Side Story 2: Dancing in the Depths

Classified Log: "We've been taking apart that crashed vtol with what we could, especially Mechanist. Poor guy has been working day and night without a complaint, and that's coming from me. I've never seen this type of engine before, but it doesn't run on Originium, that much is certain and groundbreaking at that. I can only wonder what fuel they rely on to make it work. We also found an intact backpack inside the wreckage that is uniquely advanced. It deploys some type of anti-gravity technique when someone is falling with it, sort-of like a parachute. There's a few scraps from the other packs, so maybe I can reverse engineer it, but I'm not sure. I'd ask Eunectes for help but she's uh... preoccupied with finding out how to make the walking vehicle, well, walk. —Closure

The muggy rain and smog that hung in the air was a constant source of discomfort in Lyndon, looming over as a specter of Victoria's progressive industry. Like an ever-present disease, it wouldn't be cured by the county resting its factories. Yet, despite the depressive atmosphere, many of the Victorians weren't dissuaded by its presence. To them, this was everyday life in Victoria, and even more so for Lyndon's center of industry, the town of Lyndonshire.

…Yes, the name Lyndonshire in the county of Lyndon was not lost on him. Humans were strange and ludicrous individuals at times, yet Iukari did not disapprove of this. It was humorous.

And while the overhead gloom was a terrible sight for Iukari's heart, it was more than made up for by the fairly rich history of Victoria. Iukari had gobbled any tidbit of information from the simplest, such as how Londinium brew was processed, to the more intricate fineries like the supposed 'Shard' in Victoria's capital. It was a tedious process, as Iukari needed to carefully word his sentences so that he appeared to be a wanderer within Victoria. Though, it was also much more rewarding than simply taking a peek inside a scholar's mind to absorb everything. If he had, then his enjoyment of learning would be substantially diminished.

The plays were his favorite part, as sneaking into a theater to watch them unfold was as easy as slipping away from Faust. History of their past revealed many things, yet the one of this Originium substance creating the Shard interested him greatly. Especially more so on creating the curse of Oripathy. He hadn't come into pure contact with it yet, but he had a sneaking feeling the pollution in the air was why he got headaches the higher up he went.

Iukari sat on the rooftop as he dangled his legs off the side. In all honesty, Victoria wasn't so bad in his experiences here. Neither was this Reunion group who seemed to have… a shadier past. Something-something humans were killing off their diseased, blah, blah, blah. It was mon'keigh thinking and actions, thus it was beneath him.

Through his long-winded and carefully reworded retails on certain parts of Aeldari history, he had also come to recognize a few things about Reunion. These groups of individuals were not a highly trained military organization and relied more so on certain strengths, but they had the numbers to at least put up a fight. They were also easily entertained by his stories, to the point they had come up with a name while he was within Reunion. Jester was his so-called "codename" but Iukari humored the idea, letting it stick. It was a small little detail that they had easily accepted him into their group, which was a very dangerous wager on their part, considering if he was a Drukhari he'd make a daily flaying look like a bored warmup.

Still, they had a lively spirit. Though, these Infected had a strange aspect to them compared with the usual species of… "human" here. It was slightly harder to interact with them psychically, as if an outside interference was preventing any psychic actions. For what reason, he couldn't precisely tell, but he was sure that Faust had encountered it in the few months that had passed. If he had to guess, Originium has some part to play on the stage, but he was an actor, not a scientist.

Which meant he really should start trying to find Faust. More so because he felt weaker than he had been. He hadn't heard a sliver of a whisper from the Laughing God in the time he'd been here, making him feel… off. His training hadn't waned, but his mentality had taken the brunt of it.

Now how to go about finding them…

Well, he could "borrow" a vehicle, but he'd have no one to tell his tales to—plus he didn't know where to look for Faust. It was most definitely northwest from Victoria—judging by the direction it had trailed those months ago—yet where and how far away would be an issue. The first would be solvable by the bits and pieces scattered in the general area, but the second would remain a problem. Coming across a part of his ship could work, as that would mean he could wait there for an eventual recovery team. But that would be the last thing he'd do. Waiting wasn't a strong suit of his.

Unless… unless he asked to actually borrow a vehicle, boring as that was. Yet, it wasn't appropriate to take without giving, for what a terrible guest he would become if he did such a thing.

Iukari only now recalled a hushed conversation earlier in the week about a supposed carnival running amok in the sewers of Lyndon. It was a baseless rumor that had piqued his interest further when he had learned a few Reunion members were sent down to find out more, but none had come back. Supposedly they were deserters, which Reunion didn't exactly bat an eye to because of a previous history with them.

Yet, Iukari simply knew humans didn't work that way. They were a dramatic species who typically made sure someone knew of their mindsets, thus resigning without further proclamations couldn't be a possibility.

