《Prey No More》 Prologue My name is... Well. In hindsight of my current situation, I guess my name is probably pointless to know. Standing in front of me is a seven foot tall Polar Bear. I can feel the heat from its breath against my face from this distance... Yeah. It''s bad. The smell is rancid, like that of a decaying animal... Its usual white coat of fur is tinted with a shade of red. This specific shade of red was produced by my once dear colleague. Rachael. Poor, poor Rachael. I say ONCE dear colleague because she is now torn into several bits and pieces and strewn out on display. We were trekking through dense snow when suddenly we were attacked from behind. Sadly Rachael insisted on walking behind me, in order to trace my steps, so walking was easier on her through the foot deep snow. I didn¡¯t even hear it coming. All I heard was Rachael¡¯s ear piercing scream and a sudden squelching noise. Startled I stood stock still for a solid 30 seconds before turning around. In a pile before me is Rachael. What¡¯s left of her anyways. The bear is already digging into her chest cavity and making quick work of it. Looking up at me it lets out a deep snarl and stands on its hind legs clearly preparing to attack. The ironic part of all this is that Rachael and I had come here, to a remote part of Alaska, in order to study these giant bears. We were doing this through a Biology Graduate Student program for the University we attended together. The funniest part of it all (I have an odd sense of humor) was that these studies were meant to collect data to help preserve the creatures. Isn¡¯t that just great?If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Thinking back on that I sudden come to a realization. I need to run. Fast. Turning around I begin sprinting as fast as I possibly can through the thick snow drift. I know I won¡¯t outrun the beast. Polar Bears, despite their massive size, have a top speed of around 40 kph or 25 mph. I¡¯ve always loved carnivores so I¡¯ve spent a majority of my life studying them. Knowing that I can¡¯t outrun it and that running could potentially invoke its wrath, I stop and turn around to face my death. Swiveling around awkwardly in the snow I¡¯m faced with my demise. What I come to see is a hulking bear mere feet away from me and approaching quickly. Gulping I suddenly wish I could be stronger and faster. I want to be a survivor. I want to survive. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t be so lucky. A sudden roar and an impact, and I¡¯m on the ground beneath the mass of blood sprayed flesh that makes up the beast. A sudden ringing noise follows and I realize the animal is biting onto my head. My entire head is inside its mouth. A grinding noise and an incredible pain commence as the bear gnaws viscously on my skull. Suddenly I¡¯m screaming, violently flailing trying to fight the giant brute off of me. My screams begin to halt as I run out of air in my lungs, my skull creaking in protest. Suddenly there''s a slight pop followed by a crunch and darkness. The last thought that passes through my mind is, ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I be born a predator.¡± Chapter 1: More Should Be Expected of God Darkness. Mannnn all this darkness is getting pretty drab. After that terrifying ordeal I¡¯ve been patiently waiting for something, anything, to happen. It¡¯s hard to measure time in this sort of situation yuh know. Hey. What¡¯s that. Feels like a buzzing in my ears. Like a mosquito I can¡¯t swat at. So now it¡¯s not just darkness. Now there¡¯s some unreachable mosquito. Am I in hell. Is this my hell? Indeterminable Amount of Time Later: ¡°Oi!¡± ¡°Oiiiii! Wake up already! I don¡¯t have time for all this nonsense...¡± Well. As you can see that buzzing has developed into full blown yelling. As I come to my senses I can make out a shrill yelling that sounds distinctly girl-like. Opening my eyes I see, yet again, darkness. ¡°Well I¡¯d love to wake up but all there¡¯s been for I don¡¯t know how long is darkness. So it¡¯d be real great if you¡¯d enlighten me with what¡¯s going on along with, uh, actual light.¡±, I push with hint of anger. ¡°Hey, now now. Calm down mister. There¡¯s a lot of explaining I have to go through so you should really thank for my time rather than take up an attitude yuh know~ I already literally brought you back to the dead.¡± As the voice retorts light begins to fade in. What stands before me is what seems to be a teen girl with black, disheveled hair and a white dress. She is also coated in a strange white glow. Looking down at my hands I see that they have a slight glow to them as well. ¡°So, what¡¯s going on here?¡±, I ask. ¡°Wellllll. It¡¯s a pretty long story full of intricacies you wouldn¡¯t understand, but essentially you died and I brought you back.¡±, comes a quick reply. ¡°Wait, so you¡¯re telling me that you, a young girl, brought me back?¡±, I ask. ¡°Pfftttt. You think this is my true form?¡±, she chuckles as she looks at her own arms and hands, ¡°Understand this, see, my true form is overwhelming to mere mortals such as yourself.¡±, as she says this her voice morphs into a booming force that resonates heavily in my skull. ¡°You say mortal with such a condescending tone.¡±, I say as my head clears of the voice. ¡°It¡¯s not meant to be condescending, more parental in fact. Because I¡¯m ¡®God¡¯ yuh know~ Not only that but I¡¯m the god of gods. I¡¯m the multi-universal god. The creator of everything.¡± she explains. ¡°Wha-!¡± ¡°Now now, before you get too excited I have too much to explain to you about why you were resurrected and brought to me.¡±, she says. ¡°So if you would¡±, she pauses, ¡°sit down and shut your mouth.¡±, she finishes with her skull cracking god voice.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. With a wave of her hand a black armchair materializes behind me in the blank space and an overwhelming force sends me flying into a sitting position. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡±, is all I manage to eek out. ¡°Troublesome humans.¡±, she says with a shake of her head. ¡°Anyways, I resurrected you due to your cause of death, in short, I found it¡­ Hilarious.¡±, just as she finishes my mouth falls open. ¡°God¡¯s are whimsical you know~ It gets pretty boring just watching people have fun. It¡¯s tough business being god of everything.¡±, she pauses with a look of longing. ¡°Anyways. To blow off steam I like to resurrect those I find amusing into new worlds with new lives so they can continue to amuse me.¡±, she finishes with a yawn. ¡°So I¡¯m here to make you laugh¡­¡±, I say as my heart sinks. ¡°Pretty much the long and short of it.¡±, she replies. ¡°Anyways I guess I should explain the world you¡¯re going to in order to get you on your way.¡±, she continues. ¡°I think you¡¯ll like it. It¡¯s full of life and adventure. Oh, and I almost forgot. Magic.¡±, she says with a slight nod of her head and a smirk. ¡°One of my favorite worlds in fact. Called Edge.¡±, she finishes with a slight sparkle in her eyes. ¡°In each universe I create I establish gods to oversee said universe for me. In this universe there are eight such gods. They all control different aspects of life and reality. Their respective child races receive aspects of the gods that created them. Pretty neat system huh?¡±, she elaborates. I go to open my mouth and she smiles and says, ¡°Rhetorical question actually. Anyways you¡¯ll be one of the Gorgia race as a special placement due to your last wish.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡±, I ask, ¡°My last wish?¡± ¡°Yes, of course, you remember right? Why couldn¡¯t I be born a predator?! It was pretty dramatic actually.¡±, she said with a childish laugh. Now I realize that she wasn¡¯t joking about using mortals for entertainment. ¡°Okay.¡±, I concede, ¡°So how exactly does this race called the- What was it again? The Gorgia? -fulfill my wish?¡±, I ask. ¡°I¡¯m actually glad you asked something for once. Essentially, the god of the Gorgia, Gorex, is the god of animals and war. So, as you might think, the Gorgia are a very animalistic and primal race.¡±, she concludes with a ¡°tehe¡±..... ¡°R-Right.¡±, I stammer out, ¡°So essentially you¡¯re making me into a humanoid predator.