alteration arms. She knew it would take thirty seconds to a minute for the machine to fully boot, so Andromeda pressed her friend on what would happen next.

“I have another slate from Andre,� he said. “It will transfer enough credits to get you on an outbound freighter, and provide a new identity. But the tricky part will be getting you to the port with perfect timing. We need to have you at the gates just as the ship’s thrusters begin to burn, so that the guards will hopefully rush you through without looking to closely at your records.�

There was lot that could go wrong with that. However, she trusted her friends implicitly and so she closed her eyes again and let the doctor go to work. The procedure was relatively painless, but she did flinch from the occasional needle or sharp prod. Some calibrations to the machine were in order when she returned. If I can return, she thought. Benjamin Bayu had a long memory, and she doubted he would forget about her anytime soon.

Ten minutes elapsed before Doc Manning leaned back on his stool and powered down the alteration arms. He grabbed a mirror from a side table and handed it to Andromeda. The same brown eyes stared back at her, but Joe had completely changed her hairstyle and its color: the long ponytail she had entered the clinic with was gone, and only a small knot was tied up in the back. Instead of fuchsia, her locks were now dyed an incredible opalescent prism of stunning colors, and the strands on the right side of her face fell down past her cheeks while being tucked back tightly on the left side.

She noticed the bare skin of her neck and left cheek and inhaled sharply. “Did you get rid of my tattoos?! Those were really personal to me, Doc!�
“Relax, I just covered them up with some foundation. Keep your hood up a the spaceport or the rain will wash it away and give up the goose. They’ll stick out like a sore thumb. Oh, and leave your piercings here. Those are easily replaceable.�

Andromeda frowned but did as advised. She popped the studs out of her ears and nose, removed the loop from her septum, and slid the barbell out from her nose bridge. Doc Manning collected them all in a small steel pan and then dropped them into a medical waste bin. Andromeda slid out of the modification chair and gave him a hug.

“Thanks for everything, Doc. I’ll be back to repay you some day.�

“I already told you your credit is good, Dro. Just promise me you’ll be careful out there.�

“I’ll try. But you should know better than most that the trouble usually finds me first.�

“That I do!� laughed Doc Manning. “Damn, almost forgot �" lose the glasses, too. I have some lenses for you instead.�

She removed her glasses and chucked them in the bin with her piercings. The good doctor handed her a set of icy blue colored contact lenses and after a couple minutes of struggling, she managed to pop them in to obscure her natural eye color. Another hug for the Doc Manning. Then he tapped a slate to hers and ushered Andromeda out the back door of Reliant Medical. Syndal, her best friend from university and one-time lover waited somberly in the trash ridden alley running behind the shops.

“Time to go, doll,� said her diminutive cohort. “Ship leaves in six minutes.� Syndal was tiny even compared to the slight 1.6 meters Andromeda rose to. The top of her head just barely made it to Andromeda’s nose. She put a hand on the back of Andromeda’s head and pulled her down to a reasonable level, kissing her very briefly on the lips. “For luck,� she explained to Andromeda’s quizzical stare. “Don’t think we’re ever getting back together or anything.�

“Fair enough,� said Andromeda. “Are we taking the main elevator down?�

“Have to. It’s all you have time for. “Let’s go, and try to keep up. Security is swarming the Core for you.�

Andromeda nodded and followed along in Syndal’s speedy wake. It was easy to unobtrusively hang a few steps back and still keep tabs on the impressive length of platinum hair falling past her friend’s hips. It swayed to and fro in the constant gentle breeze flowing through Neon City. The draft was one of many effects of living on massive platform built high above the roiling seas of a water world. A world that Andromeda had never left. Or had ever planned to leave. Those idle thoughts helped keep her features neutral when they stepped back onto the main thoroughfare and snaked their way towards the spaceport elevator.

Neon Security had fallen for the gambit. None of them paid her any mind, despite having her former appearance projected on the inside of their helmet visors. Syndal led her right past squad after squad of the corrupt officers until they reached their destination.