So then the responsibility fell on him. Iukari stretched as he stood up before dropping off the building with a giggle. He nimbly landed on the concrete without so much as a jingle of his clothes and began walking towards the Reunion base.

As Iukari pranced on his path, the familiar sounds of Oscar's worried presence in the warp were detected far before the Liberi's footfalls could be heard. It would seem Oscar was looking for him, again. Iukari chuckled as he changed his path to make it annoying to be followed. He ducked into alleyways, climbed over buildings, and walked on the walls.

He held in a chuckle, if barely, as Oscar passed under him. Knowing the bird-boy, he'd be valiantly searching for Iukari for another hour before night announced itself. His mind was of purity compared to some of the other individuals within Reunion who were stained by blood. Not that he was truly innocent, as it seemed the repressed guilt hinted at a singular kill, yet the regret lurking seemed genuine. He could be useful.

Iukari slid down from the wall, sprinting towards Oscar before stopping right behind him without a disturbance in the air. Even with that, Oscar tilted his head backward at the Aeldari's presence through some other sight. A challenge to some, a welcomed one to Iukari. Iukari flexibly ducked under his sight and moved to the side undetected. Oscar turned completely to the alleyway, squinting his eyes at the shadows. Iukari mimicked the same motion by his side, putting a hand above his agaith's brow.

Oscar sighed, accidentally glancing at Iukari. Iukari didn't budge a muscle, maintaining his position.

An uncomfortable second passed before Oscar jumped back with a startle. "AH!"

Iukari howled in laughter, calming down a moment later. "Hm, hm? Something wrong, my feathered friend?" Iukari responded with mirth as he continued on to his destination.

"Don't do that ya bloody prat! Scared me half to death, you did!" Oscar shouted. He caught up to Iukari with a jog. "I was lookin' all over town for ya and here you were hidin' from me."

"Oh, don't be so serious, Oscar. I was merely finding time to have my own thoughts. You're all so loud in Reunion that I need to find a place to think of my next story."

"I thought yer room was perfect. You said so yerself?"

"It's a different type of noisy; I wouldn't bother thinking more about that. Just know I need a place for my thoughts to be without disturbance."

Oscar grumbled lightheartedly as he crossed his arms. "Kinda hard to do when it's my responsibility to watch ya now. Higher ups think yer a strange person. I mean, I do too, no offense, but they think yer the, err… bad kinda strange."

Iukari chuckled.

"It isn't a laughing matter. You scare a few of us sometimes."

Iukari laughed harder, wiping away an imaginary tear. "You entertain me! I'm never in the mood to maim bystanders when they have the potential to be my audience."

Oscar sighed as he rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you probably could…"

Iukari giggled, leaning closer. "Say, if I were to borrow a vehicle, what would I have to do to get one?"

"A vehicle? Uh… I dunno. Why do you need one?"

"It's about time I find my favorite person to converse with! It's so dreadful not being able to speak with him whenever I fancy. Yet, he is so very far out from Victoria that the only way I'm able to reach him comfortably would be with one of your mon– err, air vehicles."

"You want a VTOL?" Oscar asked with a slight shout in his voice, completely bewildered.

"Mhm."

"That's… those are for operations and we only have two of those here. It'd hav' to be a very important situation in order to even ask about using them."

"But it is a very important situation. This person I wish to find once more has incredibly important connections. I could get your organization a much stronger funding, perhaps even armaments and better supplies. A true connection that starts over one, little, person." Iukari slyly wrapped his arm around Oscar's shoulder, waving his hand around. "Think of it this way. You help me over this small little thing and everyone wins in the end! No fuss! Wouldn't that be a fantastic story to tell?"

"...And how do I know yer telling the truth? You could be blabbin' your mouth for all I know."

Iukari snorted, nodding. "I could be! I'm only one man in a wide galaxy! BUT," Iukari raised a finger, "what if I'm not? I'll walk there if I need to but I never forget a deed done for me. Trust me."

"Listen… you probably aren't lying, but I'm not in an influential position to do that. I'm just som' grunt, bruv. Not like I could ask for it either."

"Mm, but you know someone who could!"

"You want to borrow… a VTOL to fly around looking for someone in a place you haven't the foggiest idea on where. Are you out of your mind?" Reaver's eye twitched, leaning over his desk to glare at the harlequin.

Iukari dumbly nodded, "Correct!"

Reaver sighed, tiredly rubbing his eyes. They were currently situated at Reaver's "office," if you could call it that. It was barebones with a plastic prop up desk with some type of primitive cogitator sitting on it, plugged into the wall. The window was the only pleasant part of the room, or maybe it was the chair with a bit of its fluff ripped out. In either case, the dust caked on the ceilings made this place look dilapidated.

His black tail twitched, thumping the floor. "You may have spent some time getting comfortable here, Jester, but you're not officially a part of Reunion. You've never been. What exactly makes you think you could waltz right into my office and ask such an insane thing?"

