Hauling across the Mycelial Wastes on a spire-strider was a wild ride of flashing light and buzzing sounds. A bug-like spire-strider Leo Vance was pushing it to the limit to get away from the heart-tree and the wastes. Less than an hour ago a spore-pod message had exploded in the Sanctum chamber of the Symbiote's heart-tree.
The Cult? They'd retreated? The Cult, however, will also return, only with more Carvers and Taste-Guards. And a technique for quickly going through the healing stuff they had put on the Tongue Altar.
He needed to get to the Still Voice right away.
It's a quite dangerous move. His parents and those Sanctum heretics were on unstable ground and didn't really trust each other. The Symbiotes considered the heretics to be a part of the problem; just a group that suddenly got a conscience. However, Leo's scouting had revealed to him that the Still Voice was located in the dead remains of Aethelrex's old lymph node. These guys were different; they heard the Echo in another way. They weren't trying to block it or use it. They were trying to communicate with it, or at least it looked that way.
If they didn't want their fate to be something easily prevented, they required information from the inside of the Cult. What was the Palate up to? The Cardinal was putting things in order, and Leo thought it was only the beginning.
He drove the strider through a canyon made of crystal-like rock. It was a cold and damp place. The fungal song was very quiet and he could hear water dripping. And something else: a very low murmur, like people praying.
The Still Voice's place was a fissure in the canyon wall, covered by moss. Placing your hand there at the correct frequency would open it. Leo got off, let his bike feed, and moved towards the door with his hands in the open.
Two people emerged from the moss. They wore simple robes and looked pale from living in the dark. However, their eyes were keen and possessed the same look of sorrow that Leo had seen in the hurt beasts.
Scout, said the taller one, a woman with silver streaks in her hair. You're a long way from home. The network reports that things are very tense.
It's going on at the Maw, Leo said, stopping at a distance. Your people in Sanctum – Bianca Frost, their leader – I must talk to her.
They exchanged glances. Bianca's location is a secret. The Taste-Guard are after her. Why would a Symbiote want her?
Because the Cult isn't just grabbing stuff; they're taking inventory. And my people are blocking them at the Altar. If the Cult is stopped, they either back off… Leo looked at the woman. …or they find another way through. I think the Palate is planning the hard way. I think that our people are going to be the ones to suffer. I need to know what she knows.
The murmuring got louder for a moment, as if something was shouting.
The woman examined him, then nodded. Wait here.
She returned to the moss. The other heretic was standing guard, his face devoid of any emotion. Leo could feel the ground vibrating gently as if it were a distress signal from Sanctum. Something was happening there, too.
After quite some time, the woman returned. She will see you, but come without a weapon. And listen. The Voice here is very vulnerable. Loud noises or even thoughts can interfere with it.
Leo handed over his weapon and followed her inside.
Inside, the lymph node was a cave of smooth, gray stone. People were sitting in circles, eyes closed, whispering. In the center was a pool of calm, silver liquid that reflected the light from the glowing fungi. And next to the pool was Bianca Frost.
She was somewhat smaller than he had imagined. Her hair was short and she was wearing the same robes.
Sister Bianca, the guide whispered. The Symbiote scout.
Bianca didn't turn. Do you hear it, Leo Vance? She seemed to be very calm, but at the same time, she looked exhausted. In the silence, between their heartbeats?
Leo listened. He heard water dripping, people praying, and his own blood. Then, he felt it. A very faint pulse from the pool. Not a sound, but a vibration. A single note conveying...
...mercy...
It was much quieter than the Echo's shout, and infinitely more sorrowful.
Leo understood that it was the Still Voice. You're not just listening; you're helping it,
We are allowing it to be heard, Bianca said in a low voice, and turning toward him. She looked quite alert, but also tired. It's part of Aethelrex that is stuck, feeling only pain, and wanting it to stop.
Leo stared into the silver pool. The ...mercy... wave of the pulse overwhelmed him. My people are the ones who are connected to the network. The distress. We thought it was instinct,
It's the body that is crying out. This is the mind, she said, pointing to the pool. She stood up. You said 'the hard way' – what exactly did you mean?
Leo told her about the Maw, the inventory, and the New Appetite faction that is operating, In the Final Digestion way. He told her about the Final Digestion.
Bianca kept her calm, but the atmosphere got colder. They want to end it all, by eating the one who asks. They want to end all questions! They call it becoming god-like. It's genocide. They would eat the ones who made them.
Can they? Leo asked.
With the Heartforge, and with a map… yes. They could start something big. Turn any divine matter into chaos. It would destroy the Still Voice. And also, it would mess with the world. However, what they'll do will only last for a second though.
Then we stop them. Your people inside, mine outside. We stop the Heartforge. We get rid of the inventory,
Bianca gave a sad smile. You think like a soldier. However, this is not about taking and protecting. It's about figuring out what's what. The Palate, the Carvers, they're all addicted. They're frightened of what will happen when it's gone. To take away their god is to tell someone who is drowning to let go of the only thing that is keeping them up. They'll fight to keep It, even if it's dragging them down,
She turned her eyes to the pool. We have to show them another way. We have to show to the Voice.