“You’re on your own from here,� said Syndal. “Take the lift down to the port and make a show of rushing, but don’t outright sprint. Play the part of the late departee who is trying to make their flight. The guards down there are a different detachment than the Core goons and generally skew towards being less of an asshole than the ones chasing you up here.�

“Okay, I’ll try. Never was much of an actor but I can do this. I have to do this.�

Syndal slapped her on the ass. “Quit stalling. You’ve got less than two minutes.�

“Right. Bye, Syn. And thank you.�

The elevator doors opened and Andromeda rode the lift down to the docking port. Two guards flanked the it at the bottom but the alterations Doc Manning made to her appearance seemed to have fooled their scanners. She showed them her slate and they told her to get moving else she miss the freighter. Settling for a speedy trot, Andromeda sighed gratefully and flitted down the long catwalk spanning over the ocean below, squeezing her hood tightly to her face. The warm, wind-driven rain splattered against her while she half ran to the ship waiting for its final passenger.

It was an ancient Deimos model that took up most of the landing pad. Bright lights illuminated faded letters above the ramp: The Gryphon. A crew member ushered Andromeda inside with little patience and directed her to a jump seat in the main cabin. Unsure of how the seat worked, her fingers trembled while she tried to strap herself in.

“First time in space, dearie?� A middle-aged woman next to her smiled gently at Andromeda.

“Yeah. I’m scared shitless if I’m being honest.�

“There’s nothing to it.� The kind woman reached over and showed her which buckles went where, and pointed out the safety pouch under the cushion. “Mouth guards in there if you’re worried about biting your tongue off. Once we take off, just keep your mouth closed and you won’t need them.�

Andromeda thanked her, and the woman went back to humming an off-tune key. Voices rang out over the loudspeaker and warning signs began to light up all around them. The entire ship rattled and shook, and the message on the flight console on the wall across from her changed from ‘docked’ to ‘achieving thrust’. Seconds later the engines roared into life and the sudden g’s from massive acceleration pressed Andromeda back into her seat. Unable to move so much as a finger, she closed her eyes and whimpered slightly as the ship gained altitude.

And then the pressure was gone. She opened her eyes and the porthole in the ceiling above revealed the deep black of space, dotted with innumerable points of light blinking back at her from incomprehensible distances. For the second time in as many minutes, her breath had been taken away for very different reasons.

She had done it. She had escaped Neon City and the closing grasp of Benjaim Bayu.

The tears came again anyway. Her life as she knew it was over and she had no idea where things went from here. She didn’t even know where this ship was bound. She was alone among the stars. And then the engines powered down while the grav drive engaged, folded space around the ship, and leapt from the Volii System in a blazing show of cosmic light and energy, carrying Andromeda far way from danger with a dumbfounded expression on her face..

This post has been edited by Kane: Jun 20 2025, 12:59 PM

[Kane]

Twenty-seven – First Steps

City of Dazra, Va’ruun’kai, Kavnyk System



Andromeda had hoped that setting foot on the solid ground of a habitable moon would be a welcome blast of reality after dealing with mysterious energy fluctuations and strange vortex phantoms while aboard The Oracle with Andreja, but this was not to be so. Unsure of what kind of homecoming this promised to be for Andreja, that speculation ended up being cut short when another phantom, this time the heir of Jinan Va’ruun himself, Anasko Va’ruun, appeared mid-interrogation by Malibor Dul'kehf. And while calling it an interrogation may be a stretch, it certainly was not a welcoming conversation by any means. Fortunately, events took a more positive turn when Malibor, leader of House Dul’kehf and member of the High Council, became humbled by the fact that Andromeda could hear everything that Anasko’s phantom said during his brief appearance when not a single other soul could.

Because of course she could.

I just want to take a nap at this point, thought Andromeda.

They were being let into the city as what amounted to guests of honor, but her heart ached for Andreja. She had been completely ignored during the entire sequence of events from the moment they descended the Verity’s ramp until the gates of Dazra were opened to them. Andromeda knew she would never say as much out loud, but it certainly did not seem to be the homecoming that she expected.

