average human’s Reviews > One Small Echo > Status Update

Ky chuckled. “Only you, Eiko.”
What do they mean by that? Hymn asked curiously.
I’m somewhat … accident-prone, Eiko admitted. Not that you’re an accident, but I wasn’t planning on Silencing any monsters today. No offence, but I guess it’s typical of me to nab myself a little sunshine monster while everyone else is negotiating with psychopaths.
Hymn’s little fizzle of pleasure at her words was … adorable.
You’re the nicest person I’ve ever met, he told her.
You used to live in the Quiet. I believe that. Why were they hunting you?
I don’t know. I only came into my powers today—it happens after a hundred years, if we survive that long.
Eiko felt her face pulling into a frown. What are your powers?
I’m … not sure, he hedged. He seemed reluctant to touch on the subject, which was perhaps understandable. His kind had decided to hunt him down for whatever powers he manifested.
What about the second sight? The colours? she asked.
Oh that. His voice immediately returned to normal. I’ve always had that. It’s my second sight. And now it’s your second sight. Or … your first sight? I’m so sorry, have I offended you?
“Dark be damned,” Ren suddenly swore. “This asshole just told me that as soon as he breaks out of my mind, he’s going to pick the flesh from my fucking bones and then use them as toothpicks.”
“Mine just apologised for possibly offending me,” Eiko said haughtily, because she still hadn’t forgiven Ren just yet.
He’s looking at us, Hymn suddenly whispered.
Who?
Chasin.
The commander was still with them?
Don’t worry, she tried to reassure the little monster. He’s not going to choke me twice in one morning.
But he’s still looking.
“Well, he can look all he wants,” she grumbled aloud.
“Who in the Quiet are you talking about?” Rion asked curiously, before, “Oh … the commander.”
Ky groaned under his breath. “Eiko, please don’t make this a thing.”
“He strangled me,” she hissed back.
“He … held you,” Ky corrected. “It just happened to be by the throat.”
“Thank you for that distinction.”
“Stop fucking around and march!” a voice barked, causing them to jolt in surprise and pick up their pace.
“Who was that?” Eiko whispered. “One of the Godsguard soldiers? They’re still here? They didn’t get on the train?”
“They’re probably here in case we’re too weak to control our monsters, and they break out before we get to Goldmoor,” Ky answered. “Can’t have a monster on the loose in the capital.”
“Enough gossiping!” The bark was doubly as loud and doubly as annoyed this time, and Eiko was now fairly certain it was directed at their group.
The air thickened with tension and the lingering scent of sweat and fear. It was also unnaturally cold, a biting, creeping chill that reminded her of frost eating patterns into windowpanes. She fingered the torn sleeves of her dress, fraying about her elbows, and then dropped her hands in subtle despair. What she would do for a bath … but that wasn’t a likely event in her future.
The Kingsguard barracks were known to be luxurious and opulent, only the best for the ceremonial soldiers. She had absolutely no idea what the Godsguard barracks were like. She had never even met a person who had met a person who had met a person on the Godsguard. Truly, she had no idea how anyone knew anything about them.
She felt the stutter in the steady gait of her friends before she picked up on the footsteps coming towards them. Slow and measured, long strides, far too quiet. Eiko felt the air tighten as Hymn coiled into a tight little ball, trembling in the cradle of her palm with a fear so sharp it made her flinch.
Chasin.
He was close, and coming closer.
Ky’s hand brushed hers briefly. It was a silent warning, a comfort, and a plea to shut up for once in your life, and she gladly obeyed. She was already on the back foot with a commander who apparently wanted to choke her and could only communicate in a language she couldn’t see.
The footsteps drew unbearably close and stopped directly in front of her. She pulled up short. Ky edged away. Their entire group stopped moving. Nobody said a thing.
Light above, not this again.
She reached up and quickly covered her throat.
He’s going to choke us! Hymn squealed dramatically.
A large, gloved hand slid around her wrist, but it wasn’t threatening. The pressure was almost gentle—or it would have been if that hand had belonged to someone less death-scented. As it was, the single, gentle movement had her spine locking tight in terror. He pulled her hand from her neck and turned her palm up between them.
Hymn screamed inside her head. A high, ringing squeal, as he zinged up her arm and twisted frantically around her ribcage.
Don’t let him touch me! Don’t let him touch me or he’ll tear me out! Eiko, he’ll kill me. He’ll⁠—
She squeezed her fingers reflexively, accidentally clasping the gloved thumb that had settled into her palm.