¡± ¡°EXACTLY!¡±, she exclaims, ¡°Not only that but I¡¯m giving you a couple of special powers. All of god¡¯s chosen have to be special rightttt? Anyways think of a number between 1 and 10 and you¡¯ll be granted powers corresponding to said number.¡± Wow she really is whimsical. The thought passes as I conclude on a number, ¡°8.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right I am.¡±, she says with a piercing gaze,¡±You¡¯ve been granted the powers ¡®Evolutionary Assimilation¡¯ and ¡®Hard Study¡¯. Pretty fitting eh?¡± ¡°What do they do exactly?¡±, I ask. ¡°Figure it out buddy! Time is up. Have lots of fun and remember- STAY ENTERTAINING!¡±, she yells as a hole opens beneath the chair and it disappears with a swish. Great... Chapter 2: Not Your Stereotypical Parents It feels so warm. After that damn god kicked me out of her space I fell through some sort of hole. But as soon as I felt as though I¡¯d passed through it I passed out and returned to the darkness. Now it¡¯s been an estimated 14 hours of nice, peaceful warmth. I would be angry about the darkness, but it¡¯s actually pretty comfortable after being verbally abused by that god yuh know? Anyways it seems as though something is getting ready to happen because the walls of my warm vessel are starting to close in on me. There are a lot of muffled noises around as well. It seems as though I¡¯m being urged in a certain direction so I guess it¡¯s time to take my leave. I think I¡¯ve figured out what¡¯s going on here too. I believe I¡¯m being born. It¡¯s just like that vindictive god to make me undergo something like this¡­ I can see some sort of light so I¡¯m gonna try to reach for it. Yup, I was right. As soon as I pushed my hand toward the light I felt a rush of cold and something grab a hold of it. With a sudden jerk I¡¯m being pulled out head first. Wow. The light is sort of overwhelming. As soon as I was pulled out of my mother¡¯s womb a sudden rush of light overwhelmed me. Seems as though I was born with my eyes open¡­ Interesting. Some weird man is carrying me. He has very dark, grey skin with intricate black patterns as well as dread locked hair. I believe he is the ¡°doctor¡± that delivered me. I only caught a glimpse of my mother for a moment but she seems to be fine and immediately after the birth she stood up from the ground, brushing herself off. What¡¯s really unsettling to me is the fact that she seemed oblivious to the fact that I had just been brought into the world¡­ Those thoughts are going to have to wait however seeing as how this weird ¡°doctor¡± man is about to drop me into some sort of pen filled with more infants. He lifts me with both hands under my arms so we were face to face for a moment. I open my eyes wide to take in his entirety and suddenly I can feel a hot flush through my face and his body is dyed in a bright red color. ¡°Ohhhhh¡­¡±, he whispers, ¡°Agrios¡­¡±. He then places me slowly in the pen without breaking eye contact. After that he nods and walks away. I¡¯ve suddenly noticed that this pen is in some sort of cave and the fence seems to made out of a tightly knit sort of rope. With that thought in mind I suddenly perceive a killing intent behind me. With a burst of speed unexpected of my infant sized body I reach down with my right hand and swiveled my entire body to face into the rest of the pen. To my surprise what faces me is a group of growling infants with light grey skin¡­ It seems that within this race from the very beginning things start as survival of the fittest. Suddenly one of the teeth baring children lurches foward and jumps at me. I feel a sudden burst of power in my body and without even realizing it I open my mouth to let out a roar. What came out was unexpected. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. With a deafening roar to my newborn ears the enemy in front of me instantly falters and, taking that moment of opportunity, I burst forward. With an open palm I pushed against my opponent with all my might. With an unexpectedly hard impact the light grey form flies across the pen and bounces off the semi-malleable wall. Without realizing it a lion like rumble is permeating throughout my body. The other infants that were previously standing against me now cower down in some animalistic understanding. With that I slowly walk over to my fallen opponent. It seems as though it¡¯s knocked clean out. ¡°Good¡±, I whisper as I sit down next to my opponent to begin observing it. As soon as I begin my analysis I can see that our species has a common coloring of grey with different patterns. It also seems that we have a tail as well as a set of variably shaped triangular ears. Clearly our race, much like many animals, quickly develops into a functional state after birth. I also come to realize that my opponent was a male. ¡°Hmmm, heims uke a vero.¡±, says a sudden voice from behind me. As soon as they heard the noise my newfound ears swiveled toward the direction from which it was emitted. I can tell that this was an adult due to what was uttered clearly being words. Slowly swivelling my head, what comes into view is a tall man wearing nothing but rugged slacks made of furs. He is clearly some sort of warrior judging by the bulging muscles and primitive scar tattoos that covered his body. ¡°Enpo a!¡±, he shouts with a wave of his hand. The ¡°doctor¡± appears with a big smile on his face and unlatches the pen to open the small gate. ¡°Semo!¡±, says the man with the fur trousers while waving his hand in a come here gesture toward the group of children and I. ¡°Mhm.¡±, I respond with a nod as I walk over to the man; driven by the sudden feeling of hunger in my stomach. He leads us past several more adults looking on at us with nods of approval. I¡¯ve noticed that no matter how fast or slow I walk the others in my group match my speed to keep pace with me while always staying just behind. Seems as though the man leading us has noticed it too and keeps glancing at me with a strange glance. Finally we come to a stop at a short table like rock jutting out of the cave wall that is surrounded by mats made from plant sinew. He motions to us to sit down and I am the first one to take a seat. I choose the one closest to the middle because I only have to walk a couple of steps to it. After I take a seat several of the others start to sit as well. A couple of the group members are pushing trying to take a seat close to me, but with a short glance toward them they quickly resolve the issue while looking down. Once we sit down raw meat is placed in front of us and the man eats a piece in front of us as a sort of demonstration. Quickly I begin munching down on the raw meats with the thought, ¡°I really need to teach these people how to cook¡­¡±, running through my mind. All of the children follow suit and start wolfing down the raw mystery meat just as flies start to gather. Once we finish our meal a woman walks up with gourd husks full of water for us to drink and then motions for us to follow. She wore a robe that seemed to be made entirely of white fur and has white hair that didn¡¯t match her youthful body. We move quickly through a small crevice in the wall into a room that was nearly completely dark save for a strange phosphorus-like glow coating small sections of the outlet. When we all finish squeezing in the woman motions toward the ground I see that there are several furs of some large animal placed throughout the room. I quickly understand what is going on and go to lay down amongst the furs. Several of the group followed me and began laying amongst the furs as well. I notice that many of the group are trying to drag furs over to me to lay in one big mound. Ignoring them I cover my head and close my eyes. To my surprise I, was evidently very exhausted, and almost instantly return to the darkness I¡¯ve dreaded for the last couple of days. Chapter 3: Lessons and Decisions It¡¯s been approximately a month since I was born and a lot of things have happened. The language of my native race, the Gorgia, seems to be sort of a guttural form of English. It really reminds me of a tribal type of language from Earth. It seems that no matter the universe things tend to develop along the same lines. The woman