“An acknowledgment of any sort would have sufficed,� she finally admitted over dinner at Herald’s Rest, the only bar and inn in the capital city. “I knew that my initial assignment in the Settled Systems meant I chose exile, but I still believed that my presence as a child of Dazra might have smoothed things over when we arrived.� She took a sip of mal’siir and idly swirled the remainder of the potent wine in the bottom her glass. “I suppose I should be thankful that Malibor simply did not order the guards to open fire on you.�

“Guess so,� said Andromeda. “Thank god that phantom appeared.�

“Indeed. Or we both would have perished.�

“Love you, too. Shall we get a room for the night or go back to the ship? I need sleep before I take on the Serpent’s Path. Whatever that is,� added Andromeda.

Andreja finished her wine and nodded towards the door. “We can sleep on the Verity. I have not yet grown accustomed to being… home.�

The way in which she lingered on that last word made Andromeda realize that none of this ordeal was likely to be easy on her lover, and that her home may not actually be her home anymore. Of course, that suited Andromeda just fine as she considered home to be her house on Nesoi, despite the fact that they were rarely there nearly long enough to enjoy it. As of late, her singular dream in life was to put all this bullshit behind them and settle down at Villa Renault until they grew old together. But saying all of that out loud would no doubt be hurtful, and so Andromeda resolved to do what she did best: support the woman of her dreams that so desperately need her.

Stopping briefly at the bar on their way out, Andromeda purchased two more bottles of the local wine, and the bottles clinked together the whole way back to the landing pad. Mal’siir was wonderfully strong, and the two glasses she’d drank at their table already provided a nice buzz that Andromeda aimed to move further along towards the territory of inebriation.

“Do we not have enough gin on the ship already?� inquired Andreja with a raised eyebrow.

“Sure do. But it’s been one helluva day and I plan on getting drunk, and this stuff packs a wallop. You can join me if you’d like.�

“I will decline that offer,� sighed Andreja. “However, I would appreciate it if you can avoid drinking yourself into a stupor. I still owe you for the blast of cold air on the station.�

Andromeda came to an abrupt stop, set the wine filled tote bag down, and got on her tippy toes to kiss Andreja. “Okay, new plan,� she said, after parting for air. “[censored] the wine and [censored] me instead.�

* * *

Breakfast on the Verity of Fate was a much more subdued affair than the night before. There were still so many unanswered questions about everything that happened on The Oracle, and the High Council of Dazra refused to shed any light on the situation to an outsider – even if said outsider was the only one capable of speaking to their phantomized leader. Which is why Andromeda had to walk The Path of the Serpent this morning. An event that Andreja assured her was of great importance.

“It is a powerful step to take, my love. And it will show the High Council that your presence here is not unwarranted. I do not ask you to embrace Great Serpent as I once did, but it fills me with pride and admiration to know how much you are willing to do for me, even if though this place does not carry the weight it used to.�

“Do you think Dazra will ever feel like home for you again?� asked Andromeda. She’d meant to bring that matter up last night, but, well, things got a little steamy and she passed out afterwards from the exertion. “Or at least, a place you’d like to stay?�

“It cannot,� said Andreja. “I gave up that privilege years ago. Besides, I do not wish for my home to be anywhere that you are not.�

Andromeda felt her knees knocking together again while her face reddened. That answer is all she had hoped for. Now they just had to get themselves extricated from whatever the hell was happening on Va’ruun’kai, and whatever the hell was happening with herself and the Artifacts.

They finished breakfast, geared up for whatever might lie ahead, left the ship and headed back through the city gates. Malibor Dul’kehf awaited them just inside and led them up a small rise to where The Path of the Serpent awaited beyond the mouth of a cave. Memories from several old Earth films she had watched over the years flickered in her mind and nearly had her chuckle at the obvious stereotype that was probably lost on the two natives flanking her.

How typical, thought Andromeda. The religious experience is in a cave. Some things never change.