"My reason? Well, if I must have one, then perhaps I can offer my services! I could resolve your little sewer problem in under a day—no other body needed!"

"Sewer problem?" Oscar asked.

Reaver shook his head. "Baseless rumors. Nothing to worry about."

"What a naïve little mind to have; I miss those days!" Iukari swooned over himself. "But no, these are not problems to ignore. Disappearances are always a concern!"

"Watch yourself, clown," Reaver growled.

"Actually, it should be you watching me." Iukari leaned dangerously close in a heartbeat. "As an actor on the grand stage, my role is to perform, yet I do so with experience of many past mistakes—some mine, many that of my ancestors, and an uncountable number from others. Many times I have seen repeat occurrences on other plays with no relation, for the universe plays its schemes on all of us. This is no exception." Iukari's agaith stared deeply into Reaver's eyes before sluggishly backing away. Reaver let out a breath he hadn't known he held. "I've seen uprisings and rebellions occur from less, much the same as Reunion rising from its past. But, where your organization is of nobler goals, it's best to snip this rotting bud before it blooms into an entertaining mess. After all, are you really sure that they deserted or that they're the only victims?"

Reaver frowned. "...Even if something is happening down there, it isn't my place to simply let you take one of our vehicles. Not even with the supposed 'benefits' you've been suggesting. Lady Amanda would kill me if I did that."

"And if this problem turns out to be a much bigger one in the future?"

"Then that's something Reunion will handle."

Iukari was close to hashing out a response until the door burst open. A reunion guard wearing his white mask barged into the room with worry on his face. "Sir," the guard made a hurried salute before continuing, "we've got a problem."

The harlequin had noticed this individual seemed suspiciously rushed, their purpose being masked behind a fake tone of worry. Iukari peeked into his mind for a small tad, only for his attempt to find nothing but a fog. That was… odd. The uniform was slightly off with patched gloves with a slight hint of grime covering the perfect white clothes. His voice was too new, an unfamiliar one to Iukari's ears. They weren't a regular yet, but how had he immediately found his way into the office? Why couldn't one of the other, more experienced members deliver the news?

"What now," Reaver barked. "It couldn't wait until–"

The reunion guard member raised his hand in one swift motion, a dagger almost striking Reaver square in the face, if not for one factor. With a giggling tug, Iukari had grabbed the hem of the soldier's robes to pull the arm away, causing the would-be assassin's projectile to fly right past the Sarkaz's face.

Iukari grinned maniacally behind his agaith, chuckling darkly. "Too slow."

The "guard" made for another weapon in his uniform, only to find that his hand had been lopped off. He stared dumbly at the stump for a split second, looking upwards to meet the curved blade now lodged in his skull. Iukari hummed, tilting his head at the cracked, bleeding mask, "Heh, don't look so glum, chum. You almost had your chance in the spotlight!"

Iukari flicked his power blade out to let the corpse fall backwards, snickering at the failed assassination attempt. He looked over to Reaver, who hadn't moved an inch, much less blink as it all unfolded. His face said everything.

"Hehah!" Iukari cackled. "What a marvelous display of karma. You should never ignore the words of wisdom I grace you with." Iukari then bowed with his arms out.

Reaver's eyes glanced at the body, then towards Oscar—who was in a confused daze—and finally back at Iukari. He recognized that death had nearly claimed the sergeant..

Reaver snapped out of his expression as he yanked the weapon out of the wall. An oily substance slick on the steel, likely a poison. He carefully placed it on his desk before turning to the Feline. "Oscar!"

The commanding voice reached Oscar's ears, his daze vanishing just as quickly. "Y-Yes sir?"

"Go find every member on base right now and get them to lock everything down and look for suspicious activity. I don't want anyone else snooping; sound the alarms while you're at it. Understand?"

"Sir!" Oscar replied with a salute, rushing out in a sprint.

Reaver stalked around his desk, approaching the clown now crouched over the corpse. Iukari was staring at it, trying to make sense of why an assassin would choose a sergeant of Reunion to eliminate.

"...How did you know?"

"You're giving me too much credit," Iukari happily said. "He just wasn't someone I remembered."

Iukari reached for the bloodstained mask, tearing it off easily. The face of the man was horribly disfigured, arranged in a way to have a permanent smile with the way his cheeks were cut into and stitched. Feline too, but nothing else about his face was remarkable, except maybe the mark on his forehead. A barely visible insignia faded away into the healed skin, bearing a sword straight down an eye, two masks sprouting from each side of the blade. One happy, the other sad.

"You did him in easily, to the point I'm not sure if it was talent, practice, or luck at play. There's not even a stain on you. You did this swiftly, too swiftly."

Iukari scoffed, "Why, I'm offended you'd never think me capable! I'm perfectly suited for eviscerating the foolish, thank you very much."

