"Where is the recruit, Mariah?" The black cloak seemed to have half a soul in it, after all. The woman standing before it was almost impressed. It must've been new. Her arms folded impudently beneath her chest, she looked up at the throne-bound Communicator and cocked a thin, cruel eyebrow. "Dead, because you insisted on sending only one." Whatever manner of creature was in the cloak, its head craned back and it drew in a thick, rattling breath before the voice on the other end of the spectrum passed from its lips.
"Do not question the traditions of Honor among us, Mariah." The near-lifeless creature leaned forwards as the tip of a hooked, leathery snout poked through the cowl. "What is the Spine's intended course of action from this point onwards?"
The woman called Mariah shifted her weight onto one hip, and looked up at the creature she now recognized on far more than the level of simple acquaintance. Her voice was dry and soft, as if she'd been struck in the throat. "Seek and destroy, by any means necessary. The target has become a liability." Hollow, pained eyes averted their gaze; regardless of the fact that the creature was a now just a communicator and couldn't see, she couldn't face him.
"Very good, Mariah. Place a root in the city. Find out his patterns, and inform Theus of this plan. Our cursory assessment is completed; it is time for him to take over." Mariah's eyes went wide enough to brush aside the face she knew she spoke to as nothing more than background noise. "Are you absolutely certain? Theus hasn't actually worked in a nearly a decade."
"Our word is final, Mariah. Remember that you are, as of ten hours ago, Five of Six. Do not forget your place. That will be all." The creature's head lolled forwards, onto its chest. Both clawed hands, now so familiar, clutched the rests of the throne as if by another force entirely than that of the body itself. Mariah turned, and walked away. Her eyes were on the ground the whole way out. While knowing Grant had likely earned his place as a Communicator through some brash, foolish act, it did nothing to alleviate the sting of loss.
"Idiot.. You left me, after all." The door hissed shut, and she left to inform Theus and place the first Root on the target.
Alain DeMuer must fall.
"Do not question the traditions of Honor among us, Mariah." The near-lifeless creature leaned forwards as the tip of a hooked, leathery snout poked through the cowl. "What is the Spine's intended course of action from this point onwards?"
The woman called Mariah shifted her weight onto one hip, and looked up at the creature she now recognized on far more than the level of simple acquaintance. Her voice was dry and soft, as if she'd been struck in the throat. "Seek and destroy, by any means necessary. The target has become a liability." Hollow, pained eyes averted their gaze; regardless of the fact that the creature was a now just a communicator and couldn't see, she couldn't face him.
"Very good, Mariah. Place a root in the city. Find out his patterns, and inform Theus of this plan. Our cursory assessment is completed; it is time for him to take over." Mariah's eyes went wide enough to brush aside the face she knew she spoke to as nothing more than background noise. "Are you absolutely certain? Theus hasn't actually worked in a nearly a decade."
"Our word is final, Mariah. Remember that you are, as of ten hours ago, Five of Six. Do not forget your place. That will be all." The creature's head lolled forwards, onto its chest. Both clawed hands, now so familiar, clutched the rests of the throne as if by another force entirely than that of the body itself. Mariah turned, and walked away. Her eyes were on the ground the whole way out. While knowing Grant had likely earned his place as a Communicator through some brash, foolish act, it did nothing to alleviate the sting of loss.
"Idiot.. You left me, after all." The door hissed shut, and she left to inform Theus and place the first Root on the target.
Alain DeMuer must fall.