in the white robe, whose name is Yaldi, seems to be a sort of teacher/stand-in mother. She¡¯s the one who taught us the language. Our races quick development time coupled with her excellent tutelage has allowed many of the group, including me, to learn most of the language as well as some tribal customs. Apparently all the women in this race have synchronized breeding cycles with the group they coexist in. This means that, much like many species from Earth, all the groups children are born at around the same times. Once born the shaman or ¡°doctor¡±, the man I¡¯ve come to know as Zubu, places all the children into a pen. This is done in order for the infants to naturally establish a hierarchy amongst themselves. Having a leader of the generation from birth apparently has several benefits in terms of natural selection. This explains why all the other children of my generation are beginning to flock to me. It seems they¡¯ve labeled me as their leader¡­ It seems that, I specifically am a rare case amongst my species. My eyes naturally glow with a golden orange coloring of the iris, while the rest of my species has dark brown, nearly black irises. That is why, according to custom, I¡¯ve been named Agrios which, roughly translated to English, means Savage or Brutal. According to our customs after a full month, which is conveniently the moon cycle of Edge, all of the new generation are deemed functional members of the tribe. At this point they can choose to rejoin their families or become a and live alone. Evidently the Siopi route is not very popular because most of the time after a month of development our race is only about the size of around a 10 year old Human. While this is incredibly speedy development according to Humanity¡¯s standards it is absolutely necessary for the Gorgia peoples¡¯ survival. Due to their often nomadic, animalistic tendencies they can not afford to raise children for extended periods of time. In fact the only reason our tribe was currently residing in this cave was because of a ¡°breeding season¡±. During this time of the year our tribe, and all tribes of our race for that matter, return to a tribe-specific location. They remain there for about a month in order for the next generation to be born and taught.. Today is the last day of our teachings and also the day of the official naming ceremony. The last thing we are to be taught is of the various gods and races of this world. Just as I was thinking of this, while laying against the stone cave wall, I heard the light echo of footsteps signalling that our lesson was about to begin. Standing up and brushing off my fur shorts, I slip through the cave entrance and out into the shady meadow outside. There, many of my group members are already socializing and our teacher is just approaching wearing a cloth wrapping and fur shorts. ¡°Whewwww, it¡¯s hot out here isn¡¯t it~¡±, she mutters with a smile on her face, ¡°Alright, alright children settle down and sit in the shade. Today we are going to learn about something very important.¡± ¡°Yeah! We¡¯re gonna learn about the Gods right teach?¡±, shouts a particularly rowdy girl named Vali. ¡°Yes that¡¯s right Vali. Now sit down so we can get this over with. It¡¯s a lot to explain.¡±, she started raising her voice trying to get the children to settle down. ¡°Agrios can you please help me here?¡±, she whispers as I approached. ¡°Yooo. Sit down guys.¡±, I mutter. In an instant everyone fell silent and began to take their favorite spots beneath the trees. ¡°Thank you.¡±, she says with a wink at me. ¡°Anyways,¡±, she continues, ¡±like Vali said we¡¯re learning about the gods that govern the eight races today. As you all most likely know by now there are a total of eight races in Edge. These races include: we the Gorgia, who are the People of the Paw, the Ti¡¯Ani, who are the People of Mana, the Corjah, the People of the Rock, the Humans, the People of Curiosity, the Sorans, the People of the Sky, the Janisa, the People of the Sea, and, finally, the Demus¡­ The People of the Shade.¡± ¡°Gahhh. That¡¯s a lot to remember¡­¡±, says Zero, the child I originally fought in the pen, while scratching his head. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ And there¡¯s a lot more too it as well.¡±, says Yaldi while nodding. ¡°Each one of the races is considered a child race of a god. These gods include: our god, Gorex, the god of the Ti¡¯Ani, Anystia, the god of the Corjah, Gro¡¯Kan, the god of the Humans, Ishtana, the god of the Sorans, Miani, the god of the Janisa, Puida, and the god of the Demus.... Sylik.¡±, she finished with a shallow breath. ¡°So wait a minute¡±, mutters one of the other children, ¡°why exactly do I have to know this? I¡¯m just a kid yuh know~¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked.¡±, whispers Yaldi as she stands up and turns around.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. She slowly begins to unravel the bandage like cloth wrapping covering her upper body as many of the boys¡¯ faces become flush. Their expressions quickly fall as they realize what was hidden beneath the wrapping on her back. Various scars, from what appear to be a very sharp blade, encase a massive brand like burn mark on Yaldi¡¯s back. Many of the children¡¯s breaths catch in their throats, including mine. ¡°This is what happens when the uneducated leave our clan without any knowledge of the outside world!¡±, she spits. ¡°It¡¯s important to know how truly vicious some of the other races can be in relation with our people. You see¡­ Our people are often imprisoned and used as slaves due to our physical prowess and beauty.¡±, she held in a soft hiccup,¡±Many of our brethren have fallen into slavery and died without honor or love in a dungeon. There is evil in all of the world, intermingled¡­ Mixed in with everything else. And it is incredibly important for each and every one of you to understand what it means to be one of the Gorgia¡­¡±, she finishes on the verge of tears. All of the girls and some of the boys in the group are silently crying. ¡°So what happened to you exactly?¡±, I stand up and ask. All of the children quiet and look up to me with tear filled eyes. ¡°I was taken in as a slave by a Demus general. Many of the Demus race and Human race enjoy using females of our race for their¡­¡±, she pauses and falls silent. ¡°For their bodies¡­¡±, I finish for her. ¡°Yes¡­¡±, she turns to look at me with eyes full of question. ¡°Due to our races quick development and long youth, we are¡­ Ideal. In their eyes.¡± ¡°I see.¡±, I say, ¡°I¡¯m incredibly sorry for what you¡¯ve had to deal with¡­¡± ¡°You have so much understanding for one so young¡­¡±, she whispers. ¡°Okay. Anyways, that is why our race began to educate our young before they decided to venture out or-¡± ¡°Heyyyyyy! It¡¯s time to start the festivities. They¡¯ve had enough schooling now, leave the rest of the teaching for those Humans!¡±, says Kobarashi, or Koba, the leader of this tribe, and the same scarred man from the pen. It¡¯s also been rumored that he¡¯s Zero¡¯s father¡­ ¡°Okay kids. Time to go eat!¡±, says Yaldi with a smile as she wraps her upper body again. Walking into the dining section of the cave we encounter something the like of which our group has never seen before. Sitting in the center of the room is a giant boar-like animal set on a rotisserie over a huge bonfire. I guess they do know how to cook, I guess it explains the massive hole in the ceiling ¡°WOOWWWWW!¡±, says Vali. ¡°I CAN¡¯T wait to eat that.¡± ¡°Well good. Because you don¡¯t have to. Dig in kids!¡±, yell Koba. At those words we all rush forward to the roasted meat. Children¡¯s hands plunge into the soft, fall-off-the-bone meat and then into their mouths. I walk over to lean against a wall to let them all eat to their heart''s content so I could take what¡¯s left. What ended up happening was unexpected however. ¡°Awwww. Look at howww cute!¡±, many of the female adults of the tribe were saying in various ways. It appears that several of the girls in my group decided to make sure I was well fed¡­ Really well fed. They¡¯ve taken stone slabs that we¡¯ve often used like plates and were bringing hunks of meat to me. ¡°Uhhh. Thanks.