Reaver tensed slightly, his hand laying on the hilt of his weapon. "Could probably kill me too, if you wanted."

Iukari slyly looked at Reaver, saying nothing more. The smirk on his face agaith clearly showed how self-satisfied he was.

"You're a killer too, aren't you?" Reaver crossed his arms, "I've heard of your group; did my research, too. I had to dig deep and connect myself with a few others, but I wanted to be sure before I sent anyone else down there. Seems I got a little too nosy for my own good. Does the Crimson Troupe ring any bells, assassin?"

Iukari held a finger, pointing at himself. "Me? An assassin?"

"It's pretty damn obvious. The only question I'm left with is w–"

Iukari couldn't contain his composure anymore and cackled, cutting Reaver off. The laughing Aeldari supported himself as he held his hands on a wooden table. "Oh, you, haha, you think I'm a, hehehe, an assassin!" Iukari laughed harder, causing Reaver more frustration.

"What in the hell is wrong with you?" Reaver growled.

"Oohoo…" Iukari gasped, wiping away a fake tear. "That was excellent! To even accuse me of a troupe I've never even heard of was truly laughable, though now I'm curious about this supposed troupe. Hah, no, I'm not a would be assassin, merely a pawn of a far grander performance than anything you could follow. I belong to none of the troupes here."

"That's… you're lying."

Iukari shook his head with a snicker. "Not a bit! If I wanted to kill you, I could have done so a month ago! Or better yet, not do anything from the other member. Perhaps, I could have cut him down a second later, and claim the glory! Wouldn't that have been funny?"

Reaver's counter was cut down as his face turned away, a slight bit paler.

"This troupe, tell me more!" Iukari pleaded, sliding into a kneeling position. "Oh please! It would be wonderful to eliminate such rivals!"

"...I really don't like you."

"You'll have to get in line!"

The revolting smell of waste wafted in the air, converting anything clean into smelling sour. The noxious sludge running out of the tunnel stuck onto Iukari's boots like mud, while it continuously trickled past the harlequin in a slow-moving stream.

They had moved towards the city's edge where the waste disposal was, along with the access tunnels for maintenance and repairs. It was mostly abandoned, with a few loiterers who had backed off from the group of armed men who had appeared.

"Ugh… I can taste the bloody smell." Oscar groaned, slightly muffled by the mask he wore. The previously white mask was marked in ink to resemble a sharp smile, as the agaith Iukari wore had rubbed off onto Oscar. He tugged on the shield he held, making sure it was properly strapped for the third time.

"Don't breathe it in deeply, ya muppet," a caster by the name of Edward replied with a chuckle. His mechanical staff of gears shone like a flashlight as he used it, clicking as each clockwork piece turned. He flicked his Arts at the darkness of the tunnel, a ball of light flying deep inside its pits. The ball traveled further and further until… it disappeared into the darkness. "Damn… we sure we wanna go in there, boss? I don't like tryin' ta' get me'self killed in tha' dark."

Reaver grumbled, his hand clenching the hilt of his weapon, drawing it in a practiced motion. The weapon was an odd combination between a normal Arts wand and a metal axe, as the wand part stuck out of the axe's head. With a shake, the head completely bursted into dark red flames. "Yeah. I'm sure. Might as well deal with this now." He gave Iukari a knowing glare, shaking his head.

Iukari gave a small wave to Reaver, to which he grumbled a curse at. The Reunion sergeant had brought along seven more men with him, plus Oscar and Iukari, to search the sewers for answers. Three Casters, including Reaver, two melee combatants Iukari forgot the names of, a combat medic, and a crossbowman. Supposedly, that crossbowman was renowned for his silent marksmanship, even earning a codename. Ghost.

"Shall we?" Iukari asked, pointing to the entrance behind him.

Reaver rolled his eyes as he walked past. Iukari wheeling around to follow him inwards. The rest soon followed in, their weapons drawn and at the ready. It was silent at first, the wet squelching being the only thing that broke the tense silence. But as soon as the minutes passed slowly, they couldn't help but talk to break the dreaded silence.

"Eugh… I should've skipped lunch…" One of the other members, Merilyn, said as they trudged through the muck.

"Psh, tell me 'bout it," Ghost spoke in annoyance. "Smells worse than when we burned the… actually, never mind."

"Burned what?" Oscar asked.

"Nothing," Ghost replied, his crossbow aiming at a corner until they passed it. He sighed. "I'd rather not speak about it."

Oscar was about to ask another question until Reaver cut him off. "Leave him be. He doesn't like talking about Chernobog."

"What happened at Chernobog?" Caster, a rather dull codename, asked. The blue tailed Savra ducked under a pipe, aiming her Arts unit at the shadows as she covered their rear.

"It wasn't Reunion's finest moment, that's what." Ghost replied. "Now drop it unless you want me to shoot your next meal."

