The hivemind is conquering for me?-Chapter 684: The Exiled Duke

A head almost three times the size of my body emerged through the tear first, after the claws had sufficiently opened it. The head was horned, its skin jet black and jagged with scales and lava like liquid seemed to flow from the top of its head, but dissipated before hitting the ground.

The rest of its body followed shortly after, mangled, twisted, Wrong. It looked like it was trying to take on a bipedal shape without knowing how the form was actually supposed to function. It had three arms, two at its side and one in the centre of its chest. All with massive claws that could rip me apart in an instant.

Its legs were twisted backwards. Digitigrade, but didn’t have claws or feet, just a large spike it balanced on. The rest of the creature’s body was not too dissimilar from its head. Jet black full of strong black scales and spikes that jutted out of its bones. The holes in its body were spewing the lava like substance, as the spikes were acting as open wounds, clearly not meaning to actually be like that.

The creature towered over me, as it finished entering the room, its body arching slightly so as to not hit its head on the sixteen foot tall roof. It looked around the room with an uncanny calmness before staring down at me.

For a moment, although I couldn’t quite tell due to the nature of the creature, it looked almost surprised. The only reason I wasn’t shitting a brick was a simple reason. I felt no hostile intent from the creature. It looked more curious than anything else. It confirmed this by speaking to me.

"Oh, that’s why curiosity? Creature, decipher your existence to me. What are is?" Its voice was like thunder, its words power. It spoke and my Mindspace defences shuddered in restraint.

"You speak?" I asked rhetorically, clearly it could, I was just surprised. The others couldn’t bear its speech and all had passed out under its presence, except one.

In an instant a wormhole opened next to the beast and from it pure Psionic energy began pouring out of it and into the creature’s face. I gulped back in shock at the extraordinary amount of power Hecate was throwing at the creature. I would have turned into atoms multiple times over at this point, however.

"Creature. Inform... Conjurer. Feeding this... Catalyst is not required. Any more.. Single violent outburst will occur.... Discorporate."

Turning to Hecate, I shouted. "Hecate! Did you not hear it? Stop feeding it or we are going to die!"

Hecate stopped immediately and kept her eye on the creature that was now glaring down at her evilly. "Apollo, what nonsense are you spouting? Its shrieks are attacking our defences! Are you possessed? I heard you shrieking back a moment ago. Tell me and I will put you out of your misery."

’Shrieking?’

"Hecate. I wasn’t shrieking, I was talking to the creature. It wants to know what we are." I informed and the moment I did, Hecate’s hostilities ceased as she manifested directly next to me.

"Is it capable of speech? How can you understand it? What has it said? No, continue speaking to it, inform me after. I trust you." Hecate then slinked backwards, weaving Psionics behind me, though not of the attacking kind this time. The creature then spoke.

"Has something transpired? Is that thing also one of... you? You... I... We... Individuality? You! help... Me? Me! Yes! Help me understand what you are and why that thing is flapping its consumption hole?" The creature got down on its hands and knees, its massive eye looking at me with what I assumed was great curiosity.

Thanking my lucky stars we pulled an inquisitive creature instead of something hostile, I spoke. "I- We." I pointed to Hecate. "Are Humans. Creatures of the tangible. Question. I have just noticed my lips, the consumption hole, are not moving in the same way I am speaking. Are you hearing your language or way of comprehending individual speaking?"

The creature pulled back and raised its head upwards as it repeated back to me/ "Hyu-mahn? Hyu-mahn? Familiar? To reply to... You! This form of... exchange is new to... me? Me! Yes, Me... Not exchanged like this before. I-I! Guess? Not aware of knowledge? Give me time. Exchange more. My comprehension is hasty."

That piece of information fascinated me. It had never spoken before? It wasn’t speaking, yet I could understand it and it me? This was incredible.

"Do you have a name and species? My name is Apollo, my species is human." My question seemed to stump it for a moment, I noticed its face contort in what I assumed confusion, just as I was about to speak up again, it spoke.

"One... Unique. I! Am unique. Singular. No species. What are other human doing?" It asked, pointing its chest claw towards Hecate, who stopped and prepared for combat.

"We are wary of you. You are very powerful. Stronger than us. Psionic colossus. She is setting up countermeasures in case you attack us."