¡±, I say with an awkward smile. I had never been very good with the ladies in my past life, even as a child, and now they just seemed to be fawning over me. ¡°TCH!¡±, came a noise from Vali as she leaned near the pig while putting more meat in her mouth. ¡°What are you guys doing all that for?¡±, she asls with a wave of her hand. ¡°T-that¡¯s right girls, you have to make sure everyone gets some yuh know?¡±, I mutter slowly to the 4-5 girls around me. ¡°So giving!¡±, ¡°So caring!¡±, ¡°So sweet!¡±, whisper the girls to each other amongst various other things as they walked toward the bigger group of kids. ¡°Now it is time for the naming ceremony to begin!¡±, shouts Zubu in an eccentric tone. ¡°Line up and sit down. Let¡¯s not make this take too long now yuh hear!?¡± Our group begins to line up in front of where Zubu is standing in front of a large stone made of an Onyx type of mineral. ¡°Begin the ceremony!¡±, shouts Koba. Just then several men with drums come into the room playing a tribal sort of beat and take their seats lining the walls. ¡°Up first is E----!¡±, Zubu¡¯s voice begins to wash away as I begin losing focus. I¡¯m nervous¡­ Why in the world am I so nervous? I¡¯ve spoken in front of hundreds of scholarly individuals simultaneously in my past life while in university. This should seem absolutely trivial in comparison! A lot of time passes with me just lost in my thoughts. Finally, I, being the last in line, am called. ¡°And now last!¡±, Zubu shouts, ¡°But not least.¡±, he mutters with a wink at me, ¡°Is Agrios!¡±, he finishes with a flamboyant gesture toward me. Looking up I see that many of my friends have already met their parents and were hugging them with tears in their eyes. Looking forward I can see who I remember to be my mom and some faintly familiar man on either side of the stone with small smiles on their faces. I begin to walk forward, in between a sea of people on either side sitting on the floor, reminiscent of a wedding without chairs. As I stop in front of Kubu he smiles and nods. ¡°On my right here is your mother, Toli, and on my left is your father, Weik.¡±, he says, ¡°Would you like to be considered of the lineage, a Redar? Or would you like independence?¡± ¡°This is why I was so stressed!¡±, I realize. I hadn¡¯t even really thought about it¡­ With a sudden resolve I straighten my back and look to the left, then to the right. ¡°I declare myself an independent!¡± A hush falls over the once chattering crowd. ¡°Oh¡­ Okay.¡±, says Kubu with an inkling of wonder in his voice. ¡°From here on I declare you as Agrios. Agrios Siopi!¡±, he shouts. He dips his thumb into a stone bowl with a red concoction in it and drew a streak across my forehead, much like the ones the others have received. My father bends down to me whispering,¡±All those with a profound purpose declare Siopi,I respect your decision son. If ever you do decide you need us, we are always here. Remember that.¡± Then my mother looks down to me, ¡°I kind of figured this was gonna happen. Your beautiful eyes¡­ They hold a fire. I wish you the best in life my son!¡±, she says as she begins to hiccup in a soft cry. My father embraces my mother and they walk toward the rest of the crowd to congratulate the other children. It¡¯s a harsh world. Truly dog eat dog, and I intend to be the biggest. Chapter 4: The Scientific Method Running. She couldn¡¯t stop running. Her face, smeared with blood and tears, was twisted into the shape of absolute horror. She just witnessed something that no one should have to see. Her parents were torn limb from limb right before her eyes. She had been running for hours and her legs were beginning to waver. ¡°Why!?¡±, her mind kept screaming through the agony. Suddenly as she passed through some dense shrubbery a sudden blessing was granted. There before her she was able to make out a small shack made of shabby planks of wood through the darkness of the night. Finally I can rest, the thought came through a haze of pain and anguish. She had run herself completely raw, the shock from her parents¡¯ deaths was beginning to wear off, and the anguish of death was washing over her, like a cold rain. She nearly instantly fainted after pushing herself through the squeaking door. Luckily the shack was abandoned. Agrios¡¯s Point of View: Hmmm, seems that doesn¡¯t work either, I think to myself as yet another trial fails. It¡¯s been a two days since the ceremony and a majority of the tribe has already left this area to resume their usual nomadic tendencies. I, however, have decided to stay here at the caves for now and try to figure out my ¡°skills¡± that ¡®God¡¯ gave me. I¡¯ve been wandering around in the forest trying to get one of my skills to activate to no avail. I¡¯ve already done a perimeter sweep of the area about a day ago. Now I was returning to what I¡¯ve decided will be my base away from the caves. I am slowly approaching the point I am heading to by jumping through the dense trees so the local animals will leave me be. Through observation I¡¯ve noticed that they mostly stick to the well worn trails, on the path of least resistance, and jumping tree to tree came surprisingly natural to me. There in a clearing is my shack. Apparently someone had lived here before, meaning there is probably a town nearby. As I drop to the ground from the tree I was perched in and begin walking forward, my senses suddenly pick up an unknown entity in the lurching cabin. Suddenly my eyes begin to dilate as I go into high alert. A warm glow begins to permeate from the other side of the plank wall. Seems as though I have some sort of life or heat detection as an inborn trait. I nearly jump out of my skin when a soft, female-sounding voice plays in my head saying, ¡°Heat signature detected. Entity in critical condition.¡± What? What the hell was that? M-maybe this is related to one of my ¡®Skills¡¯? What were they again? I know I heard something about Evolution and Studying¡­ This must be the Study one? Weird¡­ Snapping back to reality I begin pacing quickly to the door. As I open it and I see her¡­ Her slender body is lying face down on the ground and is drenched in blood. Her clothing is completely shredded on her back and I can clearly see terrible gashes there amongst her blood-matted dark green hair. ¡°Oh my God!¡±, I shout. ¡±Hello? Are you okay? Are you even ALIVE?!¡±, I question desperately. Gently I reposition her onto her side and put my hand to her forehead. It is met by an intense heat emanating from her skin. She¡¯s cooking alive¡­ At this rate she won¡¯t make it much longer. She slowly cracks open one eye with a face full of pain and, seeing me, her eyes shoot open. ¡°P-P-Pleaseeee noo¡­ Let me live plea- *cough*.¡±, is all she manages to pull out of herself before she violently coughs up some dark blood and collapses again. Looking around for anything that might be hers I find a small necklace. ¡°Moonstone Necklace. Not of high value.¡±, says the soft voice in my head. I quickly grab it and wrap it around my hand. I then heave the unknown girl onto my back and nudge the door open with my foot. Think. Think¡­THINK! I could take her to the stream I found during my perimeter sweep if I could remember where it was¡­ Where the hells was it again!? As soon as I finish the thought a weird feeling begins to push me in a certain direction. Guess I have no other choice, instincts don¡¯t let me down. With a determined feeling I begin moving as fast as I can manage toward the direction I felt a pull from.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. About 15 minutes later I can hear the sound of moving water. Yes! Go gut feelings! A small smile sprouts across my face. Stumbling forward under the weight of the slightly larger than me girl I slowly approach the stream. Once I get close enough I gently lay her face up in the cold stream water. What follows is unbelievable. Just as I am laying her in the water a cloud of blackish-red blood begins to trail down the stream from her body and she begins to shake slightly. Just as I am beginning to think it is worse than I had originally thought she begins to shake more uncontrollably and also begins to glow. ¡°What the hell is going on!