"Fine, fine… sorry, I asked."

Iukari was slightly entertained by their bickering, but his mind was more distracted by the faint melody echoing throughout the tunnels—a siren's song emanating from the dark. He was currently at the forefront of the group, and it seemed he was the only one to pick up on the faint voices. This place was like a maze, with each section twisting and turning. Sections of the tunnels lead into others, all converging into one. Perfect for an ambush.

The lights had allowed the shadows to dance as they walked, each one having a rhythm of… their…

Iukari stopped in his tracks, drawing his power blade silently. There were too many shadows for normalcy. The harlequin lunged at one of his own inky outlines, diving into the one that was moving far too much. His power knife sunk into the nothingness, causing the disguised creature to screech as it exploded into dust.

This immediately caused both parties to engage. The reunion members took defensive stances, while the Shadows now rose from the ground, taking forms or attacking immediately. Reaver joined Iukari's quick action and aimed his axe at a shadow forming to attack their medic, Anthony. As the Shadow's claws tried to grasp at Anthony's legs, a flaming beam pierced into its side, causing it to dissipate.

"Ambush!" Reaver shouted, dodging his own Shadow's claws that rose from the ground. It took his own form, looking exactly like a doppelgänger.

"Arts!" Edward shouted as he drove his shining staff into the ground. The light emanating from his staff flashed the area, driving away any instance of darkness, banishing three Shadows in the blast. "There 'as to be a caster summoning them!"

Ghost capitalized on the moment as he slid into the barrier of pure light, firing off three consecutive shots at the weakened shadows. Two bolts found a single target, killing one, while the third bolt had severely crippled another.

The two melee fighters had kept silent throughout the fight, only sparing a grunt or a hiss in pain as they fought the living Shadows or protecting their own. One had two swords, fighting side by side with another wielding a maul.

Iukari heard the singing growing louder until it had found them, laughing now becoming a new sound added to the mix of combat. He could hear the squelching thuds of boots and maddened giggles coming his way, reinforcements coming straight for them. Iukari cackled alongside the laughs, as he could tell they were about to be attacked from three sides.

Reaver chopped away at another Shadow before hearing the laughs as well, his eyes squinting in fury. He growled, batting away a shadow on the ceiling that tried to drag him up. "We're about to have more to deal with. Show them Reunion is not to be messed with!"

As the melee fighters began cleaning up the last of the shadows, the Casters began firing their Arts at their respective tunnel entrances. Edward was hurling blue lightning with each flick of his wrist while Caster had shot a flare of sorts into the tunnel for Ghost to see. They could make out the group rushing towards them with manic glee, holding weapons. As the flare struck one of these shoddy members, causing him to tumble over, the crowd simply stampeded over, crushing him under the boots of the many.

"Hell's wrong with these wankers!" Oscar shouted, taking his position next to Ghost.

Iukari twirled his blade, crouching low. "Allow me to deal with the front!"

"Don't blame me when you get overwhelmed, Jester. Know your limits."

Iukari chuckled, ignoring the Sarkaz as he sprinted dead-on towards the darkness, his blade drawn out as he was about to clash the first fool in seconds. The group was poorly dressed and barely armed, an easy slaughter to be had. There was no reason behind their expressions, merely reduced to frenzied expressions.

It reminded him of the blood god's worshippers, only these would be slightly tougher cultists—problematic since his agaith would do nothing to those whose minds were long gone. However, Iukari particularly enjoyed using one set of weaponry on him when dealing with crowds. His forearm's stinger. Iukari punched his left hand into the air, the Harlequin's Kiss recognizing his actions instantly and letting out a stream of monofilament wire. It pierced several of these maddened men, causing them to be reduced into bloody chunks of meat as the wire thrashed wildly, cutting through their bones and flesh as if they were paper.

Iukari let out a howl of laughter as he retracted the wire, backstepping a club that was clumsily swung in his direction. With a giggling twirl, the harlequin chopped off the head of his attacker before he punched again, this time swinging the blow rightward. The wire responded, curving wide as it cut through flesh and pipes equally in its flicker. With a final duck, Iukari dispatched the last individual with an upward slash of his power blade, bisecting them vertically.

Iukari winced in annoyance, feeling his psychic barrier now being enveloped by a malice within the area. It was good and targeted to him in particular, but not strong enough to leave a crack. It would have been a joke on his mentality had he removed all the barriers in pursuit of power—that being said, it was harder to concentrate on making sure it didn't break.

The harlequin looked back, taking a look-see at the fighting style Reunion employed. The performance wasn't perfect, but their key players kept them on the stage. Reaver parried a blow with his axe before letting the flaming head slam into a lunatic's neck. Backing him up was Oscar, with an immediate block using his shield, allowing Caster to finish the last enemy with a zap. Meanwhile, Ghost had reloaded his crossbow, already done shooting the remnants of his side.

