Heavy is the Head that Wears the Solemn Crown

Eleven - The Dark Waters of the Serpent

Techno

Techno sits on the ground, his legs folded over one another with his hands resting on his knees. His eyes are closed, but that doesn't make him any less aware of the world. He can hear Niki's breathing across from him. He can hear the splashing of water as Ranboo washes himself and Pearl in a nearby pond. He can hear Alex and Steve talking amongst themselves, their conversation wading in and out of Techno's consciousness. He could feel a cool breeze against his skin. There was a bittersweet scent in the air that came from the wildflowers growing alongside the dirt road. The warmth of the sun was occasionally blocked by puffy white clouds crossing the light's path. The world was moving even when Techno was concentrating on his breathing to clear his mind.

Steve was the one to come up with the plan. He told Niki that she should try to make contact with the demonic beast who had saved her life. They were all hoping to determine who the creature was to get a rough estimate of Niki's power level and skill set. She was proficient at physical fighting, but those skills wouldn't help her against a stronger opponent or a group of enemies. It would be in everyone's interest for Niki to tap into the demonic beast's power, but that would require her knowing who the demonic beast was. Steve figured that meditation would allow Niki's mind to open towards her patron. Every day after training, Niki and Techno would sit down and meditate. They had not yet achieved their goal, but it didn't seem like either party was willing to give up.

Niki sighed. Techno lifted one of his eyes open just enough to see that Niki had abandoned meditation to look closer at the tattoo on her wrist. She ran her thumb across it with her eyebrows drawn together in confusion. Niki didn't look at Techno as she spoke, "Why would this demonic beast save my life? If they truly cared about me, they wouldn't try to hide themselves so much."

"A demonic beast will never care for a mortal life," Techno replied. He was starting to recall everything he knew about demonic beasts, pairing it with the new information the twins were telling him. Demonic beasts were like gods in a lot of ways. The one way that mattered to Techno at the moment, however, was the fact that while some demonic beasts cared about humans, most did not. Even the weakest demonic beasts lived several mortal lifetimes. They saw no point in caring about the fleeting flames of humanity. There was a slim possibility that the demonic beast who chose Niki cared about her enough to save her. It was more likely that a demonic beast saw an opportunity when Niki was sinking in the water.

"Be that as it may, this beast decided that it wanted me to harbor its soul. Why won't it let me wield its power?" Niki replied, rolling her eyes before they settled back on the tattoo. Techno looked at the tattoo. He didn't like how it made him feel. There was something uncanny about it. The tattoo looked normal enough. There were no unfamiliar shapes or weird runes that made it look inhuman. Techno knew every individual piece of the tattoo. A trident. A fishnet. Jagged rocks. The shifting colors of black, dark blue, and sea green. It was seeing all these pieces slotted together in this specific shape that made Techno feel like he was in the presence of something dangerous.

"Perhaps it does not see you as worthy of using its power. Perhaps it does not agree with your goal of fighting against Schlatt. Perhaps it is too busy devouring your soul to realize that you have not used its power," Techno responded with a half-shrug. Niki gave him a cold and bitter stare. She pressed down harshly on her tattoo, hissing in pain as she brushed against a vein.

"I'm going to meditate in the pond. If this demonic beast is an oceanic one, it will respond better when I'm close to water," Niki theorized. She stood onto her feet, stretching her back. Niki looked down at him. She showed him her hand like she wanted to help heave him to his feet. Techno took the hand, watching as Niki tried to pick him up. Techno didn't try to help, watching as Niki tried using the strength she had earned from all their training. It wouldn't work, though. Techno was mostly muscle at this point. He was heavier than anything Niki had ever tried lifting. Niki accidentally yanked her hand out of Techno's hand, and she flopped onto her butt at the force. "If you wanted to stay here, you could have just told me."