Chasin froze, and a slow, barely perceptible sound of unhappiness vibrated from his throat. He raised her hand higher, turning it slowly, examining it. She could feel the awful, prickling awareness of someone studying her with morbid curiosity, making her feel like an ill-fitting puzzle piece about to be thrown out or hammered violently into place.
Then he traced one finger over the inside of her wrist. The spot where Hymn had been curled only moments before. It was just one touch, one single, slow line, but her entire body shuddered.
Eiko was a woman constantly surrounded by touch. Either Ky, Rion, or Kaito were attached to her, acting as her eyes while they went about their days and nights. And when none of them were around, Ren was dragging his hands across her flesh in every frenzied, secret moment that he could steal. She was, in no way, unaccustomed to touch, but Chasin wasn’t trying to communicate with her. He wasn’t offering to guide her. He was warning her. She had no idea how she knew, but it was there in the gentlest glide of leather over skin.
I know what you’ve done.
She felt herself shrivel, felt Hymn tremble.
What’s happening? she asked Hymn desperately.
Monsters know each other by touch, Hymn whimpered. And … his monster is old, Eiko. So old. He has eaten dozens. Maybe hundreds. He’ll know I’m not trained. He’ll know I’m small. He’ll know I’m scared.
Eiko concluded, He knows I Silenced a bloody baby.
Chasin released her wrist and stepped back.
“Uh, the commander is, uh—” Kaito started, before cutting himself off sharply.
From the loaded pause, Eiko could only assume Chasin had spoken in his language again and had quelled Kaito with a dark look for awkwardly pointing it out again.
“Recruits!” the booming voice from further ahead shouted. “MOVE YOUR ASSES!”
Their entire group lurched forward. Eiko swallowed hard, her cane tracing patterns through the dirt and rocks ahead of her. Hymn cowered behind her ribcage. The little monster felt small, cold, and terrified, but the silent prince had disappeared like a shadow, footsteps so light she could barely make them out. Gradually, Hymn loosened his trembling death grip and rippled back down to her wrist, circling it before hesitantly nuzzling into her palm.
Are you a snake? she asked him.
I’m a monster, he answered.
A monster … in the shape of a snake?
Snakes don’t have wings.
Do you have wings?
She felt something unfurl against her wrist—not the velvety ribbon shape she had experienced so far, but an expanding sort of membrane that hooked and wrapped around the circumference of her wrist before retreating again.
Yes, I have wings, Hymn told her.

23%

She was feeling sorry for the girl … who must have looked even crazier than she sounded.
“Maelon was asking the soldiers from Goldmoor all about it. That’s Maelon.” She must have been pointing at someone. “He joined from Oakensnare. I’m Vana, by the way.”
“We’ve met,” a smooth male voice intoned. “Didn’t think you lot would make it out alive. Especially not with the blind girl. No offence.”
“Every possible offence taken,” Eiko said. “And we haven’t met. If we had, you’d be using my name and not calling me blind girl like a twat.”
“All right.” He chuckled indulgently. “What’s your name then?”
“Eiko.” She sniffed. “And this is Ky.” She gestured to her left, where her best friend liked to hover—he always favoured her left, while Rion favoured her right. “And Rion.” She pointed to where she could hear her other best friend limping. “Kaito.” She didn’t move her finger, because she had no doubt Kaito was hovering protectively behind Rion, waiting for her to stumble. Kaito and Ky were protective hoverers. It was in their nature. “And Ren is the one sulking behind Kaito.”
Maelon’s chuckle turned to a laugh. “Impressive, and point taken. You were probably better equipped for the Quiet than the rest of us. Better senses. We were stumbling around in there like baby horses, all knock-kneed and clumsy, running into each other and tripping over each other. I’m glad it was dark—I’d never be able to live it down, otherwise.”
Eiko had been as well, but she didn’t admit it. She also had a feeling Maelon was lying. He really expected them to believe he had gone to all the trouble of learning Chasin’s silent language and hadn’t practised moving around in the dark? Not a chance.
“I’m not sulking,” Ren suddenly inserted, rather sulkily.
“Well … since we’re introducing ourselves now,” Eiko could pick out the Oakensnare accent—one of Maelon’s companions was speaking, “I’m Vaeron. You can call me Ron. And this here is Kaelen, you can call him Lenny.”
“You can call me Kaelen,” Lenny corrected.
“We’re going to call you Lenny,” Ky said.
Was Ky flirting? They had blood in their shoes, monsters in their heads, and his almost-boyfriend had been tortured only a matter of weeks ago—now was not the time.
He’s very attractive, Hymn told her.
Okay, fine, maybe it was the perfect time.
Wait, how do you know who’s attractive and who isn’t? she asked him. Do monsters find humans attractive?