Reaver sighed, lugging his axe on his shoulder, now looking at the crimson staining the river of muck. His eyes trailed to the largest source—where Iukari was—now dumbfounded by the Harlequin's simple silhouette waving at them. As the group drew closer, they could see the gore splayed across the walls like macabre art.

Oscar looked sick to his stomach, taking off his mask to hurl into the sewage. Reaver walked carefully towards Iukari, staring deeply at the agaith.

"Yes?" Iukari said simply, his clothes not having a single spray of blood.

The Sergeant moved past Iukari without another word, yet his eyes bore his thoughts on plain display. Worry. The others also had the same looks, giving a wide berth to the harlequin's slaughter. Even Oscar.

Iukari stifled a titter. If this was brutality to them, then they knew nothing of war. It's not their fault. This planet seemed much more lovely compared to the others Iukari had visited.

Iukari nearly took another step before he heard the singing again, calling to him from another side. He turned his head as slowly as he could, picking up the sound as it beckoned for him to follow. His senses told him of the danger to be had, but his spirit demanded for the story to unravel.

Reaver's group could handle themselves in a fight, but they were unnecessary baggage with their natural aversion to brutal deaths and expertise in fighting greater threats. They weren't like Faust's little group of followers—they were normal soldiers.

Thus, the harlequin slipped away, vanishing from their group as he followed the sounds of madness. He willed his flip-belt to work, allowing him to prance on the ceiling towards his destination. He'd rather not get more dirty than what was necessary, picking up each note that was sung.

They weren't any knowable words, at least not in the sense they were discernible. If anything, the sing-song voice was speaking true gibberish, yet Iukari could tell they spoke with tremendous passion. Iukari sang his own tune at once, that of the melody used for the Whispers from the Laughing God, a melodic tune that switched higher pitches with lower ones repeatedly.

Iukari could sense the Shadows taking form in order to delay his approach, but they were all effortlessly cut down, the storyteller of Cegorach not missing a beat in his step or tune. This place, maze as it was, was still traversable. Corners melded into halls of sewage, yet the singing only grew in strength. He could feel himself getting closer to the source. It would only be one, more, step.

Iukari flipped himself off the concrete top, landing on a stage of rotting planks and hastily gathered cloth. Candles lit up the area in a dim, red glow. What a sad display of drama, yet at least it was a stage. It had a small charm that he appreciated, even if it could be better.

Center of the stage on a raised platform was a woman illuminated by spotlights wearing all black, singing to her scythe. Behind her were kneeling singers in red clothes, wearing bird-beaked masks, merely providing the main singer with backup to her melody. Just below the platform was an audience enraptured by the performance, wearing the similarly shoddy clothes like the ones they had fought.

Strung across the ceiling in chains were bodies that hung upside down, motionless in their imprisonment. Iukari spotted a few masks from Reunion, but no bodies, as those had likely been thrown out before they crystalized.

Iukari now started to sing his own tune in the Aeldari language, both to counter the psychic melody scratching at his barrier, and because he felt this was the better story. A singular spotlight now focused on him, now a guest actor on their stage.

The two songs clashed against each other, theirs being a theme of savage madness devoid of reason, and the harlequin's, a melody of cryptic reason born from chaos. It was only at the crescendo did they act.

The singers on the stage rose from their positions, their voices now beginning to shout at their insane babbles, raising their hands towards Iukari. The audience could no longer stand his story either, now charging towards the lone Aeldari. However, the main singer continued to sway, shadows beginning to form at her sides.

Iukari dashed across the wooden planks, his holo-field turning him into a prismatic blur across the battlefield. The backup singers were shooting Arts bolts at him, with a seemingly psychic touch to them, yet not one of them could land. His holo-field allowed him to become nothing more than a backdrop, with the spotlight being barely able to track his erratic movements.

Iukari sprung into the crowd, his blade gutting an audience member in one swift motion. He twirled with a punch, allowing his stinger's monofilament to slice anything in a wide berth. With a simple pull, his crazed wire jumped back into the Kiss, and then he stood still to allow a lead pipe to miss hitting him.

The harlequin threw his blade directly upwards as a crowd of lunatics ran at him with a snarl. How perfect for them to be in a line, the agaith shifting into a maniacal glee as Iukari brought up his pistol from nowhere. A fiery orange glow concentrated at the barrel, Iukari letting out a low whistle, and pulling the trigger a second later.

Instantly, twelve of the rushing audience members were vaporized as the Fusion pistol fired. Iukari placed his gun away just in time to grab his power blade falling from the air, jumping away from another volley of Arts.

Iukari cut down three other members before the shadows finally formed at the Songstress' side. They took the form of Harlequin's precisely, now charging at Iukari at the same speed he had. Both of them jumped off the stage towards him.