¡±, the thought pervades my mind as her eyes open with a bright green glow and she sits up in the water. The blood cloud suddenly stops and the exhausted girl once again collapses. This time she nearly sinks into the water before I grab her and began dragging her out of the stream. Inspecting her back I realize the wounds are completely gone. Seems the water did something incredibly unnatural. With a nod and a, ¡°Right!¡±, I heave her back onto me and begin the venture back to my caves. Girl¡¯s Point of View: I woke up to eyes. Bright orange eyes that shined with a sense of hunger and death. ¡°P-P-Pleaseeee noo¡­ Let me live plea-¡±, was all I could muster before losing consciousness. ¡°Hey! Heyyyyyyyy!¡±, comes an irritating voice. ¡°Wake upppp! What¡¯s with all you mortals, making everyone wait on your sleep schedules ehhh?!¡±, comes the voice again. ¡°Whaa?¡±, I mutter. ¡°Whhhaa? That¡¯s all you got? Whaaa? C¡¯mon I don¡¯t have time for this¡­ I have people to watch yuh know?¡±, comes a snarky reply. Realizing I don¡¯t feel anymore physical pain I open my eyes to see a small girl with black hair and a white dress. ¡°Therrrreee we are. Nice and awake. Now. I¡¯m God. Now I know you have questions, like you guys always do, but I can tell you now I don¡¯t have time to answer them. Busy doing¡­God stuff. Point is I brought you here for a reason instead of just letting you die, so be grateful and get over it. Anyways the reason is the one that ¡®saved¡¯ you is mine. By mine I mean he¡¯s chosen by me.¡±, she pauses. ¡°A-alright.¡±, I stutter out. ¡°You don¡¯t talk. Only nod.¡±, she continues as I nod. ¡°Right so what I¡¯m getting at is your world¡¯s gods asked me to revive you because of some special favor. Lucky you being a half-breed eh?¡± I nod in response. Then realize that if this is truly ¡°God¡±, she is who is responsible for my parents deaths. ¡°Now now now, you don¡¯t wanna go down that path. There lies nothing but pain and misunderstandings.¡±, muttered the girl in a voice not like her original. ¡°I may be God but I can¡¯t just do whatever I want you know, it ruins the whole progression of things. You mortals aren¡¯t just dolls that I pull by strings. My interventions come at very specific times, usually upon death. It also takes a certain amount of power, paired with a certain kind of situation for someone to allowed to continue their life after it comes to an end. Take you for example, you happen to be a half-breed with two patron gods pushing for your survival, and you happened to come into contact with one of my Touched. And, I happen to sort of like you.¡±, she finishes with a half smile, a look of apology in her eyes. I simply let my stare fall to the ground. ¡°I guess there¡¯s nothing I can do then.¡±, the whisper barely escapes my lips. ¡°Oh my child¡­ Don¡¯t worry. I know you can¡¯t understand it, but life does not work the way mortals think it does. It is a never-ending tapestry, each life being but a single thread. Don¡¯t get hung up on their deaths, they are moving on to something new, and I GUARANTEE, you will see them again. In some other life.¡±, she finishes as she places a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Now I¡¯ve brought you here to grant you something. Your life ended in the stream my chosen took you to, however it has been restored. Now, I only ask you do me a favor.¡±, she says quietly. I simply nod. At least it¡¯s not over for them I conclude. ¡°I simply want you to keep him in line. Don¡¯t let him fall to it. He holds an overwhelming power, don¡¯t let it consume him.¡±, she whispers even fainter, yet the words echo throughout my mind, bouncing in its walls. Turning me around and placing her hand on my back she whispers, ¡°Control.¡±, and gives me a sudden shove. I begin falling and the ground around and in front of me opens into a void like hole. ¡°Goodbye. Be really entertaining!¡±, comes a shout as I fall through the hole. ¡°WHA!¡±, I jostle up with a start from a deep sleep. I am sitting in the dark. Well, mostly dark. As I look around I see that a majority of the ceiling is glowing faintly. ¡°That¡¯s beautiful¡­¡±, I whisper admiringly, still a little light headed from the feeling of falling. I then realize I have some sort of fur blanket draped over my lower body and I am laying on a mound of furs. Faintly, I can hear footsteps approaching from outside the entrance to the room. Agrios¡¯s point of view: ¡°Hello?¡±, I whisper as I walk into the sleeping area, ¡°You awake?¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡±, comes a heavenly voice. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry if I scared you earlier¡­¡±, I say. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I see now you were trying to save me¡­ My name is Eia. Thank you for helping me.¡±, she replies with a small smile. ¡°My name is Agrios. Not a problem. You were literally on my doorstep after all.¡±, I say with a chuckle. ¡°So. Care to explain what all the flashing and healing was about?¡± ¡°Oh. That. Well. That¡¯s not common for me if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking¡­ It seems that my gods took pity on me and asked the all-God for help. I¡¯m a half-breed¡­ A hybrid. A mutt. There¡¯s a lot of names for it but basically I¡¯m half Gorgia and half Ti¡¯Ani. We¡¯re rare and infertile but we do exist. My mother is Ti¡¯Ani and my father Gorgia¡­ Well I guess I should say was now¡­ But, as a hybrid you have the favor of two gods¡­ For me it¡¯s Anystia and Gorex¡­That explains why I survived when¡­ When¡­¡±, she explains as she slowly begins to cry. ¡°So what exactly happened?¡±, I asked. She sniffs, and her face falls still once more. ¡°Well. I don¡¯t really wanna think about it but it¡¯s all I really can think about¡­ My parents and I live in the forest. Lived. Lived in the forest. Somewhere around here¡­ I don¡¯t know where anymore. We were attacked¡­ By a Gyurig Bear¡­¡±, she finishes solemnly... Chapter 5: The First Taste of Savagery ¡°I¡¯m very, very sorry.¡±, I whisper in response, as I could see the overwhelming sadness crashing down on her shoulders. ¡°What¡¯s a Gyurig? If you don¡¯t mind telling me.¡±, I mutter quietly, trying to avoid poking too many sore spots. I can feel the familiar curiosity in animals from my past life welling up. Lately I have been scouting around the caves for any and all animal life with my enhanced senses while I get used to them. Now I have something reminiscent of a radar, of senses, albeit not very powerful; however, it sets my mind at ease in terms of possible assailants. ¡°Well. They¡¯re not common at all. The have low birth rates but are very powerful and live for a long time. Some of the unique variants full of magical power can live up to 300 years as the stories go... That¡¯s why we never expected to see one around here. The animals don¡¯t seem to like these caves for some reason¡­¡±, Eia explains. ¡°So what makes these beasts so powerful?¡±, I ask. ¡°They¡¯re huge namely. Big lumbering brutes that rely solely on their weight and power¡­ With a single swipe of their boulder sized paws they can completely destroy thick trees and¡­ Well. Anything that tries to oppose them¡­ The only reason I was able to escape without being absolutely devoured was because the one that attacked us was busy with my parents¡­ My parents remains¡­¡±, she ends quietly, her brow creasing deeply. ¡°So. Do you think it followed you?¡±, I question with a morbid sense of interest, I need to know if I should be ready for it now. ¡°They are known to consider anything they initiate combat with as their prey. And I use the word prey loosely. It¡¯s more like enemy. They have a pride in strength unlike that of many other beasts¡­ It will be looking for me...¡±, she whispers grimly. ¡°Just to be safe we should leave this place. It may follow my scent here.¡± ¡°No.¡±, I say with a voice of decisiveness. ¡°What? Are you insane?! You see what it did to me! YOU KNOW IT KILLED MY PARENTS!¡±, she cries out. ¡°I-I¡¯ll leave. I¡¯m gonna leave. You can die here alo-¡±, she says, through the beginnings of sobs, before she was cut off. ¡°Go then. I understand that it¡¯s probably taken everything you have to not get up and run just talking to me so far. But for some reason I can¡¯t just let this go? This is my forest, on my doorstep.¡±, I say, then realize there is no way she should stay, she¡¯d only be in needless danger, ¡°It¡¯s probably better that you leave anyways. In case I end up failing at taking it down when it comes.¡±, I finish with a nod. ¡°W-Wait¡­ You plan to fight that monster!? Are you an absolute idiot!?¡±, suddenly a look of realization spreads across her face, like she is remembering something. ¡°You can¡¯t. Don¡¯t do it. Let¡¯s leave together and go to a town where we¡¯ll be safer.¡±, her voice raises and echoes a bit in the cave like room. ¡°Nope. No can do. If I go anywhere I¡¯m going to do it on my own will.¡±, I finish with pride welling up in my chest. I¡¯ve already decided this life will be different. That I¡¯ll use my intelligence along with my strength to become great. ¡°Alright. I see you¡¯ve made up your mind¡­ I guess I¡¯ll stay then¡­ Can¡¯t let you die alone like a dog¡­¡±, a look of defeat following the words. ¡°Alright then. Get some sleep. There¡¯s a little food in the cavern through the entrance. Just take what you want. We¡¯re the only ones still here after all.¡±, I tell her.