I’ve watched humans go about their lives, he told her. We can see you and hear you clearly from inside the Quiet. We know what you find pleasurable and what you find frightening.
Have you seen me before?
No, he sounded sad. I would have liked that. You’re so nice and funny and caring. Usually, it’s just criminals who come to Blackreach. I lived in Goldmoor for a while, but I haven’t been anywhere else.
Do you have … like … a family here or something?
Yes, the sadness in his voice changed to despair. They tried to kill me today. You saved me.
Yikes.
She had been this close to humanising the monsters.

28%

Chasin had marched them there in—you guessed it—complete and utter silence. His soldier had stopped translating upon the conclusion of his speech, just as he had promised, leaving Hymn to despair over not being able to interpret any of the signals. Chasin wasn’t even trying to make it easier for the other recruits. It was almost like he was punishing them for not having the inside knowledge or foresight to pre-learn his language, as Maelon had.
Bit self-important, isn’t he? Eiko thought.
You mean the prince who commands the most sacred and feared legion of warriors in all of Lyra? Hymn asked. The man with the biggest monster I’ve ever sensed?
Whatever. You haven’t sensed every monster in the world. I bet there’s a bigger one. Bet it has a bigger dick too. Wait—can I say dick? I keep forgetting you’re a baby.
I’ve seen dicks. I’m invisible, not b-bli— Hymn stuttered on the last word. I’m so sorry!
Wow. You’re lucky you’re adorable.
He’s motioning like he wants everyone to line up again, Hymn told her, as the bodies around her shifted and braced against the wind. Uh, you’re facing the wrong way. Face the ocean, Hymn corrected.
Eiko turned around.
He’s glaring at you, Hymn told her.
What’s new? She internally shrugged.
He’s signing something else. I … I’m not sure⁠—
The air suddenly turned frigid and menacing, her lungs seizing as oxygen was sucked from the atmosphere. The other recruits all made terrified, choking sounds, and her hands rose to her throat, her breath a rasp.
He manifested his monster, Hymn croaked, darting from her arm to hide behind her ribcage. It’s huge. It’s looking at us. Oh, darkness. It’s the biggest I’ve ever seen. It’s so old … It wants to eat us. It hates us.
How can it hate us? It doesn’t even know us? She tried to calm him down with a poor attempt at humour, swallowing back her own fear, but it clearly wasn’t working.
Hymn was shuddering in frightful little spasms.
Hymn?
He’s going to kill us, the little monster wailed dramatically.
The atmosphere changed again with a snap, air filling her lungs in heaping gulps as she straightened, her hands dropping to form tight fists by her sides. She didn’t like this. She did not like that Chasin’s monster seemed to have it in for her, or maybe it had it in for Hymn. Maybe those two were mutually exclusive now?
Hymn climbed up to her throat like he was peeking out from beneath the collar of her uniform. I think he wants the recruits to manifest their monsters, he whispered nervously. I don’t think you’re allowed to leave until you do. He just flashed us a timepiece and shrugged like he doesn’t care how long this takes.
Great. Now she had to show everyone her tiny baby snake-with-wings after Chasin had just unveiled “the biggest monster” Hymn had ever seen. That was just great.
Ren shifted his weight, groaning at a pain or stiffness Eiko couldn’t see, and a soldier jolted forward with a snap of overly confident, leather boots against damp, slippery rock, driving a heavy fist into a part of Ren that had him stumbling with a whoosh.
I guess we’re also not allowed to make a sound, Eiko grumbled to Hymn.
Chasin had spoken as though the burning of their clothes and the inhumane hosing-down comprised the entire ceremony of humanity-stripping, but it was only the first part in a multi-part series of “unmaking,” because this was looking like yet another test, yet another place to be emptied out and skinned of pride and stubborn will.
Vana whimpered, and another soldier stepped forward, delivering another whack.
Any idea how we do this manifesting thing? she asked Hymn hopefully, as the wind picked up in strength, threatening to topple them down into the hungry ocean.
I’m sorry, he said. I don’t know how to do much. I don’t even think we bonded properly.
What makes you say that?
He avoided answering her, and she frowned, hugging herself against the damp chill. Hymn?
You shouldn’t have my second sight, he admitted sheepishly. You should only have what I promised you, and I didn’t promise you anything. So, I think we did it wrong.
Eiko shrugged. Doesn’t feel wrong.
He circled her wrist happily, making a trilling sound.
What a damn cutie.
Still … she needed to figure out how to manifest him. She could feel the sun climbing higher, the afternoon heat scorching her skin. The wind showed no signs of softening.
