Xieve

Xieve (pronounced Siva, as was explained to us) entered Augustia with a cordial greeting at our front door as if he were here on a business trip. It was a first, really. Most people who come tend to feel uncomfortable and awkwardly ask around for Shia or Kai, but Xieve was quick to introduce himself, explain his business, and meet with others who were naturally curious about his presence. He was quick to associate with those who were naturally friendly, and his laugh could be heard throughout the entire ground floor of Augusta for as long as he chatted. It was a little off-putting since only me, Kai, and Shia knew of his transfer and his subsequent importance, but I wasn't gonna stop others from communicating with him. After all, Augustia was now his home. It wouldn't be wise to drag him away from the people he's obligated to be around for the next few years.

He seems to be a genuine guy. His laugh sounds natural at least. But I don't know. Those eyes are... off. No matter what he's doing, his eyes always seem to be locked onto yours. Worse yet, they're the eyes of... someone not human. Now, I'm not one to judge. There are plenty of inhuman traits seen through people like Rei and Nidia. But Xieve is different. Nidia's eyes are a result of a mutation through her powers which make logical sense. She has better acuity at night, and therefore her eyes have pupils better at receiving light in darker areas. These changes are documented in other animals, and therefore make sense to me. Rei's horns are certainly fantastical, but they're not real objects. They can't be touched or felt. They don't bug me because of that.

But Xieve's eyes... they're entirely different. They're draconic. But oddly enough, they seem to be natural. He doesn't use his powers to activate them, they're just naturally draconic-looking. They're the same thing you'd see in any story: bright red-orange eyes with black vertical slits. But that's not... a reasonable mutation. Nidia's eyes are a slight physical alteration due to her powers, while Rei's horns are a fake object made to look like dragon horns through human pattern recognition. But Xieve's eyes are draconic, and not seemingly a side effect of his power. I've never heard of a power physically altering a human body to match its "theme" or what have you. Cosmetic changes like that just don't happen, there's always a purpose behind it. Tests from Iode labs reveal that there's nothing special about his eyes other than what's expected from vertical pupils. So why are they altered? Things change from a consequence of power, yet his eyes should not be changed with his powers as they don't affect his vision in any way.

I don't know. I'm just being really picky about everything. You could ask the above about any contract. Why does Rei have horns, after all? They're not natural either. I just think I'm off-put by his eyes, rather than it being something I can try to contextualize. It's not a rational fear. It's just... when those eyes look down on me, I feel like prey. He's nice, sure, but there's plenty of predators smart enough to fool its prey. And those are the eyes of a predator.

--- Ryan, head of Augustia

The following is the letter sent with Xieve ordered to be given to Kai upon Xieve's arrival at Augustia.

Hello, Doctor from Augustia. I implore you to excuse Xieve if he was out of line upon arrival; Xieve is incredibly good at matching the personality of another person, but ultimately struggles to read the atmosphere of groups. He naturally defaults to a sociable person when stressed or overwhelmed, so if he talked the ear off of your contracts instead of seeking you out like instructed, then that is why.

As a quick recap, Xieve will be contracted to you for the next two years in order to assist in your operations. He is fully expected to handle any task given to him, and should thus be reprimanded if he does not reach the expectations set for him. He is fully aware of his position and the stakes of your work, so do not let him play ignorant if he does not meet expectations. If he continually fails his assignments or causes too much issue within Augustia, Iode Labs will fully reimburse you for the troubles he's caused. We will cover all transportation fees and supply you with the agreed upon resources as stated within the clause regarding early termination of his contract. If you have any other questions or concerns about Xieve, do not hesitate to contact us.

I also apologize for our apparent hesitation on sending you a contract, as there was much debate over who we would transfer. Ultimately, we decided Xieve was the best bet due to his general competence and sociable personality. But, due to our unexpected delays, we were unable to supply you with all the information you may have expected. Here are some rough things to know about Xieve.

• Xieve is able to "possess" an object by making physical contact with it. Upon activating his power, small dragon-like creatures will circle the item. Do not be afraid, as these dragons are projections of his power, and making physical contact with them will not cause issue. However, if the possessed item is to touch another person, a dragon will leap off of the item and into the other's body. It will then electrify the person in a manner similar to a taser. The effect lasts for about five seconds, but the person is sure to be discombobulated for the next few minutes. Handle with great caution, as each subsequent jab into the person will cause a dragon to attack them, and the effect may be deadly if the person is attacked by more than one dragon. Xieve can summon one to three dragons at a time, and they will circle the object before disappearing after exactly a minute has passed since their cast. An item can hold as many dragons as Xieve is willing to put onto it.

• The enemy must be struck multiple times for multiple dragons to attack. Holding the object against the person will only cause one dragon to attack until they are struck again.

• The dragons appear most like flying snakes with numerous dense scales towards the head, before slowly softening down the body and finally creating a windy, flesh-looking tail. Of course, we cannot touch the dragon and therefore cannot ascertain what it actually is made of (besides being some sort of light projection). The dragons are somewhat transparent and are projected with a blue light. They, however, do not give off any light themselves.

• Xieve should take utmost care not to summon more dragons than necessary. If he is to create more than six dragons within an hour of time, he will start drawing Rueliedis from the atmosphere. Dragons created by this Rueliedis are deadly to Xieve, as they will attack him if they do not attack an opponent within their minute timer. The possessed object will also coarse with electricity, and while the sensation is light at first, it will rapidly increase in intensity before eventually forcing the muscles to contract around the object and make it nigh impossible for the carrier to let go of (this happens at about the forty second mark).

Finally, his eyes may be cause for concern to those unfamiliar with him. Rest assured, his draconic eyes are a normal, yet random deformation. His vision is in line with other animals that dawn vertical pupils, and his powers do not affect his eyesight in anyway. Why he has this deformation is unknown. We find it likely that this was caused purely by chance with no apparent relation with his Rueliedis given power.

Again, if there's any extra information you'd like to know, please reach out. We look forward to any business interactions in our intertwined future, doctor.

--- Luciel, lead researcher in Iode Labs