It¡¯s been a day since Eia came. She slept from the afternoon of the day I found her until now, a day later. It is becoming night and I decided to try out hunting. I thought about hunting during the day, but then realized that I¡¯m a predator now, and predators often hunt during the night.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. I¡¯ve been sitting in a tree staring down into a clearing with my ¡®Hard Study¡¯ vision carefully scanning for any living things. I chose a clearing close to the caves so I can remain on high alert for the Gyurig Bear if it happens onto us. It seems that it depends on what I focus on to relay information. The longer I ¡°study¡± something the more I¡¯m able to understand about it. It also doesn¡¯t seem to have any sort of limitation on my prior knowledge. As I am studying a foreign type of plant called the Diadelx on the clearing floor a black mass begins moving through some nearby bushes. I quickly shift my studying to this unknown beast and am swiftly met with a familiar female voice rattling off information. Black Warg A canine, wolf-like creature that usually travels in packs. The Black variants are much more ferocious and are often shunned from their packs because of it. Right! This is my chance to push my way into the food chain. Every apex predator has to start somewhere after all. With that it is decided, I will fight this Warg. Now all I need to do is wait for the right opportunity to pounce. The Warg is about 4 feet long. This means that it most likely has a higher weight than my current body. With this in mind I decide that if I¡¯m going to take this thing down, it¡¯s gonna have to be a sneak attack. The Warg appears to be searching for something as it is swaying its head from left to right. Then it begins sniffing. Suddenly I realize that if it catches scent of me then my initiation will be ruined. So instead of being found out I decide to launch myself the 5 ft horizontally towards it instead of waiting for it to get closer to me. Placing my feet beneath myself I focus my strength into my legs and suddenly I am in the air. Beneath me is the Warg looking slightly panicked. It is at this moment, right before I¡¯m about to land on the beast, that I realize that I don¡¯t have any weapons. My hands immediately shoot out in front of me to reach for the Warg¡¯s neck. It suddenly realizes where I am and attempts to dodge out of the way. Unfortunately for it, it isn¡¯t fast enough thanks to my sneak attack. Landing, my hands are met by a thick pelt. I immediately wrap my legs around the Warg¡¯s torso and, holding on with my left hand, I begin to punch it in the head with my right. The Warg begins to let out a thumping growl from its throat and rolls around trying to free itself from my grasp. I¡¯m not able to hold on any longer due to the beast¡¯s powerful muscles and am thrown off of its back. I slide along the ground and quickly stand up and to peer at the Warg, attempting to keep it constantly within sight. It still seems to be regaining its senses so I decide to attack. Looking down at my hands I realize that my punches weren¡¯t what was doing the damage. What really hurt the Warg was the hand I was gripping its pelt with that is now coated in blood. At this sudden realization I understand why my instincts pushed me into battle without a weapon. I am an animal now, a beast built to kill. And my fingers are now equipped with claws. It also seems as though my fingers were naturally stronger and more sturdy. With a grin I feel an overwhelming sensation begin to flood my system. This is what I have been waiting for. I rush forward at the now crouching Warg who is waiting to receive my attack. Just as I am about to clash with the beast it jumps to the side and lunges at me. With reflexes unknown to me in my previous life I rotate on the ball of my foot and lock my arm around its neck. With a sudden rush of adrenaline I yank at its bottom jaw with my free hand and am rewarded with a satisfying *CRACK*. At that the beast is kicked into overdrive and begins trying to claw itself away from me. It is ripping its claws at my midsection as much as possible as I slowly wring the life out of it. I feel a throbbing pain in my ribs and realize that I need to finish it quickly before receiving any more wounds. I grip hard onto the now broken lower jaw and back skin of the Warg. Opening my mouth I rip into its neck and am met by a torrent of blood. My entire body feels warm, much like the feeling of talking to a crush in my past life. My consciousness begins to fade as I stare at my own reflection in the now fading eyes of the massive beast before me. My eyes have turned from their usual orange-gold color, into a bright, primal red, starkly contrasted to the night sky. Finally the overwhelming sensations become to much for my mind, and I feel my consciousness slip away. Chapter 6: The Beast Behind the Eyes After defeating the warg I began eating it and blacked out for some reason. I immediately begin swimming in a sea of dreams. At first all I feel is blackness, but, slowly, swells of color begin to form. Scenes from my past life bloom into view made out of a beautiful golden trace reminiscent of pixie dust. The old lab at my University is a relieving and familiar sight to see. Then suddenly a wolf traced from fiery red lines bursts into the lab through a window and immediately begins ripping apart the scientists. Slowly the image drips into a crimson colored trace of my own face, in my new body, with its eyes filled to the brim with an overwhelmingly murderous intent. ¡°Agri-.... -riossss! ¡­Agrios!¡±, comes the voice of Eia. ¡°What¡¯s that annoying girl want now¡­¡±, comes a gravelly, thundering voice, echoing inside my head. With that, the image and the black background fades away as I slowly open my eyes to see Eia standing in front of me, a deeply worried look plastered across her face. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±, I ask casually as I sit up to survey the situation around me. Quickly I realize that I am sitting in a puddle of bloody mud next to a dismembered wolf-like corpse. ¡°What¡¯s up¡­ What¡¯s up?! Are you kidding me! I woke up and you were gone! I waited two hours before coming to find you in the dead of night! Only to find you here, and now you¡¯re covered in blood and fur and act like nothing''s wrong!¡±, she yells. ¡°Calm down, calm down. Let me get my bearings here, I seem to have passed out during my fight with this Warg¡­¡±, I say slowly making sure to pronounce every syllable clearly through the heavy fog like feeling that¡¯s laying over my mind. My mouth feels strange for some reason¡­ Like my teeth don¡¯t fit in it. Slowly I lift my hands up to my mouth and feel at my teeth. This reveals that I now have mysteriously large canine teeth instead of the smaller ones I had previously. Looking down at my arm I realize that it now has black hair growing out around my elbow and up to my shoulder. Not only that but my muscle bulk seems to have increased somewhat and I feel like I am full of power. ¡°Something¡¯s going on here¡­ Gimme a minute Eia. Go sit over there and be quiet while I figure this out please¡­¡±, I mutter with my eyes fixed on my now changed arms. ¡°No! You expect me to sit over there like some dog while you roll around in that filth! Really¡­¡±, she exclaims with a yell that slowly turns into an exasperated sigh. ¡°Just shut up for a second alright!