The creature looked a bit too long at Hecate for comfort before speaking. "Intelligent. Many creatures tried to come and give greetings through trap. Many were hostile. I felt you. Unique, Sol chosen. Mark of Ignis ignited. Decided to investigate. Save the Kindled from trap.

My guard instantly lowered. "Whoa, what? You know about Sol? How? Also, what trap? the circle? I knew it! Do not trust Psionic entities inside your head unless you put them there yourself... Idiots..."

The creature suddenly paused as I asked it that. Its entire body then began convulsing violently in place. Its own spikes digging into its skin as it was doing so. It looked like it was about to fall over, but it quickly composed itself. Afterwards, it sat down before me, straightening its back and stretching."Ah, much better."

Its speech suddenly changed from the screeching that bombarded my Mindspace, to something more methodical that more tickled the defences. Still incredibly powerful, but now controlled.

"This plane of existence is so complex and has so many restrictions... I would feel a chill if I was capable." It spoke much more coherently now. Almost sounding posh to my mind, a sharp contrast from the confusion that it had mere moments ago.

"Ah, Kindled of Sol, forgive my simple mind previously, I have been in exile for far too long. I became what the great concept has just dubbed a Pyrefiend for your convenience. Looking for and devouring scraps of Pyrokinetic energy wherever I could. I give my deepest thanks to The great concept for allowing temporary alleviation of my condition. Her fire burns through my existence once more allowing me to remember whom I was. So,let me begin my introductions from scratch, Apollo the human."

From a sitting down position, the body bowed and then spoke. "My name, in a way you can comprehend, is Duke Xy’oi’la’py’re of the Ignis sub plane. At your service. Former Duke actually, as I said. I am exiled. Kindled of Sol? Are though coming down with mortal illness? Your body’s complexion has rapidly changed.

I was in shock. The entire mood had just gone from me talking to a creature that had clearly never experienced this type of existence before to some sort of noble being? Being polite and knowing about Sol!!!

Entering my Mindspace, I looked for Sol’s body to figure out what was going on, but as I did, the Duke spoke again.

"Ah, Kindled of Sol, if I may? Our concept is currents possessing my flame, allowing my shackled comprehension to revert back to who I was. For only she can alleviate my curse, but in her current state of weakened existence, cannot do it permanently. So, please. Any questions you have. Ask."

I grasped my head in anguish. ’No for fuck sake don’t say that!!! I will never leave this room now!!!’ My need for answers on everything that has happened in this very short amount of time was too much.

"I-I am fine. I am just overwhelmed with shock at what is happening. Truth be told. Xy... er"

"Xy’oi’la’py’re"

"Xy’oi’la’py’re. Thanks, Truth be told, When I saw your claws rip through that tear, I thought I was dead. I can feel your strength. It’s baffling. And that in a cursed state as you so proclaim? You could say I am taken aback is all. Give me a few moments to collect my thoughts." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Of course, Kindled of Sol. I am honoured to receive your praise of my strength. For even in my broken state as a Pyrefiend, I was still made aware through my existence of our concepts new kindled and her new name."

Even hearing that sent my head into a questioning overload. I had too many questions. I needed to filter them out.

"!!!"

Turning around, I looked at Hecate, who took a defensive stance before waving her over. She took a moment, but then ultimately walked over and asked me. "Apollo? Is everything alright? The screeching turned into an almost melodical frequency. What has transpired? Is this... Thing, a threat?"

I shook my head. "No, in fact this ’thing’ is actually nobility of some sort. In exile. From what I gathered so far, we have gotten lucky that it came over as it is friendly as you will never believe it, the random blueprints in your students head? A trap. Its words. Now, I called you over because I have too many thoughts racing through my head and the Duke wants to answer questions. So I was wondering-"

"-Ask it about its place of origin! Where was it born! Was it born? How many of it are there? Why does it not want to harm us? What was it doing so close to the College? What is its name? How does it like its catalyst body? What is its primary Psionic essence? Is it Pyrokinetic? I assume so because of its fire. Is it here because you lit up the mark? Is it-"

I then suddenly remembered that Hecate was similar to me in a lot of regards of course her mind would also begin to spiral with questions. Though now all I had to do was find the starting question.