The leader of House Dul’kehf urged her onwards and spoke of a person inside who already expected the outsider’s arrival. Andreja’s hand found her own and squeezed it tightly while she stooped slightly and planted a kiss of encouragement on her cheek.

“I await your return, Annie.�

That helped more than Andromeda thought possible. The path wound up a short ramp to where a stone door inscribed with intricate carvings entirely foreign to her stood marking the entrance to the Serpent’s Path. Andromeda took a deep breath and then pushed open the door. It swung effortlessly open under her touch and a set of candlelit stone steps led up into the darkness beyond the glow of flickering flames. Treading carefully, she climbed the steps through only a small passage of black until more candles beckoned Andromeda forth into a small chamber where another member of House Va’ruun stood in wait.

Inaza Kasir, the Herald of the Serpent. A woman with a terrible haircut and even worse makeup. Focus, idiot, Andromeda thought to herself. Not her fault that this society has no taste. Thank god Andreja doesn’t look like these people.

“Welcome, outsider,� greeted Inaza. “These are strange times indeed when a heretic such as yourself is permitted to walk the Path of the Serpent. But we shall not turn away any who would be enlightened, and so I will guide you in this undertaking. If you are ready, please continue on.�

“That’s it?� frowned Andromeda. “No explanation, just get moving?�

Inaza said nothing. Taking the hint, Andromeda shrugged and trudged on into another dark passageway. Keeping a hand on the wall, she stepped carefully through the oppressing absence of light. She wished beyond measure for a flashlight, but all of her worldly belongings were left with Andreja as she was forbidden to take them down the Path. After walking for a few minutes, Andromeda’s foot found the first of more descending stone steps and she stumbled while her left hand grabbed uselessly at the smooth cave wall.

“[censored]!� she yelped. “A warning would have been nice!� she called back up the passage. “Whatever.� Hand still gliding along the wall, she slowly made her way down the short flight of steps hewn into the earthen floor. At the bottom, a faint glow could just be seen around a bend that promised relief from the darkness. It was here that Andromeda found three burning candles in a sconce set into the wall where the Serpent’s Path split into two, with more light flickering in either direction. “Left, or right?� she muttered to herself. Life rarely seems to go right for me, so I think I’ll take the left. [censored], was that a dumb joke. She could practically hear Andreja groaning at the awful pun and it brought a smile to Andromeda’s face.

The left-hand passage opened into a small chamber with a shrine cut into the rock wall. Below the carvings that resembled a relief was an altar with far too many lit candles, a smattering of bowls filled with random offerings, and a considerable amount of melted wax. The air was heady with acrid smoke from the flames and before Andromeda could study the shrine carvings, the voice of Inaza boomed out of a speaker tucked away a wall crevice behind her.

Startled by the sudden noise, Andromeda spun around a lobbed a burning candle at the source of the voice. “Oh!� said Andromeda, after spotting the speaker. “Seriously? They can run a PA system through here, but they can’t hang some goddamn lights?� Idiotic religious nutjobs. Then she felt a pang of regret after realizing Andreja was one of them. No, she’s different, reasoned Andromeda. She has her faith but isn’t blinded to reality.

The voice of the Herald continued, droning on about Jinan Va’ruun and his teachings. His legacy. If the entire ordeal were to be like this, stumbling through the dark and listening to the musings of a batshit insane man who founded a religion of violence towards others, Andromeda felt it would be very tiring by the end. Her private musing began to drown out the boring speech Inaza recanted with little emotion, and she nearly missed the part at the end that would lead on to the next step of the path. Picking up a snuffer, Andromeda extinguished one of the candles and another source of light suddenly lit up further down the passage. Another sconce hung on the wall above a door that she pushed through into a well-lit way forward that brought a sigh of relief. Eventually, the narrow path opened up to a large cavern and wound its way up a natural formation to where another shrine stood with a much more noticeable speaker installed at the base of a brazier.