¡±, I yell as I quickly jerk a glare toward her. She falls straight onto her butt with a *plump* and a terrified look in her eyes. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t know what¡¯s coming over me. I just need a moment, please.¡±, I say in confusion at my own outburst. ¡°Agrios¡­ Y-you¡¯re eyes. T-They¡¯re burning red¡­¡±, she whispers. ¡°Wha? Oh¡­ I guess they¡¯re still like that¡­¡±, I mutter while recalling the reflection of my eyes in those of the Warg. Suddenly a soothing female voice plays through my head. Studying finished. Basic information attained. Transformation: Warg caused by Skill: Evolutionary Assimilation. Further studying commencing. Please stand by. ¡°Whhaaaaaa... ¡°, I mouth silently while Eia looks at me like I¡¯m a maniac. ¡°What now you lunatic?!¡±, she raises her voice with a slightly accusatory glare. ¡°You know for such a small girl you yell way too much¡­ It seems I have some sort of skill if you care to know. I killed this warg here and my instinct told me to dig in¡­ So that¡¯s what I did. Now I¡¯ve gone through some sort of transformation..?¡±, I explain slowly, barely processing it myself. ¡°Wait¡­ So you changed?¡±, she asks. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.¡°Yeah. That¡¯s the gist of it.¡±, I respond a moment later. With that the soothing voice returns. Further diagnostic completed. ¡®Evolutionary Assimilation: By hunting and killing prey individuals with this skill are able to take on aspects of said prey. Multiple aspects can be attained simultaneously depending on their strength value. Current Maximum Strength Value: 200 Currently Used Strength Value: 200¡¯ ¡°I see¡­¡±, the words escape my mouth in a whisper. ¡°You see what?¡±, questions Eia, ¡°I don¡¯t see anything?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just know that this makes me stronger.¡±, I tell her with a nod as I stand up. Looking down I notice that my fur trousers have ripped slightly to accommodate the increased muscle mass. It also seems as though my height and hair length have increased. Now I am taller than Eia, who is apparently already considered a developed individual amongst the Gorgia, and my black, sleek hair falls to my shoulders on each side. ¡°Hmmm. I¡¯m gonna have to cut this hair off... ¡°, I mutter to myself. ¡°Yeah and get a shirt on. Seems like you¡¯ve grown from this ¡®Power¡¯ of yours¡­¡±, she replies in worried tone. ¡°What¡¯s up with you. Everything is fine.¡±, I say with a wave of my hand. ¡°Everything¡­ Is fine...¡±, she says, shaking her head in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m revived¡­ Tasked with controlling this. Absolutely unbelievable¡­¡±, she whispers quickly to herself. My ears tweak slightly at her words. I don¡¯t think I was meant to hear them. ¡°Tasked with ¡®controlling¡¯ me? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±, I ask casually. Her head jerks toward me, startled out of her self contemplating. ¡°You could hear me? Are you kidding me I barely even breathed that out!¡±, she says with a pleading look in her eyes. ¡°Well I mean¡­ I can¡¯t exactly help what I hear.¡±, I reply with a lift of my hands. ¡°Well¡­ I mean¡­ Apparently bringing someone back from the death, or near death, isn¡¯t free¡­ I guess I have a task now¡­ ¡®Keep him under control!¡¯ she says. How am I supposed to even do that?¡±, the last part seems to be more of a question to herself. ¡°The all-god put me up to it. Gave me a special power too. But what the hell is a power supposed to do to stop this.¡±, she finishes with a motion toward the corpse, and a slight sob escaping her. ¡°Hey hey¡­ Don¡¯t cry please. Look I didn¡¯t do this okay? Well I probably did but not in my right mind¡­ Something kicked in¡­ Almost like. Almost like my instincts¡­¡±, the words come rushing out of my mouth quickly. ¡°Almost like your instincts took you over?¡±, she finishes. ¡°Exactly.¡±, I answer quickly. ¡°Sounds like they¡¯re true then. There are stories of the Agrios. A special Gorgia born rarely amongst the generations long since past. Apparently they had strength like that of a giant and fought on instinct alone. Not only that but had golden eyes that blazed red in the heat of battle. They¡¯re popular in children''s¡¯ tales amongst the Gorgia. I guess you¡¯re one of them huh? Maybe you can take on that Gyurig bear then¡­¡±, she finishes with a strange look of hope in her eyes. ¡°Well that explains what happened during the fight¡­¡±, I respond while looking at the shreds of meat and fur strewn throughout the clearing. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the stream. I wanna wash up a bit.¡±
Upon washing up at the stream we decided to go back to the caves. ¡°Is it alright if I eat what¡¯s left of the food? Since you just devoured nearly that entire warg?¡±, asks Eia. ¡°No. For some reason my stomach feels empty. I think it has something to do with the transformation. Regardless you''re splitting what¡¯s left with me.¡±, I respond briskly as I rip a dried flank of meat in half and begin munching on it. ¡°Alright then.¡±, she replies. ¡°So. Just what kind of power did that Whimsy give you anyways?¡±, I ask while chewing on a strip of a strange fruit called Yuka that tastes sugary. Eia¡¯s eyes go wide, and she looks around like someone might be listening. ¡°Quite! Don¡¯t call her a whimsy, she¡¯s the God of literally, like, everything. Anyways¡­ It¡¯s called ¡®Control¡¯. I have no clue what it does and have no way of figuring out¡­ The All-God isn¡¯t exactly what you¡¯d expect¡­¡±, she says cautiously still looking around slowly. ¡°Right? That¡¯s why I call her Whimsy. She just does things for fun I think. Likes to create chaos and watch how things pan out.¡±, I mutter. ¡°Explains why she made you perfectly¡­¡±, she mutters in response, surprising even herself. I can¡¯t help but laugh at that,¡±You know what you¡¯re probably right. Luckily for her I think I¡¯m addicted to this.¡±, I finish with a grin. ¡°Anyways. I¡¯m gonna sleep soon. You can do whatever you want. We¡¯ll probably journey out to a town soon, so think of where you wanna go. I don¡¯t really care where but I need a navigator. Maybe we¡¯ll even run into that Gyurig.¡±, I say with a thumbs up. ¡°A-Alright then. That¡¯s kind of sudden but I don¡¯t really have anything else to do for the rest of the night after sleeping for so long. Good night then Agrios.¡±, she says, the mention of the Gyurig Bear obviously affecting her. ¡°Night.¡±, I reply with a chuckle. Chapter 8: The Presence Blood. All the blood was starting to get annoying. I fell asleep laying next to Eia and was delved into my mind. And suffice to say, it was growing to be a disturbing place. I feel like I am a wolf¡­ Yeah¡­ Kind of ridiculous, but the dreams feel so much like memories. Memories of a pack, of being born in a litter of 5. At first I was smaller than the rest and had a dark grey pelt. Suddenly the vision flashes to a scene of a meadow. I was chasing other pups around and gnawing at their scruffs. They were my brothers and sisters, I can feel that. Then the blood. My father, or the alpha of the pack, had began growing aggressive with me. This came about the same time as my second winter. The thick, gray fur had shed revealing jet black beneath. Due to the constant pressing of my father the rest of the pack grew to hate me. I was standing over the lifeless bodies of my brothers and sisters. I could see the pain in their fading eyes and taste their blood as it dripped from my jaws. I didn¡¯t want to do it but they gave me no choice. I had grown much bigger than them so they all attacked me at once. I had refused to leave the pack and this was the result. A sudden pain pierced my back and I turned to see my father, the alpha, attacking me. The coward. Trying to exploit my weakened state. With a sudden burst of anger a switched flipped within me as I turned to tear into his throat. I jolt awake. What¡­ What the hell¡­ Tears are falling from my eyes and soaking the furs around me. Looking down I see that I¡¯ve somehow ripped my furs to shreds in my sleep. There are also deep cuts in the palms of my hands from where my claws had torn through the skin. This is exactly why humans don¡¯t have razor sharp claws¡­ Suddenly I realize I¡¯m soaked through with sweat. Looking up at the sky I can see it is around dawn, and I have to get up, and around soon anyways so I stand up. Some water to rinse off with would be excellent, so I lift my head and inhale deeply. This feels so weird, the thought crosses my mind, -weird in a stupidly natural way, like learning to walk. Just as the thought finishes I can smell fish. This time I control my reaction and, after checking Eia is fine, walk toward the smell. I have to part through a bit of foliage but come across a small stream eventually. Slowly I lower myself into the stream, the cool water enveloping me. Then I realize there were no fish in the stream. By looking around, I discover that the smell is coming from a pile of leaves. I move some of the pile away to reveal several fish heads and other bits. Apparently something was really hungry. There was a sudden roar and the sound of smashing trees coming from the direction of the caves. I¡¯m such an idiot! The smell of the fish must¡¯ve masked whatever the hell that is.
¡°HyerHyerHyer!~¡±, came a gravelly mocking, growl-like laughing sound from the clearing near the mouth of the caves just as I stepped into it. What stands before me was a huge, grizzly-like bear. It stands near 3 meters, or 10 foot, tall. It¡¯s coat is blazed a crimson, blood-like color and holds countless scars from previous battles. ¡°Gyuru? What¡¯s this. Is that some knight in shitty armor?¡±, the gravelly voice sneers as the giant bear turns to look at me. Looking up to its face I see that it has a dark, polluted smile full of gnarly, blood-soaked teeth. Looking down from it I realize it is standing over a pool of blood where Eia is lying. Suddenly time seems to slow down, my brain begins to rack and looking very carefully I see Eia take a small breath. A smile spreads across my face. Good, someone as annoyingly tenacious as her couldn¡¯t just die here. Seeing my smile the giant bear roars a threat, ¡°You dare smile in the face of death! I am a mighty Gyurig Bear. FEAR AND DIE LIKE THE REST!¡± A sudden, overwhelming killing intent spills out of the blood colored bear. Still, my smile doesn¡¯t waver. Looking up at the bear I chuckle. What in the hell am I laughing at, I can¡¯t help but wonder with an intense dread overcoming me slightly. It¡¯s like someone else is sharing my head, and they just heard a hilarious joke. Then that dread is immediately squelched. I start laughing near maniacally as begin lowering myself to the ground slowly.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°STOP LAUGIN-¡±, the Gyurig¡¯s yell is cut short. ¡°I won¡¯t cower in fear¡­¡±, I whisper as the hair on my head and back begins standing on end. ¡°I won¡¯t tremble and beg¡­¡±, I continue as the Gyurig¡¯s eyes grow wide. A swelling pride overtakes me and I begin gnashing my teeth, feeling my jaw muscles clench in anticipation ¡°I will kill, and eat. I will be the biggest. I WILL BE THE TOP! I am THE predator!¡±, comes a ripping roar from my chest as my voice distorts. I feel my body grow light and my vision blur momentarily. With a sudden resolution I bolt on all fours toward the Gyurig Bear. ¡°HOW AMUSING!¡±, it sneers as it throws its oversized paw down towards my trajectory. Seeing this I dig my claws into the ground and lunge to my right. --- Eia¡¯s Point of View --- Terror. Pure terror envelopes me as the Gyurig Bear laughs above me. It had cleaved my back open in the same place as before and thought it was hilarious how I ¡°sniveled¡± as it had put it. I could feel something rummaging around in my now shredded sleeping bag, and it almost felt like it was also in my body. I faded in and out and suddenly Agrios is here. At least I think it¡¯s Agrios. He is poised on the ground on all fours and his eyes are dyed a blood red, emitting a faint light in the early morning dawn. Suddenly he begins sprinting forward and her eyes couldn¡¯t help but spread in horror. IS HE INSANE. No one fights a Gyurig head on except for the higher ranks! The bear swipes its claw in a downward arc toward where Agrios is headed. Suddenly, Agrios slightly shifts his footing, with a strange grin on his face, and disappears. It¡¯s in this moment that I realize that most of the terror and killing intent I feel in the clearing is derived from Agrios. I feel like I am in the presence of a monster. --- Agrios¡¯s Point of View --- After lunging I immediately begin circling around the bear. Once I am to its side I lunge at it¡¯s legs. Natural instincts taking over I begin spinning in mid air with my claws out. [THIS IS FUN!] - comes a deep, shaking voice from inside my head. ¡°DIE! DIE AND FEED ME!¡±, the voice speaks through my own. Suddenly we are past the Gyurig and blood stains up and down my arms, as well as a wide arc behind me. Looking back at the Gyurig I smile to see it on its knees. I shredded the back of its knees along with most of the meat on its legs. It pounded widely around itself trying to attack me the whole time but wasn¡¯t near fast enough. Looking down I notice Eia is still so close to the Gyurig and was just out of its arms reach as it thrashed wildly. Noticing my gaze the Gyurig grinns and begins lurching in her direction. Damnit! She needs to move now! The Gyurig throws its body weight and accelerates much faster than I anticipated possible. NO! I began sprinting as fast as I could toward her. I¡¯m not gonna make it. I realized too late. *BOOM* The Gyurig¡¯s arm met with what looked like a shield made of blood. What the hell is this now!? I instantly take advantage and sprint forward and plant my hands into the bear¡¯s back. I could feel them slide through the ribs of the bear and into its lungs. With a sudden, satisfying burst of strength I begin ripping outwards, tearing through its chest cavity. My clawed hands explode out of both sides of its body. The bear lurches for a moment then falls backwards, as it smashes into the ground the blood pours from its back into the shape of splotched out wings. Looking down at Eia I see her wide eyed and terrified face. Seeing that she is alive I begin licking the blood off my hands and pounce on the oversized bear body. My hands rip long strips of meat from within it and shovels them into my mouth. As my vision begins to blur and my hearing is filled with the sound of rushing blood. 10 minutes later my vision and hearing return with an increasingly familiar confirmation. Diagnostic complete. Aspect ¡®Crimson Gyurig¡¯ attained. Power level: 300. Total aspects: Warg, Crimson Gyurig. Maximum ¡®Evolutionary Assimilation¡¯ Power Increased: 100. New Total: 300 Used ¡®Evolutionary Assimilation¡¯ Power: 200 ¡°Agri¡­ Os¡­ Please¡­ Hear me¡­¡±, comes a faint whisper from behind me. Turning around I look down on Eia lying in her own blood mixed with that of the Gyurig. ¡°All you ever do is get hurt you know¡­¡±, I say as I walk around her in a panic. She just looks up in terror which makes me unconsciously wipe some of the blood away from my mouth. ¡°Well¡­ Come on. Up you go.¡±, I say as I bend to pick her up. As soon as my skin makes contact with hers a small crimson spike juts out and into me. ¡°What the hell!¡±, I shout as I shake my finger. ¡°No Bit¡­ He¡¯s a¡­ Friend¡­¡±, she whispers slowly and the spike retracts. ¡°You¡¯ll explain later. We need to get you into town.¡±, I say quickly. She just nods and lifts her arms carefully to allow me to pick her up. Carefully I tie her to myself in a piggy back carry. ¡°Go. Left¡­ At the road¡­¡±, she says cautiously with a slight wheeze. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ve got a long run ahead so-.¡±, I am cut off by her head bobbing and landing softly on my shoulder. How in the hell did she survive all these years without me. Well¡­ I guess she did have parents. I tie her on more securely and begin trudging briskly toward the road. I really, really hope we make it there in time.