An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
They took the long way up to the upper warren, eschewing the twisting stairs, bypassing the living quarters of the Imperators. Coil wondered if he should say anything, but decided against it, as if shattering the silence might break something else, something more crucial.
Soft murmurs of pain, of suffering, and they knew they were near the wheel shrine. In the icy gray pre-dawn light that seeped in through the airshafts, Coil watched as two Organics loaded a corpse onto a cart. Another death in this cold season, he thought, and he raised his hands to form the V8. No Valhalla for this one, but Witnessed nonetheless. Not the most glorious of afterlife awaited this War Boy, but he had earned his existence and would be remembered.
Distracted, he hadn't noticed Win who stood silent and unmoving in the corridor of the infirmary, so distracted that Coil had to gently move him out of the way when the Organics passed with their corpse. It stared with blind eyes gleaming wet, its stiff hand trembling as if with renewed life as it was rolled rattling away.
This section has actually been complete for a while, but I wanted to move a little further and get the shape of the next section before properly posting it. I’m still working on Ekstasis, and am perhaps about 60% through the next chapter. It’s been a long few months. And hey, Vincula is now over 50k words, making it one of the longer stories in the series. I think it might be just a little longer than Vulnera once I’m done. We’re nearing the end.