This time Inaza’s lecture spoke of letting things go – or something like that. Truth be told, Andromeda didn’t care and was already looking ahead. She just wanted to get out of this place, and so when the Herald finished speaking, she fished a credstik out of her pocket and dropped it into the flaming brazier. Without so much as a glance backward, Andromeda continued to up the risen path to where a large gap separated her from the other side. This must be the leap of faith she prattled about, thought Andromeda. Sizing it up, Andromeda knew she was too short and that she’d never make it in a single bound. Leaning over the edge, she spotted a calm pool of water below and figured that was her best bet. It wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t deep enough, she reasoned.

And with a deep breath, Andromeda took the plunge and splashed noisily into the spring-fed water three meters below. The water was cool and felt great against her skin after clambering through the stuffy caves and passages of the Serpent’s Path, and she was half tempted to lounge for a bit before getting a move on. Bobbing up and down in the pool, she glanced around until she saw what she was looking for. Just across the way sat a set of metal stairs erected along the wall that led to where the path cavern ended and the path wove on.

“They really need to pick a theme for this place,� she muttered while shaking her head. “Either commit to the idea of ancient history or modernize entirely for convenience. If you’re gonna have stairs then just build a frickin’ bridge, too.�

Andromeda made the short swim to the ledge of the rock pool and pulled herself out to where she sat dripping wet on the earthen floor. Her clothes were thoroughly soaked and clung to her skin revealing the contours of her modest frame. Wishing there was also a towel to go along with the other few amenities, she dragged herself to her feet and climbed back up to the main path where she found another stone door set into the passageway. When it opened up into another wide cavern she groaned audibly in annoyance.

“Oh, come on! What the hell is this now?�

If Andromeda didn’t know any better, she’d have guessed people were living down here. A small encampment had been set up to one side, complete with anything one might find on the surface. The juxtaposition of the quaint setup had her wishing this ordeal would come to a close sooner rather than later. Ignoring the apparent small village lest she get further annoyed and raid it for supplies, Andromeda headed for the next shrine across the open space. She listened to the Herald lecture some more before meditating at the pool (sulking silence, really) and moving on to find more doors barring the way. Like the others, they swung open with ease and she soon found herself standing on a small ledge overlooking the next shrine – and a metal gate at the bottom of a stone ramp leading down. Behind the gate lurked an odd creature Andromeda had never seen before – likely something native to Va’ruun’kai – pacing to and fro in captivity.

…Is that a groat? Like the ones Dre mentioned?

Whatever it was, it didn’t feel happy. Andromeda sensed that the moment she laid eyes on the poor, miserable creature. Approaching the shrine, she could hardly believe what she heard as Inaza recanted the message associated with this latest shrine, and by the end of it, Andromeda felt sick to her stomach. She looked at the groat now waiting expectantly at the bottom of the stone ramp. The gate had swung open when Inaza finished speaking and now Andromeda faced an impossible choice: give up walking the Path… or sacrifice an innocent life.

These people are monsters.

Andromeda approached the groat calmly and laid a tentative hand on its head. Rough, leathery skin pocked with keratin plates stretched over a thin, bony frame and two long and curbed horns sprouted from the top of its skull. Its elongated face culminated with a long snout tipped with black nostrils leaking a small amount of mucus. A large hump rose up from its spine and tapered down to a stubby tail that Andromeda imagined would be wagging under different circumstances. Two baleful eyes studied the human warily as it scratched at the ground with a three-pronged and razor-sharp clawed foot.