With a roll, he luckily dodged both of them, but not for long. They closed the distance instantly, swiping at Iukari in a practiced motion. They weren't perfectly in sync, but they mimicked him close enough to be a concern.

Iukari couldn't rely on the hollow suit, as they perfectly targeted him. Each swipe of their clawed hands wouldn't miss had he not maneuvered himself out of the way. He whispered his song as his head was nearly sliced off.

The Aeldari continued his assault, shifting his defensive style to focus more on attacking. The mixup was more dangerous, to the point his psychic defenses were now draining from the multitasking he was doing.

Iukari shook off the feeling of exhaustion, landing a cut on a shadow and finished it off with a punch. Iukari tried to catch the shadow by swinging the Kiss left, but it ducked to the floor. It grabbed at the Eldar's ankles, pinning his feet in place.

He knew in the instant he'd have to take a hit from a singer, but that didn't mean he'd take it by himself. He drove his blade down into the Shadow's back, causing it to dissipate. Iukari bent himself as far back as he could, being grazed by an Arts bolt. It was better than being hit directly, but the pain still stung.

Yet, it didn't interrupt his singing for a moment. He thrusted his head forward, regaining his balance. The incoming Arts fell like rain, but no drops splashed onto his form. As he picked up speed, he finally somersaulted onto the stage.

The woman in the middle finally closed her song, raising herself up slowly while her backup blocked the way. Iukari soon finished his tune, slicing through the backup singers with ease as he closed in on the leader of this group. He could see her features now, a Kuranta, with ink-like hair and a heavily scarred face. Yet, such a past had fashioned her into a more elegant woman.

The chance to close the curtains was yanked away as the stage's wooden boards erupted, throwing Iukari off as a monstrosity of wood and gears clawed its way out from under. Its spider-like frame allowed the singer to climb aboard its thorax, before screeching mechanically in rage. Though built from basic materials like metal, wood, and gears, its design exuded a passionate ingenuity, making it seem like a living work of art—at least to mon'keigh standards. Three luminescent eyes peered at him like a predator leering at prey.

Iukari snickered, finishing his song. The time for singing was over. He just wanted to finish whatever this group was. He couldn't understand why they were operating there, but he knew their leader was the source of their troubles.

The singer chuckled. "My, my, aren't you a feisty little thing…"

"That I am! Consider myself surprised. I mistook you for another one of these puppets."

"Oh, you mean my singers and their audience? A shame you cut them down, a bigger shame I'll need to do the same, lest you join the ranks. You have a beautiful voice, my dear. Why not consider joining our beloved troupe!"

Iukari scoffed in disgust. "What a unique offer, but I am not someone who bows to the whims of others not worthy of my performance. My role is of far grander importance than whatever you have to offer.

"You would dare!" the singer roared. "I'll have your skull for making a mockery of my beloved master!"

The clockwork spider pounced at Iukari with a resounding screech, allowing the woman on top to swing her scythe. The harlequin rolled away in an instant, slicing apart a single leg as compensation for making him move. He chuckled, backflipping away from a scythe swing.

As soon as he landed, he punched the air trying to spray them with his monofilament. The clockwork mount was already spontaneous in its movement, barely dodging the butchering string and allowing the singer to throw her scythe.

Iukari ducked, seeing his reflection in its curved blade in a passing second before it slammed into the ground behind him. He was about to pull out his Fusion pistol until the scythe sliced itself out of the ground, trying to return to its user. He narrowly dodged the weapon with a sidestep, making sure to not be cut apart.

Iukari dashed forward only for the spider to sling its razor thin webbing. Iukari hopped to his side, the wire cutting through a pipe. Copycats.

Iukari giggled, using his flip-belt to soar through the air directly towards the singer. The spider missed in its attempts to grab Iukari, but he hadn't gotten that lucky. She blocked the blow with her scythe, now beginning to hum a melody as she fought.

Iukari jumped backwards from the spray of shadowy claws bursting from her form, nearly grasping the Eldar's foot had he not jumped off the pole. They were tougher than they looked, and though the automaton wasn't as fast as Iukari, the Kuranta's reaction times were skilled enough to block his attacks or counter his reactions. The automaton merely provided a means for adding more pressure.

All in all, not bad. They were at a "standstill," but Iukari was sure he'd win in a battle of attrition if he stopped toying with her—but that wouldn't work to please the First Fool. The only problem was by how long did he need to keep up the act… and if she had reinforcements. She was still psychically attacking with her hums, but it was more a distraction that added to his overall stress. Surely, this wasn't all of their forces either, and by the time he defeated her, they'd be back while he'd at least take a wound…

Iukari flipped himself upwards to the ceiling, avoiding another scythe throw and dashing towards her. He brought out his pistol, shooting once, and nearly burned through another leg had it not been for its movement. He rolled away from another wire thrown by the spider again.

…So then, was the option to run? It would be at his expense, but a close defeat would make her more likely to back off. He could drive her out, but that wouldn't exactly rid her of this place. She'd surely return.