Manifest, she thought, with every ounce of intention she could muster—which, at this point, wasn’t much.
Who, me? Hymn asked.
Sun above. She curbed the urge to smack her head with her palm, because that would count as noise, and someone would definitely step forward to whack her.
She tried everything she could think of as the shadow of Rion beside her stretched and shrank, dipping Eiko into shade and exposing her once more. Her throat dried and her toes ached from trying to stand solid against the elements for so long, but the harder she tried, the harder it seemed. The only solace she had was that it seemed just as impossible for the other recruits.
Why don’t they just tell us how to do it? she asked Hymn despairingly, as the sun began to set again.
The silence gnawed at her. It scraped down her nerves, carving out whatever pieces of identity the fire hadn’t burned away. Her knees trembled. Her muscles twitched under the strain of stillness.
The connection between monster and human is tricky, Hymn yawned out, shaking with the exhaustion that clawed at them both. It’s supposed to be instinctive, not taught.
A soft sound, like a whimper swallowed too late, came from somewhere down the line. Vana, she thought. A second later, there was the sharp impact of a blow, followed by a muffled gasp, and then the line was achingly silent again.
Kaito’s presence on her other side vibrated like a hot stone beneath cold water, bubbling and boiling with the effort to do as Chasin had commanded. He wasn’t the most patient person, her brother. This was his personal hell. Ren’s breath was ragged. Rion’s thin breath was a trembling wire in the wind. Ky was too quiet. Eiko tried to focus on the rhythmic crash of the waves, but soon, even that agitated her nerves. Sweat stung her eyes as the setting sun burned its path through the horizon.
Are the section leaders still here? she asked Hymn.
She didn’t need to check if Chasin was still there—she was certain he was. His influence had a tangible weight to it. It subdued the energy around her, as though his presence sucked all light and air from the atmosphere. Considering they were standing on a clifftop at sunset, that was an impossible amount of light and air for him to be sucking, but he seemed to be doing just fine.
They’re waiting, Hymn whispered.
Manifest, she thought right back at him.
Yes, that’s what they’re waiting for.
She groaned internally. That was supposed to be an order.
Oh, sorry. Try again?
Another hour, and she tugged the chain around her neck, uncovering her glitterstone as it popped out of the neckline of her uniform. As soon as she did, one of the section leaders stepped forward and punched her in the stomach. Hard. She stumbled back, swallowing her gasp of pain before fumbling to right herself again.
Okay. No glitterstones, then. She had Silenced a monster. She could walk in and out of the Quiet. She could exist in darkness. She covered the glitterstone and tucked it back beneath her uniform.
Is this going to be okay? she asked Hymn. If we’re exposed to the Quiet? Will you be safe?
A monster has to touch me to find me, he responded. Don’t let anyone touch me, and we’ll be okay.
Great—
I think, he quickly added.
Great, she repeated, a little more dryly.
An hour or so later, her legs began to scream, threatening to buckle.
Manifest! she suddenly yelled into her head, attempting to shock the little monster into obeying.
Holy darkness! he screamed back. What was that? Are you okay? You almost gave me a heart attack!
Do you have a heart? she asked.
Yes, of course. I think? I don’t know. It’s just a thing you humans say.
Was that a yes or a no?
Probably not. He sounded utterly forlorn.
Someone finally collapsed to their knees. Eiko flinched involuntarily, and a cold, spectral silence swept across the cliff. There was a dull, wet sound of a body hitting the slippery stone, and then a ragged gasp.
“I did it—” a man began, but he cut himself off as a growl rattled through the air, echoey and chilling, murderous and … overjoyed?
The sound was so terrifying that Eiko recoiled a step and somehow jolted the world into colour at the worst possible moment. Her eyes went wide, taking in the scene with a silent whimper. Dark strokes painted the skies, a winged beast exploding from a man’s prone form.
It’s one of the men from Oakensnare, Hymn told her, as she struggled to place him. Ron.
Ron looked up at his monster, his arm shielding his eyes like the monster was constructed of blinding light instead of writhing shadow, and the monster roared back down at him. The dying rays of the sun speared across the vast sky behind them both, haloing the dark beast as it hovered higher, flapping wings of peridot green and flushed, crimson hunger. It opened wide maws, revealing black fangs swirling with inky shadow, eyes dug into a skull like holes bored into the night sky, those pits swirling with marigold glee and sickly victory, the colour of lurid citron.
Stringy liquid shadow stretched and snapped between those horrible black teeth and little swirls of charcoal puffed out as another echoing roar rattled Eiko’s bones. The monster moved quickly, diving down, wings spread, dark teeth snapping wide and then …