Closing her eyes, Andromeda focused her empathic abilities to soothe the beast. Then she knelt in front of it and scratched its chin with a gloved hand. “You don’t deserve what they expect of you. Nor should they be so cruel towards others.�

The big eyes blinked understandingly at Andromeda who began to wonder if the animals she connected with could sense her emotions, too. How else would the groat know that she needed a push? Encouragement to do the impossible…

“I’m sorry, little one,� cried Andromeda. Salty tears ran down her cheeks leaving tracks through the dust kicked up by her trek through the cave and splattered onto her shoulders where it mingled with the damp from the rock pool. Sliding a hand beneath the waistline of her pants, Andromeda found the handle of the slim knife strapped to her thigh that Andreja insisted she carry at all times. Pulling it free its sheath with a gentle tug so as to not cut herself, she drew the undersized dagger and stared at it. The keen blade reflected what little light offered by the candles it could and cast a shaky glare on the stalactite ridden ceiling above. “I hate this. I hate this I hate this I hate this!� Andromeda kept staring at the knife and wondered if Andreja would think less of her should she simply walk away and forgo the Path of the Serpent. She could tell it meant a great deal to Andreja even if her reverence for her home and its people had been somewhat sullied over the years, but her initial encouragement paled in comparison to what came next.

I need to be strong. For her. A choking sob followed by two short thrusts and the groat toppled over. Umber blood seeped from its neck and pooled over Andromeda’s legs and dripped onto the ground. She glared at the knife with boiling hatred and tossed it aside where I fell to the earth with a clatter. She lost track of time sitting there with the pitiful creature’s head in her lap, mourning for the innocent life she’d taken. Defending herself against predators that tried to eat her felt like nothing compared to this. In the heat of a moment, she could block the reach of her empathic tendrils and keep them from freezing her in fear while an alien eyed its next meal. But to be connected on so deep a level when the spark of life fizzled out under her own hand…

[censored] this place. I wish we’d never come here.

Eventually, Andromeda got to her feet, and after a final goodbye to the sacrificed groat her feet carried her mechanically up the stone pathway leading to the next chamber. She pushed her way through another door and listened with disdain to another guiding lecture from Inaza. Midway along the path, she came to a stop in front of the final shrine. This time, four effigies carved from stone were carefully placed on the altar at the base of it. There was nothing to this final task: Andromeda simply needed to choose two of the effigies and place them onto the two raised bases in the center of the altar.

The Stone of Strength.

The Stone of Obedience.

The Stone of Devotion.

And the Stone of Perseverance.

After everything she’d been through, Andromeda knew instinctively which effigies she would choose. There was no hesitation when she grabbed Devotion and Perseverance and placed them on their pedestals. The door just beyond swung open on its own, and Inaza awaited her at the end of the Path. Or rather, the very beginning in which Andromeda had embarked from.

“Greetings, Diviner,� said Inaza.

“Diviner?�

“That is the title you shall bear for the effigies you have selected. Your journey on the Path of the Serpent is complete. Have you found what you sought? Or rather, what Councilman Malibor sought of you? Are you ready to serve the Great Serpent?�

“Is that a joke? After what I just went through?�

“A… joke? I assure you this is a most serious inquiry, Diviner.�

Andromeda let out a hollow laugh and left the cavern without answering her. Dusk was settling in outside and the air began to cool while the evening mealtime approached. Andreja waited at the bottom of the ramp, her eyes wide at the sight of her bloodstained companion.

“Annie! What has happ- “ She stood aside in shock while Andromeda pushed past her and swung a balled fist into Malibor’s jaw. The leader of House Dul’kehf reeled in shock and stumbled back a step. “ANDROMEDA!� shouted Andreja. “WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU!?�

“Go ask the groat I had to murder,� replied Andromeda. She sank to the ground and sat against the wall with her knees tucked into her chest, hand throbbing in pain.

“The groat? Oh…� Realization struck Andreja like a bolt of lightning. She, like all the other children of House Va’ruun, had undergone the same ritual when they were children. Thinking nothing of it, she never considered how much it would affect her partner. Her empathetic partner. “Oh, Annie… I did not consider… I would have warned you had I…�

“It’s not your fault, Dre,� sniffled Andromeda. “You didn’t choose this life any more than I chose my own.�

A few feet away, Malibor had recovered from the impromptu assault and called the nearest city guard over. “Take her to the holding cells at once!� he commanded. “You will answer for your crimes before any matters continue further.�

The rough hands of the city guard yanked Andromeda to her feet and steered her away while ignoring the hostile protests from Andreja.