Iukari landed on the sewer floors to avoid the shadowy grasp on the ceiling, cutting off a hand that almost held his neck. The spider charged, missing Iukari as he jumped off it, but almost failed in blocking the scythe throw. The head of the blade hit square on to his power blade, causing him to be thrown back.

He chuckled, using his flip-belt to slow his descent. What to do, what to do…

Iukari picked up on the sounds coming from the sewers, grinning wildly from the recognition. Now, he just needed to give them a proper entrance.

The harlequin ran in a mad dash, jumping over another pit of shadows and sliding under a few more wires. He slowed down as he got closer, making his steps deliberately more calculated to cause his holo-suit to slow down with him. He sidestepped the spider's metal bite in a blur, but presented himself as being winded.

She took the bait! With a heavy swing, the scythe came down to separate his head from the neck. After blocking the sword with his blade, he grabbed the pole, crouching to put more of his weight down, along with his flip-belt. He winced in slight pain, feeling claws grip at his boots.

The singer hummed with a manic smile; her mount prepared to come in for another bite again. A steel bolt abruptly struck its eyepiece with a heavy weight, staggering it out of its attack. A second bolt nearly hit the singer, but the first was warning enough to dodge it.

"How annoying!" She snarled, watching as Reaver's squad dropped onto the stage.

"So this is where you snuck off too, Jester?" Reaver shouted as he sprinted towards Iukari, Oscar and another following close behind.

Iukari glanced, making a quick headcount. Two were missing from them, the medic and the dual sword fighter. With a quick guess, he could surmise one got wounded, with the other taking them back to the surface. Not that it mattered now.

Iukari let go of the scythe as he backpedaled, bringing up his fusion pistol. The Kuranta's spider tried to jump back, only for Reaver to have dashed behind it, preparing to shoot his own flaming axe. Bolts of lightning were flying down the right side, another escape route blocked. The ringmaster threw her scythe at the aiming Aeldari, only for Oscar to block its attack, although he was thrown backwards from the force.

Iukari laughed as he saw Oscar fly away, incredibly thankful that he wouldn't need to dodge and re-aim. "Got you," the harlequin cooed, pulling the trigger.

The spider had dodged Reaver's flames, only to be met face-to-face with the power of a concentrated sun blasting out of the Fusion pistol. Its face liquified, half of the lower section remaining from the shot. The Kuranta was lucky enough to jump away, rolling to the side. However, a trained bolt from Ghost landed on her shoulder directly, causing her to fall backwards.

"And finally, the curtain falls." Iukari chuckled, grabbing the scythe from the ground. All Iukari needed was a small boost to turn the tides, and thus, it was fated for her to lose. Where her minions were in the sewers wouldn't matter now.

Her hand shot up, only for Reaver to step on it with a crunch. She yelped in pain, her head rocking upwards, and slapped back down with an audible thwack by his spiked tail. "Stay down, disgusting witch."

"You… will all be a part of a grand tragedy… you just cannot see it…"

Oscar rubbed his arm as he walked up to Iukari. "What's that she's spoutin'?"

The Aeldari shrugged. He already felt he was in a large tragedy upon being ripped away from Cegorach, and now she was babbling nonsense? Typical.

Reaver growled. "Whatever it is, she can speak it to Amanda. Bet the Lieutenant will have lots to speak to you about, especially your little group."

The Kuranta smirked, chuffed, then cackled. She clamped her mouth shut for a second, before foaming at the mouth in between her laughs.

Reaver took his foot off, immediately backing away. "The hell?"

The woman pointed one last time at Iukari, her eyes pleading with the strangest sensation—a silent "thank you." Her hand fell as she gurgled one last time, head rolling back as she died.

They all stared at the now deceased ringmaster, who had mysteriously killed herself off. Ghost and Caster had slowly gotten closer, both looking down at her. It wasn't until they arrived did Iukari break the silence.

"Hm. That's a pity. Oh well, shall we move out? I believe I've had quite enough noisome sewer."

"Uh… I don't think the sewer's that loud?" Oscar replied, scratching his head. "Or, well, it was loud, but not anymore."

Ghost shook his head, "That's not what that means."

Reaver clicked his tongue, putting his axe away, "What a waste of my damn time… we're leaving. Jester, cut down the bodies hanging from the ceiling—and don't pretend you can't. I want to make sure they get back to the proper people, got it?"

"If I do that, then can my request be put in?" Iukari asked, swaying idly.

"...We'll review that more. Later."

Iukari nodded slightly. That was good enough for him.

Well... it's been a bit longer than I'd have liked, but I think this is a lengthy amount to offset that, especially cause the events over. I got one Walter. I am satisfied. Not much else to say, nor comment on. That's about it for an update, we'll return to Faust's little desert adventure soon.